Spatial propagation in an epidemic model with nonlocal diffusion:The influences of initial data and dispersals

This paper studies an epidemic model with nonlocal dispersals.We focus on the influences of initial data and nonlocal dispersals on its spatial propagation.Here,initial data stand for the spatial concentrations of the infectious agent and the infectious human population when the epidemic breaks out and the nonlocal dispersals mean their diffusion strategies.Two types of initial data decaying to zero exponentially or faster are considered.For the first type,we show that spreading speeds are two constants whose signs change with the number of elements in some set.Moreover,we find an interesting phenomenon:the asymmetry of nonlocal dispersals can influence the propagating directions of the solutions and the stability of steady states.For the second type,we show that the spreading speed is decreasing with respect to the exponentially decaying rate of initial data,and further,its minimum value coincides with the spreading speed for the first type.In addition,we give some results about the nonexistence of traveling wave solutions and the monotone property of the solutions.Finally,some applications are presented to illustrate the theoretical results.

Northeastern Asia humidification at the end of the Miocene drives the boost of mammalian dispersals from the Old to New World

Mammals have high dispersal ability,and many lineages can spread across the continents when a landbridge appears.Here,we summarize the dispersal of mammals between the Old and New World at the end of the Miocene.Our analysis suggested that the three phases of dispersal represented the largest dispersal tide during the Neogene,and the direction of dispersal is dominated by being from the Old to New World.Judging from the components that crossed the dispersal corridor,the Arctic environment near the Beringia corridor in the first phase(~7.5 Ma)is a mixed environment,and in the second phase(~6.5 Ma)is an open environment,and in the third phase(~5.8 Ma and continue to the Pliocene)is a wooded(closed)environment.A clear trend of eastern Asian humidification driven by Asian monsoon and the global C4 grassland expansion explain this dispersal pattern.The boost of mammalian dispersals is controlled by the heterogeneity of environmental changes in different continents.

The Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot for ferns:Updated phylogeny,hidden diversity,and biogeography of the java fern genus Leptochilus(Polypodiaceae)

The Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot is renowned for its rich biodiversity,including that of vascular plants.However,the fern diversity and its endemism in this hotspot have not been well understood and so far,the diversity of very few groups of ferns in this region has been explored using combined molecular and morphological approaches.Here,we updated the plastid phylogeny of the Java fern genus Leptochilus with 226(115%increase of the latest sampling)samples across the distribution range,specifically those of three phylogenetically significant species,Leptochilus ovatus,L.pedunculatus,and L.pothifolius.We also reconstructed the first nuclear phylogeny of the genus based on pgiC gene data.Based on molecular and morphological evidence,we identified three new major clades and six new subclades,redefined three existing species,discovered a number of cryptic species of the genus,and elucidated the evolution of the three most variable characters.Our divergence time analyses and ancestral area reconstruction showed that Leptochilus originated in the Oligocene and diversified from early Miocene and 15 dispersal events from lower to higher latitudes are identified.The evolution of three most important morphological characters is analyzed in a context of the new phylogeny.Our analysis showed that 30(59%of total 51)species of Leptochilus occur in Indo-Burma hotspot,24(80%of the 30 species)of which are endemic to this hotspot.We argue that the Indo-Burma hotspot should be recognized as a diversity hotspot for ferns.

Strong synergy between physical and chemical properties:Insight into optimization of atomically dispersed oxygen reduction catalysts

Atomically dispersed catalysts exhibit significant influence on facilitating the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)kinetics with high atom economy,owing to remarkable attributes including nearly 100%atomic utilization and exceptional catalytic functionality.Furthermore,accurately controlling atomic physical properties including spin,charge,orbital,and lattice degrees of atomically dispersed catalysts can realize the optimized chemical properties including maximum atom utilization efficiency,homogenous active centers,and satisfactory catalytic performance,but remains elusive.Here,through physical and chemical insight,we review and systematically summarize the strategies to optimize atomically dispersed ORR catalysts including adjusting the atomic coordination environment,adjacent electronic orbital and site density,and the choice of dual-atom sites.Then the emphasis is on the fundamental understanding of the correlation between the physical property and the catalytic behavior for atomically dispersed catalysts.Finally,an overview of the existing challenges and prospects to illustrate the current obstacles and potential opportunities for the advancement of atomically dispersed catalysts in the realm of electrocatalytic reactions is offered.

