Input Intensity Research Articles

Organic petrologic and geochemical characterization of petroleum source rocks in the Middle Jurassic Dameigou Formation, Qaidam Basin, northwestern China: Insights into paleo-depositional environment and organic matter accumulation

The organic matter-rich mudstones of the Middle Jurassic Dameigou Formation in the northern Qaidam Basin are regarded as the principal petroleum source rocks for unconventional resource exploration in China. In this study, a detailed investigation on the organic petrography, inorganic geochemistry as well as bulk and molecular organic geochemistry is presented. Three different source rock units were identified with TOC contents and VRr ranging from 1.5–39.2% and 0.35–0.57%, respectively. Carbonaceous mudstone and organic matter-rich mudstone in unit 1 with high Pr/Ph (4.79–7.25) and low Gam index (0.02–0.03) values mainly developed in an oxic freshwater column under warm and humid climatic conditions and strong weathering intensity. Organic matter in unit 1 with high proportions of C29 ααα 20R steranes (61–74%) is interpreted to be derived from terrestrial higher plants. By contrast, units 2 (Pr/Ph: 2.56–4.23; Gam index: 0.03–0.14) and 3 (Pr/Ph: 0.73; Gam index: 0.48) were deposited in sub-oxic to oxic freshwater and anoxic saline environments, respectively. Progressive aridification during the deposition of units 2 and 3 are reflected by decreasing CIA values (59.97–86.68) resulting in weakened weathering intensity and lower terrestrial influx. A mixture of terrestrial higher plants and algal biomass was the main source of organic matter in unit 2 with moderate C19/C23 Tri (0.96–5.44), C20/C23 Tri (1.28–3.87) and C24 Tet/C26 Tri (1.10–2.54) ratios, while unit 3 with the lowest C19/C23 Tri (0.25), C20/C23 Tri (0.95), and C24 Tet/C26 Tri (0.65) ratios and highest proportions of C27 ααα 20R steranes (69%) is characterized by a decrease in terrigenous organic matter content. The dominant source of organic matter is lake plankton, including halophilic algae and cyanobacteria. Organic matter accumulation in unit 1 is associated with a warm and humid climate, weathering intensity, and terrigenous organic matter input. Primary productivity is the most important factor controlling the enrichment of organic matter in units 2 and 3.

Nonlinear optical properties of the tartrazine

Tartrazine is one of the food dyes with [Formula: see text] conjugated bond. The optical nonlinear properties of tartrazine in aqueous solution were investigated by Z-scan technique at the different input intensities of picosecond laser pulse. It was found that the tartrazine exhibits strong nonlinear optical behavior at the low input intensity. The experimental results show the nonlinear refractive indices reach the order of 10[Formula: see text] esu and their TPA cross sections are up to several hundreds of GM in the experimental condition. The strong optical nonlinearity perhaps allows them to be widely applied in the photoelectric and biological field.

A stage of cultivated land use towards sustainable intensification in China: Description and identification on anti-intensification

There is an anti-intensification phenomenon in China's economically developed areas with highly intensive cultivated land use. Deconstructing characteristics and trends of anti-intensification will help achieve sustainable production that maximizes social and economic benefits. This paper constructs an anti-intensification cultivated land use (ACLU) evaluation system to measure the ACLU state and mechanism on multiple spatial scales. Jiangsu Province in China, with a developed economy, is used as a case area to discuss ACLU's changing trends and characteristics from 2000 to 2015. Results show that Jiangsu's ACLU at the macro-regional level manifested in the input intensity has gradually slowed down. Meanwhile, the utilization level has shown a significant downward trend, and the output dimension has a negative feedback effect. At the micro-patch level of 1 km, within the 90% confidence interval, around 47.12% of the cultivated land showed an anti-intensification downward trend, and approximately 22.03% of the cultivated land showed an anti-intensification upward trend. Generally, ACLU has strong spatial agglomeration and scale attenuation law, and small scale can better reflect its changes and development trends. Besides, ACLU influencing factors show differences in different locations, regions, and scales, which may be closely related to the ACLU's complex driving mechanism oriented by man-land relationships evolution. Identifying anti-intensification phenomena and characteristics can provide new ideas for differentiated cultivated land protection, construction, and restoration measures.

