Strip Width Research Articles

Roles of boron in preventing cadmium uptake by Capsicum annuum root tips: Novel insights from ultrastructural investigation and single-cell RNA sequencing

Sufficient boron (B) can reduce cadmium (Cd) accumulation in crops; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Ultrastructural analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing were used to investigate the changes of the Casparian strip of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) root tips exposed to Cd under different B supplements, lignin formation-related gene expression and regulation in the endodermis to deeper understand the molecular mechanisms by which B inhibits root Cd uptake. The results showed that the Casparian strip widths significantly increased in hot pepper root tips exposed to Cd under B-sufficient (B1Cd1) conditions compared to those under B-deficient conditions (B0Cd1). Additionally, more cerium precipitates, which indicate H2O2 accumulation, were observed in the Casparian strip region in B0Cd1 than that in B1Cd1. B supplementation markedly enhanced the expression of certain lignin formation-related genes only in the endodermis cells. These genes included transcription factor genes, WRKY (WRKY7/40/41/53) and ERF (ERF2/109), and two types of genes related to lignin formation, namely, PER genes (PER3/9/49/6472 and LAC3) and dirigent protein (DIR) genes (DIR16/21/24/25). It suggests that the main reason for B reducing Cd accumulation in hot peppers is that B-induced endodermal lignification of root tips under Cd exposure is beneficial to prevent Cd influx into the stele via the apoplastic pathway.

Effectiveness of the VFSMOD Model in Simulating Sediment Trapping by a Vegetative Filter Strip: Case of the Lobo Reservoir in Daloa (Central–West Côte d’Ivoire)

The Lobo reservoir, designed to supply water to the Daloa city population (central west of Côte d’Ivoire), is facing the phenomenon of eutrophication due to the agricultural plots located upstream of the reservoir inputs. Studies have highlighted the reservoir pollution and sedimentation problems. This study was initiated to test the effectiveness of a transfer model in the fight against the eutrophication problem. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal width of a vegetative filter strip on the banks of the Lobo reservoir, where the water intake installations of the drunk water company SODECI are located, using the VFSMOD model. The methodological approach is structured into four (4) main stages: 1—Evaluation of runoff from the source of pollution (contributing surface) during a rainy episode; 2—Calculation of the incoming runoff volume and the sediment load; 3—Simulation of runoff reduction and incoming sediments within the grassy filter strip; and 4—Determination of the optimal width of the grassy strip. The results obtained showed a contributing source area of 13.5 ha and 2% as the average slope. A runoff volume of 4680 m3 coming from the source of pollution is reduced by 1119 m3 (24%) through a grassy strip that is 3 m wide. The sediment load goes from 132 kg to 33 kg, a reduction of 75% in the quantity of sediment entering. The scenarios tested showed that a grassy strip width equal to 3 m should allow for a reduction of 75% of upstream sediments. This grassy strip width of 3 m should be considered for implementing a vegetative filter strip around the Lobo reservoir.

Relay Intercropping of Soybean and Winter Barley in Polish Climatic Conditions—Importance of Strip Width and Yearly Weather

Climate change and the increasing demand for food necessitate innovative agricultural methods. Relay intercropping, where one crop is sown into another already-grown crop, offers a promising alternative to traditional systems. In the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, a field experiment was conducted to assess the relay intercropping of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. polistichon) with soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr). This experiment took place at the Brody Experimental and Educational Station of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland. Soybean was sown into designated strips within the barley field, and both crops were cultivated simultaneously until the barley was harvested. After the barley harvest, the soybean plants continued to grow and were harvested at full maturity. The results varied between the two years of this experiment. In the first year, characterized by drought conditions, the soybean yield was completely lost, while the barley maintained a stable yield. In the second year, with more favorable weather, the yields of barley and soybean were interdependent. The use of the relay intercropping system did not increase the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) above 1. Additionally, total protein yield remained consistent across different cultivation systems. Relay intercropping can serve as a method for protecting crop protein yields under adverse weather conditions and may offer a viable alternative for soybean cultivation in challenging climates.

