bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on 3D visual condition monitoring of marine bracket based on digital twin
Authors: Shen Yang , Zhou Jiacheng , Wang Shubao , Chen Yu , Liu Jinfeng
Published: February 2025

It is difficult to manage and control the marine brackets under the action of ship block load. Also, the maintenance is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. Aiming to resolve such problems, a three-dimensional (3D) visual condition monitoring method for marine brackets based on digital twins is proposed, and the overall architecture of the 3D visual monitoring system for marine brackets is designed. Therein, this paper focuses on the status data integration and management method of the bracket based on the intelligent node, the bracket 3D visual monitoring method based on digital twins and the bracket dynamic control method driven by real-time data. The marine bracket 3D visual monitoring system based on digital twins is developed based on Unity 3D. Through the bracket running status visual monitoring and point position control test, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified.
CFD analysis of a multi-layer continuous stirred tank based on an orthogonal experiment
Authors: Pei Xinwei , Xu Honghai
Published: February 2025

In order to study the solid-liquid mixing performance of a multi-layer continuous stirred tank, a finite element simulation model of the continuous stirred tank was constructed by using Solidworks software. The transient flow field analysis of the continuous stirred tank was completed by using STARCCM+ software. On this basis, the influence of stirred paddle blade speed, stirred paddle blade diameter, stirred paddle blade inclination angle, and lower paddle mounting height on the stirred tank solid-liquid mixing performance is studied. Using the orthogonal experiment method and selecting L9(34) orthogonal table to get 9 groups of programs, through the extreme variance analysis, the optimal combination of programs is determined. The experimental results show that considering the integrated slurry concentration distribution and equipment energy consumption, the optimal combination of parameters is a stirred paddle blade speed of 1400 rpm, a stirred paddle blade inclination angle of 45°, a stirred paddle blade diameter of 120 mm, and a lower paddle mounting height of 90 mm. The study’s results on improving the stirred tank paddle parameters serve as a valuable reference point for future research.
Study on the correlation between friction characteristics of microtextured surface and three-dimensional morphology characterization parameters in line contact state
Authors: Li Yang , Ren Cuifeng
Published: February 2025

In order to study the correlation between frictional properties of line-contact high-secondary components and three-dimensional topography characterization parameters, micro-textures are processed on the metal circumferential surfaces by laser marking machine. Then, the Micro-modeling surfaces are quantitatively characterized by three-dimensional characterization parameters, and friction tests under a linear contact state are carried out on a friction testing machine. The results show that the decrease of Sku and Spc values and the increase of Ssk and Vmp values are beneficial to improving the surface frictional property. The values of Vvv, Vvc and connectivity coefficient Us are too large or too small to improve the surface frictional property.
Form finding of tensegrity-based cable dome based on monte carlo algorithm
Authors: Lin Min , Du Zhengyin , Ji Zhifei , Lin Xiaochuan , Yan Wenduan
Published: February 2025

Tensegrity structures have been widely applied in the fields of cable domes, robotics, and sensors, due to their advantages of lightweight, accurate modeling, and deployable. This paper addresses the form-finding problem of tensegrity-based cable domes. An approach on the basis of the Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed to identify self-equilibrium configurations of cable domes. Afterward, the force density model and equilibrium equations are established, which lays the foundation for theoretical structural analysis. In addition, the rank deficiency conditions are obtained in order to guarantee structural stability and optimal pre-stress. Then, an optimization model of minimization error is developed to find the equilibrium configurations of cable domes. By treating force density as a variable in the Monte Carlo sampling process, the proposed approach can explore a vast solution space to pinpoint the optimal prestress distribution and structural configuration from numerous possibilities. Numerical experiments have been carried out. The results indicate that the desired structure can be obtained swiftly by using the proposed algorithm with enhanced efficiency. The proposed method can present substantial practical value for the design and construction of tensegrity-based cable domes.
Study on excitation parameters of high-speed MAG welding under longitudinal magnetization control
Authors: Li Mingfa , Yang Fu , Wei Chengyuan , Sun Junjie , Yang Yuhang
Published: February 2025

The high-speed welding process is prone to weld defects, and magnetron welding technology can effectively eliminate weld defects. It has been widely used in common welding processes. MAG welding has a wide range of applications due to its high efficiency and flexibility. In this paper, the Q235 ordinary carbon structural steel is welded by MAG welding under the action of the external longitudinal magnetic field with different excitation parameters. The arc morphology change during the welding process is recorded, the weld morphology after welding is observed, the mechanical properties of the weld are tested, and the metallographic structure is compared and analyzed. Through the experiment, it is found that high-speed MAG welding can be achieved under the longitudinal magnetron, and the excitation current and excitation frequency are selected as 4A50Hz, which improves the stability of the welding arc, improves the weld defects, can obtain the weld with good forming effect and comprehensive mechanical properties, and can achieve high-speed and high-quality welding.
Application and effect analysis of simulink in vehicle dynamics simulation
Authors: Gao Yujie , Tao Jun , Zhang Lin , Gong Naifa , Ma Jinzhu , Li Wenzhe
Published: February 2025