Analysis of a MAP/M/1/N Queue with Periodic and Non-Periodic Piecewise Constant Input Rate

This paper considers a queuing system with a finite buffer, a constant main MAP flow, and an additional periodic (non-periodic) Poisson piecewise-constant flow of customers. The eigenvalues of the probability translation matrix of a Kolmogorov system with constant input intensities is analyzed. The definition of the transition mode time based on the analysis of the probability translation matrix determinant is introduced for the first time. An analytical solution to the Kolmogorov equation system for a queuing system with piecewise constant arrival and service intensities is found, the solutions for a queuing system with periodic arrival and service intensities are analyzed, and numerical calculations illustrating this approach are presented.

Quantum-inspired multicore optical fiber

We introduce a new, to the best of our knowledge, type of multicore optical fiber having a quantum-inspired network topology and unique spectral features. Particularly, the connectivity between the cores is generated by unfolding a circular array of coupled quantum oscillators in Fock space. We show that in such a fiber geometry, the eigenvalues of the optical supermodes exhibit partial degeneracy and form a ladder. In turn, this leads to revival dynamics, allowing for a periodic re-imaging of the input intensity. As an example, we present a realistic design with six cores in silica glass platforms.

Effect of laser ablated gold nanoparticles on the nonlinear optical properties of π-extended BODIPY dyes

Dipyrromethene boron difluoride (BODIPY) and its derivatives have attracted considerable interest due to their remarkable photophysical properties beneficial for developing fluorescent sensors, biolabels, photodynamic therapy agents, photonic materials, and so on. Herein, we report gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) induced modulation of nonlinear optical properties of π-extended BODIPY derivatives BPA and BDIPA. The spherical gold nanoparticles with an average particle size of 11 ± 3.5 nm were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation technique and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The interaction of AuNPs with the dye molecules was confirmed by UV/vis absorption and steady-state emission spectroscopy studies. Further, the dual-beam thermal lens technique was used to validate dye-nanoparticle interaction. The thermal diffusivity values of the samples at an excitation wavelength of 532 nm were measured and found that the overall heat diffusion was slower in the AuNPs added samples than that of the dye alone sample, corroborating dye-nanoparticle interaction. The third-order nonlinear optical absorption properties of the samples were investigated by using the Z-scan technique in the infrared region (1064 nm). The open aperture configuration shows significant reverse saturable absorption characteristics for all the samples. Determination of nonlinear absorption coefficient for the dye samples at different input intensities identified two-photon absorption as the important mechanism that produces reverse saturable absorption. The AuNPs incorporated dye samples showed a substantial enhancement in the nonlinear optical behavior. The nonlinear absorption coefficient of the AuNPs incorporated dye samples (10 cm/GW) was enhanced almost two times than that of dye alone samples (5 cm/GW). The enhanced nonlinearity is attributed to the intense local field effect of AuNPs.

Low power Z-scan study and photoacoustic behavior of synthesized conjugated organic compounds based on carbazole derivatives

Third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the synthesized conjugated organic molecules based on carbazole derivatives were studied at different input intensities and wave lengths, by the Z-scan method and using continuous wave (CW) lasers. The normalized transmittance results are explained by fitting the data with theoretical models of the open and close aperture Z-scan technique. Measurements demonstrated the influence of saturation in absorption and thermal lensing effects on the nonlinear optical coefficients and also indicate a strong correlation between linear and nonlinear optical absorption. Also, photoacoustic behaviour and photoluminescence of the components were investigated which shows the high optical potential of these organic molecules in different optical fields and devices. It was found that frequency spectra of photoacoustic signals were the same for all derivatives, but with different amplitudes.

