Gradual Decay Research Articles

An Analysis of the Salt Industry in Coastal Region of Midnapore District in the Nineteenth Century: The Emergence, Development and Gradual Decay

The purpose of this research was to analyze a detailed dispassionate and analytical account of the development and decline of the salt industry in the Coastal region of Midnapore district and their impact on the economic condition of the people of the coastal Bengal Presidency. The different aspects of their subjects have been discussed both from the administrative and economic stand points. The overall purpose is to prepare a well-documented profile of the growth and decline of the salt industry in British Bengal Presidency as the first exploration of its kind. The present work is the first of its kind to make a comprehensive and critical study of the salt industry in Coastal areas in Midnapore district during the colonial rule. The central concern is not only to examine the development and decline of the salt industry in aforementioned areas in Midnapore district of Bengal but also their impact on the economic condition of the people. Salt manufacturing was an established industry in the Bengal Presidency in the pre-Colonial rule period. It was in the hand of coastal chiefs and Zamindars. This paper is concluded by offering some suggestions to improve the yield and productivity of laborers engaged in the salt industry.

Gradual Photon Decay That is Induced by Massive Gravitational Waves Might Be Responsible for Cosmological Redshift

Gradual Photon Decay That is Induced by Massive Gravitational Waves Might Be Responsible for Cosmological Redshift

Model-free cluster analysis for multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging of the inferior alveolar nerve

Objectives: Multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is useful for the detection of pathological tissues. The signal decay curve of each voxel is generally analyzed using an exponential model; however, the most appropriate curve for an analysis does not necessarily follow a single function. We used model-free analysis to classify data from the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) into clusters according to the pattern of decay curves. This clustering should be able to classify groups of voxels representing different tissue properties in the neurovascular bundle of the IAN. Materials and Methods: DWI with eight b-values was acquired from the IANs of 13 normal volunteers. K-means cluster analysis was used to classify the data. Silhouette analysis was performed to define the optimum number of clusters. The suitability of single and double exponential functions was evaluated for each cluster. The fitting and spatial distributions of parameters associated with diffusion and perfusion using the double exponential model were tested. Results: The optimum number of clusters was three. The cluster that exhibited the steepest decay curve showed a higher apparent diffusion coefficient than the others, and was affected by the perfusion component. The cluster with the most gradual decay curve showed the best fit to the double exponential function, and contained the highest volume fraction of the slow diffusion component, indicating a different distribution to the other clusters. Conclusions: Clustering of DWI was accomplished without model fitting and was presumably based on the diffusivity properties of IAN, which may be influenced by microcirculation and fascicles.

Старообрядчество в Ростовской области в 1944–1960-е годы

Based on the analysis of a set of clerical records from the fund of the Plenipotentiary Board for Religious Cults at the Rostov Oblast Council of People’s Commissars, this article analyzes the state of the Old Believers’ religious organizations on the territory of Rostov Oblast in the period from 1944 to 1960. During the years of fascist occupation, the Old Believers’ communities, as well as other religious organizations in Rostov Oblast and in the USSR, began opening churches and meetinghouses. From the various Old Believers’ confessions which ceased to exist in the Don region in the 1930s, only the Old Believers of the Belaya Krinitsa confession and the Bespopovtsy recommenced their divine service. After the Board for Religious Cults had been established in Rostov Oblast, there were registered 4 churches and meetinghouses of the Belaya Krinitsa confession believers and 2 meetinghouses of the Bespopovtsy. Due to the establishment of the Donetsk-Don and Caucasus Eparchy, the churches of the Belaya Krinitsa confession became subordinated to the eparchial power and got their priesthood with no obstructions. During the war and in the post-war period, priests of both the Old Believers accepting the hierarchy and the Bespopovtsy had their origins in the Old Be-lievers’ community but did not have any special seminary education. Unlike the Belaya Krinitsa confession, some Bespopovtsian communities with small groups of parishioners became exclusively established round individual canon setters. After they died, their churches became dissociated and lost registration. The confession institutionalization for the Belaya Krinitsa hierarchy became the governing factor for the development of this specific Old Believers’ movement and for gradual decay of various Bespopovtsian confessions which had been widely spread in the Don region in the pre-revolutionary period.

