bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improvement the InAs, InSb, GaAs and GaSb surface state by nanoscale wet etching
Authors: Levchenko Iryna , Tomashyk Vasyl , Malanych Galyna , Stratiychuk Iryna , Korchovyi Andrii 
Published: April 2021

AbstractVarious experimental approaches of the wet nanoscale treatment have been proposed to account for features of the InAs, InSb and GaAs, GaSb semiconductor dissolution process in the (NH4)2Cr2O7–HBr–EG etching solution. Etching kinetics data showed that a crystal dissolution has diffusion-determined nature. The lowering of the solvent concentration from 80 to 0 vol.% in the solution was accompanied by a significant increase in the semiconductor etching speed. Depending on the solution composition, we have studied two types of crystal surface morphology, polished and passivated by the film, which was formed after chemical-dynamic (CDP) and/or chemical-mechanic polishing (CMP) in the solution, saturated by solvent and by oxidant, accordingly. It was found that in the polished etchants both CDP and CMP procedures lead to the formation of the mirror-like and super-smooth surface with nanoscale roughness less than 1 nm. The obtained results of surface state indicate that the (NH4)2Cr2O7–HBr–EG etchants could be used successfully for controllable CDP and CMP treatment of III–V semiconductors and formation of super-smooth surface.
Review of Femtosecond-Laser-Inscribed Fiber Bragg Gratings: Fabrication Technologies and Sensing Applications
Authors: He Jun , Xu Baijie , Xu Xizhen , Liao Changrui , Wang Yiping 
Published: April 2021

AbstractFiber Bragg grating (FBG) is the most widely used optical fiber sensor due to its compact size, high sensitivity, and easiness for multiplexing. Conventional FBGs fabricated by using an ultraviolet (UV) laser phase-mask method require the sensitization of the optical fiber and could not be used at high temperatures. Recently, the fabrication of FBGs by using a femtosecond laser has attracted extensive interests due to its excellent flexibility in creating FBGs array or special FBGs with complex spectra. The femtosecond laser could also be used for inscribing various FBGs on almost all fiber types, even fibers without any photosensitivity. Such femtosecond-laser-induced FBGs exhibit excellent thermal stability, which is suitable for sensing in harsh environment. In this review, we present the historical developments and recent advances in the fabrication technologies and sensing applications of femtosecond-laser-inscribed FBGs. Firstly, the mechanism of femtosecond-laser-induced material modification is introduced. And then, three different fabrication technologies, i.e., femtosecond laser phase mask technology, femtosecond laser holographic interferometry, and femtosecond laser direct writing technology, are discussed. Finally, the advances in high-temperature sensing applications and vector bending sensing applications of various femtosecond-laser-inscribed FBGs are summarized. Such femtosecond-laser-inscribed FBGs are promising in many industrial areas, such as aerospace vehicles, nuclear plants, oil and gas explorations, and advanced robotics in harsh environments.
Mathematics in Engineering Education: a Review of the Recent Literature with a View towards Innovative Practices
Authors: Pepin Birgit , Biehler Rolf , Gueudet Ghislaine 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe aim of the special issue is to bring together important current international research on innovative teaching and learning practices in mathematics in engineering education, and to develop deeper understandings of the characteristics of current teaching and learning practices that can inform the design and implementation of future innovative practice. The focus of this review paper is to provide a state-of-the-art overview of this emerging field at the cross-roads between mathematics and engineering education, in addition to introducing the papers of this special issue. To guide this paper, we posed three review questions: (1) How can current (teaching/learning/study) practices of mathematics in engineering education be characterized with a view towards innovation?; (2) What are the ‘resources’ (cognitive, material, digital, social) used, and what are those that appear also well suited for innovative courses?; (3) What are promising innovative practices in mathematics in engineering education, and what are the implications for curriculum reform? Looking back across the studies we summarized in the review, we conclude that they are lagging behind the more fundamental changes that are happening in engineering education, whilst addressing selected aspects of innovative changes within the current system of engineering education. At the same time, the nine papers of this special issue contribute new perspectives for innovative practices in mathematics in engineering education, for a better understanding of current practices and for future research.
