bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Failed supernovae as a natural explanation for the binary black hole mass distribution
Authors: Disberg P. , Nelemans G.
Published: July 2023

Context. As the number of detected gravitational wave sources increases, the better we can understand the mass distribution of binary black holes (BBHs). This “stellar graveyard” shows several features, including an apparent mass gap that makes the distribution bimodal. In turn, the observed chirp mass distribution appears to be trimodal.

Aims. We aim to investigate the extent to which we can explain the observed mass distribution based on stellar evolution, specifically with the hypothesis that the mass gap is caused by the difference between successful and failed supernovae (SNe).

Methods. We posed a hypothetical remnant function, based on the literature of stellar evolution simulations, which relates initial mass to remnant mass, while including a “black hole island” and producing a bimodal remnant distribution. Moreover, we looked at observed type II SN rates in an attempt to detect the effect of failed SNe. Finally, using a simplified estimation of binary evolution, we determined the remnant distribution resulting from our remnant function and compared it with observations.

Results. We find that failed SNe lower type II SN rates by approximately 25%, but the inferred rate from SN surveys is not accurate enough to confirm this. Furthermore, our estimation based on the remnant function produces a mass distribution that matches the general shape of the observed distributions of individual as well as chirp masses.

Conclusions. Based on our research, we conclude that the failed SN mechanism and the presence of the black hole island are a natural hypothesis for explaining the individual BBH mass distribution and chirp mass distribution. However, to obtain a firmer conclusion, more detailed simulations are needed.
Aether scalar tensor theory confronted with weak lensing data at small accelerations
Authors: Mistele T. , McGaugh S. , Hossenfelder S.
Published: July 2023

Context.The recently proposed aether scalar tensor (AeST) model reproduces both the successes of particle dark matter on cosmological scales and those of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) on galactic scales. But the AeST model reproduces MOND only up to a certain maximum galactocentric radius. Since MOND is known to fit very well to observations at these scales, this raises the question of whether the AeST model comes into tension with data.

Aims.We tested whether or not the AeST model is in conflict with observations using a recent analysis of data for weak gravitational lensing.

Methods.We solved the equations of motion of the AeST model, analyzed the solutions’ behavior, and compared the results to observational data.

Results.The AeST model shows some deviations from MOND at the radii probed by weak gravitational lensing. The data show no clear indication of these predicted deviations.
A method to deconvolve stellar profiles
Authors: Escárate P. , Curé M. , Araya I. , Coronel M. , Cedeño A. L. , Celedon L. , Cavieres J. , Agüero J. C. , Arcos C. , Cidale L. S. , Levenhagen R. S. , Pezoa R. , Simón-Díaz S.
Published: July 2023

Context. Currently, one of the standard procedures used to determine stellar and wind parameters of massive stars involves to comparing the observed spectral lines with a grid of synthetic lines. These synthetic lines are calculated using non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer codes. In this standard procedure, after estimating the stellar-projected rotational speed (v sin i), all synthetic models need to be convolved using this value in order to perform the comparison with the observed line and estimate the stellar parameters.

Aims. In this work, we propose a methodology to deconvolve the observed line profile to one from a non-rotating star. Thus, to perform a comparison, we will not need to convolve all the synthetic profiles, saving significant time and resources.

Methods. The proposed deconvolution method is based on transforming this inverse problem into an optimization of a direct problem. We propose using a Gaussian sum approximation (GSA) to obtain the line profile without the broadening effect due to stellar rotation. After selecting the most adequate model to derive the fundamental GSA parameters, we convolved it with the known v sin i in order to obtain the profile considering the v sin i. Finally, we compared this approximated line profile directly with the observed spectrum.

Results. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed using synthetic and observed lines. The results show that the proposed deconvolution method yields accurate non-rotating profiles.

Conclusions. The proposed approach utilizing GSA is an accurate method to deconvolve spectral lines.
Discovery and physical characterization as the first response to a potential asteroid collision: The case of 2023 DZ2
Authors: Popescu Marcel M. , Văduvescu O. , de León J. , de la Fuente Marcos C. , de la Fuente Marcos R. , Stănescu M. O. , Alarcon M. R. , Serra Ricart M. , Licandro J. , Berteşteanu D. , Predatu M. , Curelaru L. , Barwell F. , Jhass K. , Boldea C. , Aznar Macías A. , Hudin L. , Dumitru B. A.
Published: July 2023

Context. Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) that may evolve into impactors deserve detailed threat assessment studies. Early physical characterization of a would-be impactor may help in optimizing impact mitigation plans. We first detected NEA 2023 DZ2 on 27 February 2023. After that, it was found to have a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) with Earth of 0.00005 au as well as an unusually high initial probability of becoming a near-term (in 2026) impactor.

Aims. We perform a rapid but consistent dynamical and physical characterization of 2023 DZ2 as an example of a key response to mitigating the consequences of a potential impact.

Methods. We used a multi-pronged approach, drawing from various methods (observational-computational) and techniques (spectroscopy-photometry from multiple instruments), and bringing the data together to perform a rapid and robust threat assessment.

