Cytokinesis is accomplished in higher plants by the phragmoplast, creating and conducting the cell plate, to separate daughter nuclei by a new cell wall. The microtubule-severing enzyme p60-katanin plays an important role in the centrifugal expansion and timely disappearance of phragmoplast microtubules. Consequently, aberrant structure and delayed expansion rate of the phragmoplast occur in p60-katanin mutants. Here, the consequences of p60-katanin malfunction in cell plate/daughter wall formation were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while deviations in the chemical composition of cell plate/new cell wall were identified by immunolabeling and confocal microscopy, in root cells of the fra2 Arabidopsis thaliana mutant. It was found that, apart from defective phragmoplast microtubule organization, cell plates/new cell walls appeared also faulty in structure, being unevenly thick and perforated by large gaps. In addition, demethylesterified homogalacturonans were prematurely present in fra2 cell plates, while callose content was significantly lower than in the wild-type. Furthermore, KNOLLE syntaxin disappeared from newly formed cell walls in fra2 earlier than in the wild-type. Taken together, these observations indicate that delayed cytokinesis, due to faulty phragmoplast organization and expansion, results in a loss of synchronization between cell plate growth and its chemical maturation.

Tissue clearing methods combined with confocal microscopy have been widely used for studying developmental biology. In plants, ClearSee is a reliable clearing method that is applicable to a wide range of tissues and is suitable for gene expression analysis using fluorescent reporters, but its application to the Arabidopsis thaliana embryo, a model system to study morphogenesis and pattern formation, has not been described in the original literature. Here we describe a ClearSee-based clearing protocol, which is suitable for obtaining 3D images of Arabidopsis thaliana embryos. The method consists of embryo dissection, fixation, washing, clearing, and cell wall staining, and enables high quality 3D imaging of embryo morphology and expression of a fluorescent reporter with the cellular resolution.

Two pilot scale desalination system employing carbon modified nano-sized, zero valent metals (n-ZVM) were maufactured and tested to determine (1) the degree to which high salt water (20 to 130 mS) could be desalinated and (2) if this degree of desalination could be maintained throughout an extended treatment period. Two pilot systems were tested (referred to as Generation 1 and Generation 2) consisting of parallel lines of 4 individual reactors in series, a settling tank and an activated carbon cell at the end of each reactor line. The system capacity was 300 gal in Generation 1 and 600 gal in Generation 2 total with a total hydraulic residence time of 6 hours per reactor line (one hour per cell/tank). A slurry of n-ZVM was introduced in the first reactor on each line to yield approximately 5 to 45 grams of nano-metal per 100 L of influent salt water. The n-ZVM slurry was made from mixing tea extract with metal salts (eg ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride) to produce the carbon modified metal slurry. Initial runs focused on dosing required to achieve maximum salt removal at each of three influent salt contents, 28 mS, 44 mS and 123 mS. Once dosing was set, continuous runs (14 days, 23 days and 9 days) were carried out to (1) examine the ability of the pilot to maintain the removal efficiency over an extended period, (2) to determine the weaknesses inherent in the pilot systems, and (3) to begin to develop CAPEX and OPEX estimates for the pilot and pre-design full scale mobile desalination unit (MDU) system. Results demonstrated that maximum removal occurred with 10 g/100L of salt for the 30 mS salt solution,16 g/100 L of salt for the 40 mS influent water and 40 g/100 L for the 130 mS influent. Salt removal (expressed as Na and Cl removed) approached 78% for the 30 mS influent and 41 mS influent respectively while removal for the highest salt influent (130 mS) approached 81 %. Addition of greater amounts of carbon modified slurry than those described resulted in a pH less than 6 which inhibits continued salt removal and would require addition of calcium or magnesium oxides/hydroxides or bicarbonate solutions at the influent side to achieve greater salt removal and of course greater cost per gallon. Continuous operation over the extended time-period showed no significant decrease in salt removal with typical day to day variation of no more than 10% suggesting that this approach to desalination could rapidly provide usable water from saline aquifers, seawater or even produced water. Treatment of saline waters at 30 mS or less yields effluent water in the range necessary for irrigation use of many crops while treatment of seawater or produced water levels of salt (40 mS or higher) yields effluent in the range of 8 to 10 mS a range ideal for RO influent that would prevent the production of large volumes of brine. Pilot testing continues with seawater extracted from Puget Sound, Seattle WA and higher levels of salt to better represent produced water.

Nowadays there is a need to increase the density of interconnections on printed circuit boards (PCBs). Does this mean that the only way out for quality PCB manufacturing is to proportional increase in precision of equipment, or is there another way? One of the main constraints to increasing the density of PCB interconnections is the transition holes. As the number of conductive layers increases, the number of vias increases and they cover a significant space on the PCB. On the other hand, reducing the size of the vias is limited by the capability of spatial alignment of the PCB stack during manufacturing. There are standards that set limits for the design of contact pads on a PCB (IPC-A-600G, IPC-6012B). However, depending on the precision of production, the contact pads may be of poor quality. This raises the issue of determining the reliability of a contact pad with defined parameters at the design stage, taking into account manufacturing capabilities. This research proposes an analytical method for evaluation of reliability of a via or plated through-hole based on calculation of its probability of production in accordance with the current standards. On the basis of the method a model was developed both for the case of a contact pad without any conductors connected to it (nonfunctional contact pad) and for the real case with a connected conductor. The model estimates the probability of making an acceptable via for a given reliability class depending on parameters such as the conductor width (minimum permissible and usable), drilled hole diameter and pad diameter, as well as the accuracy of the drilling operation. The analysis of the modeling results showed that for the real case, a reduction in the reliability class would insignificantly affect the probability of making an acceptable via due to the tight limitation on the connection place of the conductor and the contact pad. In conclusion, we propose an algorithm for determining the optimal parameters of teardrops to minimize the negative impact of the conductor on the reliability of the vias.

Background: The rise of cloud computing has led to the increasing number of organizations that rely on it for various tasks and services, such as education, healthcare, and e-commerce. Unfortunately, many security threats can be caused by the sudden use of cloud platforms. Objective: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of these threats and how they can be mitigated. Many companies are moving toward cloud computing to sustain their business growth and provide their employees with the best possible work environment. Results: Due to the rise of cyber security threats and the unprecedented number of breaches of data, small and medium-sized enterprises are also starting to take a huge leap. The outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the lives of people all around the world. Conclusion: Due to the seriousness of the situation, the WHO has declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency. To minimize the spread of the virus, the entire world has started adopting social distancing

(1) Background If placenta percreta (PP) is suspected, one should take into account ultrasound and MRI data, which allow one to assess not only the depth of invasion of the placenta into the myometrium, but also the degree of involvement of the blood vessels of the uteroplacental region and the pelvis, the formation of adhesions and collaterals between organs as well; (2) Methods: The patient with suspected PP was examined by ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination. Histological study was performed on paraffin sections (hematoxylin & eosin, Mallory staining); cytotrophoblast was detected with antibodies to cytokeratin-8; (3) Results MRI and ultrasound examinations showed placental invasion extending beyond the serous lining of the uterus involving the posterior wall of the bladder. Elective abdominal delivery was performed at 37 weeks. Surgical excision of the uterine wall with invaded villi and involved fibrous bladder wall were performed. Histological study revealed invasive cytotrophoblast cells in the uterine wall located up to adventitia of the uterine subserosal vessels only. Thinning of the uterine wall up to the serous membrane was detected; (4) Conclusions: Placental villi and trophoblast extended beyond the uterus is not histology equivalent to placenta percreta. To diagnose PP instrumental visualization methods should be used.

