mlsa-iai-msu-lab/ru_sci_bench_zho_cite_reranking huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal distribution and transformation of cropland in geomorphologic regions of China during 1990–2015

Landforms are an important factor determining the spatial pattern of cropland through allocation of surface water and heat. Therefore, it is of great importance to study the change in cropland distribution from the perspective of geomorphologic divisions. Based on China's multi-year land cover data (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015) and geomorphologic regionalization data, we analyzed the change in cropland area and its distribution pattern in six geomorphologic regions of China over the period of 1990-2015 with the aid of GIS techniques. Our results showed that the total cropland area increased from 177.1 to 178.5 million ha with an average increase rate of 0.03%. Cropland area decreased in southern China and increased in northern China. Region I (Eastern hilly plains) had the highest cropland increase rate, while the cropland dynamic degree of Region IV (Northwestern middle and high mountains, basins and plateaus) was significantly higher than that of other regions. The barycenter of China's cropland shifted from northern China to the northwest over the 25-year period. Regions IV and I were the two regions with the greatest increase of cropland. Region II (Southeastern low and middle mountains) and Region V (Southwestern middle and low mountains, plateaus and basins) were the main decreasing cropland regions. The area of cropland remained almost unchanged in Region III (Northern China and Inner Mongolia eastern-central mountains and plateaus) and Region VI (Tibetan Plateau). The loss of cropland occurred mostly in Regions I and II as a result of growing industrialization and urbanization, while the increase of cropland occurred mainly in Region IV because of reclamation of grassland and other wasteland. These analyzing results would provide fundamental information for further studies of urban planning, ecosystem management, and natural resources conservation in China.
A comprehensive analysis of phenological changes in forest vegetation of the Funiu Mountains, China

This paper reports the phenological response of forest vegetation to climate change (changes in temperature and precipitation) based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time-series images from 2000 to 2015. The phenological parameters of forest vegetation in the Funiu Mountains during this period were determined from the temperature and precipitation data using the Savitzky–Golay filter method, dynamic threshold method, Mann-Kendall trend test, the Theil-Sen estimator, ANUSPLIN interpolation and correlation analyses. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The start of the growing season (SOS) of the forest vegetation mainly concentrated in day of year (DOY) 105–120, the end of the growing season (EOS) concentrated in DOY 285–315, and the growing season length (GSL) ranged between 165 and 195 days. There is an evident correlation between forest phenology and altitude. With increasing altitude, the SOS, EOS and GSL presented a significant delayed, advanced and shortening trend, respectively. (2) Both SOS and EOS of the forest vegetation displayed the delayed trend, the delayed pixels accounted for 76.57% and 83.81% of the total, respectively. The GSL of the forest vegetation was lengthened, and the lengthened pixels accounted for 61.21% of the total. The change in GSL was mainly caused by the decrease in spring temperature in the region. (3) The SOS of the forest vegetation was significantly partially correlated with the monthly average temperature in March, with most correlations being negative; that is, the delay in SOS was mainly attributed to the temperature decrease in March. The EOS was significantly partially correlated with precipitation in September, with most correlations being positive; that is, the EOS was clearly delayed with increasing precipitation in September. The GSL of the forest vegetation was influenced by both temperature and precipitation throughout the growing season. For most regions, GSL was most closely related to the monthly average temperature and precipitation in August.
Increased soil organic carbon storage in Chinese terrestrial ecosystems from the 1980s to the 2010s

