Basic Structural Units Research Articles

Effect of slope shape on soil aggregate stability of slope farmland in black soil region

Slope erosion in the black soil region of Northeast China is complex and specific. In order to effectively control soil erosion and protect scarce black soil resources, it is necessary to reveal the law of soil erosion and the influence of basic units of soil structure on its erosion process. This paper used three treatments in the Le Bissonnais (LB) method to determine soil aggregate stability parameters and soil erodibility K values based on particle size composition. By establishing a mathematical fitting of the slope erosion rate along the slope length, it is found that the sinusoidal function fitting can better characterize the periodic law of the slope erosion rate of the long and gentle slope cultivated land in the typical black soil region. The research shows that the primary mechanism of black soil aggregate breakage is dissipation and mechanical disturbance, while the damage caused by clay expansion is the least.

Water Droplets Tailored as Wax Crystal Carriers to Mitigate Wax Deposition of Emulsion.

This study explores how the micro-distribution change of wax crystals from the continuous oil phase to the oil-water interface mitigates the macro wax deposition of an emulsion. Two types of interfacial actions between wax crystals and water droplets, interfacial adsorption and interfacial crystallization, which were induced by two different emulsifiers, sorbitan monooleate (Span 80) and sorbitan monostearate (Span 60), respectively, were detected by differential scanning calorimetry and microscopy observation. The wax interfacial crystallization promoted by Span 60 resulted in the wax being nucleated directly at the oil-water interface prior to the continuous oil phase, conferring the nascent wax crystals and water droplets to be combined as coupled particles. The utilization of the wax interfacial crystallization behavior to hinder wax deposition of an emulsion was further explored. When the coupled wax crystal-water droplet particles were formed during the wax deposition process, water droplets acted as wax crystal carriers, entraining these nascent wax crystals to disperse in the emulsion, which significantly reduced the amount of wax crystals available to form the network of the deposit. In addition, this change also led to the basic structural units in the wax deposit evolving from wax crystal clusters/networks to water droplet flocs. The study elucidates that through adjusting the dispersion of wax crystals from the oil phase to the oil-water interface, water droplets could act as a functional component to tailor the properties of the emulsion or resolve related flow and deposition problems in pipeline transportation.

Octahedral Distortion and Excitonic Behavior of Cs3Bi2Br9 Halide Perovskite at Low Temperature

The metal halide ionic octahedron, represented as [MX6]n− (M = metal cation, X = halide anion), serves as the basic structural unit in halide perovskites and plays a crucial role in determining their optoelectronic and chemical properties. Thus, it is possible to correlate the responses of metal halide perovskites to various environmental stimuli with the dynamic behaviors of the [MX6]n− octahedra. In this study, with the temperature-dependent single-crystal X ray diffraction (SCXRD) measurements on Cs3Bi2Br9 2D halide perovskites, we can identify two classes of distortions through the lowering of temperature: intraoctahedral distortion, which is the off-centering of Bi3+ cation within a [BiBr6]3– octahedron due to the Bi3+ 6s2 lone pair electrons, and interoctahedral distortion, which is the collective misalignments among the [BiBr6]3– building blocks. Free exciton (FE) and self-trapped exciton (STE) models are used to study the relationship between the distortion of octahedra in Cs3Bi2Br9 and the corresponding changes in its optoelectronic properties, which transform from dominating blue emission above 100 K to red emission at 4 K. This work provides new insights into the excitonic behaviors of perovskites and suggests a possibility that we can design and rationalize the optical properties of halide perovskites by regulating the environmental stimuli based on the knowledge of behaviors of the individual [MX6]n− building blocks.

Optimal design of electromagnetic metamaterial electronic device sensor with specific performance based on multivariate big data fusion

As the basic unit structure of electromagnetic metamaterial, the structure size of open resonant ring directly determines the constitutive parameters of SRR (dielectric constant ε and permeability μ). In order to improve the energy exchange efficiency of the electromagnetic acoustic transducer, the coil backplane of the electromagnetic ultrasonic shear wave sensor was optimized. First, the influence of the thickness of the coil backplane on the ultrasonic signal is studied by the experimental method, and then, the magnetic field distribution of the coil backplane is simulated by the finite element simulation software. Finally, the SNR and lift distance of the shear wave sensor before and after the coil backplane optimization are compared by experiments. In this article, a multi-hypothesis data fusion method in distributed detection system is proposed, which extends the multi-sensor data fusion rules to more general cases. The results show that the optimum thickness of the coil back plate in the electromagnetic ultrasonic transverse wave sensor is 1.5–2.0 mm. Using iron powder with the same length and width as the working area of the coil as the coil backplane can significantly increase the magnetic field strength in the working area of the sensor. Compared with the coil backplane made of non-magnetic materials, the optimized backplane can increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor by about one time and the lift-off distance by about 1 mm.

