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State-of-the art on preparation, performance, and ecological applications of planting concrete
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No data was used for the research described in the article.Planting concrete (PC) is a type of sustainable concrete. It remains challenging to prepare and design a PC by considering complex factors such as voidage and alkalinity. In this paper, preparation and mix design methods of PC are reviewed and compared, with particular emphasis on the influence of various factors on permeability, mechanical properties, durability, and plant compatibility. Alkali reduction measures, vegetation testing, and plant compatibility cannot be ignored in the design of PC. 25∼30% voidage and 8–10 pH can ensure the durability of vegetation concrete, physiological characteristics of plants and fertilizer retention performance. In addition, the paper summarizes the application of PC in water purification, slope protection and green roof establishment. The cost and applicable conditions of different slope protection methods are further compared and analyzed. Finally, several essential areas that require further research efforts are suggested based on the current research results, including research direction and challenges of PC.This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFE0121700), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52378270, 52078460, and 52279142), the Zhejiang Provincial “Jianbing” and “Lingyan” R&D Programs (2024C04053)，and the Zhejiang Province Public Welfare Technology Application Research Project (China-Singapore International Cooperation Project, LGJ22E080002). Authors would like to acknowledge the China Scholarship Council. This project was also supported by Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Renewable Energy Infrastructure Construction Technology
Evaluation of a Horticultural Therapy Program for Care Home Residents with Mental Illness
Get PDFHorticulture has long been used as a leisure or social activity in care homes, but there were few evaluation
studies of Horticultural Therapy (HT) for care homes residents with mental illness. This study examined the process and outcomes of a standardized horticultural therapy program for care home residents with severe
mental illness. Fifty participants were randomly assigned to an 8-session HT group and a comparison group (n = 25 for each group). The process and outcomes of the program, including stress and anxiety, mental well-being, and degree of engagement in meaningful activities were obtained through self-completed
questionnaires and observational ratings of participants during the group sessions. The results supported that
HT significantly promoted participants’ mental wellbeing, engagement, and sense of meaningfulness and
achievement. The evidence provides support on the effectiveness of HT for care home residents with long-term mental illnesses
SV2B/miR-34a/miR-128 axis as prognostic biomarker in glioblastoma multiforme
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The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available upon reasonable request. Researchers interested in accessing the data can contact the corresponding authors.Supplementary Information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-55917-6#Sec16 .Glioblastoma (GBM) is a heterogenous primary brain tumour that is characterised with unfavourable patient prognosis. The identification of biomarkers for managing brain malignancies is of utmost importance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs implicated in cancer development. This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of miRNAs and their gene targets in GBM. An in silico approach was employed to investigate the differentially expressed miRNAs in GBM. The most dysregulated miRNAs were identified and analysed via Sfold in association with their gene target. The candidate gene was studied via multi-omics approaches, followed by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The in silico analyses revealed that miR-128a and miR-34a were significantly downregulated within GBM. Both miRNAs displayed high binding affinity to the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2B (SV2B) 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR). SV2B exhibited upregulation within brain regions with high synaptic activity. Significantly higher SV2B levels were observed in high grade brain malignancies in comparison to their normal counterparts. SV2B expression was observed across the cytoplasm of GBM cells. Our findings underscored the downregulated expression patterns of miR-128a and miR-34a, alongside the upregulation of SV2B in GBM suggesting the importance of the SV2B/miR-34a/miR-128 axis as a potential prognostic approach in GBM management
Investigation on the modeling and simulation of hydrodynamics in asymmetric conduction laser micro-welding of austenitic stainless steel and its process optimization
Get PDFLaser micro-welding is a joining technology utilized across various high-value industries, like medical, automotive, e-mobility, and aerospace. A trial-and-error process to identify welding parameters does not necessarily lead to optimized quality levels. Furthermore, offline non-destructive examination methods often launched to verify welding quality may inadvertently trigger excessive costs and time delays, ultimately failing to guarantee defect-free welds. In response to these challenges, this article introduces an advanced multiscale model designed to unravel the intricate dynamics of hydrodynamics and the overarching physics within laser micro-welding melting pools. Developed using the COMSOL software package, the model adeptly demonstrates how surface tension gradients shape the geometry of welds, thus influencing their quality. This knowledge allows the mapping of welding defects. One