Results. The visible reflectance spectrum of 2023 DZ2 is consistent with that of an X-type asteroid. Light curves of this object obtained on two different nights give a rotation period P = 6.2743 ± 0.0005 min with an amplitude A = 0.57 ± 0.14 mag. We confirm that although its MOID is among the smallest known, 2023 DZ2 will not impact Earth in the foreseeable future as a result of secular near-resonant behaviour.

Conclusions. Our investigation shows that coordinated observation and interpretation of disparate data provides a robust approach from discovery to threat assessment when a virtual impactor is identified. We prove that critical information can be obtained within a few days after the announcement of the potential impactor.
The GAPS programme at TNG
Authors: Fossati L. , Biassoni F. , Cappello G. M. , Borsa F. , Shulyak D. , Bonomo A. S. , Gandolfi D. , Haardt F. , Koskinen T. , Lanza A. F. , Nascimbeni V. , Sicilia D. , Young M. , Aresu G. , Bignamini A. , Brogi M. , Carleo I. , Claudi R. , Cosentino R. , Guilluy G. , Knapic C. , Malavolta L. , Mancini L. , Nardiello D. , Pinamonti M. , Pino L. , Poretti E. , Rainer M. , Rigamonti F. , Sozzetti A.
Published: July 2023

Aims. We aim to extract the transmission spectrum of the HI Balmer lines of the ultra-hot Jupiter (UHJ) KELT-20b/MASCARA-2b from observations and to further compare the results with what was obtained through forward modelling, accounting for non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) effects.

Methods. We extracted the line profiles from six transits obtained with the HARPS-N high-resolution spectrograph attached to the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope. We computed the temperature-pressure (TP) profile employing the HELIOS code in the lower atmosphere and the CLOUDY NLTE code in the middle and upper atmosphere. We further used CLOUDY to compute the theoretical planetary transmission spectrum in LTE and NLTE for comparison with observations.

Results. We detected the Hα (0.79±0.03%; 1.25 Rp), Ηβ (0.52±0.03%; 1.17 Rp), and Ηγ (0.39±0.06%; 1.13 Rp) lines, and we detected the Ηδ line at almost 4σ (0.27±0.07%; 1.09 Rp). The models predict an isothermal temperature of ≈2200 K at pressures >10−2 bar and of ≈7700 K at pressures <10−8 bar, with a roughly linear temperature rise in between. In the middle and upper atmosphere, the NLTE TP profile is up to ~3000 K hotter than in LTE. The synthetic transmission spectrum derived from the NLTE TP profile is in good agreement with the observed HI Balmer line profiles, validating our obtained atmospheric structure. Instead, the synthetic transmission spectrum derived from the LTE TP profile leads to significantly weaker absorption compared to the observations.

Conclusions. Metals appear to be the primary agents leading to the temperature inversion in UHJs, and the impact of NLTE effects on them increases the magnitude of the inversion. We find that the impact of NLTE effects on the TP profile of KELT-20b/MASCARA-2b is larger than for the hotter UHJ KELT-9b, and thus NLTE effects might also be relevant for planets cooler than KELT-20b/MASCARA-2b.
ALMACAL
Authors: Chen Jianhang , Ivison R. J. , Zwaan Martin A. , Klitsch Anne , Péroux Céline , Lovell Christopher C. , Lagos Claudia del P. , Biggs Andrew D. , Bollo Victoria
Published: July 2023

It may be unsurprising that the most common approach to finding proto-clusters is to search for over-densities of galaxies. Upgrades to submillimetre (submm) interferometers and the advent of the James Webb Space Telescope will soon offer the opportunity to find more distant candidate proto-clusters in deep sky surveys without any spectroscopic confirmation. In this Letter, we report the serendipitous discovery of an extremely dense region centred on the blazar, J0217−0820, at z = 0.6 in the ALMACAL sky survey. Its density is eight times higher than that predicted by blind submm surveys. Among the seven submm-bright galaxies, three are as bright as conventional single-dish submm galaxies, with S870 μm > 3 mJy. The over-density is thus comparable to the densest known and confirmed proto-cluster cores. However, their spectra betray a wide range of redshifts. We investigate the likelihood of line-of-sight projection effects using light cones from cosmological simulations, finding that the deeper we search, the higher the chance that we will suffer from such projection effects. The extreme over-density around J0217−0820 demonstrates the strong cosmic variance we may encounter in the deep submm surveys. Thus, we should also question the fidelity of galaxy proto-cluster candidates selected via over-densities of galaxies, where the negative K correction eases the detection of dusty galaxies along an extraordinarily extended line of sight.
Prioritized Energy Efficient Resource Scheduling in Cloud Computing
Authors: Datta Jayanta , Mukherjee Subhamita , Pan Indrajit
Published: July 2023

Resource scheduling in cloud computing is one of the impactful area of research. Cloud service providers maintain its efficacy through proper resource management schemes. Users experience seamless cloud services when cloud service provider manages its resources efficiently. Another aspect in resource management is energy efficient schemes. Energy efficiency largely depends on employment of minimum number of resource servers. This article discusses energy efficient resource scheduling mechanism on multi-layer prioritized resource requests. Resource requests are segregated into three categories and those are scheduled on resource servers based on their fast availability. The work focuses on scheduling resource requests on previously active servers as much as possible before activating any idle servers. Proposed scheduling scheme has been tested on a standard benchmark datasets and performance of the proposed method establishes its efficacy.*
Analysing supervised learning approaches for detecting shilling attacks in collaborative recommendations
Authors: Shende Mrunal Kewalram , Verma Vijay
Published: July 2023