cPCN-Regulated SnO2 Composites Enables Perovskite Solar Cell with Efficiency Beyond 23%
Authors: Li Zicheng , Gao Yifeng , Zhang Zhihao , Xiong Qiu , Deng Longhui , Li Xiaochun , Zhou Qin , Fang Yuanxing , Gao Peng 
Published: April 2021

AbstractEfficient electron transport layers (ETLs) not only play a crucial role in promoting carrier separation and electron extraction in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) but also significantly affect the process of nucleation and growth of the perovskite layer. Herein, crystalline polymeric carbon nitrides (cPCN) are introduced to regulate the electronic properties of SnO2 nanocrystals, resulting in cPCN-composited SnO2 (SnO2-cPCN) ETLs with enhanced charge transport and perovskite layers with decreased grain boundaries. Firstly, SnO2-cPCN ETLs show three times higher electron mobility than pristine SnO2 while offering better energy level alignment with the perovskite layer. The SnO2-cPCN ETLs with decreased wettability endow the perovskite films with higher crystallinity by retarding the crystallization rate. In the end, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of planar PSCs can be boosted to 23.17% with negligible hysteresis and a steady-state efficiency output of 21.98%, which is one of the highest PCEs for PSCs with modified SnO2 ETLs. SnO2-cPCN based devices also showed higher stability than pristine SnO2, maintaining 88% of the initial PCE after 2000 h of storage in the ambient environment (with controlled RH of 30% ± 5%) without encapsulation.
Design Optimization of a Composite Rail Vehicle Anchor Bracket
Authors: Lang Daniel , Radford Donald W. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe rail transportation sector is currently seeking to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by incorporating composite materials that can reduce the mass of vehicles. During early adoption of composites in the rail transportation industry, these materials have predominantly been applied to simple design geometries and lightly loaded structures, have been optimized only through modification of composite thickness and composite layer shape, and have only been constrained with respect to a single mechanical performance metric. This study investigates the use of finite element analysis software in the simulation of fiber-reinforced composite materials applied to, and optimized for, a complex and heavily loaded rail vehicle anchor bracket. The research assesses the applicability of optimization methodologies to a complex and heavily loaded structure and advances established practices by constraining the solution with respect to multiple design requirements: manufacturing, compliance, and failure criterion. The optimization process successfully developed a composite structure with a predicted mass reduction of 33% compared to an existing steel design, and simultaneously met compliance, manufacturing, and failure criteria constraints.
Optimizing facility siting for probabilistic collection and distribution of information in support of urban transportation
Authors: Matisziw Timothy C. , Gholamialam Ashkan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCollecting and receiving information about the state of a transportation system is essential to effective planning for intelligent transportation systems, whether it be on the part of individual users or managers of the system. However, efforts to collect or convey information about a system’s status often require considerable investment in infrastructure/technology. Moreover, given variations in the development and use of transportation systems over time, uncertainties exist as to where and when demand for such services may be needed. To address these problems, a model for minimizing the cost of siting and/or collecting information while ensuring specified levels of demand are served at an acceptable level of reliability is proposed. To demonstrate the characteristics of the proposed formulation, it is coupled with another planning objective and applied to identify optimal sites for information provision/collection in a transportation system. Model solutions are then derived for multiple scenarios of system flow to explore how variations in the use of a transportation system can impact siting configurations.
Engineering geology and geotechnical characterization of Tabriz Metro Line 2, Iran
Authors: Alizadeh Ali , Buzari Souheila , Sattarzadeh Yousef , Pourkermani Mohsen 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe present study was performed in order to determine the engineering geology and geotechnical details of soils and rocks along Tabriz Metro Line 2(TML2) by using the information and raw data which were acquired by borehole drilling and all field and laboratory tests in the study area. The minimum and maximum depths of the boreholes were 15 and 40 m, respectively. The results of their analysis revealed that geologically, the areas of metro route, mainly formed by alternating layers of claystone, siltstone, marl, and conglomerate, covered mainly by the alluvial deposits and in addition to older, dextral, strike-slip North Tabriz Fault (NTF) which is a major and most important geological structure of Tabriz area, there are also many minor and generally young and seismically active faults. The results of investigation on the groundwater depth in boreholes of TML2 also indicated that the groundwater depth varies between 1.5 and 30 m, along the route of metro. Eventually, based on the standard penetration test values (N-SPT), it was revealed that soils of the western parts of TML2 are in the group of dense to very dense, the central parts are in the group of very dense (Bazaar area) and dense (Fahmideh area), and the eastern parts are very dense. And finally the results achieved from determining groundwater sulfate values according to Concrete Code of Iran (CCI) indicated that the amount of soluble sulfate in the soil is mild to extremely high. Accordingly, the amount of sulfate increases from the western to the eastern parts. So that, this value is between 200 and 26,500 ppm. Based on these studies, the average of sulfate in the western, central and eastern parts is, respectively, 1118, 1275 and 4840 ppm. Thus, the groundwater in the east part is highly aggressive, and deterioration of concrete lining of the tunnel is expected in the near future.
