Low Current Levels Research Articles

Past and future drought trends, duration, and frequency in the semi‐arid Urmia Lake Basin under a changing climate

AbstractAlthough the Urmia Lake has undergone remarkable drought conditions within the past decades mainly due to climate change, drought studies covering the entire Urmia Lake Basin and all drought aspects are lacking. The present study investigated the spatial and temporal drought conditions in the Urmia Lake Basin for the past (1988–2017) and future (2021–2050 and 2051–2080) periods using five general circulation models (GCMs) under the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scenarios RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index (SPEI) were compared. The SPEI predicted more drought events than the SPI, and it seemed to be a more suitable drought index than the SPI for the basin. In general, the future periods would encounter less drought conditions in terms of significant drought trends and duration than the observed period under all scenarios, but the frequency of quarterly severe drought events in the future periods would be higher than in the observed period. Furthermore, the stations Urmia (western bank) and Tabriz and Maragheh (eastern banks) would face the highest frequency of different types of quarterly drought events in the future periods compared with the observed period. The predicted high frequencies of drought events for the future periods can intensify the current low water level situation of the Urmia Lake, which seriously threatens all types of ecosystems in the basin. Therefore, serious actions need to be taken into account for efficient ecosystem and water resources management in the basin.

Intensive field sampling increases the known extent of carbon-rich Amazonian peatland pole forests

Peatland pole forest is the most carbon-dense ecosystem in Amazonia, but its spatial distribution and species composition are poorly known. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified variation in the floristic composition, peat thickness, and the amount of carbon stored above and below ground of 102 forest plots and 53 transects in northern Peruvian Amazonia. This large dataset includes 571 ground reference points of peat thickness measurements across six ecosystem types. These field data were also used to generate a new land-cover classification based on multiple satellite products using a random forest classification. Peatland pole forests are floristically distinctive and dominated by thin-stemmed woody species such as Pachira nitida (Malvaceae), Platycarpum loretense (Rubiaceae), and Hevea guianensis (Euphorbiaceae). In contrast, palm swamps and open peatlands are dominated by Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae). Peatland pole forests have high peat thickness (274 ± 22 cm, mean ± 95% CI, n = 184) similar to open peatlands (282 ± 46 cm, n = 46), but greater than palm swamps (161 ± 17 cm, n = 220) and seasonally-flooded forest, terra firme, and white-sand forest where peat is rare or absent. As a result, peatland pole forest has exceptional carbon density (1,133 ± 93 Mg C ha−1). The new sites expand the known distribution of peatland pole forest by 61% within the Pastaza-Marañón Foreland basin, mainly alongside the Tigre river, to cover a total of 7540 km2 in northern Peruvian Amazonia. However, only 15% of the pole forest area is within a protected area, whilst an additional 26% lies within indigenous territories. The current low levels of protection and forest degradation but high threat from road paving projects makes the Tigre river basin a priority for conservation. The long-term conservation of peatland pole forests has the potential to make a large contribution towards international commitments to mitigate climate change.

Saudi Arabian 2030 Vision and Entrepreneurial Intention Among University Students

The purposes of this study are to report the degree of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian 2030 Vision’s (KSA 2030 Vision) awareness among students, and to examine the association of entrepreneurial intention with the awareness of the KSA 2030 Vision in College of Business Administration at the Northern Border University. Using data from a self-administered survey, with a final sample of 266 students, the descriptive and Simple Regression results show that there is a low degree of awareness towards the KSA 2030 Vision among the students, and the entrepreneurial intention is negatively associated with the KSA 2030 Vision awareness. The results of this study give an alarming view as to the current low level awareness of the College of Business students towards the KSA 2030 Vision, and how this low degree of awareness can influence negatively the achievement of the country’s long-term vision. The results of this study should be useful to policy makers in Saudi Arabia at the country, ministry of education the university and elsewhere, as the KSA is aiming to achieve the ambitious KSA 2030 Vision.

