In this study, a high energy conversion efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) was successfully fabricated by attaching a double anti-reflection (AR) layer which is composed of a subwavelength moth-eye structured polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. The efficiency is up to 6.79%. The moth-eye structured PMMA film was fabricated by using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template which is simple, low-cost and scalable. The nano-pattern of AAO template has been precisely reproduced onto PMMA film. The photoanode is composed of Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) with diameter of 25 nm deposited on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate and the sensitizer N3. The double AR layer can effectively improve the short-circuit current density (JSC) and conversion efficiency from 14.77 to 15.79 mA/cm² and from 6.26% to 6.79%, respectively.

The Kennedy model offers a robust framework for modeling forward rates, leveraging Gaussian random fields to accommodate emerging phenomena such as negative rates. In our study, we employ maximum likelihood estimations to determine the parameters of the Kennedy field, utilizing Radon-Nikodym derivatives for enhanced accuracy. We introduce an efficient simulation method for the Kennedy field and develop a Black-Scholes-like analytical pricing formula for diverse financial assets. Additionally, we present a novel parameter estimation algorithm grounded in numerical extreme value optimization, enabling the recalibration of parameters based on observed financial product prices. To validate the efficacy of our approach, we assess its performance using real-world par swap rates in the latter part of this article.

When a circular body is immersed in a fluid, its interaction with the surrounding water leads to the formation of waves and ripples. This fascinating phenomenon is primarily driven by the fluid encountering a crucial point on the body, known as the complex centre of pressure (iCoP). This point acts as a threshold that instigates disturbances in the fluid, illustrating why the body affects the fluid dynamics even before it is fully submerged. The concept of the iCoP introduces a new dimension to our understanding of fluid dynamics defined by the equation as . The iCoP is symmetric and dependent solely on the diameter of the body, which enables it to pinpoint where fluid disturbances originate in the water. The immersion depth and oscillatory behaviour of the circular body are described by . Here, signifies that the body should be half-immersed, with its centre positioned halfway below the waterline, while the term indicates that the body’s oscillatory movement, with an amplitude of , causes the body to move up and down from this equilibrium position which makes the body not to be totally half immersed as indicated by . Consequently, the immersion depth varies and reflecting both partial immersion and dynamic oscillation. The real part of the iCoP reveals critical locations for fluid displacement, which leads to wave formation, while the imaginary part uncovers the phase shifts that describe the body’s dynamic interaction with fluid motion.

Gas-water relative permeability curve is the foundation of gas reservoir dynamic analysis and numerical simulation. It is generally obtained through gas displacing water experiment. Referring to the existing national standards, gas-water relative permeability test is carried out for low-permeability and tight sandstone. The flow is discontinuous and the curve smoothness is poor, which affects the application of gas-water relative permeability curve. Based on the comparative analysis of a large number of mercury injection and NMR experimental results of low-permeability and tight sandstone, a method to characterize the throat radius distribution of low-permeability tight sandstone based on NMR T2 spectrum is explored. Combined with high-speed centrifugal experiment, the calculation formulas of core water saturation, phase relative permeability of gas-water under different centrifugal force are established. A new method of "nuclear magnetic resonance + high-speed centrifugation" for gas-water relative permeability curve test of low-permeability and tight sandstone is formed, and the test is carried out on Sulige low-permeability tight sandstone core. The results show that: (1) The shape of cumulative distribution curve of throat radius by mercury injection method is basically consistent with that of T2 relaxation time by NMR, and there is a good corresponding relationship between them. (2) The centrifugation process is similar to the gas displacing water process. With the decrease of water saturation, water centrifugation in rock core becomes more and more difficult until it become irreducible. (3) The test process of the new method is unified and standard and up to 6 cores can be tested at the same time. The calculation results of water saturation and relative permeability curve are reliable and the integral curve is smooth, which greatly improves the test efficiency of gas-water relative permeability curve in low-permeability and tight sandstone. The new method can be widely used to study the gas-water two-phase seepage law in low-permeability and tight sandstone gas reservoir.

Digital photogrammetry has attracted widespread attention in the field of geotechnical and geological survey due to its low-cost, ease of use and contactless mode. In this work, with the purpose of studying the progressive block surficial detachments of a landslide we developed a monitoring system based on fixed multi-view time-lapse cameras. Thanks to a new-developed photogrammetric algorithm based on the comparison of photo sequences through a structural similarity metric and the computation of the disparity map of two convergent views we can quickly detect the occurrence of collapse events, determine their location and calculate the collapse volume. With the field data obtained at the Perarolo landslide site (Belluno Province, Italy), we have preliminary tested the effectiveness of the algorithm and its accuracy in the volume calculation. The method of quickly and automatically obtaining collapse information proposed in this paper can extend the potentials of landslide monitoring system based on videos or photo sequence and it will be of great significance for further research on the link between the frequency of collapse events and the driving factors.

Rationale: A wide range of bioactive phytoconstituents from edible fungi, especially therapeutic mushrooms, have the potential to improve health, especially in the case of chronic illnesses. Known for its anti-cancer qualities, ganoderma lucidum has been the focus of multiple clinical studies. Existing systematic reviews imply that more clinical research and methodological refinement are necessary to support its usage as a primary cancer treatment.Objective: The objective of this research is to evaluate the anti-cancer potential of the bioactive phytoconstituents found in mushrooms, specifically Ganoderma lucidum, in a thorough manner. The aim is to conduct a critical assessment of the extant literature, pinpoint any deficiencies, and offer valuable perspectives on the methodological excellence and research requirements in this domain.Method(s): A thorough analysis of published clinical trials was carried out, with a focus on studies that examined the effectiveness of Ganoderma lucidum and other products derived from mushrooms in treating cancer. The study's design, stated results, and methodological rigor were all carefully examined to evaluate the validity and reliability of the conclusions.Results: Despite Ganoderma lucidum's potential against cancer, the evaluation finds insufficient data to support its widespread usage as a primary cancer treatment. Products made from mushrooms, which are frequently sold as dietary supplements, have anti-cancer claims. But since pre-approval is not required under US regulatory framework in order to market food supplements, these statements raise questions regarding their scientific validity.Conclusions/Recommendations: The study's result emphasizes the necessity of more methodological advancement in clinical studies examining Ganoderma lucidum's potential as an anti-cancer agent. It also highlights the significance of thorough scientific validation for goods made from mushrooms that make health claims. To establish accurate claims regarding their anti-cancer effects, recommendations include developing technological methods for the purification of bioactive substances and undertaking thorough studies of mushroom products from different geographical regions. The goal of this thorough analysis is to direct future investigations and support the ethical promotion and use of products derived from mushrooms for medical purposes.

In this paper, we suggest an expansion of the Planck distribution function derived from the Boltzmann principle. Thereby, we consider expanding Planck's law with a new distribution function, and discuss fine structure constant. Furthermore, using ideas applied to the expansion of the Planck distribution function, we show that Von Koch's inequality can be derived without using the Riemann Hypothesis, that is, the Riemann Hypothesis is true, and that the abc conjecture is not true. Furthermore, we define a generalization of Entropy and discuss that Entropy is relevant to dynamical systems described by logistic function models, such as the growth of bacteria and populations.

Background: Glioblastoma remains a challenging brain tumor to treat due to its infiltrative nature. Accurately identifying tumor boundaries during surgery is crucial for successful tumor resection. This study introduces an innovative intraoperative visualization method utilizing a surgical fluorescence microscope to precisely locate tumor cells. The focus of the study is on IR-Glint, a novel preparation comprising Cy7.5-labeled aptamers Gli-233nt and Gli-55_3L specific to human glioblastoma. Methods: The aptamers were modified using molecular modeling and quantum chemical techniques. The effectiveness of the preparation was assessed using flow cytometry and microscopy on primary cultures of human glioblastoma. In vivo studies were conducted on mouse and rabbit models, employing orthotopic xenotransplantation of human brain glioblastoma with various imaging techniques, including PET/CT, in vivo fluorescence visualization, confocal laser scanning, and surgical microscopy. Results: The experiments validated the potential of IR-Glint for intraoperative visualization of glioblastoma using infrared imaging. Surface application of the aptamer-based formulation on the brain allowed clear visualization of the tumor, aiding surgeons in tumor resection. This approach also reduces the dosage required and mitigates potential toxic effects on the patient. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the promising potential of using in-frared dye-labeled aptamers for intraoperative visualization of glioblastoma. By improving surgical treatment outcomes in neurosurgery, this novel approach may pave the way for future advancements in the field.

The paper covers the development of formulations and technology for low energy building materials based on the alkaline alumino-silicate binder and appropriate for special purposes. The microstructure of the binder was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The identification of the phase compositions was done by means of X-ray diffraction. By leach rate measurement and chemical analysis of pore liquid, the linkage of the alkali metal ions in water-insoluble composites was researched. The dependence of structure formation on mix design and curing conditions was investigated. Specific examples of manufacture and application of binder-based glues and adhesives have been considered, incl. ones for low-temperature insulating composite materials, heat insulation perlite-based materials, heat insulation of industrial boilers, and the fire resistant heat insulating system. The advantages of the binder-based temperature insulating composites compared to traditionally used ones are shown.

An efficient design method is proposed for a compact common-mode rejection (CMR) filter utilizing dumbbell-shaped defected ground (DS-DG) structures and gap-coupled stub (GCS) resonators. A CMR filter for differential lines helps to improve the signal integrity of high-speed digital signals on printed circuit boards. The proposed CMR filter design is based on the equivalent circuit models, while the previous designs depended heavily on the DS-DG structure optimization using the EM simulations. The proposed CMR filter effectively reject the common-mode components with minimally affecting the differential signals. To prove the simplified design approach, a 5th-order Chebyshev band-stop filter has been designed with three DS-DG structures and two GCS resonators. From the simulated and measured results, it is found that the proposed CMR filter provides ~90% fractional frequency bandwidth with more than 20 dB of common-mode rejection ratio and less than 0.6 dB of insertion loss of the differential signal.

The aim of this study is to propose and validate the state space mode decomposition technique for precise mode separation of non-classical damping systems and closely distributed modal systems. To assess the reliability and applicability of this technique, a 40-story building with a tuned mass damper is investigated, and acceleration responses measured by the building's health monitoring system are used for the verification of the technique. The mode separation results reveal that the separated modal power spectrum becomes distorted at neighboring natural frequency ranges when the performance index only considers the concentration of power spectral energy at the target natural frequency. However, by introducing an augmented performance index that includes a constraint condition to account for distortion, more accurate mode decomposition can be achieved.

A steel damper column is an energy-dissipating member that is suitable for reinforced concrete (RC) buildings and multistory housing. To assess the seismic performance of buildings with steel damper columns, the peak displacement of the whole building and the energy dissipation demand of the dampers must be evaluated. This article proposes an energy-based prediction procedure for the peak and cumulative response of an RC frame building with steel damper columns. The proposed procedure considers two energy-related seismic intensity parameters, namely the maximum momentary input energy and the total input energy. The peak displacement is predicted considering the energy balance during a half cycle of the structural response, using the maximum momentary input energy. The energy dissipation demand of the dampers is then predicted considering the energy balance during a whole response cycle using the total input energy. The local responses (e.g., peak drift, maximum plastic rotation of beams, maximum shear strain, and energy dissipation demand of dampers) are predicted using pushover analysis. Numerical analysis results for 8- and 16-story RC buildings show that the proposed prediction method achieves satisfactory accuracy.

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and multicentric Castleman’s disease. During KSHV lytic infection, lytic-related genes, categorized as immediate-early, early, and late genes, are expressed in a temporal manner. The transcription of late genes requires the virus-specific pre-initiation complex (vPIC), which consists of viral transcription factors. However, the characterization of the protein-protein interactions of the vPIC factors has not been completely elucidated. KSHV ORF18 is one of the vPIC factors, and its interaction with other viral factors has not been sufficiently revealed. Here, we analyzed the interaction between ORF18 and another vPIC factor, ORF30, in living cells using the bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay. We identified four amino-acid residues (Leu29, Gln36, His41 and Trp170) on ORF18 that were responsible for its interaction with ORF30. The artificial intelligence (AI) system AlphaFold2 predicted that identified four residues are exposed to the surface of ORF18 and located in proximity to each other in the surface of ORF18. Thus, AI-predicted model supports the importance of four residues for binding of ORF18 to ORF30. Our results indicated that wet experiments in combination with AI may enhance the structural characterization of vPIC protein-protein interactions.

Modified structure along latent tracks and track formation process have been investigated in poly(allyl diglycol carbonate), PADC, which is well recognized as a sensitive etched track detector. This knowledge is essential to develop novel detectors with improved track registration property. The track structures of protons and heavy ions (He, C, Ne, Ar, Fe, Kr and Xe) have been examined by means of FT-IR spectrometry, covering the stopping power region between 1.2 to 12,000 eV/nm. Through a set of experiments on low-LET radiations – such as gamma ray -, multi-step damage process by electron hits was confirmed in the radiation-sensitive parts of the PADC repeat-unit. From this result, we unveiled for the first-time the layered structure in tracks, in relation with the number of secondary electrons. We also proved that etch pit was formed when at least two repeat-units were destroyed along the track radial direction. To evaluate the number of secondary electrons around tracks, a series of numerical simulations were performed with Geant4-DNA. Therefore, we are proposing new physical criterions to describe the detection thresholds. Futhermore, we propose a present issue of the definition of detection threshold for semi-relativistic C ions. And as a possible chemical criterion, formation density of hydroxyl group is suggested to express the response of PADC.

