Relative Arrangement Research Articles

Superhard Composites with Homogeneous Microstructure and Nanosized Binder, Obtained by Reactive Sintering in the System cBN–Al–TiC

Experimental results obtained on the synthesis, in a cubic apparatus, of composites based on diamond-like boron nitride cBN in the system cBN–Al–TiC are presented. It is shown that for the optimal ratio of the number, size, and relative arrangement of the particles of superhard material and a nanostructured binder high-level properties can be attained without the obligatory intergrowth of particles of superhard crystals cBN–cBN. The composites were sintered at pressure 4.5 GPa and temperature 1450°C. The chosen thermobaric parameters guaranteed complete reactive interaction, homogeneity of the phase composition, and uniformity of the physicomechanical characteristics throughout the entire volume of large-size composites.

Chirality affects cholesterol-oxysterol association in water, a computational study

Cholesterol (Chol) is the most prevalent sterol in the animal kingdom and an indispensable component of mammalian cell membranes. Chol content in the membrane is strictly controlled, although the oxidation of phospholipids may change the relative content of membrane Chol. An excess of it results in the formation of pure Chol microdomains in the membrane. It is likely that some Chol molecules detach from the domains and self-assemble in the aqueous environment. This may promote Chol microcrystallisation, which initiates the development of gallstones and atherosclerotic plaque. In this study, the molecular dynamics, free energy perturbation, umbrella sampling and Voronoi diagram methods are used to reveal the details of self-association of Chol and its oxidised forms (oxChol), namely 7α,β-hydroxycholesterol and 7α,β-hydroperoxycholesterol, in water. In the first part of the study the interactions between a sterol monomer and water over a short and longer timescale as well as the energy of hydration of each sterol are analysed. This helps one to understand Chol-Chol and Chol-OxChol with different chirality self-association in water better, which is analysed in the second part of the study. The Voronoi diagram approach is used to determine the relative arrangement of molecules in the dimer and, most importantly, to analyse the dehydration of the contacting surfaces of the assembling molecules. Free energy calculations indicate that Chol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol associate into the most stable dimer and that Chol-Chol is the next most stable of the five dimers studied. Employing different computational methods enables us to obtain an adequate picture of Chol-sterol self-association in water, which includes dynamic, energetic and temporal aspects of the process.

RETRACTED: Independent innovation capability of high-tech enterprises based on FPGA processor and dynamic reconfigurable technology

Independent Innovation Capability of High-Tech Enterprises Based on the attributes of cutting edge endeavours, the foundation of a suitable assessment record framework for the limit of cutting edge ventures' autonomous advancement capacities, utilizing the information originates from, and afterward the far reaching positioning of free development abilities of various undertakings area is accomplished through composite score figuring. Machine Learning algorithmic climate and related movement image arrangement. In method our strategy depends on the utilization of Inception to remove different movement classes of highlights and neural organizations. Volleyball, badminton, and have been utilized for investigation and grouping. So as to check the adequacy of the system and, correlation has been finished with different groupings like Random Forest, and Machine Learning The outcomes show that the degree of free advancement capacity of ventures in our area isn't high, separated. At long last, as indicated by the consequences of the investigation, we set forward some Camille measures and give a few proposals to expand autonomous advancement capacity. Field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based equipment and programming drives keen calculations to handle these utilizing temperature and dampness sensor test information. This strategy actualizes a mechanical Internet of Things framework and shows of the measure of FPGA in equipment assets, diminishing a huge exhibition and asset use.

Penerapan Sistem Informasi Manajemen Daerah Keuangan Dalam Pengelolaan Data Keuangan Pada Organisasi Pemerintah Daerah (Studi Kasus Pada BPBD Kabupaten Magelang)

Technological developments encourage the government to advance computer-based information systems to make it easier for the government to manage finances. A Regional Management System application called SIMDA was developed. SIMDA Finance is a technology that has been used by almost all regional governments in Indonesia when carrying out the related regional financial arrangements themselves. The purpose of this study is to see how the effect of the implementation of SIMDA Finance on the quality of financial reports in BPBD Magelang Regency. This study analyzes the application of SIMDA Finance in one of the SKPDs of Magelang Regency, namely BPBD of Magelang Regency. This research was conducted with a quantitative approach. The data in the current research are primary data types. The data collection system by distributing questionnaires / questionnaires to some employees in BPBD Kab. Magelang which was held in January-February 2020. The results showed that the variable of SIMDA Financial Implementation influenced the Quality of Financial Statements positively and significantly in the Regional Disaster Management Agency SKPD of Magelang Regency in 2020. With a statistical t value of 2.813843> 1.895 (t table ), which means that the SIMDA Financial variable (X) affects the Quality of Financial Statements (Y).