Collaborative recommendation systems offer users personalized recommendations based on their past interactions and the actions of other users. However, these systems can be compromised by shilling attacks, in which fake feedback and ratings are introduced in order to manipulate the recommendations made by the system. It is important to identify and mitigate these attacks to maintain the reliability and accuracy of the recommendations. There are different ways to deal with shilling attacks, which involve using technology to detect fake ratings and assess the trustworthiness of users. Some solutions include using machine learning to spot patterns, applying filters to weed out fake ratings, using a combination of different filtering techniques to make recommendations, and establishing reputation systems to evaluate the reliability of users and their ratings. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the current methods for detecting shilling attacks in collaborative recommendation systems, including different types of attacks and various detection approaches. It also discusses the limitations and challenges of these approaches and compares their performance.
Load Balancing and Server Consolidation for Energy Management in Cloud Data Center
Authors: Sharma Rajkumar , Sinha Bharati
Published: July 2023

Users worldwide can access utility-oriented computing services through cloud computing. It enables the pay-as-you-go model to host well-known consumer, educational, and business applications. However, cloud data centers encounter significant issues in effectively managing resources, ensuring optimal performance, and reducing energy usage as the demand for cloud computing services is increasing rapidly. A possible strategy to reduce energy consumption and operating expenses is the energy-efficient management of virtual machines (VMs) and server consolidation. In this paper, a VM migration and server consolidation algorithm is proposed, which is energy efficient and SLA aware. The proposed approach is evaluated using the CloudSim simulation kit and PlanetLab workload. The experiment result shows that the proposed approach has reduced energy consumption and SLA violation.
Spy Bot
Authors: Verma Anchal , Raitani Nisha , Pratap Singh Aniket , Dalela Chhaya
Published: July 2023

In various situations, there are times when a person is unable to physically check or provide assistance, leaving a specific action undone. However, with the use of robots, such issues can be resolved, and lives can be saved. To address this need, we have proposed the development of a surveillance robot that can stream real-time videos, transfer audio, and navigate around obstacles. Our aim is to design a system that allows us to wirelessly send commands to the robot, which it will follow accordingly.This proposed system consists of three main parts: the transmitter, receiver, and live streaming section. In the transmitter section, individuals can provide commands to the robot through various means such as gesture or motion tracking. In the receiver section, signals are received and decoded before being sent to the controller, which then directs the robot. Finally, the system is designed to allow for live video streaming to the person monitoring the robot. To achieve this, a common network, such as Wi-Fi, a laptop, and Arduino Uno, will be utilized to enable the surveillance feature for the user. With the implementation of this proposed system, individuals will have access to a reliable and efficient way of remotely checking and assisting in situations where physical presence is not possible. This will provide an effective solution to various problems and, most importantly, save lives.
Analysing mobile forensic datasets: A systematic review on availability, efficacy, and limitations
Authors: Monika  , Sharma Yogesh K. , Tomar Deepak S. , Pateriya R. K.
Published: July 2023

Everyday there is an increase in the number of malwares being created which presents a significant danger to the Android systems holding a large share in the operating systems market. This surge in malware creation also makes it challenging to analyse and detect these malicious applications. Machine learning techniques are commonly used for malware detection, but the development of an effective system requires a reliable dataset to train and test it. This paper provides an overview of the most commonly used datasets in malware detection research conducted between 2015-2020, based on their performance, usability, availability, and effectiveness. By analysing and comparing these datasets, this paper aims to provide insights into the selection of appropriate datasets for future research in this area.
Analysis of IR Drop for Robust Power Grid of Semiconductor Chip Design: A Review
Authors: Fatima Bushra , Chandel Rajeevan
Published: July 2023

Modern semiconductor industry has a major focus on die size reduction and favours the usage of multiple metal layers to increase gross margins. High congestion and voltage or IR drop challenges result from designs with higher and lower core utilisations. Owing to this issue, one of the major difficulties in large silicon-on-chip (SoC) design is the implementation of a power grid design. It’s essential to correctly analyze IR drops to guarantee the reliability of the power grid. This paper presents a comprehensive review approach for the analysis of IR drop for robust power grid design in semiconductor chips. The necessity of the vector-based dynamic analysis and the drawbacks of the vector-less analysis have been addressed. The various techniques used to mitigate IR drop effects, including power grid modeling techniques, use of decoupling capacitors, and voltage drop analysis are explored. The review concludes by identifying the most promising techniques for robust power grid design in semiconductor chips and providing recommendations for future research. The simulations are carried out using ANSYS RedHawk, and the analysis findings are achieved using FinFET technology.
Design and Analysis of flexible patch antenna on transparent PVC material substrate
Authors: Rani Puja , Singh Dhaliwal Balwinder , Kumar Amod
Published: July 2023

