Gradual Evolution Research Articles

Echoes of Madame Bovary in Anna Karenina: A Comparative Study

The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway published in 1899 and 1926 respectively are two American novels that question the notions of gender ideology that prevailed at the time. The two novels were presented to the public during a time when there was a significant shift in the perceptions of gender roles in America. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 followed by the first-wave feminist movement brought into discussion social, civil and religious rights of women. The Awakening revolves around the literal and figurative ‘awakening’ of Edna Pontellier “who refuses to be caged by married and domestic life and claims for herself moral and erotic freedom.” Edna defies the oppressive, traditional conceptions of marriage, motherhood and Victorian mores of the Creole community. The Sun Also Rises presents a redefinition of femininity and fusion of clearly gendered spaces in society through the characterization of Lady Brett Ashley. She comes across as a representation of the female self that underwent transformation from the “passive, private creature to [the] avid individualist in pursuit of new experiences.” Numerous studies have been conducted into the exploration of the struggle for autonomy and sexual freedom of Edna Pontellier and the seductive power of the expatriate Englishwoman, Brett Ashely, over the men around her which qualifies her as an extraordinarily independent woman. Nevertheless, they have failed to underline the defiant nature of the two characters and their attempt at the redefinition of assigned gender roles in the face of hegemonic and masculine forces at work in society and the present study seeks to fill that gap in the current scholarship. The study is a critical textual analysis of the two novels. The postcolonial feminist theories of Judith Butler and Gayatri Spivak will be incorporated along with the social theoretical ideologies on power and hegemony by Michel Foucault, Antonio Gramsci and Louis Althusser to underline the self-individuation of the two women. Thereby, the intention of this study is to explore the gradual evolution and subversion of ascribed female gender roles in American literature corresponding to the social changes that took place in the late 1800s and mid-1920s, reflected through the progressive roles of Edna and Brett and its relevance to the self-liberation of women across time and space.

Flow of Devonian anatectic crust in the accretionary Altai Orogenic Belt, central Asia: Insights into horizontal and vertical magma transfer

AbstractFlow of partially molten crust is a key contributor to mass and heat redistribution within orogenic systems, however, this process has not yet been fully understood in accretionary orogens. This issue is addressed in a Devonian migmatite-granite complex from the Chinese Altai through structural, petrological, and geochronological investigations presented in this study. The migmatite-granite complex records a gradual evolution from metatexite, diatexite to granite and preserves a record of two main Devonian phases of deformation designated D1 and D2. The D1 phase was subdivided into an early crustal thickening episode (D1B) and a later extensional episode (D1M) followed by D2 upright folding. The D1M episode is associated with anatexis in the deep crust. Vertical shortening, associated with D1M, gave rise to the segregation of melt and formation of a sub-horizontal layering of stromatic metatexite. This fabric was reworked by the D2 deformation associated with the migration of anatectic magma in the cores of F2 antiforms. Geochronological investigations combined with petro-structural analysis reveal that: (1) D1M partial melting started probably at 420–410 Ma and formed sub-horizontal stromatic metatexites at ∼30 km depth; (2) The anatectic magma accumulated and migrated when a drainage network developed, as attested by the pervasive formation of massive diatexite migmatites, at 410–400 Ma; (3) Soon after, massive flow of the partially molten crust from orogenic lower to orogenic upper crustal levels, assisted by the interplay between D2 upright folding and magma diapirism, led to migmatite-granite emplacement in the cores of regional F2 antiforms that lasted until at least 390 Ma; (4) a terminal stage was manifested by the emplacement of 370–360 Ma granite dykes into the surrounding metamorphic envelope. We propose that Devonian anatexis assisted by deformation governed first the horizontal and then the vertical flow of partially molten orogenic lower crust, which drove crustal flow, mass redistribution, and crustal differentiation in the accretionary system of the Chinese Altai.