As the control brain of the petrochemical plant, blast resistant performance requirements of the petrochemical control room should be guaranteed when the vapor cloud explosion occurs in the petrochemical production process. 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich structure is a kind of blast resistant material with high energy absorption. Considering the influence factors of the radius of the truss core rod and thickness of the upper and lower panels, in this paper, blast resistant performance of a real steel petrochemical control room with 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich wall is analyzed. With the optimization goal of plastic deformation energy and panel displacement, the optimal wall thickness and radius of the truss core rode are obtained. The optimized blast resistant wall is assembled, and the dynamic response of the steel petrochemical control room with the 3D-Kagome truss core sandwich blast resistant wall is analyzed. The simulation results show that the truss core layer does not dissipate the blast energy effectively when the radius ratio of the truss core rod is larger than 2.7% of the total thickness of the wall; with the increase of the thickness of the upper and lower panels, the proportion of plastic deformation energy of the truss core layer increases gradually and then tends to be a stable proportion value, that is about 90%; When the thickness ratio of the panel is 6.7% of the total one of the wall and the radius ratio of the truss core rod is 2.7% of the total thickness of the wall, the optimal blast resistant 3D-Kagome sandwich wall is determined.

This paper focused on the finite element analysis of structural system in extreme loading condition. Two different stud shape and thicknesses were analyzed under blast. The stud thickness such as 1.19 mm and 1.5 mm were modelled and analyzed using ABAQUS 6.14. FEM is a tool which predicts the engineering physics of the real structure. To validate the finite element modelling performed by authors, a reference work published by earlier researchers on cold-formed steel stud wall is considered and examined in the present study. The novelty of this study was web corrugation and influence of flange width on stud. The models mimic like an air bag in a car to delay the pressure timing inside the stud wall. The mass of explosive used as 1.56 kg at a standard scaled distance. Time versus displacement was captured out at four locations in the stud wall. One of the objectives is to develop mathematical model to validate the deformation of stud under blast loading. Two mathematical models were validated using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The results captured in ANN model was error histogram, regression plot, best performance fit and training data. The models were capable of resisting the moderate blast load. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to evaluate model performance Regression equations are useful for predicting future trends and outcomes, which is crucial for planning and decision-making. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate cold-formed steel stud walls with varying stud sizes under blast loading using finite element analysis and validated by ANN and RSM.

The uneven immunogenicity of the attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine has created the diffi-culty to achieve a balanced protection against all four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV). To overcome this problem, non-replicative-based vaccines have come into focus as their immuno-genicity is adjustable. This approach is excellent for multivalent vaccines but commonly faces the issue of low immunogenicity. In this present study, we developed a non-replicating dengue vaccine composing of UV-inactivated dengue-2 virus (UV-DENV2) and DENV-2 NS1-279 protein encapsidated within nanoparticles. This vaccine candidate was administered in the presence of BCG cell wall cytoskeleton (BCG-CWS) as an adjuvant. We revealed, here, that encapsidated immunogens with BCG-CWS exerted potent activities on both B and T cells and elicited Th-1/Th-2 responses in mice. This was evidenced by strong neutralizing antibody activity with an unde-tectable antibody enhancing activity in a group of mice receiving encapsidated immunogens with BCG-CWS. Importantly, BCG-CWS significantly augmented antibody-mediated comple-ment-fixing activity, strongly stimulated the antigen-specific polyfunctional T cell responses as well as activated mixed Th-1/Th-2 responses specific to DENV2- and NS1-279 antigens. In conclu-sion, BCG-CWS potently adjuvanted the inactivated DENV-2 and subunit DENV immunogens. The mechanism of adjuvanticity remains unclear. This study revealed the potential use of BCG-CWS in vaccine development.

This study was first time designed to investigate the effect of oxidation on protein digestion and transport properties in boiled sea cucumber body wall (BSCBW) via simulated digestion combine with everted-rat-gut-sac models. Boiling heat treatments led to protein oxidation in SCBW, manifested by increases in free radical intensity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, carbonyl groups, disulfide bonds, dityrosine bonds, advanced glycation end products, protein hydrophobicity and aggregation, declines in free sulfhydryl group, and secondary structure transition from α-helix to β-sheet. Boiling for 2 h caused the anti-digestion collagen unfolding, provided the action site for protease, and improved the protein digestion and transport levels. On the contrary, excessive oxidative modification of 4 h-BSCBW resulted in decreased protein digestion and transport levels. From the perspective of texture, digestion and transport properties, boiling for 2 h can obtain sea cucumber products with better edible and digestible properties, which is considered to be a better processing condition.

The Sun is a frame at relative rest in which sunlight travels at the emitted speed c. Earth travels at the revolving speed v in this frame. The reflection of light as a mechanical phenomenon applies to the modified Michelson interferometer employed by Miller in his experiments with light from the Sun. Unlike the Tomaschek experiments, which use light from stars that may travel in the Universe at velocities different from that of the Sun, the fringe shifts in the Miller experiments are predictable. Based on Michelson's derivation, Miller expected in his experiments at Mount Wilson a 1.12 fringe shift and observed a fringe shift of 0.08 in 1921 and 0.088 in 1925. The reflection of light as a mechanical phenomenon predicts zero fringe shift for Miller's experiment agreeing only with his observations at the Cleveland laboratory in 1924.

This article presents raw data of biaxial tensile measurements of rat heart passive myocardium conducted in lab scale environment. The passive myocardium of the rat was divided into three regions, namely: left ventricle, mid-wall and right ventricle. The biaxial dataset of passive rat myocardia is presented as stress vs strain of the passive rat myocardium in various regions. The determination of valid material properties of the heart plays an important role in the development computational models. These computational models are useful in studying various scenarios and mechanisms of heart diseases. In addition, valid and accurate materials are critical in the development of new therapies. The dataset presented here is useful in the area of soft tissue mechanics including studying the mechanisms of heart diseases such as myocardial infarction. Accordingly, the evaluation of stress and strain in left ventricle, mid-wall and right ventricle was performed.