Study of ultrafast nonlinear optical response and transient dynamics of pyrene derivatives with intramolecular charge transfer characteristics

Two pyrene derivatives 1906 and 1936 with typical charge transfer characteristics were designed and synthesized to study the influence of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) on the ultrafast nonlinear optical (NLO) absorption. Frontier molecular orbital distribution and hole-electron analysis show that compound 1906 has stronger ICT characteristics than 1936 by introducing the halogen effect. Intense ESA signals in the green region of these pyrene derivatives were observed in the transient absorption spectrum (TAS). The excited state dynamics clearly show singlet-based electronic transitions and relaxation processes. Femtosecond Z-scan experiment at 480 nm indicates the ultrafast NLO absorption performance of these pyrene derivatives can be significantly improved by enhancing the ICT characteristics. The photophysical mechanism is one-photon absorption (OPA) induced excited-state absorption (ESA). As the input intensity is 46.8 GW cm−2, the effective NLO absorption coefficient of 1906 is 7.6 × 10−13 W m−1 which is 6.3 times that of 1936. Our results indicate that these pyrene derivatives are promising potential candidates for ultrafast laser protection applications.

Core carbon fixation pathways associated with cake layer development in an anoxic-oxic biofilm-membrane bioreactor treating textile wastewater

Microbial carbon fixation pathways have not yet been adequately understood for their role in membrane case layer formation processes. Carbon fixation bacteria can play critical roles in either causing or enhancing cake layer formation in some autotrophic-prone anoxic conditions, such as sulfur-cycling conditions. Understanding the microbes capable of carbon fixation can potentially guide the design of membrane biofouling mitigation strategies in scientific ways. Thus, we used meta-omics methods to query carbon fixation pathways in the cake layers of a full-scale anoxic-oxic biofilm-MBR system treating textile wastewater in this study. Based on the wastewater constituents and other properties, such as anoxic conditions, sulfide-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria could co-exist in the membrane unit. In addition, low-light radiation conditions could also happen to the membrane unit. However, we could not quantify the light intensity or total energy input accurately because the whole experimental setup was a full-scale system. Potentially complete carbon fixation pathways in the cake layer included the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, and the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle. We discovered that using aeration could effectively inhibit carbon fixation, which resulted in mitigating membrane cake layer development. However, the aeration resulted in the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle pathway, presumably used by aerobic sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes, to become a more abundant carbon fixation pathway in the cake layer under aerobic conditions.

Impulse Response Functions for Nonlinear, Nonstationary, and Heterogeneous Systems, Estimated by Deconvolution and Demixing of Noisy Time Series.

Impulse response functions (IRFs) are useful for characterizing systems’ dynamic behavior and gaining insight into their underlying processes, based on sensor data streams of their inputs and outputs. However, current IRF estimation methods typically require restrictive assumptions that are rarely met in practice, including that the underlying system is homogeneous, linear, and stationary, and that any noise is well behaved. Here, I present data-driven, model-independent, nonparametric IRF estimation methods that relax these assumptions, and thus expand the applicability of IRFs in real-world systems. These methods can accurately and efficiently deconvolve IRFs from signals that are substantially contaminated by autoregressive moving average (ARMA) noise or nonstationary ARIMA noise. They can also simultaneously deconvolve and demix the impulse responses of individual components of heterogeneous systems, based on their combined output (without needing to know the outputs of the individual components). This deconvolution–demixing approach can be extended to characterize nonstationary coupling between inputs and outputs, even if the system’s impulse response changes so rapidly that different impulse responses overlap one another. These techniques can also be extended to estimate IRFs for nonlinear systems in which different input intensities yield impulse responses with different shapes and amplitudes, which are then overprinted on one another in the output. I further show how one can efficiently quantify multiscale impulse responses using piecewise linear IRFs defined at unevenly spaced lags. All of these methods are implemented in an R script that can efficiently estimate IRFs over hundreds of lags, from noisy time series of thousands or even millions of time steps.