Influence of Polystyrene Layer on the Field Electron Emission Performance of Nano-Apex Carbon Fibre Emitters

ABSTRACT A comprehensive investigation has been carried out to determine the source of an inherent temporal instability in the spatial distribution and the emission current obtained from field electron-emitting carbon fiber tips of type Polyacrylonitrile VPR – 19, thermally treated at 2800 °C. These instability effects have been successfully overcome by coating the carbon fiber tip with a sub-micron layer of polystyrene . The current-voltage characteristics, Fowler-Nordheim plots, Murphy-Good plots and the scanning electron micrographs in addition to the field electron emission patterns were used in this investigation to study the emission characteristics of carbon fiber tips before and after samples are being coated with polystyrene layer. Comparison between the emission process from the clean and composite tips are reported and the current-voltage characteristics were obtained at a threshold field that is a few times lower than that of the clean tip. At low emission current levels linear Fowler-Nordheim and Murphy-Good plots were obtained with a slope value lower than that of the clean tip. The spatial distribution consisted of a very bright spot without any internal structure. These results suggest that a polystyrene coated fiber tip offers better performance than the clean carbon fiber tip as a new field electron emission source.

Influence of polystyrene layer on the field electron emission performance of nano-apex carbon fibre emitters

ABSTRACT A comprehensive investigation has been carried out to determine the source of an inherent temporal instability in the spatial distribution and the electron emission current obtained from field electron-emitting carbon fiber tips of type Polyacrylonitrile VPR – 19, thermally treated at 2800 °C. These instability effects have been successfully overcome by coating the carbon fiber tip with a sub-micron layer of dielectric polystyrene coating. The influence of the coating thickness was studied and an optimum thickness of (0.1–0.2) μm that produced high emission stability and found to possess the significant reduction in the intensity fluctuations of the field electron emission patterns. The current-voltage characteristics, Fowler-Nordheim plots, Murphy-Good plots and the scanning electron micrographs in addition to the field electron emission patterns were used in this investigation to study the emission characteristics of carbon fiber tips before and after samples are being coated with polystyrene dielectric layer. Comparison between the emission process from the clean and composite tips are reported and the current-voltage characteristics were obtained at a threshold field that is a few times lower than that of the clean tip. At low emission current levels linear Fowler-Nordheim and Murphy-Good plots were obtained with a slope value lower than that of the clean tip. The spatial distribution consisted of a very bright spot without any internal structure. Experiments have also shown that the coated tips are not affected by the variations of pressure conditions down to mbar. These results suggest that a polystyrene coated fiber tip offers better performance than the clean carbon fiber tip as a new field electron emission source.

Enterprise Resource Planning Modification: A Literature Review

The current low success level of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation stimulates the rise of research to find the critical success factor of it. One of the challenges of ERP implementation is to find a ‘fit’ between business and system requirements. It is claimed that standardizing business processes to follow the ERP system will positively impact organizations to follow the best practice process. However, there is another challenge that organization should not reengineer their business process to fit the ERP system, but rather modify or customize the ERP system to match their business process. This belief argues that standardizing business processes is not the right solution that applies to every organization since it can degrade an organization’s competitive advantages. Based on the background, the research aimed to construct a comprehensive review to succeed in implementing an ERP system, particularly on ERP modification, using a systematic literature review method. It was done by collecting and analyzing scientific publications related to ERP critical success factors with special attention to system modification. The literature review results in a comprehensive explanation of ERP modification. It includes elaborating on different types of misfit and customization to cultivate the understanding of ERP modification, a flowchart to analyze misfit to help the organization to evaluate modification requests, and critical success factors of modified ERP implementation.

Time-resolved spectroscopic and electrophysiological data reveal insights in the gating mechanism of anion channelrhodopsin

Channelrhodopsins are widely used in optogenetic applications. High photocurrents and low current inactivation levels are desirable. Two parallel photocycles evoked by different retinal conformations cause cation-conducting channelrhodopsin-2 (CrChR2) inactivation: one with efficient conductivity; one with low conductivity. Given the longer half-life of the low conducting photocycle intermediates, which accumulate under continuous illumination, resulting in a largely reduced photocurrent. Here, we demonstrate that for channelrhodopsin-1 of the cryptophyte Guillardia theta (GtACR1), the highly conducting C = N-anti-photocycle was the sole operating cycle using time-resolved step-scan FTIR spectroscopy. The correlation between our spectroscopic measurements and previously reported electrophysiological data provides insights into molecular gating mechanisms and their role in the characteristic high photocurrents. The mechanistic importance of the central constriction site amino acid Glu-68 is also shown. We propose that canceling out the poorly conducting photocycle avoids the inactivation observed in CrChR2, and anticipate that this discovery will advance the development of optimized optogenetic tools.