Soil stores a large amount of the terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) and plays an important role in maintaining global C balance. However, very few studies have addressed the regional patterns of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and the main factors influencing its changes in Chinese terrestrial ecosystems, especially using field measured data. In this study, we collected information on SOC storage in main types of ecosystems (including forest, grassland, cropland, and wetland) across 18 regions in China during the 1980s (from the Second National Soil Survey of China, SNSSC) and the 2010s (from studies published between 2004 and 2014), and evaluated its changing trends during these 30 years. The SOC storage (0–100 cm) in Chinese terrestrial ecosystems was 83.46 ± 11.89 Pg C in the 1980s and 86.50 ± 8.71 Pg C in the 2010s, and the net increase over the 30 years was 3.04 ± 1.65 Pg C, with an overall rate of 0.101 ± 0.055 Pg C yr~(–1). This increase was mainly observed in the topsoil (0–20 cm). Forests, grasslands, and croplands SOC storage increased 2.52 ± 0.77, 0.40 ± 0.78, and 0.07 ± 0.31 Pg C, respectively, which can be attributed to the several ecological restoration projects and agricultural practices implemented. On the other hand, SOC storage in wetlands declined 0.76 ± 0.29 Pg C, most likely because of the decrease of wetland area and SOC density. Combining these results with those of vegetation C sink (0.100 Pg C yr~(–1)), the net C sink in Chinese terrestrial ecosystems was about 0.201 ± 0.061 Pg C yr–1, which can offset 14.85%–27.79% of the fossil fuel C emissions from the 1980s to the 2010s. These first estimates of soil C sink based on field measured data supported the premise that China's terrestrial ecosystems have a large C sequestration potential, and further emphasized the importance of forest protection and reforestation to increase SOC storage capacity.
Robust Fractional-Order Proportional-Integral Observer for Synchronization of Chaotic Fractional-Order Systems

In this paper, we propose a robust fractional-order proportional-integral (FOPI) observer for the synchronization of nonlinear fractional-order chaotic systems. The convergence of the observer is proved, and sufficient conditions are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) approach by using an indirect Lyapunov method. The proposed FOPI observer is robust against Lipschitz additive nonlinear uncertainty. It is also compared to the fractional-order proportional (FOP) observer and its performance is illustrated through simulations done on the fractional-order chaotic Lorenz system.
An Approximate High Gain Observer for Speed-sensorless Estimation of Induction Motors

Rotor speed estimation for induction motors is a key problem in speed-sensorless motor drives. This paper performs nonlinear high gain observer design based on the full-order model of the induction motor. Such an effort appears nontrivial due to the fact that the full-model at best admits locally a non-triangular observable form (NTOF), and its analytical representation in the NTOF can not be obtained. This paper proposes an approximate high gain estimation algorithm, which enjoys a constructive design, ease of tuning, and improved speed estimation and tracking performance. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
A Fractal Dimension Based Framework for Night Vision Fusion

In this paper, a novel fusion framework is proposed for night-vision applications such as pedestrian recognition, vehicle navigation and surveillance. The underlying concept is to combine low-light visible and infrared imagery into a single output to enhance visual perception. The proposed framework is computationally simple since it is only realized in the spatial domain. The core idea is to obtain an initial fused image by averaging all the source images. The initial fused image is then enhanced by selecting the most salient features guided from the root mean square error (RMSE) and fractal dimension of the visual and infrared images to obtain the final fused image. Extensive experiments on different scene imaginary demonstrate that it is consistently superior to the conventional image fusion methods in terms of visual and quantitative evaluations.
Optical spectroscopy study of Ca_3(Ru_(0.91)Mn_(0.09))_2O_7 single crystal in high magnetic fields

The magneto-optical spectrum, with magnetic fields up to 42 T, of double layered ruthenates Ca_3(Ru_(0.91)Mn_(0.09))_2O_7 (CRMO) single crystal is studied. Both the temperature and magnetic field induced insulator-to-metal transitions (IMTs) are observed via magneto-optical properties of the crystal. The critical magnetic field (H // c) of IMT for CRMO is found to be as large as 35 T at 5 K. The fine structure of optical spectra identified the antiferromagnetic/ferro-orbital-ordering configurations of Ru 4d orbitals at low temperatures. Meanwhile, the configuration of orbital polarization of such double-layer CRMO single crystal is discussed. These results suggest that the orbital degree of freedom plays an important role in the field induced IMT of multi-orbital system.
One-pot synthesis of Ag-rich AgPd alloy nanoactiniae and their enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen reduction

