bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Numerical investigation of flow field and performance of the Francis turbine of Bhilangana-III hydropower plant
Authors: Thapa R , Sharma S , Singh K M , Gandhi B K 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Computational fluid dynamics is an alternate tool to predict the performance as well as to investigate the flow field of a hydraulic turbine at different operating conditions. The objective of this paper is to analyze the flow field numerically and to predict the performance of Francis turbine of Bhilangana–III power plant. A numerical model of the prototype Francis turbine is undertaken to perform the simulation under the actual working condition of hydropower. The steady-state simulation has been performed at different operating conditions such as high load, part load, and best efficiency point using two turbulence model k-ω shear stress transport (SST) and standard k-ε with zero clearance gap and with a gap due to erosion. Based on computational results, an attempt has been made to compare the performance of the turbine under erosive wear conditions. The computational results are very close to the expected performance characteristics of the prototype turbine under no-gap condition. A difference of 0.24% and 1.71% in efficiency is observed between the numerical and prototype hill chart curve at the best efficiency point (BEP) and full load conditions, respectively. The simulation has also been performed with a clearance gap of 1.85 mm to study the effect of the gap, due to erosion, on the efficiency. The leakage flow-through 1.85 mm clearance gap has resulted in a decrease in the efficiency of the turbine. The efficiency drops around 5.73 % at BEP condition and 5.83% at full load condition. These computational results may be useful for further study of the turbine of Bhilangana–III power plant.
Opportunity for research and manufacturing of pump in Nepal
Authors: Pokharel N. , Ghimire A. , Thapa B. S. , Thapa B. 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Pumps are the mechanical device used to increase the pressure energy of fluids. Pumps of different types and size are being used in Nepal, for different applications. Despite the wide spread applications of pumps not much have been done to manufacture pumps in Nepal. This study investigates the opportunity of manufacturing pumps in Nepal. It shows the history of usage of pumps in Nepal and also depicts the problems faced by the pumps used in different projects. It discusses about the current market trend related to the import of pumps from foreign countries and develops an argument to start a new business for manufacturing pumps. Role of research institutes like Turbine Testing Laboratory in design of pumps has been discussed as a future prospect for Nepalese academia and industry.
Volcanic eruptions, successive poor harvests and social resilience over southwest China during the 18–19th century
Authors: Hao Zhixin , Xiong Danyang , Zheng Jingyun , Yang Liang Emlyn , Ge Quansheng 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Volcanic eruptions, climate changes and their influences on crop harvests and social development are of increasing concern in science communities. Using a dataset of crop harvest scores of southwest China from 1730 to 1910, which was derived from the memorials to the emperors in the Qing Dynasty of China, reconstructed climate proxies and the chronology of large volcanic eruptions occurring between 10°S and 15°N, we analysed possible relationships between crop harvests, climate changes and volcanic eruptions. In addition, some archives of policies and measures related to crops and social development extracted from the chronicles were used to analyse social resilience when faced with poor harvests. The results show that crop harvests in the study area generally increased with fluctuations when there were less low-latitude large volcanic eruptions from 1730 to 1810. However, from 1811 to 1910, volcanoes at low latitudes erupted more frequently, which contributed to concurrent low temperature and drought. Meanwhile, the crop harvests showed a step-down decrease during the following periods of 1810s, 1850s, 1870s and 1890s. Though, the local social system was certainly resilient in facing of such climate and agriculture disasters, i.e. the local society remained stable without significant famine, large-scale migration or social unrest until 1911. The strong resilience of local social systems owed largely to various relieving measures, such as, building barns, exempting or reducing local taxes, allocating farmland to immigrants, and central government dominated grain purchasing and distribution to alleviate disasters.
Light-induced In-situ Ti3+ Formation in TiO2 Nanosheets for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Wierzbicka E , Osuagwu B , Denisov N , Fehn D , Meyer K , Schmuki P 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
TiO2 has been the benchmark semiconductor for the production of photocatalytic H2 from aqueous media (with and without sacrificial agent). On TiO2 surfaces, the photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction in aqueous environments is kinetically severely hampered. To overcome this limitation and reach reasonable H2 generation rates, a well-elucidated approach is the use of noble metal co-catalysts. In contrast to costly noble metal approaches, it recently has been reported that titania reduction treatments can lead to a noble-metal-free photocatalytic H2 generation. So-called “grey” titania due to Ti3+ states shows intrinsically activated photocatalytic H2 evolution [1–3]. The present work demonstrates the feasibility to use in-situ photoinduced reduction to create Ti3+ states that act as intrinsic catalyst and activate hydrothermal synthetized anatase nanosheets for H2 generation to mediate the transfer of photo-induced charge carriers to the electrolyte.