This paper studies the application of Simulink in vehicle dynamics simulation and its effect analysis. First, the basic parameters of the vehicle, gearbox characteristics and design goals are elaborated in detail, laying the foundation for the construction of subsequent simulation models. Then, the characteristics of the Simulink simulation platform and its wide application in the field of vehicle engineering are outlined, emphasizing its advantages in dynamics simulation. Subsequently, a vehicle dynamics simulation model was constructed based on the Simulink platform. By deriving key modeling formulas, the dynamic performance of the vehicle under different working conditions was simulated, and the simulation results were displayed. Finally, the simulation results were deeply analyzed to verify the accuracy and reliability of the model, and prospects for future research directions were given. The research in this paper provides strong support for vehicle dynamics optimization and control strategy development.
Numerical simulation study of nozzle flow field during cold spraying
Authors: Wang Xinrui , Yang Kai , Zhou Wenzheng , Xia Zhihao
Published: February 2025

Cold spraying is a high-velocity solid-state coating technology. The supersonic jet flow field, accelerated within the cold spraying nozzle, directly affects the coating results, making the study of the nozzle’s internal flow field crucial. This thesis employs Fluent software to establish a finite element simulation model of the gas-solid flow field within the Laval nozzle in cold spraying. The dynamic simulation analyzes the changes in the flow field of nitrogen gas and 7075 aluminum alloy particles inside the nozzle. The simulation results reveal that the gas phase velocity continuously increases within the nozzle; the turbulent kinetic energy of the gas initially increases and then decreases within the nozzle; the relationship between the spraying velocities of the gas and particles of different sizes within the nozzle is also determined.
Change for surface performance and layer structure of amorphous carbon-based films containing chromium under pressure annealing
Authors: Pan Jianyi , Xie Yangzhong , Ni Xinhua
Published: February 2025

This paper investigates the impact of pressure on the surface performance and layer structure of amorphous carbon-based films containing chromium through argon annealing and pressure argon annealing. The results indicate that significant changes to the layer structure of amorphous carbon-based films are observed after pressure annealing. After 500°C pressure annealing, although the total thickness of amorphous carbon-based films does not change, the boundary between the sublayers in the film moves down 400 nm. Pressure promotes the diffusion of elements within the sublayers, triggering boundary movement in amorphous carbon-based films during pressure annealing. At the same annealing temperature, the film surface is smoother after annealing in argon compared to annealing in pressure argon. The lower roughness after argon annealing corresponds to a lower content of sp3 bonds. The surface hardness of the film after annealing in pressure argon is higher than that after annealing in argon, suggesting that pressure slows down the reduction in film hardness by delaying the graphitization process of the film.
Design of drag reduction and water pressure resistant skin layer of underwater vehicle based on mechanical metamaterials
Authors: Zhong Chuxiang , Cai Li , Mao Yibin , Yang Kaiwen , Yang Xiaokang , Yu Dianlong
Published: February 2025

Developing high-speed and large working depth underwater vehicles has gradually become a hot topic. Various drag-reduction skins and water pressure-resistant structures have been proposed to reduce surface resistance interference and increase the working water depth. Mechanical metamaterials can exhibit extraordinary static mechanical and quasi-static mechanical properties. It provides possibilities for achieving excellent static water pressure resistance and drag reduction simultaneously. This paper proposed an underwater elastic skin based on metamaterials and drag-reducing grooves. A composite functional skin was obtained by combining the negative Poisson’s ratio design of metamaterials with the V-groove drag reduction design. Analysis based on the COMSOL finite element simulation shows that lower flow resistance during high-speed and low-speed navigation and stronger pressure resistance can be achieved simultaneously. By comparing different drag reduction models, the drag reduction characteristics of the composite skin are analyzed. The results provide new ideas for the design of thin-layer multifunctional integrated underwater skins for UUV.
Gemological characterisation of yellowish-green montebrasite
Authors: Zhang Shuling
Published: February 2025

Montebrasite is a rare gemstone whose gemmological characteristics and identification methods have rarely been reported. In this paper, ten montebrasite gemstones were selected for nondestructive testing, including conventional gemmological testing, microscopic observation, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), laser-exfoliation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy, etc., and the gemmological and spectroscopic characteristics of montebrasite were clarified, and a method was found that could The method of rapid and indirect semi-quantitative estimation of the F content of montebrasite faceted gemstones has been developed, and the chromogenic genesis of montebrasite has been postulated. The aim is to enrich the gemmological data related to montebrasite, to find a fast and accurate method to identify the different analogous and homogeneous end elements of montebrasite, and to improve the detection efficiency. The results of conventional gemmological tests show that the refractive indices of the montebrasite samples are in the range of 1.605-1.634. Substituting the data into the formula nγ = -0.0053 wt% + 1.6477 yields an F content of 2.59-3.34 wt%, which preliminarily confirms that all of the samples belong to the montebrasite end element.
Preparation and structural control of bamboo joint pore structure SBA-15 mesoporous silica
Authors: Liu Kaixuan , Long Haibo , Yu Chuanshun , Wu Zeqing , Fu Zhongchao
Published: February 2025

