The mixed alkali effect was investigated in the glass system 0.75B2O3-0.25[xNa2O-（1 -x）K20] through thermodynamic properties. The calorimetric measurements were performed in HF solution calorimetry at 298 K. The mix...The mixed alkali effect was investigated in the glass system 0.75B2O3-0.25[xNa2O-（1 -x）K20] through thermodynamic properties. The calorimetric measurements were performed in HF solution calorimetry at 298 K. The mixing enthalpy values show non-linear behaviour upon substitution of one alkali ion by another. This thermodynamic non-ideality is caused by the slight variations of distance between metallic cations, the macromolecular structure being unchanged. It can be explained, at least qualitatively, using electrolyte theory based on the Coulombic interactions of charged species originally developed by Debye and Hückel.展开更多
This paper proposed a general framework based on semiparametric additive mixed effects model to identify subgroups on each covariate and estimate the corresponding regression functions simultaneously for longitudinal ...This paper proposed a general framework based on semiparametric additive mixed effects model to identify subgroups on each covariate and estimate the corresponding regression functions simultaneously for longitudinal data,thus it could reveal which covariate contributes to the existence of subgroups among population.A backfitting combined with k-means algorithm was developed to detect subgroup structure on each covariate and estimate each semiparametric additive component across subgroups.A Bayesian information criterion is employed to estimate the actual number of groups.The efficacy and accuracy of the proposed procedure in identifying the subgroups and estimating the regression functions are illustrated through numerical studies.In addition,the authors demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method with applications to PBC data and Industrial Portfolio's Return data and provide meaningful partitions of the populations.展开更多
The mixed-field effect at the hyperfine level of the rovibronic ground state of the^(127)I^(79)Br(X^(1)Σ,v=0,J=0)molecule is computed on the J-I uncoupled basis of|JM_(J)I_(1)M_(1)I_(2)M_(2)>,where J is the molecu...The mixed-field effect at the hyperfine level of the rovibronic ground state of the^(127)I^(79)Br(X^(1)Σ,v=0,J=0)molecule is computed on the J-I uncoupled basis of|JM_(J)I_(1)M_(1)I_(2)M_(2)>,where J is the molecular total angular momentum excluding nuclear spin,M_J is the projection number of J,I_(1) and I_(2) are the nuclear spins of the iodine and bromine atoms,and M_(1) and M_(2) are the projection numbers of I_(1) and I_(2),respectively.When the two applied electric and magnetic fields are parallel,the perturbations are rare and only one perturbation is observed in a relatively large field regime in our computation range.However,when the two fields are off-parallel,the perturbations increase significantly and some sublevels show the Feshbach-like resonance phenomenon.Therefore,such sublevels transit between weak-field seeking and strong-field seeking repeatedly,which can be utilized to enhance or suppress cold molecular collision and chemical reaction rates.Such behavior of the molecular hyperfine structure in the mixed off-parallel fields may also be utilized to construct an electric-field-assisted anti-Helmholtz magnetic trap for cold molecules and to realize evaporative cooling of cold molecules(sub-mK)into the ultracold regime(μK).展开更多
Background: Understanding the role of species identity in interactions among individuals is crucial for assessing the productivity and stability of mixed forests over time. However, there is limited knowledge concerni...Background: Understanding the role of species identity in interactions among individuals is crucial for assessing the productivity and stability of mixed forests over time. However, there is limited knowledge concerning the variation in competitive effect and response of different species along climatic gradients. In this study, we investigated the importance of climate, tree size, and competition on the growth of three tree species: spruce(Picea abies), fir(Abies alba), and beech(Fagus sylvatica), and examined their competitive response and effect along a climatic gradient.Methods: We selected 39 plots distributed across the European mountains with records of the position and growth of 5,759 individuals. For each target species, models relating tree growth to tree size, climate and competition were proposed. Competition was modelled using a neighbourhood competition index that considered the effects of inter-and intraspecific competition on target trees. Competitive responses and effects were related to climate.Likelihood methods and information theory were used to select the best model.Results: Our findings revealed that competition had a greater impact on target species growth than tree size or climate. Climate did influence the competitive effects of neighbouring species, but it did not affect the target species? response to competition. The strength of competitive effects varied along the gradient, contingent on the identity of the interacting species. When the target species exhibited an intermediate competitive effect relative to neighbouring species, both higher inter-than intraspecific competitive effects and competition reduction occurred along the gradient. Notably, species competitive effects were most pronounced when the target species' growth was at its peak and weakest when growing conditions were far from their maximum.Conclusions: Climate modulates the effects of competition from neighbouring trees on the target tree and not the susceptibility of the target tree to competition. The modelling approach should be useful in future research to expand our knowledge of how competition modulates forest communities across environmental gradients.展开更多
Renewable energy production has been surging around the world in recent years.To mitigate the increasing uncertainty and intermittency of the renewable generation,proactive demand response algorithms and programs are ...Renewable energy production has been surging around the world in recent years.To mitigate the increasing uncertainty and intermittency of the renewable generation,proactive demand response algorithms and programs are proposed and developed to further improve the utilization of load flexibility and increase the efficiency of power system operation.One of the biggest challenges to efficient control and operation of demand response resources is how to forecast the baseline electricity consumption and estimate the load impact from demand response resources accurately.In this paper,we propose a mixed effect segmented regression model and a new robust estimate for forecasting the baseline electricity consumption in Southern California,USA,by combining the ideas of random effect regression model,segmented regression model,and the least trimmed squares estimate.Since the log-likelihood of the considered model is not differentiable at breakpoints,we propose a new backfitting algorithm to estimate the unknown parameters.The estimation performance of the new estimation procedure has been demonstrated with both simulation studies and the real data application for the electric load baseline forecasting in Southern California.展开更多