Magmatic Water Content and Crustal Evolution Control on Porphyry Systems: Insights from the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Abstract Porphyry systems, the most important reserves of Cu and Mo with significant Au, are genetically linked to the emplacement of hydrous and oxidized intermediate to acidic magmas, in response to temporal and geochemical evolution of crust in orogenic terranes. In this study, comprehensive whole-rock and zircon geochemical and isotopic datasets of intermediate to acid igneous rocks were integrated to characterize the crustal evolution and metallogeny of porphyry deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The ore-forming porphyries of Cu ± Au ± Mo and Mo deposits have higher but largely overlapped ΔFMQ (the proxy for oxygen fugacity) with those of the barren igneous rocks. However, the ore-forming porphyries of Cu ± Au ± Mo deposits are characterized by distinctly higher whole-rock V/Sc and zircon Eu/Eu* (both are proxies for water content) than barren rocks. Furthermore, the V/Sc ratios positively correlate with the Cu tonnages of calc-alkali porphyry Cu deposits, suggesting that magmatic water contents may yield the first-order control on metal endowment. The general decrease of V/Sc from the Paleozoic to Mesozoic, combined with the negative correlation of V/Sc with K2O and SiO2, also indicates the gradual evolution of crust in CAOB clearly controls the end members of porphyry-type systems (i.e., Cu‒Au and Mo deposits). The crustal residence age (TRes, the time difference between Nd depleted-mantle model age and the crystallization age) of c. 500 Ma from the Nd isotopes is proposed as the threshold distinguishing porphyry Cu ± Au ± Mo (TRes < 500 Ma) and Mo deposits (TRes > 500 Ma) in the CAOB. The coupled zircon Hf isotopes and crustal thickness reveal that the fundamental crustal architecture in the eastern and western CAOB had been built by the Late Permian and Late Carboniferous, respectively, highlighted by the converging trends of εHf(t) commencing at c.250 Ma in the eastern segment and c.300 Ma in the western segment of CAOB, indicating reworking and homogenizing of juvenile crust after collision. In the eastern CAOB, porphyry Cu ± Au ± Mo deposits were formed by juvenile materials in thin island arcs, while porphyry Mo deposits were formed by reworked materials in the thickened orogenic crust after c.250 Ma. In the western CAOB, porphyry Cu deposits in the Balkhash region during the Late Carboniferous were formed in thickened continental crust (generally > 40 km), genetically linked to the culmination of world-wide magmatic addition rates (MARs) triggered by accelerated production of the juvenile crust, in contrast to the porphyry Cu ± Au ± Mo deposits formed in thin island arc (generally < 40 km) during the Early Paleozoic. This study tests the zircon ΔFMQ as proxy for fO2, and zircon Eu/Eu* and whole-rock V/Sc ratios as proxy for water content. It highlights that whole-rock V/Sc ratio is a favorable index for the Cu tonnages of porphyry Cu ± Au ± Mo deposits, and that the distinct porphyry-type mineralization in the CAOB is controlled by the crustal evolution reflected by crustal composition and thickness.

Phase behaviour of n-CB liquid crystals confined to controlled pore glasses

In this review, we present the phase behaviour of liquid crystals (LCs) confined to Controlled-Pore Glasses (CPG) of various pore sizes. We consider either non-treated or silane-treated CPG pore surfaces, which impose parallel and homeotropic alignment to n-cyanobiphenyl (n-CB) LCs, respectively. The resulting nematic or smectic ordering depends on the characteristic void radii R and is well described in terms of the Landau-de Gennes free energy. Experimental data for different n-CB LCs, 5CB, 8CB, and 12CB, demonstrate phase transitions in orientation and translational degrees of freedom. In the bulk, 5CB and 8CB exhibit on cooling from the isotropic (I) phase the 1st order isotropic-nematic (I−N) phase transitions. In addition, 8CB also exhibits on further cooling a 2nd order nematic-smectic A (N−SmA) phase transition. 12CB, on the other hand, only has a 1st order isotropic-smectic A (I−SmA) phase transition. The bulk LCs exhibit a variety of different phase structures. When LCs are confined to porous media, their phase structures can be modified and even glass transition is possible.For LCs confined to CPG, the phase transition temperatures are shifted, depending on the pore size and the pore surface treatment. The Landau-de Gennes model predicts that the present phase transition shifts display inversely linear and inversely quadratic contributions in terms of the characteristic pore sizes. Furthermore, for strong enough confinement the phase transitions are replaced by gradual evolution of LCs order. These predictions are in line with nuclear magnetic resonance, small- angle X-ray scattering, and high-resolution calorimetry experimental observations.

