Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has been widely used as a microstructure characterization technology. In this work, a fully connected dense forward network is applied to inversely retrieve the mean particle size and particle distribution from SAXS data of samples dynamically compressed with high-power lasers and probed with X-ray free electron lasers. The trained network allows automatic acquisition of microstructure information, performing well in predictions on single-species nanoparticles on the theoretical model and in situ experimental data. We evaluate our network by comparing it with other methods, revealing its reliability and efficiency in dynamic experiments, which is of great value for in situ characterization of materials under high-power laser-driven dynamic compression.

A large body of research demonstrates positive impacts of the Coping Power Program as a preventive intervention for youth behavioral outcomes, but potential collateral effects for caregivers is less known. The current study examined whether the youth-focused Coping Power Program can have a secondary impact on caregiver self-reported symptoms of depression and in turn result in longer-term impacts on child disruptive behavior problems including aggression, conduct problems and hyperactivity. Data from 360 youth/caregiver pairs across 8 waves of data (grades 4 through 10) were analyzed. We used two methodological approaches to (a) assess indirect effects in the presence of potential bidirectionality using timepoint-to-timepoint dynamic effects under Autoregressive Latent Trajectory modeling and (b) estimate scale scores in the presence of measurement non-invariance. Results showed that individually delivered Coping Power (ICP) produced greater direct effects on conduct problems and indirect effects on general externalizing and hyperactivity (through reductions in caregiver self-reported symptoms of depression), compared to group Coping Power (GCP). In comparison to GCP, ICP produced similar direct effects on reductions in caregiver depression. Child-focused prevention interventions can have an indirect impact on caregiver depression, which later shows improvements in longer-term reductions for child disruptive problems.

As the scale of cosmological surveys increases, so does the complexity in the analyses. This complexity can often make it difficult to derive the underlying principles, necessitating statistically rigorous testing to ensure the results of an analysis are consistent and reasonable. This is particularly important in multi-probe cosmological analyses like those used in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time, where accurate uncertainties are vital. In this paper, we present a statistically rigorous method to test the consistency of contours produced in these analyses and apply this method to the Pippin cosmological pipeline used for type Ia supernova cosmology with the DES. We make use of the Neyman construction, a frequentist methodology that leverages extensive simulations to calculate confidence intervals, to perform this consistency check. A true Neyman construction is too computationally expensive for supernova cosmology, so we develop a method for approximating a Neyman construction with far fewer simulations. We find that for a simulated dataset, the 68% contour reported by the Pippin pipeline and the 68% confidence region produced by our approximate Neyman construction differ by less than a percent near the input cosmology; however, they show more significant differences far from the input cosmology, with a maximal difference of 0.05 in $\Omega_{M}$ and 0.07 in w. This divergence is most impactful for analyses of cosmological tensions, but its impact is mitigated when combining supernovae with other cross-cutting cosmological probes, such as the cosmic microwave background.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing different amounts of daidzein in a diet on the growth performance, blood biochemical parameters and meat quality of finishing beef cattle. Thirty finishing Xianan steers were distributed in three groups equilibrated by weight and fed three different dietary treatments (concentrate ratio = 80%): (1) control; (2) 500 mg/kg daidzein and (3) 1000 mg/kg daidzein, respectively. Steers were slaughtered after an 80-day feeding trial. Results showed that daidzein supplementation had no effect on the final body weight, average daily gain and feed conversion rate of steers. Steers fed with 1000 mg/kg daidzein had greater dry matter intake than those fed with control diets. Compared with the control group, the 1000 mg/kg daidzein group had a higher fat thickness, lower shear force and lightness. The pH, drip loss, cooking loss, redness (a*), yellowness (b*), moisture, ash, crude protein and intramuscular fat of the Longissimus dorsi muscle were unaffected by daidzein supplementation. Compared with the control group, the 1000 mg/kg daidzein group significantly increased the serum concentrations of insulin, free fatty acid and Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase. The 500 mg/kg daidzein group significantly increased the serum concentration of tetraiodothyronine compared with the control group. Supplemental daidzein did not affect the blood antioxidant ability and blood immune parameters in serum. In conclusion, daidzein supplementation above 500 mg/day modifies feed intake and metabolic and hormonal profile, with positive and negative effects on meat quality.