SBA-15-type mesoporous silica with bamboo joint pore structure was prepared from a simple ternary system of TEOS/P123/HCl(aq.) using partitioned cooperative self-assembly method, and the effects of different TEOS additions, different partitioned times, different water hating temperatures, and different hydrothermal temperatures on the bamboo joint pore SBA-15 structure were investigated. It was shown that the bamboo joint pore structure was most obvious when the ratio of the two TEOS additions was 6/4; the partitioned time was 4 h; the water hating temperature was 26°C and the hydrothermal temperature was 100°C. The water hating temperature had the greatest influence on the bamboo joint pore structure, and the bamboo joint pore structure gradually disappeared with the increase in water hating temperature until it became a regular mesoporous channel.
Preparation of TiO2/bucky paper by hydrothermal method and its photocatalytic performance
Authors: Qin Yanli , Huang Yu , Yang Yan , Jiang Yanshuang , Liu Zhenyu
Published: February 2025

TiO2/bucky paper composites were prepared by loading TiO2 on a bucky paper substrate by a simple hydrothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) as the titanium source and anhydrous ethanol as the solvent. MO served as the target degradation object. Various TiO2/bucky papers were successfully synthesized by adjusting the reaction temperature and precursor concentration. Then, they were characterized using SEM, XRD, XPS, and UV-vis techniques. The TiO2/bucky paper was prepared at a temperature of 160°C. A precursor addition of 1.0 ml had the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 95.36 % within 90 min, and the photocatalytic degradation efficiency was still greater than 86 % after four cycles.
Preparation and electrochemical properties of vanadium doped NiCo-LDH electrode materials
Authors: Wang Zhide , Zhao Haitao
Published: February 2025

NiCo-LDH electrode materials with different vanadium doping ratios were prepared on foam nickel substrate using the hydrothermal method. The microstructure and electrochemical characteristics of NiCo-LDH materials were examined in relation to vanadium doping. Electrochemical workstation, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate their structure, morphology, and electrochemical capabilities. The results showed that as the vanadium doping content increased from 0% to 40%, the electrode material gradually transformed from a needle cluster morphology to a more three-dimensional sea urchin morphology. With an increase in scanning rate, the CV curve area of NiCo-LDH electrode material doped with vanadium element gradually increases, and the overall symmetry is better. NiCo-LDH doped with 30% vanadium element has relatively better symmetry and capacitance area, exhibiting better electrochemical performance compared to other doping ratios, indicating that vanadium-doped NiCo-LDH materials have higher application potential in supercapacitors.
Study on microstructure evolution and properties of Fe-3.1% Si steel for new energy vehicles by adjusting normalizing temperature
Authors: Gao Yijing , Gao Zhenyu , Chen Haoran , Yuan Bingyu , Zheng Bowen , Xu Yunbo
Published: February 2025

Non-oriented silicon steel, a kind of Fe-Si alloy with high magnetic induction, high strength (mainly referring to yield strength), and low iron loss, is needed for the motor rotor of new energy vehicles. In this study, Fe-3.1% Si steel, which was 0.27 mm thick, was manufactured at different normalizing temperatures. The microstructure and the texture evolution of each process were studied. As the normalizing temperature rises, fine equiaxed recrystallized grains of normalized sheets are coarsened while the area fraction of elongated grains drops off. The mean size of recrystallized grains and the microstructure uniformity of final annealed sheets both increase with normalizing temperature from 800°C to 980°C. The magnetic and mechanical properties are well balanced in the case of 900°C normalization. The annealed sheet exhibits excellent properties with core loss P

10/400
of 16.65 W/Kg, magnetic induction B

50
of 1.70T, and yield strength YS of 446 MPa.
Effect of laser hardening on surface properties of high-speed steel
Authors: Deng Wenhao , Gong Xun , Du Chunyan , Zhang Jie
Published: February 2025

To improve the service life of high-speed steel tools, this paper studies the influence of laser treatment on the wear resistance, hardening layer depth, and hardness of high-speed steel tools. The results show that the influence of laser power, lap rate, and scanning speed on the hardness of high-speed steel tools is from large to small. Laser surface hardening can improve the hardness of high-speed steel tools, the hardness of high-speed steel tools after laser surface hardening is about 922 HV, the hardness of non-laser surface hardening is about 418 HV, and the hardness of laser surface hardening is about 0.5 times higher than that of non-laser surface hardening. After laser surface quenching, the wear resistance of high-speed steel tools has also been improved, the wear rate of laser quenching after 0.0023% is about 0.001% lower than that of non-laser quenching after 0.0033%, and the wear mechanism is mainly abrasive wear. After laser quenching, there are three areas on the surface of the high-speed steel tool: hardened layer, incomplete quenching zone, and matrix, and the carbon content of microstructure after laser quenching is increased.
Research on the coating parameters and properties of Cr3C2-NiCr coating sprayed by HVOF
Authors: Liu Caiyan , Mao Zhengping , Xu Xiaojie
Published: February 2025

