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We use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate ionic conduction in a short, charged, single-wall carbon nanotube. They reveal ionic Coulomb blockade (ICB) oscillations in the current as a function of the fixed charge on the wall, and an associated occupancy staircase. Current peaks related to fluctuations around the 2 → 1 and 1 → 0 steps in occupancy are clearly resolved, in agreement with ICB theory. Current peaks were also observed at constant occupancy. These unpredicted secondary peaks are attributed to edge effects involving a remote knock-on mechanism; they are attenuated, or absent, for certain choices of model parameters. The key parameters of the system that underlie the current oscillations are estimated using ICB theory and the potential of the mean force. Future perspectives opened up by these observations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For deformed wheel-based staircase-climbing robots, the accuracy of staircase step geometry perception and scene mapping are critical factors in determining whether the robot can successfully ascend the stairs and continue its task. Currently, while there are LiDAR-based algorithms that focus either on step geometry detection or scene mapping, few comprehensive algorithms exist that address both step geometry perception and scene mapping for staircases. Moreover, significant errors in step geometry estimation and low mapping accuracy can hinder the ability of deformed wheel-based mobile robots to climb stairs, negatively impacting the efficiency and success rate of task execution. To solve the above problems, we propose an effective LiDAR-Inertial-based point cloud detection method for staircases. Firstly, we preprocess the staircase point cloud, mainly using the Statistical Outlier Removal algorithm to effectively remove the outliers in the staircase scene and combine the vertical angular resolution and spatial geometric relationship of LiDAR to realize the ground segmentation in the staircase scene. Then, we perform post-processing based on the point cloud map obtained from LiDAR SLAM, extract the staircase point cloud and project and fit the staircase point cloud by Ceres optimizer, and solve the dimensional information such as depth and height of the staircase by combining with the mean filtering method. Finally, we fully validate the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper by conducting multiple sets of SLAM and size detection experiments in real different staircase scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider how the absence of thermalization affects the classical Coulomb blockade regime in quantum dots. By solving the quantum kinetic equation in the experimentally accessible regime when the dot has two relevant occupation states, we calculate the current–voltage characteristics for arbitrary coupling to the leads. If the couplings are strongly asymmetric, the Coulomb staircase is practically reduced to the first step, which is independent of the charging energy, when the Fermi energy is comparatively small, while the standard thermalized results are recovered in the opposite case. When the couplings are of the same order, the absence of thermalization has a new, striking signature—a robust additional peak in the differential conductance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐entity electrochemistry (SEE) has transformed the study of electrochemical processes, allowing for the observation of discrete electrochemical events at the level of individual entities such as nanoparticles (NPs) and biomolecules. This review categorizes SEE signals ranging from typical staircase, spike, and blip signals to more complex combined responses based on their shape, each providing insight into the reaction mechanism. Papers exploring reaction mechanisms based on changes in SEE signals under varying experimental conditions, such as applied potential or pH, are also discussed. By analyzing the experimental systems that generate these signals, a better understanding of electrocatalytic reactions mediated by single entities, such as NPs and biomolecules, can be achieved. This review offers insight into interpreting new signal types and paves the way for further research into electrochemical processes and the applications of SEE in sensing, catalysis, and diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the photogrammetric performance of three multi-camera systems—two spherical cameras (INSTA 360 Pro2 and MG1) and one multi-camera rig (ANT3D)—to evaluate their accuracy and precision in confined environments. These systems are particularly suited for indoor surveys, such as narrow spaces, where traditional methods face limitations. The instruments were tested for the survey of a narrow spiral staircase within Milan Cathedral and the results were analyzed based on different processing strategies, including different relative constraints between sensors, various calibration sets for distortion parameters, interior orientation (IO), and relative orientation (RO), as well as two different ground control solutions. This study also included a repeatability test. The findings showed that, with appropriate ground control, all systems achieved the target accuracy of 1 cm. In partially unconstrained scenarios, the drift errors ranged between 5 and 10 cm. Performance varied depending on the processing pipelines; however, the results suggest that imposing a multi-camera constraint between sensors and estimating both IO and RO parameters during the Bundle Block Adjustment yields the best outcomes. In less stable environments, it might be preferable to pre-calibrate and fix the IO parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cast‐in‐suit