of the novelties of the article is to introduce geometric dissimilar welding conditions by simulating an asymmetric edge joint. It shows a study on a new, unstudied way to laser weld with many applications in the field. The model further establishes its utility in design experiments to determine parameter, tolerance, and system design. Moreover, the insights garnered from understanding and controlling these drivers have far-reaching implications for the advancement of subsequent methodological research and the development of in-situ quality control practices by characterizing the welding defects. Finally, the results shows that the discouragingly high computational costs restrict its potential application to support a Digital Twin.The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors would like to thank Bronkhorst High Tech in Ruurlo, Netherlands, for partially financing the project
Exponential time trends in a fractional integration model
Get PDFJEL Classification: C22; C15.Data Availability Statement: Data are available from authors upon request.This paper introduces a new modelling approach that incorporates nonlinear, exponential deterministic terms into a fractional integration framework. The proposed model is based on a specific test on fractional integration that is more general than the standard methods, which allow for only linear trends.. Its limiting distribution is standard normal, and Monte Carlo simulations show that it performs well in finite samples. Three empirical examples confirm that the suggested specification captures the properties of the data adequately.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, throughout the grant MINEIC-AFE-FEDER PID2020-113691rb-100
Video kills the radio star: Copyright and the human versus artificial creativity war
Get PDFData Availability Statement: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.This article contributes to the dynamic debate surrounding the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law, offering a fresh perspective that builds upon interdisciplinary analyses. Focusing on the cognitive processes underpinning creativity in both human and AI contexts, the study draws a detailed parallel between Vincent Van Gogh's iconic “Starry Night” and its AI-generated counterpart generated through DeepDream technology. Central to the investigation is the application of psychological and neuroscientific theories to understand and compare the creative processes in humans and AI. Based on such exercise, the article first examines whether art generated with AI, devoid of human emotions and motivations yet capable of mimicking human creative cognitive processes, qualifies for copyright protection. The analysis suggests that the similarities between human and AI creativity, particularly in their cognitive structuring, could render the work “original” according to different jurisdictional standards and interpretation of copyright law. Second, the article investigates whether AI infringes copyright if protected material is used for its training and processing. This question becomes particularly relevant in light of recent legal actions against AI-artwork generators in California, which raise issues of potential infringement by AI using latent diffusion techniques on existing artworks. The discussion provides an original perspective that can advance the ongoing debate on the use of copyrighted material for AI training. The paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about AI and copyright by challenging the traditional human-centric view of authorship in copyright law. The article argues for a nuanced understanding that acknowledges the complex nature of creativity, transcending the binary division between human and artificial sources. This approach is critical in redefining legal frameworks, ensuring they are adaptive to the evolving landscape of AI capabilities. At the same time, the article addresses the implications of AI drawing inspiration from existing art, recognizing the need to balance different stakeholders' interests when drawing policy considerations. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a layered perspective that not only deepens the legal discourse but also respects and fosters the coexistence and mutual advancement of both human and artificial creativity in the digital age, in line with the purpose of copyright
Fishing plastic waste: Knowns and known unknowns
Get PDFData availability: No data was used for the research described in the article.Supplementary data are available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X24005071?via%3Dihub#s1210 .Plastics entering the marine environment primarily originate from land-based sources, prompting significant attention on single-use plastic packaging. However, fishing plastic waste also contributes substantially to marine plastic pollution, though it is often overlooked in the literature due to the challenges in pinpointing pollution sources. This study addresses this key knowledge gap by synthesizing existing literature to explore and document the knowns and known unknowns surrounding fishing plastic waste's environmental, health, and socio-economic impacts. Through the development of a causal loop diagram, the study offers a preliminary understanding of the issue, serving as a foundation for a deeper exploration of the complexities within the fishing industry's plastic waste dynamics. Finally, the study highlights that short-sighted views and approaches are likely to lead to systemic failures. Therefore, it advocates for strategic and meaningful measures to tackle marine plastic pollution, emphasizing the critical importance of a holistic and integrated understanding of the various plastic waste streams infiltrating and polluting our oceans.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Doctoral Training Partnership grant (NE/S007229/1)