The effect of tree age and climatic variables on stem radial growth of two hybrid clones of Eucalyptus was determined using longitudinal data from eastern South Africa.The stem radius of was measured weekly as the res...The effect of tree age and climatic variables on stem radial growth of two hybrid clones of Eucalyptus was determined using longitudinal data from eastern South Africa.The stem radius of was measured weekly as the response variable.In addition to tree age,average weekly temperature,solar radiation,relative humidity and wind speed were simultaneously recorded with total rainfall at the site.An additive mixed effects model that incorporates a non-parametric smooth function was used.The results of the analysis indicate that the relationship between stem radius and each of the covariates can be explained by nonlinear functions.Models that account for the effect of clone and season together with their interaction in the parametric part of the additive mixed model were also fitted.The interaction between clone and season was not significant in all cases.For analyzing the joint effect all the covariates,additive mixed models that included two or more covariates were fitted.A significant effect of tree age was found in all cases.Although tree age was the key determinant of stem radial growth,weather variables also had a significant effect that was dependent on season.展开更多
During the past two centuries, global changes (i.e., enhanced nitrogen deposition) have exerted profound effects on ecological processes of steppe ecosystems. We used litterbag method and mixed litters of three differ...During the past two centuries, global changes (i.e., enhanced nitrogen deposition) have exerted profound effects on ecological processes of steppe ecosystems. We used litterbag method and mixed litters of three different plant species tissues (Stipa baicalensis: Sb, Leymus chinensis: Lc and Artemisia frigid: Af), endemic to Stipa baicalensis Steppe, and measured the mass loss of mixtures over 417 days under the N addition treatment. We studied the effect of N addition (N0: no N addition;N15: 1.5 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N30: 3.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N50: 5.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N100: 10.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N150: 15.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a) on the rate of mixed litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics change. The decomposition constant (k) of leaf mixtures was higher than that of root mixtures. The k values of leaf mixed combinations were 0.880 (Sb + Lc), 1.231 (Lc + Af), 1.027 (Sb + Lc + Af), respectively. The k value of stem was 0.806 (Lc + Af) and the root mixed combinations were 0.665 (Sb + Lc), 0.979 (Lc + Af) and 1.164 (Sb + Lc + Af), respectively. The results indicated that N addition had significantly effect on the mixed litter decomposition and nutrient releasing. The rate of plant tissues litter decomposition had different response to N addition. In the context of N addition, litter decomposition rate and nutrient dynamics were changed by synthetic effect of decaying time, specie types and N addition dose. Our findings suggested that prairie plants may adapt to environmental change by adjusting litter quality, thus retaining the stability of the steppe ecosystem.展开更多
Tree mortality plays a fundamental role in the dynamics of forest ecosystems,yet it is one of the most difficult phenomena to accurately predict.Various modeling strategies have been developed to improve individual tr...Tree mortality plays a fundamental role in the dynamics of forest ecosystems,yet it is one of the most difficult phenomena to accurately predict.Various modeling strategies have been developed to improve individual tree mortality predictions.One less explored strategy is the use of a multistage modeling approach.Potential improvements from this approach have remained largely unknown.In this study,we developed a novel multistage approach and compared its performance in individual tree mortality predictions with a more conventional approach using an identical individual tree mortality model formulation.Extensive permanent plot data(n=9442)covering the Acadian Region of North America and over multiple decades(1965–2014)were used in this study.Our results indicated that the model behavior with the multistage approach better depicted the observed mortality and showed a notable improvement over the conventional approach.The difference between the observed and predicted numbers of dead trees using the multistage approach was much smaller when compared with the conventional approach.In addition,tree survival probabilities predicted by the multistage approach generally were not significantly different from the observations,whereas the conventional approach consistently underestimated mortality across species and overestimated tree survival probabilities over the large range of DBH in the data.The new multistage approach also predictions of zero mortality in individual plots,a result not possible in conventional models.Finally,the new approach was more tolerant of modeling errors because it based estimates on ranked tree mortality rather than error-prone predicted values.Overall,this new multistage approach deserves to be considered and tested in future studies.展开更多
The effect of mixed oxide support on the performance of Ni/ZnO in the reactive adsorption desulfurization(RADS) reaction was investigated in a fixed bed reactor by using thiophene as the sulfur-containing compound in ...The effect of mixed oxide support on the performance of Ni/ZnO in the reactive adsorption desulfurization(RADS) reaction was investigated in a fixed bed reactor by using thiophene as the sulfur-containing compound in the model gasoline. A series of oxide supports for Ni/ZnO were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and characterized by XRD, N_2-adsorption, TPR and NH_3-TPD techniques. It was found that the desulfurization capacity of Ni/ZnO was enhanced greatly when active components were supported on the proper mixed oxide. Ni/ZnO supported on oxides exhibited much higher desulfurization efficiency and sulfur adsorption capacity than the unsupported Ni/ZnO and the synthesized Ni/ZnO-SA adsorbent exhibited the highest efficiency for thiophene removal. The higher desulfurization activity and sulfur capacity of Ni/ZnO supported on SiO_2-Al_2O_3 with small particle size, high specific surface area and large pore volume could promote the high dispersion of active metal phase and the transfer of sulfur to ZnO with lower mass transfer resistance. γ-Al_2O_3 species could weaken the interaction of active phases and SiO_2 as well as could increase greatly the amount of weak acids. Therefore, these oxides could impose a great influence on the structure and chemical properties of the catalyst.展开更多
