mlsa-iai-msu-lab/ru_sci_bench_zho_cite_reranking huggingface dataset:
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Separators with Dual-asymmetric Structure for High-performance Lithium Ion Batteries

Dual-asymmetric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) separators have been fabricated by thermally induced phase separation with dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) and glycerol as mixed diluents. The separators have a porous bulk with large interconnected pores (~1.0 μm) and two surfaces with small pores (~30 nm). This dual-asymmetric porous structure endows the separators with higher electrolyte uptake amount and rapider uptake rate, as well as better electrolyte retention ability than the commercialized Celgard 2400. The separators even maintain their dimensional stability up to 160 °C, at which temperature the surface pores close up, leading to a dramatic decrease of air permeability. The electrolyte filled separators also show high ion conductivity (1.72 mS·cm~(-1)) at room temperature. Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO_4)/lithium (Li) cells using these separators display superior discharge capacity and better rate performance as compared with those from the commercialized ones. The results provide new insight into the design and development of separators for high-performance lithium ion batteries with enhanced safety.
Truxene-based Hole-transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells

Three star-shaped truxene-based small molecules (namely TXH, TXM, TXO) were synthesized, characterized and used as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PvSCs). The device based on TXO delivered a respectable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.89% and a high open-circuit voltage (V_(oc)) of 0.97 V, which far exceeded the values of the devices based on other two small molecules. The highest PCE for the device based on TXO is mainly contributed from its lowest series resistance (R_s) value and largest short-circuit current (J_(sc)) value under the same circumstances. All these results indicate that TXO is a promising HTM candidate for PvSCs.
Shrimp arginine kinase being a binding protein of WSSV envelope protein VP31

Viral entry into the host is the earliest stage of infection in the viral life cycle in which attachment proteins play a key role. VP31 (WSV340/WSSV396), an envelope protein of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), contains an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide domain known as a cellular attachment site. At present, the process of VP31 interacting with shrimp host cells has not been explored. Therefore, the VP31 gene was cloned into pET30a (+), expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 and purified with immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. Four gill cellular proteins of shrimp (Fenneropenaeus c hinensis) were pulled down by an affinity column coupled with recombinant VP31 (rVP31), and the amino acid sequences were identified with MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Hemocyanin, beta-actin, arginine kinase (AK), and an unknown protein were suggested as the putative VP31 receptor proteins. SDS-PAGE showed that AK is the predominant binding protein of VP31. An i n vitro binding activity experiment indicated that recombinant AK’s (rAK) binding activity with rVP31 is comparable to that with the same amount of WSSV. These results suggested that AK, as a member of the phosphagen kinase family, plays a role in WSSV infection. This is the first evidence showing that AK is a binding protein of VP31. Further studies on this topic will elucidate WSSV infection mechanism in the future.
Distributed Optimal Co-multi-microgrids Energy Management for Energy Internet

Unlike conventional power systems, the upcoming energy internet (EI) emphasizes comprehensive utilization of energy in the whole power system by coordinating multi-microgrids, which also brings new challenge for the energy management. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel consensus-based distributed approach based on multi-agent framework to solve the energy management problem of the energy internet, which only requires local information exchange among neighboring agents. Correspondingly, two consensus algorithms are presented, one of which drives the incremental cost of each distributed generator (DG) converge to the state of the leader agent-energy router, and the other one is used to estimate the global power mismatch, which is a first-order average consensus algorithm modified by a correction term. In addition, in order to meet the supply-demand balance, an effective control strategy for the energy router is proposed to accurately calculate the power exchange between the microgrid and the main grid. Finally, simulation results within a 7-bus test system are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Combined Impact of Climate Change, Cultivar Shift, and Sowing Date on Spring Wheat Phenology in Northern China

