Oneε-Ga_(2)O_(3)-based solar-blind Schottky photodetector emphasizing high photocurrent gain and photocurrent-intensity linearity

Theε-Ga_(2)O_(3) thin film was grown on sapphire substrate by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD)method,and then was used to fabricate a deep-ultraviolet(DUV)photodetector(PD).Theε-Ga_(2)O_(3) thin film shown good crystal quality and decent surface morphology.Irradiated by a 254-nm DUV light,the photodetector displayed good optoelectronic performance and high wavelength selectivity,such as photoresponsivity(R)of 175.69 A/W,detectivity(D*)of 2.46×10^(15) Jones,external quantum efficiency(EQE)of 8.6×10^(4)%and good photocurrent-intensity linearity,suggesting decent DUV photosensing performance.At 5 V and under illumination with light intensity of 800μW/cm2,the photocurrent gain is as high as 859 owing to the recycling gain mechanism and delayed carrier recombination;and the photocurrent gain decreases as the incident light intensity increases because of the recombination of photogenerated carriers by the large photon flux.

Winter wheat yield improvement by genetic gain across different provinces in China

The replacement of winter wheat varieties has contributed significantly to yield improvement worldwide,with remarkable progress in China.Drawing on two sets of data,production yield from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and experimental yield from literature,this study aims to(1)illustrate the increasing patterns of production yield among different provinces from 1978 to 2018 in China,(2)explore the genetic gain in yield and yield relevant traits through the variety replacement based on experimental yield from 1937 to 2016 in China,and(3)compare the yield gap between experimental yield and production yield.The results show that both the production and experimental yields significantly increased along with the variety replacement.The national annual yield increase ratio for the production yield was 1.67%from 1978 to 2018,varying from 0.96%in Sichuan Province to 2.78%in Hebei Province;such ratio for the experimental yield was 1.13%from 1937 to 2016.The yield gap between experimental and production yields decreased from the 1970s to the 2010s.This study reveals significant increases in some yield components consequent to variety replacement,including thousand-grain weight,kernel number per spike,and grain number per square meter;however,no change is shown in spike number per square meter.The biomass and harvest index consistently and significantly increased,whereas the plant height decreased significantly.

Preweaning period is a critical window for rumen microbial regulation of average daily gain in Holstein heifer calves

Background Rumen bacterial groups can affect growth performance,such as average daily gain(ADG),feed intake,and efficiency.The study aimed to investigate the inter-relationship of rumen bacterial composition,rumen fermentation indicators,serum indicators,and growth performance of Holstein heifer calves with different ADG.Twelve calves were chosen from a trail with 60 calves and divided into higher ADG(HADG,high pre-and post-weaning ADG,n=6)and lower ADG(LADG,low pre-and post-weaning ADG,n=6)groups to investigate differences in bacterial composition and functions and host phenotype.Results During the preweaning period,the relative abundances of propionate producers,including g_norank_f_Butyricicoccaceae,g_Pyramidobacter,and g_norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_vadin BB60_group,were higher in HADG calves(LDA>2,P<0.05).Enrichment of these bacteria resulted in increased levels of propionate,a gluconeogenic precursor,in preweaning HADG calves(adjusted P<0.05),which consequently raised serum glucose concentrations(adjusted P<0.05).In contrast,the relative abundances of rumen bacteria in post-weaning HADG calves did not exert this effect.Moreover,no significant differences were observed in rumen fermentation parameters and serum indices between the two groups.Conclusions The findings of this study revealed that the preweaning period is the window of opportunity for rumen bacteria to regulate the ADG of calves.