Alkyl dimethyl betaine activates the low-temperature collection capacity of sodium oleate for scheelite

The impact of alkyl dimethyl betaine (ADB) on the collection capacity of sodium oleate (NaOl) at low temperatures was evaluated using flotation tests at various scales. The low-temperature synergistic mechanism of ADB and NaOl was explored by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface tension measurement, foam performance test, and flotation reagent size measurement.The flotation tests revealed that the collector mixed with octadecyl dimethyl betaine (ODB) and NaOl in a mass ratio of 4:96 exhibited the highest collection capacity. The combined collector could increase the scheelite recovery by 3.48% at low temperatures of 8–12℃. This is particularly relevant in the Luanchuan area, which has the largest scheelite concentrate output in China. The results confirmed that ODB enhanced the collection capability of NaOl by improving the dispersion and foaming performance. Betaine can be introduced as an additive to NaOl to improve the recovery of scheelite at low temperatures.

Oxygen‑Coordinated Single Mn Sites for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction has attracted increasing attention due to its goal of low carbon emission and environmental protection.Here,we report an efficient NitRR catalyst composed of single Mn sites with atomically dispersed oxygen(O)coordination on bacterial cellulose-converted graphitic carbon(Mn-O-C).Evidence of the atomically dispersed Mn-(O-C_(2))_(4)moieties embedding in the exposed basal plane of carbon surface is confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.As a result,the as-synthesized Mn-O-C catalyst exhibits superior NitRR activity with an NH_(3)yield rate(RNH_(3))of 1476.9±62.6μg h^(−1)cm^(−2)at−0.7 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode,RHE)and a faradaic efficiency(FE)of 89.0±3.8%at−0.5 V(vs.RHE)under ambient conditions.Further,when evaluated with a practical flow cell,Mn-O-C shows a high RNH_(3)of 3706.7±552.0μg h^(−1)cm^(−2)at a current density of 100 mA cm−2,2.5 times of that in the H cell.The in situ FT-IR and Raman spectroscopic studies combined with theoretical calculations indicate that the Mn-(O-C_(2))_(4)sites not only effectively inhibit the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction,but also greatly promote the adsorption and activation of nitrate(NO_(3)^(−)),thus boosting both the FE and selectivity of NH_(3)over Mn-(O-C_(2))_(4)sites.

Tunable dispersion relations manipulated by strain in skyrmion-based magnonic crystals

We theoretically investigate the propagation characteristics of spin waves in skyrmion-based magnonic crystals. It is found that the dispersion relation can be manipulated by strains through magneto-elastic coupling. Especially, the allowed bands and forbidden bands in dispersion relations shift to higher frequency with strain changing from compressive to tensile,while shifting to lower frequency with strain changing from tensile to compressive. We also confirm that the spin wave with specific frequency can pass the magnonic crystal or be blocked by tuning the strains. The result provides an advanced platform for studying the tunable skyrmion-based spin wave devices.

Pipeline thickness estimation using the dispersion of higher-order SH guided waves

Thickness measurement plays an important role in the monitoring of pipeline corrosion damage. However, the requirement for prior knowledge of the shear wave velocity in the pipeline material for popular ultrasonic thickness measurement limits its widespread application. This paper proposes a method that utilizes cylindrical shear horizontal(SH) guided waves to estimate pipeline thickness without prior knowledge of shear wave velocity. The inversion formulas are derived from the dispersion of higher-order modes with the high-frequency approximation. The waveform of the example problems is simulated using the real-axis integral method. The data points on the dispersion curves are processed in the frequency domain using the wave-number method. These extracted data are then substituted into the derived formulas. The results verify that employing higher-order SH guided waves for the evaluation of thickness and shear wave velocity yields less than1% error. This method can be applied to both metallic and non-metallic pipelines, thus opening new possibilities for health monitoring of pipeline structures.

