bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the impact of aneurysm morphology on the risk of internal carotid artery aneurysm rupture: A statistical and computational analysis of endovascular coiling
Authors: Hu Hongping , Luo Ping , Kadir Dler Hussein , Hassanvand Amin
Published: October 2023

Computational modeling and investigation have become increasingly useful in assessing the hemodynamic and structural factors that contribute to aneurysm rupture, particularly when conventional clinical tools are inadequate. To this end, we conduct a study of a realistic internal carotid artery (ICA) under various working conditions using computational fluid dynamics. We analyze nine specific real ICA geometries in terms of coiling porosity and blood hematocrit, using a response surface model to evaluate 25 runs across selected geometrical parameters and treatment factors. The computational domain is created using computed tomography data from an actual patient, and we apply proposed boundary conditions to solve three-dimensional transient Navier–Stokes equations. By analyzing these cases, we try to understand how the sac section area, mean radius of the parent vessel, hematocrit, and coiling porosity interact and affect the risk of ICA rupture. We conduct an extensive study of the effects of sac section area and mean radius of the parent vessel on blood hemodynamics, examining several factors and comparing them at the peak systolic time instant, including wall shear stress (WSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), pressure distributions, and velocity. Our results show that a 12% increase in the mean radius of the parent vessel reduced the maximum OSI value by approximately 50%, while a 120% increase in the sac section area decreases WSS on the aneurysm wall by up to 300%. These findings demonstrate the potential of computational modeling to provide valuable insight into the complex factors that influence aneurysm rupture, especially in cases where traditional clinical tools may be insufficient.
Quantification and purification of isotopic contamination at the ReAccelerator of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
Authors: Henriques A. , Nash S. , Barofsky D. , Bollen G. , Lapierre A. , Schwarz S. , Sumithrarachchi C. , Zhao Q. , Villari A. C. C.
Published: October 2023

At the ReAccelerator within the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a combination of an interchangeable aluminum foil and a silicon detector was developed to quantify isobaric contamination in rare isotope beams. The device is simple to operate and is now used routinely. In this article, we describe the system and show an application of the device to determine the level of contamination of an Si-32 rare isotope beam by stable S-32. In addition, we describe how the new diagnostic device helped confirm an enhancement of the beam purity prior to beam delivery to experiments.
Realization of the unidirectional amplification in a cavity magnonic system
Authors: Wang Zi-Yuan , Qian Jie , Wang Yi-Pu , Li Jie , You J. Q.
Published: October 2023

We experimentally demonstrate the nonreciprocal microwave amplification using a cavity magnonic system, consisting of a passive cavity (i.e., the split-ring resonator), an active feedback circuit integrated with an amplifier, and a ferromagnetic spin ensemble (i.e., a yttrium–iron–garnet sphere). Combining the amplification provided by the active circuit and the nonreciprocity supported by the cavity magnonics, we implement a nonreciprocal amplifier with the functions of both unidirectional amplification and reverse isolation. The microwave signal is amplified by 11.5 dB in the forward propagating direction and attenuated in the reverse direction by −34.7 dB, giving an isolation ratio of 46.2 dB. Such a unidirectional amplifier can be readily employed in quantum technologies, where the device can simultaneously amplify the weak signal output by the quantum system and isolate the sensitive quantum system from the backscattered external noise. Also, it is promising to explore more functions and applications using a cavity magnonic system with a real gain.
Superhydrophobic immersion
Authors: Coux Martin , Mathis Adrien , Delannoy Joachim , Mouterde Timothée , Quéré David
Published: October 2023

Non-wetting solids have been extensively studied for about 20 years due to the spectacular mobility they provide to water drops. However, they have other noteworthy properties: For instance, such materials immersed in water entrain a plastron of air, a phenomenon exploited by many creatures to hunt or breathe underwater. We measure the thickness of this plastron and model the results by modifying the Landau–Levich–Derjaguin theory established for a plate drawn out of a wetting liquid.
Equilibrium melting probabilities of a DNA molecule with a defect: An exact solution of the Poland–Scheraga model
Authors: Genthon Arthur , Dvirnas Albertas , Ambjörnsson Tobias
Published: October 2023

In this study we derive analytically the equilibrium melting probabilities for basepairs of a DNA molecule with a defect site. We assume that the defect is characterized by a change in the Watson–Crick basepair energy of the defect basepair, and in the associated two stacking energies for the defect, as compared to the remaining parts of the DNA. The defect site could, for instance, occur due to DNA basepair mismatching, cross-linking, or by the chemical modifications when attaching fluorescent labels, such as fluorescent-quencher pairs, to DNA. Our exact solution of the Poland–Scheraga model for DNA melting provides the probability that the labeled basepair, and its neighbors, are open at different temperatures. Our work is of direct importance, for instance, for studies where fluorophore-quencher pairs are used for studying single basepair fluctuations of designed DNA molecules.
Experiment investigation of the tip vortex cavitation around a pitching hydrofoil
Authors: Wang Lu , Wang Pengzhong , Wu Kelin , Wang Huan , Huang Bin , Wu Dazhuan
Published: October 2023