First Observations of Anomalous Cosmic Rays in to 36 Solar Radii

Abstract NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission continues to travel closer to the Sun than any prior human-made object, with an expected closest approach of <10 solar radii (<0.046 au) by 2024. On board, the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun instrument suite makes unprecedented in situ measurements of energetic particles in the near-Sun environment. The current low level of solar activity offers a prime opportunity to measure cosmic rays closer to the Sun than ever before. We present the first observations of anomalous cosmic rays in to 36 solar radii (0.166 au), focusing specifically on helium. Our results indicate a strong radial intensity gradient of ∼25 ± 5%/au over energies of ∼4 to ∼45 MeV/nuc. These values are larger than prior observations, further out in the heliosphere, and come at a unique time in our understanding and modeling of particle transport and acceleration, particularly as both Voyagers have crossed the heliopause and IBEX has accumulated a full solar cycle of observations. Thus, continued measurements of cosmic rays by Parker Solar Probe will play a critical role in linking past observations with our present knowledge and significantly advancing our understanding of cosmic ray transport in the heliosphere.

Ecofriendly Solution-Combustion-Processed Thin-Film Transistors for Synaptic Emulation and Neuromorphic Computing.

The ecofriendly combustion synthesis (ECS) and self-combustion synthesis (ESCS) have been successfully utilized to deposit high-k aluminum oxide (AlOx) dielectrics at low temperatures and applied for aqueous In2O3 thin-film transistors (TFTs) accordingly. The ECS and ESCS processes facilitate the formation of high-quality dielectrics at lower temperatures compared to conventional methods based on an ethanol precursor, as confirmed by thermal analysis and chemical composition characterization. The aqueous In2O3 TFTs based on ECS and ESCS-AlOx show enhanced electrical characteristics and counterclockwise transfer-curve hysteresis. The memory-like counterclockwise behavior in the transfer curve modulated by the gate bias voltage is comparable to the signal modulation by the neurotransmitters. ECS and ESCS transistors are employed to perform synaptic emulation; various short-term and long-term memory functions are emulated with low operating voltages and high excitatory postsynaptic current levels. High stability and reproducibility are achieved within 240 pulses of long-term synaptic potentiation and depression. The synaptic emulation functions achieved in this work match the demand for artificial neural networks (ANN), and a multilayer perceptron (MLP) is developed using an ECS-AlOx synaptic transistor for image recognition. A superior recognition rate of over 90% is achieved based on ECS-AlOx synaptic transistors, which facilitates the implementation of the metal-oxide synaptic transistor for future neuromorphic computing via an ecofriendly route.

Resilience analysis of the nexus across water supply, power generation and environmental systems from a stochastic perspective

Effects of external disturbances such as the population change on dynamics of water supply, power generation and environmental (WPE) systems have seldom been investigated. Following the WPE nexus profiled in the study of Feng et al. (2016), this study incorporated stochasticity of population, water supply and power generation into the modeling of the dynamical system in the Hehuang region of China, and further quantified resilience measures to understand the system's ability to withstand stochastic disturbances. First, the stochastic differential equations were used to improve the simulation of stochasticity in the WPE nexus. Next, the transient probability distribution functions (pdfs) of system variables, obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, were used to describe the evolutionary process of the system. Finally, the stationary pdfs of variables which reflect stable states of the system were derived to calculate four resilience measures. It is shown that: (1) The system approached a stable state after Year 2400 by calculating the L2 norm of the difference between transient and stationary pdfs. (2) The environmental system was identified as the most vulnerable subsystem because of its long convergence time. (3) The water supply system did not change greatly and it would remain stable at its current low level, i.e., water consumption per capita would be less than 80m3. The method adopted in this study is conducive to avoiding risk and the results provide valuable insights for regional management of a WPE nexus.

Innovation and productivity in tourism small and medium enterprises: A longitudinal study

This paper examines the factors influencing innovation and the relationship between innovation and productivity among Australian tourism small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Unlike most past studies relying on cross-sectional data, this study employs longitudinal innovation data of 400 tourism SMEs over five years. A two-stage random-effects probit model is used to account for unobserved firm heterogeneity. The results show that innovation inputs, firm characteristics, and external environment significantly affect innovation in general with competition and demand uncertainty being the distinct drivers of marketing innovation. The study reveals a significant and positive effect of technological and marketing innovation on tourism SMEs' productivity. Findings inform policy discussions to improve the current low levels of productivity in the tourism industry.