The influence of certain coating parameters of HVOF (High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel) spraying on the microstructure and properties of Cr3C2-NiCr coating and the mechanism of microstructure formation of the coating is investigated. The results indicate that the characteristics of the high-temperature and high-velocity flame jet enable the acquisition of coatings with high hardness (>910 HV0.3), low porosity (<0.8%), high density (>99.2%) and uniform microstructure distribution. The neutral salt spray test demonstrates that the coating has good corrosion resistance properties.
Study on the properties of silicone-modified basalt fiber composites under damp heat aging
Authors: Lu Wenhao , Wei Xiaoxing , Xiao Xiang , Zhang Jinyin , Huang Zhixiong , Wu Peng , Liu Hecheng
Published: February 2025

The humid and hot environment is a key factor that threatens the reliability of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP). In this work, a sizing agent with silicone-modified epoxy resin emulsion was used to study the capability of silicone-modified basalt fiber composites under damp heat aging. The test results show that the modified composite BFRP-SER has good resistance to damp heat aging, and its flexural strength and breakdown field strength decrease by 30.1% and 35.2%, respectively. This is because chemical bonds such as Si-O bonds and C-O bonds have high bond energy, and more energy is required to break these chemical bonds at high temperatures, resulting in a lower degree of hydrolysis of BFRP-SER and hindering the penetration of the medium, thus maintaining performance for a longer period of time.
Easily prepared and high-performance AgNPs as SERS substrates for trace thiram detection
Authors: Wei Yongquan , Qin Mimi , Liu Yansheng , Jia Xiaobo , Zhou Jin , Wang Guofu
Published: February 2025

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology, known for its ultra-high sensitivity and molecular specificity, is widely used for material detection. In this study, a high-performance SERS substrate was successfully fabricated by depositing a 10 nm silver film on a silicon wafer under low-vacuum conditions, systematically optimizing the annealing temperature. At the optimal annealing temperature, the silver film underwent particle formation, creating a high-density “hotspot” distribution, which significantly enhanced the SERS sensitivity. With rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a beta-molecule, the SERS performance of the nanostructure was evaluated, with the optimized substrate demonstrating the detection LOD achieved 10−8 M. A linear relationship was established between the intensity of the Characteristic Raman peak of thiram at 1384 cm−1 and the logarithm of its concentration, achieving a Correlation value is 0.986 and the LOD achieved 10−9 M.
Study of polyamine species modulating the properties of polyurea microencapsulated wall materials
Authors: He Yongjun , Feng Jingyun , Yi Xin , Kang Furu , Deng Jun
Published: February 2025

This study explored the impact of various polyamines on polyurea shell performance and identified optimal candidates for high-performance microcapsules. Isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) was combined with six polyamines (EDA, DAB, HMD, PPD, DETA, and TETA) to synthesize crosslinked polyurea shells via solvent-assisted precipitation polymerization. The polyurea coatings were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, SEM, FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis to assess polymerization, microstructure, composition, and crystallinity. Results showed that polyamine type significantly influenced polyurea properties. Diamine-based polyureas had higher initial thermal stability, while triamine (DETA) and tetraamine (TETA) coatings exhibited better thermal degradation resistance. Tri-and tetraamine-based coatings also had uniform spherical morphologies and lower crystallinity, with TETA-derived polyurea demonstrating excellent thermal stability and low crystallinity, making it ideal for high-performance microcapsules. These findings guide the selection of suitable polyurea coatings for microcapsule applications, advancing phase change material technology.
Molecular-modified dyes for Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs): a computational chemistry investigation
Authors: Zhang Fan , Zhou Shijie , Martsinovich Natalia
Published: February 2025

Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) are of great potential for science development to solve the problem of energy crisis. The sensitizers (dyes) for DSSCs are explored and discussed in this project. Computational chemistry investigations based on Gaussian 09 are carried out to determine the computational data of dye molecules and to deduce their properties. Light absorptions, molecular orbitals, and energy levels of dyes are specifically explored and discussed. Molecular structures are modified diversely to achieve better features. The new dye molecule with better properties is successfully designed.
Application of multiple regression modeling and BP neural network in the analysis of prepared C4 olefins
Authors: Huang Kaiyao
Published: February 2025