Experimental research was carried out to investigate the characteristics of tip vortex cavitation (TVC) caused by tip vortex in an oscillating hydrofoil. Shanghai Shipping and Research Institute's looped cavitation tunnel served as the site of the experiments. The hydrofoil used as the test was NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) 63820. Two high-speed cameras, one torque sensor, and six hydrophones were employed to capture the cavitation patterns, the torque exerted on the hydrofoil, and the cavitation noise, respectively. The cavitation flow under static angle of attack (AoA) and the dynamic AoA have all been investigated in order to have a better knowledge of the differences between the TVC surrounding these two conditions. The AoA of 8.5°, 10°, and 14.5° and the AoA range of 1.8°–16° were selected for the static condition research and the dynamic condition study, respectively. A tip vortex flow was created between the tip of the stationary hydrofoil and the ceiling of the tunnel test section. To investigate the impact of the cavitation number on the growth of TVC surrounding the pitching hydrofoil, various pressure environments were built up. As for the experiment environment, cavitation numbers 2.47, 2.00, and 1.66 were used. The results indicate: (1) under static conditions, decreasing cavitation and increasing AoA lead to increased stability and topological complexity of TVC. (2) Comparing and analyzing cavitation patterns during the ascending, static, and descending processes reveal that the strongest cavitation intensity during the descending process, followed by static conditions, with the least intensity during the ascending process. (3) The frequency properties under pitching motion include those of each static AoA condition, although the acoustic characteristic of higher AoA has a stronger influence on that of dynamic condition.
Research on electromagnetic energy absorption and conversion device with four-ring multi-resistance structure
Authors: Xiong Han , Ma Xiaodong , Liu Haisheng , Xiao Dongping , Zhang Huaiqing
Published: October 2023

A device for electromagnetic energy absorption and conversion was investigated as an electromagnetic energy harvester, which is based on a four-ring multi-resistance unit. The device can convert microwave energy to thermal energy and then to electrical energy through the Bi2Te3 thermoelectric material adhered to the load resistance. The energy harvesting efficiency, power loss distribution, and current density distribution of the harvester were analyzed. In addition, the energy harvesting efficiency of the unit under different incident angles and polarization angles was studied, and the effect of incident power on the temperature and energy conversion efficiency of the unit was analyzed. The simulation results showed that the energy harvesting efficiency of the harvester reaches 99.5% at 5.8 GHz. Each unit in the harvester can generate an output voltage of 171.8 mV under 7 W incident wave power, and the maximum output power is 9.71 mW. To verify the effectiveness of this method, a 5 × 5 unit array model was fabricated and measured, and the measurement results were consistent with the simulation results.
Utilization of Co2+ doped Eu2O3 nanostructures and their effect on the dielectric and photoisomerization of liquid crystals
Authors: Manhas Nidhi , Adimule Vinayak , Lakshminarayana Parashuram , Keri Rangappa , Kumar Lalita S. , Bathula Chinna
Published: October 2023

In this study, the effect of Co2+x:Eu2O3 (x = 5, 10 wt. %) bimetallic oxide nanostructures (NS) on dielectric and cis-trans photoisomerization of liquid crystals (LC) has been studied. First, the Co2+:Eu2O3 NS were synthesized by facile coprecipitation method, and then the as-synthesized NS were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer Emmett Teller, and UV-visible analytical techniques. New composite structures were prepared by doping Co2+:Eu2O3 (5, 10 wt. %) over liquid crystal (LC) molecules (compounds 4 and 5) containing oxazole moiety. Optical absorption spectra of liquid crystalline NS (LCNS) showed a maximum absorption peak (λmax) between 350 and 450 nm. A significant improvement in the dielectric constants (ɛ′ and ɛ″) was noticed for LC-4 (compound 4)/LC-5 (compound 5) doped with Co2+ (10 wt. %):Eu2O3 NS. The photoisomerization studies of the Co2+ (10 wt. %):Eu2O3 doped to LC-5 (LCNS-2) containing oxazole moiety showed enhanced properties in solution and exhibited photoisomerization in 40 s whereas reverse process (thermal back relaxation) takes 358 s. Furthermore, it was observed that semiconductor NS especially Co2+ (10 wt. %):Eu2O3 NS doped LC-compounds showed enhanced dielectric and photoisomerization properties and can be a potential candidate for optoelectronics and photonic applications.
Effects of slippage and permeability of couple stress fluid squeezed between two concentric rotating spheres
Authors: El-Sapa Shreen , Al-Hanaya Amal
Published: October 2023

This study investigates the rotation of two concentric spheres saturated by creeping single-phase couple stress fluid flow under the impacts of permeability and slippage. The slippage conditions are applied on the surfaces of the spheres. In addition, the couple stresses on the boundary are assumed to vanish. Moreover, the analytical solution to the problem is used to obtain the field functions velocity, tangential stress, and couple stresses. The torque experienced by the fluid on the inner solid sphere is evaluated and plotted. The contour lines of fluid velocity are sketched at specific values of the parameters. The results presented that the torque acting on the inside sphere decreases monotonically with the permeability and slippage parameters at certain values of the relevant parameters. Also, the rise of couple stresses inclined the torque.
An axial mode magnetoelectric antenna: Radiation predictions via multiphysics modeling with experimental validations
Authors: Burnside Emily A. , Tiwari Sidhant , Burnside Scott R. , Candler Robert N. , Henderson Rashaunda , Grimm Schaffer , Carman Gregory P.
Published: October 2023