The electro-catalytic properties can be effectively optimized by designing bimetallic alloy nanoparticles with high-content less-active metal to enhance the competence of more-active noble metal. Herein, a one-pot hydrothermal approach is demonstrated for the controllable synthesis of Ag-rich Ag_9 Pd_1 alloy nanoactiniae with obviously enhanced electro-catalytic activity (2.23 mA cm~(-2) at 0.85 V) and stability for oxygen reduction reaction. In alkaline solution, the ORR onset potential and half-wave potential of the Ag 9 Pd 1 alloy nanoactiniae can reach a value of 1.02 V and 0.89 V, respectively, which origin from strong ligand and ensemble effects between Pd element and Ag element. The nanocrystals are uniformly alloyed, displaying a Ag 9 Pd 1 combination, as displayed by an assembly of X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). This concept of tuning bimetallic alloy nanocrystals with low concentrations of more precious metal may be a promising approach to be applicable to a wide range of alloy nanocrystals.
An annotated checklist of mammals of Kenya

Kenya has a rich mammalian fauna. We reviewed recently published books and papers including the six volumes of Mammals of Africa to develop an up-to-date annotated checklist of all mammals recorded from Kenya. A total of 390 species have been identified in the country, including 106 species of rodents, 104 species of bats, 63 species of even-toed ungulates (including whales and dolphins), 36 species of insectivores and carnivores, 19 species of primates, five species of elephant shrews, four species of hyraxes and odd-toed ungulates, three species of afrosoricids, pangolins, and hares, and one species of aardvark, elephant, sirenian and hedgehog. The number of species in this checklist is expected to increase with additional surveys and as the taxonomic status of small mammals (e.g., bats, shrews and rodents) becomes better understood.
Efficient one-pot hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived xylitol into ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol over Cu–Ni–ZrO_2 catalyst without solid bases

The directly selective hydrogenolysis of xylitol to ethylene glycol (EG) and 1,2-propylene glycol (1,2-PDO) was performed on Cu–Ni–ZrO_2 catalysts prepared by a co-precipitation method. Upon optimizing the reaction conditions (518 K, 4.0 MPa H_2 and 3 h), 97.0% conversion of xylitol and 63.1% yield of glycols were obtained in water without extra inorganic base. The catalyst still remained stable activity after six cycles and above 80% total selectivity of glycols was obtained when using 20.0% xylitol concentration. XRD, TEM and ICP results indicated that Cu–Ni–ZrO_2 catalysts possess favorable stability. Cu and Ni are beneficial to the cleavage of C –O and C –H bond, respectively. To reduce the hydrogen consumption, isopropanol was added as in-situ hydrogen source and 96.4% conversion of xylitol with 43.6% yield of glycols were realized.
One-pot hydrothermal fabrication of α-Fe_2 O_3 @C nanocomposites for electrochemical energy storage

A facile hydrothermal method was developed for the preparation of Fe_2 O_3 @C nanocomposites using FeCl 3 · 6H 2 O as iron source and glucose as carbon source under alkaline condition.The morphology and structure of the asprepared product were identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).The asprepare α-Fe_2 O_3 @C nanocomposites were employed for supercapacitor electrode material.The synergistic combination of carbon electrical double-layer capacitance and α-Fe_2 O_3 pseudo-capacitance established such nanocomposites as versatile platform for high performance superca-pacitors.The synthesis method developed here is expected to obtain other metal oxide/carbon composite.
A Fourth-Order Convergent Iterative Method by Means of Thiele’s Continued Fraction for Root-Finding Problem

In this paper, we propose a new single-step iterative method for solving non-linear equations in a variable. This iterative method is derived by using the approximation formula of truncated Thiele’s continued fraction. Analysis of convergence shows that the order of convergence of the introduced iterative method for a simple root is four. To illustrate the efficiency and performance of the proposed method we give some numerical examples.
3D skeleton nanostructured Ni_3 S_2 /Ni foam@RGO composite anode for high-performance dual-ion battery

