Large Frequency Changes Research Articles

Photoswitchable polyynes for multiplexed stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with reversible light control

Optical imaging with photo-controllable probes has greatly advanced biological research. With superb chemical specificity of vibrational spectroscopy, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is particularly promising for super-multiplexed optical imaging with rich chemical information. Functional SRS imaging in response to light has been recently demonstrated, but multiplexed SRS imaging with reversible photocontrol remains unaccomplished. Here, we create a multiplexing palette of photoswitchable polyynes with 16 Raman frequencies by coupling asymmetric diarylethene with super-multiplexed Carbow (Carbow-switch). Through optimization of both electronic and vibrational spectroscopy, Carbow-switch displays excellent photoswitching properties under visible light control and SRS response with large frequency change and signal enhancement. Reversible and spatial-selective multiplexed SRS imaging of different organelles are demonstrated in living cells. We further achieve photo-selective time-lapse imaging of organelle dynamics during oxidative stress and protein phase separation. The development of Carbow-switch for photoswitchable SRS microscopy will open up new avenues to study complex interactions and dynamics in living cells with high spatiotemporal precision and multiplexing capability.

Nonstationary stochastic paired watershed approach: Investigating forest harvesting effects on floods in two large, nested, and snow-dominated watersheds in British Columbia, Canada

Drawing on advances in nonstationary frequency analysis and the science of causation and attribution, this study employs a newly developed nonstationary stochastic paired watershed approach to determine the effect of forest harvesting on snowmelt-generated floods. Moreover, this study furthers the application of stochastic physics to evaluate the environmental controls and drivers of flood response. Physically-based climate and time-varying harvesting data are used as covariates to drive the nonstationary flood frequency distribution parameters to detect, attribute, and quantify the effect of harvesting on floods in the snow-dominated Deadman River (878 km2) and nested Joe Ross Creek (99 km2) watersheds. Harvesting only 21% of the watershed caused a 38% and 84% increase in the mean but no increase in variability around the mean of the frequency distribution in the Deadman River and Joe Ross Creek, respectively. Consequently, the 7-year, 20-year, 50-year, and 100-year flood events became approximately two, four, six, and ten times more frequent in both watersheds. An increase in the mean is posited to occur from an increase in moisture availability following harvest from suppressed snow interception and increased net radiation reaching the snowpack. Variability was not increased because snowmelt synchronization was inhibited by the buffering capacity of abundant lakes, evenly distributed aspects, and widespread spatial distribution of cutblocks in the watersheds, preventing any potential for harvesting to increase the efficiency of runoff delivery to the outlet. Consistent with similar recent studies, the effect of logging on floods is controlled not only by the harvest rate but most importantly the physiographic characteristics of the watershed and the spatial distribution of the cutblocks. Imposed by the probabilistic framework to understanding and predicting the relation between extremes and their environmental controls, commonly used in the general sciences but not forest hydrology, it is the inherent nature of snowmelt-driven flood regimes which cause even modest increases in magnitude, especially in the upper tail of the distribution, to translate into surprisingly large changes in frequency. Contrary to conventional wisdom, harvesting influenced small, medium, and very large flood events, and the sensitivity to harvest increased with increasing flood event size and watershed area.

Weather image-based short-term dense wind speed forecast with a ConvLSTM-LSTM deep learning model

Short-term wind speed predication is of great significance for scholars (e.g., understanding wind profiles), practitioners (e.g., building energy management), regulators (e.g., urban microclimate regulation), and even the general public. Current wind speed forecasting methods either generate sparse predictions or occur high cost. This paper reports a novel, inexpensive framework to forecast urban local dense wind speed. The central tenet is a convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) and LSTM combinatorial deep learning model to learn the features of input historical weather image series coupled with spatial-temporal correlations. The model was trained and tested using Hong Kong datasets. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model are verified and compared with parallel models under different criteria, including mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and R-squared (R2). The experimental results show that: (1) the proposed ConvLSTM-LSTM deep learning model can effectively forecast wind speed regardless of location; (2) the overall MAE, RMSE, and R2 value of the proposed model are improved by 14.84%, 15.04%, and 7.51%, respectively, compared to the ConvLSTM-full connected (ConvLSTM-FC) model, and by 22.12%, 22.80%, and 12.24%, respectively, compared to the convolutional neural network-LSTM (CNN-LSTM) model; and (3) compared with parallel models, the proposed model has better performance in predicting wind speed series with large amplitude variations and rapid frequency changes.