On the functions of astrocyte-mediated neuronal slow inward currents

Slow inward currents are known as neuronal excitatory currents mediated by glutamate release and activation of neuronal extra synaptic N-met hyl-D-aspartate receptors with the contribution of astrocytes.These events are significantly slower than the excitatory postsynaptic currents.Parameters of slow inward currents are determined by seve ral factors including the mechanisms of astrocytic activation and glutamate release,as well as the diffusion pathways from the release site towards the extra synaptic recepto rs.Astrocytes are stimulated by neuronal network activity,which in turn excite neurons,forming an astrocyte-neuron feedback loop.Mostly as a consequence of brain edema,astrocytic swelling can also induce slow inward currents under pathological conditions.There is a growing body of evidence on the roles of slow inward currents on a single neuron or local network level.These events often occur in synchro ny on neurons located in the same astrocytic domain.Besides synchronization of neuronal excitability,slow inward currents also set synaptic strength via eliciting timing-dependent synaptic plasticity.In addition,slow inward currents are also subject to non-synaptic plasticity triggered by long-la sting stimulation of the excitatory inputs.Of note,there might be important regionspecific differences in the roles and actions triggering slow inward currents.In greater networks,the pathophysiological roles of slow inward currents can be better understood than physiological ones.Slow inward currents are identified in the pathophysiological background of autism,as slow inward currents drive early hypersynchrony of the neural networks.Slow inward currents are significant contributors to paroxysmal depolarizational shifts/interictal spikes.These events are related to epilepsy,but also found in Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,and stroke,leading to the decline of cognitive functions.Events with features overlapping with slow inward currents(excitatory,N-methyl-Daspartate-receptor mediated currents with astrocytic contribution) as ischemic currents and spreading depolarization also have a well-known pathophysiological role in worsening consequences of stroke,traumatic brain injury,or epilepsy.One might assume that slow inward currents occurring with low frequency under physiological conditions might contribute to synaptic plasticity and memory formation.However,to state this,more experimental evidence from greater neuronal networks or the level of the individual is needed.In this review,I aimed to summarize findings on slow inward currents and to speculate on the potential functions of it.

Lift-Off Effect of Koch and Circular Differential Pickup Eddy Current Probes

A flexible or planar eddy current probe with a differential structure can suppress the lift-off noise during the inspection of defects.However,the extent of the lift-off effect on differential probes,including different coil structures,varies.In this study,two planar eddy current probes with differential pickup structures and the same size,Koch and circular probes,were used to compare lift-off effects.The eddy current distributions of the probes perturbed by 0°and 90°cracks were obtained by finite element analysis.The analysis results show that the 90°crack can impede the eddy current induced by the Koch probe even further at relatively low lift-off distance.The peak-to-peak values of the signal output from the two probes were compared at different lift-off distances using finite element analysis and experimental methods.In addition,the effects of different frequencies on the lift-off were studied experimentally.The results show that the signal peak-to-peak value of the Koch probe for the inspection of cracks in 90°orientation is larger than that of the circular probe when the lift-off distance is smaller than 1.2 mm.In addition,the influence of the lift-off distance on the peak-to-peak signal value of the two probes was studied via normalization.This indicates that the influence becomes more evident with an increase in excitation frequency.This research discloses the lift-off effect of differential planar eddy current probes with different coil shapes and proves the detection merit of the Koch probe for 90°cracks at low lift-off distances.

Topological laser on square lattice with gain–loss-induced higher-order corner modes

We investigate the higher-order topological laser in the two-dimensional(2D) coupled-cavity array. By adding staggered on-site gain and loss to the 2D Hermitian array with a trivial phase, the system will emerge degenerate topological corner modes, which are protected by bulk band gap. For such a non-Hermitian model, by adjusting the parameters of the system and introducing the pumping into the cavity at the corner, a single-mode lasing with topological protection emerges.Furthermore, single-mode lasing exists over a wide range of pumping strengths. No matter where the cavity is initially stimulated, after enough time evolution, all the cavities belonging to the topological corner mode can emit a stable laser.

Evidence of guide field magnetic reconnection in flapping current sheets

Based on current sheet flapping motion on 27 August 2018 in the dusk flank magnetotail,as recorded by instruments aboard Magnetospheric Multiscale(MMS)spacecraft,we present the first study of guide field reconnection observed in the flux rope embedded in kink-like flapping current sheets near the dusk-side flank of the magnetotail.Unlike more common magnetotail reconnections,which are symmetric,these asymmetric small-scale(λ_(i)~650 km)reconnections were found in the highly twisted current sheet when the direction normal to the sheet changes from the Z direction into the Y direction.The unique feature of this unusual reconnection is that the reconnection jets are along the Z direction-different from outflow in the X direction,which is the more usual situation.This vertical reconnection jet is parallel or antiparallel to the up-and-down motion of the tail’s current sheet.The normalized reconnection rate R is estimated to be~0.1.Our results indicate that such asymmetric reconnections can significantly enlarge current sheet flapping,with large oscillation amplitudes.This letter presents direct evidence of guide field reconnection in a highly twisted current sheet,characterized by enlarged current sheet flapping as a consequence of the reconnection outflow.