The goal of the present study was to improve the CERES-wheat model simulation of grain protein concentration (GPC) for winter durum wheat and to use the model as a basis for the development of a GPC Simplified Forecasting Index (SFIpro). The performances of CERES-wheat, which is one of the most widespread crop simulation models, with (i) its standard GPC routine and (ii) a novel equation developed to improve the model GPC simulation for durum wheat, were assessed through comparison with field data. Subsequently, CERES-wheat was run for a 56-year period in order to identify the most important status and forcing variables affecting GPC simulation. The number of dry days during the early growth stages and the leaf area index (LAI; green leaf area per unit ground surface area) at heading stage (LAI5) were identified as the main variables positively correlated with CERES-wheat predicted GPC, and so included in the SFIpro. At validation against observed data SFIpro was found to perform differently on the basis of observed plant LAI. In fact, SFIpro was able to forecast GPC variability for intermediate values of LAI5 ranging from 1 to 2, while it totally failed when LAI5 was outside this range (LAI5 < 1 or LAI5 > 2). The results suggest that the relationship between LAI and GPC is not linear and that the model assumptions for GPC simulation in CERES-wheat are only partially confirmed, being valid for an intermediate range of LAI.

As the energy spread of intense pulsed electron beams (IPEB) strongly influences the irradiation effects, it has been of great importance to characterize the IPEB energy spectrum. With the combination of Child–Langmuir law and Monte Carlo simulation, the IPEB energy spectrum has been obtained in this work by transformation from the accelerating voltage applied to the diode. To verify the accuracy of this simple algorithm, a magnetic spectrometer with an imaging plate was designed to test the IPEB energy spectrum. The measurement was completed with IPEB generated by explosive emission electron diode, the pulse duration, maximum electron energy, total beam current being 80 ns, 450 keV, and 1 kA, respectively. The results verified the reliability of the above analysis method for energy spectrum, which can avoid intercepting the beam, and at the same time significantly improved the energy resolution. Some calculation and experimental details are discussed in this paper.

In this presentation, we first introduced the definition and classification of rotating sunspots. Using multi-wavelength data, we investigated the evolution of some rotating sunspots and the response of upper atmosphere relevant to the rotating sunspots. Moreover, the distribution of rotating sunspots in solar cycle 23 and the statistics of flares relevant to rotating sunspots are also presented.

The mechanism of continental growth of the Altaids is currently under debate between models invoking continuous subduction-accretion or punctuated accretion by closure of multiple ocean basins. We use the Yueyashan–Xichangjing ophiolite belt of the Beishan collage (southern Altaids) to constrain the earliest oceanic crust in the southern Palaeo-Asian Ocean. Five lithotectonic units were identified from S to N: the Huaniushan block, a sedimentary passive margin, the structurally incoherent Yueyashan–Xichangjing ophiolite complex, a coherent sedimentary package and the Mazongshan island arc with granitic rocks. We present a structural analysis of the accretionary complex, which is composed of the incoherent ophiolitic melange and coherent sedimentary rocks, to work out the tectonic polarity. A new weighted mean 206Pb–238U age of 533 ± 1.7 Ma from a plagiogranite in the Yueyashan–Xichangjing ophiolite indicates that the ocean floor formed in early Cambrian time. Furthermore, we present new geochemical data to constrain the tectonic setting of the Yueyashan–Xichangjing ophiolite. The Yueyashan–Xichangjing ophiolite was emplaced as a result of northward subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the Mazongshan island arc to the north in late Ordovician to early Silurian time. Together with data from the literature, our work demonstrates that multiple overlapping periods of accretion existed in the Palaeozoic in the northern and southern Altaids. Therefore, a model of multiple accretion by closure of several ocean basins is most viable.

In this study we use numerical N-body/SPH simulations to investigate the vertical stellardistribution of thick disks formed in minor mergers. These disks have a sech-shapevertical surface density profile which needs two sech functions with different scaleheights to fit due to an additional stellar excesses at large heights(z ≳ 4 − 5 kpc). The scale heights of merger-induced thick disks increasewith radius but the details of this thickening are sensitive to orbital configurations andgas fraction of the galaxies. The scale height of the stellar excess is constant withradius and largely independent of the initial conditions. The effects of minor mergers iscumulative in the sense that several minor mergers have the same impact of a single minormerger of the same total mass. Scattering by self-gravitating masses (clumps) in unstablegaseous disks can produce thick disks with constant scale height, however, there is not astellar excess at large scale heights. Most of these results are found to be in goodagreement with observations and thus we conclude that minor mergers remains a viablemechanism for the creation of galactic thick disks.