Ethanol serves as a crucial raw material for synthesizing C4 olefins, making the investigation of catalytic synthesis process conditions highly valuable. This study conducted a correlation analysis on experimental data from the catalytic coupling of ethanol into C4 olefins under varying temperatures and catalyst conditions, determining the Pearson correlation coefficient between ethanol conversion, C4 olefin selectivity, and temperature. The analysis revealed a significant relationship between C4 olefin selectivity and temperature. Following this, gray correlation analysis was employed to pinpoint the experimental conditions with the highest correlation coefficients. Using six independent variables, including catalyst combinations and temperature, alongside dependent variables such as ethanol conversion rate and C4 olefin selectivity, a multiple regression model was established. Results indicated that temperature significantly influences the dependent variables, with Co/SiO2 dosage and Co loading being the most pivotal factors affecting ethanol conversion. Specifically, while Co/SiO2 and Co loading have minimal impact on ethanol conversion, HAP dosage and temperature are positively correlated. Ethanol dosage is negatively correlated. Additionally, C4 olefin selectivity is less influenced by the amounts of Co/SiO2 and ethanol. Finally, a neural network model was developed linking five influencing factors to C4 olefin yield. Bayesian regularization was used to train the model, optimizing the experimental conditions for maximizing C4 olefin yield.
Development of new corrosion and scale and salt inhibitors and research on the effect of field application
Authors: Li Xiaolong , Lei Zigang , Li Cong , Wang Yuan , Shang Xufeng , Zhou Jie
Published: February 2025

Several puncture leaks and perforation failures occurred in the water injection pipeline outside a joint station in a western oilfield, seriously affecting the pipeline’s integrity. By analyzing the clogging in the pipeline, it was found that the corrosion caused by salt and scale inside the pipeline was the main reason for the perforation failure of the water injection pipeline outside the station. Given the serious corrosion and scaling of the water injection pipeline outside the station, the multi-functional agent of corrosion inhibitor, scale inhibitor, and salt suppressant was developed. It was determined that the agent had the best effect when the ratio of the single-agent additive corrosion inhibitor, scale inhibitor, and salt suppressant was 2:3:5. The sum of the three is 87% of the formula. At 40°C, when the addition amount was 150 mg/L, the corrosion rate of P110 steel was only 0.0307 mm/a, the scale inhibition rate for CaCO3 can reach 83.5%, and the salt inhibition rate can get 4.5%. Field corrosion monitoring test piece evaluation test results show that the uniform corrosion rate of the coupons monitored by the three monitoring points is greatly reduced after the corrosion and scale and salt inhibitor are added, and the higher the injection concentration is, the lower the uniform corrosion rate is. When the concentration is high, there are almost no salt crystals on the surface of the monitoring coupon, and a small amount of salt crystals are precipitated after the concentration is reduced.
High-performance coatings for corrosion protection of power equipment and their performance analysis
Authors: Huang Sihao , Pang Lilong , Wang Zhiguang
Published: February 2025

Power equipment of new energy and novel power systems, exposed to harsh corrosive environments such as high temperatures, saline, high flow rates, and oxidation, pose a significant risk to their safe, efficient, and normal operation. In this study, an Al2O3/Fe-Al coating was prepared on the surface of stainless steel, and its high-performance anti-corrosion effect was verified by extreme corrosion tests. Additionally, the study analyzed the micro-structural changes and elemental migration of the coating in the corrosion process. The coating’s excellent resistance to extremely high temperatures and oxidative environments indicates its potential for application to the outdoor power equipment of various new energy and novel power systems.
Facile synthesis of 1D perovskite microwire arrays with ultrafast photoresponse
Authors: Li Yisen , Xu Haomiao , Jiang Guishuang , Zhao Xinghao , Shen Lifan
Published: February 2025

Perovskite materials are ideal candidates for the activity layers in electrooptic components due to their effective light absorption and high carrier mobility. However, perovskites produced through traditional solution methods often suffer from poor crystallinity and high defect density and are susceptible to damage under high temperature and light exposure, which limits device performance. In this work, high-quality 1D single-crystal CsPbBr3 microwire (MW) arrays are successfully synthesized on muscovite substrates using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by optimizing growth parameters such as growth time, temperature, and substrate position. The photodetector based on the as-grown MWs exhibits outstanding photoelectric performance, achieving a light-to-dark current ratio of up to 5.53 × 102 at a working voltage of 5 V and a photoresponsivity of up to 9.4 × 10−4 A W−1 at a small illumination power intensity of 1 mW cm−2. Additionally, this photodetector demonstrates an ultrarapid photoresponse time with a fall time of 140 μs and a rise time of 92 μs under a 365 nm laser. This research presents a facile and controllable strategy for synthesizing high-quality 1D perovskites with ultrafast photoresponse, which access the mean for developing high-performing 1D perovskite photodetectors.
Study on the influence of silane coupling Agent-Modified BN on the thermodynamic properties of polytetrafluoroethylene
Authors: Lv Fangcheng , Zhang Wenqi
Published: February 2025