In thermal friction drilling (TFD) operations, the geometrical dimensions of bushing shape, height and wall thickness are the most vital consequences, due to increasing the connecting length and strength. In this paper, AA7075-T651 aluminum alloys with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm in thicknesses were drilled with TFD process in order to investigate the density, the volume ratio, and height and wall thickness of the bushings. The experiments were conducted at constant spindle speed and feed rate conditions by using HSS conical tools of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm in diameters. It was experimentally found that the bushing height and the wall thickness were tendency of increase linearly with increasing both material thickness and tool diameter. The effect of tool diameter was found to have much of influence on the measured values than the thickness of the drilled material. The density of the bushing was changed inconsiderably. Approximately 70-75 % percentages of the evacuated material composed the bushing shape, in TFD operations.

Banana wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) is a devastating fungal disease. Biocontrol strategies owned immense potential in inhibiting the spread of Foc TR4. Here, thirty actinobacteria were isolated from soils and screened for their antagonistic activity against Foc TR4. Strain SCA4-21T exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activity against nine phytopathogenic fungi including Foc TR4. The strain was identified as the genus Streptomyces according to phenotypic characteristics and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis. Multi-locus sequence analysis based on five house-keeping gene alleles (atpD, gyrB, recA, rpoB, and trpB) revealed that strain SCA4-21T clustered into S. hygroscopicus subsp. hygroscopicus NBRC 13472T with 100% of bootstrap value. Average nucleotide identity and dDDH were 98.49% and 44.30% above the threshold of novel species. Hence, strain SCA 4-21T represented a novel species within the genus Streptomyces, named as Streptomyces luomodiensis sp. nov.. The type strain is SCA4-21T (=GDMCC4.340T= JCM36555T). By the CAZymes analysis, 348 carbohydrate-active enzymes were detected, including 15 chitinases and 8 β-1,3-glucanases. The fermentation broth of strain SCA4-21T showed high activities of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase, contributing to the antifungal activity. Our results showed an innovative potential biocontrol agent for managing plant fungal diseases, specifically banana fusarium wilt.

Windows account for a significant proportion of the total energy lost in buildings. The interaction of window type, Window-to-Wall Ratio (WWR) scheduled and window placement height would influence the natural lighting and heat transfer through windows. This is a pressing issue for non-tropical regions considering their high emissions and distinct climatic characteristics. A limitation exists in the adoption of common simulation-based optimisation approaches in the literature, which are hardly accessible to practitioners. This article develops a numerical-based window design optimisation model using a common Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform adopted throughout the industry, focusing on non-tropical regions of Australia. Three objective functions are proposed; the first objective is to maximize the available daylight, and the other two emphasize on the undesirable heat transfer through windows in summer and winter respectively. The developed model is tested on a case study located in Sydney, Australia, and a set of Pareto-optimum solutions is obtained. Through the use of the proposed model, energy savings of up to 16.43% are achieved. Key findings on the case example indicate that leveraging winter heat gain to reduce annual energy consumption should not be the top priority when designing windows for Sydney.

Background: The purpose was to develop a novel hypothetical method to increase the size of coronary arteries. Methods: In the long-term observation the coronary sizes were dilated in three unexpected scenarios. The coronary artery sizes were observed in patients with mitral stenosis (n=59) by angiogram prior to percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty or valve replacement surgery for severe mitral stenosis. The coronaries of patients with patent ductus arteriosus who underwent surgical closure in the past (n=12) were examined by echocardiogram. Patients with renal failure on long-term dialysis through peripheral arterio-venous fistula without left ventricular hypertrophy (n=17) were studied by echocardiography. Normal age, weight and sex matched coronary sizes served as controls in the study. All these observations were made over a period of 11.5 years. Results: The sizes of coronaries in patients with mitral stenosis, patients who underwent closure for patent ductus arteriosus, and in patients on hemodialysis through arteriovenous fistulas were higher than normal controls (p<0.05, for all). A hypothetical model to increase the coronary sizes could be developed based on the analysis of the differential equations of Poiseuille’s. The proposed method is creating a peripheral arterio-venous fistula, which could be closed later electively by a percutaneous method/surgery. The closure time needs to be determined by experimental studies. The other methods could be a continuous exercise program or usage of beta-blockers. Conclusion: A novel hypothetical method of peripheral arteriovenous fistula formation could potentially increase the size of the coronaries, and this could be closed later.

Serious damage caused by floor heave in the coal given chamber of a vertical coal bunker is one of the challenges faced in underground coal mines. Engineering practice shows that it is more difficult to maintain the coal given chamber (CGC) than a roadway. More importantly, repairing the CGC during mining practice will pose major safety risks and reduce production. Based on the case of the serious collapse that occurred in the bearing structure of the CGC at the lower part of the 214# coal bunker in Xiashijie mine, China, this work analysed (i) the main factors influencing floor heave and (ii) the failure mechanism of the load-bearing structure in the CGC using FLAC^2D numerical models and expansion experiment. The analysis results indicate that: the floor heave, caused mainly by mine water, is the basic reason leading to the instability and repeated failure of the CGC in the 214# coal bunker. Then a new coal bunker, without building the CGC, is proposed and put into practice to replace the 214# coal bunker. The FLAC^3D software program is adopted to establish the numerical model of the wall-mounted coal bunker (WMCB), and the stability of the rock surrounding the WMCB is simulated and analysed. The results show that: (1) the rock surrounding the sandstone segment is basically stable. (2) The surrounding rock in the coal seam segment, which moves into the inside of the bunker, is the main zone of deformation for the entire rock mass surrounding the bunker. Then the surrounding rock is controlled effectively by means of high-strength bolt–cable combined supporting technology. According to the geological conditions of the WMCB, the self-bearing system, which includes (i) H-steel beams, (ii) H-steel brackets, and (iii) self-locking anchor cables, is established and serves as a substitute for the CGC to transfer the whole weight of the bunker to stable surrounding rock. The stability of the new coal bunker has been verified by field testing, and the coal mine has gained economic benefit to a value of 158.026174 million RMB over three years. The new WMCB thus made production more effective and can provide helpful references for construction of vertical bunkers under similar geological conditions.

This article discusses how, in today’s world of disruptive and dramatic social change (DSC), non-sports related coaching, which includes a wide range of services such as life coaching, career coaching, executive coaching, and team coaching, can inadvertently fuel undesirable social dynamics. There is little or no awareness of this risk among coaches and coachees. The global, fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar industry aimed at supporting people and organisations to perform better and increase wellbeing while managing and adapting to change has been developed with limited sociological input. The article is based on 15 years of social constructionist-informed reflective practice by a sociologist-turned-coach, and uses a multi-layered autoethnographic account to argue for a sociologically informed paradigm shift in coaching, as well as relevant sociological knowledge and social and human sciences research methodology in coaches’ education. It presents the rationale and key features of a new coaching approach that places DSC-relevant sociological concepts at the heart of the coaching process, helps people develop psycho-sociological awareness, and uses a learning-to-develop through research design. A new definition of coaching to address DSC is derived. Coaching practitioners will find DSC-relevant sociological concepts, critical reflections, coaching questions, and procedures to expand coaching effectiveness. Interdisciplinary research topics combining coaching sociology and coaching psychology are suggested.