Control of roughness-induced transition in supersonic flows by local wall heating strips

Isolated-roughness-induced transitions controlled by local wall heating strips are studied via direct numerical simulation and BiGlobal linear stability analysis. The transition mechanisms are studied first with different wall temperatures. The separated shear layer–counter-rotating vortex system is found to be the main source for transitions. Symmetric and antisymmetric modes are observed in the wake, and the former is dominant. The local wall heating strip can delay the transition, and this effect is enhanced with higher heating temperature, wider strip and a combination of upstream and downstream control strips. The upstream strip lifts up the inlet flow and weakens the wake system in an indirect manner. The antisymmetric mode gradually vanishes, while the symmetric mode always exists but becomes weaker. The downstream strip exhibits a more effective transition delay by directly weakening the separated shear layer and vortex system in the wake. Vorticity transport analysis suggests that the downstream strip increases dissipation for streamwise vorticity and transfers it into wall-normal and spanwise vorticity. BiGlobal analyses indicate that the downstream strip shows less influence on the peak growth rate of the symmetric mode but significantly shrinks its unstable region. Analyses of the disturbance energy production indicate that the upstream strip wakens the wall-normal and spanwise shear at the same time, but the downstream strip mainly wakens the wall-normal one. More simulations are performed with different roughness heights, point-source disturbance and different roughness shapes. The results show that the current method remains effective enough in delaying transitions at a wide range of conditions.

Structural Behavior of Full-Depth Deck Panels Having Developed Closure Strips Reinforced with GFRP Bars and Filled with UHPFRC

The adoption of prefabricated elements and systems (PBES) in accelerating bridge construction (ABC) and rapidly replacing aging infrastructure has attracted considerable attention from bridge authorities. These prefabricated components facilitate quick assembly, which diminishes the environmental footprint at the construction site, alleviates delays and lane closures, reduces disruption for the traveling public, and ultimately conserves both time and taxpayer resources. The current paper explores the structural behavior of a reinforced concrete (RC) precast full-depth deck panel (FDDP) having 175 mm projected glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars embedded into a 200 mm wide closure strip filled with ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). Three joint details for moment-resisting connections (MRCs), named the angle joint, C-joint, and zigzag joint, were constructed and loaded to collapse. The controlled slabs and mid-span-connected precast FDDPs were statically loaded to collapse under concentric or eccentric wheel loading. The moment capacity of the controlled slab reinforced with GFRP bars compared with the concrete slab reinforced with steel reinforcing bars was less than 15% for the same reinforcement ratio. The precast FDDPs showed very similar results to those of the controlled slab reinforced with GFRP bars. The RC slab reinforced by steel reinforcing bars failed in the flexural mode, while the slab reinforced by GFRP bars failed in flexural-shear one.

Seasonal distribution of cetaceans in the European Atlantic and Mediterranean waters

As apex predators, cetaceans play an essential ecological role in marine ecosystems. Fluctuations in the abundance of these top predators linked to human activities can have detrimental consequences for the entire ecosystem. Cetaceans face numerous anthropogenic threats that can have both short and long-term effects. To ensure their conservation, it is necessary to identify changes in seasonal distributions at small and large scales. We aimed to model the seasonal distribution of the most abundant cetacean species in the European Atlantic waters and the Mediterranean Sea by assembling datasets collected over 16 years of surveys using a standardised line-transect protocol. Data were homogenised, detection functions fitted and effective strip widths estimated. We extracted environmental variables integrated over the water column, which we transformed using a principal component analysis (PCA). The dimensions of the PCA were then integrated as explanatory variables in a generalised additive model, taking seasonal and spatial effects into account to predict the seasonal cetacean distribution. We were able to highlight changes in the spatial distribution and/or density of cetaceans throughout the year at a large scale, considering environmental extrapolation areas to predict where environmental variables were sampled during the surveys. For minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and fin (B. physalus) whales, densities varied over the seasons but not the distribution, suggesting a seasonal migration outside the survey areas. For common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), densities varied little but distributions did over the seasons. Finally, pilot whales (Globicephala spp), Risso’s (Grampus griseus) and striped (Stenella coeruleoalba) dolphins showed little seasonal variation in their distribution. Using monthly dynamic environmental variables at depth and PCA dimensions in habitat models, we produced maps of the seasonal distribution of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea and the European Atlantic waters to help fill gaps in our knowledge of cetacean distribution.