Universal architecture and defect engineering dual strategy for hierarchical antimony phosphate composite toward fast and durable sodium storage

Antimony(Sb)-ba sed anode materials are feasible candidates for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) due to their high theoretical specific capacity and excellent electrical conductivity.However,they still suffer from volume distortion,structural collapse,and ionic conduction interruption upon cycling.Herein,a hierarchical array-like nanofiber structure was designed to address these limitations by combining architecture engineering and anion tuning strategy,in which SbPO_(4-x) with oxygen vacancy nanosheet arrays are anchored on the surface of interwoven carbon nanofibers(SbPO_(4-x)@CNFs).In particular,bulky PO_(4)^(3-) anions mitigate the large volume distortion and generate Na_(3)PO_(4) with high ionic conductivity,collectively improving cyclic stability and ionic transport efficiency.The abundant oxygen vacancies substantially boost the intrinsic electronic conductivity of SbPO_4,further accelerating the reaction dynamics.In addition,hierarchical fibrous structures provide abundant active sites,construct efficient conducting networks,and enhance the electron/ion transport capacity.Benefiting from the advanced structural design,the SbPO_(4-x)@CNFs electrodes exhibit outstanding cycling stability(1000 cycles at 1.0 A g^(-1) with capacity decay of 0.05% per cycle) and rapid sodium storage performance(293.8 mA h g^(-1) at 5.0 A g^(-1)).Importantly,systematic in-/ex-situ techniques have revealed the "multi-step conversion-alloying" reaction process and the "battery-capacitor dual-mode" sodium-storage mechanism.This work provides valuable insights into the design of anode materials for advanced SIBs with elevated stability and superior rate performance.

Saturation Estimation with Complex Electrical Conductivity for Hydrate-Bearing Clayey Sediments:An Experimental Study

Clays have considerable influence on the electrical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments.It is desirable to understand the electrical properties of hydrate-bearing clayey sediments and to build hydrate saturation(S_(h))models for reservoir evaluation and monitoring.The electrical properties of tetrahydrofuran-hydrate-bearing sediments with montmorillonite are characterized by complex conductivity at frequencies from 0.01 Hz to 1 kHz.The effects of clay and Sh on the complex conductivity were analyzed.A decrease and increase in electrical conductance result from the clay-swelling-induced blockage and ion migration in the electrical double layer(EDL),respectively.The quadrature conductivity increases with the clay content up to 10%because of the increased surface site density of counterions in EDL.Both the in-phase conductivity and quadrature conductivity decrease consistently with increasing Sh from 0.50 to 0.90.Three sets of models for Sh evaluation were developed.The model based on the Simandoux equation outperforms Archie’s formula,with a root-mean-square error(E_(RMS))of 1.8%and 3.9%,respectively,highlighting the clay effects on the in-phase conductivity.The fre-quency effect correlations based on in-phase and quadrature conductivities exhibit inferior performance(E_(RMS)=11.6%and 13.2%,re-spectively)due to the challenge of choosing an appropriate pair of frequencies and intrinsic uncertainties from two measurements.The second-order Cole-Cole formula can be used to fit the complex-conductivity spectra.One pair of inverted Cole-Cole parameters,i.e.,characteristic time and chargeability,is employed to predict S_(h) with an E_(RMS) of 5.05%and 9.05%,respectively.