Distinct climate changes since the end of the 1980s have led to clear responses in crop phenology in many parts of the world. This study investigated the trends in the dates of spring wheat phenology in relation to mean temperature for different growth stages. It also analyzed the impacts of climate change, cultivar shift, and sowing date adjustments on phenological events/phases of spring wheat in northern China (NC). The results showed that significant changes have occurred in spring wheat phenology in NC due to climate warming in the past 30 years. Specifically, the dates of anthesis and maturity of spring wheat advanced on average by 1.8 and 1.7 day (10 yr)~(-1). Moreover, while the vegetative growth period (VGP) shortened at most stations, the reproductive growth period (RGP) prolonged slightly at half of the investigated stations. As a result, the whole growth period (WGP) of spring wheat shortened at most stations. The findings from the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM)-Wheat model simulated results for six representative stations further suggested that temperature rise generally shortened the spring wheat growth period in NC. Although the warming trend shortened the lengths of VGP, RGP, and WGP, the shift of new cultivars with high accumulated temperature requirements, to some extent, mitigated and adapted to the ongoing climate change. Furthermore, shifts in sowing date exerted significant impacts on the phenology of spring wheat. Generally, an advanced sowing date was able to lower the rise in mean temperature during the different growth stages (i.e., VGP, RGP, and WGP) of spring wheat. As a result, the lengths of the growth stages should be prolonged. Both measures (cultivar shift and sowing date adjustments) could be vital adaptation strategies of spring wheat to a warming climate, with potentially beneficial effects in terms of productivity.
Summer Monsoon Indices on June Rainfall in Hong Kong and Its Vicinity

Climatologically, June is usually the wettest month in Hong Kong. With significant interannual variation of the surhmer monsoon, the rainfall variability in June is also large. As Hong Kong is in close proximity to the peripheries of different monsoon regions, the variability of June rainfall largely depends on the relative strength of various monsoon systems. In the present study, a new index comparing the relative condition of the western North Pacific summer monsoon and the South China Sea summer monsoon is developed based on the difference between the respective monsoon indices WNPMI (western North Pacific summer monsoon index) and UMI (unified monsoon index). It is shown that June rainfall in Hong Kong and its vicinity is better correlated with this new index than either WNPMI or UMI alone. Based on the signs of the new index in conjunction with those of WNPMI and UMI, a framework to stratify the monsoon conditions into different configurations together with a simple scheme to summarize the associated rainfall responses is formulated. This study highlights how the rainfall variability on a local or regional scale can be quantified by the broad-scale conditions of different monsoon systems.
Mesoscale Observational Analysis of Lifting Mechanism of a Warm-Sector Convective System Producing the Maximal Daily Precipitation in China Mainland during Pre-Summer Rainy Season of 2015

A long-lived, quasi-stationary mesoscale convective system (MCS) producing extreme rainfall (maximum of 542 mm) over the eastern coastal area of Guangdong Province on 20 May 2015 is analyzed by using high-resolution surface observations, sounding data, and radar measurements. New convective cells are continuously initiated along a mesoscale boundary at the surface, leading to formation and maintenance of the quasi-linear-shaped MCS from about 2000 BT 19 to 1200 BT 20 May. The boundary is originally formed between a cold dome generated by previous convection and southwesterly flow from the ocean carrying higher equivalent potential temperature (θ_e) air. The boundary is subsequently maintained and reinforced by the contrast between the MCS-generated cold outflow and the oceanic higher-θ_e air. The cold outflow is weak (wind speed ≤ 5 m s~(-1) ), which is attributable to the characteristic environmental conditions, i.e., high humidity in the lower troposphere and weak horizontal winds in the middle and lower troposphere. The low speed of the cold outflow is comparable to that of the near surface southerly flow from the ocean, resulting in very slow southward movement of the boundary. The boundary features temperature contrasts of 2-3℃ and is roughly 500-m deep. Despite its shallowness, the boundary appears to exert a profound influence on continuous convection initiation because of the very low level of free convection and small convection inhibition of the near surface oceanic air, building several parallel rainbands (of about 50-km length) that move slowly eastward along the MCS and produce about 80% of the total rainfall. Another MCS moves into the area from the northwest and merges with the local MCS at about 1200 BT. The cold outflow subsequently strengthens and the boundary moves more rapidly toward the southeast, leading to end of the event in 3 h.
Impact of Multi-Scale Oscillations at High and Low Latitudes on Two Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