The internet of things and growing demand for smaller and advanced devices has created the problem of high heat production in the electronic equipment which greatly reduces the work performance and life of the electronic instruments. Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are placed in between heat generating micro-chip and the heat dissipater to conduct all the produced heat to the heat sink. Development of suitable TIMs with excellent thermal conductivity (TC) in both in-plane and through-plane directions is a very important need at present. For efficient thermal management, polymer composites are potential candidates. But in general their thermal conductivity is low compared to that of metals. The filler integration into the polymer matrix is one of the two approaches used to increase the thermal conductivity of polymer composites and is also easy to scale up for industrial production. Another way to achieve this is to change the structure of polymer chains, which fall out of the scope of this work. In this review, considering the first approach, the authors have summarized recent development in many types of fillers with different scenarios by providing multiple cases with successful strategies to improve through-plane thermal conductivity (TPTC) (K⊥). For better understanding of TC the comprehensive background is also presented. In the end, it is given a detailed conclusion which provides drawbacks of some filler, multiple significant routes recommended by other researchers to build Thermally Conductive Polymer Composites, future aspects along with direction so that the researchers can get a guideline to design an effective polymer based Thermal interface materials. A number of methods to improve the effective (out-plane) thermal conductivity of polymer composites are also discussed.

Driven by environmental sustainability concerns, the integration of biobased components in curtain wall systems is gaining traction in both research and the construction market. This paper explores the development and validation of a bio-based façade system within the Basajaun H2020 project. The project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of introducing environmentally friendly bio-based components into the mature curtain wall façade industry. The paper focuses on identifying technological solutions for replacing key components such as profiles, insulation, and the tightness system with bio-based and less environmental impact alternatives presenting the results achieved in the façade system design of the Basajaun project funded by European Union. These solutions aimed at creating a bio-composite-based curtain wall façade that adheres to current building envelope standards and normative; to implement diverse façade typologies for vision panels, opaque sections, and integrated windows; to engineer the prefabrication process for industrialization, enabling wider market replication and simplified transport and installation. The results demonstrate that the Basajaun façade successfully integrates selected components and meets the performance requirements set by regulations. However, questions remain regarding the workability of bio-based profiles as a commercially viable, ready-to-market solution that can replace traditional aluminum profiles in the curtain wall façade industry.

Keywords: Wall-like RC columns; Strengthening; FRP; NSM rebars; Steel plates; Testing; FE modeling; Preloading.

Applications in security and electronic surveillance require combination of excellent magnetic softness with good mechanical and anti-corrosive properties and low dimensionality. We overviewed the properties of soft magnetic glass-coated microwires and different post-processing making them quite attractive for electronic article surveillance and security applications. We studied the magnetostatic interaction between the microwires and routes to tune the non-linear hysteresis loops by using the arrays of different types of amorphous microwires. The presence of neighbouring microwire (either Fe or Co-based) significantly affects the hysteresis loop of the whole microwires array. In a microwires array containing magnetically bistable microwires we observed splitting of the initially rectangular hysteresis loop with a number of Barkhausen jumps correlated with the number of magnetically bistable microwires. Essentially, non-linear and irregular hysteresis loops have been observed in mixed arrays containing Fe and Co-rich microwires. The observed non-linearity in hysteresis loops allowed to increase the harmonics and tune their magnetic field dependencies. Non-linear hysteresis loops have been also observed upon devitrification of amorphous microwires. On the other hand, several routes allowing to tune the switching field by either post-processing or modifying the magnetoelastic anisotropy have been reviewed. Observed unique combination of magnetic properties together with thin dimensions and excellent mechanical and anti-corrosive properties provide excellent perspectives for the use of glass-coated microwires for security and electronic surveillance applications.

In line with Pomeau’s conjecture about the relevance of directed percolation (DP) to turbulence onset/decay in wall-bounded flows, we propose a minimal stochastic model dedicated to the interpretation of the spatially intermittent regimes observed in channel flow before its return to laminar flow. Numerical simulations show that a regime with bands obliquely drifting in two stream-wise symmetrical directions bifurcates into an asymmetrical regime, before ultimately decaying to laminar flow. The model is expressed in terms of a probabilistic cellular automaton evolving von Neumann neighbourhoods with probabilities educed from a close examination of simulation results. It implements band propagation and the two main local processes: longitudinal splitting involving bands with the same orientation, and transversal splitting giving birth to a daughter band with orientation opposite to that of its mother. The ultimate decay stage observed to display one-dimensional DP properties in a two-dimensional geometry is interpreted as resulting from the irrelevance of lateral spreading in the single-orientation regime. The model also reproduces the bifurcation restoring the symmetry upon variation of the probability attached to transversal splitting, which opens the way to a study of the critical properties of that bifurcation, in analogy with thermodynamic phase transitions.

In this study, the multi-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method is applied to investigate the oscillatory instability of lid-driven flows in two-dimensional semi-elliptical cavities with different vertical to horizontal aspect ratios K in the range of 1.0--3.0. The program implemented in this study is parallelized using CUDA (compute unified device architecture), a parallel computing platform, and computations are carried out on NVIDIA Tesla K40c GPU. To carry out precise calculations, the CUDA algorithm is extensively investigated, and its parallel efficiency indicates that the maximum speedup is 47.6 times faster. Furthermore, the steady--oscillatory Reynolds numbers are predicted by implementing the CUDA-based programs. The amplitude coefficient is defined to quantify the time-dependent oscillation of the velocity magnitude at the monitoring point. The simulation results indicate that the transition Reynolds numbers correlate negatively with the aspect ratio of the semi-elliptical cavity, and are smaller than those of the rectangular cavity at the same aspect ratio. In addition, the detailed vortex structures of the semi-elliptical cavity within a single period are also investigated when the Reynolds number is larger than the steady--oscillatory value to determine the effects of periodic oscillation of the velocity magnitude.

Aim of expressional space is to facilitate the public to explore their hobby and talent in autodidact. The space for expression in Makassar City is necessary for the mural artist and the youngsters who has a hobby to play a skateboard. Their talent is insufficient attention by the government and create negative attitude because there no space to accommodate their activity. Therefore, this paper presents a design idea of expressional space by implementing the architectural geometry. The architectural geometry design principle is based on simple geometry form application as a realization of form from the space. An experience of the space for the user realizes by the relationship between the space and the interaction with the environment through geometry and form processing as the basic of the creation process in the architectural works. Content analysis method providing a landscape layout and transformation of form and building mass in form of the implementation of architectural geometry principles. The principles are pure geometry, composition of geometry, direction wall, and opening for the transformation process of expressional space form to produce and increase aesthetic value of the environment.

The efficiency of data sorting algorithms is the key aspect which determines the speed of data processing and searching. The best known efficiency of sorting algorithm has been Log (N) if there are N terms. All of the well-known sorting algorithms use various techniques to sort data. The basis for most of these are comparing the data terms with each other. In this manuscript, we are introducing a new approach for sorting data. This method is postulated to have the highest efficiency ever achieved by any of the sorting algorithms. We achieve this by sorting data without comparing the data terms. Or achieving results of data comparison without comparing the terms explicitly.