This study investigates an axial extension mode magnetoelectric antenna designed for near-field communication in dielectric cluttered environments. The antenna configuration consists of two magnetostrictive Metglas-polymer composites bonded on opposite sides of a PZT-5A actuator, creating a dumbbell configuration. Operating at its 88 kHz mechanical resonance, the antenna emits electromagnetic radiation in the near field by applying an AC voltage to the piezoelectric material, generating an acoustic wave that propagates through the volume and induces oscillating magnetizations. The design uses a system of uncoupled models: an electrostatic finite element model to predict strain that feeds into a Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert micromagnetic model to predict magnetic moment changes and, subsequently, a dipole model to forecast near-field radiation characteristics. Measurements were conducted on the antenna’s impedance, quality factor, mechanical resonance, transmitted magnetic signal strength, and radiation patterns, with variations in the bias magnetic field, frequency, and applied voltage. The results exhibit a strong correlation with model predictions, and the radiated signal strengths compare favorably with those of state-of-the-art pacemaker communication devices. Computational parametric studies using Galfenol and Terfenol-D suggest the potential for up to a three order of magnitude reduction in the antenna's volume, which is critical for implanted medical devices.
Weak dimensionality dependence of charge density wave transition in 2H-NbSe2
Authors: Wang Suofu , Hou Xingyuan , Dong Peng , Dong Qingsong , Shi Hongwei , Ju Le , Hu Xin , Hu Xiaomei , Liu Zhen , Han Tao , Long Mingsheng , Wu Yueshen , Zhu Xiangde , Mu Qing-Ge , Li Jun , Shan Lei
Published: October 2023

The effect of dimensionality on charge density wave (CDW) transition temperature (TCDW) in 2H-NbSe2 is still under debate. Raman measurements uncovered highly enhanced TCDW for few-layer samples, while scanning tunneling microscopy results suggest comparable value of bulk crystals. Here, we obtained high-quality crystals of 2H-NbSe2 with residual resistivity ratio up to 120 and processed thin flakes by mechanical exfoliation. Electrical resistance measurements were carried out on crystals with different thickness to monitor the dimensionality dependence of TCDW, superconducting Tc, and upper critical field Hc2. It is revealed that when the bulk crystal evolves into few layers, the TCDW only increases slightly, though the variations of Tc and upper critical field Hc2 are consistent with previous results. The observed weak dependence of long-range CDW order on dimensionality agrees well with the recent theoretical calculations on anharmonic spectra. These results reconcile experiment and theory, and thus shed light on the mechanism of CDW for thin flakes of 2H-NbSe2.
Optical chiral gain-tunable metasurface electric field enhancement devices
Authors: Liu Kaizhu , Li Yanhong , He Chengchao , Sun Changsen , Han Xue , Chui Hisang-Chen
Published: October 2023

Nanostructured optical field enhancements have become more attractive in recent years. In this work, we proposed a surface electric field enhancement device based on the combined effect of surface plasmons resonance and surface plasmon polariton. By optimizing the relationship between the morphology of the nanostructures and the Z-direction electric field components, the intensity of the surface polarized plasmons of the meta-atom can be further enhanced. The 633 nm left-circularly polarized light excitation for this device was examined and worked well. It was used as the operating wavelength. A comparison of the results obtained from right-circularly polarized and linearly polarized lights demonstrated only a strong optical field enhancement of the structure with left-handed polarized light. The polarization-selective parameters were also considered. Finally, by designing meta-atoms with different arrangements, we achieved electric field enhancements up to 177.5. It is worth mentioning that this method can control the degree of electric field enhancement by controlling the number of meta-atoms that excite surface plasmon polaritons, which means that obtaining the desired electric field amplitude becomes tunable in the design. With the proper format, the enhancement factor of the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can be increased to approximately 109. In the research of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and optical tweezers, it would be a straightforward and effective design method to create the desired optical field enhancements.
What have been the clinical outcomes of the Project Synergy/InnoWell digital health platform?
Authors: Looi Jeffrey C. L. , Allison Stephen , Bastiampillai Tarun , Kisely Steve
Published: October 2023

Project Synergy is a digital mental health tool for assessment, referral and follow-up of people with mental health problems. The Australian federal government Department of Health entered an AUD33 million formal funding arrangement with InnoWell, a proprietary company vehicle (primarily the consultancy firm PwC and University of Sydney) to continue development of Project Synergy. This followed an initial federal National Health and Medical Research Council grant of AUD5.5 million over the previous 3 years. However, based on the assessment of peer-reviewed research data, the Project Synergy/InnoWell platform does not seem to have demonstrated clinical outcomes of healthcare value to date.
Pairwise biosynthesis of ion channels stabilizes excitability and mitigates arrhythmias
Authors: Jameson Margaret B. , Ríos-Pérez Erick B. , Liu Fang , Eichel Catherine A. , Robertson Gail A.
Published: October 2023