stairs and precast stairs were damaged seriously during many earthquakes in recent years. Stairs with new sliding support were put forward in order to avoid the failure of stairs, landing slab in the half floor was divided into two parts and sliding support was placed between stair beam and landing slab. Down‐scaled model of stairs with new sliding support was produced, and reversed cyclic loading test was conducted to investigate the failure mode, hysteretic behavior, ductility, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation. The failure mode was crushing damage of frame column and stair components remained intact. The new sliding support had good working properties and landing slab separated from stair beam under the pull condition. In addition, seven finite element models of staircase were developed to investigate the seismic performance of staircase, and seven finite element models of frame structure were developed to investigate the effect of stairs on the seismic performance of main structure. Lateral stiffness of the staircase was asymmetrical affected by common stairs, so torsional deformation of staircase was large, and stairs with new sliding support had no effect to the lateral stiffness of staircase. Compared with frame structure, the natural period of vibration decreased approximately by 5% and the first vibration mode also changed direction when common stairs was considered, the natural period of vibration and the first vibration mode were not change when sliding support was adopted. Stairs were not damaged and did not affect the seismic performance of main structure when new sliding support was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the identification of Hammerstein nonlinear models. The system nonlinearity is not necessarily static and can be of hysteresis type. The latter nonlinearity can be backlash, switch or any other memory operator having several transient cycles, but one permanent (major) cycle. The LTI (Linear Time-Invariant) block is nonparametric and is described by its impulse response. The considered system's nonlinearity is any memory operator having one major cycle (periodic closed loop), which is bordered by any two arbitrary functions. The nonlinearity borders are not assumed to be invertible. The proposed identification algorithm can be used in static nonlinearity, e.g. polynomial nonlinearity, dead zone function or any piecewise affine functions. Unlike several previous studies, the proposed identification method is carried out using only one stage. In this approach, an input signal of piecewise constant (staircase) is used. It is shown that the estimated parameters converge to their true values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evacuation of a modern passenger ship is a challenging task which might be hindered by a complex ship's internal layout and/or the blocking of escape routes due to fire/flooding. In this work, the application of mobile technology to reduce travel time is investigated. A pilot system has been developed and tested on the RoPax ship GNV Bridge. It is composed of a server and a mobile application running on wearable smartbands. The guidance and localisation of devices have been carried out through Bluetooth beacons. A test area has been identified on GNV Bridge including 2 cabins corridors on deck 6 and the main lounge on deck 5. The corridors and the lounge are connected by three staircases, defining three alternative escape routes starting from cabins and arriving at the muster station in the main lounge. In the trials, the escape routes have been randomly blocked to assess the reduction of travel time achieved providing guidance through wearable devices to a sample population. It resulted in a 16.9% reduction in travel time. Besides, a strategy to simulate with a certified tool the effect of a guiding system has been defined. This is essential to make trials' results transferable in different environments (e.g., other RoPax or cruise ships). In particular, experimental data coming from the trials have been used to assess agents' speed reduction rate due to mobile device consultation. Although available experimental data were limited by the pandemic, the 2.5% agent's speed reduction applicable to simulations has been assessed as most probable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Fitness Index, a measure of cardiac and muscular system strength, may vary among individuals with different blood groups due to genetic or immunological factors influencing disease susceptibility and overall health, prompting this study to investigate these potential correlations. Aim: To find out any association between ABO and Rh blood groups and fitness index of healthy individuals. Methods: The study involved healthy individuals over 18 years old without known cardiac conditions, who underwent a two-step exercise on a wooden staircase at a rate of 30 steps per minute for 5 minutes. The recovery pulse rate was measured at intervals after the exercise, and these data were used to calculate the fitness index using the formula. The fitness index was then categorized as "poor" if less than 50, "average" if between 50 and 80, and "good" if more than 80. The study included 165 cases over a span of 6 months, and the data were analyzed using single way ANOVA. Results: The study of 165 participants found no significant association between fitness index and blood group (p = 0.493). Highest fitness index was found in the AB+ blood group with a mean of 71.29. However, a significant association was found between fitness index and gender, with females showing a higher fitness index than males (p = 0.018). Conclusion: The study concluded that while the highest fitness index was found in the AB+ blood group, the O+ blood group showed better reliability and accuracy for association with the fitness index due to a larger sample size. However, no significant association was found between an individual's blood group and fitness index (p = 0.493). A strong association was found between gender and fitness index (p = 0.018), with females showing a higher fitness index than males, possibly due to better BMI, physical activity, diet, and lifestyle. Further studies are needed to confirm this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of New Architecture is the property of New Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Binka Zhelyazkova's film The Last Word (1973) contains numerous liminal spaces: the prison building and its adjacent courtyard, for example, but also the cell itself, where the gloomy prison atmosphere clashes with Lika Yanko's naively surrealist murals. Quite a few shots in the film draw attention to the architecture of the prison -- the vault of the gates, the courtyard, the tower as well as the interior -- the staircase, the cell itself, the floors of the central tower, etc. These spaces probably contain many implicit visual references, for example to Piranesi's Imaginary Prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel structure of self-voltage balanced switched-capacitor-based seven-level inverter (SVB-SCSLI) is proposed for asymmetrical input energy source applications. SVB-SCSLI develops a seven-level staircase waveform with a minimum number of semiconductor devices compared to existing multilevel inverters (MLIs). The proposed converter is more suitable for the solar PV system where unequal DC voltage sources are available. The SVB-SCSLI also resolves the main difficulty of connecting many inverters in parallel to achieve staircase voltage. Besides, it attains voltage balancing capability at DC-link by holding constant capacitor voltage at every cycle. The detailed loss and steady-state analysis of the SVB-SCSLI are examined. Furthermore, the proposed converter's efficiency improves with better power quality than other topologies reported in the literature. Finally, a prototype is fabricated, and experimental results are presented to validate the feasibility of SVB-SCSLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a non-convex fractional-order hyper-Laplacian variational model for Gaussian noise removal. It employs first the primal-dual hybrid gradient algorithm to solve problems involving overlapping group sparse structures. Additionally, this paper designs a new algorithm leveraging the framework of the Chambolle-Pock algorithm with convergence and aims to recover high-quality images. The model, integrating the overlapping group sparse structure of the hyper-Laplacian prior with the non-convex fractional-order total variation, exhibits superior performance in reducing the staircase effect and maintaining sharp edge contours. To further improve the performance of the algorithm, a semi-adaptive p (x) non-convex penalty weight assignment mechanism is designed by introducing the structure tensor, which according to the characteristics of each region of the image and the noise level. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm in image denoising with simulation experiments and comparative analyses are fully verified. • A new non-convex fractional-order hyper-Laplace variation model is proposed. • The PDHG algorithm is introduced to solve optimization problems involving OGS-HL for the first time. • The convergence and complexity of the new design algorithm are analyzed. • A semi-adaptive p (x) determined by the structure of the image and the noise level is designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we show that the results in a companion paper on product rigidity for maps $ f: \Omega_1 \times \Omega_2 \subset \mathbb R^n \times \mathbb R^n \to \mathbb R^n \times \mathbb R^n $ in the Sobolev space $ W^{1, p} $ are sharp with respect to $ p $. Specifically, we show that for all $ n \ge 2 $ and all $ p < 2 $ there exist maps $ f \in W^{1, p} $ such that the weak differential $ Df $ is invertible almost everywhere and preserves or reverses the product structure almost everywhere, but $ f $ is not of the form $ f(x, y) = (f_1(x), f_2(y)) $ or = $ f(x, y) = (f_2(y), f_1(x)) $. Secondly, we develop a general toolbox to study $ W^{1, p} $ solutions of differential inclusions $ Du \in K $ for unbounded sets $ K $. As an illustration we give short proofs of results by Astala et al. on optimal $ W^{1, p} $ regularity for solutions of elliptic equations with measurable coefficients and results by Colombo and Tione on irregular solutions of the $ p $-Laplace equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a fire, stairways are the primary avenues for building evacuation. Previous studies focused on investigating evacuation flow through evacuation drills in a high-rise office building to assess the accuracy of evacuation scenarios and compared them with evacuation dynamics. However, the effectiveness of evacuation drills in estimating many scenarios is limited by actual drills. The evacuation simulations present a promising approach to objectively evaluating evacuation scenarios. This study verifies whether evacuation simulations can faithfully replicate actual evacuation flow and effectively predict suitable evacuation scenarios or potentially involve parameter calibration. Through a comprehensive comparison analysis, this study scrutinized the reliability of evacuation simulations and calibrated the simulation parameters. The analysis revealed that factors, including adjustments to the door width, personal space considerations for occupants in both conflict and normal situations and variations in staircase structure configuration, can significantly