Study of Zirconia Material Effect on H2 Production from Ammonia-argon base Gas in Plasma Plate Type Reactor
Authors: Mostafa El-Shafie , Kambara Shinji , Hayakawa Yukio , Sakai Ryoma 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
In this study, ammonia was decomposed into hydrogen and nitrogen gas by DBD plasma at different ammonia-argon gas base concentrations of 0.5% and 2% in plate type reactor. The effect of zirconia catalytic material on ammonia decomposition was investigated. Furthermore, it was found that the energy density has a positive effect on the outcome of hydrogen gas concentrations for both ammonia concentration experiments. Additionally, it was clear that hydrogen concentration increased with increasing plasma ammonia decomposition residence time. The hydrogen concentration results obtained by plasma-catalyst mode from ammonia concentration of 2% were much higher than that obtained from plasma only experiment. Also, the hydrogen concentration results at different input energy density for NH3 decomposition with and without the zirconia catalyst system were compared. It can be concluded that the hydrogen concentration of the plasma-catalyst system was much higher than plasma only. It was observed that the addition of zirconia catalytic material into ammonia decomposition process was affected by the physical and electrical properties of the gas discharge. The energy efficiency of both ammonia concentrations experiments was compared, it was seen that the maximum energy efficiencies at NH3 concentration of 2% was 0.1948 % while at 0.5% NH3 concentration was 0.084%.
Deposition of Multilayer Films of ZnO by Sol-gel Process on Stainless Steel Substrates for Energy Harvesting Devices
Authors: Uscanga-González L A , Elvira-Hernández E A , Pérez-Cuapio R , Pacio A , López-Huerta F , Alvarez-Sanchez E J , Herrera-May A L 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
The mechanical vibrations surrounding the environment can be converted in electrical energy by piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEH). The increase on the availability of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) increases the need for power supply that replaces ordinary batteries. In this paper, an electromechanical modelling and a deposition of multilayer zinc oxide (ZnO) films for an PEH are presented. The aim of the study is to obtain the thickness of the multilayer ZnO films in different conditions, in order to improve the energy harvesting capacity for a PEH device. The ZnO synthesis was performed by the sol-gel method with dehydrated zinc acetate as a precursor, making deposits of 5, 10 and 15 layers. The depositions were made at room temperature by spin coating at 1440 revolutions per minute for 16 s. An UV-Vis test showed that ZnO were present, with a percentage of peak reflectance at 370 nm and a XRD test showed a preferential crystalline orientation at (002). Also, a Finite Element Modelling (FEM) simulation of the substrate behaviour was performed, functioning as a cantilever beam. When adding a seismic mass and oscillating in the resonance frequency of 103.31 Hz and with 15 layers of ZnO deposited, 2.67 volts were obtained.
Preparation and characterization of vancomycin-loaded chitosan/PVA/PEG hydrogels for wound dressing
Authors: Naeimi Mitra , Tajedin Ramtin , Farahmandfar Farmehr , Naeimi Maryam , Monajjemi Majid 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
This study describes a drug-loaded porous hydrogel for delivery of vancomycin. Hydrogels based on chitosan (CS), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Polyethylene glycol (PEG) were prepared by lyophilization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the structures. Water uptake percentage and vancomycin release were also measured. The antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. According to the results, mean pore diameter (MPD) was decreased by addition of PEG and reached to 1.3 ± 0.5 μm. On the other hand, 43% decrease in water content of the hydrogels showed along with the incorporation of PEG. The inhibition zone confirmed antibacterial effect of the vancomycin-loaded hydrogels. The porous CS/PVA/PEG hydrogels containing vancomycin could be good candidates to potentially be used as wound dressing.
One-step growth method of silver nanowires in aqueous environment
Authors: Liu Xiao-Li , Han Shuo , Zhang Shou-Bao , Zhou Shao-Shuai , Jiao Na , Zhao Hong-Yan , Li Jianbo 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Silver nanowires were successfully prepared by one-step growth method in aqueous environment. The suitable pH value is a key factor for the successful preparation of silver nanowires. The concentration of silver nitrate precursors also affects the yield of silver nanowire. We studied the growth mechanism of silver nanowires in detail. This is a classic Ostwald ripening process. The final silver nanowires are face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase. The morphologic parameters of the silver nanowires were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Its size is about 7 μm long and about 45 nanometers in diameter. This experiment provides an effective method for the preparation of silver nanowires in aqueous environment. It has important potential applications in biological detection and physical devices.