Wall Shear Stress (WSS) abnormalities in carotid artery blood flow are key hemodynamic factors leading to arterial endothelial damage, atherosclerotic plaque formation, and carotid artery stenosis. Precise simulation of carotid artery blood flow WSS in vitro play an important role in understanding the underlying hemodynamic mechanism of carotid artery stenosis. This study presents a design for a microfluidic cell culture chamber with a variable cross-section and a step structure, leveraging microfluidic technology and principles of fluid dynamics. We propose an optimization strategy for microchannel dimensions based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. This strategy aims to replicate the distinct WSS waveform features found at various locations within the carotid bifurcation as observed in vivo. Our simulations indicate that with a step height of 0.09 mm, a width of 4 mm for the initial segment, and 5 mm for the subsequent wider channel, the device can effectively model the characteristics of low oscillatory WSS seen at sites of carotid sinus stenosis. Furthermore, it accurately represents the high-magnitude pulsatile WSS waveforms in the more uniform arterial sections downstream of the carotid sinus. The study also reveals that vortex formation and variations in low oscillatory WSS within the stepped section of the microchannel correlate with the step's height and width, as well as with the dimensions of the wider channel section. An increase in step width leads to a decrease in both the vortex area and the magnitude of negative WSS oscillations. When the step height is less than 0.03 mm, vortex formation is inhibited, challenging the simulation of low oscillatory WSS patterns. The variable cross-section microfluidic channel developed in this study provides a platform for simulating carotid artery WSS waveforms and facilitates research into the interplay between low oscillatory WSS at sites of carotid sinus stenosis and arterial endothelial dysfunction.

Terrestrial algae are the group of photosynthetic organisms, which can survive in extreme conditions. pH is one of the most important factor, influencing on distribution of algae, both in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The influence of different pH levels on cell volume and other morphological characters of authentic and reference strains of Chlorella vulgaris, Bracteacoccus minor, Pseudoccomyxa simplex, Chlorococcum infusionum, and Vischeria magna were studied. Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudoccomyxa simplex were the most resistant species, retaining its morphology in range of pH 4-11,5. The change of pH towards acidic and alkaline levels caused the increase of volume of Pseudoccomixa simplex and Vischeria magna cells according to polynomial regression model. Volume of Chlorella vulgaris cells increased from low to high pH according to linear regression model. Changes of pH levels did not have a significant impact on volume of Bracteacoccus minor and Chlorococcum infusionum cells. Low and high levels of pH caused thickening of cell walls of Chlorococcum infusionum and increase of oil containing substances in Vischeria magna and Bracteacoccus minor cells. Our study revealed a high resistance of studied species to extreme level of pH, which allow recommend these strains for broader use in biotechnology and natures protection.

Controlling functional properties of matter and combine them for engineering a functional device is nowadays a common direction of scientific community. For instance, heterogeneous magnetic nanostructures can make use of different types of geometrical and compositional modulations to achieve the control of the magnetization reversal along with the nano-entities and thus enabling the fabrication of spintronic, magnetic data storage and sensing devices, among others. In this work, diameter modulated FeNi nanowires are fabricated paying special effort to obtain sharp transition regions between two segments of different diameters (from about 450 nm to 120 nm), enabling precise control over the magnetic behavior of the sample. Micromagnetic simulations performed on single bi-segmented nanowires predict a double step magnetization reversal where the wide segment magnetization switches near 200 Oe through a vortex domain wall, while at 500 Oe the magnetization of the narrow one is reversed through a corkscrew like mechanism. Finally, these results are confirmed with magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements at the transition of isolated bi-segmented nanowires. Furthermore, macroscopic vibrating sample magnetometry is used to demonstrate that the magnetic decoupling of nanowire segments is the main phenomenon occurring over the entire fabricated nanowires.

The scarcity and pollution of freshwater are extremely crucial issues today and the expansion of water reuse have been considered as an option to reduce its impact. This study aims to assess the efficiency of an integrated greywater treatment system and hydroponic lettuce production as a part of a green wall structure and to evaluate the health risk associated with the production and consumption of lettuce through quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and chemical health risk assessment. The study was conducted based on the unique configuration of source separation system; on-site greywater treatment system; green wall structure as a polishing step; and hydroponic lettuce production in the green wall structure. The final effluent from the system was used to grow three lettuce varieties by adding urine as a nutrient solution. Both water samples and plant biomass were collected and tested for E. coli and heavy metals contamination. The system has gained a cumulative 5.1 log10 reduction of E. coli in the final effluent and no E. coli found in the plant biomass. QMRA results indicated that the system attained the health-based targets, 10–6 DALYs per person per year. Similarly, health risk index (HRI) and targeted hazard quotient (THQ) results did not exceed the permissible level, thus the chemical health risk concern was insignificant.

The intracellular calcium dynamics in vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in response to wall shear stress (WSS) and/or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) have been commonly regarded as an important factor in regulating VEC function and behavior including proliferation, migration and apoptosis. However, the effects of time-varying ATP signals have been usually neglected in the past investigations in the field of VEC mechanobiology. In order to investigate the combined effects of WSS and dynamic ATP signals on the intracellular calcium dynamic in VECs, a Y-shaped microfluidic device, which can provide the cultured cells on the bottom of its mixing micro-channel with stimuli of WSS signal alone and different combinations of WSS and ATP signals in one single micro-channel, is proposed. Both numerical simulation and experimental studies verify the feasibility of its application. Cellular experimental results also suggest that a combination of WSS and ATP signals rather than a WSS signal alone might play a more significant role in VEC Ca²⁺ signal transduction induced by blood flow.

In order to study the collapse failure of shaft wall of high depth inclined ore-pass under ore impact wear behavior, 25 ore-passes in a deep mine in Yunnan, China were investigated. Considering the ore-pass structural characteristics and the impact wear effect of ore on shaft wall, the shaft wall damage model of high depth inclined ore-pass is constructed based on the contact mechanics theory. Furthermore, No. 1#, 2#, 3# and 9# ore-passes of the mine are taken as examples for analysis, and the three results of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and engineering case are used for comparison and verification. The shaft wall damage degree is predicted, and the damage mechanism between total shaft wall damage volume Qtol and ore-pass depth H, ore-pass dip angle θ, inclined angle of chute α, shaft diameter D and ore block size P is quantitatively investigated. The results show that the rationality of the proposed model is verified by numerical analysis and field engineering situations. Moreover, the deeper ore-pass depth H, the more shaft wall damage volume Qtol with the increase of collision frequency. Qtol increases exponentially with P and increases gradually with D. With the increase of θ or α, Qtol increases generally first and then decreases. Therefore, Qtol can be effectively reduced by selecting the appropriate structure parameters of ore-pass and adopting the technology of drilling straight ore-pass. This work provides technical support for long period safe operation of high depth inclined ore-pass.