Double-ring high-frequency common-mode switching oscillation current sensor for inverter-fed machine winding insulation monitoring

Insulation failure significantly contributes to the unpredictable shutdown of power equipment.Compared to the partial discharge and high-frequency(HF)injection methods,the HF common-mode(CM)leakage current method offers a non-intrusive and highly sensitive alternative.However,the detection of HF CM currents is susceptible to interference from differential-mode(DM)currents,which exhibit high-amplitude and multifrequency components during normal operation.To address this challenge,this paper proposes a double-ring current sensor based on the principle of magnetic shielding for inverter-fed machine winding insulation monitoring.The inner ring harnesses the magnetic aggregation effect to isolate the DM current magnetic field,whereas the outer ring serves as the magnetic core of the Rogowski current sensor,enabling HF CM current monitoring.First,the magnetic field distributions of the CM and DM currents were analyzed.Then,a correlation between the sensor parameters and signal-to-noise ratio of the target HF CM current was established.Finally,an experimental study was conducted on a 3-kW PMSM for verification.The results indicate that the proposed double-ring HF CM sensor can effectively mitigate DM current interference.Compared to a single-ring sensor,a reduction of approximately 40%in the DM component was achieved,which significantly enhanced the precision of online insulation monitoring.

Research and exploration of direct current power supply and distribution systems for Antarctic research stations

The power supply and distribution systems for Antarctic research stations have special characteristics.In light of a worldwide trend toward a gradual increase in the application of renewable energy,an analysis was performed to assess the feasibility of achieving a direct current power supply and distribution at Antarctic research stations by comparing the characteristics of direct current and alternating current electricity.Research was also performed on the status quo and future trends in direct current power supply and distribution systems in Antarctica research stations in combination with case studies.

Numerical analysis for the free-boundary current reversal equilibrium in the AC plasma current operation in a tokamak

In recent decades, tokamak discharges with zero total toroidal current have been reported in tokamak experiments, and this is one of the key problems in alternating current(AC) operations.An efficient free-boundary equilibrium code is developed to investigate such advanced tokamak discharges with current reversal equilibrium configuration. The calculation results show that the reversal current equilibrium can maintain finite pressure and also has considerable effects on the position of the X-point and the magnetic separatrix shape, and hence also on the position of the strike point on the divertor plates, which is extremely useful for magnetic design, MHD stability analysis, and experimental data analysis etc. for the AC plasma current operation on tokamaks.

A Stroke-Limitation AMD Control System with Variable Gain and Limited Area for High-Rise Buildings

Collisions between a moving mass and an anti-collision device increase structural responses and threaten structural safety.An active mass damper(AMD)with stroke limitations is often used to avoid collisions.However,a strokelimited AMD control system with a fixed limited area shortens the available AMD stroke and leads to significant control power.To solve this problem,the design approach with variable gain and limited area(VGLA)is proposed in this study.First,the boundary of variable-limited areas is calculated based on the real-time status of the moving mass.The variable gain(VG)expression at the variable limited area is deduced by considering the saturation of AMD stroke.Then,numerical simulations of a stroke-limited AMD control system with VGLA are conducted on a high-rise building structure.These numerical simulations show that the proposed approach has superior strokelimitation performance compared with a stroke-limited AMD control system with a fixed limited area.Finally,the proposed approach is validated through experiments on a four-story steel frame.

Analysis of Sea Surface Temperature Cooling in Typhoon Events Passing the Kuroshio Current

The aim of this study is to investigate the sea surface temperature(SST) cooling as typhoons pass the Kuroshio Current.A numerical circulation model,denoted as the Stony Brook Parallel Ocean Model(sbPOM),was used to simulate the SST,which includes four wave-induced effect terms(i.e.,radiation stress,nonbreaking waves,Stokes drift,and breaking waves) simulated using the third-generation wave model,called WAVEWATCH-Ⅲ(WW3).The significant wave height(SWH) measurements from the Jason-2 altimeter were used to validate the WW3-simulated results,yielding a root mean square error(RMSE) of less than 0.50 m and a correlation coefficient(COR) of approximately 0.93.The water temperature measured from the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite was applied to validate the model simulation.Accordingly,the RMSE of the SST is 0.92℃ with a COR of approximately 0.99.As revealed in the sbPOM-simulated SST fields,a reduction in the SST at the Kuroshio Current region was observed as a typhoon passed,although the water temperature of the Kuroshio Current is relatively high.The variation of the SST is consistent with that of the current,whereas the maximum SST lagged behind the occurrence of the peak SWH.Moreover,the Stokes drift plays an important role in the SST cooling after analyzing four wave-induced terms in the background of the Kuroshio Current.The sensitivity experiment also showed that the accuracy of the water temperature was significantly reduced when including breaking waves,which play a negative role in the inside part of the ocean.The variation in the mean mixing layer depth(MLD) showed that a typhoon could enhance the mean MLD in the Kuroshio Current area in September and October,whereas a typhoon has little influence on the mean MLD in the Kuroshio Current area in May.Moreover,the mean MLD rapidly decreased with the weakening of the strong wind force and wave-induced effects when a typhoon crossed the Kuroshio Current.