Disinvasive activity of “Hemastal BIO” and “Staldren” against non-invasive eggs of Trichuris skrjabini nematodes parasitizing sheep

Geohelminths parasitizing sheep are widespread throughout the world and have a significant pathogenic effect on the animal body. Among them, one of the leading places in terms of distribution is occupied by helminths of the genus Trichuris. This is due to the high resistance of trichurises to the effects of chemicals and adverse environmental factors. The presence of viable eggs of trichurosis pathogens in the surface layer of the soil and a sufficiently long period of their storage in the environment represents a potential threat of parasitic invasion on the territory of sheep farms. The aim of the research was to determine the disinfestation activity of modern ecologically safe means for dry disinfection against eggs of non-invasive nematode eggs of Trichuris skrjabini parasitizing sheep. An experimental test of the preparations “Hemastal BIO” (AS – calcium hydroxide, calcium sulfate, calcium sulfite-semihydrate, calcium chloride) and “Staldren” (AS – calcium carbonate, pine oil, magnesium silicate, iron oxide) was carried out in laboratory conditions. In the experiment, test cultures of eggs isolated from the gonads of T. skrjabini nematode females were used. The results of the conducted research established a high level of disinfestation efficiency of “Hemastal BIO” and “Staldren” (DE – 100 %) relative to non-invasive eggs of T. skrjabini on the 54th day of cultivation – the period of formation of invasive eggs in the control culture. During the embryogenesis of trichurises, the effectiveness of dry disinfectants gradually increased with “Hemastal BIO” up to 88.84 % – on the 18th day and up to 98.36 % – on the 36th day, and “Staldren” up to 82.79 % – on the 18th day and up to 95.90 % – for 36th days. Their harmful effect was characterized by specific changes in the eggs of nematodes in the form of sticking of crystals of the agents around the causative agents, as a result of which there was a stop in growth and development and the gradual decay and resorption of the embryos. Such changes are also confirmed by the metric parameters of the width and length of T. skrjabini eggs. The obtained data allow to recommend dry disinfectants “Hemastal BIO” and “Staldren” for the purpose of effective maintenance of sanitary and epidemiological well-being in relation to trichurosis in sheep farms.

Fabrication of Stable Oleofoams with Sorbitan Ester Surfactants.

Sorbitan esters have been extensively used as surfactants to stabilize emulsions in many fields. However, the preparation of an oleofoam with sorbitan ester alone has not been reported. Here, we apply a novel protocol to fabricate stable oleofoams of high air volume fraction from mixtures of vegetable oil and sorbitan ester. To incorporate more air bubbles into the oil matrix, aeration is first carried out in the one-phase region at high temperatures, during which the highest over-run can reach 280%. Due to foam instability at high temperatures, the foam is then submitted to rapid cooling, followed by storage at low temperatures. For high-melting sorbitan monostearate, the resulting foams containing many crystal-encased air bubbles are ultrastable to drainage, coarsening, and coalescence for several months. On the contrary, the cooled foams with low-melting sorbitan monooleate go through a gradual decay lasting for more than 1 month. We highlight the importance of hydrogen bond formation between surfactant and oil in enhancing foam stability. The generic nature of the above findings is demonstrated by preparing oil foams with various vegetable oils and sorbitan monooleate.

Understanding the Capacity Decay of Si/NMC622 Li-Ion Batteries Cycled in Superconcentrated Ionic Liquid Electrolytes: A New Perspective.