Low‐intensity kangaroo grazing has largely benign effects on soil health

SummaryKangaroos (Macropus spp., Osphranter spp.) are the most ubiquitous free‐ranging herbivores in Australia. Much has been written on their impacts on plant community composition and how they interact with livestock, particularly in extensive rangelands. Little is known, however, about how kangaroos affect soil function and their relationship with healthy soils, nor the impact of peri‐urban populations of kangaroos where they might come into conflict with humans. To address this, we used exclosures to examine the impacts of low densities of kangaroos on the morphology of the soil surface in a peri‐urban environment on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. We found that kangaroo grazing was associated with reduced herbaceous biomass and cover, and biocrust cover, and surfaces were generally more stable, had a greater cover and incorporation of litter and had greater plant species richness compared to inside the exclosures. There were no differences in indices of nutrient cycling nor stability. Overall, our study supports the notion that kangaroo grazing, at the current low densities experienced in this peri‐urban reserve, has had no significant deleterious effect on soil surface health, as measured by the morphology of the surface. We conclude that grazing at the current low levels (˜70 kangaroos km−2) is unlikely to have major long‐term negative effects on soil surface condition.

Industrial Output and Economic Growth in Emerging Economies: Evidence from Nigeria

The importance of the industrial sector output in enhancing sustainable economic growth has long been documented given that the sector is generally perceived as the engine of growth in an economy. This notwithstanding, Nigeria seems not to have put in place appropriate policies and programs that would engender the desired industrial output growth. The main aim of the paper, therefore, is to examine empirically the relationships between industrial sector output and the sustainable economic growth of Nigeria for the period 1981 to 2018. In doing this, descriptive statistics, unit root and co-integration tests as well as long run and short run analyses were conducted using the error correction model (ECM) of the econometrics. The empirical results from these estimation procedures were quite revealing. For instance, there existed a positive relationship between industrial sector output and economic growth though this was weak considering the magnitude of effects. Capital expenditure and lending rate exerted negative relationships on industrial output and these tended to have accounted for the current low level of industrial activities in the country. The stability test carried out in the paper showed a significant structural stability, which affirmed that these results have called for appropriate policy options that would bring about the desired industrial sector output growth patterns. Hence, strengthening the industrial sector activities in Nigeria as well as streamlining capital expenditure and lending rate to enhance the sector’s output has become imperative. This is typically true as it is the only path that would lead to the enhancement of the industrial sector output and, invariably, the sustainable economic development that Nigeria desperately desires.

Frequency domain non-linear characterization and analysis of lithium-ion battery electrodes

As an electrochemical system, the current voltage relationship of a lithium-ion battery is non-linear. The accuracy of conventional models for lithium-ion cells always suffer from non-linear dynamic behavior, especially at low SoC levels and high current levels, which limits practical applications of battery models in reality. In-depth understanding and characterization of the non-linear relationship can provide valuable insight to improve the accuracy of battery modeling. In this paper, a frequency domain non-linearity characterization approach using odd random-phase multisines signals is performed on a three-electrode experimental set-up of a commercial 5Ah cylindrical 21700 cell. This allowed the distortions towards the full-cell voltage to be separated into the corresponding electrodes and identify the nature of non-linearity as odd or even order. The results demonstrate that the even order non-linearity from the cathode is the main contributor towards the full-cell voltage of the lithium-ion battery while the non-linearity from the anode starts to dominate at very low (∼2%) state-of-charge.