Even though inhalation dosimetry is determined by three factors (i.e., breathing, aerosols, and the respiratory tract), the first two categories have been more widely studied than the last. Both breathing and aerosols are quantitative variables that can be easily changed, while respiratory airway morphologies are difficult to reconstruct, modify, and quantify. Despite several methods are available for model reconstruction and modification, developing an anatomically accurate airway model and morphing it to various physiological conditions remains labor-intensive and technically challenging. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using an adjoint-CFD model to understand airway shape effects on vapor deposition and control vapor flux into the lung. A mouth-throat model was used, with the shape of the mouth and tongue being automatically varied via adjoint morphing, and the vapor transport being simulated using ANSYS Fluent coupled with a wall absorption model. Two chemicals with varying adsorption rates, Acetaldehyde and Benzene, were considered, which exhibited large differences in dosimetry sensitivity to airway shapes. For both chemicals, large shape deformations were explored to find the maximal possible morphing; both the maximal and intermediate deformations were simulated for morphology parametric studies. Results show that changing the mouth-tongue shape can alter the oral filtration by 3.2% for Acetaldehyde and 0.27% for Benzene under a given inhalation condition. This study demonstrates that the hybrid adjoint-CFD approach can be a practical and efficient method to investigate morphology-associated variability in inhalation dosimetry of vapors and nanomedicines.

Living walls (LWs) are a climate change adaptation strategy for cities, as they have a cooling effect. Previous studies of the cooling effect of LWs were carried out in different climatic zones. These studies differed in their experimental design, or simulated data via models. Plants’ cooling capacity is explained by shading and transpiration, and depends on physical plant parameters, environmental factors, and system-related influences. A three-year-long trial was carried out between 2017 and 2019 at an experimental garden in Geisenheim, Germany. We chose a textile-based LW system with high water demand and plants from a wet/fresh habitat. We assumed that this would achieve high evaporative cooling. The experimental setup included four experimental walls which were exposed to the north, south, east, and west, respectively. The plant choice was divided into three plant mix variants (Cascade, Ground cover, and Meadow) and a Control with no vegetation. We measured the temperature with sensors and a thermal imaging (IR) camera in different setups. The main results were that the measured vegetation temperature (TV) depends on air temperature (TA), measurement position, plant mix variant, and plant species. We could detect the cooling effect only at a small distance from the LW (microclimatic). Our methodological approaches should be continued in further studies.

Derivation of light paths in the Michelson interferometer is based on the hypothesis that the speed of light does not change after reflection by a mirror in motion. The Michelson-Morley experiment predicts a fringe shift of 0.40. The same fringe shift is predicted for a particular Michelson interferometer in which the beam splitter of the interferometer makes an angle of 45° with the direction of light from the source. Light behaves like a wave and also as a particle. Thus, it is reasonable to consider the reflection of light as a mechanical phenomenon. With this hypothesis, the speed of light changes after reflection, and the predicted fringe shift for the particular Michelson interferometer is zero which is in accordance with the result of the Michelson-Morley experiment. Apparently, light travels in any inertial frame as if this particular interferometer belongs to a fixed frame. The velocity of light is considered independent of the velocity of its source, which is in accordance with astronomers’ observations of the binary stars, and the experiment performed at CERN, Geneva, in 1964.

In the construction sector, the integration of biobased materials has emerged as a pivotal aspect of EU policies, aimed at promoting sustainable practices throughout the value chain to mitigate resource consumption and carbon emissions. This paper explores the development and validation activities of a bio-based façade system within the Basajaun H2020 project, focusing on enhancing the utilization of biobased components within building envelopes to replace conventional solutions with eco-friendly alternatives. This paper reports the methodologies employed to detect requirements and outline the testing protocols undertaken to validate the façade system design devised within the project focusing on the original façade components as the bio composite profile. Vision and opaque façade modules are prototyped and tested following curtain wall standards standard for performance and acoustic assessments, to showcase the efficacy of the developed solution. The conducted tests demonstrate the feasibility of integrating bio-based components into building envelopes, aligning with project expectations, and prevailing standards for curtain wall façade solutions. Notably, the designed façade system meets technical conditions and project objectives. Nevertheless, the research underscores the need for further refinements to facilitate solution industrialization and explore broader market applicability. Future efforts will focus on addressing these improvements and assessing the scalability of the solution.

Buckling defect will appear on the outer surface of the deformed ring during constrained ring rolling (CRR) of aluminum alloy thin wall conical ring with inner high ribs (AATWCRIHR), if the geometrical dimension of the ribs doesn't match the wall thickness. To avoid the buckling defect, a quantitative method for characterizing the degree of the buckling defect is proposed using the area of buckling profile. Then an orthogonal experimental scheme was designed taking the width of the middle rib, thickness of wall, and height of the middle rib as design variables and defining the area of buckling profile as optimization objective. Subsequently, a quadratic polynomial response surface model was established by combining the optimization algorithm with the finite element method (FEM), and the geometrical dimension of the middle ribs of the deformed AATWCRIHR is optimized. Also the optimal parameter combination to minimize the area of buckling profile is obtained and verified using FE simulation. Results show that the AATWCRIHR after optimization doesn’t generate the buckling defect during constrained ring rolling, and it is proved that the quantitative buckling defect representation method and the optimization design method based on the response surface model and the finite element simulation results are feasible for the constrained ring rolling process of the AATWCRIHR.

China is facing the development requirements of the dual carbon goal and the construction needs of resilient cities. Currently, high-strength composite structural systems are a feasible solution, but their research and application in the construction field are insufficient, especially for the combination forms of concrete above C100 and steel above Q550. In response to this issue, this paper proposes a new high-performance structural system, namely the composite frame - high-strength steel plate wall core tube resilient structure system, which includes high-strength steel plate (Q550) - ultra-high strength concrete (C100) shear walls, replaceable energy dissipation coupling beams, and composite frames. Taking a 200 meter building as an example, this paper designs and establishes calculation models for a conventional reinforced concrete frame-core tube structure and a high-performance structure based on PKPM software, and establishes elastoplastic analysis models for both based on SAUSAGE software, and then conducts dynamic elastoplastic time history analysis and seismic resilience assessment of structures under design basis earthquakes (DBEs), maximum considered earthquake (MCEs) and extremely rare earthquakes (EREs). Research has shown that compared to conventional structures, new high-performance structures can effectively reduce the size of shear walls, reduce the self-weight of the structure, and enhance the space for building use; The story drift ratio has higher redundancy than specification limits, lower plastic damage and overall stiffness degradation of the structure, and better seismic performance; The seismic resilience has significantly improved, especially in the case of casualties, which can better ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

The prefabricated ECC/RC combined shear wall structure is an innovative prefabricated composite structure with better seismic performance by using ECC materials with better ductility in the main force and energy consumption regions of the prefabricated reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall structure. The key factors controlling the seismic energy dissipation capacity of this kind of structure are the use regions of ECC in composite coupling beams, use regions of ECC in shear walls, strength of ECC, stirrup ratio of coupling beams, strength of longitudinal reinforcement and so on. The parameters affecting seismic energy consumption are quantified by the finite element analysis method. By comparing and analyzing the load-displacement curves, hysteresis curves, energy dissipation capacity and stiffness degradation of the prefabricated ECC/RC combined shear wall structure specimen under these parameters, it is proposed that the best use regions of ECC is the cast-in-situ zone of the coupling beams with the scope of no more than400 mm at the shear walls’ bottom. The strength grade, the strength grade of longitudinal reinforcement, and the stirrup ratio of coupling beams are suggested design as E40, HRB400 and 0.5%, respectively.

