Examining the power dynamics in the Sunflower Movement discourse using the lexicogrammar “被” (bei)

This study examines the power relations shown by the lexicogrammar “被” (bei) through the analysis of the corpus of the Sunflower Movement discourse. Preliminary findings show that the Chinese character “被” (bei) is frequently used in the discourse of the Sunflower Movement. Among the top 100 clusters of “被” (bei), the highest percentage are verbs, which account for more than 50% of the total number of the top 100 clusters. This study further highlights the doer, the recipient and the collocated verbs in the sentences using “被” (bei), examining the relationships between text, discourse and the Sunflower Movement. Analysing the bi-directional power dynamics in the Sunflower Movement from a discourse analysis standpoint, the study explores how the discourse reflects the ideology of the general public and the power structures in Taiwanese society

Stationary Light Pulses in Cold Atomic Media

Stationary light pulses (SLPs), i.e., light pulses without motion, are formed via the retrieval of stored probe pulses with two counter-propagating coupling fields. We show that there exist non-negligible hybrid Raman excitations in media of cold atoms that prohibit the SLP formation. We experimentally demonstrate a method to suppress these Raman excitations and realize SLPs in laser-cooled atoms. Our work opens the way to SLP studies in cold as well as in stationary atoms and provides a new avenue to low-light-level nonlinear optics.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Towards Seamless Management of AI Models in High-Performance Computing

With the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) in diverse science/engineering communities, AI models emerge on an unprecedented scale among various domains. However, given the complexity and diversity of the software and hardware environments, reusing AI artifacts (models and datasets) is extremely challenging, especially with AI-driven science applications. Building an ecosystem to run and reuse AI applications/datasets at scale efficiently becomes increasingly essential for diverse science and engineering and high-performance computing (HPC) communities. In this paper, we innovate over an HPC-AI ecosystem -- HPCFair, which enables the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reproducible (FAIR) principles. HPCFair enables the collection of AI models/datasets allowing users to download/upload AI artifacts with authentications. Most importantly, our proposed framework provides user-friendly APIs for users to easily run inference jobs and customize AI artifacts to their tasks as needed. Our results show that, with HPCFair API, users irrespective of technical expertise in AI, can easily leverage AI artifacts to their tasks with minimal effort.Comment: Accepted at the 2nd Annual AAAI Workshop on AI to Accelerate Science and Engineering (AI2ASE

A Potential Antifungal Effect of Chitosan Against Candida albicans Is Mediated via the Inhibition of SAGA Complex Component Expression and the Subsequent Alteration of Cell Surface Integrity

Due to the high incidence of nosocomial Candida albicans infection, the first-line drugs for C. albicans infection have been heavily used, and the emergence of drug-resistant strains has gradually increased. Thus, a new antifungal drug or therapeutic method is needed. Chitosan, a product of chitin deacetylation, is considered to be potentially therapeutic for fungal infections because of its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and low toxicity. The biocidal action of chitosan against C. albicans shows great commercial potential, but the exact mechanisms underlying its antimicrobial activity are unclear. To reveal these mechanisms, mutant library screening was performed. ADA2 gene, which encodes a histone acetylation coactivator in the SAGA complex, was identified. Transmission electronic microscopy images showed that the surface of chitosan-treated ada2Δ cells was substantially disrupted and displayed an irregular morphology. Interestingly, the cell wall of ada2Δ cells was significantly thinner than that of wild-type cells, with a thickness similar to that seen in the chitosan-treated wild-type strain. Although ADA2 is required for chitosan tolerance, expression of ADA2 and several Ada2-mediated cell wall-related genes (ALS2, PGA45, and ACE2) and efflux transporter genes (MDR1 and CDR1) were significantly inhibited by chitosan. Furthermore, GCN5 encoding a SAGA complex catalytic subunit was inhibited by chitosan, and gcn5Δ cells exhibited phenotypes comparable to those of ada2Δ cells in response to chitosan and other cell surface-disrupting agents. This study demonstrated that a potential antifungal mechanism of chitosan against C. albicans operates by inhibiting SAGA complex gene expression, which decreases the protection of the cell surface against chitosan

Enhancing Mechanical Properties of a Lightweight TiAlCrNbVZr Medium-Entropy Alloy: Fine-Tuning Alloy Composition and Thermomechanical Treatment

Abstract: The quest to reduce fuel consumption and environmental pollution in the transportation sector has heightened the demand for developing lightweight alloys with enhanced mechanical properties. Accordingly, this study focused on optimizing the mechanical properties of a lightweight Ti65(AlCrNbV)28Zr7 medium entropy alloy (MEA) by strategically adjusting its Al, Cr, Nb, and V elemental contents. Hardness testing indicated a strengthening ability hierarchy of Cr > Al > V > Nb. Furthermore, tensile tests revealed that although a high Cr content significantly enhances strength, it also reduces the ductility of an MEA. Drawing on mechanical insights gained from a previously studied Ti60Al10Cr10Nb10V10 MEA and the present findings, a novel Ti60Al10Cr4Nb10V9Zr7 (Ti60Zr7) MEA was developed. This new alloy retains a single body-centered cubic structure and demonstrated exceptional mechanical performance in tensile testing, with a yield strength of 1066 MPa and 22% ductility. The Ti60Zr7 MEA underwent a series of thermomechanical treatments, including 50% hot rolling, 80% cold rolling, and rapid annealing up to 800 °C at a rate of 25 °C/s. After thermal processing, the Ti60Zr7 MEA not only preserved its single body-centered cubic structure but also achieved a remarkable combination of yield strength (>1200 MPa) and ductility (measured as >15% elongation). These advancements underscore the alloy’s considerable potential for application in sports equipment and transportation vehicles