Strategies of Resilience: Cooperation in Irish Family Farming

Drawing from both historical ethnographic sociology and more recently collected narrative data, we trace changing resilience strategies employed by Irish family farms. We focus specifically on collective action within farm families and communities, a pathway to resilience that has traditionally depended on patriarchal relations and an accession of individual interests to the survival of the family farm. We find that new conditions for resilience have emerged, disrupting relationships on which historical forms of collective action depended. Threatened with the flight of women and youth towards off-farm opportunities, resilience strategies have come to accommodate better and respond to the needs of individuals in farm families. However, if the farm is to survive, family members remain collectively challenged with meeting its physical demands. One contemporary resilience strategy employs Joint Farming Ventures (JFVs), which involve formalised collaborative arrangements between husbands and wives, parents and offspring, non-immediate relatives, and farming neighbours. We find women and men at different stages in the lifecourse are employing JFVs to drive and resource renewed resilience strategies. Reconstituted relational arrangements within the farm family allow the farm to draw from an increased range of resources through an enhanced commitment of diverse farm family members. By prioritising the family farm, contemporary resilience strategies are consistent with historical ones but create greater capacity for family farm resilience by boosting reservoirs of social, cultural and economic capital available to the farm. This insight goes some way towards shedding light on the intricate puzzle that is the remarkable resilience of Irish family farms and those continuing to exist worldwide.

A contemporary concept of the value(s)-added food and agriculture sector and rural development

ABSTRACT The changing structure of agriculture strains the historically close relationship between commodity agriculture and rural development. Meanwhile, growth in consumer interest for differentiated, value-added products has the potential to create community economic development opportunities. However, the evidence regarding the benefit of value-added programs for broader community wealth is mixed. We argue that the mixed findings result, in part, from differences in how “value-added” is defined. Value-added agriculture has been conceptualized in many ways. Taking a US-focused approach, we first review four main concepts: value-added, short food supply chain, values-based supply chain, and civic agriculture. Building on these, we present our definition of a value(s)-added food and agriculture sector, incorporating three features: (1) Consumers make purchases that simultaneously provide utility and enable a price premium; (2) the shared principles among firms and their relational arrangement support the distribution of the value, and thus the premium, across the chain and between owners and employees (the use of “principles” or “values” prompts the “(s)” in our definition); and (3) supply chain actors have a demonstrated commitment to the community. We discuss how this definition contributes to debates in, and has implications for, community economic development policy.

Strategies for Controlling Through-Space Charge Transport in Metal-Organic Frameworks via Structural Modifications.

In recent years, charge transport in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has shifted into the focus of scientific research. In this context, systems with efficient through-space charge transport pathways resulting from π-stacked conjugated linkers are of particular interest. In the current manuscript, we use density functional theory-based simulations to provide a detailed understanding of such MOFs, which, in the present case, are derived from the prototypical Zn2(TTFTB) system (with TTFTB4− corresponding to tetrathiafulvalene tetrabenzoate). In particular, we show that factors such as the relative arrangement of neighboring linkers and the details of the structural conformations of the individual building blocks have a profound impact on bandwidths and charge transfer. Considering the helical stacking of individual tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) molecules around a screw axis as the dominant symmetry element in Zn2(TTFTB)-derived materials, the focus, here, is primarily on the impact of the relative rotation of neighboring molecules. Not unexpectedly, changing the stacking distance in the helix also plays a distinct role, especially for structures which display large electronic couplings to start with. The presented results provide guidelines for achieving structures with improved electronic couplings. It is, however, also shown that structural defects (especially missing linkers) provide major obstacles to charge transport in the studied, essentially one-dimensional systems. This suggests that especially the sample quality is a decisive factor for ensuring efficient through-space charge transport in MOFs comprising stacked π-systems.