Integral‐type half‐tangent phase‐locked loop for more electric aircraft grids

AbstractIn this paper, an integral‐type half‐tangent phase‐locked loop (IHTan‐PLL) is proposed for the varying‐frequency AC grids of more electric aircraft (MEA). First, the performance of the synchronous reference frame phase‐locked loop (SRF‐PLL) and half‐tangent phase‐locked loop (HTan‐PLL) is discussed from a large‐signal viewpoint. When the frequency changes largely, the SRF‐PLL has many oscillations and endures a rather long transient process. The HTan‐PLL can address the large frequency jumps. However, for the varying‐frequency AC grids with harmonic disturbances, the HTan‐PLL still has oscillations in estimating the frequency when the frequency jumps largely. To enhance the performance of the SRF‐PLL and HTan‐PLL, the IHTan‐PLL is developed for the varying‐frequency AC grids with harmonic disturbances. The IHTan‐PLL performs better than the SRF‐PLL and HTan‐PLL in addressing the large frequency jumps. Specifically, under any large frequency changes, the IHTan‐PLL still converges to the equilibrium point (0,0), and no oscillations emerge. In addition, the IHTan‐PLL has better steady‐state accuracy in estimating the frequency than the SRF‐PLL and HTan‐PLL. The experimental results also demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed IHTan‐PLL.

A Half-Tangent Phase-Locked Loop for Variable-Frequency Grids of the More Electric Aircraft

In this article, a half-tangent phase-locked loop (HTan-PLL) is proposed for variable-frequency grids of more electric aircrafts. First, the pros and cons of the synchronous reference frame PLL (SRF-PLL) are discussed in a nonlinear framework. To address the disadvantages, a half-tangent phase detector (PD) is developed and a novel PLL is then proposed. Subsequently, a phase portrait-based analysis and a Lyapunov function-based argument are provided. It is proven that the HTan-PLL has a good performance in terms of steady-state accuracy and fast dynamics, even under large frequency changes. Compared with the conventional SRF-PLL, the proposed HTan-PLL outperforms with the following features: faster dynamics than the SRF-PLL when the frequency varies largely; no unstable equilibrium points, while the SRF-PLL has infinite unstable equilibrium points; and when the grid frequency jumps widely, the HTan-PLL converges to the unique equilibrium point (0,0). By contrast, the SRF-PLL goes to different equilibrium points. Experimental tests are provided, which verify the superior performance of the HTan-PLL.

The Acoustic Change Complex Compared to Hearing Performance in Unilaterally and Bilaterally Deaf Cochlear Implant Users.

Objectives:Clinical measures evaluating hearing performance in cochlear implant (CI) users depend on attention and linguistic skills, which limits the evaluation of auditory perception in some patients. The acoustic change complex (ACC), a cortical auditory evoked potential to a sound change, might yield useful objective measures to assess hearing performance and could provide insight in cortical auditory processing. The aim of this study is to examine the ACC in response to frequency changes as an objective measure for hearing performance in CI users.Design:Thirteen bilaterally deaf and six single-sided deaf subjects were included, all having used a unilateral CI for at least 1 year. Speech perception was tested with a consonant-vowel-consonant test (+10 dB signal-to-noise ratio) and a digits-in-noise test. Frequency discrimination thresholds were measured at two reference frequencies, using a 3-interval, 2-alternative forced-choice, adaptive staircase procedure. The two reference frequencies were selected using each participant’s frequency allocation table and were centered in the frequency band of an electrode that included 500 or 2000 Hz, corresponding to the apical electrode or the middle electrode, respectively. The ACC was evoked with pure tones of the same two reference frequencies with varying frequency increases: within the frequency band of the middle or the apical electrode (+0.25 electrode step), and steps to the center frequency of the first (+1), second (+2), and third (+3) adjacent electrodes.Results:Reproducible ACCs were recorded in 17 out of 19 subjects. Most successful recordings were obtained with the largest frequency change (+3 electrode step). Larger frequency changes resulted in shorter N1 latencies and larger N1-P2 amplitudes. In both unilaterally and bilaterally deaf subjects, the N1 latency and N1-P2 amplitude of the CI ears correlated to speech perception as well as frequency discrimination, that is, short latencies and large amplitudes were indicative of better speech perception and better frequency discrimination. No significant differences in ACC latencies or amplitudes were found between the CI ears of the unilaterally and bilaterally deaf subjects, but the CI ears of the unilaterally deaf subjects showed substantially longer latencies and smaller amplitudes than their contralateral normal-hearing ears.Conclusions:The ACC latency and amplitude evoked by tone frequency changes correlate well to frequency discrimination and speech perception capabilities of CI users. For patients unable to reliably perform behavioral tasks, the ACC could be of added value in assessing hearing performance.