Coordinated expression of ion channels is crucial for cardiac rhythms, neural signaling, and cell cycle progression. Perturbation of this balance results in many disorders including cardiac arrhythmias. Prior work revealed association of mRNAs encoding cardiac Na
V
1.5 (
SCN5A
) and hERG1 (
KCNH2
), but the functional significance of this association was not established. Here, we provide a more comprehensive picture of
KCNH2
,
SCN5A
,
CACNA1C
, and
KCNQ1
transcripts collectively copurifying with nascent hERG1, Na
V
1.5, Ca
V
1.2, or KCNQ1 channel proteins. Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) combined with immunofluorescence reveals that the channel proteins are synthesized predominantly as heterotypic pairs from discrete molecules of mRNA, not as larger cotranslational complexes. Puromycin disrupted colocalization of mRNA with its encoded protein, as expected, but remarkably also pairwise mRNA association, suggesting that transcript association relies on intact translational machinery or the presence of the nascent protein. Targeted depletion of
KCHN2
by specific shRNA resulted in concomitant reduction of all associated mRNAs, with a corresponding reduction in the encoded channel currents. This co-knockdown effect, originally described for
KCNH2
and
SCN5A
, thus appears to be a general phenomenon among transcripts encoding functionally related proteins. In multielectrode array recordings, proarrhythmic behavior arose when I
Kr
was reduced by the selective blocker dofetilide at IC
50
concentrations, but not when equivalent reductions were mediated by shRNA, suggesting that co-knockdown mitigates proarrhythmic behavior expected from the selective reduction of a single channel species. We propose that coordinated, cotranslational association of functionally related ion channel mRNAs confers electrical stability by co-regulating complementary ion channels in macromolecular complexes.
Plants sum and subtract stimuli over different timescales
Authors: Rivière Mathieu , Meroz Yasmine
Published: October 2023

Mounting evidence suggests that plants engage complex computational processes to quantify and integrate sensory information over time, enabling remarkable adaptive growth strategies. However, quantitative understanding of these computational processes is limited. We report experiments probing the dependence of gravitropic responses of wheat coleoptiles on previous stimuli. First, building on a mathematical model that identifies this dependence as a form of memory, or a filter, we use experimental observations to reveal the mathematical principles of how coleoptiles integrate multiple stimuli over time. Next, we perform two-stimulus experiments, informed by model predictions, to reveal fundamental computational processes. We quantitatively show that coleoptiles respond not only to sums but also to differences between stimuli over different timescales, constituting evidence that plants can compare stimuli—crucial for search and regulation processes. These timescales also coincide with oscillations observed in gravitropic responses of wheat coleoptiles, suggesting shoots may combine memory and movement in order to enhance posture control and sensing capabilities.
Unexpected metabolic rewiring of CO
2
fixation in H
2
-mediated materials–biology hybrids
Authors: Xie Yongchao , Erşan Sevcan , Guan Xun , Wang Jingyu , Sha Jihui , Xu Shuangning , Wohlschlegel James A. , Park Junyoung O. , Liu Chong
Published: October 2023

A hybrid approach combining water-splitting electrochemistry and H
2
-oxidizing, CO
2
-fixing microorganisms offers a viable solution for producing value-added chemicals from sunlight, water, and air. The classic wisdom without thorough examination to date assumes that the electrochemistry in such a H
2
-mediated process is innocent of altering microbial behavior. Here, we report unexpected metabolic rewiring induced by water-splitting electrochemistry in H
2
-oxidizing acetogenic bacterium
Sporomusa ovata
that challenges such a classic view. We found that the planktonic
S. ovata
is more efficient in utilizing reducing equivalent for ATP generation in the materials–biology hybrids than cells grown with H
2
supply, supported by our metabolomic and proteomic studies. The efficiency of utilizing reducing equivalents and fixing CO
2
into acetate has increased from less than 80% of chemoautotrophy to more than 95% under electroautotrophic conditions. These observations unravel previously underappreciated materials’ impact on microbial metabolism in seemingly simply H
2
-mediated charge transfer between biotic and abiotic components. Such a deeper understanding of the materials–biology interface will foster advanced design of hybrid systems for sustainable chemical transformation.
One man’s [ɕœtː] is another man’s [kʰøð̞]
Authors: Hagel Anna
Published: October 2023

The three Continental Scandinavian languages Danish, Norwegian and
Swedish are closely related and share a large pool of Interscandinavian
cognates, but a variety of phonological differences between the languages
can obscure the lexical similarities and make spoken Interscandinavian
communication a challenge for untrained listeners. It is therefore
advantageous to know about sound correspondences, and applying sound
correspondence ‘rules’ is thought to be one of the major strategies in
Interscandinavian decoding. How speakers analyse, acquire and utilize such
phonological patterns has not been investigated so far, however – neither
theoretically nor empirically. Using example correspondences between Danish
and Swedish, the chapter illustrates how the acquisition of sound
correspondence rules could look like from a Construction Grammar
perspective, more precisely, from the perspective of Diasystematic
Construction Grammar (Höder,
2018). It models knowledge about sound correspondences as a
combination of two language-specific constructions and one cross-linguistic
language-unspecific construction capturing the equivalence relation between
the two language-specific ones. Besides specific sound correspondence
constructions, also the acquisition of more abstract constructions
presenting a generalization over several specific correspondences is
illustrated. The cognitive plausibility of sound correspondence
constructions at different levels of abstraction is discussed against the
background of an ongoing debate in the CxG community about higher-order
schemas.
Danish verb prefixes and the schematizing transitive prefix
construction
Authors: Pedersen Johan
Published: October 2023