Discovering pattern structure using differentiable compositing

Patterns, which are collections of elements arranged in regular or near-regular arrangements, are an important graphic art form and widely used due to their elegant simplicity and aesthetic appeal. When a pattern is encoded as a flat image without the underlying structure, manually editing the pattern is tedious and challenging as one has to both preserve the individual element shapes and their original relative arrangements. State-of-the-art deep learning frameworks that operate at the pixel level are unsuitable for manipulating such patterns. Specifically, these methods can easily disturb the shapes of the individual elements or their arrangement, and thus fail to preserve the latent structures of the input patterns. We present a novel differentiable compositing operator using pattern elements and use it to discover structures, in the form of a layered representation of graphical objects, directly from raw pattern images. This operator allows us to adapt current deep learning based image methods to effectively handle patterns. We evaluate our method on a range of patterns and demonstrate superiority in the context of pattern manipulations when compared against state-of-the-art pixel- or point-based alternatives.

Institutional Arrangement of the Regional People’s Representative Council in State Administration System of Republic of Indonesia

Due to repeated changes in the operational arrangements, there is a lack of clarity about the essence of these institutions, which in turn affects their position, duties, functions, and institutional roles. This study aims to find the essence of the Regional People’s Representative Council institutions in accordance with the constitutional system in the Republic of Indonesia. This study was designed in normative juridical research namely identifying, classifying, and analyzing legal materials based on the norms and principles of constitutional law. The results show that there is still no normative agreement about the Regional People’s Representative Council, either institutionally as a regional legislative institution or as an element of regional government. These two methods resulted in different legal consequences. For this reason, it is necessary to redefine the Regional People’s Representative Council. The research shows that institutional arrangements for the council needs to be carried out through stages: constitutional structuring; arrangement/synchronization of laws and regulations (position structure) of the council with regional government laws, electoral regulations, and arrangements in relation to the council with government institutions in the region. The conclusion is that within the framework of an ideal constitutional system, it is necessary to clarify the essence of the Regional People’s Representative Council to ensure legal certainty. Clarity for the institution would greatly influence its authority, duties, and institutional functions. For this reason, institutional arrangements for the council need to proceed in stages to achieve clarity about the relevant questions.

Spectroscopic characterization (IR and NMR), structural investigation, DFT study, and Hirshfeld surface analysis of two zinc(II) 2-acetylthiophenyl-thiosemicarbazone complexes

• Zn(II) compounds are structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. • FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy analyses are also performed. • FT-IR and 1H NMR are reported and compared with the calculated results. • The Hirshfeld analysis is used to investigate the intermolecular interactions. Zinc(II) complexes with 5-chloro-2-acetylthiophen-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone and 5-methyl-2-acetylthiophen-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone ligands were characterized by FT-IR, 1 H NMR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Hirshfeld surface analysis. In both complexes, metal centers are four–coordinated in a distorted tetrahedral configuration by two sulphur atoms from two thiosemicarbazone ligands and two Cl anions. In the crystal packing of two compounds, intermolecular interactions generate cyclic symmetry–related dimeric structures but different supramolecular arrangement. Also, intramolecular hydrogen bondings were found for both complexes. The Hirshfeld surface analysis and the 2D fingerprint plots indicate that the packing is dominated by Cl···H/H···Cl, S···H/ H···S, C···H/ H···C and H···H contacts. Study of X-ray diffraction, as well as spectroscopic analysis of each complex shows that the thiosemicarbazone ligand coordinated to Zinc ion appears as a thione tautomer. In addition, Density Functional Theory (DFT) B3LYP with 6-31G(d,p) method was applied to clarify the spectroscopic results.

Scanning Electron Microscopy Study of the Microstructure of Ancient Issyk-Kul Ceramic

The microstructure of ancient Issyk-Kul ceramic was studied using a scanning electron microscope, making it possible not only to see the relative arrangement of the mineral particles, pores, and microcracks but also to perform a quantitative analysis of the main microstructural metrics. The ceramic samples from the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan), where the ruins of many ancient settlements are located, were studied.