Unraveling the temperature dynamics and hot electron generation in tunable gap-plasmon metasurface absorbers

Abstract Localized plasmons formed in ultrathin metallic nanogaps can lead to robust absorption of incident light. Plasmonic metasurfaces based on this effect can efficiently generate energetic charge carriers, also known as hot electrons, owing to their ability to squeeze and enhance electromagnetic fields in confined subwavelength spaces. However, it is very challenging to accurately identify and quantify the dynamics of hot carriers, mainly due to their ultrafast time decay. Their nonequilibrium temperature response is one of the key factors missing to understand the short time decay and overall transient tunable absorption performance of gap-plasmon metasurfaces. Here, we systematically study the temperature dynamics of hot electrons and their transition into thermal carriers at various timescales from femto to nanoseconds by using the two-temperature model. Additionally, the hot electron temperature and generation rate threshold values are investigated by using a hydrodynamic nonlocal model approach that is more accurate when ultrathin gaps are considered. The derived temperature dependent material properties are used to study the ultrafast transient nonlinear modification in the absorption spectrum before plasmon-induced lattice heating is established leading to efficient tunable nanophotonic absorber designs. We also examine the damage threshold of these plasmonic absorbers under various pulsed laser illuminations, an important quantity to derive the ultimate input intensity limits that can be used in various emerging nonlinear optics and other tunable nanophotonic applications. The presented results elucidate the role of hot electrons in the response of gap-plasmon metasurface absorbers which can be used to design more efficient photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetection devices.

Spatial heterogeneity in smallholder oil palm production

Oil palm production is an important income source for millions of smallholder farmers in the tropics. Oftentimes, yields in smallholder systems are low, entailing larger area requirements and higher than necessary rates of deforestation. Smallholder performance differs spatially, even within countries and provinces. A better understanding of this spatial variation can help to design more effective support programs to preserve forestland and foster sustainable economic development. Here, we use survey data from smallholder oil palm producers in Sumatra, Indonesia, to identify spatial variation in yields, input use, and output prices by employing structured additive regression models with nonlinear spatial effects, so-called geosplines. Our results confirm large spatial differences. Some of these differences can be explained. For instance, possession of land titles and proximity to urban centers are positively associated with oil palm productivity. However, much of the spatial variation cannot be explained by variables typically included in socioeconomic studies. The geosplines help to control for possible bias even when the identified spatial variation cannot be fully explained. From a policy perspective, knowing where regions with high and low yields and input intensities are located can help to geographically target suitable support programs. From a research perspective, more work on trying to explain spatial heterogeneity in smallholder production is needed, possibly combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.

EXTRACTION OF PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION OF HIGH INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND CONSIDERING NONLINEAR PROPAGATION

The aim of this study is the extraction of acoustic pressure distribution in the target tissue layers based on the nonlinear behavior of waves. The nonlinear behavior effect of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) on the temperature distribution of the tissue was extracted and compared with the linear behavior. The acoustic pressure field was calculated using the Westervelt equation and was coupled with Pennes thermal transfer equation. The simulations were performed for three layers of skin, fat and muscle using Comsol software. The disagreement between two linear and nonlinear models was analyzed with Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The pressure and temperature distributions were calculated in nonlinear model by changing the acoustical parameters of the transducer including intensity, effective radiation area, focal length and sonication time. Model results were validated with experimental results with 98% correlation coefficient ([Formula: see text]). There is no significant difference between the pressure amplitude and temperature distribution in linear and nonlinear models at low intensity ([Formula: see text]), but with increasing intensity to 10[Formula: see text]W/cm2, in nonlinear model, maximum pressure and maximum temperature increased 40% and 20% compared with linear model. For input intensities of 1.5, 2, 8 and 10[Formula: see text]W/cm2, the maximum pressure (at focal point) increased 10%, 12%, 22%, 40% and maximum temperature increased 1%, 2%, 12%, 20% in nonlinear model compared to linear model. At 0.8[Formula: see text]cm2 and 1.5[Formula: see text]cm2 effective radiation area, the maximum acoustic pressure and temperature in nonlinear model increased from 12[Formula: see text]MPa to 30[Formula: see text]MPa and 43∘C to 79∘C, respectively. By decreasing the focal lengths from 10[Formula: see text]mm to 7.5[Formula: see text]mm, the maximum temperature increased from 45∘C to 87∘C. It is concluded a change in the input parameters of the transducer; it can be very effective in treating. The results emphasize the effects of nonlinear propagation and acoustical radiation parameters to improve the HIFU treatment.