For the trajectory following problem of a robot manipulator, a robust estimation and control scheme which requires only position measurements is proposed to guarantee uniform ultimate bounded stability under significant uncertainties and disturbances in the robot dynamics. The scheme combines a class of robust control laws with a robust estimator where the robust control law can be chosen to be either a modification of the standard computed torque control law or simply a linear and decentralized “PD” control law. The proposed robust estimator is also linear and decentralized for easy implementation. Constructive choices of the gains in the control law and estimator are proposed which depend only on the coefficients of a polynomial bounding function of the unknown dynamics. The asymptotic stability of the tracking errors and the estimation error is also investigated. Experimentation results verify the theoretical analysis.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with macroscopically ordered structures (e.g., aligned or patterned mats, fibers, and sheets) and associated large surface areas have proven promising as new CNT electroactive polymer materials (CNT-EAPs) for the development of advanced chemical and biological sensors. The functionalization of CNTs with many biological species to gain specific surface characteristics and to facilitate electron transfer to and from them for chemical- and bio-sensing applications is an area of intense research activity.

Mechanical actuation generated by CNT-EAPs is another exciting electroactive function provided by these versatile materials. Controlled mechanical deformation for actuation has been demonstrated in CNT mats, fibers, sheets, and individual nanotubes. This article summarizes the current status and technological challenges for the development of electrochemical sensors and electromechanical actuators based on carbon nanotube electroactive materials.

Benthic macroinvertebrates collected at seven different streams displaying different pollution levels were used to investigatespecies abundance patterns in polluted streams. Community response to disturbances in streams was analysed using speciesabundance distribution (SAD) for benthic macroinvertebrates across different levels of pollution. The slopes of rank abundancewere characteristically steeper with decreasing species richness at the polluted sample sites, while the slopes were less steep withhigher species richness at the clean or slightly disturbed sample sites. The SADs were broadly fitted to the log normaldistribution in benthic macroinvertebrate communities across different levels of pollution. A geometric series was partly acceptedfor the communities at the severely polluted sites where new species could not be readily introduced. A power law was applied tothe SADs, and the parameters reflected the states pertaining to the sample sites. The SADs were also efficient in revealingecological state of communities where physico-chemical indicators could not be easily differentiated for stressful conditions instreams.

We report on the nonlinear optical properties of cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor colloidal quantum dots. Transmission electron microscopy measurements revealed that the size of CdTe nanocrystal quantum dots, dependent on the growth reaction time, was ∼2-10 nm or near the exciton Bohr radius. The strong blue-shifts of the CdTe, CdSe and CdS nanocrystal absorption spectra and the atomic-like discrete energy states of exciton indicate an exciton quantum confinement. These are completely different optical properties from the bulk crystals. The energy transition for exciton absorption was assigned as h1→e+, h2→e+, h1+→e-, and h2+→e- for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th exciton absorption peaks. Z-scan and I-scan nonlinear spectroscopy revealed that the CdTe nanocrystal quantum dot in toluene (∼8 × 10-5 mol/L) has the negative nonlinearity (self-defocusing) with ∼ -1 × 10-13 m2/W and a high nonlinear figure of merit of ∼200. For the optical power self-limiting experiment, the CdTe nanocrystal was almost opaque above ∼0.8 MW/cm2 at the position of z∼6.9 cm.

Melt-quenched AsxGexSe1–2x glasses over the composition range, 0 < x < 0.26, are examined in Raman scattering, T-modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC), and 119Sn Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements. The non-reversing enthalpy near Tg, ΔHnr(x), accessed from MDSC shows a global minimum (∼ 0) in the xc(1) = 0.09 < x < xc(2) = 0.16 range, and increases by an order of magnitude both at x < xc(1) and at x > xc(2). Raman mode frequency of corner-sharing Ge(Se1/2)4 tetrahedra studied as a function of x, also shows three distinct regimes (or power-laws, p) that coincide with ΔHnr(x) trends. These regimes are identified with mechanically floppy (x < xc(1)), intermediate (xc(1) < x < xc(2)), and stressed-rigid (x > xc(2)) phases. The Raman elasticity power-law in the intermediate phase, p1 = 1.04(3), and in the stressed rigid phase, p2= 1.52(5), suggest effective dimensionalities of d = 2 and 3 respectively.