Idiopathic spontaneous compartment syndrome of the right lower limb: a case report

BackgroundAcutely painful lower limb is a common presentation to the emergency department, and acute compartment syndrome is an important differential diagnosis to consider given the correct predisposing history and clinical presentation. However, idiopathic spontaneous compartment syndrome is an uncommon occurrence.Case presentationA 54-year-old Caucasian man with no previous comorbidities presented with acute right-sided lower limb pain with classical symptoms showing gradual evolution. He had no other history of medical relevance and no preceding injury. Examination showed a marginally enlarged right lower limb with stretched skin and tenderness. Routine blood tests were normal including D-dimer levels. However, in the absence of any underlying risk factors, acute compartment syndrome was suspected on clinical merit and confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. He underwent successful surgical intervention with fasciotomy and achieved good recovery.DiscussionAcute compartment syndrome, though commonly attributed to trauma, can occur due to varied causes. Spontaneous acute compartment syndrome is attributed to diabetes mellitus. Idiopathic acute spontaneous compartment syndrome occurs in the absence of either intrinsic or extrinsic risk factors and is rarely documented in the literature. This case highlights the importance of appreciating classical clinical signs and having the clinical acumen to consider an obvious diagnosis even in its rarer form of presentation.

Rate-independent elasto-plastic materials—a brief history and some new developments

The aim of this paper is to briefly discuss the history of the development of modern small deformation elasto-plasticity and its gradual evolution from a model for metal working to dealing with a variety of different responses ranging from fatigue to metal forming. In the process, we will also distinguish what we consider as the “essential” features of plasticity from “useful but perhaps inessential features”. We also summarize an approach to plasticity that incorporates only the essential features of plasticity (namely rate independence and hysteresis). The model exhibits a “diffuse yielding behavior” where there is a gradual transition from elastic to inelastic response which is more in keeping with many inelastic materials. The model shows considerable promise in modeling microplasticity and fatigue behavior. The approach is very computationally “friendly,” and it is possible to use a simple forward Euler with small time steps to integrate. We also describe a numerical implementation using a predictor–corrector approach that is very efficient in simulating the response. Classical plasticity with a sharp yield point is recoverable as a special case.

Using machine learning to predict statistical properties of non-stationary dynamical processes: System climate,regime transitions, and the effect of stochasticity.

We develop and test machine learning techniques for successfully using past state time series data and knowledge of a time-dependent system parameter to predict the evolution of the "climate" associated with the long-term behavior of a non-stationary dynamical system, where the non-stationary dynamical system is itself unknown. By the term climate, we mean the statistical properties of orbits rather than their precise trajectories in time. By the term non-stationary, we refer to systems that are, themselves, varying with time. We show that our methods perform well on test systems predicting both continuous gradual climate evolution as well as relatively sudden climate changes (which we refer to as "regime transitions"). We consider not only noiseless (i.e., deterministic) non-stationary dynamical systems, but also climate prediction for non-stationary dynamical systems subject to stochastic forcing (i.e., dynamical noise), and we develop a method for handling this latter case. The main conclusion of this paper is that machine learning has great promise as a new and highly effective approach to accomplishing data driven prediction of non-stationary systems.

Rare-earth indium selenides RE3InSe6 (RE = La−Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb): Structural evolution from tetrahedral to octahedral sites

The ternary rare-earth indium selenides RE3InSe6 have been prepared by reactions of the elements at 850 ​°C and the range of rare-earth substitution has been determined to be RE ​= ​La−Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb. Single crystals of La3InSe6, Ce3InSe6, and Nd3InSe6, obtained in the presence of KBr flux, were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, which revealed an orthorhombic structure in space group Pnnm with Z ​= ​4 and cell parameters of a ​= ​14.4722(18)−14.2793(11) Å, b ​= ​17.636(2)−17.4401(14) Å, and c ​= ​4.2123(5)−4.1013(3) Å. The structure consists of two types of linear stacks built from In-centred polyhedra, which are separated by the RE cations in seven and eightfold coordination. Careful examination of the In sites shows that there is a gradual evolution from the noncentrosymmetric La3InS6-type (space group P21212, adopted by most of the sulfides RE3InS6) to the centrosymmetric U3ScS6-type structure (space group Pnnm, adopted by most of the selenides RE3InSe6). Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed that all members of RE3InSe6 are semiconductors with optical band gaps of 1.2–1.4 ​eV. Magnetic measurements indicated that La3InSe6 is diamagnetic and Nd3InSe6 is paramagnetic with no transitions occurring down to 2 ​K.