Optimisation study of roll profile for controlling high-order wave defects in an ultra-wide rolling mill

This paper investigates the issue of higher-order waviness in the rolling process of wide strip steel, focusing on the different higher-order roll shape compensation curves of Baotou steel 2250 mm hot strip mill. First, three typical higher-order waviness compensation curves are fitted and quantitatively evaluated. Second, a mathematical model of the unloaded roll gap is established to analyse the shape control characteristics of the entire roll gap. Finally, a finite element model of the roll system (work roll Φ700 × 2550 mm and support roll Φ1600 × 2250 mm) is constructed to analyse the effects of changes in the position of the shifting rolls on the cross-section of the strip steel at different widths (1400, 1600, 1800 and 2000 mm) using a controlled variable method. The study finds that the fourth-order roll shape demonstrates good performance in controlling higher-order waviness while maintaining the linear control characteristics of quadratic crown. Considering the magnitude of higher-order waviness in actual rolling processes, the compensation amount for the quartic crown is determined to be 0.05 mm. Based on this, the higher-order work roll shape is optimised, resulting in industrial applications where the flatness hit rate of 1.2–2.5 mm thick strip steel increased from 70.57% to 88.7% and the hit rate for 2.51–4 mm thick strip steel increased from 89.11% to 90.8%. Further optimisation of the roll crown setting from [−0.7 mm, 0.4 mm] to [−0.55 mm, 0.55 mm] and adjustment of the shifting roll position improved the middle waviness, ultimately increasing the flatness hit rate for 1.2–2.5 mm thick strip steel to 89.2% and for 2.51–4 mm thick strip steel to 92.1%, thus validating the effectiveness of the roll shape optimisation.

Making Quick-Build Sidewalk Extensions Accessible to Pedestrians with Vision Disabilities

Quick-build sidewalk extensions that shorten crossing distances and improve visibility between drivers and pedestrians waiting to cross the street are understood by most travelers, but wayfinding is difficult for pedestrians with vision disabilities who are unlikely to know they exist without specific familiarization. This research evaluated the effectiveness of three potential treatments for mitigating these wayfinding problems, all of which resulted in improvements in measures of wayfinding: 1) removing the detectable warning surface (DWS) from the curb ramp and installing DWS across the width of the crosswalk at the perimeter of the sidewalk extension; 2) placing a 24-inch wide strip of raised-bar tactile direction indicators with bars oriented perpendicular to the crossing direction along one side of the curb ramp and extending through the sidewalk extension to the DWS at the perimeter; and 3) placing trapezoidal tactile warning delineators (TWDs) along the edges of the crosswalk, within the sidewalk extension, to delineate the pedestrian path. A combination of moving the DWS and installing TWDs along crosswalk edges resulted in the most accurate and effective wayfinding to and through the quick-build sidewalk extension. The spacing of vertical perimeter elements (e.g., flexible posts) to ensure they were detectable by pedestrians with vision disabilities was also evaluated. Participants who traveled outside the crosswalk reliably encountered and detected at least one vertical perimeter element when the maximum separation between vertical elements was 24 inches. The perimeter was not reliably encountered and detected when the separation between vertical elements was considerably greater.