(1) Background: Sensing of critical events or flow signatures in nature often presents itself as a coupled interaction between a fluid and arrays of slender flexible beams, such a wind-hairs or whiskers. It is hypothesized that important information is gained in highly noisy environments by the inter-correlation within the array. (2) Methods: The present study uses a model sea lion head with artificial whiskers in the form of slender beams (optical fibres), which are subjected to a mean flow with overlaid turbulent structures generated in the wake of a cylinder. Motion tracking of the array of fibres is used to analyse the correlation of the bending deformations of pairs of fibres. (3) Results: Cross-correlation of the bending signal from tandem pairs of whiskers proves that the detection of vortices and their passage along the animals head is possible even in noisy environments. The underlying pattern, during passage of a vortex core, is a jerk-like response of the whiskers, which can be found at later arrival-times in similar form in the downstream whisker's response. (4) Conclusion: Coherent vortical structures can be detected from cross-correlation of pairs of cantilever-beam like sensors even in highly turbulent flows. Such vortices carry important information within the environment, e.g. the underlying convection velocity. More importantly in nature, these vortices are characteristic elementary signals left by prey and predators. The present work can help to further develop flow, or critical event, sensory systems which can overcome high noise levels due to the proposed correlation principle.

One method of creating a brass coating is through electrodeposition, which is most often completed in cyanide galvanic baths. Because of the toxicity of cyanides, many are working on the development of cyanide-free baths, which are promising but not satisfactory to replace the classic methods. The purpose of the study was to explore a new generation of non-aqueous cyanide-free baths based on 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquids. The study involved the formation of copper, zinc, and brass coatings. The influence of the bath composition, cathodic current density, and temperature was determined. The obtained coatings were characterized by their morphology, chemical composition, roughness, and corrosion resistance. It was found that the structure of the obtained coatings is strongly dependent on the process parameters. The three main structures observed were fine-grained, porous, and olive-like. To the best knowledge of the authors, it is the first time the olive-like structure was observed in the case of an electrodeposited coating. The Cu-Zn coatings consisted of 19–96 at.% copper and exhibited relatively strong corrosion resistance. High improvement of corrosion properties was found in the case of copper and brass coatings with an olive-like structure.

In recent years, there have been frequent reports on the adverse effects of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) abuse. SCs cause psychoactive effects, similar to those caused by marijuana, by binding and activating cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model to correlate the structures and physicochemical properties of various SCs with their CB1R-binding affinities. We prepared 15 SCs and their derivatives (tetrahydrocannabinol [THC], naphthoylindoles, and cyclohexylphenols) and determined their binding affinity to CB1R, which is known as a dependence-related target. We calculated the molecular descriptors for dataset compounds using an R/CDK (R package integrated with CDK, version 3.5.0) toolkit to build QSAR regression models. These models were established and statistical evaluations were performed using the mlr and plsr packages in R software. The most reliable QSAR model was obtained from the partial least squares regression method via external validation. This model can be applied in vivo to predict the addictive properties of illicit new SCs. Using a limited number of dataset compounds and our own experimental activity data, we built a QSAR model for SCs with good predictability. This QSAR modeling approach provides a novel strategy for establishing an efficient tool to predict the abuse potential of various SCs and to control their illicit use.

Thunderstorm electrification has been studied for hundreds of years. Several mechanisms have been proposed to elucidate the electrification, including convective charging, inductive precipitation charging, and ice crystal-graupel collision charging. Field observations and model studies have demonstrated the vital roles that graupel and ice crystals play in the electrification, but the mechanism of the collision charging is still unclear. The fundamental essence of relative growth rate theory used for explaining the tripole charge structure in thunderclouds also needs a further exploration. We analyze the processes of ice crystal-graupel collision charging from charge migration inside hydrometeors to charge separation between two hydrometeors. The driving effects of temperature gradient and chemical potential gradient in charge migration are clarified, as well as the applicability of the relative growth rate theory, thermoelectric effect and surface tension gradient in different humidities. Based on the understanding from these electrification mechanisms, we propose that the essence of charge separation is driven by non-thermal equilibrium, and future studies on thunderstorm electrification should focus on the dynamical non-thermal equilibrium of cloud particles.

The composition of fine-ground lead zirconate-titanate powder Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃, suspended in PZT and bismuth titanate (BiT) solutions, is deposited on the curved surface of IN718 and IN738 nickel-based supper alloy substrates up to 100 µm thickness. Photochemical metal organic and infiltration techniques are implemented to produce smooth, semi-dense, and crack-free random orientated thick piezoelectric films as piezo-sensors, free of any dopants or thickening polymers. Every single layer of the deposited films is heated at 200 °C with 10 wt.% excess PbO, irradiated by UV lamp (365 nm, 6 watt) for 10 minutes, pyrolyzed at 400 °C, and subsequently annealed at 700 °C for one hour. This process is repeated successively until reaching the desired thickness. Au and Pt thin films are deposited as the bottom and top electrodes using evaporation and sputtering methods, respectively. PZT/PZT and PZT/BiT composite films are then characterized and compared to similar PZT and BiT thick films deposited on the similar substrates. The effect of composition and deposition process is also investigated on the crystalline phase development and microstructure morphology as well as dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of piezo-films. The maximum remnant polarization of P_r = 22.37 ± 0.01, 30.01 ± 0.01 µC/cm², the permittivity of ε_r = 298 ± 3, 566 ± 5 and piezoelectric charge coefficient of d₃₃ = 126, 148 m/V were measured versus the minimum coercive field of E_c = 50, 20 kV/cm for the PZT/PZT and PZT/Bit thick films, respectively. The thick film piezo-sensors are developed to be potentially used at frequency bandwidth of 1–5 MHz for rotary structural health monitoring and also in other industrial or medical applications as a transceiver.

Hepcidin-25 was identified as the main iron regulator in the human body by binding to the sole iron-exporter ferroportin. Studies showed that the N-terminus of hepcidin is responsible for this interaction, the same N-terminus that encompasses a small copper(II)-binding site known as ATCUN (amino terminal Cu(II)- and Ni(II)- binding) motif. Interestingly, this copper-binding property is largely ignored in most papers dealing with hepcidin-25. In this context, detailed investigations of the formed complex of hepcidin-25 with copper could reveal insights into its biological role. The present work is mainly focused on the study of the metal-bound form of hepcidin-25, which could be considered the biologically active form. The first part is devoted to the reversed-phase chromatographic separation of copper-bound and copper-free hepcidin-25, which was achieved by applying basic mobile phases containing 0.1% ammonia. Further, mass spectrometry (tandem mass spectrometry MS/MS, high resolution mass spectrometry HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were employed to characterize the copper-peptide. Lastly, a 3D model of hepcidin-25 with bound copper(II) is presented. The identification of metal complexes and potential isoforms and isomers, from which the latter usually are left undetected by mass spectrometry, led to the conclusion that complementary analytical methods are needed to characterize a peptide calibrant or reference material comprehensively. Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) and chiral amino acid analysis (AAA) should be considered among others.

Interdisciplinary research consists of many levels and pathways. One research level that has emerged since the early 21st century is called integration science. Specifically, we focus on a research pathway that structurally integrates social sciences with theoretical physics from perspectives of dynamic analysis. Building on nearly 20 years of prior work, this paper proposes a basic theory of integration science, laying the theoretical foundation for its subsequent development. The significance of integration science operates on three levels. First, identifying structural connections between different disciplines helps in our holistic understanding of natural and social phenomena. Second, generally speaking, the current level of conceptualization and modeling in natural sciences, especially physics, is ahead of social sciences. Integration science research can help elevate the level of conceptualization and modeling in social sciences. Third, the structural similarity across different disciplines reflects the shared thinking of scientists from various fields. Integration science is not simply a synthesis of knowledge from different disciplines. The standard of integration science is to enable social sciences and natural sciences to share the same mathematical structures, thereby possessing a unified mathematical language for description. The empirical basis of integration science is discussed, proposing a unified theory of interdisciplinary scientific observation. This includes concepts like the directionality of scientific observation and the orthogonal principle, the concept of observational disturbance and the diagonal law, defining low and high disturbance quadrants, and discussing why different disturbance quadrants follow their respective mathematical paths. The basic theory of integration science is proposed. The application of category theory in integration science is introduced, along with the necessary semantic supplements. The fundamental concepts of integration mathematics are proposed, defining concepts like integration points, lines, plans, and bulks, and discussing their algebraic and functional analysis methods, thereby laying the mathematical foundation for the integration science. The structural force hypothesis is proposed, along with an axiomatic system of structural forces, thereby laying the philosophical foundation for integrative science. Based on prior work, specific cases of integrative points, lines, plans, and bulks are provided.

In small data set learning, obtaining a large number of training samples from the source class for transfer learning is a challenge for fine-grained visual classification. Based on the fact that fine-grained concepts can be learned with very few samples, we use very few labeled samples (for example, three) in each category. However, due to the difficulty in distinguishing the subtle differences between fine-grained images, we propose a local structure information extraction method of SDFGVC based on spatial frequency features. The proposed learning module enhances the ability of the network to find significant regions and shows excellent performance in experiments on six datasets.

K-band radar waves have high penetration and low attenuation coefficients. However, the wavelength of this radar wave is relatively short; thus, designing and preparing both broadband and wide-angle radar wave absorbers in this band presents considerable challenges. In this study, a resin-based K-band radar wave absorber with a biomimetic lotus leaf structure was designed and formed by UV curing. Here, microscale lotus leaf papillae and antireflection structures were prepared using a DLP 3D printer, and the contact angle between the material and water droplets was increased from 56° to 130°. In addition, the influence of the geometric parameters of the lotus leaf antireflection structure on the electromagnetic absorption performance and mechanical strength was investigated. After simulation optimization, the maximum electromagnetic loss of the lotus leaf structure 3D printed sample was −32.3 dB, and the electromagnetic loss was below −10 dB in the 20.8–26.5 GHz frequency range. When the radar incidence angle was 60°, the maximum electromagnetic loss was still less than −10 dB. The designed lotus leaf structure has a higher mechanical energy absorption per unit volume (337.22 KJ/m3) and per unit mass (0.55 KJ/Kg) than commonly used honeycomb lightweight structures during the elastic deformation stage, and we expect that the designed structure can be used as an effective lightweight material for K-band radar stealth.

Protein glycation impacts enzymatic activity, disrupts metabolic processes, and is associated with chronic degenerative diseases. The human glycolytic enzyme triosephosphate isomerase (HsTIM, TPI1, or HsTPI) is associated with various disorders, such as enzymopathies originating from mutations. It also possesses moonlighting functions and is now recognized as a cancer marker. Previous reports of HsTPI mutants have demonstrated a significant increase of methyl-glyoxal (MGO) due to trioses accumulation. We compared how catalytic activity exerts differen-tial kinetic and structural stability effects due to mutations by tracking fluorescent argpyrimi-dine adduct (ARGp) through interaction with Arginine-MGO. Circular dichroism and fluores-cence spectroscopy were explored in HsTPI-WT and mutants HsTPI-C217K “Like-WT”, HsTPI-N16D accumulated in cancer, and HsTPI-E104D human deficiency mutant, by cysteines accessibility and time loss of activity and unfolding propensity in mutant enzymes with aggre-gates refractory to proteolysis in the C217K. Our study sheds new light on the increased suscep-tibility of mutants to generate MGO adducts due to TPI isomerization of MGO precursor sub-strates. Nevertheless, mutations enhance a negative feedback cycle, in which accumulated MGO access promotes accelerated loss of activity that leads to unfolding and aggregation. The cumu-lative and accelerated increase in MGO adducts, which probably are responsible for the patho-logical state in this TPI variant, are partially reversed by adding MGO-scavenger molecules.

‘Inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2 like’ (IMMP2L) is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial peptidase that has been conserved through evolutionary history as has its target enzyme ‘mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2’ (GPD2). IMMP2L is known to cleave the mitochondrial transit peptide from GPD2 and another nuclear encoded mitochondrial respiratory related protein cytochrome C1 (CYC1). However, it is not known whether IMMP2L peptidase activates or alters the activity or respiratory related functions of GPD2 or CYC1. Previous investigations found compelling evidence of behavioural change in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse and in this study EchoMRI analysis found that many organs of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse were smaller and that the KO mouse had significantly less lean mass and overall body weight compared with wildtype littermates (p<0.05). Moreover, all of the organs analysed from the Immp2lKD-/- KO had lower relative levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS). The kidneys of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed the greatest decrease in mitoROS levels that were over 50% less compared with wildtype litter mates. Mitochondrial respiration was also lower in the kidney of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse compared with other tissues when using succinate as the respiratory substrate, whereas respiration was similar to wildtype when glutamate was used as substrate. When glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) was used as the substrate for Gpd2 we observed ~20% and ~7% respective decreases in respiration in female and male Immp2lKD-/- KO mice over time. Together these findings suggest that the respiratory related functions of mGpd2 and Cyc1 have been compromised to different degrees in different tissues in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Structural analyses using AlphaFold2-Multimer further predicted that the interaction between Cyc1 and mitochondrial encoded cytochrome b (Cyb) in Complex III had been altered as had the homodimeric structure of the mGpd2 enzyme within the inner mitochondrial membrane of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. mGpd2 functions as an integral component of the glycerol phosphate shuttle (GPS) which positively regulates both mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. Interestingly, we found that nonmitochondrial respiration (NMR) was also dramatically lowered in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Primary mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines derived from the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed a ~27% decrease in total respiration comprised of a ~50% decrease in NMR and a ~12% decrease in total mitochondrial respiration where the latter was consistent with the decreases in substrate specific mitochondrial respiration reported here. This study is the first to report the role of Immp2l in enhancing Gpd2 structure and function, mitochondrial respiration, nonmitochondrial respiration, organ size and homeostasis.