Due to environmental noise and human factors,magnetic data collected in the field often contain various noises and interferences that significantly affect the subsequent data processing and interpretation.Empirical Mo...Due to environmental noise and human factors,magnetic data collected in the field often contain various noises and interferences that significantly affect the subsequent data processing and interpretation.Empirical Mode Decomposition(EMD),an adaptive multiscale analysis method for nonlinear and non-stationary signals,is widely used in geophysical and geodetic data processing.Compared with traditional EMD,Improved Complete Ensemble EMD with Adaptive Noise(ICEEMDAN)is more effective in addressing the problem of mode mixing.Based on the principles of 1D ICEEMDAN,this paper presents an alternative algorithm for 2D ICEEMDAN,extending its application to two-dimensional scenarios.The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through synthetic signal experiments,which show that the 2D ICEEMDAN exhibits a weaker mode mixing effect compared to the traditional bidimensional EMD(BEMD)method.Furthermore,to improve the performance of the denoising method based on 2D ICEEMDAN and preserve useful signals in high-frequency components,an improved soft thresholding technique is introduced.Synthetic magnetic anomaly data testing indicates that our denoising method effectively preserves signal continuity and outperforms traditional soft thresholding methods.To validate the practical application of this improved threshold denoising method based on 2D ICEEMDAN,it is applied to ground magnetic survey data in the Yandun area of Xinjiang.The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in removing noise while retaining essential information from practical magnetic anomaly data.In particular,practical applications suggest that 2D ICEEMDAN can extract trend signals more accurately than the BEMD.In conclusion,as a potential tool for multi-scale decomposition,the 2D ICEEMDAN is versatile in processing and analyzing 2D geophysical and geodetic data.展开更多
In this article, robust generalized estimating equation for the analysis of partial linear mixed model for longitudinal data is used. The authors approximate the nonparametric function by a regression spline. Under so...In this article, robust generalized estimating equation for the analysis of partial linear mixed model for longitudinal data is used. The authors approximate the nonparametric function by a regression spline. Under some regular conditions, the asymptotic properties of the estimators are obtained. To avoid the computation of high-dimensional integral, a robust Monte Carlo Newton-Raphson algorithm is used. Some simulations are carried out to study the performance of the proposed robust estimators. In addition, the authors also study the robustness and the efficiency of the proposed estimators by simulation. Finally, two real longitudinal data sets are analyzed.展开更多
It is well known that spline smoothing estimator relates to the Bayesian estimate under partially informative normal prior. In this paper, we derive the conditions for the pro- priety of the posterior in the nonparame...It is well known that spline smoothing estimator relates to the Bayesian estimate under partially informative normal prior. In this paper, we derive the conditions for the pro- priety of the posterior in the nonparametric mixed effects model under this class of partially informative normal prior for fixed effect with inverse gamma priors on the variance compo- nents and hierarchical priors for covariance matrix of random effect, then we explore the Gibbs sampling procedure.展开更多
In this paper, an efficient shrinkage estimation procedure for the partially linear varying coefficient model (PLVC) with random effect is considered. By selecting the significant variable and estimating the nonzero c...In this paper, an efficient shrinkage estimation procedure for the partially linear varying coefficient model (PLVC) with random effect is considered. By selecting the significant variable and estimating the nonzero coefficient, the model structure specification is accomplished by introducing a novel penalized estimating equation. Under some mild conditions, the asymptotic properties for the proposed model selection and estimation results, such as the sparsity and oracle property, are established. Some numerical simulation studies and a real data analysis are presented to examine the finite sample performance of the procedure.展开更多
A better understanding and a more quantitative design of mixed-species stands will contribute to more integrative and goal-oriented research in mixed-species forests. Much recent work has indicated that the structure ...A better understanding and a more quantitative design of mixed-species stands will contribute to more integrative and goal-oriented research in mixed-species forests. Much recent work has indicated that the structure and growth of mixed species forests may fundamentally differ from monocultures. Here we suggest how to progress from the present accumulation of phenomenological findings to a design of mixed-species stands and advanced silvicultural prescriptions by means of modelling. First, the knowledge of mixing effects on the structure and growth at the stand, species, and individual tree level is reviewed, with a focus on those findings that are most essential for suitable modelling and silvicultural designs and the regulation of mixed stands as opposed to monocultures. Then, the key role of growth models, stand simulators, and scenario assessments for designing mixed species stands is discussed The next section illustrates that existing forest stand growth models require some fundamental modifications to become suitable for both monocultures and mixed-species stands. We then explore how silvicultural prescriptions derived from scenario runs would need to be both quantified and simplified for transfer to forest management and demonstrated in training plots. Finally, we address the main remaining knowledge gaps that could be remedied through empirical research.展开更多