Polymers of the candidalysin peptide become membrane pores.

C. albicans infection requires the action of the virulence factor candidalysin (CL), which damages the plasma membrane of target human cells (Moyes Nature 2016). However, the molecular mechanism that CL uses to permeabilize membranes was unknown. We have employed complementary biophysical, modeling, microscopy, and cell biology methods to reveal that CL forms membrane pores using a unique molecular mechanism (Russell eLife 2022). Unexpectedly, we observed that CL readily assembles into linear polymers in solution. We propose that the basic structural unit in polymer formation is a CL oligomer, which is sequentially added into a string configuration that can close into a loop. Our data indicate that CL loops spontaneously insert into the membrane to become membrane pores. We identified a CL mutation (G4W) that inhibited the formation of polymers in solution and prevented formation of pores in synthetic lipid membrane systems. Studies in epithelial cells showed that G4W CL failed to activate the danger response signaling pathway, a hallmark of the pathogenic effect of CL. These results indicate that CL polymerization in solution is a necessary step for the damage of cellular membranes. Analysis of thousands of CL pores by atomic force microscopy revealed co-existence of simple depressions and complex pores decorated with protrusions. Imaging and modeling indicate that the two types of pores are formed by CL oligomers assembled into alternate orientations. We propose that this structural rearrangement represents a maturation mechanism that stabilizes pore formation . The data show that CL uses a previously unknown mechanism to damage membranes, whereby pre-assembly of CL loops in solution directly leads to formation of membrane pores. Our investigation not only unravels a new paradigm for the formation of membrane pores, but additionally identifies CL polymerization as a novel therapeutic target to treat candidiasis.

Competitive adsorption of lead and cadmium on soil aggregate at micro-interfaces: Multi-surface modeling and spectroscopic studies

Aggregates are the basic structural units of soils and play a crucial role in metal migration and transformation. Combined contamination of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) is common in site soils, and the two metals may compete for the same adsorption sites and affect their environmental behavior. Herein, the adsorption behavior of Pb and Cd on aggregates of two soils and contributions of soil components in single and competitive systems were studied by combining cultivation experiments, batch adsorption, multi-surface models (MSMs), and spectroscopic techniques. The results demonstrated that < 2 µm size aggregate was the dominant sink for Pb and Cd competitive adsorption in both soils. Compared with Pb, the adsorption capacity and behavior of Cd were affected greatly under competition. MSMs prediction revealed that soil organic matter (SOM) contributed the most to Cd and Pb adsorption on aggregates (> 68.4%), but the dominant competitive effect occurred on different sites for Cd adsorption (primarily on SOM) and Pb adsorption (primarily on clay minerals). Further, 2 mM Pb coexistence caused 5.9 − 9.8% of soil Cd conversion to unstable species (Cd(OH)2). Thus, the competitive effect of Pb on Cd adsorption cannot be ignored in soils with high content of SOM and fine aggregates.

Application of Terpenoid Compounds in Food and Pharmaceutical Products

Terpenes are compounds that include monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and terpenes, where isoprene is the basic structural unit of multiple oxygenated hydrocarbons. Terpenes are often found in plants, especially in some Zingiberaceae or tulips, and they have been obtained by direct extraction, chemical synthesis, and microorganisms. They exhibit anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and analgesic activity, aid digestion, and have other biological activities. Terpenes are widely used as factors in food health and as anti-cancer treatments. They are used especially as active substances in fermented Chinese baijiu products and gives Chinese baijiu its fruity aroma. To a certain extent, terpenes affect the quality of baijiu. In pharmaceutical products, terpenes, especially limonene and elemene, have strong biological activity that reduces the mitosis of tumor cells, induces tumor cell apoptosis, and inhibits tumor cell growth. However, the low yield of terpenes limits its application. Therefore, we review the sources of terpenes, focus on the biosynthesis pathway of sesquiterpenes, and explore the latest research progress on terpenes that play a biologically active and functional role in fermented products and pharmaceutical products, especially in the development and utilization of the Chinese baijiu industry. We provide new research ideas for the improvement and optimization of terpenes in various industries.