Influence of Fabric on Stress Distribution in Gap-Graded Soil

The combined influence of density and stress-induced fabric anisotropy on the nature of stress transmission in gap-graded soils with cohesionless fines has been explored using the discrete element method (DEM). Various particle size ratios and fines contents were considered in simulations of constant mean stress triaxial compression. Analysis of the available particle-scale data focused on understanding how stress was distributed among and between the finer and coarser particles. While the study confirms that stress is transferred from the coarser to the finer fraction with increasing fines content, the concept of a threshold fines content at which there is a definitive transition in the nature of stress transmission is not supported. Rather, there is a gradual evolution of the distribution of stresses between the two size fractions with increasing fines content, and the relationship between fines content and stress in the finer fraction depends on the size ratio, density, and fabric anisotropy. For the denser samples considered, the stress transmitted by the finer fraction systematically reduced during shearing. An alternate definition of granular void ratio is introduced, which accounts for the nonactive fine and coarse particles and is formulated in a consistent manner to capture both the intergranular and interfine void ratios commonly found in the literature, along with the equivalent granular void ratio. The anisotropy of the network of contacts formed by the interactions of coarse particles was observed to be the dominant contributor to fabric anisotropy.

Evolution of nonlinear stationary formations in a quantum plasma at finite temperature

Abstract In this paper we have studied the gradual evolution of stationary formations in electron acoustic waves at a finite temperature quantum plasma. We have made use of Quantum hydrodynamics model equations and obtained the KdV-Burgers equation. From here we showed how the amplitude modulated solitons evolve from double layer structures through shock fronts and ultimately converging into solitary structures. We have studied the various parametric influences on such stationary structure and also showed how the gradual variations of these parameter affect the transition from one form to another. The results thus obtained will help in the generation and structure of the structures in their respective domain. Much of the experiments on dense plasma will benefit from the parametric study. Further we have studied amplitude modulation followed by a detailed study on chaos.

Effect of acid activation on structural evolution and surface charge of different derived kaolinites

Acid activation plays an important role in modifying the microstructure and improving the surface properties of clay minerals. Herein, the microstructural evolution characteristics and surface charge properties of different derived kaolinites were investigated and the relevant mechanism was discussed. Acid activation could gradually expand the interlayer distance of both kaolinite and coal-bearing kaolinite due to the leaching of cations and the following weakened interlayer forces. The structure of kaolinite has a better resistance to acidic attack. Most of the frame structures and functional groups are retained when the acid concentration is 2 mol/L and the treatment time is up to 72 h at room temperature. Acid activation has little effect on dehydroxylation temperature but a greater effect on transformation temperature of ~3–7 °C. The relatively rapid changes of zeta potential indicate stronger protonation and deprotonation reactions in coal-bearing kaolinite. The process could release more acidic sites while maintaining the layered structure, proved the gradual evolution process of macroscopic properties, and complemented that in harsh chemical conditions such as high temperature and acid concentration.

HAZMAT. VII. The Evolution of Ultraviolet Emission with Age and Rotation for Early M Dwarf Stars