Alternating current heating techniques for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles:Recent advances and perspectives

The significant decrease in battery performance at low temperatures is one of the critical challenges that electric vehicles(EVs)face,thereby affecting the penetration rate in cold regions.Alternating current(AC)heating has attracted widespread attention due to its low energy consumption and uniform heating advantages.This paper introduces the recent advances in AC heating from the perspective of practical EV applications.First,the performance degradation of EVs in low-temperature environments is introduced briefly.The concept of AC heating and its research methods are provided.Then,the effects of various AC heating methods on battery heating performance are reviewed.Based on existing studies,the main factors that affect AC heating performance are analyzed.Moreover,various heating circuits based on EVs are categorized,and their cost,size,complexity,efficiency,reliability,and heating rate are elaborated and compared.The evolution of AC heaters is presented,and the heaters used in brand vehicles are sorted out.Finally,the perspectives and challenges of AC heating are discussed.This paper can guide the selection of heater implementation methods and the optimization of heating effects for future EV applications.

Influence of Current Density on the Photocatalytic Activity of Nd:TiO_(2) Coatings

The Nd:TiO_(2 )PEO coatings were formed in a phosphate-based electrolyte with the addition of Nd_(2)O_(3 )under the current density of 150,200,250 and 300 m A/cm^(2).SEM results showed that the micropores decreased on quantity and increased on scale with the increasing current density.AFM results revealed that the roughness of the coatings increased with the increasing current density.Phase and composition analysis showed that the Nd:TiO_(2) coatings were mainly composed of anatase and rutile phase.And the anatase phase content has reached the maximum value at the current density of 250 m A/cm^(2).XPS results indicated that Ti2p spin-orbit components of the Nd:TiO_(2) coatings are shifted towards higher binding energy,compared with the pure TiO_(2) coating,suggesting that some of the Nd^(3+)ions are combined with TiO_(2) lattice and led to dislocation.Photocatalytic test showed that the photocatalytic activity of Nd:TiO_(2) coatings varied in the same pattern with the anatase content variation in Nd:TiO_(2) coatings.The photocatalytic experiment results show that the photocatalytic activity of Nd:TiO_(2) coatings can be greatly enhanced with moderate amount of Nd^(3+).However,excessive amount of Nd^(3+)does not have an effective impact on the photoctalytic activity improvement.

Plasma current tomography for HL-2A based on Bayesian inference

An accurate plasma current profile has irreplaceable value for the steady-state operation of the plasma.In this study,plasma current tomography based on Bayesian inference is applied to an HL-2A device and used to reconstruct the plasma current profile.Two different Bayesian probability priors are tried,namely the Conditional Auto Regressive(CAR)prior and the Advanced Squared Exponential(ASE)kernel prior.Compared to the CAR prior,the ASE kernel prior adopts nonstationary hyperparameters and introduces the current profile of the reference discharge into the hyperparameters,which can make the shape of the current profile more flexible in space.The results indicate that the ASE prior couples more information,reduces the probability of unreasonable solutions,and achieves higher reconstruction accuracy.

“Flow” Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression Treatment in a Primary Healthcare General Practice—An Open-Label Cohort Study Measuring Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S) Outcomes

Background: Flow FL-100 is a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device self-administered by a patient at home in combination with a software application delivered wellbeing behaviour therapy training. tDCS has evidence of effectiveness in treating symptoms of depression. Purpose/Aim: This post marketing study evaluated the effect of Flow on depression for primary care general practice patients with depression symptoms. Methods: Open-label patient cohort design with no control group. Inclusion criteria were aged 18 years or over and reporting depression symptoms. Participants self-administered five 30 minute tDCS sessions per week for the first three weeks, and then 3 sessions per week following this. Three, six and ten week assessment with participant self-report measure: Montgomery- Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S). Results: MADRS-S remission rates were between 29% - 30% at three weeks, 33% - 34% at six-weeks and 50% at 10-weeks treatment. There was a significant improvement in MADRS-S with large effect sizes at all time points. Conclusions: Flow tDCS can be delivered through a primary healthcare general practice service and patients will choose to use. Flow tDCS provides an effective depression treatment in addition and as an alternative to antidepressants and psychotherapy. tDCS has evidence as an effective depression treatment, and the widespread availability of tDCS in primary care general practice should be considered.

