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The design of an ultrafast double-pulse stretcher–compressor, which can be utilized in applications like Raman chirped adiabatic passage experiments, is presented. Experimental PG FROG traces obtained for a single-pulse output of such a stretcher–compressor support the design. However, the FROG traces of a double-pulse output are not intuitive and not fully retrievable. Therefore, a code was developed to simulate these FROG traces and investigate their dependence on the delay between the two slices of the double-pulse. The results are presented here and can be employed as a diagnostic tool in different applications where ultrafast laser double-pulses are used. The simulations reveal that the FROG traces strongly depend on the delay between the two slices of the double-pulse when this delay is comparable to the pulse duration. The simulations also suggest that using a transform-limited single-pulse as the gate in the PG FROG instrument leads to simpler FROG traces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing global air traffic has placed higher demands on airport pavement design. However, the behavior of rigid concrete airport pavement (RCAP) under traffic loading is very complex, and the existing reliability theory and empirical concrete pavement analysis methods cannot detect the precise RCAP failure point. Based on this background, this paper attempts to study the failure of RCAP under traffic loading from a thermodynamic perspective. It selects the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test in Construction Cycle 8 (CC8) phase 3 as the research material. We apply the structural stressing state theory to equate the RCAP under traffic loading to a thermodynamic system with a phase transition, i.e., we model the whole process strain data as state variables. Then, analogous to the renormalization group method of Wilson's phase transition theory to reveal the critical point of the system, this study establishes matrixes (Modes) and Hamiltonians (Characteristic parameters) that can characterize the RCAP full-process stressing state evolution under traffic loading by accumulating the difference of state variables. We attempted to verify the effectiveness of this method under such complex working conditions, which can also be applied to many other high-speed time-variant loading conditions. By applying the clustering analysis criterion, we can reveal the phase transition points of the RCAP: elastoplastic branch (EPB), failure starting (FS), and progressive failure (PF) points, respectively. Taking the NW group as an example, the variances of EPB, FS, and PF points revealed by the mode and characteristic parameter curves conducted by the two homogeneous measured point selections, respectively, are 7.7,6.4, and 6.4, which are of exceptionally high stability. We also used thermodynamic modeling to reveal the phase transition points of the remaining three RCAPs and compared the effect of different joints on the phase transition points. Finally, this study also explores the feasibility of EPB-based concrete airport pavement design. [Display omitted] • Proposing to model the stressing state of RCAP from a thermodynamic perspective. • The stressing state matrixes and Hamiltonians of the RCAP are proposed. • Applying the clustering analysis criterion revealed the phase transition points of RCAP. • Compare the EPB and FS points for different joint types of RCAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) standards are generally accepted by 46 countries in the world (28 jurisdictions). However, these countries differ in terms of details of standards' implementation, i.e. national discretions take place. In 2012 the Basel Committee launched Regulatory Compliance Assessment Program (RCAP) to assure that all member states operate according to rules at least not softer than the original ones. Standards' unification across countries results in need for less developed countries to adopt standards faster and in a more stringent form. One may foresee financial instability exacerbation as an outcome of such policy. That is why paper objective is to demonstrate that standards' implementation (RCAP) score is an implicit product of country's macroeconomic and financial system development. For example, higher share of foreign banks and higher unemployment are strongly associated with countries that have regulation significantly different from the Basel original ones (having low compliance scores finally). This is exactly why standards should be differentiated by countries. Key message of the paper is that to promote financial stability regulator should target natural heterogeneity of risk management and risk regulation instead of that appealing artificial homogeneity (of which RCAP is one the examples). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Non-thermal atmospheric plasma has proven its benefits in sterilization, cauterization and even in cancer reduction. Furthermore, physical plasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) promotes wound healing in vivo and angiogenesis in vitro . Moreover, cutaneous blood flow and oxygen saturation can be improved in human skin. These effects are mostly explained by reactive oxygen species (ROS), but electric fields, currents and ultraviolet radiation may also have an impact on cells in the treated area. Usually, single session application is used. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the repetitive use of cold atmospheric plasma (rCAP) on cutaneous microcirculation. Hypothesis The repetitive use of non-thermal atmospheric plasma boosts cutaneous microcirculation effects. Methods Microcirculatory data was assessed at a defined skin area of the radial forearm of 20 healthy volunteers (17 males, 3 females; mean age 39.1 ± 14.8 years; BMI 26.4 ± 4.6 kg/m 2 ). Microcirculatory measurements were performed under standardized conditions using a combined laser Doppler and photospectrometry system. After baseline measurement, CAP was applied by a DBD plasma device for 90 s and cutaneous microcirculation was assessed for 10 min. Afterwards, a second session of CAP application was performed and microcirculation was measured for another 10 min. Then, the third application was made and another 20 min of microcirculatory parameters were assessed. Results Tissue oxygen saturation and postcapillary venous filling pressure significantly increased after the first application and returned to baseline values within 10 min after treatment. After the second and third applications, both parameters increased significantly vs. baseline until the end of the 40-minute measuring period. Cutaneous blood flow was significantly enhanced for 1 min after the first application, with no significant differences found during the remainder of the observation period. The second application improved and prolonged the effect significantly until 7 min and the third application until 13 min. Conclusion: These data indicate that the repetitive use of non-thermal atmospheric plasma boosts and prolongs cutaneous microcirculation and might therefore be a potential tool to promote wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During nuclear accidents, decision-makers need to handle considerable data to take appropriate protective actions to protect people and the environment from radioactive material release. In such scenarios, machine learning can be an essential tool in facilitating the protection action decisions that will be made by decision-makers. By feeding machines software with big data to analyze and identify nuclear accident behavior, types, and the concentrations of released radioactive materials can be predicted, thus helping in early warning and protecting people and the environment. In this study, based on the ground deposition concentration of radioactive materials at different distances offsite in an emergency planning zone (EPZ), we proposed classification and regression models for three severe accidents. The objective of the classification model is to recognize the transient situation type for taking appropriate actions, while the objective of the regression model is to estimate the concentrations of the released radioactive materials. We used the Personal Computer Transient Analyser (PCTRAN) Advanced Power Reactor (APR) 1400 to simulate three severe accident scenarios and to generate a source term released to the environment. Additionally, the Radiological Consequence Analysis Program (RCAP) was used to assess the off-site consequences of nuclear power plant accidents and to estimate the ground deposition concentrations of radionuclides. Moreover, ground deposition concentrations at different distances were used as input data for the classification and regression tree (CART) models to obtain an accident pattern and to establish a prediction model. Results showed that the ground deposition concentration at a near distance from a nuclear power plant is a more informative parameter in predicting the concentration of radioactive material release, while the ground deposition concentration at a far distance is a very informative parameter in identifying accident types. In the regression model, the R-square of the training and test data was 0.995 and 0.994, respectively, showing a mean strong linear relationship between the predicted and actual concentration of radioactive material release. The mean absolute percentage error was found to be 26.9% and 28.1% for the training and test data, respectively. In the classification model, the model predicted a scenario (1) of 99.8% and 98.9%, scenario (2) of 98.4% and 91.6%, and scenario (3) of 98.6% and 94.7% for the training and test data, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]