DC Signature of Snap-through Bistability in Carbon Nanotube Mechanical Resonators.

Bistable arched beams exhibiting Euler-Bernoulli snap-through buckling are widely investigated as promising candidates for various potential applications, such as memory devices, energy harvesters, sensors, and actuators. Recently, we reported the realization of a buckled suspended carbon nanotube (CNT) based bistable resonator, which exhibits a unique three-dimensional snap-through transition and an extremely large change in frequency as a result. In this article, we address a unique characteristic of these devices in which a significant change in the DC conductance is also observed at the mechanical snap-through transition. Through the analysis of this phenomenon, we arrive at several important conclusions: we find that the common approach to determining CNT vibrational resonance amplitude is inaccurate; we find evidence that latching phenomena should be easily realizable, relevant for RF switches and nonvolatile memory devices. Finally, we present evidence for possible inner shell sliding, which is relevant for understanding interlayer coupling and moiré pattern research.

Detection of Diazinon Organophosphates Using Magnetoelastic Sensor

In this study, 2826MB (Fe₄₀Ni₃₈Mo₄B₁₈) amorphous ferromagnetic ribbons were used as a magnetoelastic sensor (MES) to detect diazinon organophosphates (OP). Since enlarging the sensor surface area makes a significant contribution to the sensitivity of the sensor, nanofibers were coated on the sensor surface, and then, the nanofibers were functionalized with glutaraldehyde (GA) in order to covalently bind acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme to the surface. It was found that binding of OPs to the AChE enzyme at the functional amorphous ribbon surface, a large change in the resonance frequency was observed. The results showed that functionalized MES shows a linear change according to the amount of OP detected in the range of 0–140 nL or 0–150 ppm in the solution.

Ciliary beating patterns map onto a low-dimensional behavioural space

Biological systems are robust to perturbations at both the genetic and environmental levels, although these same perturbations can elicit variation in behaviour. The interplay between functional robustness and behavioural variability is exemplified at the organellar level by the beating of cilia and flagella. Cilia are motile despite wide genetic diversity between and within species, differences in intracellular concentrations of ATP and calcium, and considerable environment fluctuations in temperature and viscosity. At the same time, these perturbations result in a variety of spatio-temporal patterns that span a rich behavioural space. To investigate this behavioural space we analysed the dynamics of isolated cilia from the unicellular algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under many different environmental and genetic conditions. We found that, despite large changes in beat frequency and amplitude, the space of waveform shapes is low-dimensional in the sense that two features account for 80% of the observed variation. The geometry of this behavioural space accords with the predictions of a simple mechanochemical model in the low-viscosity regime. This allowed us to associate waveform shape variability with changes in only the curvature response coefficients of the dynein motors.

Magnetic Field Sensor Based on Magnetic Torque Effect and Surface Acoustic Wave With Enhanced Sensitivity

A magnetic field sensor consisting of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) generator and a cantilever beam with NdFeB permanent magnets are developed. The working principle of this magnetic sensor relies on the center frequency shift of the SAW device under the magnetic field as a consequence of the torque-effect-induced deformation of the cantilever, which changes the stress on the piezoelectric LiNbO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> and the spacing between the interdigital transducers (IDTs). Compared with other magnetic sensors based on acoustic resonance, the performance of our proposed sensor is greatly enhanced due to the structural design by incorporating the magnetic torque effect. High sensitivity of 1277.69 kHz/Oe and a large percentage change in frequency of 5.177% are achieved in this magnetic sensor near a resonant frequency of 848 MHz. The proposed magnetic sensor based on SAW and torque effect exhibits great potential for applications in magnetic field detection.