Abstract The ultraviolet (UV) emission from the most numerous stars in the universe, M dwarfs, impacts the formation, chemistry, atmospheric stability, and surface habitability of their planets. We have analyzed the spectral evolution of UV emission from M0–M2.5 (0.3–0.6 M ⊙) stars as a function of age, rotation, and Rossby number using Hubble Space Telescope observations of Tucana-Horologium (40 Myr), Hyades (650 Myr), and field (2–9 Gyr) objects. The quiescent surface flux of their C ii, C iii, C iv, He ii, N v, Si iii, and Si iv emission lines, formed in the stellar transition region, remains elevated at a constant level for 240 ± 30 Myr before declining by 2.1 orders of magnitude to an age of 10 Gyr. The Mg ii and far-UV pseudocontinuum emission, formed in the stellar chromosphere, exhibits more gradual evolution with age, declining by 1.3 and 1.7 orders of magnitude, respectively. The youngest stars exhibit a scatter of 0.1 dex in far-UV line and pseudocontinuum flux attributable only to rotational modulation, long-term activity cycles, or an unknown source of variability. Saturation-decay fits to these data can predict an M0–M2.5 star’s quiescent emission in UV lines and the far-UV pseudocontinuum with an accuracy of 0.2–0.3 dex, the most accurate means presently available. Predictions of UV emission will be useful for studying exoplanetary atmospheric evolution and the destruction and abiotic production of biologically relevant molecules and interpreting infrared and optical planetary spectra measured with observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope.

Experimental study of crack evolution in prefabricated double-fissure red sandstone based on acoustic emission location

The development of micro-cracks during damage to rocks affects the propagation of macroscopic cracks on the surface. To explore the crack evolution among pre-existing flaws in rocks, based on the acoustic emission (AE) source location results, the paper analysed the influences of micro-crack development on failure mode. By analyzing AE characteristic parameters, the main controlling factors affecting the development of micro-fractures are determined. The results show that: (1) the development of micro-cracks in rock samples presents a trend of having a high-energy fracture point, the low-energy and small fracture region, the extensive fracture region, and a macroscopic fracture zone. (2) The difference in rock failure mode arises from the influence of rock bridge on the number, location, and extension direction of high-energy fractures, which results in the difference in the formation of main damage zone in rock samples. (3) The total number of micro-cracks, the proportion of shear cracks, and mixed-mode cracks gradually increase with the increase of the rock bridge inclination angle, leading to the gradual evolution of rock samples from simple tensile failure mode to complex crack penetration mode. The variation of the rock bridge inclination angle affects the stress direction of the rock particles at a microscopic level, while it affects the direction of macroscopic crack propagation at a macroscopic level.

Microstructural and optical properties of high-quality Mg–Zn oxide thin films

The microstructural and optical properties of Mg–Zn oxide thin films deposited by aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition onto fused silica substrates were studied as a function of the Mg concentration in the precursor solution, which was varied from 0 to 100 mol %. The thickness of all the samples was around 150 ± 20 nm. Scanning electron microscopy and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction were used for the analysis of the morphology, composition, and crystalline structure. Outcomes showed a gradual evolution of the microstructural and optical properties of the films as the Mg content increased. The systematic increase of the lattice parameter a, and the decrease of parameter c were observed with the increase of Mg concentration, nevertheless, the unit cell volume remained nearly constant, around 0.0471 ± 0.0007 nm3. Energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis results indicated that Mg /(Zn + Mg) atomic ratio (x) up to 0.59 was found for a single-phase hexagonal MgxZn1-xO film. This value is higher than most of the reported Mg content in wurtzite ZnO. At higher Mg loadings (>70 mol % in solution), the segregation of periclase MgO phases occurred. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the composition of selected Mg doped ZnO films and the substitution of Zn+2 by Mg+2 atoms. The Williamson-Hall analysis of diffracted peaks was employed to determine the micro-strain in the films, it was found ∈ = 0.2 ± 0.1 % with a slight tendency to decrease ∈ as x increases. For single-phase hexagonal MgxZn1-xO films, the computation of the dispersion relations of the optical constants was achieved using direct transmittance and near-normal absolute reflectance. For this objective, TFcalc software was used to fix the Sellmeier dispersion relation parameters by fitting the modeled transmittance and reflectance spectra of the stack film-substrate with corresponding experimental spectra. A detailed analysis of the optical band gap energy and its correlation with the microstructural characteristics of the films was performed, in particular with lattice parameters. The modification of optical band gap energy and lattice parameters with the inclusion of Mg in the wurtzite structure can be explained because the MgO4 unit has a compressed tetrahedral geometry with a much shorter height than those of ZnO4 tetrahedra, and due to the change in electronegativities and ionic radius between Mg and Zn, the bonding character becomes more ionic, and the increased localization of Zn 3d and O 2p orbitals. The optical band gap energy was tuned by changing the Mg content, from about 3.3 eV of undoped ZnO up to 4.3 eV of hexagonal MgxZn1−xO (x ~ 0.59). Moss relation was used to analyze the relationship of optical band gap energy and refractive index.