Assessing the sustainability of municipal solid waste management in China 1980 - 2019

The sustainability of the Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) system is one of the crucial issues for achieving sustainable development goals. However, current studies only focus on evaluating certain aspects of the MSWM system at cities level, and it lacks a comprehensive overview of the sustainability of the MSWM system at the national level in China. In addition, many studies only focused on the MSWM system in the urban area, whereas the MSWM system in counties has not been systematically reported in China previously. In this work, we developed an indicator system based on the widely accepted “Wasteaware” benchmark indicator framework, consisting of four dimensions (resource value, environmental impact, economic feasibility, and social aspect) to assess the sustainability of the MSWM system in China from 1980 to 2019. It was found that the MSW generation per unit of living expenditure, recycling rate, and landfill disposal rate dropped from 87.8 g CNY−1 to 16.5 g CNY−1, 20.0% to 17.0%, and 100.0% to 53.3%, respectively, over the last four decades. The controlled disposal rate of MSW increased from 6.9% to 98.5%, while per capita GHGs emissions from the MSW sector rose by 2.5 times. Per capita financial input intensity increased 35 times, and the social score elevated from 8 to 83. It was found that the score of MSWM sustainability decreased from 26 to 12 first in 1980–1994, then rose to 82 from 1994 to 2019. However, the financial input efficiency of MSWM in China showed a sharp decline for both resource value and environmental impact performances, from 5.5 to 0.12 (score) billion CNY−1 and from 6.2 to 0.06 (score) billion CNY−1, respectively. Although the facilities, financial investment, and regulation of the MSWM in China were primarily improved, there are still challenges in reducing MSW generation, promoting recycling, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Policy implications were put forward based on the assessment results.

Factor decomposition and the decoupling effect of carbon emissions in China's manufacturing high-emission subsectors

The manufacturing industry makes the greatest contribution to China's carbon emissions, so reducing emissions among its high-emission subsectors is important to achieve China's overall reduction goals. Innovation is crucial to the green transformation and development of high-emission subsectors. Previous studies have hardly considered the effect of innovation factors on carbon emissions and decoupling of high-emission subsectors. This study incorporated innovation factors into the GDIM (generalized dividing index method) and DEI (decoupling effort index) models and decomposed them into three variables, the innovation input scale, innovation input carbon intensity, and innovation input efficiency, in order to compare the impact of different factors on carbon emissions and decoupling of high-emission subsectors. This approach expands the application scope of the GDIM method and helps to formulate the green transformation policies of the high-emissions manufacturing sector. The results were as follows. (1) The innovation input scale is the primary factor leading to the increase in carbon emissions. The cumulative increase of carbon emissions in the high-emission sectors from 1995 to 2019 was 3.45 billion tons. Innovation input carbon intensity is the primary factor that inhibits the carbon emissions growth. (2) There were significant differences in the degree of decoupling between the high-emission sectors in manufacturing in different periods. The decoupling effect of the manufacture of non-metallic mineral sector was the best; it achieved strong decoupling in 2015–2019, with the DEI reaching 2.17. (3) Decoupling efforts with regard to the carbon intensity of outputs and innovation inputs are the key factors that determine the decoupling of economic growth and carbon emissions in the high-emission subsectors of the manufacturing industry.

Development of receptor cell model with oscillation frequency‐dependent on sensor input intensity

AbstractThis paper developed a receptor cell model that mimics the receptor cells’ function of living organisms. The receptor cell model converts the signal input of the sensor into an oscillating pulse waveform. The oscillation frequency of the receptor cell model varies according to the sensory input intensity. First, the authors construct the receptor cell model by discrete circuit. The circuit was described using circuit simulation and compared with the experimental result. Also, we measure the frequency characteristics utilizing a pressure sensor and an optical sensor. The result shows that the receptor cell model could vary from 300 to 600 Hz according to the sensory input intensity. Second, the authors propose the receptor cell model by the integrated circuit. Experimental results showed that the receptor cell model's oscillation frequency changed from 370 to 890 Hz. As a result, the proposal receptor cell model could output the oscillating pulse waveform dependent on sensor input intensity.