The growing global demands of safe, low-cost and high working voltage energy storage devices trigger strong interests in novel battery concepts beyond state-of-art lithium-ion battery. Herein, a dualion battery based on nanostructured Ni_3 S_2 /Ni foam@RGO (NSNR) composite anode is developed, utilizing graphite as cathode material and LiPF 6-VC-based solvent as electrolyte.The battery operates at high working voltage of 4.2–4.5 V, with superior discharge capacity of ∼90 mA h g~(-1) at 100 mA g~(-1), outstanding rate performance, and long-term cycling stability over 500 cycles with discharge capacity retention of ∼85.6%.Moreover, the composite simultaneously acts as the anode material and the current collector, and the corrosion phenomenon can be greatly reduced compared to metallic Al anode.Thus, this work represents a significant step forward for practical safe, low-cost and high working voltage dual-ion batteries, showing attractive potential for future energy storage application.
Fabricating high-performance sodium ion capacitors with P2-Na_(0.67) Co_(0.5) Mn_(0.5) O_2 and MOF-derived carbon

Sodium ion capacitors (SICs) have been considered as a kind of promising devices to achieve both high power and energy density. However, it is still a challenge to achieve high energy output at elevated power delivery due to the poor rate capability of battery-type electrode materials and the kinetic mismatch with capacitor-type electrode materials. In this work, to fabricate SICs, P2-Na_(0.67) Co_(0.5) Mn_(0.5) O_2 (P2-NCM) was chosen as the battery-type cathode material, and a typical metal-organic framework (MOF) material, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) derived carbon (ZDC) was utilized as the capacitor-type anode material. Due to the kinetic match and high-rate performance of both electrodes, the ZDC//P2-NCM SICs exhibited an energy output of 18.8 Wh kg~(-1) at a high power delivery of 12.75 kW kg~(-1).
An imine-linked covalent organic framework as the host material for sulfur loading in lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have high theoretical specific capacity, providing new opportunities for the next generation of secondary battery. Covalent organic framework (COF) as a new porous crystalline material has been used as the host material in Li–S battery to improve the cell's cycling stability. In this paper, an imine-linked TAPB-PDA-COF was applied as the host material for sulfur loading (60%) in Li–S battery. The TAPB-PDA-COF has a beehive-like morphology with high thermal stability (up to 500 °C). In the electrochemical experiment, the performance of the composite cathode with acetylene black (A-B) and super-P (S-P) as the conductive additives was studied individually. The initial discharge capacity under 0.2 A/g current density was 991 mAh/g and 1357 mAh/g for TAPB-PDA-COF/S@A-B and TAPB-PDA-COF/S@S-P, respectively.The better result of S-P based cathode than A-B could be due to the better conductivity of the S-P, as proved by the EIS results.When further increased the current density to 2 A/g, the S-P based composite cathode can still deliver a comparable initial discharge capacity of 630 and 274 mAh/g capacity remained after 940 cycles.This results will inspire researchers develop more suitable conductive additives together with the host materials for high performance Li–S battery.
Empirical models and design codes in prediction of modulus of elasticity of concrete

Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) is a key parameter in reinforced concrete design. It represents the stressstrain relationship in the elastic range and is used in the prediction of concrete structures. Out of range estimation of MOE in the existing codes of practice strongly affect the design and performance of the concrete structures. This study includes: (a) evaluation and comparison of the existing analytical models to estimating the MOE in normal strength concrete, and (b) proposing and verifying a new model. In addition, a wide range of experimental databases and empirical models to estimate the MOE from compressive strength and density of concrete are evaluated to verification of the proposed model. The results show underestimation of MOE of conventional concrete in majority of the existing models. Also, considering the consistency between density and mechanical properties of concrete, the predicted MOE in the models including density effect, are more compatible with the experimental results.
Design concept development of a variable magnetization motor with improved efficiency and controllable stiffness for robotic applications

