Cut finite element methods for coupled bulk–surface problems

We develop a cut finite element method for a second order elliptic coupled bulk-surface model problem. We prove a priori estimates for the energy and L2L2 norms of the error. Using stabilization terms we show that the resulting algebraic system of equations has a similar condition number as a standard fitted finite element method. Finally, we present a numerical example illustrating the accuracy and the robustness of our approach

High temperature optical absorption investigation into the electronic transitions in sol–gel derived C12A7 thin films

Optical absorption into 6 mm thick sol–gel derived films, annealed at 1300 °C of 12CaO·7Al2O3 calcium aluminate binary compound on MgO〈100〉 single crystal substrates was studied at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 300 °C. Experimental data were analysed in both Tauc and Urbach regions. The optical band gap decreased from 4.088 eV at 25 °C to 4.051 eV at 300 °C, while Urbach energy increased from 0.191 eV at 25 °C to 0.257 eV at 300 °C. The relationship between the optical band gap and the Urbach energy at different temperatures showed an almost linear relationship from which the theoretical values of 4.156 and 0.065 eV were evaluated for the band gap energy and Urbach energy of a 12CaO·7Al2O3 crystal with zero structural disorder at 0 K

The nature and persistence of the effects of posthypnotic suggestions on food preferences: The final report of an online study

The persistence of food preferences, which are crucial for diet-related decisions, is a significant obstacle to changing unhealthy eating behavior. To overcome this obstacle, the current study investigates whether posthypnotic suggestions (PHSs) can enhance food-related decisions by measuring food choices and subjective ratings. After assessing hypnotic susceptibility in Session 1, at the beginning of Session 2, a PHS was delivered aiming to increase the desirability of healthy food items (e.g., vegetables and fruit). After the termination of hypnosis, a set of two tasks was administrated twice, once when the PHS was activated and once deactivated in counterbalanced order. The task set consisted of rating 170 pictures of food items, followed by an online supermarket where participants were instructed to select enough food from the same item pool for a fictitious week of quarantine. After 1 week, Session 3 mimicked Session 2 without renewed hypnosis induction to assess the persistence of the PHS effects. The Bayesian hierarchical modeling results indicate that the PHS increased preferences and choices of healthy food items without altering the influence of preferences in choices. In contrast, for unhealthy food items, not only both preferences and choices were decreased due to the PHS, but also their relationship was modified. That is, although choices became negatively biased against unhealthy items, preferences played a more dominant role in unhealthy choices when the PHS was activated. Importantly, all effects persisted over 1 week, qualitatively and quantitatively. Our results indicate that although the PHS affected healthy choices through resolve, i.e., preferred more and chosen more, unhealthy items were probably chosen less impulsively through effortful suppression. Together, besides the translational importance of the current results for helping the obesity epidemic in modern societies, our results contribute theoretically to the understanding of hypnosis and food choices.Peer Reviewe

Study algicidial activity of 6 species (of) seaweed from Persian Gulf on growth (of) Cochlodinium polykrikoides

Harmful algal blooms resulting in red discoloration of coastal waters in the Persian Gulf, Iran were first observed in January 2007. The species responsible for the bloom, which was identified as Cochlodinium polykrikoides, coincided with massive aquatic organisms’ mortalities in the Persian Gulf. The effects of water soluble extract (0.2, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.6 g L-1) from 6 species of marine macroalgae; Ulva lactuca, Enthromorpha intistialis, Colpomenia sinuosa, Sargassum illicifolium, Gracilaria corticat and Hypnea valentiea , fresh thallus (2.5 and 5.0 g L-1) and macroalgal culture medium filtrate from 3species of marine macroalgae; E.intistialis, C.sinuosa, and H.valentiea on growth of Cochlodinium polkrikoides (Dinoflagellate) were investigated for 15 days in co-culture under controlled laboratory conditions. The results clearly showed that the growth of C. polkrikoides was significantly inhibited by the water-soluble extracts of seaweed at relatively all concentrations in contrast to control with any seaweeds extract (p<0.05). The growth inhibition of C. polykrikoides was significantly higher in co-culture with fresh thallus of E.intistialis, C.sinuosa and H.valentiea (p<0.05). In macroalgal culture medium filtrate the highest growth inhibition of C. polykrikoides was obtained in co-culture with E.intistialis and was significantly higher than the other macroalgal culture medium filtrate of seaweeds(p<0.05). Therefore, we could conclude that using the tested seaweeds either as an extract or in co-culture with fresh thallus could be used as an alternative to biological control of C. polykrikoides