Probing the rotational spin-Hall effect in a structured Gaussian beam

Spin-to-orbit conversion of light is a dynamical optical phenomenon in nonparaxial fields leading to various manifestations of the spin and orbital Hall effect. However, the effects of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) have not been explored extensively for structured Gaussian beams carrying no intrinsic orbital angular momentum. Indeed, the SOI effects on such structured beams can be directly visualized due to azimuthal rotation of their transverse intensity profiles, a phenomenon we call the rotational spin-Hall effect. In this paper we show that for an input circularly polarized (right or left) Hermite-Gaussian $({\text{HG}}_{10})$ mode, the SOI leads to a significant azimuthal rotation of the transverse intensity distribution of both the orthogonal circularly polarized (left or right) component and the longitudinal field intensity with respect to the input intensity profile. We validate our theoretical and numerically simulated results experimentally by tightly focusing a circularly polarized ${\text{HG}}_{10}$ beam in an optical tweezers configuration and projecting out the opposite circular polarization component and the transverse distribution of the longitudinal field intensity at the output of the tweezers. We also measure the rotational shift as a function of the refractive index contrast in the path of the tightly focused light and in general observe a proportional increase. The enhanced spin-orbit conversion in these cases may lead to interesting applications in inducing complex dynamics in optically trapped birefringent particles using structured Gaussian beams with no intrinsic orbital angular momentum.

Farmland transfer and esophageal cancer incidence rate: mediation of pollution-related agricultural input intensity.

Cancer is a growing global health threat. Examining the determinants of cancer incidence can benefit for cancer treatment and prevention. Farmland transfer relates to the risk factors of esophageal cancer including environmental pollution, services access, and habits. This study characterizes the associations between farmland transfer and esophageal cancer incidence rate (ECI) that integrate mediated effect of pollution-related agricultural input intensity in Xiaoshan District, China. The state-space model is employed to quantify the relationships among farmland transfer, pollution-related agricultural input intensity, and ECI. The results showed that (1) Total effects of the proportion of transferred farmland (TFA) area cause a reduction in the ECI. Besides, the total positive effects of the proportion of transferred farmland cultivated non-grain crop (NGC) and proportion of farmland transferred to non-farmer users (NFU) show a downward trend. (2) The raise of TFA can result in the reduction of chemical fertilizer use intensity. Meanwhile, the raise of NGC and NFU can result in the growth of pollution-related agricultural input intensity. But these increasing effects generally show a downward trend. (3) Increasing chemical fertilizer use intensity and pesticide use intensity results in the rise of esophageal cancer incidence rate as a whole. (4) In general, farmland transfer has positive direct effects on esophageal cancer incidence rate. (5) The average proportions of mediated effects in all state-space models are larger than 10%. These findings can raise land reform policy designers' awareness of the risk of public health since the land transfer markets are emerging rapidly in land reform in many developing countries to improve agricultural production.

Kettle holes reflect the biogeochemical characteristics of their catchment area and the intensity of the element-specific input

Kettle holes reflect the biogeochemical characteristics of their catchment area and the intensity of the element-specific input

An empirical analysis of the global input–output network and its evolution

This paper studies the global production network using a general equilibrium model calibrated on world input–output data. The analysis of propagation of idiosyncratic productivity shocks in the calibrated model allows to define a model-based network centrality measure. Such measure is used to investigate the topology of the global input–output network in 2014 and its evolution from 2000 to 2014. We find that new influential sectors have emerged over time. Moreover, we show that the global production system has evolved to become more sensitive to idiosyncratic productivity shocks and that this result is related to the increase of the intermediate input intensity of production.