Small-scale facilities play a significant role in the landscape of nuclear physics research in Europe. They address a wide range of fundamental questions and are essential for teaching and training personnel in accelerator technology and science, providing them with diverse skill sets, complementary to large projects. The current status and perspectives of nuclear physics research at small-scale facilities in Europe will be given.

The article focuses on the galvanic replacement synthesis of Ti-Ni and Zr-Ni metal systems with the "core-shell" structure which are potential precursors for intermetallics. The authors defined the effective synthesis parameters and the formation features of polymetallic systems character-ized by granulometric, phase and elemental composition. The X-ray fluorescence and X-ray phase analysis methods showed that the deposition of nickel on dispersed titanium and zirconium leads to the production of test samples with phase composition representing a mechanical mixture of Ni and Ti, Ni and Zr. The method of X-ray fluorescence analysis showed that the presence of hy-drofluoric acid with a 0.5-1.5 M concentration results in the formation of fixed quantitative ratios of elements in the precipitate, which allows the quantitative composition of dispersed systems "titanium - nickel", "zirconium - nickel" to be regulated within a relatively wide range. Scanning electron microscopy proved that all synthesized systems are characterized by a highly porous structure that follows the titanium and zirconium particle surface contour and the presence of spherical nanoscale subunits on the formed particle surface.

In this work, a series of compounds in the CaO-½Er2O3-CoOz ternary oxide system were synthesized in air at 885℃ using high temperature solid-phase synthesis method. Phase boundary of each solid solution region in the CaO-½Er2O3-CoOz system was determined by X-ray powder diffraction technique. The phase diagram of the CaO-½Er2O3-CoOz system at 885℃ includes three series of ternary oxide solid solutions : (Ca3-xErx)Co4O9-z (0≤x≤0.9), (Ca3-xErx)Co2O6-z (0≤x≤1.25) and (Er1-xCax)CoO3-z (0≤x≤0.33). Four three-phase regions and five solid solution tie-line regions were obtained. The structure of perovskite solid solution (Ca3-xErx)Co2O6-z has been analyzed by Rietveld refinements. With the increase of Er content, the cell parameters of (Ca3-xErx)Co2O6-z exhibit an decreasing trend in a and b directions and an increasing trend in c direction.

Longitudinal image registration of pulmonary computed tomography (PCT) images may serve as an essential tool for investigating the relationship between radiation dose distribution and the occurrence and phenotype of radiation-induced lung disease (RILD). Although numerous longitudinal registration algorithms have been developed for PCT, most similarity-based approaches are not suitable for PCT involving RILD due to the complex tissue variation between two PCT images. Moreover, conventional feature-based approaches might fail to find a sufficient number of matched pairs of feature points due to the disparate lung deformation caused by breathing and RILD. To overcome the challenges resulting from RILD, component structure coherence point drift (CSCPD) was proposed to establish a deformation model by decomposing the chest into several components and matching them with individual parameters based on coherence point drift (CPD). Moreover, a regional vascular point matching (RVPM) algorithm was proposed to generate a vascular subtree and to substantially increase the number of corresponding pairs between two images. Eventually, the components were recomposed and aligned by a thin plate spline algorithm. A performance assessment on 15 pairs of PCT images of patients with RILD yielded recall and precision values of 0.85 and 0.89 for RVPM, respectively. Moreover, the target registration error of CSCPD with RVPM (2.3 ± 1.79) was significantly better than that of conventional CPD with RVPM (2.95 ± 1.89) and conventional CPD (5.04 ± 2.87). Therefore, the proposed registration system is robust enough to address the disparate deformation of lungs with RILD, and it improves registration accuracy within the parenchyma.

One of the problems, which make it difficult to solve the mystery of the origin of life, would be how life emerged in chemically complex messy environments on the primitive Earth. It is considered that three main points contributed to open the way to the emergence of life. (1) A characteristic inherent in [GADV]-amino acids, which are easily produced with prebiotic means. (2) Protein 0th-order structure or [GADV]-amino acid composition generating water-soluble globular protein with some flexibility, which can be produced even by random joining of [GADV]-amino acids. (3) Formation of versatile [GADV]-microspheres, which can grow, divide, proliferate even without genetic system, was the emergence of proto-life. (4) [GADV]-microspheres with a higher proliferation ability than others could be selected. The proto-Dawin evolution made it possible to proceed forward to creation of the core life system composed of (GNC)n gene, anticodon stem-loop tRNA or AntiC-SL tRNA (GNC genetic code) and [GADV]-protein. (5) Eventually, the first genuine life with the core life system emerged. Thus, the formation processes of [GADV]-protein and (GNC)n gene in chemically complex messy environments were the steps to the emergence of genuine life.

Bone tissue engineering has developed significantly in recent years as the increasing demand for bone substitutes due to trauma, cancer, arthritis, and infections. The scaffolds for bone regeneration need to be mechanically stable and have a 3D architecture with interconnected pores. With the advances in additive manufacturing technology, these requirements can be fulfilled by 3D printing scaffolds with controlled geometry and porosity using a low-cost multistep process. The scaffolds, however, must also be bioactive to promote the environment for the cells to regenerate into bone tissue. To determine if a low-cost 3D printing method for bespoke SiOC(N) porous structures can regenerate bone these structures were tested for osteointegration potential by using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). This includes checking the general biocompatibilities under the osteogenic differentiation environment (cell proliferation and metabolism). Moreover, cell morphology was observed by confocal microscopy and gene expressions on typical osteogenic markers at different stages for bone formation were determined by real-time PCR. The results of the study showed the pore size of the scaffolds had a significant impact on differentiation. A certain range of pore size could stimulate osteogenic differentiation, thus promoting bone regrowth and regeneration.

We review a modern differential geometric description of the fluid isotropic motion and featuring it the diffeomorphism group structure, modelling the related dynamics, as well as its compatibility with the quasi-stationary thermodynamical constraints. There is analyzed the adiabatic liquid dynamics, within which, following the general approach, there is explained in detail, the nature of the related Poissonian structure on the fluid motion phase space, as a semidirect Banach groups product, and a natural reduction of the canonical symplectic structure on its cotangent space to the classical Lie-Poisson bracket on the adjoint space to the corresponding semidirect Lie algebras product. We also present a modification of the Hamiltonian analysis in case of the isotermal liquid dynamics. We study the differential-geometric structure of the adiabatic magneto-hydrodynamic superfluid phase space and its related motion within the Hamiltonian analysis and invariant theory. In particular, we construct an infinite hierarchies of different kinds of integral magneto-hydrodynamic invariants, generalizing those before constructed in the literature, and analyze their differential-geometric origins. A charged liquid dynamics on the phase space invariant with respect to an abelian gauge group transformation is also investigated, some generalization of the canonical Lie-Poisson type bracket is obtained.

Debris-covered glaciers are a notable feature in the greater Himalaya, and their ongoing mass loss under changing climate will affect the water resources of over a billion people. The current knowledge of the mass balance of Himalayan glaciers is restricted by the paucity of in-situ measurements of glaciers in both space and time, as well as the resolution of satellite remote sensing imageries. Recently, the use of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) imagery has shown the potential to bridge this gap by enabling very detailed monitoring of inaccessible glacial areas. UAS imagery-based monitoring of Himalayan glaciers has so far been limited to a single glacier in the entire Himalaya, providing a limited understanding of spatial variability in glacier mass balance and driving factors. In the first UAS based glacial mass change estimation in the trans-Himalaya, we conducted two Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) surveys (May and November 2019) over the debris-covered Annapurna III glacier in the Himalaya. We performed Structure-from-Motion (SfM) analysis and utilized differential GPS field observations to derive geometrically accurate point clouds, ortho-mosaics and digital surface models (DSMs). The glacial volumetric loss was estimated from DSM differencing, and the magnitude and spatial variability of glacier surface change was derived from 3-D differencing of point clouds. Results revealed a heterogeneous glacial melt pattern, with an average elevation loss of 0.89 m during the monitored time period. The majority of the glacial tongue exhibited surface lowering except the area above and around the glacial snout that surprisingly exhibited significant elevation gain. Both the highest magnitude of mass loss and the highest spatial variability in mass change was observed in areas with exposed ice-cliffs and supraglacial ponds. Glacial surface velocity derived from manual feature tracking showed velocity ranging from 0-4.1 m. A detailed evaluation of specific areas allowed an improved understanding of the complex interplay of factors leading to observed surface change. Our findings expand the extent of UAS based monitoring of debris-covered glaciers in the Himalaya and conclude that UAS derived 3D topographic products will become increasingly important for monitoring of thinning debris-covered glaciers.

Intrinsically disordered proteins mediate crucial biological functions through their interactions with other proteins. Mutual synergistic folding (MSF) occurs when all interacting proteins are disordered, folding into a stable structure in the course of the complex formation. In these cases, the folding and binding processes occur in parallel, lending the resulting structures uniquely heterogeneous features. Currently there are no dedicated classification approaches that would take into account the particular biological and biophysical properties of MSF complexes. Here we present a scalable clustering-based classification scheme, built on redundancy-filtered features that describe the sequence and structure properties of the complexes, and the role of the interaction, which is directly responsible for structure formation. Using this approach, we define six major types of MSF complexes, corresponding to biologically meaningful groups. Hence, the presented method also shows that differences in binding strength, subcellular localization, and regulation are encoded in the sequence and structural properties of proteins. While current structure classification methods can also handle complex structures, we show that the developed scheme is fundamentally different, and since it takes into account defining features of MSF complexes, it serves as a better representation of structures arising through this specific interaction mode.

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), a neglected tropical disease (NTD) remains a major health problem all over the world including Ghana, which has STH prevalence of 25.4%. To control the disease, the government of Ghana currently concentrates on implementing mass drug administration (MDA) efforts focusing only among school-aged children. However, various studies have suggested that focusing on only a specific group for MDA may not be cost-effective. Moreover, some adults such as teachers and school-workers spend large fraction of their time with children, who shed more parasite in environment due to unhygienic behavior, and thus have a higher risk of getting infected as compared to other adults. In this study we use a mathematical model to evaluate age-structured and risk-based policies for implementing MDA while capturing transmission dynamics of STH in Ghana. A cost model was developed that included various costs related to MDA to study cost-effectiveness of current policies of MDA in Ghana against novel policies to control STH in Ghana. We carry out analysis for five different scenarios— I: no MDA (baseline), II: current MDA policy (focusing children) in Ghana, III: MDA for different age groups (adults and children groups) for unlimited budget, IV: MDA for different age groups with limitations of number of individuals treated, and, V: MDA for different groups based on their risk of getting infected (adults school workers (high-risk group), adults non-school workers and children groups). Our results suggest that it might be more cost-effective to allocate treatment through MDA to at least some proportion of adults along with children. In case of unlimited budget, the best strategy in Scenario IV would be to treat approximately 22% of adults and approximately 45% of children. The most cost-effective among the 5 scenarios is suggested through scenario V, where high-risk adults group and children are provided MDA at higher level than low-risk adults. In conclusion, age-structured and risk-based allocation of treatment and resources is crucial to reducing STH load in developing countries.

Below T_CO=157 K the quasi-one-dimensional charge-transfer salt (TMTTF)_2SbF_6 undergoes a pronounced phase transition to a charge-ordered ground state. We have explored the non-linear and photoconductive behavior as a function of applied voltage, laser pulse energy and temperature. Besides a decay of the photoconductive signal in a double exponential fashion in the millisecond range, we discover current oscillations in the kHz range induced by the application of short laser pulses. While the resonance frequencies do not depend on voltage or laser intensity and vary only slightly with temperature, the amplitude changes linearly with the laser intensity and voltage. The findings are discussed and compared to comparable phenomena in other low-dimensional electron systems.

The main foundations of the standard $\Lambda $CDM model of cosmology are that: 1) The redshifts of the galaxies are due to the expansion of the Universe plus peculiar motions; 2) The cosmic microwave background radiation and its anisotropies derive from the high energy primordial Universe when matter and radiation became decoupled; 3) The abundance pattern of the light elements is explained in terms of primordial nucleosynthesis; and 4) The formation and evolution of galaxies can be explained only in terms of gravitation within a inflation+dark matter+dark energy scenario. Numerous tests have been carried out on these ideas and, although the standard model works pretty well in fitting many observations, there are also many data that present apparent caveats to be understood with it. In this paper, I offer a review of these tests and problems, as well as some examples of alternative models.