Trends and current status of aluminum chemistry in Adirondack headwater streams 30 Years after the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

Mobilization of toxic forms of aluminum (Ali) have been one of the most harmful effects of acidic deposition on aquatic ecosystems. Large decreases in acidic deposition levels have resulted in decreases in Ali concentrations in surface waters starting in the 1990s. However, recent studies indicate that fish communities are still being impaired by elevated Ali concentrations in streams, suggesting the need for a present-day assessment of the recovery status of Al chemistry in impacted regions such as the Adirondack region of New York, United States. Therefore, the recovery status of Al was assessed from long-term high-frequency monitoring of three Adirondack streams up through 2019, and multiple resampling of 127 headwater streams throughout the Adirondack region between 2004/2005 and 2018/2019. Results indicated that concentrations of Ali have continued to decrease throughout the Adirondack region, but that harmful conditions still exist in a substantial number of streams during spring snowmelt. In the western Adirondack region, 35 percent of streams during spring snowmelt, (typically the most acidic period), and 10 percent of streams during summer were still experiencing harmful concentrations of Ali (>1.0 μmol L−1) in 2018/2019. In the less-impacted east-central Adirondack region, 10 percent of streams during snowmelt, and 4 percent of streams during summer were experiencing harmful Ali concentrations in 2018. Temporal decreases in Ali concentrations were due in part to a shift in speciation from Ali to non-toxic organically complexed Al as dissolved organic carbon concentrations increased, which was also a response to decreasing acidic deposition. Increased availability of calcium resulting from acid-neutralization processes such as weathering also contributed to the decrease in Ali over the past 5–8 years. The current low levels of acidic deposition may have begun to enhance recovery by increasing the effectiveness of ambient acid-neutralization processes.

Study of porosity suppression in oscillating laser-MIG hybrid welding of AA6082 aluminum alloy

The AA6082 aluminum alloy was welded by oscillating laser-MIG hybrid welding. By using beam oscillation, the porosity can be effectively suppressed in the range of 100−300 A arc current, especially at low arc current level. Percent porosity decreased greatly with the increase of the oscillating amplitude and frequency. The threshold frequency of porosity-free at different amplitudes were achieved. The effect of beam oscillation on porosity formation and suppression was studied by observing keyhole behavior via a “sandwich” high-speed video method. It was found that the porosity suppression depended on three reasons. Firstly, high-frequency oscillating keyhole can “capture” the bubbles or cavities in the molten pool and solidification front. Secondly, high-frequency oscillating keyhole can enlarge the diameter of keyhole and improve keyhole stability. Thirdly, beam oscillation can form stirring effect in molten pool, which can produce turbulence to reduce possibility of bubbles moving to the solidification front.

System anti-jamming technology in the design of intelligent single chip computer constant current source of field strength machine

With the development of the electric power industry, the technical level of automatic testing equipment for the reliability of electrical component circuit breakers in the transmission and distribution network is getting higher and higher. The stability and accuracy of the test power supply are the basis for ensuring the pass rate of the test product. Most of the electrical testing and testing equipment has defects such as inaccurate power supply current regulation, low power, and low level of intelligence, which are difficult to meet the testing requirements. Based on the theory of a closed-loop control system, this paper adopts embedded system design technology to realize a high-current, high-power, high-stability digital constant current source system for line detection. This paper studies the rule-based intelligent anti-jamming decision engine design and system anti-jamming performance analysis of NC-OFDM system. We give the design of an intelligent anti-jamming decision engine based on rule-based decision-making, and focus on two intelligent anti-jamming decision-making algorithms: Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) algorithm based on signal-to-noise ratio difference and packet error rate and Adaptive Sub-Band Selection (ASBS) algorithm. Experimental test results show that the output current range is 200 mA to 2000 mA, the system has realized a microstep adjustment of±5 mA, and the absolute error of current measurement is less than 0.3%+4 mA. The system is stable and reliable, and has high practical value in the field of high precision and low power.

ОБГРУНТУВАННЯ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ МЕТАЛУРГІЙНИХ ШЛАКІВ ЯК ЗАКЛАДНОГО МАТЕРІАЛУ КАР’ЄРНИХ ПУСТОТ