Flexible substrates play a vital role in the design of wearable antennas. Analysis and fabrication of rectangular microstrip patch antenna have been demonstrated in this paper on a least explored flexible PVC-based transparent sheet. The substrate’s dielectric constant and loss tangent have been calculated by conducting a standard ring resonator test. The effect of bending on an antenna with different bending diameters along the x-axis and y-axis has been observed on Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to verify the flexibility of substrate material for wearable applications.
The first reported case of a patient with small cell lung cancer treated with fan beam computed tomography-guided online adaptive radiotherapy
Authors: Zheng Shuohan , Jiang Xiaobo , Huang Sijuan , Yang Xin , Cai Wenpei , Li Binghuan , He Shumeng , Li Hua , Chen Ming
Published: July 2023

Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) allows control of dosimetric impact of patient anatomical and functional variations over the treatment course, to minimize normal tissue exposure and maximize dose delivery to tumor. We present the first reported case of fan beam computed tomography (FBCT)-guided online ART for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). A 62-year-old woman was diagnosed with histologically proven limited-stage SCLC. During definitive radiochemotherapy (50 Gy in daily fractions of 2.5 Gy), the tumor shrinkage resulted in an unexpected dose escalation to organs at risk (OAR). To correct the dose change, she received an online ART treatment session in our center with four-dimensional FBCT before the 12th fraction was delivered. The application of online ART, including imaging, recontouring and replanning, was feasible as the total treatment time was <25 min. Further research is warranted to verify the benefit of online ART in individualized treatment.
Prüfungsthema: Augen
Authors: Schmid Eva C.
Published: July 2023

Liebe Heilpraktikeranwärter – mit diesen Karteikarten wollen wir Sie bei der Vorbereitung auf die mündliche Heilpraktikerüberprüfung unterstützen. Viel Erfolg beim Lernen wünscht Ihnen HP Eva C. Schmid!
Konstitution – Disposition – Diathese
Authors: Reimann Harald
Published: July 2023

Die Konstitution zeigt sich bereits beim ersten Blick in das Auge und gliedert sich in lymphatische (blaue Iris), hämatogene (braune Iris) und Mischkonstitution. Die Disposition betrifft vorwiegend Strukturen (Strukturgene) und unterscheidet neuronale, mesenchymale oder glanduläre Schwächen. Diathesen beschreiben vor allem die Regulation (Regulatorgene) und untergliedern sich insbesondere in vegetativ-spastische, exsudative, lipämische Übersäuerungs-, Kompensations- und Stauungsdiathesen.
Direkte Einblicke
Authors: Jahn Claus
Published: July 2023

Die Ursachen für Kopfschmerzen und Migräne können sehr unterschiedlich sein. Im normalen Praxisalltag ist es nicht einfach, die komplexen Hintergründe zu eruieren und die Schmerzen zielgerichtet zu therapieren. Um die Individualität der Symptomentwicklung erfassen und einordnen zu können, hat sich allerdings die Iridologie bewährt. Sie liefert Hinweise, die Rückschlüsse auf den gesamten Organismus der Betroffenen zulassen. Wie die iridologische Summationsanalyse zu einem sinnvollen Therapiekonzept bei Kopfschmerzen oder Migräne beitragen kann, zeigen die hier vorgestellten Praxisfälle.
Gender Affirmation Surgery of the Face for the Transfeminine Patient
Authors: Donaldson Lane , Wulu Jacqueline , Garcia-Rodriguez Laura
Published: July 2023

This article discusses the aspects of facial feminine affirmation surgery including forehead reconstruction, midface feminization, and lower face/neck feminization. We will present a brief history of gender affirmation. We discuss the anatomical differences between born XY males and XX females and discuss the subsequent procedures that aim at feminizing the face. The effects of silicone injections are also discussed as this was a trend in the past to feminize the face. Understandably so we discuss the anatomical differences as being a fluid expression and differences based on ethnic background.
Continuous-Flow Regioselective Reductive Alkylation of Oxindole with Alcohols and Aldehydes in a Fast and Economical Manner
Authors: Mándity István , Volk Balázs , Mándoki András , Orsy György , Pászti Zoltán , Porcs-Makkay Márta , Bogdán Dóra , Simig Gyula
Published: July 2023

Oxindole is a widely used scaffold in drug discovery, which can be found in several marketed drugs, among them sunitinib and ziprasidone. Thus, the derivatization of oxindole is of considerable current interest. The extreme reaction conditions (high temperature, high pressure) described in the literature for the batchwise regioselective multistep 3-alkylation of oxindole with alcohols in the presence of Raney nickel motivated us to develop a robust, time- and cost-efficient continuous-flow variant for this reaction. In addition, the continuous-flow technology was also extended to the reductive 3-alkylation of oxindole with aldehydes. The elaborated methodology allows the safe use of Raney nickel, an inexpensive and widely applied, albeit pyrophoric catalyst. Under the optimized reaction conditions, 10 oxindole derivatives were synthesized ranging from simple 3-alkyl to 3-aralkyl derivatives including two (trifluoromethyl)benzyl congeners. The technology is considerably robust and the catalyst showed a long-term usability. The model reaction between oxindole and acetaldehyde could be run for 16 hours uninterruptedly, rendering possible the efficient ethylation of about 20 g of oxindole utilizing only approximately 800 mg of Raney nickel.
Improved Syntheses of an Arseno-Fatty Acid (As-FA 362) and an Arseno-Hydrocarbon (As-HC 444)
Authors: Deonarine Amrika , Findlater Michael , Chacon-Teran Miguel A. , Bhattacharjee Shubhra , Bailoo Jeremy D.
Published: July 2023

