An effective mesh strategy for CFD modelling of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a major tool in PEM fuel cell research. Typical three-dimensional PEM fuel cell models involve more than 106 mesh elements. This makes the computation very intense and necessitates a methodology to mesh the computational domain that can keep the number of elements to a minimum while maintaining good accuracy. In this study, the effect of computational mesh in each direction on the accuracy of the solution is investigated in a systematic way. It is found that the mesh in different directions has a different degree of influence on the solution suggesting that the mesh in one direction can be coarser than the other. The proposed mesh strategy is capable of greatly reducing the number of mesh elements, hence computation time, while preserving the characteristics of important flow-field variables. Moreover, it is applicable to a wide range of cell sizes and flow-field configurations and should be used as a guideline for mesh generation

Neutrino capture by r-process waiting-point nuclei

We use the Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation to include the effects of low-lying Gamow-Teller and first forbidden strength in neutrino capture by very neutron-rich nuclei with N = 50, 82, or 126. For electron neutrinos in what is currently considered the most likely r-process site the capture cross sections are two or more times previous estimates. We briefly discuss the reliability of our calculations and their implications for nucleosynthesis.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Magnetization process of the spin-1/2 XXZ models on square and cubic lattices

The magnetization process of the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic XXZ model with Ising-like anisotropy in the ground state is investigated. We show numerically that the Ising-like XXZ models on square and cubic lattices show a first-order phase transition at some critical magnetic field. We estimate the value of the critical field and the magnetization jump on the basis of the Maxwell construction. The magnetization jump in the Ising-limit is investigated by means of perturbation theory. Based on our numerical results, we briefly discuss the phase diagram of the extended Bose-Hubbard model in the hard-core limit.Comment: 13 pages, RevTex, 7 PostScript figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.

Mapping of functionalized regions on carbon nanotubes by scanning tunneling microscopy

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) gives us the opportunity to map the surface of functionalized carbon nanotubes in an energy resolved manner and with atomic precision. But this potential is largely untapped, mainly due to sample stability issues which inhibit reliable measurements. Here we present a simple and straightforward solution that makes away with this difficulty, by incorporating the functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into a few layer graphene - nanotube composite. This enabled us to measure energy resolved tunneling conductance maps on the nanotubes, which shed light on the level of doping, charge transfer between tube and functional groups and the dependence of defect creation or functionalization on crystallographic orientation.Comment: Keywords: functionalization, carbon nanotubes, few layer graphene, STM, CITS, ST

The Symmetric Rank One Formula and its Application in Discrete Nonlinear Optimization

Introduction Currently, the recursive quadratic programming (RQP) method is widely recognized as one of the most efficient and robust approaches for continuous optimizatio

Crisaborole Ointment, 2%, for Treatment of Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Atopic Dermatitis:Systematic Literature Review and Network Meta-Analysis

The authors would like to replace 2 small sections of the published manuscript that refer to a qualitative review of safety data for included studies (together with an associated safety table), to provide some further clarifications on these safety data and to include some quantitative updates for rates

Executive Compensation and the Split Share Structure Reform in China

AcceptedArticle"This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Finance on 08 Jul 2013, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1351847X.2013.802250."The split share structure reform in China enables state shareholders of listed firms to trade their restricted shares. This renders the wealth of state shareholders more strongly related to share price movements. We predict that this reform will create remuneration arrangements that strengthen the relationship between Chinese firms’ executive pay and stock market performance. We confirm this prediction by showing that there is such an effect among state-controlled firms, and especially those where the dominant shareholders have a greater incentive to improve share return performance. Our results indicate that this reform strengthens the accountability of executives to external monitoring by the stock market, and therefore benefits minority shareholders in China

Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison of Crisaborole Ointment 2% vs. Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors in the Treatment of Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Atopic Dermatitis

INTRODUCTION: Crisaborole topical ointment, 2%, is a nonsteroidal, topical anti-inflammatory phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (AD). The objective of the current analysis was to compare the efficacy of crisaborole 2% relative to pimecrolimus 1%, tacrolimus 0.03% and tacrolimus 0.1% in patients aged ≥ 2 years with mild-to-moderate AD by comparing improvement in Investigator’s Static Global Assessment scores ( (ISGA scores of 0/1 indicating “clear or almost clear”). ISGA was selected as the primary efficacy outcome given the US Food and Drug Administration’s recommendations on the use of ISGA for assessment of global severity in AD and to align with efficacy measurements in the crisaborole registration trials. Safety endpoints could not be analyzed due to differences in outcome definitions across studies. METHODS: Efficacy of crisaborole was evaluated using individual patient data (IPD) from two pivotal phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and efficacy of comparators was evaluated using published RCTs included in a previous network meta-analysis. Vehicle controls were not comparable due to differences in ingredients and population imbalance and, therefore, an unanchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was used, which reweighted IPD for crisaborole to estimate absolute response in comparator populations. RESULTS: The odds of achieving an improvement in ISGA score was higher with crisaborole 2% versus pimecrolimus 1% (odds ratio [OR] 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45–2.85; effective sample size =  627, reduced from 1021; p value < 0.001) and for crisaborole 2% versus tacrolimus 0.03% (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.09–2.05; effective sample size = 311, reduced from 1021; p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: The unanchored MAIC suggests that the odds of achieving an improvement in ISGA score is greater with crisaborole 2% than with pimecrolimus 1% or tacrolimus 0.03% in patients aged ≥ 2 years with mild-to-moderate AD. These results are consistent with findings from the previously published network meta-analysis, which used a different methodology for performing indirect treatment comparisons. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13555-021-00646-1

Two-dimensional universal conductance fluctuations and the electron-phonon interaction of topological surface states in Bi2Te2Se nanoribbons

The universal conductance fluctuations (UCFs), one of the most important manifestations of mesoscopic electronic interference, have not yet been demonstrated for the two-dimensional surface state of topological insulators (TIs). Even if one delicately suppresses the bulk conductance by improving the quality of TI crystals, the fluctuation of the bulk conductance still keeps competitive and difficult to be separated from the desired UCFs of surface carriers. Here we report on the experimental evidence of the UCFs of the two-dimensional surface state in the bulk insulating Bi2Te2Se nanoribbons. The solely-B\perp-dependent UCF is achieved and its temperature dependence is investigated. The surface transport is further revealed by weak antilocalizations. Such survived UCFs of the topological surface states result from the limited dephasing length of the bulk carriers in ternary crystals. The electron-phonon interaction is addressed as a secondary source of the surface state dephasing based on the temperature-dependent scaling behavior