influence the evacuation flow within staircases. Manipulating these parameters in simulations would enable a more precise replication of evacuation flow within staircases, thereby enhancing the simulation's accuracy in target evacuation scenarios. The findings of this research have underscored the significance of employing advanced simulation techniques to model evacuation dynamics accurately, facilitating a robust framework for devising effective emergency evacuation strategies in high-rise office buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new nonlocal model that uses a weighted difference of anisotropic and isotropic total variation (TV) to regularize the partition boundaries in an image. The proposed model integrates the nonlocal operators with the weighted differences of two convex terms, which can exploit the variety nature of textured images to recover all important features and fine detail structures. To solve our proposed model, we apply the difference of convex algorithm (DCA). Then, the subproblems can be minimized by the split-Bregman iteration method introduced in Goldstein and Osher (2009) combined with the Bregmanized Operator Splitting (BOS) method introduced in Zhang et al. (2010). We prove that the sequence generated by the DCA method converges to a stationary point, which satisfies the first-order optimality condition. Various experiments show that the proposed model yields results that can compare favorably with those obtained by various methods in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional liquid foam systems comprised of an odd number N of bubbles arranged in a staircase configuration are studied as they are packed within a confined straight channel. Energy minimization is employed to characterize the permitted topology and geometry of the system at equilibrium. It is known that in an infinite staircase, bubble films are flat. The configuration for a finite number of bubbles, however, deviates from that of an infinite staircase at the edges. It is known that films near the edges are not flat and structures with a few bubbles (up to N=3) are well characterized. To study what happens as more bubbles are added, and how the behaviour approaches that of an infinite staircase, structures comprised of N=[5,7,...] bubbles are studied here. For these N values, minimum and maximum bubble areas are found that can pack in a staircase configuration within a straight channel. However, for an infinite staircase and also for N=3 , there are maximum areas, but no minima. Staircases with very short films, which make the structure susceptible to break in various ways, are also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a wide range of applications such as astronomy, biology, and medical imaging, acquired data are often corrupted by Poisson noise and blurring artifacts. Poisson noise is difficult to eliminate due to its signal-dependent and multiplicative properties. In this paper, a new adaptive Euler's elastica regularization model for blind restoration of Poisson images is proposed. This model combines the advantages of an adaptive weighted matrix and Euler's elastica regularization, which can mitigate the staircase effects while effectively preserving the local features of the image. In addition, an efficient alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) for solving this nonconvex model is designed. A large number of experiments are carried out on natural and synthetic images, respectively. The related results show that the proposed method can not only obtain a more accurate blur kernel but also improve the quality of the recovered image significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by a very recent work of A. Đurić, S. Jevđenić and N. Stopar, we introduce a new definition of zero-divisor graphs attached to rings that includes all of the classical definitions already known in the literature. We provide an interpretation of such graphs by means of a functor that we call zero-divisor functor and which is associated with a family of special equivalence relations fixed beforehand. We thus recover and generalize many known results for zero-divisor graphs and provide a framework which might be useful for further investigations on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of VLC Arquitectura is the property of VLC Arquitectura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a viable energy-harvesting technology that can harness kinetic energy from various environmental sources. TENGs primarily utilize linear and rotational motion as their kinetic energy sources. In the contact/separation mode, the primary mode of operation for linear motion, one cycle of AC output is generated with a single push. If the output can be sustained for an extended period from a single push, the potential applications for TENGs would significantly expand. In this study, we propose an innovative Linear-to-Rotary Conversion Triboelectric Nanogenerator (LRC-TENG), which incorporates a gear structure to convert linear motion into rotational motion and employs charge pumping to achieve efficient, prolonged output. The proposed TENG can sustain AC output for 3 s with a single push. This LRC-TENG is particularly well suited for applications such as stairways requiring safety lighting at night. Utilizing the LRC-TENG, when a person steps on a stair, it can illuminate the stairway for 3 s through more than 236 LEDs, ensuring safety during nighttime walking. This solution aids in guaranteeing pedestrian safety at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Online Journal of Art & Design is the property of Online Journal of Art & Design and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This short review paper describes the use of a reverse