bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasticizing and thermal stabilizing effect of bio‐based epoxidized cardanol esters on PVC
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Caili , Han Yu , Weng Yunxuan 
Published: September 2022

AbstractPoly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is a widely used plastics in different industries. It is an intrinsically hard and brittle polymer and requires the use of plasticizers to improve the processability. Commonly used phthalate‐based plasticizers have serious toxicity issues and we present alternatives based on epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and epoxidized cardanol esters (ECEs). ECEs are synthesized from cardanol and three fatty acids (oleic, ricinoleic, and myristic) using 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) as a coupling agent. Their structure and purity are confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear magnetic resonance. Moreover, plasticized PVC films are prepared using a solvent‐free method. The replacement of 10 phr of ESO with 5 phr of ECE improves the plasticizing power due to the co‐solvency effect. Mechanical properties and thermal stability of plasticized PVC films are correlated with the chain length and the number of epoxy groups in ECE. The best plasticizing effect is observed for epoxidized cardanol‐myristate (ECD‐MA). ECD‐MA as a shorter‐chain secondary plasticizer is more compatible with ESO and allows higher conformational mobility of PVC chains. PVC/30ESO/5ECD‐MA polymer exhibits an exceptionally high initial thermal decomposition temperature (314.4°C) while preserving moderate ductility and tensile strength (263.4% and 23.3 MPa). Overall, this study highlights the potential applicability of ECD‐MA in combination with ESO as a sustainable, bio‐based plasticizer and heat stabilizer for flexible PVC products.
A transdisciplinary approach to define and assess wild food plant sustainable foraging in Norway
Authors: Teixidor‐Toneu Irene , Giraud Nicolas J. , Karlsen Pål , Annes Alexis , Kool Anneleen 
Published: September 2022

Societal Impact StatementForaging wild food plants is sometimes perceived as a conservation threat or, alternatively, as an opportunity for sustainable development. Little is known of how foragers themselves define and ensure sustainable foraging. Here, we collaboratively assessed the activities and motivations of the forager community in Norway in order to achieve a combined social and ecological assessment of foraging sustainability. Current foraging of wild food plants in Norway contributes to an increased appreciation of nature rather than generating negative environmental impact and is hence an opportunity for sustainable development.SummaryWild food plants are well recognized as local sources of nutrition that can contribute to food security, but foraging is sometimes viewed as a threat to biological conservation. Here, we characterize and assess sustainable foraging in Norway through transdisciplinary research co‐constructed with the Norwegian Association for Mycology and Foraging.We conducted 19 face‐to‐face interviews with key stakeholders and produced an online questionnaire returned by 219 recreational and commercial foragers to enquire about what species are harvested, by whom and how, where do foragers learn and what are their perspectives on the sustainability of foraging.Foraging fosters a strong connection with the natural environment. Foragers decide when and how much can be harvested considering location, plant and plant part being harvested. They pay attention to native plants' conservation status and local abundance and plant individual's survival after foraging and aim to not spread invasive species.We define sustainable foraging as the knowledge and practices that enable enriching forager–biodiversity relationships over time. Such a definition can support collaborative sustainability efforts between the academic community and civil society.
Monitoring multivariate coefficient of variation with individual observations
Authors: Haq Abdul , Khoo Michael B. C. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractMonitoring the multivariate coefficient of variation (MCV) is conducted when the multivariate process variation changes proportionally with the mean vector because under this situation the traditional multivariate charts for the mean and variance cannot work correctly. All existing MCV charts in the literature are implemented based on sample MCVs computed from samples of size larger than unity each. However, there are situations when forming samples (of ) is not feasible. To address the aforementioned limitation of existing MCV charts, in this paper, an EWMA chart based on individual observations for monitoring the MCV is developed. Numerical studies based on Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to investigate the run length properties of the proposed chart in detecting either increases or decreases in the MCV, for two and three quality characteristics and various parameter values. A real bivariate dataset on the diameter and length of dowel pins is adopted to illustrate the implementation of the proposed chart.
Optimal control of nonlinear systems with integer‐valued control inputs and stochastic constraints
Authors: Wu Xiang , Zhang Kanjian , Cheng Ming 
Published: September 2022