Hamilton’s rule, gradual evolution, and the optimal (feedback) control of phenotypically plastic traits

Most traits expressed by organisms, such as gene expression profiles, developmental trajectories, behavioural sequences and reaction norms are function-valued traits (colloquially “phenotypically plastic traits”), since they vary across an individual’s age and in response to various internal and/or external factors (state variables). Furthermore, most organisms live in populations subject to limited genetic mixing and are thus likely to interact with their relatives. We here formalise selection on genetically determined function-valued traits of individuals interacting in a group-structured population, by deriving the marginal version of Hamilton’s rule for function-valued traits. This rule simultaneously gives a condition for the invasion of an initially rare mutant function-valued trait and its ultimate fixation in the population (invasion thus implies substitution). Hamilton’s rule thus underlies the gradual evolution of function-valued traits and gives rise to necessary first-order conditions for their uninvadability (evolutionary stability). We develop a novel analysis using optimal control theory and differential game theory, to simultaneously characterise and compare the first-order conditions of (i) open-loop traits – functions of time (or age) only, and (ii) closed-loop (state-feedback) traits – functions of both time and state variables. We show that closed-loop traits can be represented as the simpler open-loop traits when individuals do not interact or when they interact with clonal relatives. Our analysis delineates the role of state-dependence and interdependence between individuals for trait evolution, which has implications to both life-history theory and social evolution.

A dense sample of fossil primates (Adapiformes, Notharctidae, Notharctinae) from the Early Eocene Willwood Formation, Wyoming: Documentation of gradual change in tooth area and shape through time.

The Willwood Formation of the southern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming is a fluvial rock sequence that spans approximately 3 million years of early Eocene time. It has yielded one the largest collections of fossil mammals in the world including thousands of dentitions of extinct lemur-like primates known as notharctines. In the southern Bighorn Basin, specimens of these primates have been collected on numerous paleontological expeditions and the stratigraphic levels yielding the dentitions have been carefully recorded. Notharctine dentitions represent a rare opportunity to study morphological variation in a single anatomical system through time among closely related individuals. Prior studies of Bighorn Basin notharctines through time produced measurements of hundreds of specimens but I report here results from measurement and comparison of the dentitions and dentaries of more than 3,000 specimens, all stratigraphically mapped. Variation in premolar and molar area and variation in dentary depth are apparent throughout the section. Specimens with relatively small teeth and dentaries are known from the older part of the section. In younger rocks, variation in tooth area among specimens increases. Variation in tooth area is continuous and overlaps extensively both within and between stratigraphic levels. Other dental variables examined by inspection change in a mosaic and continuous fashion through the section. These features include variation in the presence and number of paraconids on the lower fourth premolar (p4), the size and shape of the entoconid notch on the lower first and second molars, and the relative development of the pseudohypocone, mesostyle, and cingula on the upper molars. These broad patterns can be identified despite notharctine alpha taxonomy being in need of extensive revision and, importantly, simplification. Such revision is beyond the scope of this article but is essential if we are to develop a taxonomy that is both free of stratigraphic influence and useful for rapid, repeatable species assignment. Boundaries among the patterns of tokogenesis, anagenesis, and cladogenesis are blurred in this dense sample of extinct primates. While pattern of evolution, a population-level phenomenon, may be difficult to falsify in the fossil record, this notharctine sample suggests that in the rare instance such as this, when the fossil record is densely sampled, change through time is continuous and more consistent with gradual evolution.