A new glass system （Bi2O3）50（Fe2O3）10（Li2O）x（K2O）40-x, where x changes in steps of 5 mole fraction between 0 and 40, was selected to study the electrical relaxation and the mixed alkali effect （MAE） phenomen...A new glass system （Bi2O3）50（Fe2O3）10（Li2O）x（K2O）40-x, where x changes in steps of 5 mole fraction between 0 and 40, was selected to study the electrical relaxation and the mixed alkali effect （MAE） phenomena. Measurements of ac conductivity σac, dielectric permittivity ε′ and loss factor tanδ in the frequency range of 0.12～10^2 kHz and in the temperature range of 300～650 K were carried out. The temperature dependence of the ac conductivity shows a slow increasing rate at low temperature and high frequency and a rapid increase at high temperature and low frequency. At constant temperature, the ac conductivity is found to be proportional to ω^8, where s is the frequency exponent, which is less than 1. Analysis of the conductivity data and the frequency exponent shows that the overlapping large polaron tunnelling （OLPT） model of ions is the most favorable mechanism for the ac conduction in the present glass system. The ac response, the dc conductivity and dielectric relaxation have the same activation energy and they originate from the same basic transport mechanism. The results of the dielectric permittivity show no maximum peak in the temperature and frequency range studied. This absence of maximum peak is an indication of non-ferroelectric behavior of all the studied samples. The MAE has been detected in the ac conductivity, which is the same as the classical MAE in the dc conductivity. The electrical parameters such as dielectric permittivity ε′ and real dielectric modulus M′ show a typical minimum deviation from linearity by about two orders of magnitude. The loss factor tanδ and the imaginary dielectric modulus M″ are insignificantly dependent on composition even at the same transition temperature Tg.展开更多
Rapid mixing and chlorine saving are two important problems that most drinking water industries are focus on, and this paper adopts chemical induction unit to compare with water jet injector to study what merits chemi...Rapid mixing and chlorine saving are two important problems that most drinking water industries are focus on, and this paper adopts chemical induction unit to compare with water jet injector to study what merits chemical induction unit has. The experiment chose coefficient of variability of chlorine concentration to evaluate the mix effect and used chlorine consumption to compare the two equipments. Distribution reservoir experiments show that chemical induction unit can completely mix chlorine less than 6.2 seconds and water jet injector can not completely mix in 3 minutes. Mixing pool experiments show that chemical induction unit can save chlorine compared with water jet injector, and can save more if more chlorine is consumed.展开更多
The scientists are dedicated to studying the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset to find a cure, or at the very least, medication that can slow the progression of the disease. This article explores the effectivene...The scientists are dedicated to studying the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset to find a cure, or at the very least, medication that can slow the progression of the disease. This article explores the effectiveness of longitudinal data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning approaches based on magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography neuroimaging modalities for progression estimation and the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset. The significance of feature extraction in highly complex neuroimaging data, identification of vulnerable brain regions, and the determination of the threshold values for plaques, tangles, and neurodegeneration of these regions will extensively be evaluated. Developing automated methods to improve the aforementioned research areas would enable specialists to determine the progression of the disease and find the link between the biomarkers and more accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset.展开更多
The EPR parameters of trivalent Er（3＋） ions doped in hexagonal Ga N crystal have been studied by diagonalizing the 364×364 complete energy matrices. The results indicate that the resonance ground states may be...The EPR parameters of trivalent Er（3＋） ions doped in hexagonal Ga N crystal have been studied by diagonalizing the 364×364 complete energy matrices. The results indicate that the resonance ground states may be derived from the Kramers doublet Γ6. The EPR g-factors may be ascribed to the stronger covalent bonding and nephelauxetic effects compared with other rare-earth doped complexes, as a result of the mismatch of ionic radii of the impurity Er（3＋）ion and the replaced Ga（3＋） ion apart from the intrinsic covalency of host Ga N. Furthermore, the J–J mixing effects on the EPR parameters from the high-lying manifolds have been evaluated. It is found that the dominant J–J mixing contribution is from the manifold 2K（15/2）, which accounts for about 2.5%. The next important J–J contribution arises from the crystal–field mixture between the ground state 4I（15/2） and the first excited state4I（13/2）, and is usually less than 0.2%. The contributions from the rest states may be ignored.展开更多
<strong>Objective</strong><span><span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>: </strong>Since the...<strong>Objective</strong><span><span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>: </strong>Since the identification of COVID-19 in December 2019 as a pandemic, over 4500 research papers were published with the term “COVID-19” contained in its title. Many of these reports on the COVID-19 pandemic suggested that the coronavirus was associated with more serious chronic diseases and mortality particularly in patients with chronic diseases regardless of country and age. Therefore, there is a need to understand how common comorbidities and other factors are associated with the risk of death due to COVID-19 infection. Our investigation aims at exploring this relationship. Specifically, our analysis aimed to explore the relationship between the total number of COVID-19 cases and mortality associated with COVID-19 infection accounting for other risk factors. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Methods</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">: Due to the presence of over dispersion, the Negative Binomial Regression is used to model the aggregate number of COVID-19 cases. Case-fatality associated with this infection is modeled as an outcome variable using machine learning predictive multivariable regression. The data we used are the COVID-19 cases and associated deaths from the start of the pandemic up to December 02-2020, the day Pfizer was granted approval for their new COVID-19 vaccine. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">: Our analysis found significant regional variation in case fatality. Moreover, the aggregate number of cases had several risk factors including chronic kidney disease, population density and the percentage of gross domestic product spent on healthcare. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The Conclusions</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">: There are important regional variations in COVID-19 case fatality. We identified three factors to be significantly correlated with case fatality</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">.</span>展开更多