Extending multi-criteria coastal vulnerability assessment to low-lying inland areas: Examples from Estonia, eastern Baltic Sea

The assessment of vulnerability to coastal hazards is a significant coastal management problem in regions with complicated shoreline, such as Estonia. This study implements the vulnerability assessment based on the multi-criteria decision analysis using fuzzy logic, analytical hierarchy process, and weighted linear combination (including input from experts) integrated with a geographical information system, to map the coastal vulnerability index (CVI) of the Estonian coasts at high resolution based on 16 parameters. The novelty of our approach is that we expand this assessment to a 2 km wide inland area that is an intrinsic but often overlooked part of coastal vulnerability estimates. The Estonian shores have mostly low and moderate vulnerability. Short segments with high vulnerability are impacted by severe waves and highly elevated water levels. The CVI also characterizes low-lying areas, such as large river valleys, reasonably well. Estimates of coastal vulnerability based on the three most important parameters according to experts’ judgements provide a reasonable approximation of the 16-parameter CVI in mostly homogeneous coastal regions, but less so elsewhere where its value is questioned. The results show that the application of the developed integrated decision support system, applied to a 2 km wide coastal strip, provides more information than single tools to assist coastal managers and stakeholders in planning, preparing for and responding to hazards.

Optimized design of measurement wiring for multi-beam bathymetric system based on geometric modeling

Abstract In this paper, by establishing a mathematical model of the coverage width of the multi-beam bathymetric system and the overlap rate between adjacent strips, and combining it with a computer language program, several unknown quantities, such as the coverage width of the multi-beam bathymetric strips, the opening angle of the multi-beam transducer, and the overlap rate with the previous line of measurement, were accurately calculated. In addition, the study extended the model with optimization and in-depth analysis to determine the shortest measurement length of the multi-beam survey vessel. Finally, the validity and accuracy of the model in actual measurements are verified by testing the model. The model improves the working efficiency and measurement accuracy of the bathymetric system and provides an important theoretical basis for future marine scientific research.

Prediction of steel strip flatness based on the difference in drawing coefficients along its width during steel strip rolling

The paper presents a brief overview of approaches to calculating flat strip shape defects. It is shown that the most important technological factors in forming a flat sheet are the difference in draw bars across the strip width and the inter-roll gap profile, which depends mainly on elastic deformations that are uneven along the barrel length. The elastic deformations of the working roll surface were simulated, which, together with its thermal profile and wear, made it possible to estimate the transverse profile of the rolled product. The process of deformation of a set of rolls in a quarto stand was studied in the ANSYS Mechanic program using the Static Structure module. The results of calculating the elastic deformations of the roll surface in contact with the deformed strip with varying parameters over a wide range of values made it possible to obtain a statistically reliable equation for estimating the roll barrel profile in the deformation zone and the transverse profile of the rolled product. The obtained roll profile was used to study the formation of the flatness defect “waviness” using the DEFORM-3D program. It was carried out by simulating the rolling of a steel strip with a given transverse profile in profiled roll barrels. On the finished strip, the amplitude of the flat shape defect was estimated by comparing the vertical displacements of the strip section at its edge and in its middle at the exit from the rolls. Using a well-known technique, the amplitude of the “wave” and “box” was also calculated. The assessment was carried out on the basis of the difference in the elongation coefficients across the strip width. The results of the assessment and modeling of the rolling process showed very close results, which confirms the possibility of calculating the flatness parameters by the difference in the strip elongations across its width using a well-known formula.

Tunable enhancement of the cylindrical Luneburg lens focusing ability with the aid of a conformal graphene strip.

We consider the plane wave focusing characteristics of the layered cylindrical Luneburg lens equipped with a conformal strip of graphene, in the H-polarization case. The angular width and location of the strip is arbitrary, and its surface impedance is characterized with the aid of the quantum-physics Kubo formalism. We use a mathematically accurate full-wave analytical regularization technique, which is based on the explicit inversion of the problem static part and yields a Fredholm second-kind matrix equation. This guarantees the convergence of the resulting meshless numerical algorithm. We compute the focusing ability of a microsize lens as a function of the frequency in the wide range up to 60 THz. This analysis shows that a graphene strip, placed into the focal area of the Luneburg lens, enhances its focusing ability at the resonance frequency of the strip plasmon mode proportionally to the quality factor. This frequency is defined by the strip width and is tunable with the aid of graphene's chemical potential.