‘Scottish people can't rap’: the local and global in Scottish hip-hop
Authors: Hook Dave 
Published: April 2021

AbstractHip-hop is a global culture, where local representation is a core tenet of its ideology. It therefore provides opportunities to observe how a global cultural structure is interpreted, realigned and expressed in local cultural forms. This article combines autoethnography and rap lyric analysis to consider the complex relationship between the local and global in relation to cultural articulation and authenticity. Through a study of the poetics of Scottish hip-hop, a series of patterns and connections appear relating to interpretation, negotiation and hybridisation of local and global culture, presenting a demonstration of how the local, global and individual intersect to ‘devise unique ways of communicating thoughts, emotions and everyday realities’ (Alim 2003, Journal of English Linguistics, March, 31/1, pp. 60–84, p. 62). Furthermore, this article presents a framework for autoethnographic study of hip-hop, signposting bridging points between scholarship and practice.
Religious Authority in a Democratic Society: Clergy and Citizen Evidence from a New Measure
Authors: Burge Ryan P. , Djupe Paul A. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractA persistent concern for democratic theorists is the degree to which religious authority trumps democratic authority. This is often assessed using generic measures of religiosity or religious beliefs ill-suited to the task. Moreover, while religion is linked to dogmatism and authoritarianism, this begs the question how much influence religion has independent of psychological dispositions. We attempt to add to these debates with a new measure of religious authority. We draw on data gathered from three samples—a sample of Christian clergy from 2014, a national sample of 1,000 Americans from Spring 2016, and a national sample of 1,010 Protestants from 2019. We examine the distribution of the religious authority measure and then compare its effects of the measure in the context of authoritarian child-rearing values, deliberative values, and democratic norms. The results indicate religious authority values represent a distinct measurement of how people connect to religion in politically salient ways.
A Comparative Analysis of the Temperature‐Mortality Risks Using Different Weather Datasets Across Heterogeneous Regions
Authors: de Schrijver Evan , Folly Christophe L. , Schneider Rochelle , Royé Dominic , Franco Oscar H. , Gasparrini Antonio , Vicedo‐Cabrera Ana M. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractNew gridded climate datasets (GCDs) on spatially resolved modeled weather data have recently been released to explore the impacts of climate change. GCDs have been suggested as potential alternatives to weather station data in epidemiological assessments on health impacts of temperature and climate change. These can be particularly useful for assessment in regions that have remained understudied due to limited or low quality weather station data. However to date, no study has critically evaluated the application of GCDs of variable spatial resolution in temperature‐mortality assessments across regions of different orography, climate, and size. Here we explored the performance of population‐weighted daily mean temperature data from the global ERA5 reanalysis dataset in the 10 regions in the United Kingdom and the 26 cantons in Switzerland, combined with two local high‐resolution GCDs (HadUK‐grid UKPOC‐9 and MeteoSwiss‐grid‐product, respectively) and compared these to weather station data and unweighted homologous series. We applied quasi‐Poisson time series regression with distributed lag nonlinear models to obtain the GCD‐ and region‐specific temperature‐mortality associations and calculated the corresponding cold‐ and heat‐related excess mortality. Although the five exposure datasets yielded different average area‐level temperature estimates, these deviations did not result in substantial variations in the temperature‐mortality association or impacts. Moreover, local population‐weighted GCDs showed better overall performance, suggesting that they could be excellent alternatives to help advance knowledge on climate change impacts in remote regions with large climate and population distribution variability, which has remained largely unexplored in present literature due to the lack of reliable exposure data.
Yield Function of the DOSimetry TELescope Count and Dose Rates Aboard the International Space Station
Authors: Caprotti A. S. , Brüdern M. , Burmeister S. , Heber B. , Herbst K. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe Earth is constantly hit by energetic particles originating from galactic sources. The flux of these particles is altered by the magnetized solar wind in the heliosphere and the Earth's magnetic field. For this reason, the ability of a particle to approach a spacecraft in low Earth orbit depends on its energy and the position of the spacecraft within the Earth's magnetosphere. Moreover, there are some areas (radiation belts) where the particles are trapped for a long time and, therefore, the flux of energetic particles is particularly high. Occasionally, solar energetic particles contribute to the energetic particle flux too. DOSimetry TELescope (DOSTEL) is one of the instruments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that monitors the radiation field within the European module Columbus. Because being installed inside the ISS, particles produced by the interaction between the “primary” radiation and the ISS materials are also measured. To describe the observations in such a complex radiation field, we follow the method by Caballero‐Lopez and Moraal (2012, Journal of Geophysical Research, 117[A12], A12103. doi:10.1029/2012JA017794) to compute the so‐called yield function using precise measurements of the proton and helium energy spectra obtained by alpha magnet spectrometer and the systematic variation of the DOSTEL measurements within the Earth's magnetosphere.