The genomic basis of high-elevation adaptation in wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from South America.

Understanding the genetic basis of environmental adaptation in natural populations is a central goal in evolutionary biology. The conditions at high elevation, particularly the low oxygen available in the ambient air, impose a significant and chronic environmental challenge to metabolically active animals with lowland ancestry. To understand the process of adaptation to these novel conditions and to assess the repeatability of evolution over short timescales, we examined the signature of selection from complete exome sequences of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) sampled across two elevational transects in the Andes of South America. Using phylogenetic analysis, we show that house mice colonized high elevations independently in Ecuador and Bolivia. Overall, we found distinct responses to selection in each transect and largely nonoverlapping sets of candidate genes, consistent with the complex nature of traits that underlie adaptation to low oxygen availability (hypoxia) in other species. Nonetheless, we also identified a small subset of the genome that appears to be under parallel selection at the gene and SNP levels. In particular, three genes (Col22a1, Fgf14, and srGAP1) bore strong signatures of selection in both transects. Finally, we observed several patterns that were common to both transects, including an excess of derived alleles at high elevation, and a number of hypoxia-associated genes exhibiting a threshold effect, with a large allele frequency change only at the highest elevations. This threshold effect suggests that selection pressures may increase disproportionately at high elevations in mammals, consistent with observations of some high-elevation diseases in humans.

Detection of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural based on split-DNAzyme assisted signal amplification via quartz crystal microbalance

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is one of the food contaminants mainly formed by Maillard and caramelization reaction. Here, we developed a simple method to detect HMF based on split-DNAzyme assisted signal amplification via Quartz crystal microbalance. Firstly, two fragments of the split-DNAzyme (ESΙ and ESII) and AuNPs-ssDNA were prepared. In the absence of HMF, the amino group of ESΙ reacted with the aldehyde group of ESΙΙ by Schiff base condensation，which linked ESΙ and ESII as DNAzyme. With the help of Mg2+, this DNAzyme cleaved AuNPs-ssDNA, freeing the complementary sequence of capture DNA from the ssDNA. In the presence of the target HMF, the aldehyde group in its molecular structure preferred to react with ESΙ, which prevented the link of ESΙ and ESII. In this case, DNAzyme cannot be formed effectively and the ssDNA modified on AuNPs cannot be cleaved. Secondly, the capture DNA was immobilized on Au chip in the QCM chamber. Then, the intact AuNPs-ssDNA was introduced to hybridize with the capture DNA, resulted in a large frequency change (ΔF) of the QCM biosensor because of the huge increased mass of AuNPs. So, HMF can be detected based on the frequency change (ΔF) of the QCM biosensor. This QCM biosensor is more sensitive than previously reported methods, which provide a new direction for the analytical detection of HMF and other food contaminants.

A Demodulation Circuit For Analog Front End Of Passive Tag Chip

The demodulation circuit designed in this paper is suitable for the analog front end of passive UHF RFID tag chip, which can handle ASK signals with large changes in amplitude, modulation depth and signal frequency. Its performance meets the requirements of standards ISO/IEC 18000-6C and GB/T 29768-2013. Envelope detection circuit and limiter circuit are simple in structure and do not consume power. The comparison reference voltage is taken according to the average value of the envelope high and low levels, and is less affected by the dynamic changes of the input signal. Changing the width-to-length ratio of the MOSFETs in the feedback path of the comparator can adjust the hysteresis, with strong noise suppression and controllable sensitivity. The demodulator is implemented with TSMC 0.18 μm standard CMOS process. The simulation results show that the ASK signal modulation depth that the demodulator can handle is as low as 30%, and the maximum pulse width demodulation error is only 0.43%.

Selection on growth rate and local adaptation drive genomic adaptation during experimental range expansions in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila.