Mass-spring model for elastic wave propagation in multilayered van der Waals metamaterials

Multilayered van der Waals(vdW)materials have attracted increasing interest because of the manipulability of their superior optical,electrical,thermal,and mechanical properties.A mass-spring model(MSM)for elastic wave propagation in multilayered vdW metamaterials is reported in this paper.Molecular dynamics(MD)simulations are adopted to simulate the propagation of elastic waves in multilayered vdW metamaterials.The results show that the graphene/MoS_(2)metamaterials have an elastic wave bandgap in the terahertz range.The MSM for the multilayered vdW metamaterials is proposed,and the numerical simulation results show that this model can well describe the dispersion and transmission characteristics of the multilayered vdW metamaterials.The MSM can predict elastic wave transmission characteristics in multilayered vdW metamaterials stacked with different two-dimensional(2D)materials.The results presented in this paper offer theoretical help for the vibration reduction of multilayered vdW semiconductors.

Patterns and drivers of avian taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity in China vary across geographical backgrounds and dispersal abilities

Geographical background and dispersal ability may strongly influence assemblage dissimilarity;however,these aspects have generally been overlooked in previous large-scale beta diversity studies.Here,we examined whether the patterns and drivers of taxonomic beta diversity(TBD)and phylogenetic beta diversity(PBD)of breeding birds in China vary across(1)regions on both sides of the Hu Line,which demarcates China’s topographical,climatic,economic,and social patterns,and(2)species with different dispersal ability.TBD and PBD were calculated and partitioned into turnover and nestedness components using a moving window approach.Variables representing climate,habitat heterogeneity,and habitat quality were employed to evaluate the effects of environmental filtering.Spatial distance was considered to assess the impact of dispersal limitation.Variance partitioning analysis was applied to assess the relative roles of these variables.In general,the values of TBD and PBD were high in mountainous areas and were largely determined by environmental filtering.However,different dominant environmental filters on either side of the Hu Line led to divergent beta diversity patterns.Specifically,climate-driven species turnover and habitat heterogeneity-related species nestedness dominated the regions east and west of the line,respectively.Additionally,bird species with stronger dispersal ability were more susceptible to environmental filtering,resulting in more homogeneous assemblages.Our results indicated that regions with distinctive geographical backgrounds may present different ecological factors that lead to divergent assemblage dissimilarity patterns,and dispersal ability determines the response of assemblages to these ecological factors.Identifying a single universal explanation for the observed pattern without considering these aspects may lead to simplistic or incomplete conclusions.Consequently,a comprehensive understanding of large-scale beta diversity patterns and effective planning of conservation strategies necessitate the consideration of both geographical background and species dispersal ability.

A simple atomization approach enables monolayer dispersion of nano graphenes in cementitious composites with excellent strength gains

Carbon nano additives(CNAs)are critical to achieving the unique properties of functionalized composites,however,controlling the dispersion of CNAs in material matrix is always a challenging task.In this study,a simple atomization approach was successfully developed to promote the dispersion efficiency of graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)in cement composites.This atomization approach can be integrated with the direct,indirect and combined ultrasonic stirrings in a homemade automatic stirring-atomization device.Mechanical and microstructure tests were performed on hardened cement pastes blended with GNPs in different stirring and mixing approaches.Results show that the direct ultrasonic stirrings enabled more homogeneous dispersions of GNP particles with a smaller size for a longer duration.The atomized droplets with the mean size of~100μm largely mitigated GNPs’agglomerations.Monolayer GNPs were observed in the cement matrix with the strength gain by up to 54%,and the total porosity decrease by 21%in 0.3 wt%GNPs dosage.The greatly enhanced dispersion efficiency of GNPs in cement also raised the cement hydration.This work provides an effective and manpower saving technique toward dispersing CNAs in engineering materials with great industrialization prospects.