Silicon-containing Li-ion batteries have been the focus of many energy storage research efforts because of the promise of high energy density. Depending on the system, silicon generally demonstrates stable performance in half-cells, which is often attributed to the unlimited lithium supply from the lithium (Li) metal counter electrode. Here, the electrochemical performance of silicon with a high voltage NMC622 cathode was investigated in superconcentrated phosphonium-based ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes. As a matter of fact, there is very limited work and understanding of the full cell cycling of silicon in such a new class of electrolytes. The electrochemical behavior of silicon in the various IL electrolytes shows a gradual and steeper capacity decay, compared to what we previously reported in half-cells. This behavior is linked to a different evolution of the silicon morphology upon cycling, and the characterization of cycled electrodes points toward mechanical reasons, complete disconnection of part of the electrode, or internal mechanical stress, due to silicon and Li metal volume variation upon cycling, to explain the progressive capacity fading in full cell configuration. An extremely stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in the full Li-ion cells can be seen from a combination of qualitative and quantitative information from transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance. Our findings provide a new perspective to full cell interpretation regarding capacity fading, which is oftentimes linked almost exclusively to the loss of Li inventory but also more broadly, and provide new insights into the impact of the evolution of silicon morphology on the electrochemical behavior.

Dependence of nonlinear coupling among turbulence, geodesic acoustic modes and tearing modes on magnetic island width in the HL-2A edge plasmas

Statistical spectral features of the dependence of geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) and their nonlinear couplings with ambient turbulence on the magnetic island (MI) width (W) in the edge region of HL-2A tokamak plasmas are analyzed. Experimental observations have indicated that the modulation influence as well as the strength of nonlinear interactions between GAMs and turbulence generally shows a gradual decay while the couplings between MIs and the latter are increased simultaneously as the MI becomes larger. The MIs mainly reduce the couplings between GAMs and potential fluctuations, whereas the changes in the nonlinear interactions between density fluctuations and MIs are more evident. Moreover, it is found that there exists a nonmonotonic relationship between the turbulence correlation length and island width, in which it exhibits a minimum around W ∼ 3.7 cm, suggesting that the MI around such a scale would have a significant suppression effect on turbulent transport. These findings promote the understanding of the nonlinear interactions between MIs and turbulence in the edge of fusion plasmas.

Booster dose of mRNA vaccine augments waning T cell and antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2.

A gradual decay in humoral and cellular immune responses over time upon SAR1S-CoV-2 vaccination may cause a lack of protective immunity. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of antibodies, T cells, and monocytes in 25 participants vaccinated with mRNA or ChAdOx1-S up to 12 weeks after the 3rd (booster) dose with mRNA vaccine. We observed a substantial increase in antibodies and CD8 T cells specific for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination. Moreover, vaccination induced activated T cells expressing CD69, CD137 and producing IFN-γ and TNF-α. Virus-specific CD8 T cells showed predominantly memory phenotype. Although the level of antibodies and frequency of virus-specific T cells reduced 4-6 months after the 2nd dose, they were augmented after the 3rd dose followed by a decrease later. Importantly, T cells generated after the 3rd vaccination were also reactive against Omicron variant, indicated by a similar level of IFN-γ production after stimulation with Omicron peptides. Breakthrough infection in participants vaccinated with two doses induced more SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells than the booster vaccination. We found an upregulation of PD-L1 expression on monocytes but no accumulation of myeloid cells with MDSC-like immunosuppressive phenotype after the vaccination. Our results indicate that the 3rd vaccination fosters antibody and T cell immune response independently from vaccine type used for the first two injections. However, such immune response is attenuated over time, suggesting thereby the need for further vaccinations.

Spatial-Temporal Differences in the Effect of Epidemic Risk Perception on Potential Travel Intention: A Macropsychology-Based Risk Perception Perspective