Populations that expand their range can undergo rapid evolutionary adaptation of life‐history traits, dispersal behaviour and adaptation to the local environment. Such adaptation may be aided or hindered by sexual reproduction, depending on the context.However, few empirical and experimental studies have investigated the genetic basis of adaptive evolution during range expansions. Even less attention has been given to the question how sexual reproduction may modulate such adaptive evolution during range expansions.We here studied genomic adaptation during experimental range expansions of the protist Tetrahymena thermophila in landscapes with a uniform environment or a pH gradient. Specifically, we investigated two aspects of genomic adaptation during range expansion. First, we investigated adaptive genetic change in terms of the underlying numbers of allele frequency changes from standing genetic variation and de novo variants. We focused on how sexual reproduction may alter this adaptive genetic change. Second, we identified genes subject to selection caused by the expanding range itself, and directional selection due to the presence or absence of the pH gradient. We focused this analysis on alleles with large frequency changes that occurred in parallel in more than one population to identify the most likely candidate targets of selection.We found that sexual reproduction altered adaptive genetic change both in terms of de novo variants and standing genetic variation. However, sexual reproduction affected allele frequency changes in standing genetic variation only in the absence of long‐distance gene flow. Adaptation to the range expansion affected genes involved in cell divisions and DNA repair, whereas adaptation to the pH gradient additionally affected genes involved in ion balance and oxidoreductase reactions. These genetic changes may result from selection on growth and adaptation to low pH.In the absence of gene flow, sexual reproduction may have aided genetic adaptation. Gene flow may have swamped expanding populations with maladapted alleles, thus reducing the extent of evolutionary adaptation during range expansion. Sexual reproduction also altered the genetic basis of adaptation in our evolving populations via de novo variants, possibly by purging deleterious mutations or by revealing fitness benefits of rare genetic variants.

Effects of Atmospheric Circulation on Stream Chemistry in Forested Watersheds Across the Northeastern United States: Part 2. Interannual Weather Type Variability

AbstractUsing synoptic classification techniques, synoptic‐scale weather types associated with large exports of dissolved organic carbon and nitrate‐nitrogen in three forested watersheds in the northeastern United States are analyzed. In contrast to Siegert et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jd033413; Part 1), which details the general synoptic conditions associated with stream chemistry variations, this study focuses on the long‐term frequency, trends, and global‐scale forcing mechanisms of individual, chemistry‐relevant, synoptic types. Nine individual types are identified as the most important to stream chemistry exports in northeastern watersheds during a 2.5‐year period of high‐frequency stream chemistry observation (2014–2016). Streamflow chemistry was the most influenced by Northwest Flow synoptic weather types in Vermont, cold front passages associated with Weak Westerly Flow types in Rhode Island, and Southwest Flow (SWF) types in Maryland. Each type provides unique atmospheric conditions that result in variations in precipitation, and thus chemical signals. From 1948 to 2017, the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations greatly influenced the interannual frequency of the analyzed synoptic types. When the indices were positively phased, SWF types were more frequent, while Northwest Flow and Weak Westerly Flow types were less frequent. Long‐term trends in synoptic type frequency are, inpart, due to documented changes in these teleconnection indices toward more positively phased configurations. As the climate continues to change into the 21st century, such associations may continue to drive large changes in synoptic type frequency, and thus watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry in the Northeast region.

East, West and Westminster: A corpus-based study of UK foreign policy statements regarding the unification of Germany, October 1989 to November 1990

This paper is a study of the language used to articulate UK foreign policy regarding the unification of Germany. It identifies events which drove changes in UK policy and explores changes in ministers’ discourse as the government’s policy evolved. The primary source material is a bespoke corpus extracted from Hansard, the official report on proceedings in the UK Parliament. It comprises the words attributed to the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and his ministerial team between October 1989 and November 1990. The paper identifies lexical items that are more frequent in speeches and statements relating to Germany than in the corpus as a whole and which display a large change in frequency within the period. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, it identifies distinct features of ministers’ discourse that correlate with phases of policy. These include the prominence of Germany in ministers’ discourse; ministers’ lexical choices; and changes in the seniority of the ministers delivering the discourse. It also identifies one aspect of ministers’ discourse that does not change in a way that correlates with phases of policy: their descriptions of the Warsaw Pact.