文摘The mixed alkali effect was investigated in the glass system 0.75B2O3-0.25[xNa2O-（1 -x）K20] through thermodynamic properties. The calorimetric measurements were performed in HF solution calorimetry at 298 K. The mixing enthalpy values show non-linear behaviour upon substitution of one alkali ion by another. This thermodynamic non-ideality is caused by the slight variations of distance between metallic cations, the macromolecular structure being unchanged. It can be explained, at least qualitatively, using electrolyte theory based on the Coulombic interactions of charged species originally developed by Debye and Hückel.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.12171450。
文摘This paper proposed a general framework based on semiparametric additive mixed effects model to identify subgroups on each covariate and estimate the corresponding regression functions simultaneously for longitudinal data,thus it could reveal which covariate contributes to the existence of subgroups among population.A backfitting combined with k-means algorithm was developed to detect subgroup structure on each covariate and estimate each semiparametric additive component across subgroups.A Bayesian information criterion is employed to estimate the actual number of groups.The efficacy and accuracy of the proposed procedure in identifying the subgroups and estimating the regression functions are illustrated through numerical studies.In addition,the authors demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method with applications to PBC data and Industrial Portfolio's Return data and provide meaningful partitions of the populations.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.12004199)。
文摘The mixed-field effect at the hyperfine level of the rovibronic ground state of the^(127)I^(79)Br(X^(1)Σ,v=0,J=0)molecule is computed on the J-I uncoupled basis of|JM_(J)I_(1)M_(1)I_(2)M_(2)>,where J is the molecular total angular momentum excluding nuclear spin,M_J is the projection number of J,I_(1) and I_(2) are the nuclear spins of the iodine and bromine atoms,and M_(1) and M_(2) are the projection numbers of I_(1) and I_(2),respectively.When the two applied electric and magnetic fields are parallel,the perturbations are rare and only one perturbation is observed in a relatively large field regime in our computation range.However,when the two fields are off-parallel,the perturbations increase significantly and some sublevels show the Feshbach-like resonance phenomenon.Therefore,such sublevels transit between weak-field seeking and strong-field seeking repeatedly,which can be utilized to enhance or suppress cold molecular collision and chemical reaction rates.Such behavior of the molecular hyperfine structure in the mixed off-parallel fields may also be utilized to construct an electric-field-assisted anti-Helmholtz magnetic trap for cold molecules and to realize evaporative cooling of cold molecules(sub-mK)into the ultracold regime(μK).
基金This publication is based upon work from COST Action CLIMO(CA15226) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)the UMBRACLIM project (PID2019-111781RB-I00)funded by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation. Teresa Valor was contracted with a grant“Juan de la Cierva-Formaci on”(FJC2018-036673-I). Z.S. received funds from the grant no. APVV-20-0365 and from project TreeAdapt supported by the MPRV SR. Aitor Ameztegui is supported by a Serra-Húnter fellowship by the Generalitat de Catalunya。
文摘Background: Understanding the role of species identity in interactions among individuals is crucial for assessing the productivity and stability of mixed forests over time. However, there is limited knowledge concerning the variation in competitive effect and response of different species along climatic gradients. In this study, we investigated the importance of climate, tree size, and competition on the growth of three tree species: spruce(Picea abies), fir(Abies alba), and beech(Fagus sylvatica), and examined their competitive response and effect along a climatic gradient.Methods: We selected 39 plots distributed across the European mountains with records of the position and growth of 5,759 individuals. For each target species, models relating tree growth to tree size, climate and competition were proposed. Competition was modelled using a neighbourhood competition index that considered the effects of inter-and intraspecific competition on target trees. Competitive responses and effects were related to climate.Likelihood methods and information theory were used to select the best model.Results: Our findings revealed that competition had a greater impact on target species growth than tree size or climate. Climate did influence the competitive effects of neighbouring species, but it did not affect the target species? response to competition. The strength of competitive effects varied along the gradient, contingent on the identity of the interacting species. When the target species exhibited an intermediate competitive effect relative to neighbouring species, both higher inter-than intraspecific competitive effects and competition reduction occurred along the gradient. Notably, species competitive effects were most pronounced when the target species' growth was at its peak and weakest when growing conditions were far from their maximum.Conclusions: Climate modulates the effects of competition from neighbouring trees on the target tree and not the susceptibility of the target tree to competition. The modelling approach should be useful in future research to expand our knowledge of how competition modulates forest communities across environmental gradients.
基金The research of W.Yao was supported by National Science Foundation(No.DMS-1461677)Department of Energy(No.DE-EE0007328)+1 种基金The research of N.Yu was supported by National Science Foundation(No.1637258)Department of Energy(No.DE-EE0007328).