Purpose. Experimental studies of the interaction of blast-furnace and steel-making slags with open pit waters during their direct contact and assessment of the volume of filling of the formed man-made cavities during mining of mineral deposits. Methods. Based on the analysis, the current low level of metallurgical slag and the lack of real and effective directions of their large-scale utilization were determined. The laboratory studies of the interaction of metallurgical slags with open pit water at a certain time of interaction, generally accepted methods for studying the chemical composition and concentration of substances in water, computer-aided design software packages and drawings to determine the volumes of the open pit mined-out area were used. Results. The dynamics of changes in the products of interactions of steel-smelting slags with open-pit waters at a certain ratio and period of interaction was investigated. It was found that the concentration of pollutants upon contact of water with steel-making slag changes according to polynomial dependences on the time of their interaction, decreasing by the 30th day, which eliminates the danger for the aquifer. The safest type of metallurgical slag was recommended for the formation of the bottom layer of the backfill massif. The volumes of the mined-out area of the open pit were determined in detail to assess the volumes of placement of the backfill material based on metallurgical slags. Scientific novelty. The safety of the contact of backfill materials based on steelmaking slags with open pit water was scientifically proven, which is confirmed by the established polynomial patterns of changes in concentrations and pollutants from the ratio and time of interaction. Practical significance. The formation of the backfill massif on the basis of blast-furnace dump and steel-smelting slags will allow achieving an environmental effect, such as their safe disposal as a reclamation of technologically disturbed lands by mining and restoration of the economic value of the land plot, as well as preventing the formation of new dumps.

1234. Increasing private sector investment in neglected tropical disease (NTD) research and development: a mixed methods study

BackgroundThis study explores the drug development environment for Human African Trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease and investigates ways to stimulate greater investment in the small molecule drug pipeline for NTDs.MethodsWe conducted qualitative case studies of successful public-private partnerships (PPPs) that have supported the research pipeline for treatment of HAT (Fexinidazole & Acoziborole) & Chagas disease (Benznidazole). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 key informants. We then performed an economic modeling analysis to evaluate the development costs compared to estimates of potential revenue in order to identify expected private investment returns, inclusive of the contribution of the Priority Review Voucher (PRV) program. We also investigate under what circumstances one can expect positive returns if R&D for NTDs was executed by a private biopharmaceutical firm. We calculate the net present value of R&D costs both for an average NTD drug and use the specific features of these three candidates to estimate the private ROI that would have prevailed for each drug had they been developed by a for-profit entity.ResultsThe major themes that emerged from the case studies were: (1) the importance of pre-existing philanthropic efforts for a given disease, (2) the desire to align the social goals of the company with its actions, (3) the vital role of PPPs in coordinating development and reducing private-sector risk & (4) the limited role that the PRV played in motivating these activities. Overall, the current NTD R&D landscape is driven by PPPs. The modeling analysis shows why: although the PRV is an important incentive for drug development, it is not sufficient to generate a positive private return for novel drug development when adjusting for capitalized costs and failure risk. However, for a pre-existing, unapproved drug such as Benzinadozole, returns are positive in the current environment (Table 1). We find that both a restricted PRV supply & better estimates of approval probabilities would generate positive returns (Fig 1 + 2).Table 1: Return on investment by small molecule drug Figure 1. Return on Investment Sensitivity Analysis for Fexinidazole (Source: Authors’ calculations) Figure 2. Return on Investment Sensitivity Analysis for Acoziborole (Source: Authors’ calculations) ConclusionWe find support for NTD drug development within the private sector, but no novel R&D without nonprofit stewardship. Our findings intend to foster PPPs that stimulate this pipeline from very low current levels.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Modeling the lightning continuing current electric arc discharge and material thermal damage: Effects of combinations of amplitude and duration

The damage depth of a material is a key parameter for industrial objects in consideration of the lightning threat. The continuing current component in a multiple lightning sequence features a large charge transfer, which often leads to the dominant damage depth for electrically conductive materials. Laboratory simulation of the lightning continuing current is prone to misinterpretation due to various combinations of the current amplitude and duration in fulfillment of the fixed charge requirement of 200 C (±20%) in standards. This study employs a Unified Plasma-Material Finite Element Model (UPM-FEM) that is developed based on the classical magnetohydrodynamics method to analyze the influence of the current amplitude-duration combinations on the arc-material interactions. The energy originated from different physical processes, the heat flux and current density on material surface, and the material damage response are predicted using the UPM-FEM and compared for different amplitude-duration combinations at a fixed transfer charge. We report that the Joule heating, thermal conduction, radiative emission, and electronic enthalpic flux jointly determine the energy budget injected to materials at low current levels (≤300 A). While at higher currents (≥500 A), the thermal conduction contributes less significantly compared to the other energy items. The more pronounced increase of radiative emission heat loss will bring a saturation trend in arc properties and the material damage. A combination with a big current amplitude is recommended for achieving consistent arc properties and material damage in lightning continuing current test.