life plot, σa versus 1/Nf, for estimating a fatigue endurance/limit, σFL. The method is applicable for different alloy-environment systems and load R-ratios. Due to inherent scatter in the fatigue data approaching fatigue limit, a 'staircase' method is often utilized that requires relatively large number of specimens (around 15–30) to be tested just for fatigue endurance/limit determination alone. The proposed method uses only high-cycle-fatigue (HCF) S-N data. The estimated fatigue endurance/limit is verified against the data from staircase method for 7000 Al alloy in air and corrosive 0.5 % NaCl solution environment. The comparison with the staircase method shows fairly good agreement. An additional example shows how this method estimates endurance limits for 4140 steels tested in three environments: dry air, air with 93 % RH, and aerated 3 % NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their independent structure, piping, and access, townhouses offer great flexibility in floor plan changes and high spatial autonomy, making them the mainstream housing type in Taiwan. This study focuses on row houses and examines 2022 completion cases in Kaohsiung City. It collects floor plans from 14 newly constructed buildings, totaling 227 units, and analyzes spatial dimensions including the facade width, depth, habitable room, staircases, bathrooms, and total floor area for each case. The objective of this study is to examine the spatial layout of row houses in Kaohsiung City, with the aim of providing a reference for the future planning and design of such structures. The study results showed that 81.8% of the row houses analyzed have a total floor area per unit ranging from 136 to 192 m2, a facade width between 4.1 and 6.38 m, and a building depth from 7.67 to 12.68 m. In addition, they showed a low negative correlation between the facade width and total floor area, a high positive correlation between the building depth and total floor area, and a moderate negative correlation between the facade width and building depth. The spatial distribution within these houses includes 78% allocated to habitable room, 13.1% to staircases, and 8.7% to bathrooms. The total area of habitable rooms and bathrooms increases with the total floor area of the building. However, the total area of staircases remains almost constant as the area of habitable rooms increases. Furthermore, the most common location for staircase planning is the rear-right (RB) position, while the least common is the rear-left (LB) position. Among various staircase types, the C-shaped staircase has the largest average area per floor and the highest average proportion. Conversely, the I-shaped staircase has the smallest average area and the lowest average proportion. The U-shaped staircase is the most frequently planned, whereas the C-shaped staircase is the least frequently used. This means that planning of staircase location and type significantly affects the size and layout of habitable rooms and bathrooms in townhouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research data has been confirmed that the impact of stairs on the overall structure cannot be ignored under the action of earthquakes. To further evaluate the influence of staircases on the seismic resilience of reinforced concrete (Abbreviated as RC) frame structures designed according to Chinese design specifications during infrequent earthquake occurrences, a dynamic elastic-plastic analysis method was utilised. Differences in parameters such as period, vibrational modes, interlayer displacement angle, and base shear force were explored between structures with and without staircases. Data comparisons revealed that, in contrast to frame-only structures, structures with staircases exhibited reduced interstory displacement angles, floor displacement, and floor shear force under lateral loads, with the maximum reduction amplitude being 1.76%, 0.7%, and 1.82%, respectively. Such findings suggest that staircases enhance the lateral stiffness of the structure, thereby bolstering its seismic performance. Furthermore, it was observed that the variance in seismic performance attributed to staircases diminished as the number of storeys increased. The above research results can provide some reference for how to consider the influence of stairs in concrete structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the biases in estimating the L1-norm data fidelity term and staircase artifacts of the total variation regularization term, we propose a nonconvex+nonconvex model with box constraints to recover images degraded by blurring and impulse noise. Owing to the data fidelity term and the regularization term being nonconvex, we apply a proximal linearized minimization algorithm to solve the problem. To deal with a subproblem, we utilize the alternating direction multiplier method. The global convergence of the proposed algorithm is established under the assumption that the objective function satisfies the Kurdyka-Lojasiewicz property. We also present numerical results to demonstrate that the proposed nonconvex+nonconvex model outperforms existing models in terms of both numerical accuracy and visual quality. The proposed model also exhibits much better performance than the other methods, especially for piecewise-constant images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of South-Central Minzu University (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Journal of South-Central Minzu University (Natural Science Edition) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Staircase choice is one of the most critical factors leading to the difference in pedestrian flow and evacuation routes in buildings with multiple staircases. Neither the shortest path to the building