Robust and reliable synthetic methods have been developed for the preparation of an arseno-fatty acid (As-FA362) and an arseno-hydrocarbon (As-HC444). An improved route to access the starting materials necessary for the new synthetic routes is also disclosed. With these improvements, an increased accessibility to arsenic-containing compounds is anticipated, which may be deployed as standards required for the development of quantitative methods in biological matrices. For the first time, stability data for these compounds are reported. With these results in hand, data on the elimination profile, bioaccumulation potential and patho-behavioral and physiological consequences of these organoarsenicals are planned.
Vitamin D May Play a Vital Role in Alleviating Type 2 Diabetes
Mellitus by Modulating the Ferroptosis Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Qiong-Wen , Wang Yan , Tong Zi-Ying , Li Cui-Ping , He Lian-Ping
Published: July 2023

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent death mode mediated by the aggregation of lipid
peroxides and lipid-reactive oxygen species. It is characterized by
iron-dependent lipid peroxide accumulation accompanied by oxidoreductase
deficiency. Pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and insulin resistance are two
major causes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Iron accumulation and
metabolism may play a role in the development of T2DM. The molecular mechanism
of β cell apoptosis and iron death in T2DM were reviewed. In addition,
we discuss recent insights on the relationship between the trace element iron
and apoptosis of β cells in T2DM.
The Two-Tube Method for Treating Thoracogastric Airway Fistula
Authors: Zhang Chenchen , Li Xiaobing , He Zhanfeng , Wang Shuai , Yin Meipan , Ma Yaozhen , Wu Gang
Published: July 2023

Background Thoracogastric airway fistula (TGAF) is a fatal complication after esophagectomy. Without active treatment, patients may die of intractable pneumonia, sepsis, massive hemoptysis, or respiratory failure. We determined the clinical value of the two-tube method that involves the precise interventional placement of the nasojejunal tube (NJT) and nasogastric tube (NGT) for TGAF.

Methods Clinical data of patients with TGAF who had undergone fluoroscopic interventional placement of NJT and NGT were analyzed retrospectively. The paired t-test was used to compare the index values before and after treatment. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results In total, 212 patients (177 male and 35 female; mean age, 61.3 ± 7.9 years [47–73]) with TGAF who had undergone the two-tube method were included. Posttreatment chest spiral computed tomography and inflammatory indicators showed significantly improved pulmonary inflammation compared with that before treatment. The patients' general condition remained stable. Of 212 patients, 12 (5.7%) underwent surgical repair, 108 (50.9%) received placement of airway stents, and 92 (43.4%) cases only continued treatment with the two-tube method owing to patients' conditions. In total, 47.8% (44/92) patients died of secondary pulmonary infection, bleeding, and primary tumor progression, whereas 52.2% (48/92) patients survived with both tubes.

Conclusion The two-tube method, which involves the precise interventional placement of the NJT and NGT, is simple, safe, and effective for treating TGAF. This method is a bridge for successive treatments or a treatment itself for patients who are unsuitable for surgical repair or stent placement.
Evaluation of the Patient with Nasal Obstruction
Authors: Taylor Christine B.
Published: July 2023

Patients often present with a complaint of nasal blockage, either primarily, or in conjunction with aesthetic concerns. The evaluation of the patient with nasal obstruction involves a comprehensive history and a detailed physical examination. The nose is an organ in which form and function are inseparable, and as such, examination of the patient with nasal obstruction must focus not only the internal structures that may cause obstruction of the nasal airway, but also the external structure of the nose as it impacts nasal breathing. Detailed facial analysis and a systematic nasal examination will reveal details regarding nasal obstruction due to internal sources such as septal deviation, turbinate hypertrophy, or nasal lining abnormalities, and structural abnormalities such as nasal valve collapse or external nasal deformity. This approach, in categorizing each component of the nasal exam and its findings, allows the surgeon to formulate an appropriate treatment plan that emerges from the details of the examination.
Second language listening pedagogy
Authors: Bagheri Morteza , East Martin
Published: July 2023

This study explored how teachers undertook listening instruction with learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) through investigating teachers’ authentic classroom practices. Eight experienced EFL teachers working in Iranian private language schools participated in the study. Each teacher was observed six to nine times and each complete teaching session of each of the participants was audio-recorded. Findings revealed that teachers had knowledge of an extensive repertoire of listening techniques, and their teaching was composed of strategies at pre-, during-, and post-listening stages. Teachers also mostly drew on metacognitive and comprehension-based practices. While teachers employed a number of metacognitive classroom practices, there was a lack of teaching and explicitly discussing these strategies. Findings provide some pedagogical implications for novice teachers with regard to expanding their repertoires of practice and employing various classroom activities. The findings might also help inform teacher educators and curriculum developers regarding classroom realities and the extent to which research findings can inform teaching methods and classroom practices.
The effects of powder size and sintering temperature on the microstructure and properties of modified MA6000 alloy produced by spark plasma sintering
Authors: Cong Dinh Van , Lee Dong-Wan , Lee Su-Gwan , Kim Jin-Woo , Kim Hwi-Jun , Lim Joong-Gyeong , Yoon Tae-Shik , Kim Jin-Chun
Published: July 2023