To study the effect of different silane coupling agents modified boron nitride (BN) fillers on the thermodynamic properties of PTFE, this work selects KH550, KH560, and KH580 silane coupling agents to modify BN, and constructs a PTFE composite model in Materials Studio. The thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, and cohesive energy density of the composite models are analyzed using molecular dynamics methods. The results indicate that coupling agent modification can further improve the thermodynamic stability of the composite. Among them, KH550 has the optimal modification effect, with a thermal conductivity of 0.192 W/(m·K), an increase of 66.9% compared to the pristine. The underlying mechanism for the improvement of thermodynamic properties is elucidated from the perspectives of molecular thermal motion and intermolecular interaction forces through the calculation of cohesive energy density as well as the fractional free volume. This study provides theoretical guidance for the screening of coupling agent modification and the design of high-performance polymer composite based on molecular simulation.
Control of electro-optic sideband spectrum using sequential modulators
Authors: Dammalapati Umakanth , Elvin Rachel , Griffin Paul , Riis Erling
Published: February 2025

Electro-optic modulators are widely used for the generation of optical sidebands for various applications. Here, we report on a technique enabling control of the relative amplitudes of optical sidebands generated by electro-optic modulators. The technique makes use of a phase modulator and Mach-Zehnder amplitude modulator, connected in series to break the symmetry of the sideband amplitudes. The generated optical sideband spectrum can be controlled by the two radio frequency (RF) modulation amplitudes, the attenuation level of the amplitude modulator, and the relative RF phase of the two modulations. We demonstrate near-complete suppression of one first-order sideband and with simultaneously achieving equal amplitudes of the carrier and the other first-order sideband with >94% purity. The technique can be utilised to produce a spectrum with effectively two frequency components. This enables application in atomic physics experiments such as the minimisation of off-resonant light shifts that can limit the performance of atomic clocks and interferometers. We demonstrate operation in the near-infrared, at 795 nm, using commercial-off-the-shelf components and circumventing the need for frequency doubling of lasers in the optical communications region.
Epidemic risk perception and social interactions lead to awareness cascades on multiplex networks
Authors: Van Wesemael Tim , Rocha Luis E C , Baetens Jan M
Published: February 2025

The course of an epidemic is not only shaped by infection transmission over face-to-face contacts, but also by preventive behaviour caused by risk perception and social interactions. This study explores the dynamics of coupled awareness and biological infection spread within a two-layer multiplex network framework. One layer embodies face-to-face contacts, with a biological infection transmission following a simple contagion model, the SIR process. Awareness, modelled by the linear threshold model, a complex contagion, spreads over a social layer and induces behaviour that lowers the chance of a biological infection occurring. It may be provoked by the presence of either aware or infectious neighbours. We introduce a novel model combining these influences through a convex combination, creating a continuum between pure social contagion and local risk perception. Simulation of the model shows distinct effects arising from the awareness sources. Also, for convex combinations where both input sources are of importance, awareness cascades that are not attributable to only one of these sources, emerge. Here, the combination of a small-world face-to-face and a scale-free social layer, but not vice versa, cause the number of infections to decrease with increasing transmission probability.
The Story of Job
Authors: Stump Eleonore
Published: February 2025

Job is an exemplar of an innocent person who suffers involuntarily. This chapter focuses on the biblical story of Job and gives a detailed philosophical examination of many parts of the story. Its aim is to illuminate the picture the story gives us of God’s reasons for allowing Job’s suffering when we are attuned to the second-personal character of the narrative in all its complexity. The nested stories the book contains of relations between creatures and God present God’s providence operating in a fractal way, to deal with each of God’s creatures as an end in himself, even while interweaving all the individual stories into one larger narrative.
Why language policy?
Authors: Coulmas Florian
Published: February 2025

A brief introduction to the theme of language policy with some historical references to show that language has been a political issue in East and West since ancient times and has not lost any of its importance to this day. By way of an introduction to the theme of language policy this chapter addresses the question why there is such a thing as language policy in the most general sense. Some historical references to Biblical sources and Chinese philosophy show that language has been a political issue in East and West since ancient times and has not lost any of its importance to this day. The chapter concludes by introducing the Policy Cycle Model that is widely used in policy studies. It consists of a cycle of the four stages of agenda setting, policy formulation, policy implementation and evaluation which, the chapter argues, can be applied to language policy.
The new multitude—migration, language, and citizenship
Authors: Coulmas Florian
Published: February 2025

In recent decades, two things have profoundly changed communication patterns and social environments: mass migration and digitization. This chapter tackles the consequences and challenges of these developments for established language policies arising from increasing diversity and new media. It discusses the ideological relationship between language and citizenship and explains the political motivation of language testing for the acquisition of citizenship through naturalization. For our understanding of present-day society, it discusses the question how the ‘public sphere’ is affected by these trends. Just a generation ago, the public sphere, accessible to all citizens using the same national language, was widely seen as a crucial prerequisite of deliberative democracy and social control of government actions. The chapter looks at how new communication technologies and demographic shifts across national borders are driving societal change, including the multilingualization of Western societies, to which language policies must respond.
Sexism in the City
Authors: Taylor James
Published: February 2025

