bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upgrading utility infrastructure systems in the Russian Federation: Concession mechanisms
Authors: Larionova Yulia Vladimirovna , Kachanov Pavel Vladimirovich , Kachanova Sofia Vladimirovna , Krytskaya Natallia Viktarauna , Laamarti Yulia Alexandrovna
Published: June 2024

In the Amur region (Russian Federation), the extent of wear and tear of engineering heating networks was 21 percent as of the year-end 2022, which was an average value for this region. In some cities of the region under study wear and tear reaches 72 percent. The current wear and tear of utility infrastructure systems substantially degrades the quality of utility services provided to the population and boosts the percentage of heat losses and accidents in heat networks. The goal of the research project is to devise an action plan to reduce the rate of accidents and the wear and tear of heat networks in the Amur region of the Russian Federation by developing a concession mechanism focused on upgrading utility infrastructure systems. Logical analysis of the regulatory legal framework, as well as analysis of qualitative and quantitative values of utility infrastructure systems (heat networks in the Amur region). The need for the mechanism of concession agreements was substantiated as a means of upgrading utility infrastructure systems. Actions are proposed to boost the funding of repair and replacement of utility infrastructure systems in the Russian Federation.
Analysis of public transport in Central Asian cities in comparison with leading cities in Southeast Asia and Europe: The search for sustainable urban solutions
Authors: Bespalyy Sergey , Petrenko Alexandr
Published: June 2024

With rapid urban growth and changing socio-economic factors, it is important to analyze the public transport systems of different geographical regions. This article is aimed at analyzing and comparing public transport in the cities of Central Asia, taking into account the experience of leading cities in Southeast Asia and Europe. The purpose of the study is to identify features, similarities and differences in transport systems to find sustainable urban solutions.
Formation of an information retrieval system of visual programming scenarios for information modeling software complexes
Authors: Rybakova Angelina , Piatkov Daniil
Published: June 2024

This article discusses the process of creating an application based on a specialized database for working with a variety of scripts – visual programming scenarios. The SQL query Language (Structured Query Language) was used as a key tool for implementing the application, data for systematization was presented from the file system for storing scripts of the organization in question. In view of the popularization of the use of visual programming tools in information modeling software complexes, there is a problem of systematization of a regularly increasing number of scripts both in a specific organization and in the market as a whole. The purpose of this work is to develop an information retrieval system for working with visual programming scripts, the tasks are to analyze the file structure of script storage, form database requirements, develop algorithms for database formation and dynamic SQL query formation to filter the necessary scripts. Automation of the implementation of all the above tasks is performed on the basis of the high-level programming language C++ with the integration of SQL queries in the cross-platform development environment Qt Creator. As a result, an information search engine is presented in the form of an application "Script Manager".
Digitalization of education in the context of personnel training for the maintenance of the Smart city infrastructure
Authors: Narkoziev Amanbek , Ibraeva Asel , Ayazbayeva Assemgul Temirkhanovna , Moldosanov Urmat
Published: June 2024

Digitalization has given rise to human-accessible creations such as online textbooks, cloud-based learning systems, virtual laboratories, personal identification of individual students and open educational content, which are becoming a reality for education in Kyrgyzstan. The digitalization that the country has undertaken is one of the main trends in this area. A structural-logical analysis of the creation of a digital educational environment and a review of the literature defined the objectives of this study. One important change in the educational system in Kyrgyzstan is the project Digital CASA - Kyrgyz Republic, part of the regional integration program Digital CASA. This article identified the main factors in the creation of a digital educational environment at the university, which should assist in enhancing the quality of the Kyrgyz educational system. The article presents the projected, planned and erected creations of man and society, for digitalization and for the maintenance of the infrastructure of the Smart city.
Digital transformation as a modern strategy for sustainable socio-economic development of the Arctic zone
Authors: Osipova Elena , Avagina Olga , Cvetkov Alexander , Lupacheva Svetlana , Sazanova Ekaterina
Published: June 2024

Insufficient attention is paid to the development of digitalization in business processes in order to improve the economic efficiency of the regions of the Arctic zone. The relevance of the study is based on the “Digital transformation” national goal. The subject of the study is a set of economic indicators affecting the development of the Arctic zone under the conditions of digital transformation. The object of the study is the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study is the authors’ disclosure of the patterns and characteristics of digital transformation affecting the change in the socio-economic sphere and the development of recommendations aimed at changing the economic growth of the Arctic zone. The most significant results of the study are the analysis and assessment of the Arctic Zone as a special economic zone, the main elements used in the digital transformation (digital technology, population migration, education, etc.), as well as the identification of problems and promising recommendations affecting the economic growth of the Arctic Zone. The novelty of scientific research consists in recommendations that will solve problems and have an impact on economic growth in the regions included in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.
Using AI and big data in decision making: A framework across disciplines
Authors: Grabovy Pyotr , Siniak Nikolai
Published: June 2024