Effect of pressure on the evolution of vitrinite graphitized mesophases: An experimental study on anthracite under high temperature and pressure

In this study, the influence of pressure on the evolution of the intermediate phase of graphitization of vitrinite was determined. Using samples of Taixi anthracite from the Rujigo Coal Mine (Ordos Basin, China), experiments were conducted in a piston cylinder press at a constant temperature of 1073 K and pressures from 500 MPa to 1 GPa. Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selective electron diffraction, and electron loss energy spectra were used to characterise the microcrystalline morphology, structural order, and atomic valence states of the samples. Under confined conditions, pressure significantly promoted the graphitization process; however, the effect of different pressures on such process in vitrinite varied. Low pressure (<700 MPa) promoted an ordered growth of aromatic rings; meanwhile, a medium pressure (700–800 MPa) destroyed the microporous structure of vitrinite, leading to a less-ordered carbon layer and a sp3 metastable carbon structure resembling nano-diamond. Notably, high pressure (>900 MPa) promoted the condensation and directionalisation of the carbon layer of the vitrinite by destroying the microporous structure, resulting in a rapid growth of microcrystalline graphite. This suggests a transition to the key stage of anthracite graphitization, which may be an important feature in the formation of intermediate phases. In fact, pressure has been shown to exert an important role in the rupture of microporous structures in vitrinite, whose mechanism may be related to the sp3 metastable carbon formed between the basic structural units in different high-pressure environments. These findings provide insight into the formation mechanism of coal graphite, bringing new understanding of the transition from multi-faceted nanocrystals to graphitization in an orogenic metamorphic zone (e.g., in high-pressure schist and hornblende).

Isolation, culture, and characterization of duck primary neurons

The duck is a representative and good model for studying the development and physiological mechanisms of the nervous system (NS) in waterfowl. Neurons are the basic structural and functional units of NS, but there is no detailed method for cultured duck neurons in vitro. An efficient and simple method for duck neuron culture is reported in this study. First, the sfigpecific markers (NSE and GFAP, respectively) were used to explore the timing of the development of neurons and astrocytes during the duck embryonic stage (E5-E18). The cytomorphology of tissues and cells was tracked with the microscope at different time points. The brain tissues from 10-day-old duck embryos were determined as the optimal sampling embryo age for neuron culture. Then, the brain tissue isolation method (papain digestion) and cell suspension inoculation density (7×105 cells/mL) were identified as the culture protocol to obtain target cells with high viability and high density. The purity of the cultured neurons was more than 95%. This experiment provides a supplement for the study of in vitro culture of waterfowl neurons and lays a good foundation for various subsequent studies.

Дистрибутивные интерпретанты в метаязыке кроссворда

In this paper, we study such a specific product of enigmatic discourse as a crossword puzzle. The powerful potential of this text is manifested in its ability to accumulate and translate cultural meanings and values, which explains the recent appearance of a large number of works on the study of linguistic, cultural, structural-semantic and cognitive-discursive features of the crossword language. The study of the ontological nature of the crossword, as undertaken in this research, is grounded in an examination of its metalanguage essence. Crossword descriptions reflect the outcomes of metalanguage consciousness operations, which aim to depict the elements of the semantics of encrypted nominations. The unit of research is the crossword puzzle cell — the basic structural unit, which is formed by the unity of the description and the encrypted nomination. A description containing information about the encoded word forms a verbalized part of the crossword puzzle cell, and the encoded nomination is a non—verbalized part that is subject to decoding as a result of interpretation of the description. Encoding and decoding of the sign act as two components forming a dialogical unity of the act of indirect communication between the compiler of the crossword and its interpreter. The purpose of this study is to search for and describe the features of distributive interpretants, that is, those descriptions that model the potential contexts of the use of encoded nominations. Distributive interpretants are formed on the basis of lacunized descriptions and appeals to the semantics of the enigma by updating the contexts of its use. The work on the language material revealed the principle of constructing pseudo-distributive interpretants. While maintaining a formal identity with distributive interpretants, they fundamentally form the search area of the encrypted word in a different way, not modeling the semantic context, but using parts of complex words with hyphenated spelling as terms of descriptions, as well as a variety of precedent names and utterances.

Природно-климатическая характеристика единиц высотно-поясной структуры ландшафтов Кавказа А. К. Темботова

The paper presents the climatic and orographic modelling of basic units of the altitude-belt structure of Caucasus landscapes by A. K. Tembotov, obtained using the global databases WorldClim and ENVIREM (ENVIronmental Rasters for Ecological Modeling). The basis for climate typification of latitudinal zones and belt variants was the Keppen-Geiger climate classification scheme. The build model corresponds to the natural-climatic characteristics of the basic units of the altitude-belt structure, established by ground observations and stationary meteorological stations. The model allows characterising abiotic conditions and patterns of spatial distribution of biological objects depending on the altitudinal-sectoral heterogeneity of landscapes in the Caucasus.