A deep learning approach to quasar continuum prediction

ABSTRACT We present a novel intelligent quasar continuum neural network (iQNet), predicting the intrinsic continuum of any quasar in the rest-frame wavelength range of $1020 \, {\mathring{\rm A}}\le \lambda _{\text{rest}} \le 1600 \, {\mathring{\rm A}}$. We train this network using high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origin Spectrograph ultraviolet quasar spectra at low redshift (z ∼ 0.2) from the Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive (HSLA), and apply it to predict quasar continua in different astronomical surveys. We utilize the HSLA quasar spectra that are well defined in the rest-frame wavelength range of [1020, 1600] Å with an overall median signal-to-noise ratio of at least 5. The iQNet model achieves a median absolute fractional flux error of 2.24 per cent on the training quasar spectra, and 4.17 per cent on the testing quasar spectra. We apply iQNet and predict the continua of ∼3200 Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 16 quasar spectra at higher redshift (2 < z ≤ 5) and measure the redshift evolution of mean transmitted flux (〈F〉) in the Ly α forest region. We measure a gradual evolution of 〈F〉 with redshift, which we characterize as a power-law fit to the effective optical depth of the Ly α forest. Our measurements are broadly consistent with other estimates of 〈F〉 in the literature but provide a more accurate measurement as we are directly measuring the quasar continuum where there is minimum contamination from the Ly α forest. This work proves that the deep learning iQNet model can predict the quasar continuum with high accuracy and shows the viability of such methods for quasar continuum prediction.

Temperature and thickness dependent magnetization reversal in 2D layered ferromagnetic material Fe3GeTe2

Advance in the field of two-dimensional (2D) Van der Waals layered magnetic materials have made the atomic-thickness spintronic devices possible in the near future. The application of the 2D layered magnetic materials inevitably involves the magnetization reversal. Here we study the magnetization reversal of the 2D layered material Fe3GeTe2 by means of magnetic and anomalous Hall resistance measurements. We find the reversal process of Fe3GeTe2 flake is temperature and thickness dependent. For thin flakes and at low temperatures, the hysteresis loops have perfect rectangular shapes with large coercivity, indicating the single domain characteristic during the reversal process. With increasing temperature, a cross-over from single domain to multi-domain structure occurs. For bulk and very thick flakes Fe3GeTe2, the nearly zero magnetic remanence and small coercivity demonstrates that the reversal process is accomplished through the formation of multi-domain structure and its gradual evolution with the magnetic field. The change of magnetization reversal with temperature and flake thickness is explained based on the competition between the long-range magnetic dipolar interaction and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The results obtained in this work provide important reference for designing Fe3GeTe2-based spintronic devices.

What 5G has been and what should 5G+ be?

In this work we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the most inspiring aspects of 5G mobile networks. In addition, we present the latest findings on the promising 6G technology towards a world of fully digital connectivity. The key determinants are extreme system performance and combinations of requirements for new use cases. We study new performance targets beyond 5G in two stages: 5G+ evolution and new 6G step. Relevant technologies considered too immature for 5G or outside the defined scope are outlined. To justify our vision of future mobile networks, we point out the need for closer collaborations of academia, standardizing bodies, industrial organizations and governments. The contribution strategy is gradual evolution and performance enhancement of mobile communications. Finally, we identify challenges and directions on network technology roadmap toward 6G. Keywords: wireless communication, mobile broadband, low-latency communi-cation, 5G network, 3GPP, 6G vision

Fouling in ocular devices: implications for drug delivery, bioactive surface immobilization, and biomaterial design.

The last 30years has seen a proliferation of research on protein-resistant biomaterials targeted at designing bio-inert surfaces, which are prerequisite for optimal performance of implantable devices that contact biological fluids and tissues. These efforts have only been able to yield minimal results, and hence, the ideal anti-fouling biomaterial has remained elusive. Some studies have yielded biomaterials with a reduced fouling index among which high molecular weight polyethylene glycols have remained dominant. Interestingly, the field of implantable ocular devices has not experienced an outflow of research in this area, possibly due to the assumption that biomaterials tested in other body fluids can be translated for application in the ocular space. Unfortunately, progression in the molecular understanding of many ocular conditions has brought to the fore the need for treatment options that necessitates the use of anti-fouling biomaterials. From the earliest implanted horsehair and silk seton for glaucoma drainage to the recent mini telescopes for sight recovery, this review provides a concise incursion into the gradual evolution of biomaterials for the design of implantable ocular devices as well as approaches used to overcome the challenges with fouling. The implication of fouling for drug delivery, the design of immune-responsive biomaterials, as well as advanced surface immobilization approaches to support the overall performance of implantable ocular devices are also reviewed.