To investigate the multi-scale features in two persistent heavy rainfall (PHR) events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLRYR) in June of 1982 and 1998, this study examines the impact of multi-scale oscillations in the north and south of 30°N on the PHR events by performing sensitivity experiments with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. It is found that the 60-day low-pass perturbation made a trivial contribution to the MLRYR precipitation during the PHR event in 1982. This PHR event resulted mainly from the combined effects of 30-60-day oscillation at low latitudes and 10-30-day oscillation at both high and low latitudes. The southwesterly anomalies associated with the 30- 60-day anticyclonic anomaly over the northwestern Pacific facilitated moisture transport from the ocean to the MLRYR and enhanced the low-level convergence and ascending motion in the MLRYR. This similarly occurred in the 10-30-day oscillation as well. Moreover, the 10-30-day anomalies at high latitudes played a role in strengthening the large-scale low-level convergence over the MLRYR. The PHR event in 1998 was mainly related to the 60-day oscillation at both high and low latitudes and 30-60-day oscillation at low latitudes. The 60-day low-pass filtered anomalous cyclone at high latitudes in the north of 30°N contributed to the development of low-level convergence and ascending motion in northern MLRYR while the anomalous anticyclone at low latitudes in the south of 30° N not only increased the moisture in the MLRYR but also preconditioned the dynamical factors favorable for PHR over the whole area. The 30-60-day perturbations located north and south of 30°N worked together producing positive moisture anomaly in the MLRYR. In addition, the anomalous circulation in the south of 30°N tended to favor the development of ascending motion and low-level convergence in the MLRYR.
Estimating abundance and density of Amur tigers along the Sino-Russian border

As an apex predator the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) could play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of forest ecosystems in Northeast Asia. Due to habitat loss and harvest over the past century, tigers rapidly declined in China and are now restricted to the Russian Far East and bordering habitat in nearby China. To facilitate restoration of the tiger in its historical range, reliable estimates of population size are essential to assess effectiveness of conservation interventions. Here we used camera trap data collected in Hunchun National Nature Reserve from April to June 2013 and 2014 to estimate tiger density and abundance using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) methods. A minimum of 8 individuals were detected in both sample periods and the documentation of marking behavior and reproduction suggests the presence of a resident population. Using Bayesian SECR modeling within the 11 400 km~2 state space, density estimates were 0.33 and 0.40 individuals/100 km~2 in 2013 and 2014, respectively, corresponding to an estimated abundance of 38 and 45 animals for this transboundary Sino-Russian population. In a maximum likelihood framework, we estimated densities of 0.30 and 0.24 individuals/100 km2 corresponding to abundances of 34 and 27, in 2013 and 2014,respectively. These density estimates are comparable to other published estimates for resident Amur tiger populations in the Russian Far East. This study reveals promising signs of tiger recovery in Northeast China, and demonstrates the importance of connectivity between the Russian and Chinese populations for recovering tigers in Northeast China.
Review of mammalogical research in the Guianas of northern South America

Research on mammals in the Guianas of northern South America has had a checkered history. In this review, I summarize the notable contributions to mammalogical study in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. These studies began in the mid-18th century with the binomial nomenclature system of scientific classification created by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who described 23 species new to science based on holotype specimens from the Guianas. Notwithstanding popular accounts by amateur naturalists visiting this region, over the next 7 decades there was only sporadic taxonomic work done on Guianan mammals primarily by researchers at European museums. The first comprehensive biological exploration took place in the 1840s during a geographic survey of the boundaries of British Guiana. However, it was not until almost half a century later that scientific publications began to regularly document the increasing species diversity in the region, including the prodigious work of Oldfield Thomas at the British Museum of Natural History in London. Another lull in the study of mammals occurred in the mid-1910s to the early 1960s after which foreign researchers began to rediscover the Guianas and their pristine habitats. This biological renaissance is still ongoing and I give a prospectus on the direction of future research in one of the last frontiers of tropical rainforest. An initiative that would be greatly beneficial is the establishment of a university network in the Guianas with graduate-based research to develop a cadre of professional experts on biodiversity and evolution as seen in other countries of South America.
Plant-pollinator interactions in a biodiverse meadow are rather stable and tight for 3 consecutive years

Plant-pollinator interactions can be highly variable across years in natural communities. Although variation in the species composition and its basic structure has been investigated to understand the dynamic nature of pollination networks, little is known about the temporal dynamic of interaction strength between the same plant and pollinator species in any natural community. Pollinator-mediated selection on the evolution of floral traits could be diminished if plant-pollinator interactions vary temporally. To quantify the temporal variation in plant-pollinator interactions and the interaction strength (observed visits), we compared weighted networks between plants and pollinators in a biodiverse alpine meadow in Shangri-La, southwest China for 3 consecutive years. Although plant-pollinator interactions were highly dynamic such that identical interactions only accounted for 10.7% of the total between pair years, the diversity of interactions was stable. These identical interactions contributed 41.2% of total visits and were similar in strength and weighted nestedness. For plant species, 72.6% of species were visited by identical pollinator species between pair years, accounting for over half of the total visits and three-quarters at the functional group level. More generalized pollinators contributed more connectiveness and were more central in networks across years. However, there was no similar or even opposite trend for plant species, which suggested that specialized plant species may also be central in pollinator networks. The variation in pollinator composition decreased as pollinator species numbers increased, suggesting that generalized plants experienced stable pollinator partition. The stable, tight interactions between generalized pollinators and specialized plants represent cornerstones of the studied community.
Swarm Intelligence Algorithm Inspired by Route Choice Behavior