Most of the previous studies on the impact of risk perception on travel intention are based on an individual psychological perspective, and the understanding based on the perspective of macropsychology is insufficient. Analyzing the temporal and spatial characteristics of risk perception theory at the macropsychological and regional levels will expand the scope of risk perception theory, which may help to promote the orderly recovery of tourism activities under the normalization of epidemics at the regional level. This study uses Baidu big data, through a panel VAR analysis, to explore the impact of people’s epidemic risk perception on travelers intentions from a macropsychological level and to analyze the temporal and spatial differences of this impact. From a temporal perspective, this study found that the early stage of epidemic risk perception had a negative impact on travel intentions, and later, a compensatory effect on travelers intentions appeared. From the perspective of risks at different threat levels, the Wuhan epidemic with a high degree of threat had a greater impact, while foreign epidemics had less impact. From the perspective of spatial differences, this study indicated that the negative impact of attention to epidemics on attention to tourism basically shows a gradual decay from the core to secondary and then to peripheral areas. This research will reveal some new findings on the impact of perceived risk on behavior intention at the temporal and spatial levels, and will have certain reference value for regional tourism restoration and marketing under the influence of epidemics.

Broadband acoustic characterization of backscattering from a rough stratification surface

This work aims to elucidate the utility and limitations of broadband scientific echo sounders in characterizing the frequency-dependent scattering from stratification interfaces. A recently published 1D acoustic backscattering model for the oceanic stratification structure was expanded for this work to consider echo sounding applications and the importance of roughness (vertical and spatial variability) along the stratification interface. The expanded model was tested in utilizing data from a recent acoustic experiment in the Kattegat basin, a region with well-documented, strong, salinity-driven stratification. A suite of broadband split-beam echosounders (45–270 kHz) provided broadband backscattering data, which were validated using high resolution in situ observations of water column structure, collected with a CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) sensor and MVP (Moving Vessel Profiler). Overall, the frequency dependence of backscattering agrees with model predictions of a gradual decay in the reflected wave amplitude from stratification structure with increasing frequency. Stratification interface roughness drives changes in frequency-dependent scattering away from a smooth surface solution as a function of different roughness regimes, primarily defined by the root-mean-squared slope of the interface. Results suggest a path to remote estimations of physical medium properties through broadband acoustic inversion.

The Effect of Tedlar Bags on the Composition of Exhaled Human Breath Samples.

The PVF Tedlar is widely used for gas collection in clinical diagnostics and environmental research. However, sample collection is frequently associated with the degradation, adsorption, or transformation of sensitive chemicals. Here, we explore to what extent the Tedlar bag collection effects the composition of expired breath samples. Collected breath samples were analyzed using the EESI-MS technique after the storage time of 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h, and 6 h, respectively. Our results demonstrated the gradual MS signal decay after 3 h storage. The decay rate of 3 h is about 45% and 6 h is about 88%. Therefore, the Tedlar bag is suggested as a reliable breath holder on the time scale of <3 h.

« La trace d’une époque finie dans les moeurs d’une époque nouvelle » : la crise de mémoire dans Le Chevalier des Touches de Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly

« La trace d’une époque finie dans les moeurs d’une époque nouvelle » : The Memory Crisis in Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly’s Le Chevalier des Touches In his historical novel Le Chevalier des Touches (1864), Jules Barbey d’Aurevilly paints a sombre picture of the former counterrevolutionary Chouan heroes of Normandy : over the first decades following the French Revolution, the aristocrats lose their ancestral castle and end up living in an anachronistic salon while slowly falling into collective oblivion. Therefore, this article argues that Barbey d’Aurevilly’s novel is concerned with a pressing memory crisis (in the sense of the term coined by Richard Terdiman) which manifests itself in the material sphere. For this purpose, the gradual decay of the nobles’ abodes will be analyzed, from the transformation of their castle to the asylum where the protagonist spends his last days. The examination of these intérieurs allows us to gain extensive insight into Barbey d’Aurevilly’s attachment to the Ancien Régime and his fundamental repudiation of the social changes occasioned by the political developments in 19th-century France.

From Irrevocably Modulated Filtrations to Dynamical Equations Over Random Networks

We develop a probabilistic information framework via what we call irrevocably modulated filtrations produced by non-invertible matrix-valued jump processes acting on multivariate observation processes carrying noisy signals. Under certain conditions, we provide dynamical representations of conditional expectation martingales in systems where signals from randomly changing information networks may get irreversibly amalgamated or switched-off over random time horizons. We apply the framework to scenarios where the flow of information goes through multiple modulations before reaching observing agents. This leads us to introduce a Lie-type operator as a morphism between spaces of sigma-algebras, which quantifies information discrepancy caused by different modulation sequences. As another example, we show how random graphs can be used to generate irrevocably modulated filtrations that lead to pure noise scenarios. Finally, we construct systems that exhibit gradual decay of additional sources of information through the choice of spectral radii of the modulators.