Organic X-Ray Image Sensors Using a Medium Bandgap Polymer Donor with Low Dark Current

The development of portable X-ray detectors is necessary for diagnosing fractures in unconscious patients in emergency situations.However,this is quite challenging because of the heavy weight of the scintillator and silicon photodetectors.The weight and thickness of X-ray detectors can be reduced by replacing the silicon layer with an organic photodetectors.This study presents a novel bithienopyrroledione-based polymer donor that exhibits excellent photodetection properties even in a thick photoactive layer(~700 nm),owing to the symmetric backbone and highly soluble molecular structure of bithienopyrroledione.The ability of bithienopyrroledione-based polymer donor to strongly suppress the dark current density(Jd~10−10 A cm^(−2))at a negative bias(−2.0 V)while maintaining high responsivity(R=0.29 A W−1)even at a thickness of 700 nm results in a maximum shot-noise-limited specific detectivity of D_(sh)^(*)=2.18×10^(13)Jones in the organic photodetectors.Printed organic photodetectors are developed by slot-die coating for use in X-ray detectors,which exhibit D_(sh)^(*)=2.73×10^(12)Jones with clear rising(0.26 s)and falling(0.29 s)response times upon X-ray irradiation.Detection reliability is also proven by linear response of the X-ray detector,and the X-ray detection limit is 3 mA.

Fault Estimation for a Class of Markov Jump Piecewise-Affine Systems: Current Feedback Based Iterative Learning Approach

In this paper, the issues of stochastic stability analysis and fault estimation are investigated for a class of continuoustime Markov jump piecewise-affine(PWA) systems against actuator and sensor faults. Firstly, a novel mode-dependent PWA iterative learning observer with current feedback is designed to estimate the system states and faults, simultaneously, which contains both the previous iteration information and the current feedback mechanism. The auxiliary feedback channel optimizes the response speed of the observer, therefore the estimation error would converge to zero rapidly. Then, sufficient conditions for stochastic stability with guaranteed performance are demonstrated for the estimation error system, and the equivalence relations between the system information and the estimated information can be established via iterative accumulating representation.Finally, two illustrative examples containing a class of tunnel diode circuit systems are presented to fully demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed iterative learning observer with current feedback.

Revisiting aluminum current collector in lithium-ion batteries:Corrosion and countermeasures

With the large-scale service of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),their failures have attracted significant attentions.While the decay of active materials is the primary cause for LIB failures,the degradation of auxiliary materials,such as current collector corrosion,should not be disregarded.Therefore,it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive review in this field.In this review,from the perspectives of electrochemistry and materials,we systematically summarize the corrosion behavior of aluminum cathode current collector and propose corresponding countermeasures.Firstly,the corrosion type is clarified based on the properties of passivation layers in different organic electrolyte components.Furthermore,a thoroughgoing analysis is presented to examine the impact of various factors on aluminum corrosion,including lithium salts,organic solvents,water impurities,and operating conditions.Subsequently,strategies for electrolyte and protection layer employed to suppress corrosion are discussed in detail.Lastly and most importantly,we provide insights and recommendations to prevent corrosion of current collectors,facilitate the development of advanced current collectors and the implementation of next-generation high-voltage stable LIBs.

Pressure stimulated current in progressive failure process of combined coal-rock under uniaxial compression:Response and mechanism

Effective monitoring of the structural health of combined coal-rock under complex geological conditions by pressure stimulated currents(PSCs)has great potential for the understanding of dynamic disasters in underground engineering.To reveal the effect of this way,the uniaxial compression experiments with PSC monitoring were conducted on three types of coal-rock combination samples with different strength combinations.The mechanism explanation of PSCs are investigated by resistivity test,atomic force microscopy(AFM)and computed tomography(CT)methods,and a PSC flow model based on progressive failure process is proposed.The influence of strength combinations on PSCs in the progressive failure process are emphasized.The results show the PSC responses between rock part,coal part and the two components are different,which are affected by multi-scale fracture characteristics and electrical properties.As the rock strength decreases,the progressive failure process changes obviously with the influence range of interface constraint effect decreasing,resulting in the different responses of PSC strength and direction in different parts to fracture behaviors.The PSC flow model is initially validated by the relationship between the accumulated charges of different parts.The results are expected to provide a new reference and method for mining design and roadway quality assessment.