During the construction of buildings, dangerous chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde and others are used, which accumulate during the operation of the building. High concentrations of these substances can harm human health. In this article, we have analyzed the possible impact of modular green wall systems on improving of the air. During the research, four different modular green wall systems and various plant species were considered. The result showed that a modular green wall system can improve the air quality by removing harmful pollutants from the air in the buildings. Urban design used to be turned greener and more sustainable using the modern technologies of modular green wall systems. This study focuses on the air-cleaning benefits provided by modular green wall systems and their assessment. This research contributes to fill existing literature gaps on the green wall systems on the buildings and biophilic architecture.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

The cytoplasmic membrane is the fundamental component of all living cells, which participates in various physiological processes, such as material exchange, stress response, cell recognition, signal transduction, cellular immunity, apoptosis, pathogenicity, etc. The normal function of a cytoplasmic membrane requires stable organization of transmembrane protein-lipid microdomains, transmembrane protein-cell wall microdomains, and cytoskeleton-transmembrane protein microdomains. Here, we review the mechanisms and functions of various membrane lipid components, fatty acid content and saturation, membrane curvature, and cell wall and cytoskeleton in plasma membrane homeostasis affecting the pathogenicity of pathogenic fungi. Pathogenic fungi maintains plasma membrane homeostasis and contributes to fungal virulence by maintaining plasma membrane assembly, structural and functional integrity of pathogenic fungi at various stages of cell development through interactions among lipid components of cytoplasmic membranes, transmembrane proteins, cytoskeleton and cell wall components, etc.

This review is a first attempt at bringing together various concepts from research on wall- and magnetically-bounded turbulent flows. Brief reviews of both fields are provided: The main similarities identified are coherent (turbulent) structures, flow generation and transport barriers. Examples are provided and discussed.

Gravity played an important role in the development of life on earth. The effect of gravity on a living organisms can be investigated by controlling the magnitude of gravity. Most reduced gravity experiments are conducted on the lower earth orbit (LEO) in the International Space Station (ISS). However, running experiments in ISS face challenges such as high cost, extreme condition, lack of direct accessibility, and long waiting period. Therefore, researchers have developed various ground-based devices and methods to perform reduced gravity experiments. However, the search for life outside the earth requires more intensive research. Advancements in conventional methods and the development of new tools are required for this purpose. The advantages of Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices make them an attractive option for simulating microgravity. This paper briefly reviews the advancement of LOC technologies for simulating microgravity in a earth-based laboratory.

Clock Network Design (CDN) is a critical step while designing any Integrated-Circuits (ICs). It holds vital importance in the performance of entire circuit. Due to continuous scaling, 3D ICs stacked with TSV are gaining importance, with an objective to continue with the Moore's law. Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) provides the vertical interconnection between two die, which allows the electrical signal to flow through it. 3D ICs has many advantages over conventional 2D planar ICs like reduced power, area, cost, wire-length etc. The proposed work is mainly focused on power reduction and obstacle avoidance for 3D ICs. Various techniques have already been introduced for minimizing clock power within specified clock constraints of the 3D CND network. Proposed 3D Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) is a combination of various algorithms with an objective to meet reduction in power as well as avoidance of obstacle or blockages while routing the clock signal from one sink to other sink. These blockages like RAM, ROM, PLL etc. are fixed during the placement process. The work is carried out mainly in three steps- first is Generation of 3D Clock tree avoiding the blockages, then Buffering and Embedding and finally validating the results by SPICE simulation. The experimental result shows that our CTS approach results in significant 9% reduction in power as compare to the existing work.

In a Water-Cooled Lithium-Lead (WCLL) Breeding Blanket (BB), the heat generated by the plasma thermal radiation and nuclear reactions is removed mainly by two components; namely, the First Wall (FW) and the Breeding Zone (BZ). The FW faces the neutrons and charged particles fluxes generated by the fusion reactions and the thermal radiation coming from the plasma. The present work takes into account the FW cooling system inspired by the WCLL BB 2018 design of DEMO 2017 baseline. Unlike the baseline where a Pressurized-Water Reactor (PWR) setup is used for the coolant, various setup between the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) and the High-Pressure (HP) BWR are studied in the present work operating in the Two-Phase Flow (TPF) regime. The 3D model of the FW in the WCLL BB 2018 design is simplified into a 1D model and a steady state analysis is carried out to optimize the mass flow rate of the water and the number of parallel channels at the BB cells at different poloidal locations of the reactor, which helps not only in reducing the used coolant but also in improving the Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR). The present work takes into account forced convection in the liquid only region, the subcooled boiling region, and the saturated boiling region using suitable empirical or semi-empirical models from the literature. The results are validated against the existing results in the literature. In the end, related conclusions are made regarding the pros and cons of the studied operating conditions.

There are unsolved problems related to inflation, gravity, dark matter, dark energy, missing antimatter, and the birth of the universe. Some of them can be better answered by assuming the existence of aether and hypoatoms. Both were created during the inflation in the very early universe. While aether forms vacuum, hypoatoms, composed of both matter and antimatter and believed to be neutrinos, form all observable matter. In vacuum, aether exists between the particle-antiparticle dark matter form and the dark energy form in a dynamic equilibrium: A + A-bar = gamma + gamma. The same reaction stabilizes hypoatoms and generates a 3-dimensional sink flow of aether that causes gravity. Based on the hypoatom structure, the singularity does not exist inside a black hole; the core of the black hole is a hypoatom star or neutrino star. By gaining enough mass, ca. 3 X 10²² M_sun, to exceed neutrino degeneracy pressure, the black hole collapses or annihilates into the singularity, thus turning itself into a white hole or a Big Bang. The universe is anisotropic. Its center, or where the Big Bang happened, is at 0.66^+0.03_-0.01 times the radius of the observable universe at Galactic coordinates (l, b) = (286⁺¹⁰_-10, -43⁺⁷_-6). If we look from the Local Group to the center of the universe, the universe is rotating clockwise.