Evidence of persistence of weak magnetic cycles driven by meridional plasma flows during solar grand minima phases

ABSTRACT Long-term sunspot observations and solar activity reconstructions reveal that the Sun occasionally slips into quiescent phases known as solar grand minima, the dynamics during which is not well understood. We use a flux transport dynamo model with stochastic fluctuations in the mean-field and Babcock–Leighton poloidal field source terms to simulate solar cycle variability. Our long-term simulations detect a gradual decay of the polar field during solar grand minima episodes. Although regular active region emergence stops, compromising the Babcock–Leighton mechanism, weak magnetic activity continues during minima phases sustained by a mean-field α-effect; surprisingly, periodic polar field amplitude modulation persists during these phases. A spectral analysis of the simulated polar flux time series shows that the 11-yr cycle becomes less prominent while high frequency periods and periods around 22 yr manifest during grand minima episodes. Analysis of long-term solar open flux observations appears to be consistent with this finding. Through numerical experimentation, we demonstrate that the persistence of periodic amplitude modulation in the polar field and the dominant frequencies during grand minima episodes are governed by the speed of the meridional plasma flow – which appears to act as a clock.

Epidemiological model based periodic intervention policies for COVID-19 mitigation in the United Kingdom

As the UK, together with numerous countries in the world, moves towards a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to be able to predict trends in sufficient time to limit the pressure faced by the National Health Service (NHS) and maintain low hospitalisation levels. In this study, we explore the use of an epidemiological compartmental model to devise a periodic adaptive suppression/intervention policy to alleviate the pressure on the NHS. The proposed model facilitates the understanding of the progression of the specific stages of COVID-19 in communities in the UK including: the susceptible population, the infected population, the hospitalised population, the recovered population, the deceased population, and the vaccinated population. We identify the parameters of the model by relying on past data within the period from 1 October 2020 to 1 June 2021. We use the total number of hospitalised patients and the fraction of those infected who are being admitted to hospital to develop adaptive policies: these modulate the recommended level of social restriction measures and realisable vaccination target adjustments. The analysis over the period 1 October 2020 to 1 June 2021 demonstrates our periodic adaptive policies have the potential to reduce the hospitalisation by 58% on average per month. In a further prospective analysis over the period August 2021 to May 2022, we analyse several future scenarios, characterised by the relaxation of restrictions, the vaccination ineffectiveness and the gradual decay of the vaccination-induced immunity within the population. In addition, we simulate the surge of plausible variants characterised by an higher transmission rate. In such scenarios, we show that our periodic intervention is effective and able to maintain the hospitalisation rate to a manageable level.

Enhanced Phase Stability of Compressive Strain-Induced Perovskite Crystals.

Control of strain in perovskite crystals has been considered as an effective strategy to ensure the phase stability of perovskite films where a compressive strain is particularly preferred over a tensile strain due to a lowered Gibbs free energy by the unit cell contraction effect. Here we adapt the strategy of strain control into perovskite solar cells in which the compressive strain is applied by utilizing a thermal expansion difference between the perovskite film and an adjacent layer. Poly(4-butylphenyldiphenylamine), with a higher thermal expansion coefficient compared to that of perovskite, is employed as a substrate for perovskite crystal growth at 100 °C, followed by cooling to room temperature. The applied compressive strain at the interface, as a result of a greater contraction of the polymer compared to the perovskite film, is confirmed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction showing a red peak shift with increasing secondary angle. The compressive strain-induced perovskite film shows relatively constant absorbance spectra as a function of time. In the meantime, the absorbance spectra of a film without strain control exhibit a gradual decay with developing an Urbach tail. Importantly, the effect of strain engineering is remarkably prominent in the long-term photovoltaic performance. The photocurrent drops by 41% over 911 h without controlling strain, which is significantly improved by employing compressive strain, showing only a 6% drop in photocurrent from a shelf-stability test without encapsulation. It is also noted that an S-shaped kink appears in the current-voltage curves since 579-h-long storage for the device without strain control, leading to unreliable and overestimated fill factor and conversion efficiency. On the other hand, a 16% increase in fill factor with a stable performance is derived over 911 h from the compressive strain-induced device.