The present study investigates the properties and microstructure evolution of MA 6000, a nickel-based alloy produced by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering (SPS), a powder processing technique in metallurgy. This study aims to explore the potential of MA 6000 as a high-temperature material for industrial applications. Modified MA 6000 samples of different powder sizes were sintered in a high-vacuum environment at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1100°C. At 800°C, the cohesion between powder particles was not significant, resulting in low-density samples. However, at 1000°C, the samples consisted of many fully sintered regions related to finer powder particles, while no specific morphology was observed at 1050°C. The image quality and inverse pole figure (IQ-IPF) map indicated that the grains were distributed randomly in all sintered samples, and the average distribution of grain size of samples sintered at 1050°C was larger than that of those sintered at 1000°C.
ASC oligomer favors caspase-1CARD domain recruitment after intracellular potassium efflux
Authors: Martín-Sánchez Fátima , Compan Vincent , Peñín-Franch Alejandro , Tapia-Abellán Ana , Gómez Ana I. , Baños-Gregori María C. , Schmidt Florian I. , Pelegrin Pablo
Published: July 2023

Signaling through the inflammasome is important for the inflammatory response. Low concentrations of intracellular K+ are associated with the specific oligomerization and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a type of inflammasome involved in sterile inflammation. After NLRP3 oligomerization, ASC protein binds and forms oligomeric filaments that culminate in large protein complexes named ASC specks. ASC specks are also initiated from different inflammasome scaffolds, such as AIM2, NLRC4, or Pyrin. ASC oligomers recruit caspase-1 and then induce its activation through interactions between their respective caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARD). So far, ASC oligomerization and caspase-1 activation are K+-independent processes. Here, we found that when there is low intracellular K+, ASC oligomers change their structure independently of NLRP3 and make the ASCCARD domain more accessible for the recruitment of the pro-caspase-1CARD domain. Therefore, conditions that decrease intracellular K+ not only drive NLRP3 responses but also enhance the recruitment of the pro-caspase-1 CARD domain into the ASC specks.
Combined static and sliding friction on an inclined plane
Authors: Cross Rod
Published: July 2023

The friction force on a circular object rolling without sliding down an inclined plane is due to static friction. If the object commences in a sliding mode at the top of the incline, and if the incline angle is small, then a small additional sliding friction force arises to reduce the sliding speed of the contact point to zero if the incline is sufficiently long. While the object is sliding, the total friction force is equal to the static friction force plus the sliding friction force. The effect is described theoretically and is supported by measurements of the linear and angular velocities of a ball that commences to slide down a smooth incline.
Probe of axion-like particles in vector boson scattering at a muon collider
Authors: İnan S C , Kisselev A V
Published: July 2023

We have examined the sensitivity of the axion-like particles (ALP) couplings to electroweak gauge bosons in the diphoton production at a future muon collider. The collisions at the μ
+
μ
− energies of 3 TeV, 14 TeV, and 100 TeV are addressed. The differential cross sections versus the invariant mass of the final photons and total cross section versus minimal diphoton invariant mass are presented. We have derived the exclusion regions for the ALP-gauge boson coupling. The obtained bounds are much stronger than the current experimental bounds in the ALP mass region 10 GeV to 10 TeV. The partial-wave unitarity constraints on the ALP-gauge boson coupling are estimated. We have shown that the unitarity is not violated in the region of the ALP coupling studied in the present paper.
The decay A
0 → h
0
Z(∗) in the inverted hierarchy scenario and its detection prospects at the large hadron collider
Authors: Akeroyd A G , Alanazi S , Moretti Stefano
Published: July 2023

Searches are being carried out at the large hadron collider (LHC) for the decay of the CP-odd scalar (A
0) in two-Higgs-doublet models (2HDMs) with natural flavour conservation (NFC) in the channel A
0 → h
0
Z (with

m

h

0

=
125

GeV

and Z on-shell). In the absence of any signal, limits on the parameter space of

[
tan
β
,
cos
(
β
−
α
)
,

m

A

0

]

in each 2HDM are derived for

m

A

0

>
225

GeV

. In this work, we consider the scenario of inverted hierarchy with

m

h

0

<
125

GeV

and

m

H

0

=
125

GeV

in which the decay A
0 → h
0
Z(∗) (i.e. including the case of an off-shell Z) can have a large branching ratio in the 2HDM (Type I) for

m

A

0

<
225

GeV

. We calculate the signal cross section

σ
(
gg
→

A

0

)

×
BR
(

A

0

→

h

0

Z
(

∗

)
)
×
BR
(

h

0

→
b

b

¯

)

in the 2HDM (Type I) with NFC and compare its magnitude with the cross section for the case of normal hierarchy (

m

h

0

=
125

GeV) that is currently being searched for at the LHC. For the experimentally unexplored region

m

A

0

<
225

GeV it is shown that the above cross section for signal events in the scenario of inverted hierarchy can be of the order of a few picobarns. Such sizeable cross sections are several orders of magnitude larger than the cross sections for the case of normal hierarchy, thus motivating an extension of the ongoing searches for A
0 → h
0
Z(∗) to probe the scenario of inverted hierarchy.
Revisiting proton–proton fusion in chiral effective field theory
Authors: Acharya Bijaya , Marcucci Laura Elisa , Platter Lucas
Published: July 2023