Recombinant human collagen peptide (RCP) is a recombinantly created xeno-free biomaterial enriched in RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) sequences, with good processability that is being investigated for regenerative medicine applications. Recently, the biocompatibility and osteogenic ability of β-TCP/RCP (RCP granules combined with β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) submicron particles) were demonstrated. In the present study, β-TCP/RCP was implanted into experimental periodontal tissue defects (three-walled bone defect) created in beagle dogs to investigate tissue responses and subsequent regenerative effects. Micro computed tomography image analysis at 8 weeks postoperatively showed that the amount of new bone after β-TCP/RCP graft was significantly greater (2.2 fold, P&lt;0.05) than that of the control (no graft) group. Histological findings showed that the transplanted β-TCP/RCP induced active bone-like tissue formation including TRAP-positive and OCN-positive cells as well as bioabsorbability. Ankylosis did not occur, and periostin-positive periodontal ligament-like tissue formation was observed. Histological measurements revealed that β-TCP/RCP implantation formed 1.7-fold more bone-like tissue and 2.1-fold more periodontal ligament-like tissue than the control, and significantly suppressed gingival recession and epithelial downgrowth (P&lt;0.05). These results suggest that β-TCP/RCP is effective as a periodontal tissue regenerative material.

The area of Central and Eastern Europe, and thus Poland, is not exposed to effects of seismic actions. Any possible tremors can be caused by coal or copper mining. Wind, rheological effects, the impact of other objects or a non-uniform substrate are the predominant types of loading included in calculations for stiffening walls. The majority of buildings in Poland, as in most other European countries, are low, medium-high brick buildings. Some traditional materials, like solid brick (>10% of construction materials market) are still used. But autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and cement-sand calcium-silicate (Ca-Si) elements with thin joints are prevailing (>70% of the market) on the Polish market. Adding reinforcement only to bed joints in a wall is a satisfactory solution (in addition to confining) for seismic actions occurring in Poland that improves ULS and SLS. This paper presents results from our own tests on testing horizontal shear walls without reinforcement and with different types of reinforcement. This discussion includes 51 walls made of solid brick (CB) reinforced with steel bars and steel trusses, results from tests on 15 walls made of calcium-silicate (Ca-Si) and AAC masonry units reinforced with steel trusses and plastic meshes. Taking into account our own tests and those conducted by other authors, empirical relationships were determined on the basis of more than 90 walls. They are applicable to design and construction phase to determine the likely effect of reinforcement on cracking stress that damage shear deformation and wall stiffness.

Plants have evolved a variety of dispersal units whereby the embryo is enclosed by various dead protective layers derived from maternal organs of the reproductive system including seed coats (integuments), pericarps (ovary wall, e.g., indehiscent dry fruits) as well as floral bracts (e.g. glumes) in grasses. Commonly, dead organs enclosing embryos (DOEEs) are assumed to provide a physical shield for embryo protection and means for dispersal in the ecosystem. In this review article, we will highlight recent studies showing that DOEEs of various species across families also have the capability for long-term storage of various substances including active proteins (hydrolases, ROS detoxifying enzymes), nutrients and metabolites that have the potential to support the embryo during storage in the soil and assist in germination and seedling establishment. We discuss a possible role for DOEEs as natural coatings capable of ‘engineering’ the seed microenvironment for the benefit of the embryo, the seedling and the growing plant.

The pulsatile flow rate (PFR) in the cerebral artery system and shunt ratios in bifurcated arteries are two patient-specific parameters which may affect the hemodynamic characteristics on the pathobiology of cerebral aneurysms (CAs). Accordingly, a systematic study was employed to investigate the effects of the two parameters on hemodynamic characteristics in two internal carotid artery sidewall aneurysms (i.e., ICASA-1 and ICASA-2) models. Numerical results indicate larger PFRs can cause higher WSS in some local regions of the aneurysmal dome that may increase the probability of small/secondary aneurysms generation than under smaller PFRs. The low WSS and relatively high oscillatory shear index (OSI) could appear under a smaller PFR, which has the potential to cause aneurysmal sac growth and rupture. However, the variances in PFRs and bifurcated shunt ratios have rare impacts on the time-average pressure distributions on the aneurysmal sac, although a higher PFR can contribute more to the pressure increase in ICASA-1 dome due to the relatively stronger impingement by the redirected blood stream than in ICASA-2. Simulation results also present the variances of shunt ratios have rare impacts on the hemodynamic characteristics in sacs, mainly because the bifurcated location is not close enough to the sac in present models. Furthermore, it has been found that the vortex location plays a major role in the temporal and spatial distribution of the WSS on the luminal wall, varying significantly with the cardiac period.

: Nanotechnology options to road surface maintenance offers several advantages compared to traditionally used materials. The small particle sizer of hydrophobic Nano-Silane modified Nano-Polymers (NSNP) enables these nanotechnology products to deeply penetrate existing road surfaces, sealing micro-cracks and render surfacings to be water-resistant for extended periods of time. In comparison, traditionally used products contain minimum partial sizes of about 1 – 5 microns, that provide a superficial protection that wears off in a relatively short period of time. These traditional products are often associated with vehicle contamination while drying and requires the re-instatement of road markings. None of these disadvantages are associated with applicable NSNP technologies that are quick drying, with no vehicle contamination risks and is equivalent to a “clear-seal” requiring no reinstatement of road markings. In a similar vein, pot-hole repairs can be done using applicable, easy to use, pre-packed and treated pot-hole repair kits that are water-repellent and quick-drying at a fraction of the costs of conventional cold-mix products. Resurfacing using NME binder slurries can be done labour-intensively on a pre-treated NSNP surfacing, restoring cracked surfacing and providing a water-resistant long-lasting protective layer without the removal of existing cracked areas. The implementation of nanotechnology solutions for road surface maintenance operations is directly associated with ease of use, labour-intensive operations, prevention of considerable deterioration in riding quality due to removal and manual re-instatement of cracked surfaces, time and cost savings and a reduction in the risk of water damage to the sub-structure. TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back

Clinical and histological similarities between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis have driven repeated investigations looking for a mycobacterial cause of sarcoidosis. Over 50 years ago “anonymous mycobacteria” were suggested to have a role in the etiology of sarcoidosis. Both tuberculosis and sarcoidosis have a predilection for lung involvement though each can be found in any area of the body. A key histopathologic feature of both sarcoidosis and tuberculosis is the granuloma – while the tuberculous caseating granuloma has an area of caseous necrosis with a cheesy consistency; the non-caseating granuloma of sarcoidosis does not have this feature. This article reviews and reiterates the complicity of the infectious agent, Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) as a cause of sarcoidosis. MAP is involved in a parallel story as the putative cause of Crohn’s disease, another disease featuring noncaseating granulomas. MAP is a zoonotic agent infecting ruminant animals and is found in dairy products and in environmental contamination of water and air. Despite increasing evidence tying MAP to several human diseases, there is a continued resistance to embracing its pleiotropic roles. "Who Moved My Cheese" is a simple yet powerful book that explores the ways in which individuals react to change. Extending the metaphor, the “non-cheesy” granuloma of sarcoidosis actually contains the difficult-to-detect “cheese”, MAP; MAP did not move, it was there all along.