COVID-19 publications: Database coverage, citations, readers, tweets, news, Facebook walls, Reddit posts

© 2020 The Authors. Published by MIT Press. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00066The COVID-19 pandemic requires a fast response from researchers to help address biological, medical and public health issues to minimize its impact. In this rapidly evolving context, scholars, professionals and the public may need to quickly identify important new studies. In response, this paper assesses the coverage of scholarly databases and impact indicators during 21 March to 18 April 2020. The rapidly increasing volume of research, is particularly accessible through Dimensions, and less through Scopus, the Web of Science, and PubMed. Google Scholar’s results included many false matches. A few COVID-19 papers from the 21,395 in Dimensions were already highly cited, with substantial news and social media attention. For this topic, in contrast to previous studies, there seems to be a high degree of convergence between articles shared in the social web and citation counts, at least in the short term. In particular, articles that are extensively tweeted on the day first indexed are likely to be highly read and relatively highly cited three weeks later. Researchers needing wide scope literature searches (rather than health focused PubMed or medRxiv searches) should start with Dimensions (or Google Scholar) and can use tweet and Mendeley reader counts as indicators of likely importance

First-Principles Investigations of the Structure, Electronic, and Optical Properties of Mullite-Type Orthorhombic Bi2M4O9 (M = Al3+, Ga3+)

The structure, electronic band structure, density of state, projected wave function, and optical properties of mullite-type orthorhombic Bi2M4O9 (M = Al3+, Ga3+) crystals have been studied by applying density functional theory based on the Vanderbilt ultrasoft pseudopotential in the frame of the generalized gradient approximation as an exchange–correlation function. Satisfactory agreement between experimental and theoretical results indicates that the used method and conditions are suitable. M–O bonds in tetrahedral MO4 environments are stronger and more covalent with respect to octahedral MO6; also Bi–O bonds in both studied structures are almost ionic in nature. The photocatalytic activity of Bi2Al4O9 and Bi2Ga4O9 is enhanced due to unequal values of Mulliken charges on the O atoms in MO4, MO6, and BiO6E groups. Bi2Al4O9 and Bi2Ga4O9 are direct and indirect band gap semiconductors with band gaps of 2.71 and 2.86 eV, respectively. Higher photocatalytic activity of Bi2Al4O9 is inferable from the lower effective masses of photogenerated carriers around the conduction band minimum and valence band maximum, in comparison with Bi2Ga4O9. The presence of M and O orbitals in the valence and conduction bands reveals that symmetry breaking in the MO4 and MO6 units has an important role in separating charges and increasing photocatalytic activity. Photocatalytic activities of Bi2Al4O9 and Bi2Ga4O9 for decomposition of organic pollutants and generation of hydrogen from water splitting are confirmed from band edge potentials

Molecular characterization of novel Cryptosporidium fish genotypes in edible marine fish

Current knowledge of Cryptosporidium species/genotypes in marine fish is limited. Following phylogenetic analysis at the 18S rDNA locus, a recent study identified six new genotypes of Cryptosporidium colonizing edible fish found in European seas. Of these, five grouped in a clade together (#Cryptofish 1–5) and one grouped separately (#Cryptofish 7). In the present study, after phylogenetic analyses of #Cryptofish1, #Cryptofish2, #Cryptofish4, #Cryptofish5 and #Cryptofish7 at the actin locus, the presence of two major clades was confirmed. In addition, when possible, longer 18S amplicons were generated. In conclusion, the small genetic distances between these genotypes designated as a novel marine genotype I (#Cryptofish 1-5) suggest that they may be genetic variants of the same species, while the designated novel marine genotype 2 (#Cryptofish 7) is clearly representative of a separate species

Is small beautiful? A multicriteria assessment of small-scale energy technology applications in local governments

In its 2003 White Paper the UK government set ambitious renewable energy targets. Local governments and households have an increasing role in the overall energy system as consumers, suppliers of smaller-scale applications and citizens discussing energy projects. In this paper, we consider if small-scale or large-scale approaches to renewable energy provision can achieve energy targets in the most socially, economically and environmentally (SEE) effective way. We take a local case study of renewable energy provision in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in Yorkshire, UK, and apply a multi-criteria decision analysis methodology to compare the small-scale schemes implemented in Kirklees with large-scale alternatives. The results indicate that small-scale schemes are the most SEE effective, despite large-scale schemes being more financially viable. The selection of the criteria on which the alternatives are assessed and the assigned weights for each criterion are of crucial importance. It is thus very important to include the relevant stakeholders to elicit this information