Phylogenomics,reticulation,and biogeographical history of Elaeagnaceae

The angiosperm family Elaeagnaceae comprises three genera and ca.100 species distributed mainly in Eurasia and North America.Little family-wide phylogenetic and biogeographic research on Elaeagnaceae has been conducted,limiting the application and preservation of natural genetic resources.Here,we reconstructed a strongly supported phylogenetic framework of Elaeagnaceae to better understand interand intrageneric relationships,as well as the origin and biogeographical history of the family.For this purpose,we used both nuclear and plastid sequences from Hyb-Seq and genome skimming approaches to reconstruct a well-supported phylogeny and,along with current distributional data,infer historical biogeographical processes.Our phylogenetic analyses of both nuclear and plastid data strongly support the monophyly of Elaeagnaceae and each of the three genera.Elaeagnus was resolved as sister to the well-supported clade of Hippophae and Shepherdia.The intrageneric relationships of Elaeagnus and Hippophae were also well resolved.High levels of nuclear gene tree conflict and cytonuclear discordance were detected within Elaeagnus,and our analyses suggest putative ancient and recent hybridization.We inferred that Elaeagnaceae originated at ca.90.48 Ma(95%CI?89.91e91.05 Ma),and long-distance dispersal likely played a major role in shaping its intercontinentally disjunct distribution.This work presents the most comprehensive phylogenetic framework for Elaeagnaceae to date,offers new insights into previously unresolved relationships in Elaeagnus,and provides a foundation for further studies on classification,evolution,biogeography,and conservation of Elaeagnaceae.

Real-time data processing method for CO_(2) dispersion interferometer on EAST

A real-time data processing system is designed for the carbon dioxide dispersion interferometer(CO_(2)-DI)on EAST.The system utilizes the parallel and pipelining capabilities of an fieldprogrammable gate array(FPGA)to digitize and process the intensity of signals from the detector.Finally,the real-time electron density signals are exported through a digital-to-analog converter(DAC)module in the form of analog signals.The system has been successfully applied in the CO_(2)-DI system to provide low-latency electron density input to the plasma control system on EAST.Experimental results of the latest campaign with long-pulse discharges on EAST(2022–2023)demonstrate that the system can respond effectively in the case of rapid density changes,proving its reliability and accuracy for future electron density calculation.

THE PERSISTENCE OF SOLUTIONS IN A NONLOCAL PREDATOR-PREY SYSTEM WITH A SHIFTING HABITAT

In this paper,we mainly study the propagation properties of a nonlocal dispersal predator-prey system in a shifting environment.It is known that Choi et al.[J Differ Equ,2021,302:807-853]studied the persistence or extinction of the prey and of the predator separately in various moving frames.In particular,they achieved a complete picture in the local diffusion case.However,the question of the persistence of the prey and of the predator in some intermediate moving frames in the nonlocal diffusion case was left open in Choi et al.'s paper.By using some a prior estimates,the Arzelà-Ascoli theorem and a diagonal extraction process,we can extend and improve the main results of Choi et al.to achieve a complete picture in the nonlocal diffusion case.

Parkland trees on smallholder farms ameliorate soil physical-chemical properties in the semi-arid area of Tigray,Ethiopia

Proposed agroforestry options should begin with the species that farmers are most familiar with,which would be the native multipurpose trees that have evolved under smallholder farms and socioeconomic conditions.The African birch(Anogeissus leiocarpa(DC.)Guill.&Perr.)and pink jacaranda(Stereospermum kunthianum Cham.)trees are the dominant species in the agroforestry parkland system in the drylands of Tigray,Ethiopia.Smallholder farmers highly value these trees for their multifunctional uses including timber,firewood,charcoal,medicine,etc.These trees also could improve soil fertility.However,the amount of soil physical and chemical properties enhanced by the two species must be determined to maintain the sustainable conservation of the species in the parklands and to scale up to similar agroecological systems.Hence,we selected twelve isolated trees,six from each species that had similar dendrometric characteristics and were growing in similar environmental conditions.We divided the canopy cover of each tree into three radial distances:mid-canopy,canopy edge,and canopy gap(control).At each distance,we took soil samples from three different depths.We collected 216 soil samples(half disturbed and the other half undisturbed)from each canopy position and soil depth.Bulk density(BD),soil moisture content(SMC),soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),p H,electrical conductivity(EC),and cation exchange capacity(CEC)were analysed.Results revealed that soil physical and chemical properties significantly improved except for soil texture and EC under both species,CEC under A.leiocarpus,and soil p H under S.kunthianum,all the studied soils were improved under both species canopy as compared with canopy gap.SMC,TN,AP,and AK under canopy of these trees were respectively 24.1%,11.1%,55.0%,and 9.3% higher than those soils under control.The two parkland agroforestry species significantly enhanced soil fertility near the canopy of topsoil through improving soil physical and chemical properties.These two species were recommended in the drylands with similar agro-ecological systems.