Strip cropping increases yield and revenue: multi-year analysis of an organic system in the Netherlands

Intercropping is proposed as a promising strategy to meet future food demand while reducing agriculture’s environmental impact by re-diversifying agricultural fields. Strip cropping, a form of intercropping, has a potential to simultaneously deliver multiple ecosystem services including productivity, while facilitating management as strip width can be adjusted to the working width of available machines. While the yield performance of strip cropping systems is influenced by the interaction between neighboring crops, to date, empirical studies on the performance of various crop combinations in strip cropping systems are limited. Here we used three-year data (2020–2022) from a 64-ha organic strip cropping system in the Netherlands to (1) evaluate the effects of crop neighbors and strip cropping on yield and (2) explore if optimizing the allocation of crop neighbors in alternative strip cropping configurations can improve yield and revenue performances. We analyzed the edge effect and strip cropping effect on yield of six crops grown in strips, each neighboring a total of five crops. The yield data was then used to evaluate the performance of the current and alternative strip configurations in terms of LER and relative revenue. Results showed that except for the positive effect observed on potato when neighboring celeriac or broccoli, edge effects lacked statistical significance. Strip cropping effect varied per crop: positive for faba bean and parsnip, neutral for celeriac and potato, and negative for oat and onion. Analysis across crops showed an overall significant positive strip cropping effect on yield. These findings highlighted the value of analysis at the cropping system level in developing designs aimed at unlocking the potential of strip cropping. The positive but variable strip cropping effects observed in the current experimental design and the two alternative configurations suggests prioritizing an overall increased crop diversity over optimizing their spatial arrangement. While we demonstrated increased productivity with strip cropping, further research is needed to expand the database on optimal crop combinations, extending the evaluation beyond yield and revenue performances to facilitate broader adoption of strip cropping in the Netherlands and Western Europe.

Partially insulated cracks in orthotropic materials under steady state thermo-mechanical loadings

An attempt has been made to investigate the cracked composite medium with thermally conducting multiple cracks at its interface of the dissimilar orthotropic media subjected to thermal and mechanical loadings. The present article examines the governing equations, the associated differential constraints and boundary conditions those govern the temperature field and stress field. Fourier integral transforms, together with their corresponding inverses, have been employed to convert the singular integral equations into a set of linear equations by using the concept of orthogonality and completeness. The numerical technique, namely the Schmidt method, which employs a polynomial expansion of the unknown functions, is used to solve algebraic equations to determine the desired temperature and stress fields. The semi-analytical findings of the expressions for heat flux intensity factor (HFIF), stress intensity factor (SIF), and crack displacements have been mentioned in the article. Both mode-I and II types of cracks have been studied to investigate the effect of thermal conductivity. Detailed graphical representations effectively illustrate the numerical results and the interrelations between crack lengths, bonded strip width, and the partial conductivity coefficient of the crack surface. As the thermal conductivity coefficient increases, the temperature difference tends to zero. The results reveal that an increase in thermal conductivity decreases the SIFs.

Image Restoration of Electrical Well Logging Based on Fourier Convolution

Imaging logging is an important technical means in logging evaluation of complex reservoirs. Through imaging logging, a two-dimensional image of the resistivity distribution around the well can be obtained, which can be used to evaluate the development of well wall fractures and caves and the formation sedimentary structure. However, due to the characteristics of resistivity imaging logging instruments, blank strips will appear on the resistivity logging image, which increases the difficulty of computer processing of electrical imaging data. The current image repair method and the existing neural network image repair method are not effective enough when the part to be filled is large. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an intelligent repair method based on deep learning. Based on a fast Fourier convolution-based imaging logging image blank strip filling network, this paper constructs the electrical imaging logging images of the southwest oil and gas field as a data set, and trains a new deep learning algorithm for intelligent filling of blank strips in imaging logging images based on fast Fourier convolution. The time of various algorithms is compared. The results show that the algorithm has a better repair effect in imaging logging images with large strip widths, and the repair efficiency is significantly improved. This method can realize the rapid, accurate and intelligent repair of blank strips in imaging logging, achieve the rapid generation of full-borehole images, and solve the difficulties in obtaining full-borehole images.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SEARCH AND DETECTION OF EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE IN THE CONDITIONS OF HIGH CONTAMINATION OF THE AREA WITH METAL FRAGMENTS