Sexism in the City is the first book to trace the history of women stockbrokers in the United Kingdom from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth centuries. Forgotten pioneers, these businesswomen fought against the odds to establish successful brokerages across the country and, in the process, challenged society’s beliefs about women and money. The book also tells the story of how the nation’s stock exchanges denied them membership for generations, mobilizing increasingly desperate arguments to try to justify their exclusion, until women finally won the right to join the London Stock Exchange in 1973. By spotlighting the lives and careers of women who worked as stockbrokers outside male-monopolized institutions, this book reframes the historical development of finance in several ways. It highlights the extent to which the seemingly gender-neutral institutions and practices of finance were, in fact, based on gendered ideologies and exclusions. It also argues that focusing on institutions only reveals part of the financial ecosystem, meaning that we miss what was happening outside the formal market. And it challenges London-centric interpretations of financial history, asking questions about the financial cultures existing outside the metropolis. If we look beyond the official exchanges—and beyond London—a more diverse financial environment comes into view.
Introduction
Authors: Vidas Moulie
Published: February 2025

While traditional historiography and modern scholarship have long recognized the development, beginning in the third century ce, of rabbinic commentary on rabbinic teachings, the features of this commentary and its transformative effect have been underappreciated. This development led to a re-imagining of the rabbinic tradition in broad terms, as well as to the introduction of new interpretive practices and reading strategies into the study of Torah. In addition to introducing the book’s arguments and methods, this chapter explores the conditions that led to this development. The Amoraic turn reflects the standardization of the rabbinic curriculum in the third century ce, of which the clearest expression was the promulgation of the Mishnah; but that process did not determine the shape or type of commentary: to understand these, we must turn to the commentary itself.
Needy, Lost, and Kind of Divine
Authors: Vidas Moulie
Published: February 2025

This chapter probes the connection between interpretive practice and notions of text. The sages applied to rabbinic teachings some of the reading strategies that are the hallmark of their study of Scripture: intertextual illumination, the demonstration that apparently redundant texts are in fact necessary, and claims that the text addresses a different context than it at first seems. While in the study of Scripture, these reading strategies were connected with the notion that Scripture was a perfect or deliberately designed text, when they were applied to rabbinic teachings they acquired different forms and significance and were associated with the notion that these teachings were fragmentary and misplaced. Intertextual reading and claims about the necessity of apparent redundancies emphasized that teachings only partially represented the law; recontextualizing commentary drew on the notion that the composition and transmission of teachings could result in misleading contextualization.
Manipulation
Authors: Noggle Robert
Published: February 2025

This book seeks to answer three main questions about manipulation: What is it? How does it work? Why does it seem bad? It begins by examining thirteen paradigm examples of ordinary manipulation, including playing on the emotions, emotional blackmail, gaslighting, nagging, charm offensives, misdirection, and flattery. Next, it surveys existing accounts of manipulation, and finds that none of them properly identifies manipulation in all thirteen paradigm examples. However, two accounts, when combined, do properly identify manipulation in all thirteen examples. One of these sees manipulation as a form of trickery; the other sees it as a form of pressure. An analysis of manipulative pressure shows that it works by getting the target to mistakenly choose the lesser good over the greater. This finding paves the way for the Mistake Account: Manipulation is an influence that operates by getting the target to make a mistake in the target’s psychological states or processes. The book assembles a strong cumulative case in favor of the Mistake Account. It then details various sorts of mistakes involved in manipulation, and the psychological processes by which manipulators get people to make them. Turning to the moral status of manipulation, the book argues that, as with deception, all instances of manipulation are bad because they involve inducing mistakes; however, the most morally egregious instances of manipulation also have bad effects on well-being and autonomy. The book’s concluding chapters apply the Mistake Account to various influences, including priming, conditioning, nudges, advertising, sales, and online influences.
Perspective, Intent, and Manipulation
Authors: Noggle Robert
Published: February 2025

The first half of this chapter asks: For the purposes of defining manipulation, from what perspective should we judge whether something is a mistake? Is Iago’s behavior manipulative because Iago believes that it is a mistake for Othello to be jealous and angry at Desdemona, or because it really is a mistake for Othello to be jealous and angry at Desdemona? The Mistake Account regards manipulation as being similar to deception. This similarity suggests that (a) acting manipulatively involves trying to get someone to make what the manipulator thinks is a mistake, but (b) someone has been successfully manipulated only when what the manipulator regards as a mistake really is a mistake. The second half of the chapter addresses the question of how best to characterize the intention that a person must have if we are to describe that person as acting manipulatively.
Exotic Influences and Problem Cases
Authors: Noggle Robert
Published: February 2025