文摘Renewable energy production has been surging around the world in recent years.To mitigate the increasing uncertainty and intermittency of the renewable generation,proactive demand response algorithms and programs are proposed and developed to further improve the utilization of load flexibility and increase the efficiency of power system operation.One of the biggest challenges to efficient control and operation of demand response resources is how to forecast the baseline electricity consumption and estimate the load impact from demand response resources accurately.In this paper,we propose a mixed effect segmented regression model and a new robust estimate for forecasting the baseline electricity consumption in Southern California,USA,by combining the ideas of random effect regression model,segmented regression model,and the least trimmed squares estimate.Since the log-likelihood of the considered model is not differentiable at breakpoints,we propose a new backfitting algorithm to estimate the unknown parameters.The estimation performance of the new estimation procedure has been demonstrated with both simulation studies and the real data application for the electric load baseline forecasting in Southern California.
文摘The effect of tree age and climatic variables on stem radial growth of two hybrid clones of Eucalyptus was determined using longitudinal data from eastern South Africa.The stem radius of was measured weekly as the response variable.In addition to tree age,average weekly temperature,solar radiation,relative humidity and wind speed were simultaneously recorded with total rainfall at the site.An additive mixed effects model that incorporates a non-parametric smooth function was used.The results of the analysis indicate that the relationship between stem radius and each of the covariates can be explained by nonlinear functions.Models that account for the effect of clone and season together with their interaction in the parametric part of the additive mixed model were also fitted.The interaction between clone and season was not significant in all cases.For analyzing the joint effect all the covariates,additive mixed models that included two or more covariates were fitted.A significant effect of tree age was found in all cases.Although tree age was the key determinant of stem radial growth,weather variables also had a significant effect that was dependent on season.
文摘During the past two centuries, global changes (i.e., enhanced nitrogen deposition) have exerted profound effects on ecological processes of steppe ecosystems. We used litterbag method and mixed litters of three different plant species tissues (Stipa baicalensis: Sb, Leymus chinensis: Lc and Artemisia frigid: Af), endemic to Stipa baicalensis Steppe, and measured the mass loss of mixtures over 417 days under the N addition treatment. We studied the effect of N addition (N0: no N addition;N15: 1.5 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N30: 3.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N50: 5.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N100: 10.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a;N150: 15.0 g N/m<sup>2</sup>·a) on the rate of mixed litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics change. The decomposition constant (k) of leaf mixtures was higher than that of root mixtures. The k values of leaf mixed combinations were 0.880 (Sb + Lc), 1.231 (Lc + Af), 1.027 (Sb + Lc + Af), respectively. The k value of stem was 0.806 (Lc + Af) and the root mixed combinations were 0.665 (Sb + Lc), 0.979 (Lc + Af) and 1.164 (Sb + Lc + Af), respectively. The results indicated that N addition had significantly effect on the mixed litter decomposition and nutrient releasing. The rate of plant tissues litter decomposition had different response to N addition. In the context of N addition, litter decomposition rate and nutrient dynamics were changed by synthetic effect of decaying time, specie types and N addition dose. Our findings suggested that prairie plants may adapt to environmental change by adjusting litter quality, thus retaining the stability of the steppe ecosystem.
基金provided by National Science Foundation Center for Advanced Forestry Systems(CAFSAward#1915078)RII Track-2FEC(Award#1920908)。
文摘Tree mortality plays a fundamental role in the dynamics of forest ecosystems,yet it is one of the most difficult phenomena to accurately predict.Various modeling strategies have been developed to improve individual tree mortality predictions.One less explored strategy is the use of a multistage modeling approach.Potential improvements from this approach have remained largely unknown.In this study,we developed a novel multistage approach and compared its performance in individual tree mortality predictions with a more conventional approach using an identical individual tree mortality model formulation.Extensive permanent plot data(n=9442)covering the Acadian Region of North America and over multiple decades(1965–2014)were used in this study.Our results indicated that the model behavior with the multistage approach better depicted the observed mortality and showed a notable improvement over the conventional approach.The difference between the observed and predicted numbers of dead trees using the multistage approach was much smaller when compared with the conventional approach.In addition,tree survival probabilities predicted by the multistage approach generally were not significantly different from the observations,whereas the conventional approach consistently underestimated mortality across species and overestimated tree survival probabilities over the large range of DBH in the data.The new multistage approach also predictions of zero mortality in individual plots,a result not possible in conventional models.Finally,the new approach was more tolerant of modeling errors because it based estimates on ranked tree mortality rather than error-prone predicted values.Overall,this new multistage approach deserves to be considered and tested in future studies.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21276086)