Phylogenomic inference of the interrelationships of Lake Baikal sponges

The endemic sponges of Lake Baikal are vital components of one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. To date we have yet to satisfactorily resolve their systematic relationships. Their relatively slow rates of molecular change, a short branch length to the common ancestor of extant species, and very plastic morphology in some species make robust species assignment and differentiation difficult. Using recently published genomic and transcriptomic resources, a novel Swartschewskia papyracea transcriptome and a phylogenomic approach, we have reassessed relationships within the Lubomirskiidae, a family of freshwater sponges endemic to Lake Baikal. After orthology assessment, paralog pruning and data curation, a concatenated 2710 orthogroup, 463,187 site alignment was used to infer phylogenetic interrelationships between four members of the Lubomirskiidae, several freshwater sponge species and outgroup taxa, using Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood methods. This approach conclusively answers a number of previously recalcitrant questions. It confirms the position of Swartschewskia papyracea as the sister taxon to genera Lubomirskia and Baikalospongia. It strongly supports Lubomirskia monophyly, with Baikalospongia bacillifera as the sister taxa to the two species of Lubomirskia sampled here. It also confirms the relative branching arrangement of other common freshwater taxa, including the issue of Spongillidae paraphyly. This is key for interpreting the evolution of the Spongillida as a whole, and in particular, for understanding the evolution of the still enigmatic sponges of Lake Baikal.

Deformation behavior of heterogeneous multi-morphology lattice core hybrid structures

Additive manufacturing has greatly relieved the design freedom of lattice structures, including the geometric topological configurations and arrangement patterns of unit cells. Herein, the effects of spatial hybrid arrangement patterns on the compression performances of multi-layer lattice structures were investigated in terms of load-bearing capacity and deformation mode. Using four types of lattice unit cells with evident discrepancies in geometric morphologies and mechanical properties, three hybrid arrangements (horizontal, vertical, and circular) composed of any two types of cells were constructed according to natural biology. Several typical lattice core sandwich panels were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). The ultimate strengths and compressive moduli were assessed by experiments and finite element analysis. The data were then compared to theoretical simulations predicted by the traditional mixture rule. The results revealed significant effects of spatial arrangement patterns and cell performance differences on the overall mechanical performances, especially in terms of ultimate strength. The traditional mixture rule was found unsuitable for the prediction of hybrid lattice core panels strengths owing to discrepancies in node constrain degree and layer deformation distribution. Layer-by-layer failure behavior was identified as the main mode for the horizontal hybrid panels, whereas shear failure behavior played a dominant mode. Under identical relative density and arrangement patterns, panels contracted with horizontal hybrids were weaker than vertical ones. In sum, these findings look promising for future design of multi-scale lattice structures.

Electronic structure basis of strength and toughness in fluoropolymers

Using density functional theory calculations, we investigate and report the electronic structure basis of symmetry-breaking in atomic structures and variations in extreme mechanical properties of a number of widely used polymers, namely, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, and three structural variants of PVDF. All of these polymers consist of C–C bonds in the backbone and a combination of C–H and C–F bonds attached to the backbone. Our results show that the relative proportion and arrangement of the C–H and C–F bonds, hereafter called the chemical heterogeneity, lead to two distinct sets of structural symmetries and mechanical properties. The set with the lower chemical heterogeneity possesses higher structural symmetry and exhibits higher strength and toughness. Electronic population analysis shows that chemical heterogeneity breaks the structural symmetry and alters deformation induced “electron redistribution patterns” in the C–C backbone. Strong variations in electron redistribution serve as the basis for distinctive mechanical behavior among the polymers: the higher the structural variation and electron redistribution, the lower the bond rupture force and toughness of the polymer. The bond rupture process is initiated by a decrease in the electronic population in the backbone, while the electronic interactions at the C–H and C–F bonds dictate where, how, and which bonds rupture. Furthermore, in the linear regime of mechanical deformation, the force–strain behavior is insensitive to the chemical heterogeneity and controlled by the strong covalent interactions of the C–C bonds. In the nonlinear regime, the chemical heterogeneity dramatically reduces the strength and toughness of the polymer chain.

Electrically tunable correlated and topological states in twisted monolayer–bilayer graphene

Twisted van der Waals heterostructures with flat electronic bands have recently emerged as a platform for realizing correlated and topological states with an extraordinary degree of control and tunability. In graphene-based moir\'e heterostructures, the correlated phase diagram and band topology depend strongly on the number of graphene layers, their relative stacking arrangement, and details of the external environment from the encapsulating crystals. Here, we report that the system of twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene (tMBG) hosts a variety of correlated metallic and insulating states, as well as topological magnetic states. Because of its low symmetry, the phase diagram of tMBG approximates that of twisted bilayer graphene when an applied perpendicular electric field points from the bilayer towards the monolayer graphene, or twisted double bilayer graphene when the field is reversed. In the former case, we observe correlated states which undergo an orbitally driven insulating transition above a critical perpendicular magnetic field. In the latter case, we observe the emergence of electrically tunable ferromagnetism at one-quarter filling of the conduction band, with a large associated anomalous Hall effect. Uniquely, the magnetization direction can be switched purely with electrostatic doping at zero magnetic field. Our results establish tMBG as a highly tunable platform for investigating a wide array of tunable correlated and topological states.