Mass spectrometry-based techniques for single-cell analysis.

The cell is the most basic structural unit and plays a vital role in the function of an organism. Studying the heterogeneity of cells, especially the qualitative and quantitative analyses of proteins and lipids at the cellular level and even at the subcellular level, is of great significance for the study of some important pathological or physiological processes. Due to the small size of a single cell, low content of analytes and large interference from the biological matrix within the single cell, analytical methods at the single cell level must be highly sensitive and selective. Mass spectrometry is a powerful technology for single-cell analysis, because it has high sensitivity, high selectivity and the ability to monitor multiple chemicals at the same time. In this review, four mass spectrometry-based methods applied to single-cell analysis are introduced and discussed in detail; these are electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The recent advances in single-cell analysis with these mass spectrometry-based techniques are summarized. We believe that this review can provide some help and reference for single-cell analysis by mass spectrometry.

Structural and Colloid Effects of Interaction between Shungite Carbon Nanoparticles and Linoleic Fatty Acid

Background: The effect of bionanointeractions on graphene-biomolecule nanohybrids is of great interest, since external influences on their structural and surface properties can significantly affect their biological activity. Introduction: The effects of the fatty acid binding with shungite carbon (ShC) nanoparticles on the stability of aqueous dispersions of ShC and the oxidation state of ShC (oxygen-containing groups) were studied using linoleic acid (LA) as an example. Method: The size and surface charge (ζ -potential) of the ShC-LA associates formed at various LA concentrations in the dispersion were estimated using the dynamic light scattering method and the ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra of dispersions were taken. Result: The negative ShC charge becomes less negative upon LA binding, depending on LA concentration. The size of ShC upon functionalization by LA molecules does not depend on LA concentration, suggesting the predominance of surface rearrangement of NPs, rather than a change in their global structure. ShC - LA interaction is accompanied by an increase in absorption in the UV spectrum region of conjugated С=С bonds, the reduction of С=О groups, sp2 hybridization and bonds in the plane of graphene fragments, the basic structural units of ShC. Conclusion: The results are interpreted in terms of the surface structural effects of LA on ShC that affect variations of the colloid and redox characteristics of ShC in aqueous dispersion.

Synaptic alterations as a common phase in neurological and neurodevelopmental diseases: JNK is a key mediator in synaptic changes.

Synaptic alterations as a common phase in neurological and neurodevelopmental diseases: JNK is a key mediator in synaptic changes.