文摘The effect of mixed oxide support on the performance of Ni/ZnO in the reactive adsorption desulfurization(RADS) reaction was investigated in a fixed bed reactor by using thiophene as the sulfur-containing compound in the model gasoline. A series of oxide supports for Ni/ZnO were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and characterized by XRD, N_2-adsorption, TPR and NH_3-TPD techniques. It was found that the desulfurization capacity of Ni/ZnO was enhanced greatly when active components were supported on the proper mixed oxide. Ni/ZnO supported on oxides exhibited much higher desulfurization efficiency and sulfur adsorption capacity than the unsupported Ni/ZnO and the synthesized Ni/ZnO-SA adsorbent exhibited the highest efficiency for thiophene removal. The higher desulfurization activity and sulfur capacity of Ni/ZnO supported on SiO_2-Al_2O_3 with small particle size, high specific surface area and large pore volume could promote the high dispersion of active metal phase and the transfer of sulfur to ZnO with lower mass transfer resistance. γ-Al_2O_3 species could weaken the interaction of active phases and SiO_2 as well as could increase greatly the amount of weak acids. Therefore, these oxides could impose a great influence on the structure and chemical properties of the catalyst.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42174090 and No.42250103)the MOST Special Fund from the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources(No.MSFGPMR2022-4)+1 种基金the Opening Fund of Key Laboratory of Geological Survey and Evaluation of Ministry of Education(No.GLAB2023ZR02)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities。
文摘Due to environmental noise and human factors,magnetic data collected in the field often contain various noises and interferences that significantly affect the subsequent data processing and interpretation.Empirical Mode Decomposition(EMD),an adaptive multiscale analysis method for nonlinear and non-stationary signals,is widely used in geophysical and geodetic data processing.Compared with traditional EMD,Improved Complete Ensemble EMD with Adaptive Noise(ICEEMDAN)is more effective in addressing the problem of mode mixing.Based on the principles of 1D ICEEMDAN,this paper presents an alternative algorithm for 2D ICEEMDAN,extending its application to two-dimensional scenarios.The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through synthetic signal experiments,which show that the 2D ICEEMDAN exhibits a weaker mode mixing effect compared to the traditional bidimensional EMD(BEMD)method.Furthermore,to improve the performance of the denoising method based on 2D ICEEMDAN and preserve useful signals in high-frequency components,an improved soft thresholding technique is introduced.Synthetic magnetic anomaly data testing indicates that our denoising method effectively preserves signal continuity and outperforms traditional soft thresholding methods.To validate the practical application of this improved threshold denoising method based on 2D ICEEMDAN,it is applied to ground magnetic survey data in the Yandun area of Xinjiang.The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in removing noise while retaining essential information from practical magnetic anomaly data.In particular,practical applications suggest that 2D ICEEMDAN can extract trend signals more accurately than the BEMD.In conclusion,as a potential tool for multi-scale decomposition,the 2D ICEEMDAN is versatile in processing and analyzing 2D geophysical and geodetic data.
基金the Natural Science Foundation of China(10371042,10671038)
文摘In this article, robust generalized estimating equation for the analysis of partial linear mixed model for longitudinal data is used. The authors approximate the nonparametric function by a regression spline. Under some regular conditions, the asymptotic properties of the estimators are obtained. To avoid the computation of high-dimensional integral, a robust Monte Carlo Newton-Raphson algorithm is used. Some simulations are carried out to study the performance of the proposed robust estimators. In addition, the authors also study the robustness and the efficiency of the proposed estimators by simulation. Finally, two real longitudinal data sets are analyzed.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(11201345,11271136)
文摘It is well known that spline smoothing estimator relates to the Bayesian estimate under partially informative normal prior. In this paper, we derive the conditions for the pro- priety of the posterior in the nonparametric mixed effects model under this class of partially informative normal prior for fixed effect with inverse gamma priors on the variance compo- nents and hierarchical priors for covariance matrix of random effect, then we explore the Gibbs sampling procedure.
文摘In this paper, an efficient shrinkage estimation procedure for the partially linear varying coefficient model (PLVC) with random effect is considered. By selecting the significant variable and estimating the nonzero coefficient, the model structure specification is accomplished by introducing a novel penalized estimating equation. Under some mild conditions, the asymptotic properties for the proposed model selection and estimation results, such as the sparsity and oracle property, are established. Some numerical simulation studies and a real data analysis are presented to examine the finite sample performance of the procedure.
基金the European Union for funding of the project "Management of mixed-species stands.Options for a low-risk forest management (REFORM)"(# 2816ERA02S)the Bavarian State Ministry for Nutrition,Agriculture,and Forestry for permanent support of the project W 07" Long-term experimental plots for forest growth and yield research "(# 7831-22209-2013)+1 种基金the German Science Foundation for providing the funds for the projects PR 292/12-1" Tree and stand-level growth reactions on drought in mixed versus pure forests of Norway spruce and European beech"the National Institute of Food and Agriculture/Pennsylvania Agriculture Experiment Station project PEN 04516 for its support
文摘A better understanding and a more quantitative design of mixed-species stands will contribute to more integrative and goal-oriented research in mixed-species forests. Much recent work has indicated that the structure and growth of mixed species forests may fundamentally differ from monocultures. Here we suggest how to progress from the present accumulation of phenomenological findings to a design of mixed-species stands and advanced silvicultural prescriptions by means of modelling. First, the knowledge of mixing effects on the structure and growth at the stand, species, and individual tree level is reviewed, with a focus on those findings that are most essential for suitable modelling and silvicultural designs and the regulation of mixed stands as opposed to monocultures. Then, the key role of growth models, stand simulators, and scenario assessments for designing mixed species stands is discussed The next section illustrates that existing forest stand growth models require some fundamental modifications to become suitable for both monocultures and mixed-species stands. We then explore how silvicultural prescriptions derived from scenario runs would need to be both quantified and simplified for transfer to forest management and demonstrated in training plots. Finally, we address the main remaining knowledge gaps that could be remedied through empirical research.