This chapter applies the Mistake Account to influences other than the thirteen paradigm examples from Chapter 2. Its focus is on exotic forms of influence, and influences that pose special challenges for the Mistake Account. The first category includes influences like priming and conditioning. The second includes influences that produce systemic changes to the target’s moods, levels of fatigue, etc. By examining these influences, the chapter develops a process for determining whether novel forms of influence count as manipulation. This involves determining whether they operate by inducing a mistaken mental state, or by inducing akratic choice. The chapter also argues for a distinction between manipulation and meddling.
Unveiling the role of FOXL2 in female differentiation and disease: a comprehensive review
Authors: He Jia , Wang Zican , Yang Lici , Jiang Yongjian , Yan Ge , Pan Yongwei , Gao Fei , Yuan Jinxiang , Gao Yang
Published: February 2025

Ovarian differentiation relies on the accurate and orderly expression of numerous related genes. Forkhead box protein L2 (FOXL2) is one of the earliest ovarian differentiation markers and transcription factors. In sex determination, FOXL2 maintains the differentiation of the female pathway by inhibiting male differentiation genes, including SOX9 and SF1. In addition, FOXL2 promotes the synthesis of follicle-stimulating hormone and anti-Müllerian hormone to support follicle development. Mutations in FOXL2 are associated with numerous female reproductive diseases. A comprehensive and in-depth study of FOXL2 provides novel strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of such diseases. This review discusses the mechanism of FOXL2 in female sex differentiation and maintenance, hormone synthesis, and disease occurrence and reveals the role of FOXL2 as a central factor in female sex development and fertility maintenance. This review will serve as a reference for identifying novel targets of other regulatory factors interacting with FOXL2 in female sex determination and follicle development and for the diagnosis and treatment of female reproductive diseases.
MRI identifies disrupted cerebral development in medulloblastoma patients
Authors: Bag Asim K , Holtrop Joseph , Glass John O , McAfee Samuel S , Wu Shengjie , Li Yimei , Scoggins Matthew , Zhang Silu , Robinson Giles , Gajjar Amar , Brinkman Tara M , Conklin Heather M , Reddick Wilburn E
Published: February 2025

Cognitive decline in survivors of medulloblastoma is commonly attributed to radiation- and chemotherapy-induced brain microstructural alterations. Factors preceding this adjuvant therapy, such as disrupted brain development or resection surgery, may affect brain microstructure but have not been as thoroughly explored in medulloblastoma. The aim of this study was to assess cortical thickness and microstructural integrity of the cerebrum prior to adjuvant therapy in medulloblastoma patients.

Cross-sectional image data were acquired of medulloblastoma patients (n=30) after surgery but before adjuvant therapy and compared to data from healthy controls (n=35) matched for age range (12 to 22 years). Biomarkers of microstructural integrity include fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. Thickness, surface area, and volume were estimated for parcels of neocortex to evaluate potential morphology differences.

Participants with medulloblastoma showed increased diffusivity parameters (mean, axial, and radial diffusivity), and decreased fractional anisotropy, within nearly all white and gray matter parcels of the cerebrum, compared to healthy controls. Medulloblastoma participants additionally showed decreased cortical thickness in subregions of frontal, parietal, temporal, and paracentral cortex.

Broad cerebral microstructural alterations in medulloblastoma patients following surgery but before initiation of radiation or chemotherapy suggest that cerebellar insult, by tumor development or tumor resection, likely contributes to compromised integrity of cerebral gray and white matter. Locations of cortical thinning suggest that cerebellar insult may impair normal growth in cerebral regions responsible for executive function, language, and attention—cognitive domains typically affected in medulloblastoma survivors.
METTL3-catalyzed m6A methylation facilitates the contribution of vascular smooth muscle cells to atherosclerosis
Authors: Dong Zhigang , Jin Yourong , Shen Yicong , Huang Jiaqi , Tan Jiaai , Feng Qianqian , Gong Ze , Zhu Shirong , Chen Huiyue , Yu Fang , Li Wei , Jia Yiting , Kong Wei , Fu Yi
Published: February 2025

Aims

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are involved in the etiology of atherosclerosis, but whether methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3)-catalyzed N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modulates the contribution of VSMCs to atherosclerosis remains elusive.

Methods and Results

We generated tamoxifen-inducible VSMC-specific METTL3 knockout mice with VSMC lineage tracing, and found that VSMC-specific METTL3 deficiency substantially attenuated atherosclerosis and reduced the proportion of VSMCs in plaques, due to the inhibition of VSMC atheroprone phenotype as characterized by macrophage-like and inflammatory features as well as high migratory and proliferative capacity. m6A-methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-Seq) combined with polysome profiling analysis mechanistically displayed METTL3 catalyzed m6A methylation of myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTFA) mRNA, and further enhanced YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein F3 (YTHDF3)-dependent MRTFA mRNA translation. Conversely, adenovirus or adeno-associated virus-mediated VSMC-specific MRTFA overexpression abolished METTL3 deficiency-mediated alleviation of VSMC atheroprone phenotypic switching and atherosclerotic progression both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion

METTL3 facilitated the contribution of VSMCs to atherosclerosis through the m6A-YTHDF3-dependent MRTFA mRNA translation enhancement.