AbstractPractical industrial process is usually a dynamic process including uncertainty. Stochastic constraints can be used for industrial process modeling, when system sate and/or control input constraints cannot be strictly satisfied. Thus, optimal control of nonlinear systems with stochastic constraints can be available to address practical industrial process problems with integer‐valued control inputs. In general, obtaining an analytical solution of this optimal control problem is very difficult due to the discrete nature of the control inputs and the complexity of stochastic constraints. To obtain a numerical solution, this problem is formulated as a finite dimensional static constrained optimization problem. First, the integer‐valued control input is relaxed into a continuous‐valued control input by imposing a penalty term on the objective function. Convergence results show that the relaxed solution obtained is an integer solution as long as the penalty parameter is sufficiently large. In addition, it should be noted that no any constraint is introduced in the novel relaxation technique, which can effectively avoid introducing any extra extreme point for the original optimal control problem. Next, a novel smooth approximation function is used to construct a subset of feasible region for this optimal control problem. It is proved that the smooth approximation can converge uniformly to the stochastic constraints as the adjusting parameter reduces. Following that, a numerical computation method is proposed for solving the original optimal control problem. Finally, in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, an electric vehicle energy management problem is extended by considering some stochastic constraints. The numerical results show that the proposed method is less conservative compared with the existing typical approaches and can obtain a stable and robust performance when considering the initial condition small perturbations.
Coalescence of Au–Pd Nanoropes and their Application as Enhanced Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Yu Jialong , Jin Hui , Wang Qian , Wei Xiaoliang , Chen Hongyu , Wang Yawen 
Published: September 2022

AbstractLattice distortions and defects can lead to a strain effect that greatly affects the electronic structure of the noble metal surface and the chemical adsorption of ligands on the surfaces. Introducing defects is an efficient strategy to improve the activity of noble metal catalysts. Herein, a fusion approach is developed to fine‐tune the defects and lattice strain in Au–Pd nanowires. Specifically, braided strands in Au–Pd nanoropes gradually coalesce to form solid nanowires upon H2O2 treatment and heating, leading to a series of Au–Pd nanowires with various amounts of defects. Owing to the 1D morphology, as well as the optimized lattice strain and surface electronic structure, the intermediate Au–Pd nanowire obtained after 60 min heating (denoted as Au–Pd NW60) exhibits excellent catalytic activity and stability toward the oxygen reduction reaction, with the half‐wave potential at 0.918 V, 45 mV higher than that of the commercial Pt/C; and specific activity reaches up to 1.7 mA cm−2, 7.3 times higher than that of the Pt/C.
Quantitative validation of complex systems integration principles
Authors: Grumbach Joshua Logan , Thomas Lawrence Dale 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe integration of complex systems is an important aspect of systems engineering. Previous research derived six integration principles and qualitatively validated four of them using a data set of 14 systems. Of the two non‐validated principles, one was determined to be confounded with two of the four validated principles and is hence not considered in this research. This paper describes the quantitative validation of the resulting five integration principles based on an expanded data set of 52 systems. This expanded data set is analyzed statistically, and the interactions between integration principles are also evaluated. This research quantitatively validates four of the five integration principles and identifies three principle interactions that are significantly related to integration success, solidifying validity of the principles, and identifying three cases where the principles interact that must be further explored.
Sequential Monte Carlo optimization and statistical inference
Authors: Duan Jin‐Chuan , Li Shuping , Xu Yaxian 
Published: September 2022

AbstractSequential Monte Carlo (SMC) is a powerful technique originally developed for particle filtering and Bayesian inference. As a generic optimizer for statistical and nonstatistical objectives, its role is far less known. Density‐tempered SMC is a highly efficient sampling technique ideally suited for challenging global optimization problems and is implementable with a somewhat arbitrary initialization sampler instead of relying on a prior distribution. SMC optimization is anchored at the fact that all optimization tasks (continuous, discontinuous, combinatorial, or noisy objective function) can be turned into sampling under a density or probability function short of a norming constant. The point with the highest functional value is the SMC estimate for the maximum. Through examples, we systematically present various density‐tempered SMC algorithms and their superior performance vs. other techniques like Markov Chain Monte Carlo. Data cloning and k‐fold duplication are two easily implementable accuracy accelerators, and their complementarity is discussed. The Extreme Value Theorem on the maximum order statistic can also help assess the quality of the SMC optimum. Our coverage includes the algorithmic essence of the density‐tempered SMC with various enhancements and solutions for (1) a bi‐modal nonstatistical function without and with constraints, (2) a multidimensional step function, (3) offline and online optimizations, (4) combinatorial variable selection, and (5) noninvertibility of the Hessian.This article is categorized under:
Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Monte Carlo Methods
Algorithms and Computational Methods > Stochastic Optimization
Algorithms and Computational Methods > Integer Programming
New analyses of event shape observables in electron-positron annihilation and the determination of αs running behavior in perturbative domain
Authors: Wang Sheng-Quan , Luo Chao-Qin , Wu Xing-Gang , Shen Jian-Ming , Di Giustino Leonardo 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
In this paper, we give comprehensive analyses for event shape observables in electron-positron annihilation by using the Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC) which is a rigorous scale-setting method to eliminate the renormalization scheme and scale ambiguities in perturbative QCD predictions. Conventionally the renormalization scale and theoretical uncertainties in event shape observables are often evaluated by setting the scale to the center-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