exit nor the locally quickest path to the nearest staircase can represent the natural mode of evacuation path choices for an authentic evacuation simulation. Thus, a prediction-based approach is established to predict and simulate evacuation choices, which helps to address three key issues: (1) extracting evacuation data through a controlled experiment; (2) establishing a Logit model for staircase choice prediction based on experimental data; (3) developing a prediction-based cellular automaton model. The proposed approach has achieved the coupling between choice prediction and evacuation simulation. A comparison with Pathfinder software is conducted to reveal the superiority of the prediction-based CA model for simulating staircase choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p-GaN-gated E-mode HEMTs (P-HEMTs) are being extensively studied for emerging power electronics. However, the devices still suffer from performance trade-off among threshold voltage (V TH), output drain current (I DS), and breakdown voltage (V BD). Herein, we propose a P-HEMT with a stair-like p-GaN cap layer to boost their performance. The p-GaN cap layer is composed of four discrete p-GaN staircases with the decreased thickness to the right (R ight- S tair P -HEMT) or to the left (L eft- S tair P -HEMT). It is found that the RSP-HEMT simultaneously achieves the 1.3 times increased I DS, 160 V enhanced V BD, and improved V TH stability against drain-induced barrier lowering effects, compared with the LSP-HEMT and the conventional B a S eline P -HEMT. These device merits should be attributed to the effective manipulation of the lateral electric field (E F) under all bias conditions by the unique band structures enabled by the RSP configuration. Such E F manipulation strategies offer us helpful guidance and insights to further propel the development of high-performance E-mode P-HEMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel nine‐level inverter using one voltage source, 10 unidirectional and one bidirectional power switches, and two capacitors has been proposed to utilize in ground power units (GPUs). Selective harmonic elimination method has been applied to reduce the output voltage's THD to less than 3% with 115/200 V and 400 Hz. The proposed converter utilized a lower number of devices to output a nine‐level staircase in comparison to existing converters. Also, the proposed converter uses inherent self‐voltage balancing for capacitors' voltage. So, the control algorithm gets simpler. In this study, the topology analysis, modulation algorithm, capacitor calculation, loss, efficiency, and performance analysis of the proposed topology have been presented. The proposed circuit has been compared to recently published papers in terms of efficiency, switch, capacitor, diode, and source numbers. The theoretical and experimental performance of the topology has been verified by simulation on PSCAD and PSIM software and 350 W experimental setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earth's rotation has been decelerating throughout its history due to tidal dissipation, but the variation of the rate of this deceleration through time has not been established. We present a detailed analysis of eight geological datasets to constrain the Earth's rotational history from 650 to 240 Mya. The results allow us to test physical tidal models and point to a staircase pattern in the Earth's deceleration from 650 to 280 Mya. During this time interval, the Earth-Moon distance increased by approximately 20,000 km and the length of day increased by approximately 2.2 h. Specifically, there are two intervals with high Earth rotation deceleration, 650 to 500 Mya and 350 to 280 Mya, separated by an interval of stalled deceleration from 500 to 350 Mya. The interval with stalled deceleration is attributed mainly to reduced tidal dissipation due to the continent-ocean configuration at the time, not to changes in Earth's dynamical ellipticity from continental assembly or glaciation. Modeling indicates that, except for the very recent time, tidal dissipation is the main driver for decelerating Earth rotation. One potential implication of our findings is that the Earth's tidal dissipation, along with Earth's rotation deceleration, may play a role in the evolving Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a minimization-based image denoising model for the removal of mixed stripe and Gaussian noise. The objective function includes the prior information from both the stripe noise and image. Specifically, we adopted a unidirectional regularization term and a nonconvex group sparsity term for the stripe noise component, while we utilized a nonconvex fractional order total variation (FTV) regularization for the image component. The priors for stripes enable adequate extraction of periodic or non-periodic stripes from an image in the presence of high levels of Gaussian noise. Moreover, the nonconvex FTV facilitates image restoration with less staircase artifacts and well-preserved edges and textures. To solve the nonconvex problem, we employed an iteratively reweighted ℓ1 algorithm, and then the alternating direction method of multipliers was adopted for solving subproblems. This led to an efficient iterative algorithm, and its global convergence was proven. Numerical results show that the proposed model provides better denoising performance than existing models with respect to visual features and image quality evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VPS13 proteins mediate lipid transfer across membranes. Among them, VPS13B is associated with Golgi membranes, and VPS13B mutations cause Cohen syndrome. In this issue, Ugur et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202311189) and Du et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202402083) reveal new VPS13B interactors and their functions in Golgi organization and trafficking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The staircase approach may be particularly relevant to PA promotion among underserved groups, such as non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic men and women, rural adults, older adults, and so on, who are inactive or insufficiently active, have lower access to resources, and report greater barriers to PA participation. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that for substantial health benefits, adults should achieve at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week (or an equivalent combination) and engage in muscle-strengthening activities that target the major muscle groups on 2 or more days per week.[1] The health benefits associated with participating in regular physical activity (PA) at these levels are substantial and include lower all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, as well as reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, and stomach.[1],[2] Despite robust scientific evidence supporting these guidelines,[1],[2] less than half (46.9%) of adults meet aerobic PA guidelines, and only 24.2% of adults meet overall guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.[3] Women and non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adults are less likely to meet PA guidelines compared with men and non-Hispanic White adults.[3] Only 20.4% of women meet PA guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities compared with 28.3% of men. [Extracted from the article]

We study a rescheduling problem in paced aircraft assembly lines with specific resource and precedence constraints. We develop an efficient model based on constraint programming to provide rapidly rescheduling solutions to managers. We propose original optimisation criteria and show that their use outperforms the classic criteria in terms of solution time and quality. We validate our approach through experiments run on industrial problem instances of large scale and derive useful managerial insights from this experimental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cluster of N bubbles (with N odd) arranged in a channel in a zigzag staircase configuration is modelled. A limiting case is considered in which the staircase is set into motion by the application of a high driving pressure. In this limit, foam films between bubbles are predicted to become asymptotically flat. Angles at which these flat films are oriented and also bubble pressures are then determined. For N bubbles, the film orientations and bubble pressures differ from predictions for a staircase in the limit of an infinite number of bubbles. Differences are significant towards the downstream end of a staircase, but decay moving upstream. However, the decay is gradual. Hence, a very large N is needed for a finite staircase to align its film orientations towards its upstream end with the orientations in an infinite staircase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully fabricated two-dimensional metallic CoBi nanoislands on SrTiO3 (001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, and systematically investigated their electronic structures by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy in situ at 4.2 K. Coulomb blockade and Coulomb staircases with discrete and well-separated levels are observed for the individual nanoisland, which is attributed to single-electron tunneling via two tunnel junction barriers. They are in excellent agreement with the simulations based on orthodox theory. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the Coulomb blockade becomes weaker with increasing temperature and almost disappears at ∼22 K in our variable temperature experiment, and its full-width at half-maximum of d I /d V peaks with temperature is ∼6 mV. Our results provide a new platform for designing single-electron transistors that have potential applications in future microelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Venice Charter highlighted the human and social value of monuments and stressed the importance of preserving them in the full richness of their authenticity. Restoration work was seen as the primary means of achieving this, focusing on the material aspects of heritage. This study examines the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone, which underwent a controversial restoration that did not maintain the material authenticity of the structure, just ten years before the issuance of the Charter. The discussion raises questions about the changing understanding of values, given the increasing number of actors involved in heritage preservation and related actions. It concludes that conservation should be viewed as an ongoing and conscious process, rather than a one-time intervention. The complex heritage of the staircase holds significant social and performative value, which is now more significant than its historical and architectural value. This calls for a new approach to managing and preserving heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To restore images with clear edge details and no staircase artifacts from degraded versions, this paper incorporates the ℓ 2 plus ℓ 0 data fidelity and non-convex high-order total variation regularizer to establish an optimization model for eliminating mixed Gaussian-impulse noise. Among them, the ℓ 2 fidelity is adopted to suppress Gaussian noise, while the ℓ 0 -norm is more suitable for detecting and removing impulse noise. In addition, the non-convex regularization displays excellent performance in overcoming the staircase effect and preserving edge details. Computationally, by using the