We calculate the S-factor for proton–proton fusion using chiral effective field theory interactions and currents. By performing order-by-order calculations with a variety of chiral interactions that are regularized and calibrated in different ways, we assess the uncertainty in the S-factor from the truncation of the effective field theory expansion and from the sensitivity of the S-factor to the short-distance axial current determined from three- and four-nucleon observables. We find that S(0) = (4.100 ± 0.024(syst) ± 0.013(stat) ± 0.008(g

A
)) × 10−23 MeV fm2, where the three uncertainties arise, respectively, from the truncation of the effective field theory expansion, use of the two-nucleon axial current fit to few-nucleon observables and variation of the axial coupling constant within the recommended range. The increased value of S(0) compared to previous calculations is mainly driven by an increase in the recommended value for the axial coupling constant and is in agreement with a recent analysis based on pionless effective field theory.
Anisotropy of upper critical fields and interface superconductivity in FeSe/SrTiO3 grown by PLD
Authors: Kobayashi Tomoki , Nakagawa Hiroki , Ogawa Hiroki , Nabeshima Fuyuki , Maeda Atsutaka
Published: July 2023

In this study, we grow FeSe/SrTiO3 with thicknesses of 4–19 nm using pulsed laser deposition and investigate their magneto-transport properties. The thinnest film (4 nm) exhibit negative Hall effect, indicating electron transfer into FeSe from the SrTiO3 substrate. This is in agreement with reports on ultrathin FeSe/SrTiO3 grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The upper critical field is found to exhibit large anisotropy (

γ
>

11.9), estimated from the data near the transition temperature (

T

c

). In particular, the estimated coherence lengths in the perpendicular direction are 0.15–0.27 nm, which are smaller than the c-axis length of FeSe, and are found to be almost independent of the total thicknesses of the films. These results indicate that superconductivity is confined at the interface of FeSe/SrTiO3.
Quasi-harmonic approach to evaluate pyroelectric properties in Janus CrSeBr monolayer
Authors: Jain Ayushi , Mandal Dipankar , Bera Chandan
Published: July 2023

Two-dimensional materials are emerging as promising dielectric materials and have enormous possibilities in wearable micro and nanoelectronics, sensor, and detectors. The theoretical calculation is performed to investigate the pyroelectric coefficient and pyroelectric figure of merit (FOM) of Janus CrSeBr monolayer. Quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) is used to calculate primary (p1) and secondary (p2) pyroelectric coefficients. Spontaneous polarization is calculated for different temperatures using QHA. Pyroelectric coefficient (1.21 µC m−2 K at 300 K) is obtained for CrSeBr monolayer, which is

∼

5

times higher compared to MoSSe monolayer. A high FOM is found for CrSeBr monolayer

(

F
v

=
0.035

 m2 C−1),

(

F
i

=
1.97

 pm V−1). High FOM for voltage responsivity of CrSeBr monolayer could be beneficial for several commercial applications.
A machine learning approach for correcting glow curve anomalies in CaSO4:Dy-based TLD dosimeters used in personnel monitoring
Authors: Pathan Munir S , Pradhan S M , Selvam T Palani , Sapra B K
Published: July 2023

The study presents a novel approach to analysing the thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves (GCs) of CaSO4:Dy-based personnel monitoring dosimeters using machine learning (ML). This study demonstrates the qualitative and quantitative impact of different types of anomalies on the TL signal and trains ML algorithms to estimate correction factors (CFs) to account for these anomalies. The results show a good degree of agreement between the predicted and actual CFs, with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.95, a root mean square error less than 0.025, and a mean absolute error less than 0.015. The use of ML algorithms leads to a significant two-fold reduction in the coefficient of variation of TL counts from anomalous GCs. This study proposes a promising approach to address anomalies caused by dosimeter, reader, and handling-related factors. Furthermore, it accounts for non-radiation-induced TL at low dose levels towards improving the dosimetric accuracy in personnel monitoring.
Optical fiber reflectometry detecting static and dynamic Rayleigh spectra
Authors: Zhang Chao , Ito Fumihiko , Yoshimura Yuichi
Published: July 2023

Civil structures e.g. bridges, tunnels, and dams are essential to human societies. Currently, these complex engineered structures are challenged by aging issues. It is crucial to monitor the conditions of such structures in realtime to ensure their protection and conduct sufficient maintenance and rehabilitation when they begin to show omens of degradation or damage. Observation of Rayleigh scattering spectra from optical fibers using fiber Rayleigh reflectometry enables distributed sensing of static and dynamic strain in structural health monitoring for civil structures. Its key performance indices are the spatial resolution, the strain dynamic range, the measurement range, and the refresh rate. This article reviews tunable-wavelength optical time-domain reflectometry and coherent optical frequency-domain reflectometry and discusses the performance indices of each method in terms of the performance indices listed above. After analytical derivation, we have found that signal-to-noise ratios of both schemes are the same, which is a valuable discovery. In addition, we enumerate and review recent major industrial developments of both schemes.
Discrete element approach to simulate coupled hygrothermal transfer: application to conventional and composite materials
Authors: Ammar A , Leclerc W , Haddad H , Jbeli A , Guessasma M
Published: July 2023