Travelers' route choice behavior, a dynamical learning process based on their own experience, traffic information, and influence of others, is a type of cooperation optimization and a constant day-to-day evolutionary process. Travelers adjust their route choices to choose the best route, minimizing travel time and distance, or maximizing expressway use. Because route choice behavior is based on human beings, the most intelligent animals in the world, this swarm behavior is expected to incorporate more intelligence. Unlike existing research in route choice behavior, the influence of other travelers is considered for updating route choices on account of the reality, which makes the route choice behavior from individual to swarm. Anew swarm intelligence algorithm inspired by travelers' route choice behavior for solving mathematical optimization problems is introduced in this paper. A comparison of the results of experiments with those of the classical global Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm demonstrates the efficacy of the Route Choice Behavior Algorithm (RCBA). The novel algorithm provides a new approach to solving complex problems and new avenues for the study of route choice behavior.
Experimental investigation on the relevance of mechanical properties and porosity of sandstone after hydrochemical erosion

Under the effect of chemical etching, the macroscopic mechanical properties, mesoscopic structure, mineral content, and porosity of rocks undergo significant changes, which can lead to the geological disasters; thus, an understanding of changes in the microscopic and macroscopic structure of rocks after chemical etching is crucial. In this study, uniaxial mechanical tests and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were carried out on sandstone samples that had been previously subjected to chemical erosion under different pH values. The aim was to study changes in properties and mechanical characteristics, including deformation and strength characteristics, of the rock, and microscopic pore variation characteristics, and to perform preliminary studies of the chemical corrosion mechanism. Results show that different chemical solutions have a significant influence on the uniaxial compressive strength, the axial strain corresponding to the peak axial stress, elastic modulus, etc. With the passage of time, porosity increases gradually with exposure to different chemical solutions, and exposure to chemical solutions results in large changes in the NMR T2 curve and T2 spectrum area.Sandstone exposed to different chemical solutions exhibits different corrosion mechanisms; the root cause is the change of mineral.
Practical millimeter-wave holographic imaging system with good robustness

A practical millimeter-wave (MMW) holographic imaging system with good robustness is developed for the detection of concealed weapons at security checkpoints, especially at the airport. The system is used to scan the passenger and detect any weapons hidden in their clothes. To reconstruct the three dimensional image, a holographic MMW imaging algorithm based on aperture synthesis and backscattering is presented. The system is active and works at 28-33 GHz. As a practical imaging system, the robustness is analyzed in detail in terms of the peak signal-to-noise ratio.
Expansive Homoclinic Classes of Generic C~1-Vector Fields

Let γ be a hyperbolic closed orbit of a C~1 vector field X on a compact C~∞ manifold M of dimension n ≥ 3, and let Hx(γ) be the homoclinic class of X containing γ. In this paper, we prove that C~1-generically, if Hx(γ) is expansive and isolated, then it is hyperbolic.
Spectral Characteristics of Laser-Induced Graphite Plasma in Ambient Air

An experimental setup of laser-induced graphite plasma was built and the spectral characteristics and properties of graphite plasma were studied. From the temporal behavior of graphite plasma, the duration of CN partials (B~2 Σ~+ →X~2 Σ~+) emission was two times longer than that of atomic carbon, and all intensities reached the maximum during the early stage from 0.2 μs to 0.8 μs. The electron temperature decreased from 11807 K to 8755 K, the vibration temperature decreased from 8973 K to 6472 K, and the rotational temperature decreased from 7288 K to 4491 K with the delay time, respectively. The effect of the laser energy was also studied, and it was found that the thresholds and spectral characteristics of CN molecular and C atomic spectroscopy presented great differences. At lower laser energies, the electron excited temperature, the electron density, the vibrational temperature and rotational temperature of CN partials increased rapidly. At higher laser energies, the increasing of electron excited temperature and electron density slow down, and the vibrational temperature and rotational temperature even trend to saturation due to plasma shielding and dissociation of CN molecules. The relationship among the three kinds of temperatures was T_(elec)>T_(vib)>T_(rot) at the same time. The electron density of the graphite plasma was in the order of 1017 cm~(-3) and 10~(18) cm~(-3).