Overview of computation strategies on the dispersion analysis for explicit finite difference solution of acoustic wave equation

Finite-difference(FD)method is the most extensively employed numerical modeling technique.Nevertheless,when using the FD method to simulate the seismic wave propagation,the large spatial or temporal sampling interval can lead to dispersion errors and numerical instability.In the FD scheme,the key factor in determining both dispersion errors and stability is the selection of the FD weights.Thus,How to obtain appropriate FD weights to guarantee a stable numerical modeling process with minimum dispersion error is critical.The FD weights computation strategies can be classified into three types based on different computational ideologies,window function strategy,optimization strategy,and Taylor expansion strategy.In this paper,we provide a comprehensive overview of these three strategies by presenting their fundamental theories.We conduct a set of comparative analyses of their strengths and weaknesses through various analysis tests and numerical modelings.According to these comparisons,we provide two potential research directions of this field:Firstly,the development of a computational strategy for FD weights that enhances stability;Secondly,obtaining FD weights that exhibit a wide bandwidth while minimizing dispersion errors.

Discussion on“Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles”[J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 15(2023)3050-3058]

We read with great interest the recent article by Erenson(2023)entitled“Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles”.The author has studied the dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing different percentages of waste rubber particles(WRPs)by performing several tests(viz.consistency limit,linear shrinkage limit,double hydrometer,crumb test and pinhole test)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis on five clayey(viz.Na-activated bentonite,refined ball clay,Ukrainian kaolin,Avanos kaolin and Afyon clay)samples containing 0%,5%,10%and 15%WRPs.It should be noted that Erenson(2023)has presented some interesting observations,but there are some serious issues that we want to share through this discussion and request the author of the original paper to address them to avoid their persistence in the scientific literature.

CFD-PBM coupled modeling of the liquid-liquid dispersion characteristics and structure optimization for Kenics static mixer

Kenics static mixers(KSM)are extensively used in industrial mixing-reaction processes by virtue of high mixing efficiency,low power homogenization and easy continuous production.Resolving liquid droplet size and its distribution and thus revealing the dispersion characteristics are of great significance for structural optimization and process intensification in the KSM.In this work,a computational fluid dynamics-population balance model(CFD-PBM)coupled method is employed to systematically investigate the effects of operating conditions and structural parameters of KSM on droplet size and its distribution,to further reveal the liquid-liquid dispersion characteristics.Results indicate that higher Reynolds numbers or higher dispersed phase volume fractions increase energy dissipation,reducing Sauter mean diameter(SMD)of dispersed phase droplets and with a shift in droplet size distribution(DSD)towards smaller size.Smaller aspect ratios,greater blade twist and assembly angles amplify shear rate,leading to smaller droplet size and a narrower DSD in the smaller range.The degree of impact exerted by the aspect ratio is notably greater.Notably,mixing elements with different spin enhance shear and stretching efficiency.Compared to the same spin,SMD becomes 3.7-5.8 times smaller in the smaller size range with a significantly narrower distribution.Taking into account the pressure drop and efficiency in a comprehensive manner,optimized structural parameters for the mixing element encompass an aspect ratio of 1-1.5,a blade twist angle of 180°,an assembly angle of 90°,and interlaced assembly of adjacent elements with different spin.This work provides vital theoretical underpinning and future reference for enhancing KSM performance.