Background: In our recent publications pertaining to 4G model of final unification and based on strong and electroweak interactions, we have proposed the existence of a weak fermion of rest energy 585 GeV. Objective: To confirm the physical existence of the proposed 585 GeV weak fermion by analyzing weak and strong interactions in a unified approach via 4G model of final unification, super symmetry and string theory. Method: Considering the proposed nuclear charge of 2.95e, proton, electron mass ratio, specific charge ratios of proton and electron, Fermi’s weak coupling constant, Reduced Planck’s constant, nucleon magnetic moments, nuclear stability, nuclear binding energy, nuclear mass and neutron lifetime, it is planned to confirm the physical existence of the proposed 585 GeV weak fermion. Results: All proposed logics and formulae clearly establish the physical existence of 585 GeV weak fermion directly and indirectly. Conclusion: Believing in the physical existence of the proposed 585 GeV weak fermion, there is a scope for observing galactic TeV radiation coming by virtue of annihilation of 585 GeV fermions and radiation associated with various astrophysical acceleration mechanisms of 585 GeV fermions. Appeal: As we are beginners of astrophysics domain, we appeal the science community to see the possibility of considering the proposed 585 GeV weak fermion with a charge of $\pm\left(e\right)$ in place of electron and proton.

Chemical and physical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) are strongly influenced not only by the crystal structure of the respective material including crystal structure defects, but also by the NP size and shape. Contemporary transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is capable of describing all of these NP characteristics, however typically with a different statistical relevance. While the size and shape of NPs are frequently determined on a large ensemble of NPs and thus with good statistics, the characteristics on the atomic scale are usually quantified for a small number of individual NPs and thus with a low statistical relevance. In this contribution, we present a TEM-based characterization technique, which is capable of determining relevant characteristics of NPs in a scale-bridging way – from the crystal structure and crystal structure defects up to the NP size and morphology – with a sufficient statistical relevance. This technique is based on a correlative multi-scale TEM approach that combines information on atomic scale obtained from the high-resolution imaging with the results of the low-resolution imaging assisted by a semi-automatic segmentation routine. The capability of the technique is illustrated on several examples including Au NPs having different shape, Au nanorods having different facet configurations and multi-core iron oxide nanoparticles having a hierarchical structure.

(1) Background: Double-strand breaks (DSBs) in a single nucleus are usually measured using the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test, and comet assay (CA). We developed mono-dimensional single-cell pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (1D-SCPFGE) and angle-modulated two-dimensional single-cell pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (2D-SCPFGE) to observe DNA fragmentation in separated motile sperm. (2) Methods: We set up comparative standards, calibration curves, the required sensitivity, and eligibility criteria for test sperm to validate their measurement principles. (3) Results: We revealed that the conventional methods overlooked the interference of nucleoproteins in their measurements. In-gel proteolysis improves the measurement accuracies of 1D- and 2D-SCPFGE. We recommend using naked DNA for comparative standards and test specimens. Moreover, we have observed several dysfunctions that may induce DNA damage in the separated motile sperm. Overall, our discussion highlights the need to revisit the conventional univariable analyses based on the SCSA, SCD test, and CA. (4) Conclusions: Human infertility is a complex syndrome, and the aim of quality control in intracytoplasmic sperm injection is to identify the underlying dysfunctions remaining in the separated motile sperm that render them ineligible for injection. Well-designed, multivariable analyses with special consideration to confounding factors are necessary in future cohort studies.

Different bacterial species have dramatically different generation times, from 20-30 minutes in Escherichia coli to about two weeks in Mycobacterium leprae. The translation machinery in a cell needs to synthesize all proteins for a new cell in each generation. The three subprocesses of translation, i.e., initiation, elongation, and termination, are expected to be under stronger selection pressure to optimize in short-generation bacteria (SGB) such as Vibrio natriegens than in the long-generation Mycobacterium leprae. The initiation efficiency depends on the start codon decoded by the initiation tRNA, the optimal Shine-Dalgarno (SD) decoded by the anti-SD (aSD) sequence on small subunit rRNA, and the secondary structure that may embed the initiation signals and prevent them from being decoded. The elongation efficiency depends on the tRNA pool and codon usage. The termination efficiency in bacteria depends mainly on the nature of the stop codon and the nucleotide immediately downstream of the stop codon. By contrasting SGB with long-generation bacteria (LGB), we predict that 1) SGB to have more ribosome RNA operons to produce ribosomes, and more tRNA genes for carrying amino acid to ribosomes, 2) SGB to have a higher percentage of genes using AUG as start codon and UAA as stop codon than LGB, 3) SGB to exhibit better codon and anticodon adaptation than LGB, and 4) SGB to have weaker secondary structure near translation initiation signals than LGB. These differences between SGB and LGB should be more pronounced in highly expressed genes than lowly expressed genes. We present empirical evidence in support of these predictions.

Sodium-phosphate-based glass-ceramics (GCs) are promising materials for a wide range of applications, including solid-state sodium-ion batteries, microelectronic packaging substrates, and humidity sensors. This study investigates the impact of 24-hour heat-treatments at varying temperatures on Na-Ge-P glass, with a focus on (micro)structural, electrical, and dielectric properties of prepared GCs. Various techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection (IR-ATR), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) are employed. With the elevation of heat-treatment temperature, crystallinity progressively rises; at 450 °C, the microstructure retains amorphous traits featuring nanometric grains, whereas at 550 °C, heat-treatment results in fully crystallized structures characterized by square-shaped micron-scale grains of NaPO3. The insight into the evaluation of electrical and dielectric properties is provided by Solid-State Impedance Spectroscopy (SS-IS), revealing a strong correlation with the conditions of controlled crystallization and observed (micro)structure. The glass-ceramic heat-treated at 450 °C achieves the highest DC conductivity of 2.30×10–8 Ω–1 cm–1 at 393 K. As the heat-treatment temperature rises, the crystallization of the NaPO3 phase depletes the glass matrix of mobile Na+ ions, resulting in a reduction in DC conductivity. Dielectric parameters also decrease with rising heat-treatment temperature, with the glass-ceramic heat-treated at 550 °C displaying the lowest permittivity of 19.37 and the dielectric loss of 0.008. This research uncovers the intricate relationship between heat-treatment conditions and material properties, emphasizing that controlled crystallization allows for precise modifications to microstructure and phase composition within remaining glassy phase, ultimately facilitating fine-tuning of material properties.

Peptide-based opioid ligands are important candidates for the development of novel, safer, and more effective analgesics to treat pain. To develop peptide-based safer analgesics, we synthesized a mixture-based cyclic pentapeptide library containing a total of 24,624 pentapeptides and screened the mixture-based library samples using a 55 °C warm-water tail-withdrawal assay. Using this phenotypic screening approach, we deconvoluted the mixture-based samples to identify a novel cyclic peptide Tyr-[D-Lys-Dap(Ant)-Thr-Gly] (CycloAnt), which produced dose- and time-dependent antinociception with an ED50 (and 95% confidence interval) of 0.70 (0.52-0.97) mg/kg i.p. mediated by the mu-opioid receptor (MOR). Additionally, higher doses (≥ 3 mg/kg, i.p.) of CycloAnt antagonized delta-opioid receptors (DOR) at least 3 hours. Pharmacological characterization of CycloAnt showed the cyclic peptide did not reduce breathing rate in mice at doses up to 15 times the analgesic ED50 value, and dramatically less hyperlocomotion than the MOR agonist, morphine. While chronic administration of CycloAnt resulted in antinociceptive tolerance, it was without opioid-induced hyperalgesia and significantly reduced signs of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal suggestive of reduced physical dependence as compared to morphine. Collectively, the results suggest this dual MOR/DOR multifunctional ligand is an excellent lead for the development of peptide-based safer analgesics.

The famous Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) takes into account only business risk. In practice, companies use debt financing and operate at non–zero levels of leverage. This means that it is necessary to take into account the financial risk associated with the use of debt financing along with business one. The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously take into account the business and financial risk. A new approach to CAPM has been developed that takes into account both business and financial risk. We combine the theory of CAPM and the Modigliani–Miller (MM) theory. The first is based on portfolio analysis and accounting for business risks in relation to the market (or industry). The second one (the Modigliani–Miller (MM) theory) describes a specific company and takes into account the financial risks associated with the use of debt financing. The combination of these two different approaches makes it possible to take into account both types of risks: business and financial ones. We combine these two approaches analytically, while Hamada did it phenomenologically. Using the Modigliani–Miller (MM) theory, it is shown that the Hamada’s model, first model, used for this purpose half a century ago, is incorrect. In addition to the renormalization of the beta–coefficient, obtained in the Hamada model, two additional terms are found: the renormalized risk–free return and the term dependent on the cost of debt kd. A critical analysis of the Hamada model was carried out. The vast majority of listing companies use debt financing and are levered, and the Hamada model is not applicable to them in contrast to a new approach applicable to leveraged companies. Implemented a new approach to specific companies. A comparison of the results of the new approach with the results of the conventional CAPM is shown. Two versions of CAPM (market or industry) are considered.

In this work, a novel single crystal (3-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydroisoxazol-5-yl)methyl benzenesulfonate has been synthetized via a one-pot sequential strategy under sonication. A single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis was reported. In the crystal, a layer structure is generated by C—H···O and C—H···N hydrogen bonds. A Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H···H (28.9%), H···O/O···H (26.7%) and H···C/C···H (15.8%) interactions. The optimized structure calculated using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6–311 G+(d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined structure in the solid state. The calculated highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gap is 4.6548 eV.

As a matter of course, the first gene must be formed in the absence of gene. On the other hand, many biopolymers including gene are produced under the genetic system in extant organisms. Thus far, no idea explaining how the first gene was formed in the absence of gene, has been proposed except the idea based on the GADV hypothesis. GADV means four amino acids; Gly [G], Ala [A], Asp [D] and Val [V]. In this article, a reliable answer to the question, how the first gene was generated, is provided. The idea is as follows. The first gene (genetic information) was formed by random joining of anticodons, GNCs, which were carried by primeval anticodon stem-loop (AntiC-SL) tRNAs produced during repeated cycles of random joining of nucleotides and degradation of oligonucleotides. However, it might be difficult for many persons to accept the idea, because tRNAs and metabolic pathways using various proteins, which are produced under genetic functions, must be used to form the first gene. Then, it is reconsidered based on definition of genetic information and minimum necessary things to generate the first gene in this article, how the first gene was generated. Consequently, it could be reconfirmed that five prototypes of members (genetic code, tRNA, metabolism, cell structure and protein) composing the fundamental life system, except gene, are certainly necessary to generate the first gene. Namely, it can be concluded that the first gene was formed through nucleotide metabolism with immature [GADV]-proteins, primeval AntiC-SL tRNA formation with immature [GADV]-proteins, formations of single-stranded (GNC)n codon sequence by random joining of anticodons, GNCs, carried by AntiC-SL tRNAs, double-stranded (ds)-(GNC)n RNA and maturation of an immature [GADV]-protein, which was produced from one strand of the ds-RNA. Thus, the first gene was formed using the five primitive or prototypes of members, which were produced in the absence of gene. There would be no other way for generating the first gene.

Considering Cu(tda) chelate is a receptor for adenine and related 6-aminopurines, now we report the synthesis, molecular and crystal structures, thermal stability, spectral properties and DFT calculations on the [Cu(tda)(9heade)(H2O)]•2H2O (1). N7 is found to be the preferred donor atom of 9heade, that can favor the cooperation of a Cu-N7(9heade) bond and an (9heade)N6-H•••O(tda) interligand interaction. But unprecedentedly, the Cu(tda)-9heade molecular recognition in 1 is essentially featured the Cu-N1(9heade), without any N6-H•••O(carboxyl tda) interligand interaction. Nevertheless, being N1 the most basic donor for N9-substituted adenines, this Cu-N1 bond is now assisted by an O2-water mediated interaction (N6-H•••O2 and O2•••Cu weak contact). Also in the crystal packing, the O-H(ol) of 9heade interacts with its own adenine moiety by an O3-water mediated interaction (O(ol)-H•••O3 plus O3-H36•••π(adenine moiety). In turn these water-mediated interactions seems to be responsible to serious alterations on the physical properties of crystalline or grounded samples. Density functional theory calculations were used to evaluate the interactions energetically. Moreover, the quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) in combination with the noncovalent interaction plot (NCIPlot) were used to analyze the interactions and rationalize the existence and relative importance of hydrogen bonding, chalcogen bonding and π-stacking interactions.

ORF6 is responsible for suppressing the immune response of cells infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is also the most toxic protein of SARS-CoV-2, and its actions are associated with the viral pathogenicity. Here we study in silico and in vitro the structure of the protein, its interaction with RAE1, and the mechanism of action behind its high toxicity. We show both computationally and experimentally that SARS-CoV-2 ORF6, embedded in the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, binds to RAE1 and sequesters it in the cytoplasm, thus depleting its availability in the nucleus and impairing nucleocytoplasmic mRNA transport. This negatively affects the cellular genome stability by compromising the cell cycle progression into the S-phase and by promoting the accumulation of RNA-DNA hybrids. Understanding the multiple ways in which ORF6 affects DNA replication may also have important implications for elucidating the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and developing therapeutic strategies to mitigate its deleterious effects on host cells.