A variable magnetization (VM) motor by incorporating magnets that can be flexibly configured with variable magnetization process is proposed to meet the emerging requirements on motor efficiency and actuator compliance in robotic applications. A generalized spin torque model is established which provides a relationship between the motor torque and two different types of motor inputs, the current inputs and the magnet magnetizations. A variable magnetization process is proposed based on the study of the hysteresis properties of the magnetic materials and the design criteria for implementing the variable magnetization process with current pulses are established. The feasibility of the variable magnetization is validated with experimental data and the motor functions and performances are numerically demonstrated and evaluated. The results show that the VM motor can maintain high efficiency by switching between two actuation modes. Controllable stiffness at different equilibria can be also achieved with the VM motor with instantaneous magnetizing current pulses.
A novel deletion mutation, c.1296delT in the BCOR gene, is associated with oculo-facio-cardio-dental syndrome

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the clinical phenotypes of a girl with oculo-facio-cardio-dental (OFCD) syndrome and to identify the potential pathogenic mutation responsible for her disease. The patient underwent detailed clinical examinations and phenotype data were collected over a follow-up period of 9 years. Mutation analysis of the candidate gene BCOR was performed with polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. BCOR of 60 unrelated normal individuals were also sequenced as a control group. Clinical phenotyping and follow-up study results indicate that this patient had multiple system anomalies including ocular, facial, cardiac, dental, and limb malformations. In addition, papilloma of the choroid plexus was identified, which represents the first report of this phenotype in an OFCD patient. A novel deletion mutation, c.1296delT in exon 4 of the BCOR gene, was identified in this patient and was not found in her parents or in 60 normal unrelated individuals. This deletion was a frameshift mutation and is proposed to encode a premature stop codon, thus producing a truncated protein. Our patient fitted the diagnostic criteria for OFCD syndrome and we report the first papilloma of the choroid plexus in an OFCD patient, expanding the recognized phenotypic spectrum of this disease. Meanwhile, we identified a novel deletion mutation that may cause OFCD syndrome.
Planar core based starburst triphenylamine molecules as hole transporting materials for high-performance perovskite solar cells

Starburst triphenylamine molecules are generally used as hole transporting materials (HTMs) for optoelectronic devices like solar cells, light emitting diode and field effect transistors. The use of starburst triphenylamine molecules like spiro-OMeTAD HTM initiated the construction of solid state perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Currently, based on triphenylamine HTMs, the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs is up to 22.1%. Nowadays, spiro- OMeTAD is the most frequently used HTM for PSCs (Figure 1). However, the large steric hindrance of spirofluorene reduced the conjugation in molecules and impact the molecular packing, giving rise to small hole mobility. As a result, the fabrication of a smooth and thin film by a delicate process is necessary to achieve high solar cells efficiency. On the other hand, the synthesis of spiro-OMeTAD is complicated and costly.
Efficient organic-inorganic hybrid cathode interfacial layer enabled by polymeric dopant and its application in large-area polymer solar cells

An organic-inorganic hybrid cathode interfacial layer (CIL) was developed by doping ZnO with the naphthalene-diimide based derivative NDI-PFNBr. It was found the resulting organic-inorganic hybrid CIL showed apparently improved conductivity and could act as an effective cathode interlayer to modify indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent electrodes. As a result, by employing the blend of PTB7-Th:PC71BM as the photoactive layer, the inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) exhibited a remarkable enhancement of power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 8.52% for the control device to 10.04% for the device fabricated with the hybrid CIL. Moreover, all device parameters were simultaneously improved by using this hybrid CIL. The improved open-circuit voltage (V_(OC)) was attributed to the reduced work function of the ITO cathode, whereas the enhancements in fill factor (FF) and short-circuit current density (J_(SC)) were assigned to the increased conductivity and more effective charge extraction and collection at interface. Encouragingly, when the thickness of the hybrid CIL was increased to 80 nm, the resulting device could still keep a PCE of 8.81%, exhibiting less thickness dependence. Considering these advantages, 16 and 93 cm~2 large-area PSCs modules were successfully fabricated from the hybrid CIL by using doctor-blade coating techniques and yielded a remarkable PCE of 8.05% and 4.49%, respectively. These results indicated that the hybrid CIL could be a promising candidate to serve as the cathode interlayer for high-performance large-area inverted PSCs.