亚热带退化森林不同恢复方式对土壤团聚体胶结物质及稳定性的影响

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 亚热带退化森林不同恢复方式对土壤团聚体胶结物质及稳定性的影响 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202204211092 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金(32001298); 湖北省教育厅重点项目(D20201001); 大学生创新训练项目(S202110512085) Effects of different restoration approaches of subtropical degraded forests on bonding materials and stability of soil aggregate Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program, Key Program, Major Research Plan) 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:退化森林的恢复一直是林业和生态学研究的热点。良好的森林土壤结构有助于林木生长发育,作为土壤最基本的结构单元,土壤团聚体组成和稳定性是衡量土壤肥力和质量的重要指标,其团聚结构的形成依靠土壤胶结物质。然而,土壤胶结物质与团聚体稳定性之间的关系尚不确定。为探明亚热带退化森林的不同恢复方式对团聚体稳定性的影响及其潜在机制,以自然恢复的次生林为对照(CK),选取了亚热带三种常见的人工林:一代杉木林(P1)、二代杉木林(P2)和黄山松林(P3),测定土壤团聚体稳定性及其胶结物质的含量,并分析了各胶结物质对团聚体稳定性的影响。研究发现:不同森林恢复方式显著影响了土壤pH值、碳氮比、速效磷含量、团聚体的组成和稳定性。所有森林类型中,三种人工林的团聚体稳定性显著高于CK,P2的大团聚体所占比例最大,团聚体稳定性最高。恢复方式显著影响了土壤游离氧化铁含量、菌根密度和易提取球囊霉素相关土壤蛋白(EEG)含量。团聚体稳定性与游离氧化铁含量、菌根密度呈正相关,但与EEG含量呈负相关。研究结果表明,亚热带退化森林的人工恢复比自然恢复更有助于增强土壤团聚体稳定性,土壤游离氧化铁、菌根密度和EEG是显著影响团聚体稳定性的胶结物质。 Abstract:The restoration of degraded forest has been a hot topic in forestry and ecology. As a basic structural unit of soil, soil aggregate composition and stability are important indicators of soil fertility and quality, and the formation of soil aggregate relies on aggregate bonding materials. However, the relationship between aggregate bonding materials and aggregate stability is uncertain. To explore the effects of different restoration approaches of degraded subtropical forests on aggregate stability and its underlying mechanisms, we compared the secondary forest (natural restoration) as a control (CK), with three different common subtropical plantations which were: (1) first-generation Cunninghamia lanceolata (P1), (2) second-generation C. lanceolata (P2), and a Pinus. taiwanensis plantation (P3). We measured the aggregate stability and the contents of different aggregate bonding materials, and then analyzed the influence of these materials on soil aggregate stability. Results showed that forest restoration approach significantly affected soil pH, C/N, available phosphorus, as well as the composition and stability of aggregate. Among all the forests, the aggregate stability was significantly lower in CK than in the other three plantations, and P2 had the greatest proportion of large aggregates and the highest aggregate stability. The forest restoration approach also significantly affected soil free Fe oxide content, mycorrhizal density, and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEG). Aggregate stability was positively correlated with free Fe oxide content and mycorrhizal density, but negatively correlated with EEG. For subtropical degraded forests, the results indicated that artificial restoration was better than natural restoration to enhance soil aggregate stability, with soil free Fe oxide, mycorrhizal density and EEG being the main bonding materials that significantly affected the aggregate stability. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Enhancing the Performance of WSD Task Using Regularized GNNs With Semantic Diffusion

The ambiguity of a polysemous word, regardless of its language, is referred to as the ability to have more than one meaning. Many techniques fromWord Sense Disambiguation (WSD) have been used to clarify the ambiguity. With these techniques, the correct sense of a word according to its particular context can be determined. In English, there exist many ambiguous words. For example, the word <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">cell</i> may have different meanings based on its context. For instance, it may mean <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">the basic structural unit of all organisms</i> in <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">biology domains</i> , or it may mean <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reaction in textual materials about technology or electricity</i> , or it completely means another different thing: <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a room where a prisoner is kept in textual materials about prison</i> . In this study, to enhance the performance of the WSD task, we develop a methodology with Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (GCN), including normalization, thresholding, and regularization modules. We attempt to improve the traditional Text GCN algorithm with a semantic diffusion process, which increases the classification performance of the WSD task. As far as we know, there is no work for such a comprehensive classifier for the WSD task in English. To show the effect of the suggested model, we performed experiments on the SensEval dataset, which is a very popular dataset and benchmark in the WSD domain. The experiment results show that the regularization effect and diffusion process in GCN and Text GCN architectures are powerful strategies for the WSD task.

Impact of a staggered scaffold structure on the mechanical properties and cell response in bone tissue engineering.

The primary goal of bone tissue engineering is to fabricate scaffolds that can provide a microenvironment similar to that of natural bone. Therefore, various scaffolds have been designed to replicate the bone structure. Although most tissues exhibit complicated structures, their basic structural unit includes stiff platelets arranged in a staggered micro-array. Therefore, many researchers have designed scaffolds with staggered patterns. However, relatively few studies have comprehensively analyzed this type of scaffold. In this review, we have analyzed scientific research pertaining to staggered scaffold designs and summarized their effects on the physical and biological properties of scaffolds. Compression tests or finite element analysis are typically used to evaluate the mechanical properties of scaffolds, and most studies have performed experiments in cell cultures. Staggered scaffolds improve mechanical strength and are beneficial for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation in comparison with conventional designs. However, very few have been studied in vivo experiments. Additionally, studies on the effect of staggered structures on angiogenesis or bone regeneration in vivo, particularly in large animals, are required. Currently, with the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies, highly optimized models can be developed, resulting in better discoveries. In the future, AI can be used to deepen our understanding on the staggered structure, promoting its use in clinical applications.