The recent growth in computer architecture has changed the face of education, science and engineering. Technology does not stand still, and today, when assessing the economic development of the organization, university or industry, the attention is paid to its willingness to use new technologies, especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analytics. In this research, the topic of AI and Big Data and its integration into decision-making process for competitiveness is examined. The emergence of Big Data and related analytics technologies led to changes in the business world. In today’s business processes, extracting genuine value form AI and Big Data, and integrating it into the core decision-making strategy plays a vital role. In this paper the necessary steps for the successful integration of AI and Big Data and analytics are covered, by analyzing the success factors from literature. Finally, its implications in real estate market and education are discussed with a small-scale cases analysis.
Position of Russia in foreign economic activity with China in the field of natural liquefied gas
Authors: Jiaxing Shi
Published: June 2024

In the current conditions of development of the international market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) under the influence of geopolitical factors, the development of the LNG supply chain, which attracts large-scale international investments, the pursuit of the green agenda and the growing maritime trade in LNG, the issue of identifying the strategic positions of countries in this sector is actualized. In accordance with this problem, the purpose of the study is to identify the position of Russia in foreign economic relations with China in the field of LNG relative to other countries. To achieve this goal, a study was conducted on the main players in the international LNG market, their role in the development, production, transportation and sale of gas, as well as foreign economic relations using methods of analysis, synthesis, systematization and economic analysis. The result of the study showed that in the near future, despite the short-term sharp reduction in China’s gas consumption, the need for LNG will increase due to the influence of a number of identified factors. Under these conditions, it is necessary to evaluate Russia’s position within the framework of the emerging opportunities for the growth of the sales market.
Structural Transformation Through a Multi-vector Geo-economic Governance? BRI and Upgrading of the Uzbek Gas Industry
Authors: Lombardozzi Lorena
Published: June 2024

Gas is a strategic source of energy and Uzbekistan ranks 11th in the world for mining and 14th for reserves. The article investigates whether and how the BRI and Chinese capital have contributed to Uzbek structural transformation in the gas industry. It argues that although the Chinese BRI seems to adopt an extractive approach to acquire natural resources, its interventions are also an opportunity for multi-directional forms of upgrading in the gas sector, both directly and indirectly. Directly, first the Chinese involvement as a consumer has reconfigured geo-economic power relations around gas. Secondly, there is an unprecedented support by China to national infrastructure development, both as a lender and a producer. Thirdly, China is the main source of machineries to enable energy transmission. Despite these factors, BRI and the Chinese presence are contributing only marginally to upgrading. A coordinated industrial strategy coming from the Uzbek state remains a necessary condition for structural transformation.
Reconceptualising the EU-member states relationship in the age of permanent emergency
Authors: Ladi Stella , Polverari Laura
Published: June 2024

Since 2008, the European Union (EU) has been engulfed in several crises. While distinct, these crises are feeding into each other and are testing the capacity and resilience of EU and member states, bringing forward common policy questions and new forms of cooperation. The permanent character of this state of crisis has made analysts talk about our times as the age of permacrisis. As a result, a trend towards a new mode of ‘coordinative Europeanization’ in EU decision-making has been observed since the Covid-19 crisis. In this paper we first define the new mode of coordinative Europeanization and outline its key features. We argue that the recent crises have altered the EU member states’ relationship in pursuit of fast policy responses. We analyse the reasons behind this changing relationship as well as the possible avenues it may take. We then discuss the challenges caused by coordinative Europeanization and how it relates to pre-existing de-Europeanization tendencies. We close the paper with an analysis of the significance of our findings and we propose new avenues for research.
Studies on the inhibitory effect of different surfactants on ammonium chloride corrosion
Authors: Fu Dexiao , Yu Xishui , Huang Xin , Ou Guofu , Zhou Tongzao , He Zhenqian
Published: June 2024

Corrosion of heat exchangers by ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) is a common occurrence in the refineries. A variety of methods have been adopted to prolong the service life of equipment in such circumstances, such as the use of various additives such as surfactants or by washing with water. In this paper, a series of experiments are performed to investigate the effects of different surfactants (cationic, anionic, amphoteric, and nonionic) on NH4Cl corrosion using the sessile drop technique and electrochemical measurements. The results show that the presence of a surfactant can increase the wettability of an NH4Cl solution, decreasing the contact angle between the solution and a test material. The surface tension of an NH4Cl solution containing an anionic surfactant is the lowest, but the self-corrosion potential of such a solution is the greatest. The addition of a cationic surfactant has no inhibitory effect on corrosion, and indeed increases the corrosion rate. However, with a nonionic surfactant, it is possible to significantly decrease the corrosion rate of an NH4Cl solution, although the inhibitory effect decreases with increasing temperature.
Numerical investigation of sequential water entry for two projectiles at varied entry angles
Authors: Yan Xuepu , Liu Rushi , Huo Bingzhang , Sun Shuai , Guo Zeqing
Published: June 2024

In this paper, the effect of the water entry angle on the sequential water entry process of two projectiles was investigated numerically. A numerical method is established based on the STAR-CCM+ fluid simulation software, which employs the finite volume method, the volume of fluid multiphase flow model, and overlapping grid technology. The validity of the numerical method was confirmed by comparing the simulation results with experimental data. The sequential water entry processes are simulated at angles of 90°, 75°, 60°, 45°, and 30°, respectively. The flow field characteristics, motion stability, and drag reduction of both projectiles are analyzed. The results show that projectile 1 generates a series of air bubbles shedding from its cavity's tail, which distorts projectile 2's cavity. This air bubble reduces the wet area at projectile 2's head, enhancing its drag reduction capability. Projectile 1's motion remains unaffected by projectile 2 under varying water entry angles, while distinct motion characteristics are observed in projectile 2 due to significant interference from projectile 1. These results provide valuable theoretical insights for further research on sequentially launched trans-media weapons.
Challenge of fabricating difficult-to-nitride materials: Formation of martensitic phase in (Fe0.8Co0.2)8N foil based on industrially suitable gas-nitriding process
Authors: Tabata Tomohiro , Komuro Matahiro , Asari Yusuke , Tamura Shinya , Nojima Masafumi , Iwasaki Tomio , Terada Shohei
Published: June 2024

Nitrogen-martensitic phase (Fe0.8Co0.2)8N was successfully synthesized by using an industrially suitable gas-nitriding process of a bulk foil. So far, the nitrogen-martensitic phase of the bulk material has not been synthesized at such a high Co content. We found that this is because the nitride was easily denitrided by elevating temperature. In this work, by exploiting a NH3 gas-nitriding process combined with quenching at a rapid cooling rate (>800 °C/s) in NH3 atmosphere, we found that nitrogen stayed at the surface layer of the foil. By using cross-sectional laser microscopy, the nitride region was observed as a 7-μm-thick layered shape at the surface of the 100-μm-thick foil. An x-ray diffraction technique revealed that the nitride layer was a martensitic phase that was characterized as a body-centered tetragonal structure with c/a = 1.04. These findings can be applied to nitriding and surface treatments for alloy systems in which a nitrogen solid solution is hardly formed. Our developed method is promising because the martensitic phase is expected to be formed in whole bulk by further optimizing parameters clarified in this work.
On the aeroacoustic simulation and far-field noise modeling of a cylinder turbulent wake at the Reynolds number of 3900
Authors: Huo Kai , Du Yongle
Published: June 2024

The turbulent wake flows of circular cylinders have been under extensive study due to their strong fluctuating forces and noise levels, yet the relationship between them has rarely been examined. In this study, a high-fidelity numerical simulation is performed for a cylinder wake flow at the Reynolds number of 3900, aimed at far-field noise modeling based on the investigation of noise source characteristics. Despite irregular multi-scale turbulent wake eddies, the primary vortex shedding that resembles the Karman vortex shedding is observed, and the modes extracted by the dynamic mode decomposition technique at the primary shedding frequency and its higher harmonics appear as nearly two-dimensional spanwise structures. A non-permeable Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) approach is used to formulate the far-field noise spectra as the surface integral of unsteady flow samples on the cylinder surface and the volume integral of unsteady stress in the turbulent wake. The former can be modeled as the dipole sound of unsteady lift and drag, and the latter can be modeled as the tonal noise of discrete two-dimensional (i.e., spanwise-averaged) vortex modes. The results show that the vortex sound is extremely weak. Thus, the far-field noise can be modeled almost entirely by the aerodynamic forces, and the quantitative relationship between them is established by the convective FW-H solutions.
Macrophages on the wrinkle: Exploring microscale interactions with substrate topography
Authors: Lauta Francesca Cecilia , Pellegrino Luca , Rusconi Roberto
Published: June 2024

Macrophages play pivotal roles in the immune response, participating in both inflammatory and pro-healing processes. Like other cells, macrophages continually survey their microenvironment through mechanosensing, adapting their intracellular organization in response to mechanical signals. In this study, we elucidate how macrophages perceive the topographical cues of wrinkled surfaces through actin-based structures, which align with the main pattern direction, thus modulating cell cytoskeletal dynamics. Given that such alterations may regulate mechanosensitive gene expression programs, exploring cellular responses to biomaterial design becomes crucial for developing biomaterials that mitigate adverse reactions.
Single-tissue proteomics in
Caenorhabditis elegans
reveals proteins resident in intestinal lysosome-related organelles
Authors: Tan Chieh-Hsiang , Wang Ting-Yu , Park Heenam , Lomenick Brett , Chou Tsui-Fen , Sternberg Paul W.
Published: June 2024

The nematode intestine is the primary site for nutrient uptake and storage as well as the synthesis of biomolecules; lysosome-related organelles known as gut granules are important for many of these functions. Aspects of intestine biology are not well understood, including the export of the nutrients it imports and the molecules it synthesizes, as well as the complete functions and protein content of the gut granules. Here, we report a mass spectrometry (MS)–based proteomic analysis of the intestine of the
Caenorhabditis elegans
and of its gut granules. Overall, we identified approximately 5,000 proteins each in the intestine and the gonad and showed that most of these proteins can be detected in samples extracted from a single worm, suggesting the feasibility of individual-level genetic analysis using proteomes. Comparing proteomes and published transcriptomes of the intestine and the gonad, we identified proteins that appear to be synthesized in the intestine and then transferred to the gonad. To identify gut granule proteins, we compared the proteome of individual intestines deficient in gut granules to the wild type. The identified gut granule proteome includes proteins known to be exclusively localized to the granules and additional putative gut granule proteins. We selected two of these putative gut granule proteins for validation via immunohistochemistry, and our successful confirmation of both suggests that our strategy was effective in identifying the gut granule proteome. Our results demonstrate the practicability of single-tissue MS–based proteomic analysis in small organisms and in its future utility.
Broadband mid-infrared photodetectors utilizing two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures with parallel-stacked pn junctions
Authors: Luo Chen , Wu Jianfeng , Zhang Xinlei , Fu Qiang , Wang Wenhui , Yu Yuanfang , Zeng Peiyu , Ni Zhenhua , Zhang Jialin , Lu Junpeng
Published: June 2024

Optimizing the width of depletion region is a key consideration in designing high performance photovoltaic photodetectors, as the electron-hole pairs generated outside the depletion region cannot be effectively separated, leading to a negligible contribution to the overall photocurrent. However, currently reported photovoltaic mid-infrared photodetectors based on two-dimensional heterostructures usually adopt a single pn junction configuration, where the depletion region width is not maximally optimized. Here, we demonstrate the construction of a high performance broadband mid-infrared photodetector based on a MoS2/b-AsP/MoS2 npn van der Waals heterostructure. The npn heterojunction can be equivalently represented as two parallel-stacked pn junctions, effectively increasing the thickness of the depletion region. Consequently, the npn device shows a high detectivity of 1.3 × 1010 cmHz1/2W−1 at the mid-infrared wavelength, which is significantly improved compared with its single pn junction counterpart. Moreover, it exhibits a fast response speed of 12 μs, and a broadband detection capability ranging from visible to mid-infrared wavelengths.
Chemical bath deposition of SnO2 films on PEN/ITO substrates for efficient flexible perovskite solar cells
Authors: Cui Along , Liu Suolan , Hong Shiqi , Li Haiyan , Wang Lin , Yang Songwang
Published: June 2024

Flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) have achieved significant success. However, high-quality tin dioxide (SnO2) electron transport layers (ETLs) fabricated via chemical bath deposition (CBD) have not been achieved on flexible PEN/ITO substrates. This limitation is primarily due to the corrosion of the poor-quality ITO layer by the strongly acidic CBD solution. Here, we analyzed the reasons for the poor corrosion resistance of ITO films on PEN substrate from multiple perspectives, such as element composition, microstructure, and crystallinity. Then, we proposed a modified CBD method for SnO2 films suitable for flexible PEN/ITO substrates. We employed SnCl2·2H2O as the tin source and regulated the pH of the CBD solution by NH3·H2O, which effectively avoided the corrosion of the ITO layer by the CBD solution and achieved high-quality SnO2 films on the ITO layers. Compared to the commercial SnO2 dispersion, the SnO2 films prepared by this method have smaller grains and higher transmittance. As a result, we achieved an unprecedented power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.71% for f-PSCs fabricated on PEN/ITO substrates with SnO2 ETLs by CBD method. This breakthrough facilitates the development of high-performance f-PSCs by a low-cost and large-scale chemical bath deposition of high-quality ETLs on flexible substrates.
Dielectric crystal coupled with guided-mode resonance to enhance the magneto-optical Kerr effect and sensing behavior in transmission mode
Authors: Shi Caijing , Liu Nian , Zhang Wenshuo , Zheng Pingping , Zuo Yamei , Du Guoqiang , An Kang , Zhang Weiwei
Published: June 2024

In this study, we introduce a high-performance magneto-optical sensor that features enhanced amplitude and sensitivity, achieved through guided-mode resonance (GMR) excitations in an aluminum antimonide slab. This advancement is facilitated by a square, periodically arranged nanorod structure comprising dielectric materials. The electromagnetic field distributions were obtained along with the transmission spectra to elucidate the GMR mode in our proposed structure, thereby highlighting the enhancement of the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) signal in the transmitted mode and the corresponding sensing performance. The findings demonstrate that the position of the TMOKE resonance is remarkably responsive to variations in the background refractive index, yielding an impressive sensitivity of 188.7° per refractive index unit, coupled with a narrow linewidth owing to the inherent low loss of dielectric materials. This investigation lays the groundwork for novel advancements in linear optics, integrated optical circuits, and low-loss biosensing applications.
Complementary split resonant ring inspired wide-angle frequency-scanning patch array leaky-wave antenna with open-stopband suppression
Authors: He Guo-Qiang , Zhang Hui-Rui , Li Feng-Xiang , Ding Zhen-Yu , Yang Xiang-Xiang
Published: June 2024

In this paper, a wide-angle scanning and dual-linearly polarized leaky-wave antenna (LWA) is proposed based on symmetrical complementary split resonant ring (CSRR) feeding lines. The CSRR excites high-dispersed spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) and is inspired to enlarge the scanning angle of the circular patch array antenna. The coupling between CSRR and circular patch determines the unit cell dispersion characteristics of LWA, and the coupling between CSRR and circular patch is controlled by designing their respective periods, p/b, to suppress the open-stopband and reduce the grating lobe, The value of p/b controls the frequency range of the open-stopband. Two parallel CSRR feeding lines are located on the bottom layer of the antenna and feed the array antenna of 11 circular patches above the feeding layer with both differential and common modes excitations. The two modes switch with 1-bit phase shifters on the two parallel feeding lines fed with a Wilkinson power splitter and electronically switch dual-linearly polarized radiations. The proposed scenario of the LWA prototype is validated through simulations and experiments. According to the measurements, horizontally polarized radiation achieves large beam scanning angle from −59.5° to +40° in the frequency range from 8 to 11 GHz with common mode excitation. And vertically polarized radiation scanning the main beam from −47° to +41° in the frequency range from 7.8 to 10.8 GHz with differential-mode excitation. The measured peak gains of the two polarizations are 14.4 dBi and 14.2 dBi, respectively, and the cross-polarization ratios are above 21 dB.
Reduced A–B super exchange interaction in zirconium doped cobalt ferrite due to laser irradiation
Authors: Ateia Ebtesam E , Fangary Nahla , Ghafar Dalia N
Published: June 2024

The impact of Nd:YAG laser irradiation and the addition of zirconium ions (Zr4+) on the physical properties of CoFe2O4 spinel nano-ferrites has been studied. The co-precipitation method was used to synthesize the samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were employed to examine the structure and morphology. The decrease in the Curie temperature Tc is due to the laser irradiation and the increase in the Zr content of the sample. This decline in Tc is a result of an increase in the canting of the spins, leading to a change in the thermal energy needed for compensate the spin alignment. The difference in the Tc between the non irradiated and the irradiated samples is about 7%, 43% and 34% for CoFe2O4, Co1.1Zr0.1Fe1.8O4, and Co1.3Zr0.3Fe1.4O4, respectively. The decrease in the coercivity of the laser irradiated sample is due to a reduction in the magnetic anisotropy and an altered distribution of the cations (Co2+, Fe3+, Zr4+). The observed trend indicates that laser irradiation, and Zr substitution, can be used to modify the magnetic hardness of the samples. The low coercivity of irradiated Co1.1Zr0.1Fe1.8O4 makes it suitable for a range of applications. The high-frequency response of the Co1+xZrxFe2–2xO4 NPs shows that they can operate within the frequency range of 7.5 GHz–11.56 GHz.
ROME/REA: Three-year, Tri-color Timeseries Photometry of the Galactic Bulge
Authors: Street R. A. , Bachelet E. , Tsapras Y. , Hundertmark M. P. G. , Bozza V. , Bramich D. M. , Cassan A. , Dominik M. , Figuera Jaimes R. , Horne K. , Mao S. , Saha A. , Wambsganss J. , Zang Weicheng
Published: June 2024

The Robotic Observations of Microlensing Events/Reactive Event Assessment Survey was a Key Project at Las Cumbres Observatory (hereafter LCO) which continuously monitored 20 selected fields (3.76 sq.deg) in the Galactic Bulge throughout their seasonal visibility window over a three-year period, between 2017 March and 2020 March. Observations were made in three optical passbands (SDSS

−
g
′

,

−
r
′

,

−
i
′

), and LCO’s multi-site telescope network enabled the survey to achieve a typical cadence of ∼10 hr in

i
′

and ∼15 hr in

g
′

and

r
′

. In addition, intervals of higher cadence (<1 hr) data were obtained during monitoring of key microlensing events within the fields. This paper describes the Difference Image Analysis data reduction pipeline developed to process these data, and the process for combining the photometry from LCO’s three observing sites in the Southern Hemisphere. The full timeseries photometry for all ∼8 million stars, down to a limiting magnitude of i ∼ 18 mag is provided in the data release accompanying this paper, and samples of the data are presented for exemplar microlensing events, illustrating how the tri-band data are used to derive constraints on the microlensing source star parameters, a necessary step in determining the physical properties of the lensing object. The timeseries data also enables a wealth of additional science, for example in characterizing long-timescale stellar variability, and a few examples of the data for known variables are presented.
Towards Single-Event Upset detection in Hardware Secure RISC-V processors
Authors: Jonckers N. , Engelen B. , Appels K. , De Raedemaeker S. , Mariën L. , Prinzie J.
Published: June 2024

Single-event effects and hardware security show close similarities in terms of vulnerabilities and mitigation techniques. Secure processors address physical attacks from the outside, such as external laser stimulation, to compromise the program and extract sensitive information from the systems. To overcome this vulnerability, secure extensions to the hardware architecture are often built into modern processor cores. Given the limited design resources often found in space or high-energy physics experiment development teams, this article addresses the extent to which secure hardware architectures can be a reliable source of processor SEU detection.
Measurement of the electron beam profile by the multiangle scanning method
Authors: Bulavskaya A. , Banshchikova M. , Grigorieva A. , Miloichikova I. , Stuchebrov S.
Published: June 2024

Nowadays, ionizing radiation beams with relatively large transverse dimensions are widely used not only for research purposes but also in technological processes related to metal and food treatment, as well as medical instrument sterilization. Thus, control of beam characteristics is required, and in particular, the intensity distribution in the transverse plane must be accurately measured. The multiangle scanning method, based on mathematical transformations, allows overcoming the limitations of modern detectors used for these purposes. In this study, the method was applied to an electron beam. A detection system based on scintillating fiber was used. The beam profile was measured using the proposed method and a conventional detector — a film dosimeter. Experimental results allow
to conclude that the beam intensity distribution obtained using the multiangle scanning method is close to the results obtained using a film dosimeter, which is most often used in medical institutions. Thus, we can consider the multiangle scanning method as an effective approach for determining the intensity distribution of an electron beam.
Beyond stiffness: deciphering the role of viscoelasticity in cancer evolution and treatment response
Authors: Zubiarrain-Laserna Ana , Martínez-Moreno Daniel , López de Andrés Julia , de Lara-Peña Laura , Guaresti Olatz , Zaldua Ane Miren , Jiménez Gema , Marchal Juan Antonio
Published: June 2024

There is increasing evidence that cancer progression is linked to tissue viscoelasticity, which challenges the commonly accepted notion that stiffness is the main mechanical hallmark of cancer. However, this new insight has not reached widespread clinical use, as most clinical trials focus on the application of tissue elasticity and stiffness in diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical planning. Therefore, there is a need to advance the fundamental understanding of the effect of viscoelasticity on cancer progression, to develop novel mechanical biomarkers of clinical significance. Tissue viscoelasticity is largely determined by the extracellular matrix (ECM), which can be simulated in vitro using hydrogel-based platforms. Since the mechanical properties of hydrogels can be easily adjusted by changing parameters such as molecular weight and crosslinking type, they provide a platform to systematically study the relationship between ECM viscoelasticity and cancer progression. This review begins with an overview of cancer viscoelasticity, describing how tumor cells interact with biophysical signals in their environment, how they contribute to tumor viscoelasticity, and how this translates into cancer progression. Next, an overview of clinical trials focused on measuring biomechanical properties of tumors is presented, highlighting the biomechanical properties utilized for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. Finally, this review examines the use of biofabricated tumor models for studying the impact of ECM viscoelasticity on cancer behavior and progression and it explores potential avenues for future research on the production of more sophisticated and biomimetic tumor models, as well as their mechanical evaluation.
Validation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve: cases from countries along the Belt and Road
Authors: Xu Xiaocang , Lei Lei , Zhang Lingyu
Published: June 2024

‘One Belt, One Road’ is China’s international strategy, and the countries along its routes are mainly developing countries that face a dilemma between economic growth and serious pollution problems. This paper systematically combs the literature related to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in countries along the ‘Belt and Road’ (B&R) for the first time, and collects 87 literature from Web of Science, CNKI and Science Hub. Through the verification of EKC relationship and the theoretical explanation of EKC, the paper focuses on the relationship between economic growth, industrial agglomeration and environmental pollution in countries along the ‘Belt and Road’. Finally, some policy recommendations are put forward.
Low-cost system application for policy assessment: a case study from Berlin
Authors: Caseiro Alexandre , Schmitz Seán , Kerschbaumer Andreas , von Schneidemesser Erika
Published: June 2024

Local policies are part of the toolbox available to decision makers to improve air quality but their effectiveness is underevaluated and underreported. We evaluate the impact of the pedestrianization of a street in the city centre of Berlin on the local air pollution. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was measured on the street where the policy was implemented and on two parallel streets using low-cost sensor systems supported by periodic calibrations against reference-grade instruments and constrained by passive samplers. Further measurements of NO2 were conducted with a reference-grade instrument mounted on a mobile platform. The concentrations were evaluated against the urban background (UB) to isolate the policy-related signal from natural fluctuations, long-term trends and the COVID-19 lockdown. Our analysis shows that the most likely result of the intervention is a reduced NO2 concentrations to the level of the UB on weekdays for the pedestrian zone. Kerbside NO2 concentrations exhibited substantial differences to the concentrations measured at lampposts highlighting the difficulty for such measurements to capture personal exposure. The results have implications for policy, showing that an intervention on the local traffic patterns can possibly be effective in improving local air quality.
Wordsworth’s Laughing Company
Authors: Ward Matthew
Published: June 2024

For Wordsworth, laughter and poetry offer themselves as modes of intimacy that hold out the hope of spanning emotional divides. Yet Wordsworthian laughter is less a straightforward articulation of natural affection for all forms of life as it is an examination of what such feelings in all their complexity involve. For Wordsworth, laughter is a means of entertaining sympathy, but also transgressing it: calling attention to its precincts and prejudices. It unsettles the forms of community it promises to foster, or invites consideration of quite what community entails. Laughter is both a sort of joyous and unsettling act of speculation for Wordsworth, layered with risks that his poetry is constantly taking and traversing. Perhaps that is why his laughter so often seems connected to matters of poetry.
Stable dystopia: A critique of the circular definition of stability in Nozick’s model of utopia
Authors: Cato Susumu , Chung Hun
Published: June 2024

In Part III of Anarchy, State, and Utopia (1974), Robert Nozick presents what he calls ‘the model of possible worlds’ (307) to examine the formal properties of utopia, defined as ‘the best of all possible worlds’ (298). The basic idea is that each person is given the power to create any possible world and its inhabitants by imagining them. Two definitions of stability have been proposed: (a) the non-circular definition according to which a world is stable if and only if nobody can imagine a better world and (b) the circular definition according to which a world is stable if and only if nobody can imagine a better world that is also stable. In this paper, we prove four theorems (namely, the indeterminacy theorem, the stable dystopia theorem, the nobody’s utopia theorem and the redundancy theorem) that provide us with decisive reasons to reject the circular definition and opt for the non-circular definition of stability to analyse Nozick’s theory of utopia.
Digest: Pelagic habitats promote speciation but constrain morphological evolution
Authors: Wiese Jonathan
Published: June 2024

What happens when ecological factors predicted to promote evolutionary change coincide with factors predicted to constrain it? A recent study by Burress and Hart (2024) shows that the transition of North American minnows from a competitive and complex benthic habitat to a noncompetitive and homogeneous pelagic habitat is associated with an increase in speciation rates but a decrease in rates of morphological evolution. These results demonstrate that different dimensions of evolutionary change may respond to different ecological factors.
SHC-3: a previously unidentified C. elegans Shc family member functions in the insulin-like signaling pathway to enhance survival during L1 arrest
Authors: Di Bernardo Mercedes , León Guerrero Victoria L , Sutoski Jacob C , Hardy William Rod , MacNeil Lesley T
Published: June 2024

Shc (Src homologous and collagen) proteins function in many different signaling pathways where they mediate phosphorylation-dependent protein–protein interactions. These proteins are characterized by the presence of two phosphotyrosine-binding domains, an N-terminal PTB and a C-terminal SH2. We describe a previously unrecognized Caenorhabditis elegans Shc gene, shc-3 and characterize its role in stress response. Both shc-3 and shc-1 are required for long-term survival in L1 arrest and survival in heat stress, however, they do not act redundantly but rather play distinct roles in these processes. Loss of shc-3 did not further decrease survival of daf-16 mutants in L1 arrest, suggesting that like SHC-1, SHC-3 functions in the insulin-like signaling pathway. In the absence of SHC-3, DAF-16 nuclear entry and exit are slowed, suggesting that SHC-3 is required for rapid changes in DAF-16 signaling.
A spatial approach to jointly estimate Wright's neighborhood size and long-term effective population size
Authors: Hancock Zachary B , Toczydlowski Rachel H , Bradburd Gideon S
Published: June 2024

Spatially continuous patterns of genetic differentiation, which are common in nature, are often poorly described by existing population genetic theory or methods that assume either panmixia or discrete, clearly definable populations. There is therefore a need for statistical approaches in population genetics that can accommodate continuous geographic structure, and that ideally use georeferenced individuals as the unit of analysis, rather than populations or subpopulations. In addition, researchers are often interested in describing the diversity of a population distributed continuously in space; this diversity is intimately linked to both the dispersal potential and the population density of the organism. A statistical model that leverages information from patterns of isolation by distance to jointly infer parameters that control local demography (such as Wright's neighborhood size), and the long-term effective size (Ne) of a population would be useful. Here, we introduce such a model that uses individual-level pairwise genetic and geographic distances to infer Wright's neighborhood size and long-term Ne. We demonstrate the utility of our model by applying it to complex, forward-time demographic simulations as well as an empirical dataset of the two-form bumblebee (Bombus bifarius). The model performed well on simulated data relative to alternative approaches and produced reasonable empirical results given the natural history of bumblebees. The resulting inferences provide important insights into the population genetic dynamics of spatially structured populations.
Estimating genetic variance contributed by a quantitative trait locus: removing nuisance parameters
Authors: Xu Shizhong
Published: June 2024

The main objective of mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is to identify and locate QTLs on the genome. Estimating the sizes of QTL is equally important as identifying the QTLs. The size of a QTL is often measured by the QTL variance, or the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the QTL, known as the QTL heritability. The reported QTL heritability is biased upward for small-sized QTLs estimated from small samples, especially in GWAS with a very small P-value threshold accommodating to Bonferroni correction for multiple tests. The phenomenon is called the Beavis effect. Methods of correcting the Beavis effect have been developed for additive effect models. Corresponding methods are not available for QTLs with more than one effect, such as QTLs including dominance and other genetic effects. In this study, we developed explicit formulas for estimating the variances and heritability for QTL with multiple effects. We also developed a method to remove nuisance parameters via an annihilator matrix. Finally, biases in estimated QTL variances caused by the Beavis effect are investigated and corrected. The new method is demonstrated by analyzing the 1000 grain weight (KGW) trait in a hybrid rice population.
Evaluation of screening algorithms to detect rectal colonization with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales in a resource-limited setting
Authors: Pham Thi Anh Mai , Nguyen Tung Xuan , My Troung Nhat , Le Lan Thi , Vu Huyen Thi , Hoang Ngoc Thi Bich , Tran Dien M , Nguyen Linh Viet , Pham Phuc D , Nurjadi Dennis , Goutard Flavie , Velavan Thirumalaisamy P , Dinh Van Anh Thi , Hounmanou Y M Gildas , Jörgensen Bent , Song Le Huu , Nguyen Nhung T T , Loire Etienne , Östholm Åse , Nilsson Lennart E , Tran Tuyet Hanh T , Phan Phuc H , Dalsgaard Anders , Larsson Mattias , Olson Linus , Hanberger Håkan
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To improve and rationalize the detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in rectal swabs in a high-prevalence and resource-constrained setting, addressing surveillance challenges typically encountered in laboratories with limited resources.

Methods

A point prevalence survey (PPS) was conducted on 15 August 2022, in a provincial children’s hospital in northern Vietnam. Rectal swab samples of all admitted children were collected and plated on a selective medium for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) were performed by MALDI-TOF, and VITEK2 XL and interpreted according to CLSI breakpoints (2022). Carbapenemases were detected by the carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Results

Rectal swab samples were obtained from 376 patients. Of 178 isolates growing on the CRE screening agar, 140 isolates were confirmed as Enterobacterales of which 118 (84.3%) isolates were resistant to meropenem and/or ertapenem. CIM and PCR showed that 90/118 (76.3%) were carbapenemase producers. Overall, 83/367 (22.6%) were colonized by CPE. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae complex were the most common CPE detected, with NDM as the predominant carbapenemase (78/90; 86.7%). Phenotypic resistance to meropenem was the best predictor of CPE production (sensitivity 85.6%, specificity 100%) compared with ertapenem resistance (95.6% sensitivity, 36% specificity). CIM was 100% concordant with PCR in detecting carbapenemases.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the effectiveness of meropenem resistance as a robust indicator of the production of carbapenemases and the reliability of the CIM method to detect such carbapenemases in resource-limited settings where the performance of molecular methods is not possible.
Crosstalk between circBMI1 and miR-338-5p/ID4 inhibits acute myeloid leukemia progression
Authors: Su Xiaoyu , Hu Biwen , Yi Jing , Zhao Qian , Zhou Yongqing , Zhu Xin , Wu Delong , Fan Yaohua , Lin Jiang , Cao Chenxi , Deng Zhaoqun
Published: June 2024

BMI1 polycomb ring finger proto-oncogene (BMI1) is involved in the pathogenesis of different cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the role of the circular RNA of BMI1 (circBMI1) has not been studied. Our study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of circBMI1 in AML. circBMI1 was significantly decreased in bone marrow mononuclear cells aspirated from patients with AML. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that circBMI1 could distinguish patients with AML from controls. By overexpressing and knocking down circBMI1 in HL-60 cells, we found that circBMI1 inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and increased chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity in AML. Experiments using severe combined immune-deficient mice and circBMI1 transgenic mice showed that mice with circBMI1 overexpression had lower white blood cell counts, which suggested less severe AML invasion. RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed binding sites among circBMI1, miR-338-5p, and inhibitor of DNA-binding protein 4 (ID4). Rescue experiments proved that circBMI1 inhibited AML progression by binding to miR-338-5p, which affected the expression of ID4. By coculturing exosomes extracted from circBMI1-HL-60 and small interfering circBMI1-HL-60 cells with HL-60 cells, we found that exosomes from circBMI1-HL-60 cells showed tumor-suppressive effects, namely inhibiting HL-60 proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and increasing chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity. Exosomes from small interfering circBMI1-HL-60 cells showed the opposite effects. circBMI1 may act as an exosome-dependent tumor inhibitor. circBMI1, a potential biomarker for clinical diagnosis, acts as a tumor suppressor in AML by regulating miR-338-5p/ID4 and might affect the pathogenesis of AML by exosome secretion.