. The event shape distributions using this conventional scale setting are plagued by the large renormalization scale uncertainty and underestimate the experimental data. Moreover, since the renormalization scale is simply fixed to the center-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

, only one value of the coupling αs at the single scale $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

can be extracted. In contrast, the PMC renormalization scales are determined by absorbing the nonconformal β contributions that govern the behavior of the running coupling via the Renormalization Group Equation (RGE). The resulting PMC scales change with event shape kinematics, reflecting the virtuality of the underlying quark and gluon subprocess. The PMC scales thus yield the correct physical behavior of the scale and the PMC predictions agree with precise event shape distributions measured at the LEP experiment. More importantly, we can precisely determine the running of the QCD coupling constant αs(Q2) over a wide range of Q2 in perturbative domain from event shape distributions measured at a single center-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

.
A Complex Exponential Structure for Low-Complexity Variable Fractional Delay FIR Filters
Authors: Zhao Ruijie , Tay David B. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractVariable fractional delay (VFD) filters generally require significantly greater computational resources for implementation than static filters. The motivation of this work is therefore to develop ways for implementation complexity reduction. The Farrow structure is adopted by most of the variable fractional delay (VFD) filters due to their effectiveness. This structure essentially assumes an algebraic polynomial approximation to the continuously varying impulse response. In this paper, we dispense with the polynomial function and instead propose the use of complex exponential functions for approximation. This new approach leads to a Farrow-like implementation structure with complex coefficient subfilters and a shape parameter. The complex exponential (CE) VFD filter is analyzed, and various types of symmetry properties are derived. Accordingly, a simplified implementation structure is obtained. The complexity analysis shows that the design and implementation complexities can be reduced to something comparable to the classical real algebraic polynomial (AP) VFD filters with the same number of subfilters and filter order. However, the CE filters can achieve a better approximation accuracy to the desired fractional delay characteristics, compared to the AP filters. Moreover, this superiority becomes significant, when only a few subfilters are used, or when the filter orders are high. Therefore, the reduction in complexity can be achieved for the same design specification. The design algorithm is developed using a weighted least-squares formulation. Using a matrix-based approach, the closed-form solution is derived firstly for a fixed shape parameter. This is then followed by optimization of the shape parameter using the Golden Cut method. Comprehensive design examples will be presented that compare the CE filters with the AP filters.
An in-depth analysis of tool wear mechanisms and surface integrity during high-speed hard turning of AISI D2 steel via novel inserts
Authors: Khan Sarmad Ali , Ameer Muhammad Faizan , Uddin Ghulam Moeen , Ali Muhammad Asad , Anwar Saqib , Farooq Muhammad Umar , Alfaify Abdullah 
Published: September 2022