Currently, the enemy is using new mining tactics, when other sources of danger are additionally installed during mining, in particular with anti-personnel mines (APMs). This leads to accidents among sappers during operational demining. Therefore, there is an urgent problem of determining the procedure for searching for UXOs when the area is highly contaminated with metal fragments. An analysis of specialized literature has shown that the problem of searching, detecting and identifying UXOs both on land and in the water is the subject of close attention by both military specialists and researchers. Considerable attention has been paid to the testing and evaluation of metal detectors. However, the issue of searching for UXOs in highly contaminated areas with metal fragments, especially in areas of combat operations, has not been covered. The purpose of this article is to determine the procedure for organizing and conducting search and detection operations for UXOs in a highly contaminated area with nearby mines and metal fragments. At the same time, the risk of an emergency should be minimized. In this study, taking into account the fact of an increase in the number of accidents among deminers, it is proposed to adhere to the following recommendations when searching for and detecting UXOs in a highly contaminated area with metal fragments every working day before the start of the search for UXO, calibrate the metal detector to ensure confidence in the ability of the metal detector to distinguish between signals from the source of the hazard and nearby targets. Record the calibration of each metal detector in the calibration log; it is recommended to carry out work on the search for UXO using a metal detector within a 1-meter wide clearance strip using a base rail; it is recommended to mark the source of the hazardous signal along the edge of the search element of the metal detector, rather than determine the center of the signal; when searching for UXOs with high contamination of the area with metal fragments, it is recommended not to use probes, but to excavate the soil around the marked UXO using a shovel (scraper).

Flatness jump phenomenon in cold-rolled steel strip with high temperature: Root cause and solution

The steel strip produced in the 20-high cold rolling mill has the characteristic of high temperature in a certain factory, and a rare strip flatness phenomenon occurs in the fourth pass, different from the common flatness defects, the flatness value of each position in the strip width shows an irregular and drastic fluctuation state along with time, and it is called the flatness jump phenomenon, which seriously affects the stability of the rolling process and the production efficiency. Aiming at this problem, a method combining the rolling experiment with the numerical simulation is used to study its generation mechanism and seek for effective control technique. Through the thermal imaging measurement and the analysis of the production data, the temperature fluctuation in the fourth pass is the main reason for the flatness jump, which is related to the nucleate boiling state when the emulsion impacts on the high-temperature strip surface in the cooling process. Based on the rolling control experiments of different cooling factors, the critical temperature range for the occurrence of flatness jump is determined, which is used for the improvement of cooling technique subsequently, and the range of emulsion exit flow is optimized to 500 L/min ∼ 2050 L/min. The rolling experiment is carried out in the industrial field, it is found that the production process is stable and the flatness jump does not appear, with the small value basically within the range of ± 10 IU, and the scheme is planned for long-term application after a period of optimization, which could ultimately enhance the stability of the rolling process and the performance of finished product. Further, the paradigm and information provided in this work would be beneficial for understanding the formation mechanism of the similar complicated flatness phenomenon in cold rolling and optimizing the industrial applications of cooling technology.

Habitat structure and an introduced predator limit the abundance of an endangered ground-nesting bird.