Ultramicro-sensing of terahertz metamaterials implemented by using sample traps

A metamaterial sensor implemented by using sample traps based on terahertz electromagnetically-induced-transparency-like (EIT-like) effect is proposed. The basic unit structure of the sensor is composed of a metal wire and a pair of split ring resonators (SRRs), which are coupled to produce EIT-like effect. The full width at half maximum of transparency peak is 178 GHz obtained at 1.067 THz, and the maximum transmittance of the transparency peak is 89.71%. The sensing characteristics of the structure are studied, and the sensitivity per unit volume is &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M3"&gt;\begin{document}$178\;{\rm{G}}{\rm{H}}{\rm{z}}/({\rm{R}}{\rm{I}}{\rm{U}}{\cdot} {{\rm{m}}{\rm{m}}}^{3})$\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20230080_M3.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20230080_M3.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt;. The analysis of electric field distribution at the resonant frequency point of the metamaterial indicates that the electric field at the gap of the SRRs on both sides is strongest. Sample traps are constructed at the gap where the electric field is strongest. The photoresist is filled into the sample traps as the object to be measured, and 50 GHz frequency offset is successfully measured, verifying that the sample trap structure can be applied to sensing. With samples placed in the sample traps, the sample volume is reduced to the ultra-micro level, and the sensitivity per unit volume is increased to &lt;inline-formula&gt;&lt;tex-math id="M4"&gt;\begin{document}$5538\;{\rm{G}}{\rm{H}}{\rm{z}}/({\rm{R}}{\rm{I}}{\rm{U}}{\cdot} {{\rm{m}}{\rm{m}}}^{3})$\end{document}&lt;/tex-math&gt;&lt;alternatives&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20230080_M4.jpg"/&gt;&lt;graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="12-20230080_M4.png"/&gt;&lt;/alternatives&gt;&lt;/inline-formula&gt;, which is 31 times higher than original one. The successful identification of water, human skin and rat skin samples show that the metamaterial sensor implemented by using sample traps has potential applications in the field of ultra-micro detection.

Quantitative analysis of the roles of IRM cell adhesion molecules in column formation in the fly brain.

The Drosophila visual center shows columnar structures, basic structural and functional units of the brain, that are shared with the mammalian cerebral cortex. Visual information received in the ommatidia in the compound eye is transmitted to the columns in the brain. However, the developmental mechanisms of column formation are largely unknown. The Irre Cell Recognition Module (IRM) proteins are a family of immunoglobulin cell adhesion molecules. The four Drosophila IRM proteins are localized to the developing columns, the structure of which is affected in IRM mutants, suggesting that IRM proteins are essential for column formation. Since IRM proteins are cell adhesion molecules, they may regulate cell adhesion between columnar neurons. To test this possibility, we specifically knocked down IRM genes in columnar neurons and examined the defects in column formation. We developed a system that automatically extracts the individual column images and quantifies the column shape. Using this system, we demonstrated that IRM genes play critical roles in regulating column shape in a core columnar neuron, Mi1. We also show that their expression in the other columnar neurons, Mi4 and T4/5, is essential, suggesting that the interactions between IRM proteins and multiple neurons shape the columns in the fly brain.

Structure and Raman Spectra of Exotic Carbon Microcrystals from Meteoritic Dust of Chelyabinsk Superbolide.

The Chelyabinsk superbolide, the largest in XXI century, which exploded on 15 February 2013 over snowy fields of Southern Urals was a historic event not just only because of its massive scale and explosive power. High-temperature, high-pressure conditions in the front shock wave caused intense ablation of the asteroid material and formation of huge amount of meteoritic dust dispersed in the atmosphere during the flyby. Massive snowfalls just few days before and after the event conserved precipitated meteoritic dust in thin layer of snow which was collected and studied later. The most intriguing and challenging material discovered in the dust was closed-shell 10-70 µm exotic polygonal graphitic carbon microcrystals of undisclosed nature. Using optical and electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy the atomic structure of closed-shell microcrystals was thoroughly studied and their graphitic nature was revealed. It was found that some of the particles formed by multilayer graphitic polygonal shells have extensive hollows inside. Comparative microscopic and spectroscopic analysis of meteorite exotic carbon microcrystals with different graphite species, carbon onions, and diamond revealed two distinctively different closed-shell carbon particles. The first type of the particles can be attributed to carbon onions with characteristic graphite nanocrystalline basic structural units (BSU) of 49 nm lateral size and less and, probably, BSU heteroatomic termination necklace with oxygen content comparable to 1.1% and more. It was shown that the second type of unique graphitic carbon particles of a convex shape and perfect hexagonal symmetry with lateral dimensions of 14 µm correspond to multiply twinned closed-shell graphite microcrystals with polyhexacyclooctadecane (-C18-)n core wrapped by multiple layers of carbon honeycombs with low (&lt;1%) content of oxygen termination necklace.