The steel damper column is an energy-dissipating member that is suitable for reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, and those used for multistory housing in particular. However, the effectiveness of steel damper columns may be affected by the behavior of surrounding members, and this effect can be severe in the case of seismic sequences. This article investigates the nonlinear response of building models having an RC moment-resisting frame (MRF) with and without steel damper columns under seismic sequences. The applicability of the concept of the momentary energy input to the prediction of the peak response of RC MRFs with damper columns under seismic sequences is also investigated. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows. (1) The peak response of RC MRFs with damper columns subjected to sequential accelerations is similar to the peak response obtained considering only the mainshock, whereas the cumulative strain energy of RC MRFs accumulates more for sequential accelerations. (2) The steel damper column is effective in reducing the peak and cumulative responses of RC MRFs in the case of sequential seismic input. (3) The relation of the hysteretic dissipated energy during a half cycle of the structural response and the peak displacement of the first modal response can be properly evaluated using the simple model proposed in this study.

This study introduces a remote sensing application using satellite imagery to survey a network-scale aggregate stockpile inventory. First, a real scale aggregate quarry site was surveyed using a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (sUAV) to produce digital terrain models that enabled analysis of aggregate pile geometry. Second, a lab experiment was designed and performed to validate the applicability of close-range Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry for measuring aggregate piles' physical properties such as volume and density. The other part of the lab experiment delved into direct measurement of aggregate density under varying compaction efforts. These experimental results, in conjunction with some simplifying assumptions, enabled the calculation of aggregate stockpile volumes and estimated weights from satellite imagery. We estimated that an inventory of 4.4 and 1.1 million metric tons of crushed aggregates and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), respectively, stockpiled in Washington State for asphalt production in 2017. The merit of producing such database was further showcased in an example on the economic and environmental impacts of material transportation. We approximated that hauling aggregates from quarry plants to construction sites within Washington State incurs a cost of about $50 thousand to over $4 million, consumes about 0.25 to 20 TJ of energy, and emits 20 to over 1,500 tons of CO₂-eq per asphalt plant annually.

Swift and diligent resilience response is mandatory in sustainable geo-distributed ecosystems. The real-time geo-spatial resilience requires agility in millions of parallel and distributed data processing tasks on data acquired from regional condition monitoring(RCM) systems. These tasks include expiditous resolution of complex sustainability conflict sets, promptly anomalies characterization in chaos sets, and resilience response uniqueness. This work is an archetype of a paragon geo-resilience support system(GRSS) for regional sustainability using a novel melioration in DADO production machine. The proposed expert system capitalized the synergic strengths of RETE, TREAT, LEAPS and GATOR networks was designed and implemented as a synthetic DADO machine(SDM). The generic architecture of DADO machine was improved in this work by enrichment in rule set conditions and solution set for regional scale resilience rule set conditions. The condition left-hand side(LHS) X equal to the solution set 2X for right-hand side (RHS) was the goal achieved by working memory(WM) optimization and conflict resolution strategy(CRS) in alpha and beta networks rules. A round-trip time of 80.2 seconds for first event response set using 1492 segment size and sequence number 360,000 with maximum packets at a single geospatial structure was 21 packets/sec was a noticeable landmark in this work. LEAPS and Concurrent-read algorithm for GATOR cluster networks in the proposed synthetic DADO machine architecture was the overall implementation that enabled urban scale resilient system practically possible on physical SHM deployment.

Background: Recent developments in our understanding of the interactions between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and cellular components have improved treatment approaches for various human diseases including cancer, vascular diseases, and neurological diseases. Although investigation of specific lncRNAs revealed their role in the metabolism of cellular RNA, our understanding of their contribution to post-transcriptional regulation is relatively limited. In this study, we explore the role of lncRNAs in modulating alternative splicing and their impact on downstream protein-RNA interaction networks. Results: Analysis of alternative splicing events across 39 lncRNA wildtype and knockout RNA-sequencing datasets from three human cell lines: HeLa (Cervical Cancer), K562 (Myeloid Leukemia), and U87 (Glioblastoma), resulted in high confidence (fdr < 0.01) identification of 4432 skipped exon events and 2474 retained intron events, implicating 759 genes to be impacted at post-transcriptional level due to the loss of lncRNAs. We observed that a majority of the alternatively spliced genes in a lncRNA knockout were specific to the cell type, in agreement with the finding that genes affected by alternative splicing also displayed enriched functions in a cell type specific manner. To understand the mechanism behind this cell-type specific alternative splicing patterns, we analyzed RNA binding protein (RBP)-RNA interaction profiles across the spliced regions. Conclusions: Despite limited RBP binding data across cell lines, alternatively spliced events detected in lncRNA perturbation experiments were associated with RBPs binding in proximal intron-exon junctions, in a cell type specific manner. The cellular functions affected by alternative splicing were also affected in a cell type specific manner. Based on the RBP binding profiles in HeLa and K562 cells, we hypothesize that several lncRNAs are likely to exhibit a sponge effect in disease contexts, resulting in the functional disruption of RBPs due to altered titration of the RBPs from their target loci. We propose that such lncRNA sponges can extensively rewire the post-transcriptional gene regulatory networks by altering the protein-RNA interaction landscape in a cell-type specific manner.

Biomimicry in additive manufacturing often refers to topology optimization and the use of lattice structures, due to the organic shape of the topology-optimized designs, and the lattices often looking similar to many light-weight structures found in nature such as trabecular bone, wood, sponges, coral, to name a few. Real biomimetic design however involves the use of design principles taken in some way from natural systems. In this work we use a methodology whereby high resolution 3D analysis of a natural material with desirable properties is “reverse-engineered” and the design tested for the purpose. This allows more accurate replication of the desired properties, and adaption of the design parameters to the material used for production (which usually differs from the biological material). One such example is the impact-protective natural design of the glyptodont body armour. In this paper we report on the production of body armour models in metal (Ti4Al4V) and analyze the resulting mechanical properties, assessing their potential for impact protective applications. This is the first biomimetic study using metal additive manufacturing to date.

Ferrocenium (Fc+) inherits a number of molecular/electronic properties from the neutral counterparts’ ferrocene (Fc) including the high symmetry. Both Fc+ and Fc prefer the eclipsed structure (D5h) over the staggered structure (D5d) by an energy of 0.36 kcal·mol-1. The present study using the recently developed excess orbital energy spectrum (EOES) shows that the open shell Fc+ cation exhibits similar conformer dependent configurational changes to the neutral Fc conformer pair. A further energy decomposition analysis (EDA) discloses that the reasons for the preferred structures are different between Fc+ and Fc. The dominant differentiating energy between the Fc+ conformers is the electrostatic energy (EEstat), whereas in neutral Fc, it is the quantum mechanical Pauli repulsive energy (EPauli). Within the D5h conformer of Fc+, the EOES reveals that the -electrons of Fc+ experience more substantial conformer dependent energy changes than the -electrons (assumed the hole is in a β orbital).

Dams are a critical infrastructure system for many communities, but they are also one of the most challenging to inspect. Dams are typically very large and complex structures, and the result is that inspections are often time-intensive and require expensive, specialized equipment and training to provide inspectors with comprehensive access to the structure. The scale and nature of dam inspections also introduces additional safety risks to the inspectors. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have the potential to address many of these challenges, particularly when used as a data acquisition platform for photogrammetric three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and analysis, though the nature of both UAV and modern photogrammetric methods necessitates careful planning and coordination for integration. This paper presents a case study on one such integration at the Brighton Dam, a large-scale concrete gravity dam in Maryland, USA. A combination of multiple UAV platforms and multi-scale photogrammetry was used to create two comprehensive and high-resolution 3D point clouds of the dam and surrounding environment at intervals. These models were then assessed for their overall quality, as well as their ability to resolve flaws and defects that were artificially applied to the structure between inspection intervals. The results indicate that the integrated process is capable of generating models that accurately render a variety of defect types with sub-millimeter accuracy. Recommendations for mission planning and imaging specifications are provided as well.

The nitrogen-doped amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin film transistors (TFTs) with double-stacked channel layers (DSCL) were prepared and characterized. The DSCL structure composed of nitrogen-doped amorphous InGaZnO and InZnO films (a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N or a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N) made the corresponding TFT devices exhibit quite large field-effect mobility due to the existence of double conduction channels. Especially, the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N TFTs showed even better electrical performance (μ_FE = 15.0 cm²·V^-1·s^-1, SS = 0.5 V/dec, V_TH = 1.5 V, I_ON/I_OFF = 1.1×10⁸) and stability (V_TH shift of 1.5, -0.5, and -2.5 V for positive bias-stress, negative bias-stress and thermal stress tests, respectively) than the a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N TFTs. Based on the X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements and energy band analysis, it was assumed that the optimized interface trap states, the less ambient gas adsorption, and the better suppression of oxygen vacancies in the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N hetero-structures might be responsible for the better behaviors of the corresponding TFTs.

The study conducted in this paper is focused on a predominantly residential area of the City of Ljubljana – Koseze, which is characterized by generally favorable (bio)climatic conditions. Nonetheless, thermal satellite imaging showed that residential neighborhoods within the Koseze district display unexpected variations in summer temperatures. This observation called into question the benefits of existing bioclimatic features and indicated the need to investigate and compare two neighborhoods with similar urban parameters, with the aim to identify morphological differential characteristics impacting urban heat island (UHI) intensity. By applying the study methodology based on a literature review, surveys of key precedents, detailed mapping in two Koseze locations, in situ measurements, observations and recordings, thermal imaging and the analyses of statistical data, as well as by defining the four main categories of morphological urban parameters – structure, cover, fabric and metabolism, it was concluded that both neighborhoods have common morphological elements mitigating the UHI effect. Additionally, it was found that the neighborhood with higher UHI intensity has several less favorable features, such as busier roads, larger surface of parking corridors, and the existence of underground parking space. The traffic as an element of urban morphology hence represents the main cause of differences among UHI levels in the two Koseze neighborhoods.

The present study aims to develop an efficient numerical method for computing the diffraction and radiation of water waves with horizontal long cylindrical structures, such as floating breakwaters. A higher-order scheme is used to discretize geometry of the structure as well as the relevant physical quantities. As the kernel of this method, Wehausen’s free-surface Green function is calculated by a newly-developed Gauss-Kronrod adaptive quadrature algorithm after elimination of its Cauchy-type singularities. To improve computational efficiency, a Chebyshev approximation approach is applied to a fast calculation of the Green function that needs evaluation thousands of times. In addition, OpenMP parallel technique is used to the formation of influence coefficient matrix, which significantly reduces CPU time. Finally, computations are performed on wave exciting forces and hydrodynamic coefficients for the long cylindrical structures, either floating or submerged. Comparison with other numerical and analytical methods demonstrates good performance of the present method.

Bayesian networks have emerged as a powerful tool for modelling complex probabilistic relationships in uncertain environments. The process of inducing Bayesian networks involves learning both the structure of the network and the parameters of the associated probability distributions. This paper provides a detailed examination of the two main approaches to Bayesian network induction: structure learning and parameter estimation, highlighting the use of both constraint-based and score-based techniques. Furthermore, the role of distribution-based methods in the estimation and inference of probabilistic models is explored. These methods, including Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Bayesian Estimation, and Monte Carlo techniques, offer robust ways to handle parameter uncertainty and facilitate efficient inference in large, complex models. This comprehensive view aims to bridge the gap between the theoretical foundations and practical applications of these methods, providing insights for researchers and practitioners in the field of machine learning and probabilistic reasoning.

Mesoporous MgAl2O4+ LnFe0.7Ni0.3O3 (Ln=La, Pr) nanocomposites were prepared by inexpensive one-pot procedure with Pluronic P123 copolymer, Ni+Ru active component was supported by wet impregnation. The real structure of samples was studied by XRD and TEM with EDX, surface properties by FTIRS of adsorbed CO, reactivity by H2 –TPR, catalytic activity was tested in ethanol steam reforming. Disordering of the real structure of nanocomposite supports due to incorporation of transition metal cations into MgAl2O4 results in developed metal-support interface and domination of single surface metal centers. This provides a high catalytic activity in reaction of ethanol steam reforming in the intermediate temperature range ~550 oC close to that of the best known catalysts, and stability to coking. A higher activity for Pr-containing catalyst is provided by a high reactivity of surface oxygen species bound with Pr cations.

In the following article, we analyzed a variable present in the ISTAT-BES dataset, namely "People You Can Count On"-PYCC for the Italian regions. Following an analysis of the time series aimed at highlighting the trends of the regions, we created a clustering with a k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette coefficient. The data shows the presence of two clusters. We then present an econometric model aimed at estimating the value of PYCC based on a set of socio-economic variables. The results are also discussed in light of the economic policy implications.

The effects of chemical composition and solidification rate on the solidification behavior of high-Cr white irons were investigated through directional solidification. Increasing the solidi-fication rate in hypoeutectic alloys caused the finer dendrite arm spacing as expected. The eutec-tic structure which formed in the interdendritic region comprised of M7C3 and austenite, how-ever, secondary dendrite arms of hypoeutectic alloys contained a few M7C3 particles that solidi-fied prior to the eutectic structure. The transition from cellular to dendritic solidification oc-curred at a solidification rate between 50 µm/s and 100 µm/s in a near eutectic alloy. In the near eutectic alloy with cellular solidification, a directionally arrayed in-situ composite of M7C3/austenite formed within the cell. Speckle-like feature appeared in the intercellular region due to M23C6 carbide precipitation during subsequent cooling after freezing. Like dendrite arm spacing in hypoeutectic alloys, the inter-speckle spacing and the inter-fibre spacing became finer with increasing solidification rate in the cellular solidification range.