In a constructionist approach to grammar, morphological
constructions and clausal constructions may have the same theoretical status
as argument structure constructions (e.g., Goldberg, 1995, pp. 22–23; Croft, 2001; Booij, 2010). In this chapter, the author argues
that the Danish verb prefixes be- and
for-, in addition to verbal derivation, impose a
lexeme-independent transitive argument structure construction with three
meaning variants. In a large-scale corpus study, a distributional analysis
of the prefix construction and its association with verbal base lexemes
shows that the two constructional variants have a different semantic
profile. While the potential productivity of be- and
for- constructions is restricted, authentic examples of
creative usage show that all constructional variants are partially
productive in present-day Danish.
Feasibility of using ecological momentary assessment to measure the effects of interactions with pet dogs on psychophysiological reactivity in adolescents with social anxiety
Authors: King Erin K. , Halbreich Eli D. , Anderson Eric C. , Mueller Megan K.
Published: October 2023

Adolescence is a key developmental period for the onset of social anxiety, as it is a time of social transitions and stressors. Therefore, it is important to identify protective factors within the environment that can prevent and/or reduce the effects of social anxiety in addition to existing evidence-based treatments. The presence of a supportive pet dog may be one way of reducing the effects of acute social stressors for youth, but these effects have not been tested robustly in real-world settings. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess physiological responses to pet interactions in real-life scenarios among adolescents with social anxiety (
n
= 37). Results indicated that this protocol was perceived as feasible by youth participants and allowed for integration across different data streams. Participant use of a wearable sensor to collect electrodermal activity was generally successful, with an average of 12 h of data collected per participant. However, the use of a timestamp button on the sensor was not an effective strategy for data collection. These findings suggest that EMA using self-report activity diary data combined with continuous psychophysiological measurement using wearable sensors is generally a feasible person-centered approach for measuring adolescent-dog interactions in a way that maintains ecological validity.
Tregs tame skin bacteria and IFN-γ–associated pathology
Authors: Lionakis Michail S.
Published: October 2023

Mibrobial dysbiosis worsens cutaneous leishmaniasis. In this issue of JEM, Singh et al. (2023. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20230558) show that Rorγt+ regulatory T cells suppress pathogenic IFN-γ responses to control Staphylococcus aureus growth and limit S. aureus– and Leishmamia braziliensis–associated immunopathology at the skin barrier.
Coercivity properties of the canonical energy in double null gauge on the 4-dimensional Schwarzschild exterior
Authors: Collingbourne Sam C
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we study the canonical energy associated with solutions to the linearised vacuum Einstein equation on a stationary spacetime. The main result of this paper establishes, in the context of the 4-dimensional Schwarzschild exterior, a direct correspondence between the conservation law satisfied by the canonical energy and the conservation laws deduced by Holzegel for gravitational perturbations in double null gauge. Since the latter exhibit useful coercivity properties (leading to energy and pointwise boundedness statements) we obtain coercivity results for the canonical energy in the double null gauge as a corollary. More generally, the correspondence suggests a systematic way to uncover coercivity properties in the conservation laws for the canonical energy on Kerr.
Challenges in development and management of orphan drugs—a case study of Prussian blue insoluble
Authors: Sandal Nidhi
Published: October 2023

Prussian blue insoluble (PB) is an antidote for decorporation of radioactive and non-radioactive isotopes of thallium and cesium. Its dosage in the form of capsules, Radiogardase-Cs, is a United States Food and Drug Administration approved formulation since 2003. In India and many other countries, this drug is not available and in case of requirement it is imported from US or Europe. The author has worked extensively to make PB capsules available in India. The drug was recently approved by the Indian drug regulatory agency, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and is now available commercially in India. However this drug needs special attention as it is an orphan drug with limited requirement. The post-approval phase of this drug poses a different set of challenges and the author has highlighted some key issues with probable approaches for post-approval product management.
An inter-frame motion solving method based on semantic assistance
Authors: Liu Jinyue , Wang Yiwei , Jia Xiaohui , Guo Haotian , Zhang Wenxue , Li Tiejun
Published: October 2023