Search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of pseudoscalars in the μμbb and ττbb final states
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This manuscript has associated data in a data repository. [Author’s comment: Release and preservation of data used by the CMS Collaboration as the basis for publications is guided by the CMS policy as stated in “https://cms-docdb.cern.ch/cgi-bin/PublicDocDB/RetrieveFile?docid=6032 &filename=CMSDataPolicyV1.2.pdf &version=2. CMS data preservation, re-use and open access policy.]A preprint version of the article is available at arXiv:2402.13358v2 [hep-ex], https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.13358v2 . Comments: Replaced with the published version. Added the journal reference and the DOI. All the figures and tables can be found at this http URL (CMS Public Pages). Report number: CMS-HIG-22-007, CERN-EP-2023-284.A search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson (H) with a mass of 125 GeV to a pair of light pseudoscalars a1 is performed in final states where one pseudoscalar decays to two b quarks and the other to a pair of muons or τ leptons. A data sample of proton–proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb^-1 recorded with the CMS detector is analyzed. No statistically significant excess is observed over the standard model backgrounds. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level (CL) on the Higgs boson branching fraction to μμbb and to ττbb, via a pair of a1s. The limits depend on the pseudoscalar mass ma1 and are observed to be in the range (0.17–3.3) × 10^-4 and (1.7–7.7) × 10^-2 in the μμbb and ττbb final states, respectively. In the framework of models with two Higgs doublets and a complex scalar singlet (2HDM+S), the results of the two final states are combined to determine upper limits on the branching fraction B(H→a1a1→ℓℓbb) at 95% CL, with ℓ being a muon or a τ lepton. For different types of 2HDM+S, upper bounds on the branching fraction B(H→a1a1) are extracted from the combination of the two channels. In most of the Type II 2HDM+S parameter space, B(H→a1a1) values above 0.23 are excluded at 95% CL for ma1 values between 15 and 60GeV.SCOAP3
Commissioned Book Review: Beth Rabinowitz, Defensive Nationalism – Explaining the Rise of Populism and Fascism in the 21st Century
Get PDFBased on: Defensive Nationalism – Explaining the Rise of Populism and Fascism in the 21st Century by Rabinowitz Beth. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023, 304 pp., £21.99, ISBN: 978-0197672044.This timely and insightful book investigates how defensive nationalism (or ‘populism’) came into being in the twentieth century and asks how this process rhymes with its recent resurgence. The general argument is that to understand the developments that facilitated the rise of populism in the United States and Europe in recent decades, it helps to look again at the same regions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, to identify the forces that facilitated an uprush of populism. Each era was preceded by a period of peace, at least between the Great Powers – that is, from 1815 to 1914 and from 1945 to 2020. This enabled a flourishing of international trade and technological innovation. Rabinowitz sees this as the main facilitator of the rise of ‘reactionary movements’ in both eras. To this end, the book centres on a comparison between the Second Industrial Revolution (1860–1910s) and the Digital Revolution (1960–2010s)
Optimal path planning in a real-world radioactive environment: A comparative study of A-star and Dijkstra algorithms
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Data will be made available on request.Navigating complex radioactive environments while minimizing radiation exposure to workers is a critical challenge faced by the nuclear industry. Although various shortest-path algorithms and radiation dose calculation techniques have been employed for optimal path finding, most existing models are based on simulations that do not accurately represent real-world environments. To address this limitation, this study presents a path-planning experiment conducted on a naturally radioactive slag dump, Slag Dump No. 48, also known as Black Mountain, in Zambia. The experiment utilizes the Radiation Detection Backpack System (RDBS) and Geolocation Application for Radiation Monitoring (GARM) in conjunction with the Dijkstra and A-star algorithms to search for an optimal walking path on the slag dump. The distances between neighboring nodes and heuristic values, derived from gamma dose rates, are experimentally obtained from the GARM software. This research contributes to the field by: (1) performing a real-world path planning experiment on a radioactive slag dump, (2) applying RDBS for measuring gamma radiation from a naturally radioactive slag, (3) investigating the combined use of RDBS, GARM, Dijkstra, and A-star algorithms for optimal pathfinding, (4) generating heuristic values and node distances experimentally for path planning in an actual radioactive environment, and (5) comparing the performance of state-of-the-art minimum dose walking path algorithms on dose rate-based and node distance-based weighted graphs. The results of this study and the proposed future work provide valuable insights for enhancing radiation protection and optimizing path planning in radioactive environments.Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. 3072022TS1501); the project of Institute of Computer Application, China Academy of Engineering Physics (NO. HT-2022-115); National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (Grant No. 12205065); the project of China Institute for Radiation Protection (NO. CIRP-CNNCRPTKLJJ003); Heilongjiang Natural Science Foundation (joint guidance) (NO. LH2021F002); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. 3072022JC0404)
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