This paper examines some of the largely neglected areas of opportunity to utilize skeletal space structure systems in support of modular, industrialized, economical, sustainable and digital future of the construction industry. In this context, the feasibility of future use of skeletal space structures is studied for a few classes of engineering structures, namely, residential apartment buildings, and offshore platforms, along with their suitability for reconstruction, renovation, modernization and retrofit of damaged buildings and urban areas of cultural heritage significance. Finally, the particulars of lean project management of space structures are discussed with emphasis on engineering and economic factors, production management, environmental aspects, quality management, and reliability, maintainability and sustainability considerations. This article concludes that skeletal space structures can fulfil many of the essential construction requirements of modern societies, especially those facing environmental challenges, all while allowing for design flexibility and mass customization.

The theory of heterogeneous nucleation was initially developed as a part of condensed matter physics and later it was used as an important engineering tool to design metallurgical processes. The success leads to wide applications of the theory in metallurgical practice. For example, engineering heterogeneous nucleation in ductile iron has been used to reduce shrinkage defects, suppress cementite formation, and modify size and shape of micro-structural constituencies. This demonstrates how theoretical knowledge could benefit industry practice. This overview aims to summarize the authors’ published studies in co-authorship with colleagues and students, which covered different aspects of engineering heterogeneous nucleation in multiphase cast alloys. Several approaches for engineering heterogeneous nucleation using thermodynamic simulation and practical methods for improving efficiency of nucleation using co-precipitation technique and a local transient melt supersaturation were suggested. Automated Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy-Dispersive-X-ray (SEM/EDX) analysis and a high-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to verify simulation predictions. Practical examples of controlling micro-porosity shrinkage in cast irons with spheroidal graphite are presented to illustrate the power of engineering heterogenous nucleation. The authors appreciate the great efforts that the co-authors have made on the original, overviewed articles here.

This study proposes a machine-learning-based framework for detecting mechanical damage in pipelines, utilizing physics-informed datasets collected from simulations for mechanical damage. The framework provides an effective workflow from dataset generation to damage detection and identification for three types of pipeline events: welds, clamps, and corrosion defects. While the study initially focused on optimizing the CNN structure using various advanced optimizers, it also investigated the impact of sensing systems on data classification and the effect of noise on classification performance. The study's analysis highlights the importance of selecting the appropriate sensing system for the specific application. The authors also found that the proposed framework is robust to experimentally relevant levels of noise, suggesting its applicability in real-world scenarios where noise is present. Overall, this study contributes to the development of a more reliable and effective method for detecting mechanical damage in pipelines. The proposed framework provides an effective workflow for damage detection and identification, and the findings on the impact of sensing systems and noise on classification performance add to its robustness and reliability.

Long-span steel structure trusses are widely used in factory buildings, but with the growth of service time and the increase of dynamic load fatigue, a considerable part of the long-span truss with dynamic load appears serious transverse cracks at the bottom of the middle span and oblique deformation of the abdomen in the operation process. The U-shaped cracks at the bottom and belly, as well as the mid-span down deflection of the main truss, reduced the functional function of the factory building truss structure, and had to limit the original crane load, which affected the normal safety and durability of the structure. Therefore, the application principle of the variable axial force cable system in the long-span factory building truss structure and 3D3S software modeling [1] were used. Analyzing and studying the reinforcement method of large-span powerhouse truss can provide practical experience for subsequent similar projects. In view of the above phenomenon, the large-span powerhouse trusses of Hongcheng Powerhouse 1 and No.2 located in Tonglu, Zhejiang Province are used as the research object, and the variable axial force cable method is proposed to strengthen and lift the load. Considering the span of large-span powerhouse truss, the cable system with 22m controlling force of 400kN is proposed to be selected for powerhouse 1, and the cable system with variable axial force of 24m is proposed to be selected for Powerhouse 2. The force model of large-span truss is established by using the finite element method commonly used to analyze the force of truss. Under two working conditions, The influence of reinforcement effect is analyzed and compared from three aspects: stiffness, bearing capacity and stability. And the phenomenon of uneven stress distribution is analyzed. The stress distribution characteristics of each node are understood by simulating the most disadvantageous node plates with the greatest internal force before and after reinforcement.

This research program investigated the effects of layer thickness (50 and 100 microns) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of electron beam powder bed fusion (EBPBF) additive manufacturing of Inconel 625 alloy. The as-built 50 and 100 micron layer thickness components were also heat treated at temperatures above 1100 oC, which produced a recrystallized grain structure containing annealing twins in the 50 micron layer thickness components, and a duplex grain structure consisting of islands of very small equiaxed grains dispersed in a recrystallized, large-grain structure containing annealing twins. The heat treated component microstructures and mechanical properties were compared with the as-built components in both the build direction (vertical) and perpendicular (horizontal) to the build direction. Vickers microindentation hardness (HV) values for the vertical and horizontal geometries averaged 227 and 220 for the as-built 50 and 100 micron layer components, and 185 and 282 for the corresponding heat treated components. The yield stress values were 387 MPa and 365 MPa for the as-built layer horizontal and vertical 50 micron layer geometries, and 330 MPa and 340 MPa for the as-built 100 micron layer components. For the heat treated 50 micron components, the yield stress values were 340 and 321 MPa for the horizontal and vertical geometries, and 581 and 489 MPa for the 100 micron layer components, respectively. The elongation for the 100 micron layer as-built horizontal components was 28% in contrast to 65% for the corresponding 100 micron heat treated layer components, an increase of 132% for the duplex grain structure. However, the coarse grains containing annealing twins and the equiaxed small grain islands in the duplex structure for the heat treated components contained continuous carbides in the grain boundaries, and this may indicate sensitization and a reduction in corrosion resistance. These findings point to the potential mechanical property advantage for heat treatment of Inconel 625 alloy 100 micron layer thickness components fabricated by EBPBF.

Rapid post-earthquake damage diagnosis of bridges can guide decision-making for emergency response management and recovery. This can be facilitated using digital technologies to remove the barriers of manual post-event inspections. Prior mechanics-based Finite Element (FE) models can be used for post-event response simulation using the measured ground motions at nearby stations; however, the damage assessment outcomes would suffer from uncertainties in structural and soil material properties, input excitations, etc. For instrumented bridges, these uncertainties can be reduced by integrating sensory data with prior models through a model updating approach. This study presents a sequential Bayesian model updating technique, through which a linear/nonlinear FE model, including soil-structure interaction effects, and the foundation input motions are jointly identified from measured acceleration responses. The efficacy of the presented model updating technique is first examined through a numerical verification study. Then, seismic data recorded from the San Rogue Canyon Bridge in California are used for a real-world case study. Comparison between the free-field and the foundation input motions reveals valuable information regarding the soil-structure interaction effects at the bridge site. Moreover, the reasonable agreement between the recorded and estimated bridge responses shows the potentials of the presented model updating technique for real-world applications. The updated FE model is considered as the digital twin of the bridge and can be used to analyze the bridge and monitor the structural response at element, section, and fiber levels to diagnose the location and severity of any potential damage mechanism.

This literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of the functional morphology and paleoecology of Pteranodon, a prominent genus of Pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. By synthesizing recent research findings with classic studies, this paper elucidates the aerodynamic and ecological adaptations of Pteranodon, which was one of the largest pterosaurs to ever soar the skies. The review examines the distinctive cranial features, including its elongated cranial crest and its implications for sexual dimorphism and species identification. Detailed analysis of wing morphology and limb proportions reveals insights into its flight mechanics, suggesting that Pteranodon was adapted for dynamic soaring, leveraging its expansive wingspan for efficient long-distance travel. Additionally, the paper explores Pteranodon's feeding habits and dietary preferences based on dental and jaw structure, indicating a diet primarily consisting of fish and other aquatic prey. The review also integrates fossil evidence with ecological models to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of the Late Cretaceous, highlighting the role of Pteranodon in its ecosystem as both a predator and a competitor. This synthesis not only enhances our understanding of Pteranodon’s physiological and ecological roles but also contributes to broader discussions on pterosaur evolution and behavior.

Self-organization in complex systems is a process in which internal entropy is reduced and emergent structures appear that allow the system to function in a more competitive way with other states of the system or with other systems. It occurs only in the presence of energy gradients, facilitating energy transmission through the system and entropy production. Being a dynamic process, self-organization requires a dynamic measure and dynamic principles. The principles of decreasing unit action and increasing total action and the principle of decreasing unit entropy and increasing total entropy are dynamic variational principles that are viable to utilize in a self-organizing system. Based on this, average action efficiency can serve as a quantitative measure of the degree of self-organization. Positive feedback loops connect this measure with all other characteristics of a complex system, providing all of them with a mechanism for exponential growth, and indicating power law relationships between each of them as confirmed by data and simulations. In this study, we apply those principles and the model to agent-based simulations of ants traveling between two locations on a 2D grid. We find that those principles explain self-organization well and that the results confirm the model. We derive a compact model of ant-behavior based on the action of their trajectories, and then estimate a variety of metrics from the simulated behavior. By measuring action efficiency we can have a new answer to the question: "What is complexity and how complex is a system?". This work shows the explanatory and predictive power of those models, which can help understand and design better complex systems.

The design and usage of the addressed combined fiber-optic sensors (ACFOS) and the multisensory control systems of the greenhouse gas concentration on their basis are investigated. The main development trend of the combined fiber-optic sensors (CFOS), consisting of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and the Fabry-Perot resonator (FPR), which are successively formed at the optical fiber end, is highlighted. The addressed fiber Bragg structures (AFBS) usage instead of the FBG in the CFOS leads not only to significant cheapening of the sensor system due to microwave photonics interrogating methods, but also to increasing its metrological characteristics. The structural scheme of the multisensory gas concentration monitoring system is suggested. The suggested scheme allows detecting four types of the greenhouse gases (СО2, NO2, CH4, OX) depending on the material and thickness of the polymer film, which is the FPR sensitive element. The usage of Karunen-Loeff transform (KLT), which allows separating each component contribution to the reflected spectrum according to its efficiency, is proposed. In the future, it allows determining the gas concentration at the AFBS address frequencies. The estimations have shown that the ACFOS design in the multisensory system allows measuring the environment temperature in the range of −60…+300 °C with an accuracy of 0.1–0.01 °C, and the gas concentration in the range of 10…90% with the accuracy of 0.1–0.5%.

Proteins having a variety of functions play many essential roles in maintaining various life activities in organisms. Various methods, by which new protein functions can be artificially produced, have progressed rapidly upon development in recombinant DNA technology and effective screening techniques. However, the obtainable scope of the new functions has been restricted in a narrow range, because only functions of presently existing proteins can be used. On the other hand, it has been considered that it would be impossible to create an entirely new protein, which does not show any meaningful homology with any other amino acid sequences of previously existing proteins. The reason is because one amino acid sequence for a protein cannot be selected out from an extraordinary large amino acid sequence diversity as ~10130. As a matter of course, it is impossible to design an amino acid sequence of a protein in advance and a gene encoding the protein cannot be also formed through random process. Nevertheless, extant organisms have generated a variety of entirely new proteins in some way to make full use of them. This means that extant organisms have equipped a mechanism with which entirely new proteins can be produced under the present core life system composed of protein, tRNA (genetic code) and gene. In this article, first I introduce the mechanism, with which entirely new proteins are created in extant organisms, and further propose a novel strategy for application of the mechanism to protein engineering through creation of entirely new proteins, which could contribute to development of various industries.

A model to predict the relative levels of respiratory and fecal-oral transmission potentials of coronaviruses (CoVs) by measuring the percentage of protein intrinsic disorder (PID) of the M (Membrane) and N (nucleoprotein) proteins in their outer and inner shells, respectively, was built before the MERS-CoV outbreak. Application of this model to the 2003 SARS-CoV indicated that this virus with M_PID = 8.6% and N_PID = 50.2% falls into group B, which consists of CoVs with intermediate levels of both fecal-oral and respiratory transmission potentials. Further validation of the model came with MERS-CoV (M_PID = 9%, N_PID = 44%) and SARS-CoV-2 (M_PID = 5.5%, N_PID = 48%) falling into the groups C and B, respectively. Group C contains CoVs with higher fecal-oral but lower respiratory transmission potentials. Unlike SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 with M_PID = 5.5% has one of the hardest outer shells among CoVs. This shell hardness is believed to be responsible for high viral loads in the mucus and saliva making it more contagious than SARS-CoV. The hard shell is able to resist the anti-microbial enzymes in body fluids. Further searches have found that high rigidity of outer shell is characteristic for the CoVs of burrowing animals, such as rabbits (M_PID = 5.6%) and pangolins (M_PID = 5-6%), which are in contact with the buried feces. A closer inspection of pangolin-CoVs from 2017-19 reveals that these animals provided a unique window of opportunity for the entry of an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 precursor into the human population in 2017 or earlier, with the subsequent slow and silent spread as a mild cold that followed by its mutations into the current more virulent form. Evidence of this lies in the similarity of shell disorder and genetic proximity of the pangolin-CoVs to SARS-CoV-2 (~90%). A 2017 pangolin-CoV strain shows evidence of higher levels of attenuation and higher fecal-oral transmission associated with lower human infectivity via having lower N_PID (44.8%). Our shell disorder analysis also revealed that lower inner shell disorder is associated with the lesser virulence in a variety of viruses.