Heterogeneities in the latent functions of employment: New findings from a large-scale German survey.

Building on social psychologist Marie Jahoda’s pioneering work, the psychological literature has shown that work fulfills both manifest functions (e.g., monetary returns) and latent functions (e.g., social contact). This article uses data from the German panel study “Labor market and social security” (PASS), which contains information on latent and manifest factors (from a shortened latent and manifest benefits, or LaMB, scale), as well as a large array of other variables for over 9,000 respondents. This probability-sampled data allowed for detailed analyses that have not been previously possible. We investigate differences in these factors by labor market status, among those employed, and among those unemployed. We identify considerable variation between status groups, suggesting that employment, overall, is important and that longer periods of unemployment lead to a gradual decay of the latent and manifest factors. Furthermore, regression analyses show that the LaMB measures account for approximately 70% of the partial correlations between unemployment and various well-being measures.

Experimental investigation on voltage response characteristics of hydrogen-oxygen proton exchange membrane fuel cells under gas starvation

Hydrogen and oxygen starvation during operation have an irreversible impact on performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), which seriously restricts its working life. In this study, the voltage response characteristics of hydrogen–oxygen PEMFC under different degrees of hydrogen and oxygen starvation were experimentally studied, and the gas starvation tolerance was further analyzed through polynomial fitting. The results show that the response of voltage changes from stable to gradual decay with time under a certain degree of gas starvation. In the case of hydrogen starvation, the response voltage decreases in a parabolic trend, which indicates that PEMFC have poor tolerance to hydrogen starvation. While the response voltage basically shows a linear downward trend in oxygen starvation condition, and it lags behind the change of oxygen concentration. In addition, compared with oxygen starvation, hydrogen starvation causes more serious damage. It was found that after hydrogen starvation experiment, the performance was deceased by 39.36%, the electrochemical active surface area decreased by 18.37%, and the charge transduction resistance increased by 47.24%. It is also found that increasing the working temperature effectively alleviate this degradation phenomenon, which is expected to be an effective mitigation strategy for the damage by gas starvation.

Effect of Fluoroquinolone Use in Primary Care on the Development and Gradual Decay of Escherichia coli Resistance to Fluoroquinolones: A Matched Case-Control Study.

The reversibility of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine, over a period of five years, the effect of fluoroquinolone (FQ) use in primary care on the development and gradual decay of Escherichia coli resistance to FQ. In this matched case–control study, we linked three sources of secondary data of the Health Service of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Italy. Cases were all those with an FQ-resistant E. coli (QREC)-positive culture from any site during a 2016 hospital stay. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. A total of 409 cases were matched to 993 controls (FQ-sensitive E. coli) by the date of the first isolate. Patients taking one or more courses of FQ were at higher risk of QREC colonization/infection. The risk was highest during the first year after FQ was taken (OR 2.67, 95%CI 1.92–3.70, p < 0.0001), decreased during the second year (OR 1.54, 95%CI 1.09–2.17, p = 0.015) and became undetectable afterwards (OR 1.09, 95%CI 0.80–1.48, p = 0.997). In the first year, the risk of resistance was highest after greater cumulative exposure to FQs. Moreover, older age, male sex, longer hospital stays, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for QREC colonization/infection. A single FQ course significantly increases the risk of QREC colonization/infection for no less than two years. This risk is higher in cases of multiple courses, longer hospital stays, COPD and diabetes; in males; and in older patients. These findings may inform public campaigns and courses directed to prescribers to promote rational antibiotic use.