文摘A new glass system （Bi2O3）50（Fe2O3）10（Li2O）x（K2O）40-x, where x changes in steps of 5 mole fraction between 0 and 40, was selected to study the electrical relaxation and the mixed alkali effect （MAE） phenomena. Measurements of ac conductivity σac, dielectric permittivity ε′ and loss factor tanδ in the frequency range of 0.12～10^2 kHz and in the temperature range of 300～650 K were carried out. The temperature dependence of the ac conductivity shows a slow increasing rate at low temperature and high frequency and a rapid increase at high temperature and low frequency. At constant temperature, the ac conductivity is found to be proportional to ω^8, where s is the frequency exponent, which is less than 1. Analysis of the conductivity data and the frequency exponent shows that the overlapping large polaron tunnelling （OLPT） model of ions is the most favorable mechanism for the ac conduction in the present glass system. The ac response, the dc conductivity and dielectric relaxation have the same activation energy and they originate from the same basic transport mechanism. The results of the dielectric permittivity show no maximum peak in the temperature and frequency range studied. This absence of maximum peak is an indication of non-ferroelectric behavior of all the studied samples. The MAE has been detected in the ac conductivity, which is the same as the classical MAE in the dc conductivity. The electrical parameters such as dielectric permittivity ε′ and real dielectric modulus M′ show a typical minimum deviation from linearity by about two orders of magnitude. The loss factor tanδ and the imaginary dielectric modulus M″ are insignificantly dependent on composition even at the same transition temperature Tg.
文摘Rapid mixing and chlorine saving are two important problems that most drinking water industries are focus on, and this paper adopts chemical induction unit to compare with water jet injector to study what merits chemical induction unit has. The experiment chose coefficient of variability of chlorine concentration to evaluate the mix effect and used chlorine consumption to compare the two equipments. Distribution reservoir experiments show that chemical induction unit can completely mix chlorine less than 6.2 seconds and water jet injector can not completely mix in 3 minutes. Mixing pool experiments show that chemical induction unit can save chlorine compared with water jet injector, and can save more if more chlorine is consumed.
文摘The scientists are dedicated to studying the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset to find a cure, or at the very least, medication that can slow the progression of the disease. This article explores the effectiveness of longitudinal data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning approaches based on magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography neuroimaging modalities for progression estimation and the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset. The significance of feature extraction in highly complex neuroimaging data, identification of vulnerable brain regions, and the determination of the threshold values for plaques, tangles, and neurodegeneration of these regions will extensively be evaluated. Developing automated methods to improve the aforementioned research areas would enable specialists to determine the progression of the disease and find the link between the biomarkers and more accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset.
基金Project supported by the Foundation of Education Department of Shaanxi Province,China(Grant No.16JK1402)
文摘The EPR parameters of trivalent Er（3＋） ions doped in hexagonal Ga N crystal have been studied by diagonalizing the 364×364 complete energy matrices. The results indicate that the resonance ground states may be derived from the Kramers doublet Γ6. The EPR g-factors may be ascribed to the stronger covalent bonding and nephelauxetic effects compared with other rare-earth doped complexes, as a result of the mismatch of ionic radii of the impurity Er（3＋）ion and the replaced Ga（3＋） ion apart from the intrinsic covalency of host Ga N. Furthermore, the J–J mixing effects on the EPR parameters from the high-lying manifolds have been evaluated. It is found that the dominant J–J mixing contribution is from the manifold 2K（15/2）, which accounts for about 2.5%. The next important J–J contribution arises from the crystal–field mixture between the ground state 4I（15/2） and the first excited state4I（13/2）, and is usually less than 0.2%. The contributions from the rest states may be ignored.
文摘<strong>Objective</strong><span><span><span style="font-family:;" "=""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>: </strong>Since the identification of COVID-19 in December 2019 as a pandemic, over 4500 research papers were published with the term “COVID-19” contained in its title. Many of these reports on the COVID-19 pandemic suggested that the coronavirus was associated with more serious chronic diseases and mortality particularly in patients with chronic diseases regardless of country and age. Therefore, there is a need to understand how common comorbidities and other factors are associated with the risk of death due to COVID-19 infection. Our investigation aims at exploring this relationship. Specifically, our analysis aimed to explore the relationship between the total number of COVID-19 cases and mortality associated with COVID-19 infection accounting for other risk factors. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Methods</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">: Due to the presence of over dispersion, the Negative Binomial Regression is used to model the aggregate number of COVID-19 cases. Case-fatality associated with this infection is modeled as an outcome variable using machine learning predictive multivariable regression. The data we used are the COVID-19 cases and associated deaths from the start of the pandemic up to December 02-2020, the day Pfizer was granted approval for their new COVID-19 vaccine. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Results</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">: Our analysis found significant regional variation in case fatality. Moreover, the aggregate number of cases had several risk factors including chronic kidney disease, population density and the percentage of gross domestic product spent on healthcare. </span><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The Conclusions</span></b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">: There are important regional variations in COVID-19 case fatality. We identified three factors to be significantly correlated with case fatality</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">.</span>