iteratively reweighted ℓ 1 algorithm and variable splitting method, this work designs a modified alternating minimization method to solve the optimization problem we construct. In theory, the convergence proof of our resulting algorithm is also presented. Finally, in the experimental section, we conduct extensive numerical experiments on degraded images and compare with other existing techniques. From the intuitive effects and restoration accuracy, it follows that our newly proposed method is effective and competitive for image deblurring and mixed noise removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To be able to walk safely up or down a staircase, we must be able to judge the configuration and slope of the staircase and our viewing position. Adding markings to the stairs might help form correct perceptions of the staircase geometry. In this study, we examined how visual judgements about staircase configuration are affected by different marking patterns. Methods: Fifteen normally sighted young participants viewed computer‐generated images of staircases as seen from the top landing of the stairs. Marking patterns included contrasting baseboard, transverse edge‐stripes, longitudinal side‐stripes, longitudinal stripes, diamond patterns, longitudinal stripes extended to landing and diamond patterns extended to landing. For comparison, we included the no‐marking condition as a control. We tested several contrast levels of marking patterns (3.2%–50%), pitch lines of the staircases (shallow/medium/steep) and viewing positions (left/centre/right). The effect of the overall shape cue of the staircase on participants' performance was also evaluated. We measured participants' accuracies in judging whether the staircase was shallow, medium or steep, and whether the viewing position was located to the left, centre or right. Results: Transverse edge‐stripes markings yielded fewer underestimations of slope (9% [transverse] vs. 18% [others]) when compared with other markers. The presence of an overall shape cue helped both slope (67% [presence] vs. 51% [absence]) and viewing position judgements (79% [presence] vs. 62% [absence]). When the overall shape cue was present, only the transverse edge‐stripes markings yielded a significant improvement in performance (compared with no‐marking condition). When the cue was absent, performance was significantly better with markings with high and moderate contrasts. Conclusions: Adding marking patterns such as high‐contrast transverse stripes to stairs may help enhance the visibility of the stairs and judgements of staircase geometry. This might be particularly useful for people with visual impairment or normally sighted individuals under compromised environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusive‐convection (DC) staircases, characterized by interleaving well‐mixed layers and high‐gradient interfaces of thermohaline properties, are commonly observed in the Canada Basin, Arctic. Previous studies suggested a quasi‐steady state of the thermohaline structures of these staircases. In this work, we employ mooring and Ice‐Tethered Profiler (ITP) data to show emergent merger events of staircases mediated by subsurface eddies with warm cores located at 300–500 m depths in 2005, 2007 and 2009. Two types of merger events, the B‐merger (resulting from strengthening of stronger interfaces at the expense of weaker ones) and the H‐merger (produced by vertical drift and collision of staircase interfaces), are documented during the passage of subsurface eddies. The merging staircases are located at 320–450 m depths, with layers of up to 70 m thick and high‐gradient interfaces thinner than 5 m. Mooring measurements reveal the emergence of staircase mergers associated with a background Richardson number dropping from a typical magnitude of O(100) $\mathcal{O}(100)$–O(10) $\mathcal{O}(10)$ to O(0.1) $\mathcal{O}(0.1)$, indicating the persistence of DC staircases in the presence of strong shears. In parallel, ITP data suggest the formation of B‐mergers (H‐mergers) to be favored within the eddy core (flank). The vertical heat fluxes associated with the B‐merger (H‐merger) staircases are estimated to be ∼3 W/m2 (∼1.5 W/m2), which substantially exceed the typical staircase‐driven heat fluxes of O(0.1) $\mathcal{O}(0.1)$ W/m2. These observations imply the significance of subsurface eddies in shaping the halocline structures and thus the vertical heat fluxes in the Arctic Ocean, particularly in a warming climate. Plain Language Summary: In the Arctic Ocean, warm waters derived from the Atlantic Ocean lie beneath surface cold waters, and store sufficient heat capable of melting the Arctic ice cover. Residing between the surface cold and subsurface warm waters are stacked layers, commonly referred to as staircases. These staircases regulate the rate at which heat from underneath may reach the surface and melt the sea ice. This study employs field measurements in the Arctic Ocean to show that staircases can be substantially re‐structured to enhance the upward heat transfer if turbulent spinning bodies of waters named eddies are present at 300–500 m depths. Further calculations show that the existence of up to three such eddies may elevate the overall heat transfer of the western Arctic by up to ∼10%. In‐depth analyses on these processes are thus warranted, particularly in a warming climate that can increasingly "heat up" the subsurface Arctic Ocean. Key Points: Diffusive‐convection staircases are observed to persist and merge under strong vertical shearsBoth B‐mergers and H‐mergers are observed in individual subsurface eddiesVertical heat fluxes across merged staircases in subsurface eddies grow by one order of magnitude [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]