Improvement of kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring accuracy through gantry angles selection
Authors: Vander Veken Loïc , Dechambre David , Michiels Steven , Cohilis Marie , Souris Kevin , Lee John Aldo , Geets Xavier 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM) is a method allowing to precisely infer the tumour trajectory based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) 2D-projections. However, its accuracy is deteriorated in the case of highly mobile tumours involving hysteresis. A first adaptation of KIM consisting of a prior amplitude based binning step has been developed in order to minimize the errors of the original model (phase-KIM). In this work, we propose enhanced methods (KIMsub-arc optim and phase-KIMsub-arc optim) to improve the accuracy of KIM and phase-KIM which relies on the selection of the optimal starting CBCT gantry angle. Aiming at demonstrating the interest of our approach, we carried out a simulation study and an experimental study: we compared the accuracy of the conventional versus sub-arc optim methods on simulated realistic tumour motions with amplitudes ranging from 5 to 30 mm in 1 mm increments. The same approach was performed using a lung dynamic phantom generating a 30 mm amplitude sinusoidal motion. The results show that for in-silico simulated motions of 10, 20 and 30 mm amplitude, the three-dimensional root mean square error (3D-RMSE) can be reduced by 0.67 mm, 0.91 mm, 0.94 mm and 0.18 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.28 mm using KIMsub-arc optim and phase-KIMsub-arc optim respectively. Considering all in-silico simulated trajectories, the percentage of errors larger than 1 mm decreases from 21.9% down to 1.6% for KIM (p < 0.001) and from 6.6% down to 1.2% for phase-KIM (p < 0.001). Experimentally, the 3D-RMSE is lowered by 0.5732 mm for KIM and by 0.1 mm for phase-KIM. The percentage of errors larger than 1 mm falls from 39.7% down to 18.5% for KIM and from 23.2% down to 11.1% for phase-KIM. In conclusion, our method efficiently anticipates CBCT gantry angles associated with a significantly better accuracy by using KIM and phase-KIM.
Effect of size quantization and quantum capacitance on the threshold voltage of a 2D nanoscale dual gate MOSFET
Authors: Sundar Abhinav , Sarkar Niladri 
Published: August 2020

Abstract

The size quantization effect in the channel of a 2D nanoscale MOSFET is studied using a self-consistent quantum method. Under this, Schrodinger-Poisson equations are solved for determining the electron density for 2D device channels from 3 nm × 3 nm to 100 nm × 100 nm. The lower dimension channels show a peak of the electron density at the middle whereas higher dimension channels show the accumulation of the electrons at the oxide/semiconductor interface. Also, the role of quantum capacitance on the threshold voltages of these nanoscale devices is investigated as a function of channel dimensions and electron effective masses. It is observed that not only the size but the electron effective masses dominate the conductivity of the channel for such nanoscale devices. Here, the channel electron densities are obtained using density matrix formalism. A block diagonal Hamiltonian Matrix [H] is constructed for this oxide/channel/oxide 2D structure and the channel is discretized by using the finite-difference method. This analysis is important for understanding the physics of the size quantization and its effect on the threshold voltage.
Revision as Nostalgic Practice: The Imagined Adaptation ofThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Authors: Schniedermann Wibke 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThis article investigates the role of nostalgia vis-à-vis practices of adaptation and revision in the genre of the American Western and specifically in Joel and Ethan Coen’s episodic film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018). It proposes a view of the Western as a genre that originates in the revisionist adaptation of American national mythology. As an inherently nostalgic genre, the Western has grappled with its ambivalent relationship with the past throughout the twentieth century. Recent Western productions demonstrate their awareness of the genre’s sentimental falsifications of the past and integrate nostalgic tensions into their aesthetic repertoire. Buster Scruggs taps into both the current success of nostalgic formats on screen and the specific affordances of the Western genre. The close readings in this article explore the visual, structural, and narrative strategies the film employs to, on the one hand, permit and, in fact, encourage nostalgic indulgence while, on the other, engaging in the revision of both the postmodern aversion against affective involvement and its wholesale acceptance in the Western’s early incarnations.
Directed Acyclic Graphs, Effect Measure Modification, and Generalizability
Authors: Webster-Clark Michael , Breskin Alexander 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) have had a major impact on the field of epidemiology by providing straightforward graphical rules for determining when estimates are expected to lack causally interpretable internal validity. Much less attention has been paid, however, to what DAGs can tell researchers about effect measure modification and external validity. In this work, we describe 2 rules based on DAGs related to effect measure modification. Rule 1 states that if a variable, $P$, is conditionally independent of an outcome, $Y$, within levels of a treatment, $X$, then $P$ is not an effect measure modifier for the effect of $X$ on $Y$ on any scale. Rule 2 states that if $P$ is not conditionally independent of $Y$ within levels of $X$, and there are open causal paths from $X$ to $Y$ within levels of $P$, then $P$ is an effect measure modifier for the effect of $X$ on $Y$ on at least 1 scale (given no exact cancelation of associations). We then show how Rule 1 can be used to identify sufficient adjustment sets to generalize nested trials studying the effect of $X$ on $Y$ to the total source population or to those who did not participate in the trial.