Understanding the factors that limit the abundance of threatened species is critical for the development of effective conservation strategies. However, gaining such knowledge from monitoring programs and using it to inform decision-making for rare species can be difficult due to methodological issues posed by the problems of distinguishing true absences from false absences and the analysis of datasets dominated by zero counts. The plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) is a critically endangered ground-nesting bird that occurs in grasslands of southeastern Australia. Decline of the plains-wanderer has been attributed to habitat modification but little emphasis has been placed on the role of introduced predators, such as the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), which have had a devastating effect on small ground-dwelling vertebrates in dryland regions of Australia. Here, we use a 9-year time series of spotlight counts to investigate the impact of vegetation structure and fox presence on plains-wanderer occupancy and abundance. We used distance sampling to determine the effective strip width for sighting plains-wanderers during spotlight surveys. We then used a hurdle model approach whereby binomial generalized additive models were fitted to presence/absence data within the effective strip-width across all sites and negative-binomial models were fitted to an index of abundance at sites where plains-wanderers were observed. Plains-wanderer occupancy and abundance fluctuated markedly through time. Where foxes were absent, occupancy (but not abundance) of plains-wanderers showed a humped relationship with grass height with an optimal height between 50 and 150 mm. Where foxes were present however, this relationship broke down and plains-wanderers were rarely recorded. Our results suggest that plains-wanderers should benefit from management strategies that maintain grass height at optimal levels and exclude foxes or effectively suppress their populations. A key message from this study is that if statistical analyses of data generated by monitoring programs for rare species are intended to inform management decisions by identifying relationships between threatened species and drivers of their abundance, there should be consideration of analytic approaches that account for true and false zeroes, high prevalence of zeroes, and the possibility of nonlinear responses.

Impact of Nickel Strip Configurations on Resistance and Voltage Drop in Lithium Ion Battery Packs

The impact of nickel strip designs on the resistance and voltage drop in lithium ion battery packs is examined in this study. In a series parallel battery pack configuration, the effectiveness of coated and pure nickel strips is assessed, with particular attention paid to how they influence voltage drop, internal resistance, and overall efficiency. Each of the 24 series and 3 parallel cells that make up the battery pack has an internal resistance of 6 mΩ. Two configurations are analyzed: one utilizing pure nickel strips and another with coated nickel strips. The resistivity, cross sectional area, and length of the material are used to compute the equivalent resistance of the nickel strips for each arrangement. Voltage dips at a load current of 50A are determined to compare the performance of both strip. The study also looks at the voltage drop at key locations in the battery pack, including particular bent strips. The findings show that the coated nickel design displays a larger resistance (0.237Ω) and voltage drop (11.735V) than the pure nickel configuration, which has a lower total resistance (0.048Ω) and voltage drop (2.82V). Evaluation of the voltage drop during charging is also done for charging currents of 6A and 10A, demonstrating that the pure nickel arrangement allows for more efficient charging. One of the main elements affecting battery pack performance is internal resistance, which has a direct impact on the system's voltage drop and overall energy efficiency. The thickness, width, resistivity, and number of parallel strips utilized in this nickel strip material all have a major effect on the battery pack's total resistance. Because of this, the nickel strip design can improve or worsen the pack's power delivery, particularly in high load scenarios.

Light scattering by Möbius particles

Using the Discrete-Dipole Approximation (DDA) we study scattering-angle dependences of the orientationally averaged Mueller matrix elements for small Möbius particles with different chirality. A Möbius particle is a strip of a certain width and thickness, the ends of which are attached to each other after twisting one of them at an angle by a multiple of □. The Mueller matrices Mik for such particles have 16 non-zero elements. The scattering-angle dependences of the intensity M11, linear polarization degree (-M12/M11), and Circular Intensity Differential Scattering (CIDS = -M14/M11) show their sensitivity to the refractive index and number of the strip twisting. For instance, the CIDS depends significantly on the complex part of the refractive index. Particles with more twists show a decrease in the maximum value of the positive branch of linear polarization and an increase in the width and minimum of the negative branch. The twist parameter's influence on CIDS is non-monotonic, initially increasing and then approaching zero with further twisting.