Lidar and camera are the two most frequently used types of sensors in the fields of autonomous driving and mobile robots. The data fusion of ontology positioning and mapping has become a popular research direction in the field of simultaneous localization and mapping. Considering the characteristics of a planar mobile robot, this paper proposes an image semantics-based method to solve the inter-frame motion of the laser point cloud to achieve the fast real-time positioning of a mobile robot. First, the image cascade network is used to convert image samples to different resolutions, and network branches of different complexity are gradually fused into the final finer semantic segmentation result. Then, through the rapid segmentation and processing of the laser point cloud data, key points and surfels are extracted. The unified framework of semantic-assisted inter-frame motion estimation is established using semantic image data and point-cloud key-feature information. Finally, the stability of feature extraction, the accuracy of motion estimation, and the efficiency measured by calculation time are verified experimentally. The experimental results show that the standard deviation of the estimated motion is less than 0.0025, and the single operation time of the whole system is about 38 ms.
Design of a progressive fault diagnosis system for hydropower units considering unknown faults
Authors: Chen Jinbao , Zheng Yang , Deng Xiaoqin , Wang Yunhe , Hu Wenqing , Xiao Zhihuai
Published: October 2023

To address the misidentification problem of signals containing unknown faults for hydropower units, a progressive fault diagnosis system is designed. Firstly, in view of the non-stationary and nonlinear vibration signals of hydropower units, the method of complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition is used to process the normal and fault vibration signal samples, and the intrinsic mode function (IMF) and residual components with different frequencies are obtained. Then the IMF energy moment is calculated and used as the feature vector. Furthermore, a classifier (IMF-K1) is constructed based on the feature vector samples of the normal vibration signals of hydropower units, fault symptom indicators, and K-means algorithm to determine whether the hydropower unit is faulty; a classifier (IMF-K2) is constructed based on the feature vector samples of the fault vibration signals of hydropower units, fault symptom indicators, and K-means algorithm to determine whether the hydropower unit has the known fault; a classifier (IMF-bidirectional long short-term memory neural network (BiLSTMNN)) is constructed to distinguish the fault type of hydropower units by combining the eigenvector samples of known fault vibration signals, fault symptom indicators, and BiLSTMNN. Finally, a progressive fault diagnosis system for hydropower units is constructed using IMF-K1, IMF-K2, and IMF-BiLSTMNN, and comparative experiments are designed using the sample data from the rotor test bench and actual hydropower unit. The results show that the designed progressive fault diagnosis system has greater effectiveness in mining signal features and high fault diagnosis accuracy.
Experimental teaching of the Avogadro constant
Authors: Siafarikas Michalis , Stylos Georgios , Chatzimitakos Theodoros , Georgopoulos Konstantinos , Kosmidis Constantine , Kotsis Konstantinos T
Published: October 2023

Although Avogadro’s number is a fundamental concept in chemistry, it is often overlooked in secondary education textbooks in Greece. Students are taught about mol, the number Avogadro, the molar volumes, and the equation of the state of gases. However, in no case is a detailed examination held about the importance of this number and the connection of macroscopic and microscopic quantities through the Avogardo constant. Also, the references related to the topic fail to raise students’ awareness of the atomic and molecular structure and the procedure with which the matter becomes quantic. Furthermore, the experimental approach is non-existent. To address these shortcomings, this project proposes a new and straightforward experimental method for students to determine the value of Avogadro’s number. The carefully designed experimental procedure can be completed within one teaching hour, encouraging active student participation. More importantly, the proposed experimental setup does not require sophisticated instruments and poses no risks, making it feasible for students to conduct it themselves.
Flexible array coil for cervical and extraspinal (FACE) MRI at 3.0 Tesla
Authors: Abel Frederik , Tan Ek T , Lunenburg Martijn , van Leeuwen Carel , van Hooren Thijs , van Uden Mark , Arteaga Catalina , Vincent Jana , Robb Fraser , Sneag Darryl B
Published: October 2023

Objective. High-resolution MRI of the cervical spine (c-spine) and extraspinal neck region requires close-fitting receiver coils to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Conventional, rigid C-spine receiver coils do not adequately contour to the neck to accommodate varying body shapes, resulting in suboptimal SNR. Recent innovations in flexible surface coil array designs may provide three-dimensional (3D) bendability and conformability to optimize SNR, while improving capabilities for higher acceleration factors. Approach. This work describes the design, implementation, and preliminary in vivo testing of a novel, conformal 23-channel receive-only flexible array for cervical and extraspinal (FACE) MRI at 3-Tesla (T), with use of high-impedance elements to enhance the coil’s flexibility. Coil performance was tested by assessing SNR and geometry factors (g-factors) in a phantom compared to a conventional 21-channel head-neck-unit (HNU). In vivo imaging was performed in healthy human volunteers and patients using high-resolution c-spine and neck MRI protocols at 3T, including MR neurography (MRN). Main results. Mean SNR with the FACE was 141%–161% higher at left, right, and posterior off-isocenter positions and 4% higher at the isocenter of the phantom compared to the HNU. Parallel imaging performance was comparable for an acceleration factor (R) = 2 × 2 between the two coils, but improved for R = 3 × 3 with mean g-factors ranging from 1.46–2.15 with the FACE compared to 2.36–3.62 obtained with the HNU. Preliminary human volunteer and patient testing confirmed that equivalent or superior image quality could be obtained for evaluation of osseous and soft tissue structures of the cervical region with the FACE. Significance. A conformal and highly flexible cervical array with high-impedance coil elements can potentially enable higher-resolution imaging for cervical imaging.
Corrugated V-fold soft actuator with large deformation and high force density
Authors: Xu Ming , Liu Hui , Zhang Di , Su Li-rong
Published: October 2023

Soft pneumatic actuators with a corrugated structure have the advantage of low inflation pressure and a large actuation range and have great potential for use in grippers. However, they are generally difficult to have both large deformation and high force density performance. Inspired by the hydraulic joints of spider legs, this paper designs a multi-cavity soft-pneumatic actuator with a corrugated V-fold structure, which realizes bending through the deformation of the air cavity structure instead of the traditional way of squeezing the air cavities against each other, and has significantly large curvature high force density compared with actuators such as PneuNets. At an inflation pressure of 40 kPa, the proposed soft actuator achieves a bending angle of 306° with a curvature of 0.114 rad mm−1, while at an inflation pressure of 45 kPa, the actuator achieves an actuation force of 5.15 N with a force density of 0.0101 mN (mm3.kPa)−1. The modeling approach based on continuum mechanics modeling of soft materials combined with finite element analysis (FEA) (or experiment) is proposed to achieve accurate modeling of the bending angle and actuation force of actuators with complex corrugated structures. In addition, the proposed actuator has made initial explorations into the application of soft grippers and has achieved fairly good gripping results compared to other types of grippers.
Investigation of saturation levitation force and optimization of permanent magnet guideway based on multi-seeded superconducting bulks model
Authors: Lei Wuyang , Yin Peiyu , Feng Yicheng , Song Yunrui , Deng Zigang
Published: October 2023

After more than 20 years of research, the superconducting maglev has advanced to the engineering research stage. In engineering applications, multi-seeded superconducting bulks have been widely used in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev systems, but there remains a deficiency in terms of the theoretical model description of multi-seeded superconducting bulks. In this paper, the fully coupled, partially coupled, and uncoupled models of the multi-seeded superconductor are presented to simulate HTS multi-seeded bulk. Then, the levitation performance and trapped field of three kinds of HTS bulks were experimentally tested, revealing a saturation levitation performance on the permanent magnet guideway (PMG). Therefore, the levitation force and trapped field of HTS bulks with different critical current density are further studied by 3D simulation. Taking the 90% and 95% of the maximum levitation force as the benchmarks, the corresponding critical current density of HTS bulks are respectively 4.6 × 108 A m−2 and 6.1 × 108 A m−2. Further, a mapping coupled boundary method was adopted to automatic optimize the PMG to increase the levitation force above the PMG. After optimization, the levitation force under a unit of the permanent magnet is increased by 19%, while the maximum levitation force above multi-period Halbach PMG is increased by 9.23%. This study provides a general multi-seeded superconducting bulk simulation model and levitation force optimization method, which can serve as a reference for selecting suitable superconducting bulk.
Determination of neutrino mass ordering from Supernova neutrinos with T2HK and DUNE
Authors: Panda Papia , Ghosh Monojit , Mohanta Rukmani
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we study the possibility of determining the neutrino mass ordering from the future supernova neutrino events at the DUNE and T2HK detectors. We estimate the expected number of neutrino event rates from a future supernova explosion assuming Garching flux model corresponding to different processes that are responsible for detecting the supernova neutrinos at these detectors. We present our results in the form of χ2, as a function of supernova distance. For a systematic uncertainty of 5% in normalisation as well as energy calibration error, our results show that, the neutrino mass ordering can be determined at 5  σ C.L. if the supernova explosion occurs at a distance of 42.7 kpc for T2HK and at a distance of 15.2 kpc for DUNE. Our results also show that the sensitivity of DUNE and T2HK get affected by the systematic uncertainties for the smaller supernova distances. Further, we show that in both DUNE and T2HK, the sensitivity gets deteriorated to some extent due to presence of energy smearing of the neutrino events. This occurs because of the reconstruction of the neutrino energy from the energy-momentum measurement of the outgoing leptons at the detector.
Quasi-bound states in continuum in double-layer silicon gratings
Authors: Yu Kun , Song Feng , Shi Zhangxing , Li Hongju , Liu Yufang , Wu Xiaohu
Published: October 2023

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are theoretically known to possess infinite lifetimes and Q factor. However, due to the difficulties in achieving it in reality, symmetry breaking is often introduced in the structure to transform symmetrically protected BICs into quasi-BICs (q-BICs) with extremely high Q factor. Therefore, q-BICs can be utilized to enhance the Q factor of optical sensors. In this paper, we propose the design of a double-layer composite one-dimensional grating with a high Q factor. The structure consists of a double-layers silicon (Si) grating on a silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrate. By introducing a displacement in the upper-layer grating to break the symmetry, q-BICs are induced. The induced q-BICs achieve a Q factor of 2248 for transverse magnetic (TM) wave, enabling enhanced optical sensing capabilities. The proposed q-BICs sensor, exhibiting anisotropy for both TM and transverse electric wave (TE), holds great potential for narrowband polarizers and sensing applications.
Use of Sex-Specific Body Mass Index to Optimize Low Correlation With Height and High Correlation With Fatness: A UK Biobank Study
Authors: Feng Qi , Kim Jean H , Xie Junqing , Bešević Jelena , Conroy Megan , Omiyale Wemimo , Wu Yushan , Woodward Mark , Lacey Ben , Allen Naomi
Published: October 2023