A model that predicts levels of coronavirus (CoV) respiratory/fecal-oral transmission potentials based on the outer shell hardness has been built using neural network (artificial intelligence, AI) analysis of the percentage of disorder (PID) in the nucleocapsid, N, and membrane, M, proteins of the inner and outer viral shells, respectively. Based mainly on the PID of N, SARS-CoV-2 is categorized as having intermediate levels of both respiratory and fecal oral transmission potential. Related to this, other studies have found strong positive correlations between virulence and inner shell disorder among numerous viruses, including Nipah, Ebola, and Dengue viruses. There is some evidence that this is also true for SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, which have N PIDs of 48% and 50%, and are characterized by case-fatality rates of 7.1% and 10.9%, respectively. The link between levels of respiratory transmission and virulence lies in viral load of body fluids and organ respectively. A virus can be infectious via respiratory modes only if the viral loads in saliva and mucus exceed certain minima. Likewise, a person may die, if the viral load is too high especially in viral organs. Inner shell proteins of viruses play important roles in the replication of viruses, and structural disorder enhances these roles by providing greater efficiency in protein-protein/DNA/RNA/lipid binding. This paper outlines a novel strategy in attenuating viruses involving comparison of disorder patterns of inner shells of related viruses to identify residues and regions that could be ideal for mutation. The M protein of SARS-CoV-2 has one of the lowest M PID values (6%) in its family, and therefore this virus has one of the hardest outer shells, which makes it resistant to antimicrobial enzymes in body fluid. While this is likely responsible for its contagiousness, the risks of creating an attenuated virus with a more disordered M are discussed.

Understanding the mechanism, how entirely new (EntNew) gene/protein or the first ancestral gene/protein of a family was created, should be one of the most important issues in the biological sciences. However, the mechanism is totally unknown still now. On the other hand, it is well known that mature protein is generally rigid and one catalytic center exists on the protein. Creation of such a mature EntNew gene/protein should be, of course, carried out through random process, because it cannot be designed in advance. However, the EntNew gene/protein never be created by random polymerization of the respective monomeric units, because of the extraordinary large sequence diversities of ~10¹⁸⁰ and ~10¹³⁰, respectively. Protein 0^th-order structure or a specific amino acid composition, in which immature but water-soluble protein can be produced even through random process, holds the key for solving the difficult problem. As it was fragmentally described in the previous papers how and where EntNew gene/protein was created, I describe in detail in this review three processes generating EntNew gene/protein with some flexibility under three genetic codes, the universal genetic code, SNS primitive code and GNC primeval code, and discuss why the mature gene/protein could be created through the processes.

All life on Earth uses three integrated molecular systems in which genetic information contained in DNA base sequences is transmitted to ribosomes by RNA and a genetic code, then translated into the amino acid sequences of structural and catalytic proteins. Therefore, the most important point for understanding the origin of life is to determine how such systems could emerge from random processes on the early Earth. In this review, two alternatives are compared: the RNA world hypothesis and the [GADV]-protein world hypothesis. [GADV] refers to four amino acids, Gly [G], Ala [A], Asp [D] and Val [V] that are conserved in the amino acid sequences of many common proteins. Here I will argue that the origins of the three primary processes required for life to begin can be better explained by the GADV hypothesis than the RNA world hypothesis. The GADV hypothesis also incorporates a conversion process by which random polymers can evolve into proteins with ordered sequences.

Therizinosaurs, a unique clade of theropod dinosaurs, are characterized by their distinct morphological features and enigmatic ecological role. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the functional morphology and ecological significance of these remarkable dinosaurs. Therizinosaurs are distinguished by their elongated, often curved claws, robust postcranial skeletons, and herbivorous diet, which starkly contrasts with their carnivorous theropod relatives. We explore the evolutionary implications of their morphology, focusing on adaptations such as their specialized feeding apparatus and limb structure. These features suggest a complex interplay between their herbivorous lifestyle and ecological niche. The review synthesizes recent findings from fossil evidence, including detailed studies of cranial and postcranial anatomy, to elucidate the functional mechanisms behind their unique adaptations. Additionally, we discuss the broader ecological role of therizinosaurs within their Mesozoic ecosystems, highlighting their interactions with contemporaneous flora and fauna. By integrating paleontological data with comparative anatomy and ecological modeling, this review aims to shed light on the evolutionary trajectory of therizinosaurs and their impact on our understanding of theropod diversity and adaptation. This focused review contributes to a more nuanced appreciation of therizinosaurs' place in dinosaur evolution and their adaptive strategies in prehistoric environments.

Limiting harm to organisms via genetic sampling is an important consideration for rare species. Nondestructive sampling techniques have been developed to address this issue in freshwater mussels. Two methods, visceral swabbing and tissue biopsies, have proven to be effective for DNA sampling, though it is unclear as to which method is preferable for genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Tissue biopsies may cause undue stress and damage to organisms, while visceral swabbing potentially reduces the chance of such harm. Our study compared the efficacy of these two DNA sampling methods for generating GBS data for the Unionid freshwater mussel, Texas Pigtoe (Fusconaia askewi). Our results find both methods generate quality sequence data, though some considerations are in order. Tissue biopsies produced significantly higher DNA concentrations and larger numbers of reads when compared to swabs, though there was no significant association between starting DNA concentration and number of reads generated. Swabbing produced greater sequence depth (more reads per sequence) while tissue biopsies revealed greater coverage across the genome (at lower sequence depth). Patterns of genomic variation as characterized in principal component analyses were similar regardless of the sampling method, suggesting that the less invasive swabbing is a viable option for producing quality GBS data in these organisms.

The prevalence of internet gaming disorders (IGD) is considerably high among youth, especially with social isolation imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. IGD adversely affects mental health, quality of life, and academic performance. The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS9-SF) is designed to detect IGD according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. However, inconsistent results are reported on its capacity to diagnose IGD evenly across different cultures. To ensure the suitability of the IGDS9-SF as a global measure of IGD, this study examined the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in a sample of Sri Lankan university students (N = 322, mean age =17.2 ± 0.6, range = 16-18 years, 56.5% males) and evaluated its measurement invariance across samples from Sri Lanka, Turkey, Australia, and the USA. Among Sri Lankan students, a unidimensional structure expressed good fit, invariance across different groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, and income), adequate criterion validity (strong correlation with motives of internet gaming, daily gaming duration, and sleep quality), and good reliability (alpha = 0.81). Males and online multiplayers expressed higher IGD levels, greater time spent gaming, and more endorsement of gaming motives (e.g., Social and Coping) than females and offline players. Across countries, the IGDS9-SF was invariant at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, albeit strict invariance was not maintained. The lowest and highest IGD levels were reported among Turkish and American respondents, respectively. In conclusion, the IGDS9-SF can be reliably used to measure IGD among Sri Lankan youth. Because the scale holds scalar invariance across countries, its scores can be used to compare IGD levels in the studied countries.

Diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is one of the leading causes of mortality in children under five years of age and is a great burden on developing countries. The major virulence factor of the bacterium is the heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), a close homologue of the cholera toxin. The toxins bind to carbohydrate receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to toxin uptake and, ultimately, to severe diarrhoea. Previously, LT from human- and porcine-infecting ETEC (hLT and pLT, respectively) were shown to have different carbohydrate-binding specificities, in particular with respect to N-acetyllactosamine-terminating glycosphingolipids. Here, we probed eleven single-residue variants of the heat-labile enterotoxin with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and compared the data to the parent toxins. In addition we present a 1.45 Å crystal structure of pLTB in complex with branched Lacto-N-neohexaose (Galbeta4GlcNAcbeta6[Galbeta4GlcNAcbeta3]Galbeta4Glc). The largest difference in binding specificity is caused by mutation of residue 94, which links the primary and secondary binding sites of the toxins. Residue 95 (and to a smaller extent also residues 7 and 18) also contribute, whereas residue 4 shows no effect on monovalent binding of the ligand and may rather be important for multivalent binding and avidity.

This paper gives an overview of the large-scale tectonic styles encountered in orogens worldwide. Thin-skinned and thick-skinned tectonics represent two end member styles recognized in mountain ranges. Both styles are encountered in former passive margins of continental plates. Thick-skinned style including the entire crust and possibly the lithospheric mantle are associated with intracontinental contraction. Delamination of subducting continental crust and horizontal protrusion of upper plate crust into the opening gap occurs in the terminal stage of continent-continent collision. Continental crust thinned prior to contraction is likely to develop relatively thin thrust sheets of crystalline basement. A true thin-skinned type requires a detachment layer of sufficient thickness. Thickness of the décollement layer as well as the mechanical contrast between décollement layer and detached cover control the style of folding and thrusting within the detached cover units. In subduction-related orogens, thin- and thick-skinned deformation may occur several hundreds of kilometers from the plate contact zone. Basin inversion resulting from horizontal contraction may lead to the formation of basement uplifts by the combined reactivation of pre-existing normal faults and initiation of new reverse faults. In most orogens thick-skinned and thin-skinned structures both occur and evolve with a pattern where nappe stacking propagates outward and downward

Previously we discovered that among 15 DNA-binding plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) possessing anticancer activity, 11 compounds cause depletion of the linker histones H1.2 and/or H1.4 from chromatin fraction. Chromatin remodeling or multiH1 knocking-down is known to promote the upregulation of repetitive elements, ultimately triggering an interferon response. Herein, using HeLa cells and applying fluorescent reporter assay with flow cytometry and quantitave RT-PCR, we found that among PSMs depleting linker histones, 8 compounds significantly activate type I interferon signaling pathway. Out of these compounds resveratrol, berberine, genistein, delphinidin, naringenin and curcumin also caused LINE1 expression detected by quantitate RT-PCR and by immunefluorescent staining analysis of ORF1 LINE1 and γ-H2AX. Fisetin and quercetin, which also induced linker histone depletion, significantly activated only type I interferon signaling, but not LINE1 expression. Curcumin, sanguinarine and kaempferol, causing depletion of the linker histone H1.4 more intensively respectively to H1.2, activate interferon signaling less intensively without any changes of LINE1 expression. For 4 PSMs, which did not cause linker histone depletion, we did not observe effects of interest. Thus, we have shown for the first time that activation of type I interferon signaling accompanies chromatin remodeling caused by PSMs, and LINE1 expression often impacts this activation.

In the realm of molecular science, intricate relationships between molecular structures and their biomedical and pharmacological characteristics have been revealed through empirical experiments. This exploration hinges on the application of numerical descriptors, known as Topological Indices, which illuminate the inherent properties of diverse molecular structures. With particular significance in the medical and pharmaceutical domains, these indices facilitate the prediction of biological features for new chemical compounds and drugs by quantifying weighted entropies. In the context of this paper, we delve into the concept of graph entropy, weaving it intricately with the topological properties of the crystalline framework of the copper oxide molecule, denoted as Cu\textsubscript{2}O$[i,j,t]$. Our primary objective is to unravel the mathematical symphony underlying the structural intricacies of Cu\textsubscript{2}O$[i,j,t]$ and to imbue it with the conceptual essence of entropy. We accomplish this through the computation of entropy, leveraging various topological indices, including weight. In addition to our analytical journey, we present a graphical comparison that juxtaposes the computed indices and entropies, shedding light on the interplay between mathematical analysis and the structural elegance of Cu\textsubscript{2}O$[i,j,t]$. This endeavor contributes to a deeper understanding of the material's multifaceted applications, spanning domains from chemical sensors to solar cells, photocatalysis, and batteries, where Cu\textsubscript{2}O's crystallographic structure plays a pivotal role.

As one of the typical deposits in Sichuan-Yunnan-Guizhou Pb-Zn metallogenic province, the Daliangzi Pb-Zn deposit has a close genetic relation with the structural system of “black/fracture zone” formed under the action of NWW-approx. EW strike-slip structures in the metallogenic province, but the mechanism of rock and ore-controlling action of the structural system remains unclear. Based on detailed analysis of tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies of R1 “black/fracture zone”, the tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies zones can be divided into 4 types in succession outward from the Pb-Zn mineralization center, i.e., ① brecciated and stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralization-complex breccia facies zone, ② stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralization-simple breccia and cataclasite facies zone, ③ veined pyrite-sulfide-dolomitic cataclasite facies zone, and ④ fine-veined calcite-black carbonized dolomite facies zone; Cl- and SO42--rich high-temperature oxidizing ore-bearing fluid mixes with reducing fluid in Zone ① while migration and precipitation occur in Zone ④. With the evolution of ore-forming fluid, the homogenization temperature decreases from Zone ① to Zone ④, the salinity increases from Zone ① to Zone ② and then decreases to Zones ③ and ④, and the fluid density has little change on the whole; the contents of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ga, Ge, Cd, Ag, and other metallogenic elements, the Zn/Pb ratio, and the CaO/MgO mole ratio decrease gradually from Zone ① to Zone ④; and REE fractionation, calcilization, silicification, and pyritization enhance gradually from Zone ① to Zone ④. This series of changes are the product of diapirism (cryptoexplosion) of strike-slip structures and “black/fracture zone”, among which the second-order structures (F5, F100, and other faults) derived from NWW-approx. EW striking dextral shear-tension faults F1 and F15 control the brecciated and stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralized complex breccia facies zones and the stockwork-like Pb-Zn mineralized simple breccia and cataclasite facies zones. Therefore, this paper establishes the zoning mode of tectonite-mineralized alteration lithofacies of “black/fracture zone” and proposes that Zones ① and ② are important prospecting criteria. conclusions.