ZIP8 exacerbates collagen-induced arthritis by increasing pathogenic T cell responses
Authors: Kang Jung-Ah , Kwak Ji-Sun , Park Sang-Heon , Sim Kyu-Young , Kim Seul Ki , Shin Youngnim , Jung In Jung , Yang Jeong-In , Chun Jang-Soo , Park Sung-Gyoo 
Published: April 2021

AbstractZinc is a trace element that is essential for immune responses. Therefore, changes in cellular zinc levels in specific immune cells may influence inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the regulation of zinc mobilization in immune cells and its role in the pathogenesis of RA are not fully understood. Thus, we investigated the roles of zinc transporters in RA pathogenesis. We demonstrated that ZIP8 was specifically upregulated in CD4+ T cells that infiltrated the inflamed joint and that ZIP8 deficiency in CD4+ T cells abrogated collagen-induced arthritis. ZIP8 deficiency dramatically affected zinc influx in effector T cells and profoundly reduced T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated signaling, including NF-κB and MAPK signaling, which are pathways that are involved in T helper (Th) 17 cell differentiation. Taken together, our findings suggest that ZIP8 depletion in CD4+ T cells attenuates TCR signaling due to insufficient cellular zinc, thereby reducing the function of effector CD4+ T cells, including Th17 cells. Our results also suggest that targeting ZIP8 may be a useful strategy to inhibit RA development and pathogenesis.
Parental characteristics and offspring mental health and related outcomes: a systematic review of genetically informative literature
Authors: Jami Eshim S. , Hammerschlag Anke R. , Bartels Meike , Middeldorp Christel M. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractVarious parental characteristics, including psychiatric disorders and parenting behaviours, are associated with offspring mental health and related outcomes in observational studies. The application of genetically informative designs is crucial to disentangle the role of genetic and environmental factors (as well as gene–environment correlation) underlying these observations, as parents provide not only the rearing environment but also transmit 50% of their genes to their offspring. This article first provides an overview of behavioural genetics, matched-pair, and molecular genetics designs that can be applied to investigate parent–offspring associations, whilst modelling or accounting for genetic effects. We then present a systematic literature review of genetically informative studies investigating associations between parental characteristics and offspring mental health and related outcomes, published since 2014. The reviewed studies provide reliable evidence of genetic transmission of depression, criminal behaviour, educational attainment, and substance use. These results highlight that studies that do not use genetically informative designs are likely to misinterpret the mechanisms underlying these parent–offspring associations. After accounting for genetic effects, several parental characteristics, including parental psychiatric traits and parenting behaviours, were associated with offspring internalising problems, externalising problems, educational attainment, substance use, and personality through environmental pathways. Overall, genetically informative designs to study intergenerational transmission prove valuable for the understanding of individual differences in offspring mental health and related outcomes, and mechanisms of transmission within families.
Effects of neuroactive metabolites of the tryptophan pathway on working memory and cortical thickness in schizophrenia
Authors: Huang Junchao , Tong Jinghui , Zhang Ping , Zhou Yanfang , Cui Yimin , Tan Shuping , Wang Zhiren , Yang Fude , Kochunov Peter , Chiappelli Joshua , Tian Baopeng , Tian Li , Tan Yunlong , Hong L. Elliot 
Published: April 2021

AbstractA number of tryptophan metabolites known to be neuroactive have been examined for their potential associations with cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Among these metabolites, kynurenic acid (KYNA), 5-hydroxyindole (5-HI), and quinolinic acid (QUIN) are documented in their diverse effects on α-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) and/or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), two of the receptor types thought to contribute to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. In this study, serum levels of KYNA, 5-HI, and QUIN were measured in 195 patients with schizophrenia and in 70 healthy controls using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; cognitive performance in MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery and cortical thickness measured by magnetic resonance imaging were obtained. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower serum KYNA (p < 0.001) and QUIN (p = 0.02) levels, and increased 5-HI/KYNA (p < 0.001) and QUIN/KYNA ratios (p < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. Multiple linear regression showed that working memory was positively correlated with serum 5-HI levels (t = 2.10, p = 0.04), but inversely correlated with KYNA concentrations (t = −2.01, p = 0.05) in patients. Patients with high 5-HI and low KYNA had better working memory than other subgroups (p = 0.01). Higher 5-HI levels were associated with thicker left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (t = 3.71, p = 2.94 × 10−4) in patients. The different effects of 5-HI and KYNA on working memory may appear consistent with their opposite receptor level mechanisms. Our findings appear to provide a new insight into the dynamic roles of tryptophan pathway metabolites on cognition, which may benefit novel therapeutic development that targets cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.