Body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2) is commonly used to measure general adiposity. However, evidence of its appropriateness for males and females remains inconsistent. We aimed to identify the most appropriate sex-specific power value that height should be raised to in the formula and the value that would make it achieve height independency and body fatness dependency. We randomly assigned UK Biobank participants recruited in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2010 (n = 489,873; mean age = 56.5 years; 94.2% White) to training and testing sets (80%:20%). Using height raised to the power of −50.00 to 50.00, we identified the optimal power value that either minimized correlation with height or maximized correlation with body fat percentage, using age-adjusted correlations. The optimal power values for height were 1.77 for males and 1.39 for females. The new formulas resulted in 4.5% of females and 2.4% of males being reclassified into a different BMI category. The formulas did not show significant improvement (in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity) in identifying individuals with excessive body fat percentage or in predicting risk of all-cause mortality. Therefore, the conventional BMI formula is still valuable in research and disease screening for both sexes.
Extracellular vesicle biomarkers for complement dysfunction in schizophrenia
Authors: Xue Ting , Liu Wenxin , Wang Lijun , Shi Yuan , Hu Ying , Yang Jing , Li Guiming , Huang Hongna , Cui Donghong
Published: October 2023

Schizophrenia, a complex neuropsychiatric disorder, frequently experiences a high rate of misdiagnosis due to subjective symptom assessment. Consequently, there is an urgent need for innovative and objective diagnostic tools.

In this study, we used cutting-edge extracellular vesicles’ (EVs) proteome profiling and XGBoost-based machine learning to develop new markers and personalized discrimination scores for schizophrenia diagnosis and prediction of treatment response. We analysed plasma and plasma-derived EVs from 343 participants, including 100 individuals with chronic schizophrenia, 34 first-episode and drug-naïve patients, 35 individuals with bipolar disorder, 25 individuals with major depressive disorder and 149 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Our innovative approach uncovered EVs-based complement changes in patients, specific to their disease-type and status. The EV-based biomarkers outperformed their plasma counterparts, accurately distinguishing schizophrenia individuals from healthy controls with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.895, 83.5% accuracy, 85.3% sensitivity and 82.0% specificity. Moreover, they effectively differentiated schizophrenia from bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, with AUCs of 0.966 and 0.893, respectively. The personalized discrimination scores provided a personalized diagnostic index for schizophrenia and exhibited a significant association with patients’ antipsychotic treatment response in the follow-up cohort.

Overall, our study represents a significant advancement in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders, demonstrating the potential of EV-based biomarkers in guiding personalized diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.
Clinical, immunological and molecular profiles of DOCK8 deficiency in six patients from a tertiary care centre in North India
Authors: Kumar Jindal Ankur , Sil Archan , Aggarwal Ridhima , Tyagi Rahul , Mondal Sanjib , Singh Ankita , Barman Prabal , Chawla Sanchi , Loganathan Sathish Kumar , Gupta Kirti , Vinay Keshavamurthy , Mahajan Rahul , Saikia Biman , Kaur Gurjeet , Sharma Rajni , Saka Ruchi , Bhatia Anmol , Sankhyan Naveen , Pandiarajan Vignesh , Pilania Rakesh , Dhaliwal Manpreet , Sharma Saniya , Vyas Sameer , Suri Deepti , Rawat Amit , Singh Surjit
Published: October 2023

Background

Dedicator of cytokinesis protein 8 (DOCK8) deficiency is an autosomal recessive form of combined immunodeficiency. This rare disorder is characterized by an increased predisposition to allergy, autoimmunity and malignancies.

Objectives

To analyse clinical, immunological and molecular profiles of patients with DOCK8 deficiency.

Methods

Clinic records of all patients attending the primary immunodeficiency clinic from 2018 to 2021 were reviewed. Six patients from five families were found to have DOCK8 deficiency.

Results

Median age at diagnosis was 7.5 years (range 2–13), with a male/female ratio of 5 : 1. Among the six patients, recurrent eczematous skin lesions were the predominant cutaneous manifestation, present in five patients (83%). Warts and molluscum contagiosum were evident in two patients (33%) and one patient (16%), respectively. Two patients had recalcitrant prurigo nodularis lesions and two had epidermodysplasia verruciformis-like lesions. Food allergies and asthma were reported by one patient each. Of the six patients, recurrent sinopulmonary infections were detected in five (83%). Epstein–Barr virus-driven non-Hodgkin lymphoma with liver metastases was the only case of malignancy, in a 4-year-old boy. IgE was elevated in all patients. Lymphopenia and eosinophilia were observed in three patients (50%) and five patients (83.3%), respectively. Genetic analysis showed DOCK8 pathogenic variants in all patients: homozygous deletion mutations in two patients, compound heterozygous deletion mutations in one, and homozygous nonsense mutations in two. A novel pathogenic homozygous missense variant in the DOCK8 gene was identified in one patient.

Conclusions

DOCK8 deficiency should be considered as a possibility in any patient with early onset eczema, cutaneous viral infections and increased predisposition to allergy, autoimmunity and malignancy.