This contribution deals with the development of a numerical approach based on discrete element method to study the hygrothermal behaviour of conventional and composite materials. For this purpose, we consider the context of magnesium aluminate and polyamide 6 reinforced with 30% of short glass fibre respectively. A coupled hygrothermal model based on boundary layer theory and the analogy between the Fickian mass and heat transfers is proposed. In addition, the original Halo approach introduced in the context of heat conduction is adapted to determine water concentration gradient fields with a suitable level of description. The proposed model is validated in terms of water concentration and water gradient fields for both materials by comparison with numerical and experimental results through the modelling of drying and absorption processes. Results exhibit the relevance of the proposed approach to provide such information with a suitable level of precision.
Quantitative characterization of hierarchical multiscale surfaces of micro and nanostructured materials
Authors: Papavieros G , Constantoudis V , Vouroutzis N , Gogolides E
Published: July 2023

Hierarchical surfaces have recently attracted a lot of interest, mainly due to their ability to exhibit multifunctionality combining different properties. However, despite the extensive experimental and technological appeal of hierarchical surfaces, a systematic and thorough quantitative characterization of their features is still missing. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap and build a theoretical framework for the classification, identification and quantitative characterization of hierarchical surfaces. The main questions addressed in the paper are the following: given a measured experimental surface how can we detect the presence of hierarchy, identify the different levels comprising it and quantify their characteristics? Special emphasis will be given on the interaction of different levels and the detection of the information flow between them. To this end, we first use a modeling methodology to generate hierarchical surfaces of a wide spectrum of characteristics with controlled features of hierarchy. Then we applied the analysis methods based on Fourier transform, correlation functions and multifractal (MF) spectrum properly designed to this aim. The results of our analysis reveal the importance of the hybrid use of Fourier and correlation analysis in the detection and characterization of different types of surface hierarchy as well as the critical role of MF spectrum and higher moment analysis, in the detection and quantification of the interaction between hierarchy levels.
Sparked ZnO nanoparticles-based electrochemical sensor for onsite determination of glyphosate residues
Authors: Traiwatcharanon Pranlekha , Velmurugan Sethupathi , Zacharias Margit , Wongchoosuk Chatchawal
Published: July 2023

Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is well known nonselective and broad-spectrum herbicide that has been extensively used in agricultural areas around the world to increase agricultural productivity. However, the utilization of glyphosate can cause environmental contamination and health problems. Therefore, the detection of glyphosate with a fast, low-cost, and portable sensor is still important. In this work, the electrochemical sensor has been developed by modifying of working surface on the screen-printed silver electrode (SPAgE) with a mixtures solution between zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) by the drop-casting process. The ZnO-NPs have been prepared based on a sparking method by using pure zinc wires. The ZnO-NPs/PDDA/SPAgE sensor shows a wide range of glyphosate detection (0 μM–5 mM). The limit of detection of ZnO-NPs/PDDA/SPAgE is 2.84 μM. The ZnO-NPs/PDDA/SPAgE sensor exhibits high selective towards glyphosate with minimal interference from other commonly used herbicides including paraquat, butachlor-propanil and glufosinate-ammonium. Furthermore, the ZnO-NPs/PDDA/SPAgE sensor demonstrates a good estimation of glyphosate concentration in real samples such as green tea, corn juice and mango juice.
Fully convolutional neural network and PPG signal for arterial blood pressure waveform estimation
Authors: Zhou Yongan , Tan Zhi , Liu Yuhong , Cheng Haibo
Published: July 2023

Objective. The quality of the arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveform is crucial for predicting the value of blood pressure. The ABP waveform is predicted through experiments, and then Systolic blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic blood pressure, (DBP), and Mean arterial pressure (MAP) information are estimated from the ABP waveform. Approach. To ensure the quality of the predicted ABP waveform, this paper carefully designs the network structure, input signal, loss function, and structural parameters. A fully convolutional neural network (CNN) MultiResUNet3+ is used as the core architecture of ABP-MultiNet3+. In addition to performing Kalman filtering on the original photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal, its first-order derivative and second-order derivative signals are used as ABP-MultiNet3+ enter. The model’s loss function uses a combination of mean absolute error (MAE) and means square error (MSE) loss to ensure that the predicted ABP waveform matches the reference waveform. Main results. The proposed ABP-MultiNet3+ model was tested on the public MIMIC II databases, MAE of MAP, DBP, and SBP was 1.88 mmHg, 3.11 mmHg, and 4.45 mmHg, respectively, indicating a small model error. It experiment fully meets the standards of the AAMI standard and obtains level A in the DBP and MAP prediction standard test under the BHS standard. For SBP prediction, it obtains level B in the BHS standard test. Although it does not reach level A, it has a certain improvement compared with the existing methods. Significance. The results show that this algorithm can achieve sleeveless blood pressure estimation, which may enable mobile medical devices to continuously monitor blood pressure and greatly reduce the harm caused by Cardiovascular disease (CVD).