Ultra-Sensitive Radio Frequency Biosensor at an Exceptional Point of Degeneracy Induced by Time Modulation

We exploit the premises of exceptional points of degeneracy (EPDs) induced in linear time-periodic (LTP) systems to achieve extremely sensitive biosensors. The EPD is formed in a single LC resonator where the total capacitance is comprised of a time-varying capacitor in parallel to a biosensing capacitor. We use the time-periodic variation of a system parameter (e.g., capacitance) to achieve a second order EPD aiming at improving the sensitivity of liquid based radio frequency biosensors, leading to an intrinsic ultra sensitivity. We show the emergence of EPDs in such a system and the ultra sensitivity of the degenerate resonance frequency to perturbations compared to conventional RF sensors. Moreover, we investigate the capacitance and conductance variations of an interdigitated biosensing capacitor to the changes in the concentration of a biological material under test (MUT), leading to subsequent large changes in the resonance frequency of the LTP-LC resonator. A comparison with a standard LC resonator demonstrates the ultra-high sensitivity of the proposed LTP-LC based biosensor. In addition, we show the scalability of the biosensor sensitivity across different frequency ranges.

Adaptive Control of HVDC Links for Frequency Stability Enhancement in Low-Inertia Systems

Decarbonization of power systems has put Renewable Energy Sources (RES) at the forefront when it comes to electric power generation. The increasing shares of converter-connected renewable generation cause a decrease of the rotational inertia of the Electric Power System (EPS), and consequently deteriorate the system capability to withstand large load-generation imbalances. Low-inertia systems are subjected to fast and large frequency changes in case of in-feed loss, where the traditional primary frequency control is not sufficient to preserve the frequency stability and to maintain the frequency above the critical value. One possible solution to this rising problem is seen in Fast Frequency Response (FFR) provided by the High-Voltage Direct-Current (HVDC)-based systems. This paper presents the adaptive FFR control of HVDC-based systems for frequency stability enhancement in the low-inertia system. The EPS is considered as a “black box” and the HVDC response is determined only using the locally measured frequency change. Sliding Mode Control (SMC) of the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) was developed and demonstrated to provide faster and more appropriate frequency response compared to the PI controller. The described adaptive HVDC control considers the size of disturbance and the inertia of the power system, and it is verified by simulations on the IEEE 39 bus test system implemented in MATLAB/Simulink for different system configurations and different sizes of disturbance.

Kaplan Turbine Model Validation for Large Grid Frequency Disturbances

The grid frequency stability is decreasing in many AC grids due to less inertia in these systems, and their stability is commonly evaluated through simulation. Hydropower often delivers frequency control, yet research on hydropower model validation for large grid frequency disturbances is scarce. We performed frequency control tests on a Kaplan unit and evaluated three models (called the standard grey-box, Kaplan grey-box, and white-box models) against validation data. The grey-box model parameters were identified with grey-box system identification, whereas the white-box model used index test data to relate guide vane opening and runner blade angle to net head, flow, and efficiency. All models accounted for steering mechanism backlash. The results showed that the white-box model was overall more reliable than the two grey-box models. However, all models had difficulties in simulating the output power the first few seconds after a large change in frequency. Moreover, backlash sizes had considerable performance impacts on all models. The uncertainties in hydropower model response during the first few seconds after a disturbance emphasize the importance of sufficient stability margins in grid frequency stability simulations.

On Random and Systematic Variation in the Prevalence of Defective Color Vision.

Defective color vision comes in various forms and its frequency varies from population to population. This article is concerned with only the sex-linked form of essential hereditary color blindness. A model of a 'small' population is constructed to explore the dynamics of occurrence of color blindness. Different mutation rates are introduced for eggs and sperm. Birth and death rates of affected individuals are assumed to be the same as those in the unaffected. Simulation demonstrates that large changes in frequency occur randomly from the combined effects of mutation, transmission of genes from generation to generation and births and deaths. A reference is made to the hypothesis that observed differences in rates are due to selection in the transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer.