A gas-hydrate method of CO₂ gas storage is one of the modern technology for reducing it emissions into the atmosphere. The breakup of gas bubbles by a shock wave is an actual area of scientific and technological research. However, it is little known that such research began in the late 1950s in the USSR. The article presents the main discoveries related to the destruction of gas bubbles in a liquid under the influence of a shock wave, made more than 60 years ago. Looking back: study the past to understand the present.

During the last decade, new unusual physical phenomena have been discovered in studying the optics of dielectric mesoscale particles of an arbitrary three-dimensional shape with the Mie size parameter near 10 (q ~ 10). The paper provides a brief overview of these phenomena from optics to terahertz, plasmonic and acoustic ranges. The different particle configurations (isolated, regular or Janus) are discussed, and the possible applications of such mesoscale structures are briefly reviewed herein in relation to the field enhancement, nanoparticle manipulation and super-resolution imaging. The number of interesting applications indicates to a new promising scientific direction emerged in optics, terahertz and acoustic ranges, and plasmonics. In this paper we present the authors' view of these problems.

Microscopes based on dielectric mesoscale particles, using the effect of a photonic jet or terajet in the terahertz range, are a promising tool for overcoming the diffraction limit. However, the image they generate has limited contrast, which limits the application of this method. In this letter, we demonstrate that it is possible to increase the contrast of an image based on dielectric mesoscale particles that provide the formation of photonic hooks. In this case, the illumination of the object is carried out by an oblique incidence of subwavelength terajet, which significantly (more than 2 times) increases the contrast of the image.

High-quality optical Fano resonances, which exist in a spherical dielectric microparticle in the spatial configurations of the "whispering-gallery modes" (WGMs) and recently are referred to as the “super-resonances”, possess extremal sensitivity not only to the micro-cavity size and shape but also to the optical properties of the particulate material. The increase in the power of light radiation coupling into a super-resonance can lead to the manifestation of strong optical nonlinearity of the resonator material due to the cubic nonlinearity (optical Kerr effect) and generation of free electron plasma in certain regions of the spherical microcavity. In fact, an optically linear medium of the resonance cavity transforms into a Drude-Kerr-type medium with a strong dependence on input laser intensity. With the help of the finite-elements numerical simulations, we theoretically analyze the transformations of the resonant contour for a number of high-quality WGMs excited in a lanthanum-glass microsphere exposed to an optical radiation of different intensity. We show that in a certain input intensity range, the competition of Kerr and plasma optical nonlinearities can stop and even reverse the Stokes shift of the super-resonance observed in a pure Kerr medium. Additionally, optical ionization and plasma generation within the mode volume significantly reduce the strength of the magnetic super-resonance and lead to its spoiling and frequency splitting.

Resonant light scattering by mesoscale dielectric spheres has received enormous attention and found many interesting applications. The recently emerged field of Mesotronics provides novel opportunities for wavelength-scaled optics and new fundamental aspects are still being uncovered. It has recently been demonstrated that high-order Mie resonances can be excited in homogeneous low-dissipation mesoscale dielectric spheres, leading to the generation of intense magnetic fields. This Letter describes a simple and effective way to drastically enhance the superresonance effect. Proof-of-principle results for the first time show that yet one more novel phenomenon of increasing the intensity of the magnetic field without changing the resonant Mie size parameter of the sphere by introducing an air cavity. In such a dielectric cenosphere (from two Greek words “kenos” - hollow and “sphaira” - sphere), by correct choosing of the air cavity size, it is possible to increase the intensity of the electromagnetic fields at the poles of the sphere by an order of magnitude due to increasing of amplitude of resonant partial wave coefficient.

Optical switches are a key element in modern network communications. We present the results of experimental verification of a new theoretical concept proposed earlier for a full-optical wavelength-selective dual-channel switch based on the photonic hook effect, which is free from using any micro-mechanical devices or nonlinear materials. A large-scale laboratory prototype of such a device based on an off-axis Wood zone plate is considered and its main parameters in the millimeter wavelength range are investigated On the basis of the experiments, we show that the optical isolation of switched channels for a switch based on an off-axis zone plate can achieve 15 dB at a frequency difference of 25 GHz in frequency range from 93 to 136 GHz. Given the scaling, these results can be transferred to another range, including the optical one.

The image performance of acoustic and ultrasound sensors depends on several fundamental parameters such as depth of focus or spatial resolution. There are currently two different type of acoustic diffractive lenses: those which form a diffraction-limited spot with a shallow depth of focus (zone plates) and lenses which form an extended focus (quasi-Bessel beams). In this paper, we investigate a pupil-masked Soret zone plate which allows the tunability of a normalized angular spectrum. It is shown that the depth of focus and the spatial resolution can be modified, without changing the lens structure, by choosing the size of the amplitude pupil mask. This effect is based on the transformation of spherically converging waves into quasi-conical waves, due to the apodization of the central part of the zone plate. The theoretical analysis is verified with both numerical simulations and experimental measurements. A Soret zone plate immersed in water with D/2F=2.5 and F=4.5$\lambda$, changes its depth of focus from 2.84$\lambda$ to 5.9$\lambda$ and the spatial resolution increases from 0.81$\lambda$ to 0.64$\lambda$ at a frequency of 250 kHz, by modifying the pupil mask dimensions of the Soret zone plate.

We propose the physical proof-of-concept of a new simple miniature pressure sensor based on the whispering gallery modes (WGMs) optically excited in a dielectric microsphere placed near a flexible reflective membrane, which acts as an ambient pressure sensing element. WGMs excitation is carried out by free-space coupling of optical radiation to a microsphere. The distinctive feature of proposed sensor design is double excitation of optical eigenmodes by forward and backward propagating radiation reflected from a membrane that causes WGMs interference in particle volume. The optical intensity of resulting resonant field established in the microsphere carries information about the exact position of the pressure-loaded reflecting membrane. The sensitivity of the proposed sensor strongly depends on the quality factor of the excited resonant mode, as well as geometrical and mechanical parameters of the flexible membrane. We propose to register not the displacement of the position of the WGM resonance, but the change in its amplitude under the influence of the change in the distance between the sphere and the mirror under the influence of pressure. Important advantages of the proposed sensor are miniature design (linear sensor dimensions depends only on the membrane diameter) and the absence of a mechanical contact of pressure-sensitive element with WGM resonator.

Various iron oxides have been proven to be promising anode materials for metal-ion batteries due to their natural abundance, high theoretical capacity, ease of preparation, and environmental friendliness. However, the synthesis of iron oxide-based composites requires complex approaches, especially when it comes to composites with intrinsically conductive polymers. In this work we propose a one-step microplasma synthesis of a polyaniline-coated urchin-like FeOOH nanoparticles (FeOOH/PANI) for application as anode in lithium-ion batteries. The material shows excellent electrochemical characteristics, providing initial capacity of ca. 1600 mA∙h∙g−1 at 0.05 A∙g−1 and 900 mA∙g−1 at 1.2 A∙g−1. Further cycling lead to capacity decrease to 150 mA∙h∙g−1 by the 60th cycles, followed by a recovery that maintained the capacity at 767 mA∙h∙g−1 after 2000 cycles at 1.2 A∙g−1 and restored full initial capacity of 1600 mA∙h∙g−1 at low current density of 0.05 A∙g−1. Electrochemical milling of the material caused such interesting behavior of the material, and we confirmed this phenomenon by a combination of physico-chemical and electrochemical techniques. The anodes also exhibit high performance in a full cell with NMC532. NMC532//FeOOH/PANI full cell provided energy density of 224 Wh∙kg−1 which is comparable to the reference cell with graphite anode (264 Wh∙kg−1).

We prove an analog of the removable singularity theorem for bounded harmonic functions on stratified sets. The harmonic functions are understood in the sense of the soft Laplacian. The result can become one of the main technical components for extending the well-known Poincaré–Perron’s method of proving the solvability of the Dirichlet problem for the soft Laplacian.

The Review examines studies aimed at the organization of energy (non-mechanical) control of high-speed flow/flight using spatially multi-component plasma structures and combined energy deposition. The Review covers selected works on experimental obtaining and numerical modeling multi-component plasma structures and use of sets of actuators based on the plasma of such a spatially type for the purposes of control of shock wave/bow shock wave – energy source interaction, as well as control of shock wave – boundary layer interaction. A series of works on repetitive multiple laser pulse plasma structures is also analyzed from the point of view of examining shock wave/bow shock wave boundary layer interaction. Self-sustained theoretical models for laser dual-pulse, multi-mode laser pulses and self-sustained glow discharge are also considered. Separate sections are devoted to high-speed flow control using combined physical phenomena and numerical prediction of flow control possibilities using thermal longitudinally layered plasma structures. The wide possibilities for organization and applying spatially multi-component structured plasma for the purposes of high-speed flow control are demonstrated.

It is well-known that surface plasmon wave propagates along a straight line, but this common sense was broken by the artificial curved light – plasmon Airy beam. In this paper, we introduce a new class of curved surface plasmon wave - the photonic hook plasmon. It propagates along wavelength scaled curved trajectory with radius less than surface plasmon polariton wavelength, and can exist despite the strong energy dissipation at the metal surface.

Heteromorphic sex chromosomes are rarely found in plants. They were observed only in 47 species from phylogenetically distant families, suggesting that the evolution of sex chromosomes was independent in these species. It was shown that DNA repeat sequences are one of the major factors driving sex chromosomes evolution, and an accumulation or elimination of the repetitive DNA elements are closely linked with the formation of differences in the sex chromosomes. The goal of this study was to characterize the transposon composition in male and female plants of Cannabis sativa L., Humulus lupulus L. and Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc. For the first time, the male and female genomes of H. japonicus as well as male genomes of H. lupulus and C. sativa have been sequenced (there were no open data about them). The analysis of genome-wide sequencing data with using Repeatexplorer2 and author’s scripts was carried out. It was shown that accumulation of Ty3-gypsy may be associated with speciation in Cannabaceae family which is the opposite of the theory of speciation throw whole-genome duplication. Moreover, the sex-specific DNA repeat clusters in C. sativa and H. japonicus were found. The analysis also revealed that the concentration of Tekay, Retand and Ikeros repeats in the Y chromosome of C. sativa is lower than in the X chromosome and the Angela concentration is higher in the Y chromosome.

A change in biological properties of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can enhance its transmissibility and virulence, complicate the disease course, and reduce the effectiveness of anti-viral therapy and vaccination. We have studied 16 genetic lineages of the Omicron variant. The viral reproduction course was analyzed based on plaque morphology in the agar layer and the maximum titer in Vero E6 cells. BALB/c mice and Syrian hamsters were used as animal models. Viral load and infectious SARS-CoV-2 titer were determined in the nasal tissue and lungs. The severity of infectious process was assessed using histological methods. An increased plug size was observed in CH.1.1 and BQ.1.2.1 strains after six passages. This was due to substitutions D614G, H655Y, and N764K in the coronavirus S protein. The same changes in gene variants Gamma and BA.1 were caused by the substitution R682W, which is not present in lineages CH.1.1 and BQ.1.2.1. A similar substitution, namely R682P, was observed in the BA.5.1 strain. We characterized BA.1 (as a reference), BA.5.2, and XBB.3 strains in vivo as representatives of the main circulating genetic lineages. For the BA.1 strain, ID50 was 1.3 and 14 TCD50 in Syrian hamsters and BALB/c mice, respectively. An insignificant increase in the BA.5.2 virulence compared to that of BA.1 was noted (ID50 was 07. and 10 TCD50, respectively). The XBB.3 pathogenicity in laboratory animals is similar to that of BA.1 (ID50 was 1.8 and 15 TCD50, respectively). Experiments showed a consistent decrease in the virulence of Omicron strains compared to previously circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. A co-evolutionary change in amino acid sequences, affecting the conformation of the coronavirus S protein and its surface epitopes in representatives of different genetic lineages, was noted. The emergence of potential proteolysis sites and alterations of the furin cleavage site have been observed in numerous Omicron coronavirus variants.

Cloud computing refers to applications delivered as services over the Internet. Cloud systems employ policies that are inherently dynamic in nature and that depend on temporal conditions defined in terms of external events, such as the measurement of bandwidth, use of hosts, intrusion detection or specific time events. In this paper, we investigate an optimized resource management scheme named v-Mapper. The basic premise of v-Mapper is to exploit application-awareness concepts using software-defined networking (SDN) features. This paper makes three key contributions to the field: (1) We propose a virtual machine (VM) placement scheme that can effectively mitigate the VM placement issues for data-intensive applications; (2) We propose a validation scheme that will ensure that a service is entertained only if there are sufficient resources available for its execution and (3) We present a scheduling policy that aims to eliminate network load constraints. An evaluation was carried out with various benchmarks and demonstrated that v-Mapper shows improved performance over other state-of-the-art approaches in terms of average task completion time, service delay time and bandwidth utilization. Given the growing importance of supporting large-scale data processing and analysis in datacentres, the v-Mapper system has the potential to make a positive impact in improving datacentre performance in the future.

The paper analyzes quasiperiodic upwellings and downwellings on the shelf and upper part of continental slope of the north-eastern Black Sea. It is shown that these processes are related to changes in intensity and direction of alongshore current and the following geostrophic adjustment of density field. The source of such changes is a meandering of the Black Sea Rim Current (RC). It leads to a quasi-periodic change of direction of the alongshore current, from north-western (cyclonic RC meander) to south-eastern (anticyclonic RC meander, or eddy). These cycles, or phases, have average duration about 10 days. During the north-western phase, the permanent Black Sea pycno-halocline (hereafter pycnocline) and seasonal thermocline descend, their thickness increases, and so does the thickness of the upper mixed layer (UML). During the south-eastern phase both pycnocline and seasonal thermocline ascend and become thinner, along with the UML, which also becomes thinner. In both phases, isopycnals in the pycnocline and isotherms in the thermocline demonstrate quasi-in-phase vertical oscillations, which have a good correlation with speed and direction of the alongshore current. These correlations allow estimation of the magnitude of upwellings and downwellings in the shelf-slope area of the north-eastern Black Sea using data series of current velocity profiles.

Febrile seizures (FS) are a relatively common early-life condition that can cause CNS developmental disorders, but the specific mechanisms of action of FS are poorly understood. In this work, we used hyperthermia-induced FS in 10-day-old rats. By recording local field potentials, we showed that the efficiency of glutamatergic synaptic transmission decreased 15 min after FS. This effect was transient, and after 2 days there were no differences between control and post-FS groups. During early ontogeny, the proportion of calcium-permeable (CP)-AMPA receptors in the synapses of principal cortical and hippocampal neurons is high. Therefore, rapid internalization of CP-AMPA receptors may be one of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Using the whole-cell patch clamp method and the selective CP-AMPA receptor blocker IEM-1460, we tested whether the proportion of CP-AMPA receptors changes. We have demonstrated that FS rapidly reduces synaptic CP-AMPA receptors in both the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. This process was accompanied by a sharp decrease in calcium permeability of the membrane of principal neurons, which we revealed in experiments with kainate-induced cobalt uptake. Our experiments show that FSs cause rapid changes in the function of the glutamatergic system, which may have compensatory effects that prevent excessive excitotoxicity and neuronal death.

A new approach to fabricate TiNi surfaces combining the advantages of both monolithic and porous materials for implants is used in this work. New materials were obtained by depositing a porous TiNi powder onto monolithic TiNi plates followed by sintering at 1200°C. Then, further modification of the material surface with a high-current-pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) was carried out. Three materials obtained (one after sintering and two after subsequent beam treatment by 20 and 30 pulses, respectively) were studied by XRD, SEM, EDX, EIS methods, profilometry and OCP measurements. Structural and compositional changes caused by HCPEB treatment were investigated. Surface properties of the samples during their storage in saline for 10 days were studied and a model experiment with cell growth (MCF-7) was carried out for the sample unmodified with electron beam to detect cell appearance on different surface locations.

In this contribution, a method based on a solid solution theory of clathrate hydrate for multiple cage occupancy, host lattice relaxation and guest-guest interactions has been presented to estimate hydrate formation conditions of binary and ternary gas mixtures. We have performed molecular modeling of structure, guest distribution, and hydrate formation conditions for the CO₂ + CH₄, and CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂ gas hydrates. In all considered systems with and without N₂, at high and medium content of CO₂ in the gas phase we have found that CO₂ is more favorable to occupy clathrate hydrate cavities than CH₄ or N₂. Addition of N₂ to the gas phase increases ratio concentration CO₂ in compressing with concentration CH₄ in clathrate hydrates and makes gas replacement more effective. The mole fractions of CO₂ in CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂ gas hydrate rapidly increases with the growth of its content in the gas phase. And the formation pressure of CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂ gas hydrate rises in comparison with the formation pressure of CO₂ + CH₄ gas hydrate. Obtained results agree with the known experimental data for simple CH₄, CO₂ gas hydrates and mixed CO₂ + CH₄ gas hydrate.

This work aims to contribute to better understanding the use of public street spaces. (1) Background: In this sense, with a multidisciplinary approach, the objective of this work is to propose an experimental and reproducible method on a large scale. (2) Study area: The applied methodology uses artificial intelligence to analyze Google Street View (GSV) images at street level. (3) Method: The purpose is to validate a methodology that allows to characterize and quantify the use (pedestrians and cars) of some squares in Rome belonging to different historical periods. (4) Results: Through the use of machine vision techniques, typical of artificial intelligence and which use convolutional neural networks, a historical reading of some selected squares is proposed with the aim of interpreting the dynamics of use and identifying some critical issues in progress. (5) Conclusions: This work validated the usefulness of a method applied to the use of artificial intelligence for the analysis of GSV images at street level.

The current echocardiography reference values are derived primarily from populations in North America and Europe. It becomes necessary to study ethnically different groups of the population, which often have different living conditions, food habits and lifestyle. The aim of the study was to compare echocardiography indicators in urbanized patients with arterial hypertension of the Shor and non-indigenous ethnic groups living in the Gornaya Shoria region. The study included patients with arterial hypertension: 58 Shors (20 men and 38 women) and 50 non-indigenous residents (15 men and 35 women) of Gornaya Shoria. All underwent an echocardiographic study with an assessment of the left heart parameters. We assessed the left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) severity, LV geometry and diastolic function in the ethnic and sex groups. Shor with hypertension no showed a significant difference in left ventricular dimensions compared to Caucasian. Severe abnormal LVH was associated in the Shors with glucose levels (OR 3.24, 95%CI 1.56-6.7, p=0,001), and in Caucasians with systolic (p=0.021) and diastolic (p=0.011) blood pressure, and heart rate (p=0.033). The Shor men were more likely to have normal LV diastolic function (p=0.029) and LV concentric remodeling (p=0.023), and less often to have normal LV geometry (p=0.015) compared to non-indigenous men. Thus, this study can be useful in assessing the impact of the development of arterial hypertension, as well as the impact of changing the lifestyle of the Shors when moving to the city from rural areas on ethnic differences in echocardiography.

Numerous types of oligonucleotide modifications have been developed since automated synthesis of DNA/RNA became a common instrument in the creation of synthetic oligonucleotides. Despite the growing number of types of oligonucleotide modifications under development, only a few of them, and moreover, their combinations have been studied wide enough in terms of their in-fluence on the properties of corresponding NA constructions. In the present study, a number of oligonucleotides with combinations of 3′ end lipophilic (single cholesteryl or pair of dodecyl residues) and phosphate backbone modifications were synthesized. The influence of the combi-nation of used lipophilic groups with phosphate modifications of various nature and different position on the efficiency of cell penetration was evaluated. Obtained results indicate that even a couple of phosphate modifications are able to affect a set of oligonucleotide properties in a complex manner and can remarkably change cellular uptake. These data clearly show that the strategy of using different patterns of modification combinations has great potential for the ra-tional design of oligonucleotide structures with desired predefined properties.

Over the last 20 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of unexplained physiological events (UPEs) reported by pilots of fighter jets across different fleets. The UPEs have resulted in grounding some types of aircraft, loss of airplanes, and even loss of life. Despite considerable research, no single agreed-upon root cause has been found that explains UPEs, and therefore no reliable corrective actions exist. The purpose of this review was to analyze the literature related to other industries in which artificial hyperoxic gas mixes are employed and similar adverse reports have been reported. Based on analysis of the literature, it is hypothesized that UPEs are caused by unlimited delivery of high-dose oxygen in excess of officially approved oxygen schedules in the presence of inadequate airflow rates, at a time when the positive pressure breathing feature of their oxygen regulator system is not used. During flight maneuvers such as climbs, turns, and descents, pulmonary vital capacity is impaired by G-maneuvers and oxygen- and G-induced atelectasis. At the same time, tidal volume is reduced by flight gear, and effective gas exchange is not supported by adequate ventilation. These factors combine to produce hypercarbia, respiratory acidosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, CO₂ narcosis, and coma. In fact, reports from field data related to incidents in F-18S/H, showing that emergency oxygen did not correct the hypoxia-like symptoms including long-lasting periods of incapacitation and prolonged headaches, lend support to this hypothesis.

Since 1991, there has been an alarming increase in the number of unexplained physiological events (UPEs) reported and experienced by pilots of jet fighters across different fleets. The UPEs have resulted in grounding some airframes, loss of aircraft, and even loss of life. There is no single agreed-upon root cause of UPEs that has been identified, and therefore there is no reliable corrective action. This author analyzed the literature related to other industries where artificial hyperoxic gas mixes are employed and where similar adverse reports have been reported. I hypothesize that UPEs are caused by high-dose oxygen delivery in excess of officially approved oxygen schedules while airflow rates are often inadequate, at a time when the positive pressure breathing feature of their oxygen regulator is not used. In a setting where pulmonary vital capacity is adversely affected by G-maneuvers and oxygen- and G-induced atelectasis, tidal volume is reduced by flight gear, and effective gas exchange is not supported by adequate ventilation, these factors combine to produce respiratory acidosis, followed by acute respiratory distress syndrome, CO₂ narcosis, and coma. Reports from field data related to incidents in F-18S/H, showing that emergency oxygen did not correct the hypoxia-like symptoms including long-lasting periods of incapacitation and prolonged headaches, lend support to our hypothesis.

Transcription is carried out in most eukaryotes by three multimeric complexes (RNA polymerases I, II and III). However, plants contain two additional RNA polymerases (IV and V), which have evolved from RNA polymerase II. RNA polymerases II, IV and V contain both common and specific subunits that may specialize some of their functions. In this study, we conducted a search for the genes that putatively code for the specific subunits of RNA polymerases IV and V, as well as the corresponding of RNA polymerase II in olive. Based on the homology with the genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified 13 genes that putatively code for the specific subunits of polymerases IV and V, and 16 genes that code for the corresponding specific subunits of polymerase II in olive. The transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq revealed that the expression of the RNA polymerases IV and V genes was induced during the initial stages of fruit development. Given that RNA polymerases IV and V are involved in the transcription of long non-coding RNAs, we investigated their expression and observed relevant changes in the expression of this type of RNAs. Particularly, the expression of the intergenic and intronic long non-coding RNAs tended to increase in the early steps of fruit development, suggesting their potential role in this process. The positive correlation between the expression of RNA polymerases IV and V subunits and the expression of non-coding RNAs supports the hypothesis that RNA polymerases IV and V may play a role in fruit development throughout the synthesis of this type of RNAs.

The development of storage standards for databases of different nature and origin makes it possible to aggregate and interact with different data sources in order to obtain and show complex and thematic information to the end user. This article aims to analyze some possibilities opened up by new applications and hypothesize their possible developments. With this work, using the currently available Web technologies, we would like to verify the potential of the use of Linked Open Data in the world of WebGIS and illustrate an application that allows the user to interact with Linked Open Data through their representation on a map. Italy has a artistic and cultural heritage unique in the world and the italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism has created and made freely available a dataset in Linked Open Data format that represents it. With the aim of enhancing and making this heritage more usable, the National Research Council (CNR) has created an application that presents this heritage via WebGIS on a map. Following criteria definable by the user, such as the duration, the subject of interest and the style of the trip, tourist itineraries are created through the places that host this heritage. New possibilities open up where the tools made available by the Web can be used together, according to pre-established sequences, to create completely new applications. This can be compared to the use of words, all known in themselves, which, according to pre-established sequences, allow us to create ever new texts.

Paraffin wax stores energy in the form of latent heat at a nearly constant temperature during melting and releases this energy during solidification. This effect is used in industrial energy storage. An unusual change in the shape of a melted droplet of paraffin wax placed on a relatively cold glass plate is studied. As the droplet solidifies, its upper surface becomes nearly flat and a dimple is formed in the center of this surface, making the droplet look like a fruit (pumpkins are more commonly shaped like this, but the authors prefer apples). A series of experiments, as well as physical and numerical modeling of the droplet's thermal state, taking into account the formation of a mushy zone between liquidus and solidus, made it possible to understand the role of gravity and gradual increase in viscosity and density of paraffin wax on changing the droplet shape and, in particular, to clarify the mechanism of formation of the dimple on its upper.

Assuming that climate warming in the WSL will lead to a northward shift of the forest and permafrost boundaries, a “substituting space for time” approach predicts an increase in concentration of DIC and labile major and trace elements and a decrease of the transport of DOC and low soluble trace metals in the form of colloids in the main stem of the Ob River. However, an unknown factor is the change in hydrochemistry of the largest southern tributary, the Irtysh River, which is impacted by permafrost-free steppe and forest-steppe zone. Overall, seasonally-resolved transect studies of large riverine systems of western Siberia are needed to assess the hydrochemical response of this environmentally-important territory to on-going climate change.

Towards a better understanding of vegetation, permafrost, climate, landscape and lithology control on major and trace element (including macro and micro-nutrients and toxicants) transport in riverine systems, we studied two medium size (100-150 thousand km² watershed area) pristine rivers (Taz and Ket) of boreal and subarctic zone, western Siberia. Choosing the river basins of very low population density (< 1 people km-²) in the absence of any industrial or agricultural activity allowed testing the sole effect of natural factors and long-range atmospheric transfer on hydrochemistry of riverine solutes during the open water period. In the permafrost-bearing Taz River (main stem and 17 tributaries), sizable control of vegetation on element concentration was revealed. In particular, light coniferous and broadleaf mixed forest controlled DOC, and some nutrients (N, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cd, Ba); deciduous needleleaf forest positively correlated with macronutrients (P, Si, Mg, P, Ca) and Sr, and dark needle-leaf forest impacted Ntot, Al and Rb. Organic C stock in the upper 30-100 cm soil positively correlated with Be, Mn, Co, Mo, Cd, Sb, and Bi. The lithological control was generally poorly pronounced, due to abundant peat deposits overlaying the mineral strata. However, cretaceous carbonate mineral-bearing sedimentary deposits positively impacted the pH and concentration of Si, Mg, Ca and Cs. In the Ket River basin (large right tributary of the Ob River), we revealed the correlations between the phytomass stock at the watershed and alkaline-earth metals and U concentration in the river water. This control was weakly pronounced during high-water period (spring flood) and mostly evidenced during summer low water period.

In this work, we investigated the effects of heat treatment on the microstructure, hydrogen storage characteristics and corrosion rate of a Ti₃₄V₄₀Cr₂₄Fe₂ alloy. The arc melted alloy was divided into three samples, two of which were separately quartz-sealed under vacuum and heated to 1000 °C for 1 h; one of these samples was quenched and the other furnace cooled to ambient temperature. The crystal structures of the samples were studied via X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. Absorption/desorption characteristics were investigated using a Sievert apparatus. Potentiostat corrosion tests on the alloys were performed using an AutoLab^® corrosion test apparatus and electrochemical cell. All samples exhibited a mixture of body-center-cubic (BCC) and Laves phase structures. The corrosion rate, maximum absorption, and useful capacities increased after both heat treatments. The annealed sample had the highest absorption and reversible capacity. The plateau pressure of the as-cast alloy increased after quenching. The corrosion rate increased from 0.0004 mm/y in as-cast sample to 0.0009 mm/y after annealing and 0.0017 mm/y after quenching, due to a decrease in the Cr-content of the C14 phase.

Osteoconductive granulated biopolymers (OGB) are used to restore the lost volume of the jaw bone. OGB is employed as a loose fraction and exhibits physical traits common to bulk mixtures. By removing air bubbles and industrial dust from the OGB fraction through special processing, more accessible spaces are left over for the adsorption of bone growth factors. The recipient site's biological environment alters the OGB fraction's physical characteristics. This is the cause of the OGB fraction's volume changing uncontrollably during the first three weeks following surgery. Predictive indicators for describing the physical processes of osteoconduction include the compaction coefficient and adsorption capacity. Taking into account the prognostic indicators of the dynamics of changes in the physical properties of the OGB fraction in the postoperative period, 3D planning of the bioengineered structure should be done. The OGB fraction's adsorption and drainage properties are optimized by raising the purity of OGB production and preparing the biopolymer for clinical studies.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postprandial glycemic levels based on flash-monitoring and the production of intestinal hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) gases based on measurement of the amount of these gases in exhaled air. We studied 14 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 10 individuals without diabetes (control) with 3 food-load tests with simultaneous determination of gases in exhaled air and assessment of glucose levels. In 15.4% of patients with T2DM, there was a non-significant increase in exhaled H2. How-ever, all subjects in the control group had significant increase in exhaled H2. Moreover, the level of H2 in exhaled breathafter food load in patients with T2DM was lower than in normoglycemic subjects. Also, in normoglycemic subjects there was an inverse correlation between maximum glucose rise and maximum H2 in exhaled air after food load. At the same time in patients with T2DM the level of CH4 in exhaled air directly correlated with the parameters of postprandial glycemia in the test with lactulose. Confirmation of a causal relationship between decreased H2 production, increased intestinal CH4 production, and more severe postprandial glycemia may identify new therapeutic targets in the correction of postprandial glycemia in patients with T2DM.

Progesterone receptor (PGR) expression level determines biological characteristics of the serous ovarian carcinoma, and low PGR expression appears to be associated with chemoresistance and worse outcome. In this study, we aimed to find relationships between tumor progesterone receptor level and RNA-profile (miRNAs, piwiRNAs, and mRNAs), determining its biological characteristics and behavior. For this purpose, we applied next generation sequencing of small noncoding RNAs, quantitative RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry to analyze FFPE and frozen tumor samples as well as blood plasma from patients with benign cystadenoma (BSC), serous borderline tumour (SBT), low-grade and high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC and HGSOC, respectively). We found significant upregulation of MMP7 and MUC16 and downregulation of PGR in LGSOC and HGSOC in comparison with BSC. The tissue content of miR-199a-5p, miR-214-3p, miR-424-3p, miR-424-5p, miR-125b-5p significantly inversely correlated with the expression level of MUC16 and blood serum CA125 concentration, and significantly directly correlated with the PGR expression level in tumor tissue. On the contrary, the tissue content of miR-16-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-93-5p, responsible for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the cell, significantly directly correlated with the blood serum CA125 concentration and significantly inversely correlated with the PGR expression level in the tumor tissue. Levels of the EMT-associated miRNAs significantly directly correlated with the content of hsa_piR_022437, hsa_piR_009295, hsa_piR_020813, hsa_piR_004307, hsa_piR_019914 in tumor tissues. Among them, expression level of hsa_piR_004307 significantly inversly correlated with the PGR expression level in the tumor. Two optimal logistic regression models were developed based on the quantitation of hsa_piR_020813, miR-16-5p, hsa_piR_022437 or hsa_piR_004307, hsa_piR_019914, miR-93-5p in the tumor tissue, both of which significantly diagnose PGR-negative tumor phenotype with 93% sensitivity. According to FunRich3.1.3 functional enrichment analysis tool, 72 gene-targets of miRNA and piRNA identified here as markers of PGR-negative ovarian tumor phenotype were proven to be mutated in different cancers such as ovarian, breast, colorectal, liver, stomach, lung, endometrial, thyroid cancer. Among them, the blood plasma levels of miR-16-5p and hsa_piR_022437 can be used to diagnose PGR-negative tumor phenotype with 86% sensitivity before surgery and chemotherapy to choose the treatment strategy for this most aggressive type of ovarian cancer (for instance, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by cytoreduction in combination with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) to increase the effectiveness of treatment and longevity of the patient.

Synthesis of biocompatible and bioresorbable composite materials such as “polymer matrix-mineral constituent,” which stimulate the natural growth of living tissues and the restoration of damaged parts of the body, is one of the challenging problems in regenerative medicine and material science. Composite films of bioresorbable polymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were obtained. HA was synthesized in situ in a solution of polymer mixture. We applied electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approaches to study their properties. EPR in two frequency ranges allowed to derive spectroscopic parameters of the nitrogen-based light and radiation-induced paramagnetic centers in HA, PVP and PVP-HA with high accuracy. It was shown that PVP did not significantly affect the EPR spectral and relaxation parameters of the radiation-induced centers in HA. Magic angle spinning (MAS) 1H NMR shows the presence of two signals at 4.7 ppm and -2.15 ppm attributed to “free” water and hydroxyl groups, while the single line - to 31P. NMR relaxation measurements for 1H and 31P show that the relaxation decays are a multicomponent process that can be described by three components of the transverse relaxation times. The obtained results demonstrated that the applied magnetic resonance methods can be used for the control of quality of the synthesis of the PVP-HA composites and, potentially, for the development of analytical tools to follow the processes of the sample treatment, resorption, and degradation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for people with comorbidities, including hereditary diseases and cancer cancers. Several studies have reported a link between the presence of disease-causing genetic variants and the outcome of the COVID-19 infection. In this study, we used clinical exome sequencing in a cohort of 840 COVID-19 patients to identify pathogenic and likely pathogenic genetic variants present in these individuals. While we did not identify any statistically significant differences in the overall burden of pathogenic variants between different patient groups, we discovered three known pathogenic alleles associated with hereditary cancer syndromes, including a frameshift mutation in MSH6 and two missense mutations in TP53. The patients carrying these mutations presented with different severity of the disease and outcome. Thus, a 58-year old male subject with an MSH6 mutation developed a severe form of COVID-19 that resulted in death, even though the patient had few pre-existing conditions and no evidence of malignant tumors. On the other hand, two female subjects carrying pathogenic TP53 variants successfully recovered from the disease despite suffering from various forms of cancer. Our results highlight the importance of personalized approaches to the diagnosis, management and treatment of COVID-19 in patients with specific genetic mutations. Further studies are needed to elucidate the complex relationship between these mutations and COVID-19.

Properties of the Voronoi tessellations arising from the random 2D distribution points are reported. We applied the procedure of dividing the sides of Voronoi cells into equal or random parts to Voronoi diagrams generated by a set of randomly placed on the plane points. The dividing points were then used to construct the following Voronoi diagram. Repeating this procedure led to a surprising effect of positional ordering of Voronoi cells, reminiscent of the formation of lamellae and spherulites in linear semi-crystalline polymers and metallic glasses. Thus, we can conclude, that by applying even a simple set of rules to a random set of seeds we introduce order into an initially disordered system. At the same time, the Voronoi entropy showed a tendency to values typical for completely random patterns and did not distinguish the short-range ordering. The Voronoi entropy and the continuous measure of symmetry of the patterns demonstrated the distinct asymptotic behavior, while approaching the close saturation values with the increase of the number of the iteration steps. Voronoi entropy grew, with the number of iterations, whereas the continuous measure of symmetry of the same patterns demonstrated the opposite asymptotic behavior. The Voronoi entropy is not an unambiguous measure of order in the 2D patterns. The more symmetrical patterns may demonstrate the higher values of the Voronoi entropy.

Biocidal coatings are of great interest to the healthcare system. In this work, the biocidal activity of coatings based on a complex biocide containing polymer and inorganic active antibacterial c omponents was studied. Silver oxide was distributed in a matrix of a positively charged interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) using ultrasonic dispersion, forming nanoparticles with an average size of 5-6 nm. The formed nanoparticles in the matrix are not subject to agglomeration and changes in morphology during storage. It was found that the inclusion of silver oxide in a positively charged IPEC allows a 4-fold increase in the effectiveness of the complex biocide against E. coli K12 in comparison with the biocidal effect of PDADMAC and IPEC. Polycation, IPEC and the IPEC/Ag2O ternary complex form coatings on the glass surface due to electrostatic adsorption. Adhesive and cohesive forces in the resulting coatings were studied on micron-scale coatings using dynamometry. It was found that the stability of the coating is determined primarily by adhesive interactions. At the macro level, it is not possible to reliably identify the role of IPEC formation on adhesion. On the other hand, the use of the optical tweezers method makes it possible to analyze macromolecules in submicron scale and to evaluate the multiple increase in adhesive forces when forming a coating from IPEC compared to coatings from PDADMAC. Thus, the application of ternary IPEC/Ag2O complexes makes it possible to obtain coatings with increased antibacterial action and improved adhesive characteristics.

A problem of efficacy of crystal growth methods for crystallization from solution or melt has been investigated. Axial vibrational control (AVC) technique was considered as a perspective method to manage both heat-mass transfer and chemical component composition of the melts in the case of crystallization of complex chemical compounds. Numerical modeling and the search for generalized dependencies made it possible to predict the AVC parameters that provide optimal heat and mass transfer modes for creating flat liquid-solid interfaces, as well as the component composition of dissociated melts of various chemical compounds – Ge, NaNO3, CdTe.

Carbon (C) cycle n inland waters, including its concentrations and carbon dioxide (CO2) emis-sions from water surfaces are at the forefront of biogeochemical studies, especially in the re-gions, strongly impacted by on-going climate change. Towards better understanding of C stor-age, transport and emission in Central Asian mountain regions, extremely poorly studied until now, here we carried out systematic measurements of dissolved C and CO2 emissions in 15 riv-ers and 5 lakes located along a macro-transect of various natural landscapes in the Sayan-Altai mountain region, from high mountains of the Western Sayan in the northwest of Tyva to arid (dry) steppe and semi-deserts in intermountain basins of the southeast of Tyva, the border with Mongolia. New data on major hydrochemical parameters, CO2 fluxes by floating chambers, dis-solved organic and inorganic carbon concentrations collected over four main hydrological sea-sons allowed to assess the current C biogeochemical status of these water bodies in order to judge possible future changes under climate warming. We further tested the impact of perma-frost, river watershed size, lake area and climate parameters as well as ‘internal’ biogeochemical drivers (pH, mineralization, organic matter quality and bacterial population) on CO2 concentra-tion and emissions in lakes and rivers of this region, and compared them with available data on other subarctic and mountain settings.

Trio-based exome sequencing and high-resolution HLA typing were employed to analyze three patients with autoimmune adrenal insufficiency (AAI), including those with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) type 2, as well as their parents. Benign or likely benign variants of the AIRE gene were identified in all participants of the study. These variants, coupled with clinical data and the results of antibody studies to type I interferons, helped to exclude APS-1. Patients with APS-2, in contrast to patient with AAI, inherited distinct variants of unknown significance in the CLEC16A gene, which is associated with autoimmune diseases including AAI. Various risk alleles in other genes associated with autoimmunity were identified in all patients. HLA typing of second class loci revealed alleles related to APS types 2, 3, and 4. Nevertheless, the frequencies of the haplotypes identified are substantial in the healthy Russian population, precluding from regarding these alleles as genetic determinants linked to APS development. Immunological examination can detect antibody carriers and predict the risk of autoimmune disease development. In the future, to identify genetic predictors of autoimmune endocrinopathies, it is recommended to analyze the whole genome of patients and their relatives, examining clinically relevant variants in non-coding regions.

We investigated the magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological insulator MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ with partial substitution of Mn atoms by non-magnetic elements (A$_x^{IV}$ = Ge, Pb, Sn). Samples with various element concentrations (10-80%) were studied using SQUID magnetometry. The results demonstrate that, for all substitutes the type of magnetic ordering remains AFM, while the Nèel temperature (T$_N$) and spin-flop transition field (H$_{SF}$) decrease with increasing A$_x^{IV}$ = Ge, Pb, Sn concentration. The rate of decrease varies among the elements, being highest for Pb, followed by Sn and Ge. This behavior is attributed to combined effects of magnetic dilution and lattice parameter increase on magnetic properties, most prominent in (Mn$_{1−x}$Pb$_x$)Bi$_2$Te$_4$. Besides this, the linear approximation of experimental data of T$_N$ and H$_{SF}$ suggests higher magnetic parameters for pure MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ than observed experimentally, indicating the possibility of their non-monotonic variation at low concentrations and the potential for enhancing magnetic properties through doping MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ with small amounts of nonmagnetic impurities. Notably, the (Mn$_{1−x}$Pb$_x$)Bi$_2$Te$_4$ sample with 10% Pb substitution indeed exhibits increased magnetic parameters, which is also validated by local analyses using ARPES. Our findings shed light on tailoring the magnetic behavior of MnBi$_2$Te$_4$-based materials, offering insights for potential applications in device technologies.

In order to better understand the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen in meromictic lakes, which can serve as a model for past aquatic environments, we measured dissolved concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and organic nitrogen in deep (39 m maximal depth) subarctic Lake Svetloe (NW Russia). The lake is a rare type of freshwater meromictic water boy with high concentrations of methane, ferrous iron, manganese and low concentrations of sulfates and sulfides in the monimolimnion. In the oligotrophic mixolimnion, the concentration of mineral forms of nitrogen decreased in summer compared to winter, likely due to phytoplankton bloom. The decomposition of the bulk of organic matter occurs under microaerophilic/anaerobic conditions of the chemocline and accompanied by the accumulation of nitrogen in the form of N-NH4 in the monimonimlion. We revealed a strong relationship between methane and nitrogen cycles in the chemocline and monimolimnion horizons. The nitrate concentrations in Lake Svetloe varied in the range from 9 to 13 μM throughout the water column. This fact is rare for meromictic lakes, where nitrate concentrations up to 13 µM are found in the monimolimnion zone down to the bottom layers. We hypothesize, in accord with available data for other stratified lakes, that under conditions of high concentrations of manganese and ammonium at the boundary of redox conditions and below, anaerobic nitrification with the formation of nitrates occurs. Overall, most of organic matter in Lake Svetloe undergoes biodegradation essentially under microaerophilic/anaerobic conditions of the chemocline and the monimolimnion. Consequently, the manifestation of the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle is expressed in these horizons in the most vivid and complex relationship with other cycles of elements.

Magnetogenetics emerges as a transformative approach for modulating cellular signaling pathways through the strategic application of magnetic fields and nanoparticles. This technique leverages the unique properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to induce mechanical or thermal stimuli within cells, facilitating the activation of mechano- and thermosensitive proteins without the need for traditional ligand-receptor interactions. Unlike traditional modalities that often require invasive interventions and lack precision in targeting specific cellular functions, magnetogenetics offers a non-invasive alternative with the capacity for deep tissue penetration and the potential for targeting a broad spectrum of cellular processes. This review underscores magnetogenetics' broad applicability, from steering stem cell differentiation to manipulating neuronal activity and immune responses, highlighting its potential in regenerative medicine, neuroscience, and cancer therapy. Furthermore, the review explores the challenges and future directions of magnetogenetics, including the development of genetically programmed magnetic nanoparticles and the integration of magnetic field-sensitive cells for in vivo applications. Magnetogenetics stands at the forefront of cellular manipulation technologies, offering novel insights into cellular signaling and opening new avenues for therapeutic interventions.

Fractal array antennas are multiband arrays having ultra wide band and space filling facility. But Side lobe levels and large number of antenna elements are the major designing challenges of these arrays. In this paper, design and analysis of octagonal fractal array antenna is investigated with Morse-Thue fractal density tapering technique (MTFDT). Due to the proposed technique, a remarkable improvement has observed in Side lobe levels and thinning of the elements can also be attained at the various iterations of octagonal fractal array antenna. These arrays are analyzed and simulated by MATLAB-15 programming.

The recently discovered Gaia BH1 binary system, a Sun-like star and a dark object (presumably a black hole), may significantly change our understanding of the population of low-q binaries. The paper presents the components mass ratio distributions of binary systems of different observational classes. They all demonstrate a significant shortage of low-q systems. It is shown that this shortage can be filled with the help of search and study of objects like Gaia BH1.

Fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is one of the most critical challenges facing the global health system today. The possibility to identify the group of persons in the cohort of people under 50 years old, who are sensitive to the COVID-disease by non-invasive methods, is a very perspective approach for estimating the epidemiological state of the human population. The study aimed to identify the features of people's faces with COVID-19 that the most correlate with disease severity could serve as one of these approaches. For this aim, 525 photos of patients' faces with different outcomes of COVID-19 disease were analyzed using the Dlib face recognition convolutional neural network pre-trained for face recognition. Face descriptor vectors were obtained using the convolutional neural network. Facial features were found that predict a person's sensitivity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (disease severity), and the contribution of each of the features to the risk of developing a severe form of COVID in a person was found. The accuracy of the binary classification of the individual severity of the COVID-19 course using the k-nearest neighbors algorithm on the test dataset was accuracy - 84%, AUC - 0.90.

The article presents the architect's attitude towards the paradigms of sustainable development. The place and role of the architect in the implementation of the multidimensional process of sustainable design has been presented. Basic dilemmas and antinomies have been presented. The analysis of architect's attitudes towards these problems was performed in various contexts, examining the architect's awareness and his environment in view of changes under way. The article draws attention to the status of knowledge, changes in design paradigms, legislative and organizational requirements. The importance of architectural culture level, the need for training, ways to support the implementation of new design paradigms through integrated activities have been indicated. The research results regarding public awareness of architecture and sustainable development are illustrated with examples from Poland.

Despite a rapid rise in NBS development in recent years, the methods for evaluating NBS still have certain gaps. We propose an approach based on a combination of remote sensing data and meteorological variables to reconstruct the spatio-temporal variation of net ecosystem exchange from eddy-covariance stations. Lagrangian particle dispersion model was used for upscaling of satellite images and flux towers. We trained data-driven models based on kernel methods separately for each selected land cover class. The results suggest that the proposed approach to quantifying carbon exchange on a medium-to-large scale by blending eddy covariance flux data with moderate resolution satellite and weather data provides a set of key advantages over previously deployed methods: (1) scalability, achieved via the validation design based on a separate set of eddy covariance stations; (2) high spatial and temporal resolution due to use of the Landsat imagery; (3) robust and accurate predictions due to improved data quality control, advanced machine learning techniques, and rigorous validation. The machine learning models yielded high cross-validation results. Overall we present here globally scaled technology for the land sector based on high resolution remote sensing imagery, meteorological variables, and direct carbon flux measurements of eddy covariance flux stations.

Abstract. Results of research into four-membered phosphorus(V)-heterocycles, 2-halogen-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes are presented. The preparation of 2-halo-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes by reaction of P-haloylides with carbonyl compounds is described. The mechanism of asynchronous [2+2]-сycloaddition of ylides to aldehydes was proposed on the base of low-temperature NMR investigations. 2-Halogen-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes were isolated as individual compounds and their structures were confirmed by ¹Н, ¹³C, ¹⁹F and ³¹Р NMR spectra. These compounds are convenient reagents for preparing of various organic and organophosphorus compounds hardly available by other methods. Chemical and physical properties of the 2-halo-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes are reviewed. The 2-chloro-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes depending on substituents at the α-carbon atom rearrange with formation of 2-chloroalkylphosphonates or convert into trans-phosphorylated alkenes. Prospective synthetic applications of 2-halo-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes are analyzed. The 2-halo-1,2λ⁵-oxaphosphetanes may be easily converted to various alkenylphosphonates: allyl- or vinylphosphonates, phosphorus ketenes, thioketenes, ketenimines.

When separation to the parameters of interest appears below resolution limit of the estimator, the ambiguity arises whether two parameter estimates relate to one source emitted twice or two close sources emitted once. In the paper, novel Bayes technique aimed to identify one/two sources below resolution limit by the pair of Gaussian estimates of a source(s) planar location as parameter is developed. Prior probabilities of the hypotheses on one/two sources are available from the analysis of physical characteristics of the emissions, assuming that they can be equally probable. The identifier recalculates a posteriori these probabilities subject to a distance between sources. It is applied to distinguish two location estimates obtained in the planar time difference of arrival mobile communication network. The work of the identifier is studied in the domain of closely spaced network users where covariance matrices of estimates are sufficiently approximated by the constant. The application gives an example of how the identifier revises the prior probabilities and can change thereby the initial preference of a hypothesis with a distance between users in some cases.

The study of the impact of polyQ expansion driven proteotoxicity on cell metabolism has evi-denced NAD molecule as a central player in regulating metabolic response and cell repair in neurodegeneration. The decline in NAD intracellular levels represents a hallmark of ageing aris-ing from a dysregulation between NAD-consuming and biosynthetic enzymatic reactions in which NMNAT plays a key role. By an integrated bioanalytical and proteomic experimental design, the derangement of NAD metabolism deriving from the accumulation of polyQ-Htt protein has been analysed in Saccha-romices cerevisiae harbouring a 103Q-Htt and compared with wild-type Htt, in absence and in presence of a phenolic extract from EVOO, as a source of antioxidant bioactive compounds. Quantification of NAD and its precursors and proteomic analysis of the differential protein ex-pression has been performed by LC-DAD-MS. Chronological lifespan and NAD homeostasis was strongly impaired by proteotoxic polyQ-Htt, eliciting a depletion of NAD levels and accumulation of NaMN. In parallel a downregulation of Sirt2 expression levels has been observed. Phenolic extract administration had no meaningful ef-fects on NAD replenishment to prevent proteotoxicity. NaMN can represent a biomarker of accel-erated aging, and/or a signaling molecule for cell repair.

In this study, we investigated the features of co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and nonpathogenic strain LEV8 of coxsackievirus A7 or enterovirus A71 for Vero E6 cells and Syrian hamsters. The investigation of co-infection with SARS-СoV-2 and LEV-8 or EV-A71 in the cell model was shown that a competitive inhibitory effect for these viruses were especially significant against SARS-CoV-2. Pre-infection with enteroviruses in animals caused more than a 100-fold decrease in the levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus replication in the respiratory tracts and more rapid clearance of the lower respiratory tract from infectious SARS-CoV-2. Co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and LEV-8 or EV-A71 also reduced the severity of clinical manifestations of the SARS-CoV-2 infection for animals. Additionally, the histological data illustrated that co-infection with nonpathogenic coxsackievirus decreased the level of pathological changes by SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs. Research into the chemokine/cytokine profile demonstrated that the studied enteroviruses efficiently triggered this part of antiviral immune response, which can be associated with significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results demonstrate that there exists a strong viral interference between the studied nonpathogenic strain of coxsackievirus A7 or enteroviruses A71 and SARS-CoV-2 pathogenic for humans in vitro and in vivo.

In this study, the term dimension is introduced on fuzzy(neutrosophic) graphs. The classes of these specific graphs are chosen to obtain some results based on dimension. The types of crisp notions and fuzzy(neutrosophic) notions are used to make sense about the material of this study and the outline of this study uses some new notions which are crisp and fuzzy(neutrosophic).

The prevailing interpretations of physics are based on deeply entrenched assumptions, rooted in classical mechanics. Logical implications include: the denial of entropy as a fundamental physical property, and the inability to explain irreversible change, random quantum measurements, or nonlocality without untestable and implausible metaphysical implications. We propose a conceptual model that is based on empirically justifiable assumptions and consistent with observations. The WYSIWYG Conceptual Model (WCM) assumes no hidden properties: “What You can See Is What You Get.” The WCM contextually defines a system’s state with respect to its actual ambient background, and it extends existing models of physical reality by defining entropy and exergy as objective contextual properties of state. The WCM establishes the irreversible dissipation of exergy and the Second law of thermodynamics as a fundamental law of physics, it recognizes physical randomness, and it provides a physical explanation for nonlocality, consistent with Special Relativity, without hidden variables, superdeterminism, or “spooky action.”

In the subcratonic mantle beneath Leningrad pipe, West Ukukit field, Yakutia garnet thermoba-rometry give division to 7 horizons (paleosubduction slabs). Cr-bearing amphiboles >500 reveal a broad range changing from Cr- pargasitic hornblendes to pargasites, edinites, kataforites, К-richterites with increasing pressure determined with new amphibole thermobarometer. Cr-hornblendes compiles the high-temperature branch from 3.5 GPa to Moho for basaltic melt. Amphiboles in the middle eddinites and high-pressure interval reveal different PT ranges from 35 to 40 mw/m2. Richterites near the lithosphere base both trace low –T and convective branches. The amphiboles reveal the 9 geochemical groups. The low-temperature varieties reveal Eu minima and U, Ba, Sr peaks high LILE, Sr, Rb and troughs in Nb, Pb. While high –T varieties have no Eu dips and reveal higher HFSE. Clinopyroxenes and garnets show variable trace ele-ment patterns and divisions in groups eth the plume and subduction signs. The contrasting be-haviour of Ta and Nb is regulated by the rutile partition coefficients likely for primary eclogites. Subduction and Na and K (siliceous) types of fluids percolated through the mantle with abun-dant eclogites causing amphibolization at the different levels of the mantle column. The plume melts produced hybridism and more smooth trace element patterns in reacted minerals, clino-pyroxene. monomineral thermobarometry.

A Pt(II) complex featuring chelating tridentate bis-aryloxide tetrahydropyrimidinium based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) was synthesized and characterized by using different techniques. The electrochemical properties of the complex were investigated by cyclic voltammetry as well as differential pulse voltammetry, which revealed two reversible one-electron oxidation processes. The chemical generation and isolation of one-electron-oxidized species were performed oxidizing the initial complex by means of AgBF4. The combined UV-Vis/NIR- and EPR-spectroscopy studies supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest the formation of Pt(II)-phenoxyl radical complex. The latter open-shell derivative was structurally characterized by means of X-ray diffraction analysis. Finally, the neutral platinum complex was tested as a mediator in the process of electrocatalytic oxidation of 2-(methylamino)ethanol (MEA).

The Populus L. genus unites tree species, which are botanically grouped into several sections. The species successfully hybridize both in the same section and between some sections. The poplar hybridization widely occurs in nature and in variety breeding. Therefore, the development of poplar species specific molecular markers is very actual. The effective markers for trees of the Aigeiros Daby section have been recently developed using the polymorphism of the 5S rDNA non-transcribed spacers (NTSs). In this article, the 5S rDNA NTS based markers were designed for several species of the Leuce Daby section. The alb9 marker amplifies one fragment with DNA matrix of P. alba and P. × canescens (natural hybrid P. alba × P. tremula). The alb2 marker works the same way except the case with P. bolleana. In this case, the amplification of three fragments was observed. The tremu1 marker amplification is detected with DNA matrix of P. tremula and P. × canescens. Thus, the developed markers may be applied as useful tool for the P. alba, P. tremula, P. × canescens and P. bolleana identification in such areas of plant science as botany, dendrology, genetics of populations, variety breeding etc.

Multiagent technologies give a new way to study and control complex systems. Local interactions between agents often lead to group synchronization also known as clusterization, which usually is a more rapid process in comparison with relatively slow changes in external environment. Usually, the goal of system control is defined by the behaviour of a system on long time intervals. When these time intervals are much longer than the time of cluster formation, clusters may be considered as new variables in a ``slow'' time model. We call such variables ``mesoscopic'' to emphasize their scale laying between the level of the whole system (macroscopic scale) and the level of individual agents (microscopic scale). Thus, it allows us to reduce significantly the dimensionality of a system by omitting considerations of each separated agent, so that we may hope to reduce the required amount of control inputs. Thus, we are often able to consider a system as a collection of ``flowing'' (morphing) clusters emerged form behaviour of a huge amount of individual agents. In this paper, we contrast such approach to the one where a system is considered as a network of elementary agents. We develop a mathematical framework for analysis of cluster flows in multiagent networks and use it to analyze the Kuramoto model as an attracting example of a complex networked system. In this model, a clusterization leads to sparse representation of dynamic trajectories in the whole quantized state space. With that in mind, compressive sensing allows to restore the trajectories in a high-dimensional discrete state space based on significantly lower amount of randomized integral mesoscopic observations. We propose a corresponding algorithm of quantized dynamic trajectory compression. It could allow us to efficiently transmit the state space data to a data center for further control synthesis. The theoretical results are illustrated for a simulated multiagent network with multiple clusters.

The aim of this work is to introduce new ways to model the I-V characteristic of a PV cell or PV module using straight lines and Bézier curves. This is a complete novel approach, Bézier curves being previously used mainly for computer graphics. The I-V characteristic is divided in three sections, modeled with lines and a quadratic Bézier curve in the first case and with three cubic Bézier curves in the second case. The result proves to be accurate and relies on the fundamental points usually present in the PV cell datasheets: Voc (the open circuit voltage), Isc (the short circuit current), Vmp (the maximum power corresponding voltage) and Imp (the maximum power corresponding current) and the parasitic resistances Rsh0 (shunt resistance at Isc) and Rs0 (series resistance at Voc). The proposed algorithm completely defines all the implied control points and the error is analyzed. The temperature and irradiance influence is also analyzed. The model is also compared using the least squares fitting method. The final validation shows how to use Bézier cubic curves to accurately represent the I-V curves of an extensive range of PV cells and arrays.

BACKGROUNDː The so-called Low Cardiac Output Syndrome (LCOS) is one of the most common complications in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease undergoing corrective surgery. LCOS requires high concentrations of inotropes to support cardiac contractility and improve cardiac output, allowing for a better systemic perfusion. To date, serum lactate concentrations and central venous oxygen saturation (ScVO2) are the most commonly used perfusion markers, but they are not completely reliable to identify a state of global tissue hypoxia. The study aims to evaluate whether the venoarterial carbon dioxide difference/arterial-venous oxygen difference ratio [P(v-a)CO2/C(a-v)O2] can be a good index to predict the development of LCOS in the aforemen-tioned patients, so as to treat it promptly. METHODSː This study followed a population of 98 children undergoing corrective cardiac surgery from June 2018 to October 2020 at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of University Hospital Inte-grated Trust and their subsequent admission at the Postoperative Cardiothoracic Surgery Intensive Care Unit. During the study, central arterial and venous blood gas analysis were carried out before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (pre-CPB and post-CPB), at admission to intensive care unit, before and after extubation and at any time of instability or modification of the patient’s clinical and therapeutic conditions. RESULTSː The data analysis shows that 46.9% of the children developed a LCOS (in line with the current literature) but that there is no statistically significant association between the P(v-a)CO2/C(a-v)O2 ratio and LCOS onset. Despite the limits of statistical significance, however, a 31% increase in the ratio emerged from the pre-CPB phase to the post-CPB phase when LCOS is present. CONCLUSIONSː This study confirms a statistically significant association between the most used markers in adult patients (serum lactate concentration, ScVO2 and oxygen extraction ratio-ERO2) measured in the pre-CPB phase and the incidence of LCOS onset, especially in patients with he-modynamic instability before surgery.

Control over the composition of III-V ternary nanowires grown by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method is essential for bandgap engineering in such nanomaterials and fabrication of functional nanowire heterostructures for a variety of applications. From the fundamental viewpoint, III-V ternary nanowires based on group V intermix (InSbxAs1-x, InPxAs1-x, GaPxAs1-x and many others) present the most difficult case, because the concentrations of highly volatile group V atoms in a catalyst droplet are beyond the detection limit of any characterization technique and therefore principally unknown. Here, we present a model for the vapor-solid distribution of such nanowires, which fully circumvents the uncertainties that remained in the theory so far, and link the nanowire composition to the well-controlled parameters of vapor. The unknown concentrations of group V atoms in the droplet do not enter the distribution, despite of the fact that a growing solid is surrounded by the liquid phase. The model fits quite well the available data on the vapor-solid distributions of VLS InSbxAs1-x, InPxAs1-x and GaPxAs1-x nanowires grown with different catalyst. Even more importantly, it provides a basis for the compositional control of III-V ternary nanowires based on group V intermix, and can be extended over other material systems where two highly volatile elements enter a ternary solid alloy through a liquid phase.

This article presents the study of religious pluralism and decolonization of Indian mind in Russia. The paper analyzes the investigation results concerning psychological features of modern Indian students from universities in Russia and India. For measuring of connection between religious pluralism and decolonization of Indian mind we made socio-psychological investigation of Indian students. We made 254 semi-structured interview with Indian students who are studying in Russia and India. According to the result of investigation that decolonization of Indian mind is connected with the level of religious pluralism. Among the values principles of religious pluralism get more significance and importance in decolonizing mind of Indian students.

Stable suspensions of metal/metalloid oxide nanoparticles (Me-NPs) obtained by laser ablation of 99.99% pure elemental aluminum, titanium or silicon under a layer of deionized water were used separately, or in three binary combinations, or in a ternary combination to induce subchronic intoxications in rats. To this end, the Me-NPs were repeatedly injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) 18 times during 6 weeks before measuring a large number of functional, biochemical, morphological and cytological indices for the organism’s status. In many respects, the Al₂O₃-NP was found to be the most toxic species alone and the most dangerous component of the combinations studied. Mathematical modeling with the help of the Response Surface Methodology showed that, as well as in the case of any other binary toxic combinations previously investigated by us, the organism’s response to a simultaneous exposure to any two of the Me-NP species under study was characterized by a complex interaction between all possible types of combined toxicity (additivity, subadditivity or superadditivity of unidirectional action and different variants of opposite effects) depending on which outcome a given type was estimated for and on effect and dose levels. With any third MeO-NP species acting in the background, the type of combined toxicity displayed by the other two remained virtually the same or changed significantly, becoming either more or less unfavorable. Various harmful effects produced by the [Al₂O₃-NP+TiO₂-NP+SiO₂-NP]-combination, including its genotoxicity, were substantially attenuated by giving the rats per os during the entire exposure period a complex of innocuous bioactive substances expected to increase the organism’s antitoxic resistance.

Background: Fullerenes and metallofullerenes can be considered promising nanopharmaceuticals themselves and as a basis for chemical modification. As reactive oxygen species homeostasis plays a vital role in cells, the study of their effect on genes involved in oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response is of particular importance. Methods: Human fetal lung fibroblasts were incubated with aqueous dispersions of C60, C70, and Gd@C82 in concentrations of 5 nM and 1.5 µM for 1, 3, 24, and 72 hours. Cell viability, intracellular ROS, NOX4, NFκB, PRAR-γ, NRF2, heme oxygenase 1, and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 expression have been studied. Results &amp; conclusion: The aqueous dispersions of C60, C70, and Gd@C82 fullerenes are active participants in ROS homeostasis. Low and high concentrations of AFDs have similar effects. C70 was the most inert substance, C60 was the most active substance. All AFDs have both a “prooxidant” and “antioxidant” effect, but with a different balance. Gd@C82 was a substance with more pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while C70 had more pronounced “prooxidant” properties.

This work presents results of property researches of fabricated samples of silica few-mode optical fiber (FMF) with induced chirality under twisting 10 and 66 revolutions per meter, core diameter 11 µm, typical “telecommunication” cladding diameter 125 µm and improved height of quasi-step refractive index profile. Proposed FMF supports 4 guided modes over “C”-band. We represent results of computed characteristics, as well as experimentally measured spectral responses of laser-excited optical signals, including researches and analysis of few-mode effects, occurring after fiber Bragg grating writing.

A polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) composed of 50 wt% poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) as its base polymer, 40 wt% Aliquat® 336 as its extractant and 10 wt% dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as plasticizer provided efficient extraction of vanadium(V) from its sulfate solutions adjusted to pH 2.5. It was suggested that V(V) was extracted as VO2SO4− via an anion exchange mechanism. Quantitative back-extraction was achieved in a sulfuric acid solution (6 mol L-1) containing 1 v/v% of hydrogen peroxide. It was assumed that the back-extraction process involved the oxidation of VO2+ to VO(O2)+ by hydrogen peroxide. The newly developed PIM with the optimized composition mentioned above exhibited excellent selectivity for V(V) in the presence of metallic species present in digests of spent alumina hydrodesulfurization catalysts (i.e., Al(III), Co(II), Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), and Ni(II)). The co-extraction of Mo(VI) with V(V) was eliminated by its selective extraction at pH 1.1. The optimized PIM was characterized by contact angle measurements, atomic-force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/derivatives thermogravimetric analysis (DTGA), and the stress-strain measurements.

In this paper, we define a (p,v)-extension of Hurwitz-Lerch Zeta function by considering an extension of beta function defined by Parmar et al. [J. Classical Anal. 11 (2017) 81–106]. We obtain its basic properties which include integral representations, Mellin transformation, derivative formulas and certain generating relations. Also, we establish the special cases of the main results.

This work is the first part of a series of papers on a comprehensive analysis of the processes of prebiotic self-organization and protophotosynthesis on the surface of semiconductor minerals and in systems of natural dispersed semiconductors. Comprehensive analysis within the framework of the "semiconductor world" concept allows integrating a variety of models on a single physical basis - from ZnS world and FeS world (based on inorganic semiconductors) to the PAH world and aromatic world (including organic semiconductors). Thus, we do not put forward a new alternative hypothesis of chemical evolution - a new "chemical world", but only integrate the evolutionary and geochemical criteria of different "chemical worlds" into a single "physical world", which gives one the opportunity to reconstruct and predict the directions of chemical evolution according to the uniform principles of physical chemistry. In the first part of this series we consider photoinduced self-organization and "photo-controlled" evolution of the early protobiological systems performing solar energy conversion on the surface of dispersed semiconductor minerals capable of (photo)catalyzing and photosensitizing prebiological processes. The latter include a transition from the elementary cycles of photocatalytic reactions on the surface of semiconductors to protophotometabolic cycles and protophotosynthesis, from photophysical processes on the surface of mineral semiconductors to photoinduced membrane potentials, from photocontrolled sorption on the surface of such minerals to the formation of photosensitive protomembranes and selection of photosynthetic structures. The evolutionary approach to the analysis of protobiological mechanisms and protobioenergetics within the framework of the "semiconductor world" concept provides a new approach to the study of the last common point of divergence of protobiological systems, where the emergence principles of different energy supply schemes (like the energy source-specific photoautotrophy and substrate-specific chemoautotrophy) merge at the physicochemical level. The proposed integrating scheme is consistent with most biological, geological, and physicochemical concepts, which ensures its complete cross-checking and internal consistency.

A novel low-power MOS-only voltage reference is presented. The Enz-Krummenacher-Vittoz (EKV) model is adopted to provide a new perspective on the operating principle. The normalized charge density, introduced as a new variable, serves as an indicator when trimming the output temperature coefficient. The proposed voltage reference consists of a specific current generator and a 5-bit trimmable load. Thanks to the well-match between the current source stage and the output stage, the non-linear temperature dependence of carrier mobility is automatically canceled out. The circuit is designed in 55 nm COMS technology. The operating temperature ranges from -40 ∘C to 120 ∘C. The average temperature coefficient of the output voltage can be reduced to 21.7 ppm/∘C by trimming. The power consumption is only 23.2 nW with a supply voltage of 0.8 V. The line sensitivity and the power supply rejection ratio at 100 Hz are 0.011 %/V and -89 dB respectively.

This review summarizes the most recent developments of research on protozoan parasite infections ac-quired through food and drinking water and is aimed at gathering updated knowledge on the risk factors, illnesses caused, and measures for prevention. Reports included dated from 2019 to the present and regarded recent outbreaks and cases of severe infec-tions, prevalence in different population segments and food handlers, and occurrence in food and drinking water. Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Trypanosoma cruzi and Toxoplasma gondii were the microorganisms most frequently involved in large outbreaks and/or severe infections, while Cyclospora cayetanensis was most frequently involved in single case reports. Cystoisospora belli was implied in severe infections in immunocompromised patients, while Blastocystis homi-nis, Sarcocystis spp., Dientamoeba fragilis, Endolimax nana and Pentatrichomonas hominis appeared to be less relevant for number of symptomatic infections and pathogenic potential. A progressive improvement in surveillance of protozoan infections and infection sources was highlighted, especially in developed countries. The apparent increase in cases was concomitant with the implementa-tion of reporting systems and the application of molecular diagnostic methods that represent valuable in-struments for establishing epidemiological links and preventing or limiting outbreaks. The pathogenic role and sources of infection should be better elucidated for some species.

The influence of the type and amount of oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), and/or phosphorus (P) heteroatoms on the surface of carbon nanotube (CNT) on stability and catalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated in alkaline media. It is shown that the functionalization of CNT leads to the growth of the electrochemically active surface and to an increase in the activity in ORR. At the same time, a decrease in stability is observed after the functionalization of CNT under accelerated corrosion testing in an alkaline media. These results are most significant on CNT after functionalization in HNO3 due to the formation of a large number of structural defects. However, the subsequent doping by N and / or P atoms provides a further activity increase and enhances the corrosion stability of CNT. Thus, as shown by the studies of characteristic parameters (SEAS, E1/2, corrosion stability), CNT doped with N and NP are a promising catalytic system that can be recommended for use as fuel cell cathodes. An important condition for effective doping is the synthesis of carboxyl and carbonyl oxygen containing group on the surface of CNT.

Transketolase (TKT) is an essential thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme of the non-oxidative branch of pentose phosphate pathway, with the glucose-6P flux through the pathway regulated in various medically important conditions. Here, we characterize the brain TKT regulation by acylation in rats with perturbed thiamine-dependent metabolism, known to occur in neurodegenerative diseases. The perturbations are modelled by administration of oxythiamine inhibiting ThDP-dependent enzymes in vivo, or by reduced thiamine availability in the presence of metformin and amprolium, inhibiting intracellular thiamine transporters. Compared to control rats, chronic administration of oxythiamine does not significantly change the modification level of the two detected TKT acetylation sites (K6 and K102), but doubles malonylation of TKT K499, concomitantly decreasing 1.7-fold the level of demalonylase sirtuin 5. The inhibitors of thiamine transporters do not change average levels of TKT acylation or sirtuin 5. TKT structures indicate that the acylated residues are distant from the active sites. The acylations-perturbed electrostatic interactions may be involved in conformational shifts and/or formation of TKT complexes with other proteins or nucleic acids. Acetylation of K102 may affect the active site entrance/exit and subunit interactions. Correlation analysis reveals that the action of oxythiamine is characterized by significant negative correlations of K499 malonylation or K6 acetylation with TKT activity, not observed upon the action of the inhibitors of thiamine transport. However, the transport inhibitors induce significant negative correlations between the TKT activity and K102 acetylation or TKT expression, absent in the oxythiamine group. Thus, perturbations in the ThDP-dependent catalysis or thiamine transport manifest in the insult-specific patterns of the brain TKT malonylation and acetylations.

Probabilistic inference problems have very broad practical applications. To solve this kind of problems under conditions of certainty, an effective mathematical apparatus has been developed. In real situations, obtaining deterministic estimates of relevant probabilities is often difficult; therefore, problems with handling uncertain estimates of probabilities appear. This paper examines the problem of probabilistic inference with probability trees provided that the initial probabilities are given in the form of intervals of their possible values.

Abstract: Two novel low-dimensional molecular magnetic materials were prepared by a self-assembling of 3d- and 5d-metal complexes. These are the first neutral heterobimetallic cyanobridged compounds involving one anisotropic Mn(III) Schiff base complex and one octacyanotungstate(V) per molecular unit. A slow diffusion of the constituents’ solutions leads to a formation of the 0D crystalline complex 1 due to coordination of a water molecule to the Mn center prevents a polymer formation. A rapid mixing of reagents results in a precipitation of the microcrystalline powder of the complex 2, which on a totality of experimental data possess 1D polymeric structure. The magnetic studies have shown that antiferromagnetic exchange interactions are dominating in 1 J/k_B= -13.1(7) K, D=-3.0(1.3) K, zJ'= -0.16(20) K and g_av=2.00(1); while the presence of the significant intramolecular Mn(III)–W(V) ferromagnetic couplings through cyanide bridges is characteristic for 2 (J/k_B = 46.1(5) K g_Mn = 2.11(3), fixed g_W = 2.0). Due to the weak interchain interactions, zJ'/k_B = –0.8(2) K, compound 2 is a metamagnet with the Néel temperature of 9.5 K undergoing a spin-flip transition at 2 kOe. The slow magnetization dynamics of 2 was investigated at DС field of 0 and 2 kOe, giving the values of τ₀ 32(15) and 36(15) ps respectively, well within the range typical for SCMs. The respective ∆_τ/k_B values were 48.4(1.2) and 44.9(1.0) K.

The incremental sheet forming represents a relatively recent technology that guarantees high customization, thanks to the layered manufacturing principle typical of rapid prototyping, and cost-effectiveness, because it does not require dedicated equipment. Research has initially shown that this process is effective in metal materials capable of withstanding plastic deformation but, in recent years, the interest in this technique has been increasing for the manufacture of complex polymer sheet components as an alternative to the conventional technologies, based on heating-shaping-cooling manufacturing routes. Conversely, incremental formed polymer sheets can suffer from some peculiar defects, for example twisting. To reduce the risk of this phenomenon and the occurrence of failures, a viable way is to choose toolpath strategies that make the tool/sheet contact conditions less severe, and this represents the main goal of the present research. Polycarbonate sheets were worked by incremental forming; in detail, cone frusta with a fixed wall angle were manufactured with a reference and a stair toolpath strategy, and both the forming forces and the twist angle were monitored. The analysis of the results highlighted that a stair toolpath involving an alternation of diagonal up and vertical down steps represents a useful strategy to mitigate the forming forces and, with them, the occurrence of the twisting phenomenon in incremental formed thermoplastic sheets.

Analyses of the three predominant types of sedimentation – clastic, carbonate and black shale – revealed their discontinuity/continuity in different facies environments of the Middle and Late Devonian of the central part of the Volga-Urals petroleum province, namely (1) in depressions, both condensed and non-condensed, (2) on the slopes of depressions and (3) in shallow water environments represented by tectonic arches or localised biohermal uplifts. The regional zonation of conodonts, correlated with the global chronostratigraphic scheme, substantiates the stratigraphic completeness of the general Devonian sequence in this area. In particular, the sedimentation of organic-rich black shales, traditionally considered as source rocks, lasted more than 29 million years, starting from the Late Eifel and ending at the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary. There was only one hiatus in the deposition of both black shales and carbonate sediments, lasting about 2.5 million years at the end of the Frasnian. That interval is dominated by clastic sediments, which are considered to be the most productive reservoirs of the Volga-Ural province. In the time interval from the beginning of the Eifel to the end of the Frasnian (about 17 Ma), (a) clastic sediments show the highest accumulation rates; (b) the most complete sequences occur in depressions; and (c) arches and uplifts show the most significant gaps in the geological record. During Famennian, (a) clastic sedimentation has completely ceased; (b) differences between the slopes of troughs and shallow-water environments have diminished, resulting in stable accumulation of carbonate sediments in both settings; (c) the decrease in sequence thickness (up to 50 m) in depressions suggests reduced accumulation rates of deep-water organic-rich black shales. The results help to understand the complex spatial relationship between different coexisting sedimentation types and focus attention to the incompleteness of the geological record in different environments.

Two series of novel [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]- and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]quinazoline fluorophores with 4’-amino[1,1′]-biphenyl residue at position 5 have been prepared via Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. The treatment of 2-(4-bromophenyl)-4-hydrazinoquinazoline with orthoesters in solvent-free conditions or in absolute ethanol leads to the formation of [4,3-c]-annulated triazoloquinazolines, whereas [1,5-c] isomers are formed in acidic media as a result of Dimroth rearrangement. 1D-NMR and 2D-NMR spectroscopy as well as single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis unambiguously confirmed the annelation type and determined the molecular structure of p-bromophenyl intermediates and target products. Photophysical properties of the target compounds were investigated in two solvents and solid state and compared with those of related 3-aryl-substituted [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]quinazolines. The excluding of aryl fragment from triazole ring has been revealed to improve fluorescence quantum yield in solution. Most of the synthesized structures show moderate to high quantum yields in solution. Additionally, the effect of solvent polarity on the absorption and emission spectra of fluorophores has been studied and considerable fluorosolvatochromism was stated. Moreover, electrochemical investigation and DFT calculations have been performed, their results are consistent with the experimental observation.

Modern climatic changes have an impact on the bearing capacity of permafrost soils at the base of the foundations of buildings and structures in the urbanized territories of the Arctic and Subarctic. The activation of cryogenic processes leads to the destruction of the infrastructure of human settlements and, as a result, to social, economic, environmental consequences for the population. Based on the results of geothermy of frozen and thawing soil, GPR profiling of the territory of the city of Anadyr, it was concluded that the main risks of permafrost degradation are associated with the spread of hydrogenic melt zones. Maps of soil temperature in imaginary cross-sectional with a depth of 3, 5 and 10 m were compiled; maps of the capacity of thawing soils and the permafrost aquifer; a map of zones of dangerous spread of exogenous cryogenic processes. A permafrost monitoring system in the territory of Anadyr has been substantiated, which will consist of an automated network of observations of soil temperature in 35 wells at the border and at the epicenter of 20 zones of dangerous development of exogenous cryogenic processes and 12 control GPR profiles at the intersection of linear hydrogenic taliks.

We analyse recent contradictory results and conclusions about the spectrum of the screened Coulomb potential $V(r)=-r^{-1}e^{-C/r}$. The well known Hellmann-Feynman theorem shows that all the bound states of the Coulomb potential ($C=0$) remain bounded as $C$ increases. We derive a simple approximate analytical expression for the eigenvalues for sufficiently small values of the screening parameter $C$ and an approximate asymptotic expression for the asymptotic behaviour of the s-state eigenvalues when $C\rightarrow \infty $. Present results are expected to resolve the discrepancy about the spectrum of the quantum-mechanical model just mentioned.

In the subcratonic lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath Leningrad pipe (West Ukukit field), Yakutia garnet thermobarometry allows us to identify seven horizons (paleo subduction slab). Microprobe data for Cr-bearing amphiboles >500 grains from mantle xenoliths and concentrates reveal a broad range of compositions changing from Cr- pargasitic hornblendes to pargasites, edinites, kataforites, К-richterites with increasing pressure determined with new amphibole ther-mobarometer constructed by the first author The low pressure (LP) Cr-hornblendes and pargasites compiles the high-temperature branch (90-60 mw/m2) from 3.5 GPa to Moho traced by basaltic cumulates. In the middle part of SCLM edinites mark 35 to 40 mw/m2 geotherms. At high pres-sures kataforites also vary in thermal conditions. Richterites near the lithosphere base trace both low –and high temperature convective branches. The amphiboles reveal divisions into 9 chemical groups. The melts coexistion with amphiboles have concave patters typical for subduction related melts. LP varieties reveal Eu inflection U, Rb, Ba, Sr peaks and deep troughs in HFSE (except Zr), Pb. The pargasites show high U peaks and relativle less HFSE depressions. Encreasing in pressure for edinites, kataforites and richterise are accompanied byrise in U and Zr peak gentling of depressions in Th, Sr, Nb and Hf and less in Nb,Ta, Hf and peak in Zr and also decrease in LREE and REE. Clinopyroxenes and garnets show variable trace element patterns and divisions in groups with the plume and subduction signatures. The contrasting behaviour of Ta and Nb is regulated by the rutile partition coefficients likely for primary eclogites. Subduction and Na and K (siliceous) types of fluids percolated through the mantle with abundant eclogites possibly was accompanied by amphibolization at the different levels through all the mantle column. The plume melts produced hybridism with the mantle metasomatic assembleges which created more smooth trace element patterns in reacted minerals, clinopyroxene. The new version of monomineral amphibole thermobarometry is suggested

The main goal of our work is the revealing of problematic issues related to estimates of the absorption coefficient of colored organic matter in the northern seas from data of the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) on the Sentinel-3 satellites. In particular, a comparison of the OLCI standard error estimates ADG443_NN_err., relating to the measurement and retrieval of the geophysical products, with the uncertainties in the real situation of the northern seas, where the natural conditions are extremely unfavorable (first of all, frequent cloudiness, low Sun heights). We conducted a comprehensive multi-sensor study of the uncertainties using various approaches, first at all, directly comparing the data from satellite (OLCI Sentinel-3 and four other ocean color sensors) and field measurements in five sea expeditions 2016-2019, by using the different processing algorithms. Our analysis has shown that the real uncertainties of the final product are significantly higher than the calculated errors of the ADG443_NN_err., which is 100% and ~10%. The main reason for that is the unsatisfactory atmospheric correction. We present the results of the analysis of the different effecting factors (satellite sensors, processing algorithms, use of the other parameters), and formulate the tasks of future work.

Background: Number of investigations, which are focused on arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) biodiversity is still limited. The analysis of AMF taxa in the North Caucasus, a temperate biodiversity hotspot, used to be limited by the genera level. The aim of this study was to define AMF biodiversity at the species level in the North Caucasus biotopes. Methods: Molecular genetic identification of fungi was carried out with ITS1 and ITS2 regions as barcodes, sequencing by Illumina MiSeq, analysis of phylogenetic trees for individual genera, searching the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with identification at the species level. Sequences from MaarjAM and NCBI GenBank were used as references. Results: We analyzed >10 million reads in soil samples for 3 biotopes to estimate fungal biodiversity. 50 AMF species from 20 genera were found. The valley biotopes (disturbed ecosystems, grasslands) were characterized by a greater AMF diversity, as well as the number of OTUs and species, in comparison with the forest biotopes. Conclusion: Our hypothesis is that high AMF biodiversity for the river valley can be associated with a higher percentage of annual plants in these biotopes, as well as with the active development of restorative successional processes.

We demonstrate a multi-purpose plasmonic sensor based on nanovoid array fabricated via inexpensive and highly reproducible direct femtosecond laser patterning of thin glass-supported Au films. The proposed nanovoid array exhibits near-IR surface plasmon (SP) resonances, which can be excited under normal incidence and optimised for specific application by tailoring array periodicity as well as nanovoid geometric shape. Fabricated SP sensor offers competitive sensitivity of about 1600 nm/RIU at a figure of merit of 12 in bulk refractive index tests, as well as allows for identification of gases and ultra-thin analyte layers making the sensor particularly useful for common bioassay experiments. Moreover, isolated nanovoids support strong electromagnetic field enhancement at lattice SP resonance wavelength, allowing for label-free molecular identification via surface-enhanced vibration spectroscopy.

Transport of carbon, major and trace element by rivers in permafrost-affected regions is one of the key factor of circumpolar aquatic ecosystem response to climate warming and permafrost thaw. While seasonal and annual export fluxes (yields) of carbon (C) and inorganic solutes are fairly well known for all large Arctic rivers, spatial variations in elementary concentration along the river length and among its tributaries remain poorly understood. Moreover, the landscape factors controlling riverine element concentration in permafrost-affected regions are still poorly constrained. This is especially true for the largest river of Eastern Siberia, the Lena River, which drains through continuous permafrost zones with highly variable lithology and vegetation. Here we present the results of C, major and trace element measurements over a 2600-km transect of the Lena River main stem (upper and middle reaches) including its 30 tributaries, conducted at the peak of the spring flood. There were two main group of solutes in the main stem depending on their spatial pattern: i) elements that decreased their concentrations downstream, from SW to NE (Cl, SO4, DIC, Li, B, Na, Mg, K, Ca, As, Sr, Mo, Sb, Ba and U), which probably reflected a decrease in the proportion of carbonate rocks in the watershed and the degree of groundwater feeding, and ii) elements that increased their concentrations downstream (Al, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ga, Rb, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, REEs, Hf and Th), which was tentatively linked to an increase in organic C stock in soils, larch forest coverage and enhanced mobilization of lithogenic elements from silicate soil minerals. Based on landscape parameters of Lena tributaries, we tested the impact of major environmental factors on major and trace element spatial pattern. Among all the variables, the proportion of sporadic permafrost on the watershed strongly controlled concentrations of soluble highly mobile elements (Cl, B, DIC, Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Mo, As and U). Another important factor of element concentration control in the Lena River tributaries was the coverage of watershed by light (B, Cl, Na, K, U) and deciduous (Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge, Rb, Zr, La, Th) needle-leaf forest (pine and larch). The latter, however, could also reflect the DOC-enhanced transport of low-soluble trace elements in the NW part of the basin. This part of the basin is dominated by silicate rocks and continuous permafrost, as compared to carbonate rock-dominated and groundwater-affected SW part of the Lena River basin. Overall, the impact of rock lithology and permafrost on major and trace solutes of the Lena River basin during the peak of spring flood was mostly detected at the scale of the main stem. Such an impact for tributaries was much less pronounced, because of the dominance of surface flow and lower hydrological connectivity with deep groundwater in the latter. Future changes in the river water chemistry linked to climate warming and permafrost thaw at the scale of the whole river basin are likely to be linked to changes in spatial pattern of dominant vegetation, rather than to the permafrost regime. We argue that comparable studies of large, permafrost-impacted rivers during most contrasting seasons, including winter baseflow, should allow efficient prediction of future changes in riverine ‘inorganic’ hydrochemistry induced by permafrost thaw.

The removal of harmful arsenic(V) from aqueous solutions using Cyanex 923 (solvation extractant) was investigated under various experimental variables: equilibration time, acidity of the aqueous phase, temperature, extractant and arsenic concentrations, and O/A ratio. Cyanex 923 extracted As(V) (and sulphuric acid) from acidic solutions, thus, its use to remove the metal from slightly acid or neutral solutions it is not possible. Extraction of arsenic is exothermic, and responded to the formation of H3AsO4·nL species in the organic phase (L represented the extractant and the stoichiometric factor n: 1 or 2, depends on the acidity of the aqueous phase). Extraction isotherms are derived from experimental results. Both arsenic and sulphuric acid loaded onto the organic phase can be stripped with water, and stripping isotherms are also derived from the experimental results. The selectivity of the system against the presence of other metals (Cu(II), Ni(II), Bi(III), Sb(III)) are investigated, and also it is investigated the ability of Cyanex 923 to extract As(V) and sulphuric acid against the use of other P=O based solvation reagents, such dibutyl butylphosphonate (DBBP) and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP).

A novel type of phosphazene containing additive that act both as catalyst and as flame retardant for benzoxazine binders is presented in this study. The synthesis of a derivative of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCP) and meta-toluidine was carried out in the medium of the latter, which made it possible to achieve complete substitution of chlorine atoms in the initial HCP. Thermal and flammability characteristics of modified compositions are revealed. The modifier catalyzes the process of curing and shifts the beginning of reaction from 222.0 C for pure benzoxazine to 205.9 C for composition with 10 phr of modifier. The additive decreases the glass transition temperature of compositions. Achievement of the highest category of flame resistance (V-0 in accordance with UL-94) is ensured both by increasing the content of phenyl residues in the composition and by the synergistic effect of phosphorus and nitrogen. Brief research of the curing kinetics disclosed the complex nature of the reaction. An accurate two-step model is obtained using extended Prout-Tompkins equation for both steps.

Elevated antimony concentrations in aqueous environments from anthropogenic sources is becoming of global concern, here iron oxides are known to strongly adsorb aqueous antimony species with different oxidation states, but the effect of silica on the removal characteristics is not well understood despite being a common component in the environment. In this study, ferrihydrite was synthesized at various Si/Fe molar ratios to investigate its adsorption and co-precipitation behaviors with aqueous antimony anionic species, Sb(III) and Sb(V). The XRD analyses of the precipitates showed two broad diffraction features at approximately 35° and 62° 2θ, which are characteristic of 2-line ferrihydrite, no significant shifts in peak positions in the ferrihydrite regardless of the Si/Fe ratios. The infrared spectra showed a sharp band at ~990 cm⁻¹, corresponding to asymmetric stretching vibrations of Si-O-Fe bonds which increased in intensity with increasing Si/Fe molar ratios. Further, the surface charge on the precipitates became more negative with increasing Si/Fe molar ratios. The adsorption experiments indicated that Sb(V) was preferentially adsorbed at acidic conditions and decreased dramatically with increasing pH while the adsorption rate of Sb(III) ions was independent of pH, however, the presence of silica suppressed the adsorption of both Sb(III) and Sb(V) ions. The results showed that Sb(III) and Sb(V) ions were significantly inhibited by co-precipitation with ferrihydrite even in the presence of silica by isomorphous substitution in the ferrihydrite crystal structure.

The work is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of damage accumulation in a polymer composite material (PCM) during fatigue loading. Mechanical testing of a fiberglass sample was carried out by cyclic tension accompanied by registration of acoustic emission (AE). For the recorded AE signals, the Fourier spectra were calculated and used for clustering with Kohonen self-organizing map. Relations between clusters and types of damage in the PCM structure were established. The analysis of the peak frequencies of the Daubechies D14-wavelet components of AE signals was carried out. Obtained results has allows one to describe the processes of destruction in the PCM sample. It has been established that, on the base of local formation of microdamages in the matrix and the fracture of the fibers detected during recording of the AE data, it is possible to predict the destruction of the polymer composite material, while the beginning of a material destruction can be registered if the damage identified as an adhesion failure is observed. Perspectives of application of adaptive fiber-optic AE sensors for structural monitoring of PCMs on the base of preliminary experimental results are considered and discussed.

Vertical III-V semiconductor nanowires have shown promising absorption of light for solar cell and photodetector applications. The absorption properties can be tuned through the choice of III-V materials and geometry of the nanowires. Here, we review recent progress in the design of the absorption properties of both individual nanowires and nanowire arrays. Future directions for the research field are proposed.

Metal hyperaccumulating plants should have extremely efficient defence mechanisms, enabling growth and development in a polluted environment. Brassica species are known to display hyperaccumulation capability. Brassica juncea (Indiana mustard) v. Malopolska plants were exposed to trace elements, i.e., cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), at a concentration of 50 M and were then harvested after 96 hours for analysis. We observed a high index of tolerance (IT), higher than 90%, for all B. juncea plants treated with the four metals, and we showed that Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn accumulation was higher in the above-ground parts than in the roots. We estimated the metal effects on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the levels of protein oxidation as well as on the activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The obtained results indicate that organo-specific ROS generation was higher in plants exposed to essential metal elements (i.e., Cu and Zn), compared with non-essential ones (i.e., Cd and Pb), in conjunction with SOD, CAT and APX activity and expression at the level of encoding mRNAs and existing proteins. In addition to the potential usefulness of B. juncea in the phytoremediation process, the data provide important information concerning plant response to the presence of trace metals.

It has been reported that Sclerotium nivale Elenev causes winter damage (Sclerotium disease) to winter rye and turfgrass in the European part of Russia, Ukraine, and Estonia. This fungal name is invalid, and their biological characteristics are limited. Since all reports on this fungus and their disease are written in Russian and Estonian without our recent review (Tkachenko 2013), few phytopathologists outside the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics know about this fungus. We found symptoms of Sclerotium disease in Moscow, Russia, and we obtained asexual spore-forming ascomycetous (absent clamp connections) and basidiomycetous (had clamp connections) isolates from their white sclerotia. “S. nivale” was composed of several fungal species of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. The ascomycetous isolate had the ability to grow under the snow cover, and phylogenic analysis suggested that the ascomycetous isolate had high homology (98–99%) with genera of Karstenula and Paraphaeosphaeria. We previously reported sclerotia of Typhula sp. were formed ca. 2 weeks to 1 month after the snow melt, remained immature as mycelial aggregations after snow melt, and matured without snow. In addition, Paraphaeosphaeria included sclerotium parasites such as P. minitans. Several cold-adapted fungi infected basidiomycetous sclerotia of Typhula spp. and others. These findings suggested that ascomycetous S. nivale was the possibility of the mycoparasite under the snow.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) holds significant therapeutic potential by silencing target genes through RNA interference. Current clinical applications of siRNA have been primarily limited to liver diseases, while achievements in delivery methods are expanding its applications to various organs, including the lungs. Cholesterol-conjugated siRNA emerges as a promising delivery approach due to its low toxicity and high efficiency. This study focuses on developing a cholesterol-conjugated anti-Il6 siRNA and the evaluation of its potency for the potential treatment of inflammatory diseases using the example of acute lung injury (ALI). The biological activities of different Il6-targeted siRNAs containing chemical modifications were evaluated in J774 cells in vitro. The lead cholesterol-conjugated anti-Il6 siRNA after intranasal instillation demonstrated dose-dependent therapeutic effects in a mouse model of ALI induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The treatment significantly reduced Il6 mRNA levels, inflammatory cell infiltration, and the severity of lung inflammation. IL6 silencing by cholesterol-conjugated siRNA proves to be a promising strategy for treating inflammatory diseases, with potential applications beyond the lungs.

(1) The article is devoted to the development of a theoretical and algorithmic basis for numerical modeling of the spontaneous potential method (SP) as applied to the study of sandy-argillaceous reservoirs. (2) In terms of coupled flows, we consider a physical-mathematical model of SP signals from an electrochemical source, with regard to the case of fluid-saturated shaly sandstone. (3) An algorithm for 2D finite-element modeling of SP signals was developed and implemented in software, along with its internal and external testing with analytical solutions. The numerical SP modeling was carried out, with determining the dependences on the reservoir thickness and porosity, the amount of argillaceous material and the type of minerals. We performed a comparative analysis of the simulated and field SP data, using the results of laboratory core examinations taken from wells in a number of fields in the Latitudinal Ob Region of Western Siberia. (4) The results of the study may be used either for the development of the existing SP techniques, by providing them with a consistent computational model, or for the design of new experimental approaches.

In this paper we develop a forecasting algorithm for recurrent patterns in consumer demand. We study this problem in two different settings: pull and push models. We discuss several features of the algorithm concerning sampling, periodic approximation, denoising and forecasting.

The current study aims to develop a methodology for obtaining topology-optimal structures made of short fiber-reinforced polymers, which include the fluid-structure interaction. Accounting for the molding process during the internal iterations of topology optimization makes it possible to enhance the weight efficiency of structures—a crucial aspect, especially in aerospace. Anisotropy is considered through the fiber orientation tensor, which is modeled by solving the plastic molding equations for non-Newtonian fluids, and then introduced as a variable of the stiffness matrix during the structural analysis. The materials used were non-linearly modeled using an exponential-and-linear hardening law. The evaluation of weight efficiency in structures composed of short-reinforced composite materials using a dimensionless criterion is addressed. Experimental verification was performed to confirm the validity of the developed methodology. The evidence illustrates that considering anisotropy leads to stiffer structures and structural elements should be oriented in the direction of maximal stiffness. The load-carrying factor can be expressed in terms of failure criteria. The presented multidisciplinary methodology can be used to improve the quality of the design of structures made of short fiber-reinforced composites (SFRC) where high stiffness, high strength, and minimum mass are the primary required structural characteristics.

Practically important properties of real liquids, including seawater, are their nonlinear properties, which include a nonlinear acoustic parameter, as well as cavitation strength – a rupture of the continuity of a liquid at high intensities in an acoustic wave. The manifestation of nonlinear effects is greatly facilitated by the presence of various nuclei in the liquid – gas bubbles, foreign particles, and other inclusions of various origins. For practical applications, it is important to study the properties of real liquids with inclusions in them. Due to the difficulties of measuring cavitation strength by acoustic methods, other methods are being sought. It is proposed to use an optoacoustic method associated with the use of laser radiation that causes optical breakdown - optical cavitation, that accompanied by a strong sound generation effect. The connection between optical breakdown thresholds and acoustic cavitation thresholds has been established, which can later be used to identify cavitation thresholds at high static pressures (at great depths in the sea), where the use of acoustic emitters is extremely difficult. The paper studies the bubble size distribution function in seawater, combined with studies of the acoustic nonlinearity parameter and cavitation strength at various depths. The interrelation of these characteristics for seawater is shown.

Veratrum californicum is a rich source of steroidal alkaloids such as cyclopamine, a known inhibitor of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Here we provide a detailed analysis of the alkaloid composition of V. californicum by plant part through quantitative analysis of cyclopamine, veratramine, muldamine and isorubijervine in the leaf, stem and root/rhizome of the plant. To determine if additional alkaloids in the extracts contribute to Hh signaling inhibition, we replicated the concentrations of these alkaloids observed in extracts using commercially available standards and compared the inhibitory potential of the extracts to alkaloid standard mixtures using Shh-Light II cells. Alkaloid combinations enhanced Hh signaling pathway antagonism compared to cyclopamine alone, and significant differences were observed in the Hh pathway inhibition between the stem and root/rhizome extracts and their corresponding alkaloid standard mixtures, indicating that additional alkaloids present in these extracts contribute to Hh signaling inhibition.

Integrated ultra-low-loss waveguides are highly desired for integrated photonics to enable applications that require long delay lines, high-Q resonators, narrow filters, etc. Here we present an ultra-low-loss silicon waveguide on 500 nm thick SOI platform. Meter-scale delay lines, million-Q resonators and tens of picometer bandwidth grating filters are experimentally demonstrated. We design a low-loss low-reflection taper to seamlessly integrate the ultra-low-loss waveguide with standard heterogeneous Si/III-V integrated photonics platform to allow realization of high-performance photonic devices such as ultra-low-noise lasers and optical gyroscopes.

A new method for the synthesis of azido-propargyloxy derivatives of 1,3,5-triazine has been developed. The antibacterial activity against E. coli bacteria of propargyloxy substituted 1,3,5-triazines - 2,4,6-trispropargyloxy-1,3,5-triazine, 2-azido-4,6-bispropargyloxy-1,3,5-triazine and 2,4-diazido-6-propargyloxy-1,3,5-triazine and their hyperbranched polymers. It has been shown that the presence of an azide group in the compound directly affects the antibacterial activity. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against the M-HeLa, FetMSC and Vero cell lines was studied. The IC50 value was determined for low molecular weight compounds. It has been shown that hyperbranched polymers without azide groups don’t exhibit pronounced cytotoxicity and can be used in biomedical applications.

Thanks to several Vitis vinifera backcrosses with an initial V. vinifera L. × V. rotundifolia (previously Muscadinia rotundifolia) interspecific cross, the MrRUN1/MrRPV1 locus (resistance to downy and powdery mildews) was introgressed in genotypes phenotypically close to V. vinifera varieties. To check the consequences of introgressing parts of the V. rotundifolia genome on gene expression during fruit development, we conducted a comparative RNA-seq study on single berries from different V. vinifera cultivars and V. vinifera × V. rotundifolia hybrids, including ‘G5’ and two derivative microvine lines, ‘MV102’ (resistant) and ‘MV32’ (susceptible) segregating for the MrRUN1/RPV1 locus. RNA-Seq profiles were analyzed on a comprehensive set of single berries from the end of the herbaceous plateau to the ripe stage. Pair-end reads were aligned both on V. vinifera PN40024.v4 reference genome, V. rotundifolia cv ‘Trayshed’ and cv ‘Carlos’, and to the few resistance genes from the original V. rotundifolia cv ‘52’ parent available at NCBI. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) led to classifying the differentially expressed genes into 15 modules either preferentially correlated with resistance or berry phenology and composition. Resistance positively correlated transcripts predominantly mapped on the 4-5 Mb distal region of V. rotundifolia chromosome 12 beginning with the MrRUN1/MrRPV1 locus, while the negatively correlated ones mapped on the orthologous V. vinifera region, showing this large extremity of LG12 remained recalcitrant to internal recombination during the successive backcrosses. Some constitutively expressed V. rotundifolia genes were also observed at lower density outside this region. Genes overexpressed in developing berries from resistant accessions, either introgressed from V. rotundifolia, or triggered by these in the vinifera genome, spanned various functional groups, encompassing calcium signal transduction, hormone signaling, transcription factors, plant–pathogen-associated interactions, disease resistance proteins, ROS and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. This transcriptomic insight provides a foundation for understanding the disease resistance inherent in these hybrid cultivars and suggests a constitutive expression of NIR NBS LRR triggering calcium signaling. Moreover, these results illustrate the magnitude of transcriptomic changes caused by the introgressed V. rotundifolia background in backcrossed hybrids, on a large number of functions largely exceeding the ones constitutively expressed in single resistant gene transformants.