Spin textures and magnetotransport properties in cobalt/ruthenium and cobalt/palladium bilayers

We report on resistivity, magnetoresistance, and Hall effect experiments in bilayer thin films of cobalt/ruthenium (Co/Ru) and cobalt/palladium (Co/Pd) prepared by magnetron sputtering. The resistivity and magneto-transport properties of single layers of the same materials were also measured. For analyzing the results in the bilayers, we propose an approach based on a two-current model that assumes a current mixing effect coming from the large contact area between films. The method is devised for identifying the effects related to the interface between the metallic films. The outcome of the analysis indicates that significant interface effects occur in both studied bilayers. The role of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and the related spin arrangements formed at the interface are pointed out. Particularly for the Co/Pd system, from the magnetoresistance and Hall resistivity results possible evidence is obtained for the occurrence of non-trivial chiral spin textures in the field range corresponding to the initial process of magnetization.

On the Bright Side: Covid-19, A Perverse Once-in-One-Hundred Year Opportunity

The Covid-19 pandemic, challenging as it is, provides an opportunity to rethink employment relations arrangements in New Zealand in a broader context of economic policy change, in circumstances which echo the challenges of the 1930s. Major transformation will require a combination of political imagination and will, novel economic policy initiatives, and strong commitment from the social partners.

Conformational states dynamically populated by a kinase determine its function.

Protein kinases intrinsically sample a number of conformational states with distinct catalytic and binding activities. We used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to describe in atomic-level detail how Abl kinase interconverts between an active and two discrete inactive structures. Extensive differences in key structural elements between the conformational states give rise to multiple intrinsic regulatory mechanisms. The findings explain how oncogenic mutants can counteract inhibitory mechanisms to constitutively activate the kinase. Energetic dissection revealed the contributions of the activation loop, the Asp-Phe-Gly (DFG) motif, the regulatory spine, and the gatekeeper residue to kinase regulation. Characterization of the transient conformation to which the drug imatinib binds enabled the elucidation of drug-resistance mechanisms. Structural insight into inactive states highlights how they can be leveraged for the design of selective inhibitors.

The psychological burden of restricted parental visiting in paediatric intensive care.

A recently published study in this journal found that more flexible visiting arrangements reduced the heart rate and blood pressure of adult intensive care patients, in addition to improving patient satisfaction. 1 Although this article does not discuss visiting arrangements in relation to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it does acknowledge the positive effects that visiting has on physiological parameters. There have been some recent publications observing the collateral damage this pandemic has caused on children's education, social care, and health services. 2, 3 This commentary refers to collateral damage in terms of visiting restrictions on children in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). A pertinent consideration is the psychological burden of separation on children, young people, and their families during this time.

Al2O3 + Graphene Low-Friction Composite Coatings Prepared By Sol–Gel Method

In this work, Al2O3 + graphene coatings were prepared using the sol–gel method. The aim of the study was preliminary determination of the influence of size and amount of graphene nanoplatelets on morphology, chemical structure, and basic tribological properties of Al2O3 + graphene composite coatings. Two types of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanoplatelets with different lateral size and thickness were used to prepare the coatings. To characterize them, scanning electron microscope (SEM), glow discharged optical emission spectrometer (GDOES), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), reflectance spectrometer, and ball-on-disk tribological tests were used. It was found that the presence of graphene in the Al2O3 + graphene coatings did not fundamentally change the chemical transformation of ceramic Al2O3 matrix. Morphology examinations of coatings containing larger graphene nanoplatelets revealed a tendency to their parallel arrangement in relation to the coated surface. The tribological properties of Al2O3 + graphene coatings turned out to be strongly dependent on the size of graphene nanoplatelets as well as on the heat treatment temperature. The friction coefficient as low as 0.11 and good durability were obtained for the Al2O3 + graphene coating with larger nanoplatelets and heat-treated at 500 °C. The results of conducted research indicate the potential use of Al2O3 + graphene composite coatings prepared by the sol–gel method as low-friction ceramic coatings.