AbstractOver the years, machinists have been exploring the hard part turning of AISI D2 steels. Initially, cylindrical grinding was used for this purpose, but it was later replaced by single-point turning due to its advantages such as high material removal, low cost, and greater flexibility. Conventional inserts are used in single-point turning, but they have been reported to have large radial forces, high notch wear, and poor surface finish. Therefore, multi-radii wiper inserts were designed to overcome these machining issues, but their use was restricted to shallower depths of cut and moderate feed rates because of the thick chips produced by the high entry angle. Prime inserts, on the other hand, were designed with a modest entry angle, making them ideal for evaluating tool wear/life, material removal and surface roughness at greater cutting speeds, depths of cut, and feed rates. It was observed that cutting speed has a significant effect on tool wear/life with a contribution of 55.38% followed by feed rate (13.72%) and depth of cut (11.43%). Cutting speed (84.87%) and feed rate (13.01%) are observed to be the most significant parameters controlling material removed. It was also observed that feed rate has a significant effect on workpiece surface roughness with a contribution of 67.30% followed by depth of cut (20.60%), whereas cutting speed had no significant effect on surface roughness. Moreover, it is found that prime insert outperformed wiper and conventional inserts in terms of tool life/wear and surface roughness.
Impact of Local Control on Clinical Course in Stage IVC Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Yamazaki Haruhiko , Sugino Kiminori , Katoh Ryohei , Masudo Katsuhiko , Matsuzu Kenichi , Kitagawa Wataru , Nagahama Mitsuji , Rino Yasushi , Ito Koichi 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe present study investigated the association between local resection and cause of death in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) patients with stage IVC disease.MethodsA total of 54 ATC patients with stage IVC disease were included in the study. Information including patient characteristics, laboratory data including complete blood count, treatment, and death were collected for analysis.ResultsThe median overall survival (OS) for patients with or without resection was 8.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.9–14.4)] and 4.2 (95% CI 2.5–6.2) months, respectively (p < 0.001). No patients survived without resection at 1 year. Univariate analysis revealed that resection (p < 0.001) and radiotherapy (p = 0.018) were significantly associated with OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that resection (hazard ratio 0.257; 95% CI 0.115–0.575; p < 0.001) was the only independent prognostic factor of OS. In ATC patients with known resection status, the median OS for the patients with a resection status of R0/1 (n = 28) and R2 (n = 7) were 13.0 (95% CI 7.5–18.7) and 1.7 (95% CI 0.1–6.2) months, respectively (p < 0.001). The most common specific cause of death was respiratory insufficiency (35%), followed by airway obstruction (25%) and cerebral cardiovascular‐related death (5%). The frequency of airway obstruction was significantly lower in patients with resection (p = 0.018).ConclusionsResection probably impacts on clinical course in ATC patients despite the presence of distant metastasis. However, R2 resection is likely to be harmful and surgeons should carefully consider the resectability of thyroid tumors.
Effects of sickness manipulation on disgust and pleasantness in interpersonal touch
Authors: Gruhl Anne , Saluja Supreet , Stevenson Richard , Croy Ilona 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe theory of the behavioral immune system (BIS) describes a set of behaviors that protect the individual from infectious diseases and that are motivated by disgust and the perceived vulnerability to disease. As interpersonal touch is one of the most common situations of potential transmission of infectious diseases in our everyday life, it seems likely that being touched by an apparently sick individual activates disgust. Our aim was to determine if risk of contamination from interpersonal touch alters the pleasantness of interpersonal touch and modulates facially expressed emotions. In total, 64 participants received interpersonal stroking by either a healthy or by sick-appearing experimenter. Half the strokes were performed at a slow velocity of 3 cm/s and half at a faster velocity of 30 cm/s, to modulate the degree of C-tactile fiber activation in the touch perceiver. While the experimental sickness manipulation did not influence the reported touch pleasantness, there was a tendency for a diminished expression of happiness in the slow stroking condition. In addition, the desire to clean the arm after stroking correlated positively to disgust sensitivity and to germ aversion, which is a subscale of the perceived vulnerability to disease. Contrary to previous studies, participants did not prefer the slow over the fast stroking velocity, irrespective of sickness induction. Our results lead us to assume that disgust in interpersonal touch depends especially on the touch receiver and we speculate that a rather conservative reactivity of the BIS allows for an adaptive behavioral balance in interpersonal relations. This balance may be needed to weight the risks of contamination against the benefits of interpersonal touch for social interaction.
Posterior mesh inguinal hernia repairs: a propensity score matched analysis of laparoscopic and robotic versus open approaches
Authors: Reinhorn M. , Fullington N. , Agarwal D. , Olson M. A. , Ott L. , Canavan A. , Pate B. , Hubertus M. , Urquiza A. , Poulose B. , Warren J. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractPurposeInternational guidelines suggest the use of lapro-endoscopic technique for primary unilateral inguinal hernia (IHR) because of lower postoperative pain and reduction in chronic pain. It is unclear if the primary benefit is due to the minimally invasive approach, the posterior mesh position or both. Further research evaluating posterior mesh placement using open preperitoneal techniques is recommended. A potential benefit of open preperitoneal repair is the avoidance of general anesthesia, as these repairs can be performed under local anesthesia. This study compares clinical and patient-reported outcomes after unilateral laparo-endoscopic, robotic, and open posterior mesh IHRs.MethodsWe performed a propensity score matched analysis of patients undergoing IHR between 2012 and 2021 in the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative registry. 10,409 patients underwent a unilateral IHR via a posterior approach. Hernia repairs were performed via minimally invasive surgery (MIS) which includes laparoscopic and robotic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP), laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP), or open transrectus preperitoneal/open preperitoneal (TREPP/OPP) approaches. Propensity score matching (PSM) utilizing nearest neighbor matching accounted for differences in baseline characteristics and possible confounding variables between groups. We matched 816 patients in the MIS cohort with 816 patients in the TREPP/OPP group. Outcomes included patient reported quality of life, hernia recurrence, and postoperative opioid use.ResultsImprovement was seen after TREPP/OPP as compared to MIS IHR in EuraHS at 30 days (Median(IQR) 7.0 (2.0–16.64) vs 10 (2.0–24.0); OR 0.69 [0.55–0.85];p = 0.001) and 6 months (1.0 (0.0–4.0) vs 2.0 (0.0–4.0); OR 0.63 [0.46–85];p = 0.002), patient-reported opioid use at 30-day follow-up (18% vs 45% OR 0.26 [0.19–0.35];p < 0.001), and rates of surgical site occurrences (0.8% vs 4.9% OR 0.16 [0.06–0.35];p < 0.001). There were no differences in EuraHS scores and recurrences at 1 year.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates a potential benefit of open posterior mesh placement over MIS repair in short-term quality of life and seroma formation with equivalent rates of hernia recurrence. Further study is needed to better understand these differences and determine the reproducibility of these findings outside of high-volume specialty centers.