A roadmap to identifying and filling shortfalls in Neotropical ornithology
Authors: Lees Alexander Charles , Rosenberg Kenneth V , Ruiz-Gutierrez Viviana , Marsden Stuart , Schulenberg Thomas S , Rodewald Amanda D 
Published: August 2020

AbstractSecuring the long-term resilience of the world’s most speciose avifauna, that of the Neotropics, requires spatially and temporally explicit data to inform decisions. We examine gaps in our knowledge of the region’s avifauna through the lens of the biodiversity shortfall concept: the gaps between realized knowledge and complete knowledge. This framework serves as a useful tool to take stock of the last 25 yr of Neotropical ornithological work since the untimely death of Ted Parker. Here, we highlight 7 key shortfalls: taxonomy, distribution, abundance, evolutionary patterns, abiotic tolerances, species traits, and biotic interactions. We then propose an eighth—and new—“Parkerian” shortfall that reflects a lack of basic natural history knowledge key to understanding how species might respond to environmental challenges. Bridging this shortfall will help reverse declines by informing reintroduction, recovery network, and habitat restoration efforts. We discuss the challenges imposed by each shortfall and how strategies such as citizen-science initiatives and technological advances can either remedy or mitigate the uncertainty they generate.
The effects of sound therapy in tinnitus are characterized by altered limbic and auditory networks
Authors: Han Lv , Pengfei Zhao , Chunli Liu , Zhaodi Wang , Xindi Wang , Qian Chen , Shusheng Gong , Zhenchang Wang 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
To determine the neural mechanism underlying the effects of sound therapy on tinnitus, we hypothesize that sound therapy may be effective by modulating both local neural activity and functional connectivity that is associated with auditory perception, auditory information storage or emotional processing. In this prospective observational study, 30 tinnitus patients underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline and after 12 weeks of sound therapy. Thirty-two age- and gender-matched healthy controls also underwent two scans over a 12-week interval; 30 of these healthy controls were enrolled for data analysis. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation was analysed, and seed-based functional connectivity measures were shown to significantly alter spontaneous local brain activity and its connections to other brain regions. Interaction effects between the two groups and the two scans in local neural activity as assessed by the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation were observed in the left parahippocampal gyrus and the right Heschl's gyrus. Importantly, local functional activity in the left parahippocampal gyrus in the patient group was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls at baseline and was reduced to relatively normal levels after treatment. Conversely, activity in the right Heschl's gyrus was significantly increased and extended beyond a relatively normal range after sound therapy. These changes were found to be positively correlated with tinnitus relief. The functional connectivity between the left parahippocampal gyrus and the cingulate cortex was higher in tinnitus patients after treatment. The alterations of local activity and functional connectivity in the left parahippocampal gyrus and right Heschl’s gyrus were associated with tinnitus relief. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging can provide functional information to explain and ‘visualize’ the mechanism underlying the effect of sound therapy on the brain.
Modeling Reveals Human–Rodent Differences in H-Current Kinetics Influencing Resonance in Cortical Layer 5 Neurons
Authors: Rich Scott , Moradi Chameh Homeira , Sekulic Vladislav , Valiante Taufik A , Skinner Frances K 
Published: August 2020

Abstract
While our understanding of human neurons is often inferred from rodent data, inter-species differences between neurons can be captured by building cellular models specifically from human data. This includes understanding differences at the level of ion channels and their implications for human brain function. Thus, we here present a full spiking, biophysically detailed multi-compartment model of a human layer 5 (L5) cortical pyramidal cell. Model development was primarily based on morphological and electrophysiological data from the same human L5 neuron, avoiding confounds of experimental variability. Focus was placed on describing the behavior of the hyperpolarization-activated cation (h-) channel, given increasing interest in this channel due to its role in pacemaking and differentiating cell types. We ensured that the model exhibited post-inhibitory rebound spiking considering its relationship with the h-current, along with other general spiking characteristics. The model was validated against data not used in its development, which highlighted distinctly slower kinetics of the human h-current relative to the rodent setting. We linked the lack of subthreshold resonance observed in human L5 neurons to these human-specific h-current kinetics. This work shows that it is possible and necessary to build human-specific biophysical neuron models in order to understand human brain dynamics.