We discuss three key points: defining mathematically the notions of phase, symmetry breaking, topological defects and their stability in a formal language of homotopy theory and fiber bundle formalism; postulating and proving two theorems for successive symmetry breaking scenarios in condensed matter physics and cosmology, and demonstrating application of theorems to superfluid Helium 3 and Kibble-Lazarides-Shafi (KLS) walls, supporting and mathematically justifying the results of [Volovik, 2020].

Managing sidelobe levels (SLLs) in metasurface-driven beam-steering antennas poses a significant challenge due to intrinsic factors leading to grating lobes. Our proposed method employs an equivalent model to optimize large periodic metasurfaces efficiently. This model predicts complete metasurface performance, accounting for mutual coupling between patches. We introduce an evolutionary optimization algorithm based on the Cross Entropy (CE) method to enhance PGM-based beam-steering antennas and suppress sidelobes. Two strategies were employed: first is to optimize the patch dimensions for a sidelobe-free pattern and the second is to maintain the PGM dimensions while optimizing feed array amplitudes. Both strategies effectively suppressed sidelobes, offering insights into the CE method's applicability and effectiveness for CPU-intensive electromagnetic optimization challenges. The proposed CE method variant retains its simplicity while improving monitoring capabilities, addressing this limitation. Smaller generations yield better improvements per evaluation

Ribosome assembly is one of the most fundamental processes in gene expression and has served as a playground to investigate the molecular mechanisms of how protein-RNA complexes (RNPs) assemble. The bacterial ribosome is composed of around 50 ribosomal proteins several of which are co-transcriptionally assembled on a ~4,500 nucleotides long pre-rRNA transcript that is further processed and modified during transcription, the entire process taking around 2 minutes in vivo and assisted by dozens of assembly factors. How this complex molecular process works so efficiently to produce an active ribosome has been investigated over decades and has resulted in the development of a plethora of novel approaches that can also be used to study the assembly of other RNPs. Here we review biochemical, structural and biophysical methods that have been developed and integrated to provide a detailed and quantitative understanding of this complex and intricate molecular process of assembly. We also discuss emerging cutting-edge approaches that could be used in the future to study how transcription, rRNA processing, cellular factors and the native cellular environment shape ribosome assembly and RNP assembly at large.

Generalized relativistic pseudopotentials (GRPP) of atomic cores implying the use of different potentials for atomic electronic shells with different principal quantum numbers give rise to accurate and reliable relativistic electronic structure models of atoms, molecules, clusters, and solids. These models readily incorporate the effects of Breit electron-electron interactions and one-loop quantum electrodynamics effects. Here we report the computational procedure for evaluating one-electron integrals of GRPP over contracted Gaussian functions. This procedure was implemented in a library of routines named LIBGRPP, which can be integrated into existing quantum chemistry software, thus enabling the application of various methods to solve the many-electron problem with GRPPs. Pilot applications to electronic transitions in the ThO and UO2 molecules using the new library and intermediate-Hamiltonian Fock space relativistic coupled cluster method are presented. The results clearly demonstrate that rather economical tiny-core GRPP models can exceed in accuracy relativistic all-electron models defined by Dirac-Coulomb and Dirac-Coulomb-Gaunt Hamiltonians.

Rapid developments in the field of underwater photogrammetry have given scientists1the ability to produce accurate 3-dimensional (3D) models which are now increasingly used in the representation and study of local areas of interest. This paper addresses the lack of systematic analysis of 3D reconstruction and navigation fusion strategies, as well as associated error evaluation of models produced at larger scales in GPS-denied environments using a monocular camera (often in deep-sea scenarios). Based on our prior work on automatic scale estimation of Structure from Motion (SfM)-based 3D models using laser scalers, an automatic scale accuracy framework is presented. The confidence level for each of the scale error estimates is independently assessed through the propagation of the uncertainties associated with image features and laser spot detections using a Monte Carlo simulation. The number of iterations used in the simulation was validated through the analysis of the final estimate behaviour. To facilitate the detection and uncertainty estimation of even greatly attenuated laser beams, an automatic laser spot detection method, mitigating the effects of scene texture, was developed, with the main novelty of estimating the uncertainties based on the recovered characteristic shapes of laser spots with radially decreasing1 intensities. The effects of four different reconstruction strategies resulting from the combinations of Incremental/GlobalSfM, and thea priori/a posterioriuse of navigation data were analyzed using two distinct survey scenarios captured during the SUBSAINTES 2017 cruise (doi: 10.17600/17001000). The study demonstrates that surveys with multiple overlaps of non-sequential images result in a nearly identical solution regardless of the strategy (SfM or navigation fusion), while surveys with weakly connected sequentially acquired images are prone to produce broad-scale deformation (doming effect) when navigation is not included in the optimization. Thus the scenarios with complex survey patterns substantially benefit from using multi-objective BA navigation fusion. In all cases, the errors in the models are inferior to 5%, with errors often being around 1%. The effects of combining data from multiple surveys were also evaluated. The introduction of additional vectors in the optimization of multi-survey problems successfully accounted for offset changes present in the underwater USBL-based navigation data and thus minimize the effect of contradicting navigation priors. Our results also illustrate the importance of collecting a multitude of evaluation data at different locations and moments during the survey.

We propose that quarks and gluon flux tubes emerge from networks of standing vacuum waves. Each unbound nucleon, in its ground state, may be electromagnetically modeled as massless quantized charge on two pairs of orbiting arcs. Each charge arc is associated with a superposition of radially-oriented vacuum fundamental harmonics. These quantum superpositions of radial waves are coupled to nucleon mass-energy. The charge arcs orbit on the two surfaces of a spindle torus with polar charge-exclusion zones. These ground-state models of unbound nucleons may be interpreted as pairs of virtual Möbius bands. The optimal triangular Möbius band may explain proton uniqueness. These unbound proton and neutron models are shown to be precisely connected via a parameter dependent on neutron mass and the sum of the up and down bare quark masses. Due to this precise connection, and the relatively high experimental precision of proton magnetic moment, neutron magnetic moment is calculated about two orders of magnitude more precisely than the most accurate experiments to date. This quantum network-based approach to modeling unbound low-energy nucleons calculates several other measurable parameters.

The topic of predictive toxicology has been greatly influenced by recent progress in comprehending drug toxicity processes and enhancing medication development. The integration of omics technologies, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, with traditional toxicological assessments has yielded extensive knowledge about the biological pathways implicated in drug-induced toxicity. The utilization of a multi-omics method amplifies the ability to identify biomarkers that can detect toxicity at an early stage, hence enhancing the safety profile of novel therapeutic medicines. Machine learning and in silico models, such as QSAR models and multi-task deep learning algorithms, have become essential tools. They have shown great accuracy in predicting toxicity endpoints and have helped in the identification of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The introduction of microphysiological systems and PBPK modeling has enhanced the transfer of preclinical discoveries to clinical results, providing more precise forecasts of human reactions to medications. Notwithstanding these progressions, obstacles such as the diversity of data and the complex nature of omics data require sophisticated computational techniques for efficient analysis. Continued cooperation and established procedures are crucial to fully utilize these technologies, guaranteeing the creation of safer and more efficient medicinal agents.

A novel cytoplasmic dye decolorizing peroxidase from Dictyostelium discoideum was investigated that oxidizes anthraquinone dyes, lignin model compounds and general peroxidase substrates like ABTS efficiently. Unlike related enzymes, an aspartate residue replaces the first glycine of the conserved GXXDG motif in Dictyostelium DyPA. In solution, Dictyostelium DyPA exists as a stable dimer with the side chain of Asp146 contributing to the stabilization of the dimer interface by extending the hydrogen bond network connecting two monomers. To gain mechanistic insights, we solved the Dictyostelium DyPA structures in the absence of substrate as well as in the presence of potassium cyanide and veratryl alcohol to 1.7, 1.85, and 1.6 Å resolution, respectively. The active site of Dictyostelium DyPA has a hexa-coordinated heme iron with a histidine residue at the proximal axial position and either an activated oxygen or CN^- molecule at the distal axial position. Asp149 is in an optimal conformation to accept a proton from H₂O₂ during the formation of compound I. Two potential distal solvent channels and a conserved shallow pocket leading to the heme molecule were found in Dictyostelium DyPA. Further, we identified two substrate-binding pockets per monomer in Dictyostelium DyPA at the dimer interface. Long-range electron transfer pathways associated with a hydrogen-bonding network that connects the substrate-binding sites with the heme moiety are described.

Databases are by far the most valuable asset of companies. Since the need was seen not only to count but also to have some type of record of elements such as crops, animals, money, properties and that this record could be consulted and modified according to the situation, that is where the first database was born. , and after that, these databases cannot be disorganized, they also need to be managed and administered under established standards that facilitate their understanding and management not only by their creators but by the other people who subsequently administer them. Databases and database management systems have an interesting evolutionary history that deserves to be analyzed and this is the objective of this document, where it is sought to understand. Along with databases and their management systems, data mining or Data mining arises that in order not to extend ourselves so much, it is the job of finding common patterns in various data sources and in what way they can be used to predict situations or results of various circumstances; We also focus on the other topic that we will present, Oracle data mining, which roughly is to merge data mining with Oracle, which makes it a powerful tool for obtaining information and predicting results based on statistics.In this article we will study and analyze the ideas, concepts and basic examples that make up SGBD and Data Mining and, we will try to go deeper into this topic, the use of decision techniques such as advanced statistical algorithms. We also present a fictitious example of the application of these techniques: predicting which products can be sold based on their relationship with others. we will give a brief explanation of association rules, data mining cycle and the types of learning and the evolution that data mining has had.

Gyroscopes are fascinating instruments with a history of about 200 years. When J.G.F. Bohnenberger presented his machine to his students in 1810 at the University of Tuebingen, Germany, nobody could have foreseen that this fascinating development would be used for complex orientation and positioning. At the University of Stuttgart, Germany, a collection of 160 exhibits is available and in transition for a sustainable future. Here, the systems are digitized in 2D, 2.5D and 3D and are made available for a world-wide community using OpenAccess platforms. The technologies being used are Computed Tomography, Computer Vision, Endoscopy and Photogrammetry. The workflows for combining voxel representations and colored point clouds are described, to create Digital Twins of the tangible assets. Advantages and disadvantages are discussed und work for near future is outlined in this new and challenging field of Tech Heritage digitization.

The building sector has a big potential to reduce the material resource demand needed for building construction and therefore, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Digitalisation can help to make use of this potential and improve sustainability throughout the entire building’s life cycle. One way to address this potential is through the integration of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the building process by employing Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM can reduce the effort needed to carry out an LCA and therefore facilitate the integration into the building process. A review of current industry practice and scientific literature shows two main approaches to address BIM-LCA integration. Either the LCA is performed in a simplified way at the beginning of the building process, or it is done at the very end when all the needed information is available, but it is too late for decision-making. One reason for this is the lack of methods, workflows and tools to implement BIM-LCA integration over the entire building process. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to develop an integrated BIM-LCA workflow implemented into a method for the whole building process using an existing structure for cost estimation. A tool is created and used in a case study in Switzerland to test the developed approach. The results of this study show that LCA can be performed continuously in each building phase over the entire building process using existing BIM modelling techniques. The main benefit of this approach is that the re-work caused by the need for re-entering data and the usage of many different software tools that characterise most of the current LCA practices is minimised. Furthermore, decision-making, both at the element and building levels, is supported.

The surface thermodynamic properties of polymers and copolymers modified by supramolecular structures are very used in several industrial processes, such as selective adsorption, paints, coatings, colloids, and adhesion applications. Background: Inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution was proved to be the best technique to determine the surface properties of solid surfaces by studying the adsorption of some model polar and non-polar organic molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces by varying the temperature. Methods: The retention volume of adsorbed solvents is a precious parameter to obtain the London dispersive and polar free energies and the London dispersive surface energy of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer modified by supramolecular structure of melamine using the Hamieh thermal model and our new methodology consisting in the separation of the two polar and dispersive free energy of interaction. This led to the determination of the polar acid and base surface energy, and the Lewis’s acid-base constants of the various solid materials. Results: all surface energetic properties of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer modified by melamine at different percentages were determined as a function of temperature, following our new methodology. Conclusions: It was observed that the styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer exhibited the highest London dispersive surface energy which decreased when the melamine percentage increased. All materials presented higher Lewis’s basicity and this Lewis’s basicity increased with the percentage of melamine.

Transition between the unfolded and native states of the ordered globular proteins is accompanied by accumulation of several intermediates, such as pre-molten globule, wet molten globule, and dry molten globule. Structurally equivalent conformations can serve as native functional states of intrinsically disordered proteins. This overview captures the characteristics and importance of these molten globules in both structured and intrinsically disordered proteins. It also discusses examples of engineered molten globules. The formation of these intermediates under the conditions of macromolecular crowding and their interactions with nanomaterials are also reviewed.

This research answers the knowledge gap regarding the explanation of the quantum jump of the electron. This scientific paper aims to complete Einstein’s research regarding general relativity and attempt to link general relativity to quantum laws.

This research answers the knowledge gap regarding the explanation of the quantum jump of the electron. This scientific paper aims to complete Einstein’s research regarding general relativity and attempt to link general relativity to quantum laws.

This research answers the knowledge gap regarding the explanation of the quantum jump of the electron. This scientific paper aims to complete Einstein’s research regarding general relativity and attempt to link general relativity to quantum laws.