Binary Scheme Research Articles

Provenance, paleoweathering, sediment maturity, and depositional environment of intertrappean sediments in Angot–Gazo volcanic plateau, northeastern Ethiopia: Evidence from field mapping, petrography and geochemistry

Numerous intertrappean beds have been reported in different sections of the Ethiopian highlands; however, their detailed paleo-sedimentological characteristics have not been fully examined. This study investigates the source rock composition, tectonic setting, degree of past weathering, paleoclimatic conditions, sediment maturity, and depositional environments of the Angot–Gazo terrestrial sediments through geological mapping, mineralogical analysis, and geochemical approaches. Two terrestrial beds, consisting of mudrock and sandstone, were identified. The sandstone is characterized by massive, medium to coarse, and poorly sorted grains that range from sub-rounded to angular shapes. Minerallogically, the sandstone comprises quartz, feldspar, and lithic fragments grains with a proportional amounts of ash material. Both mineralogical (Q–F–R) and geochemical classification plots categorize the sandstone as arkosic to lithic greywacke. Felsic volcanic rocks are the main source material for the investigated sediments, as evidenced by multiple discrimination plots (DF1 vs. DF2, V–Ni–Th∗10, La–Th–Sc, Cr/Th–Th/Sc, La/Co–Th/Co, La/Sc–Th/Co and Y/Ni–Cr/V), LREE/HREE patterns, elemental ratios, and the appearance of abundant felsic-derived lithic fragments within the sandstone. A new bivariate discriminant function plot from DF1 vs. DF2 analysis, coupled with ternary diagrams of Zr/10–Th–Sc for the studied intertrappean sediments, revealed a continental rift setting, particularly a passive continental margin. Ternary diagram of A–CN–K, binary plots of Al₂O₃/Na₂O vs. average values of weathering indices (CIA, CIW, PIA, & MIA), and SiO2 vs. Al2O3+K2O + Na2O plot demonstrate slight to moderate degree of weathering for the sandstone, and deep weathering for the mudrock under semi-arid paleoclimatic conditions. The binary schemes of SiO2/Al2O3 and Ni–TiO2 ratio, along with the significant abundance of angular to sub-angular framework grains, reflect both immaturity and initial sediment recycling. Finally, the examined sediments were deposited in freshwater under oxic conditions, as evidenced by binary plots of Sr/Ba, Th/U, U/Th, and Ni/Co.

Analysis of Urban Maize Yield Response to Urban Sprawl in a Changing Climate: Case of Harare Metropolitan City

Agriculture in free spaces within urban areas sustains residents as they grow crops to ensure food availability while at the same time selling other produce to fund other needs. Due to the value of urban agricultural production, the main focus of this study was to investigate the implications of urban growth on maize yield in Harare metropolitan city. In order to achieve this, Landsat multispectral and multi-temporal data were used to establish the responses of the estimated maize yield to city growth from 1984 to 2018. Initially, Land Use and Land Cover map for each period were produced using multispectral images and field observation in Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based supervised image classification. The maps were reclassified using a binary scheme of croplands and non-croplands, which was used to quantify cropland area in each period and hence change over time. The maize yield for each period was estimated from data obtained from a study of maize yields obtained at the University of Zimbabwe Farm (UZ) farm for maize grown under variable agricultural practices. Results showed that cropland area was reduced from 11,120 ha in 1984 down to 2631 ha in 2018. The estimated average maize yield decreased from 52,264 tons in 1984 to 12,366 tons in 2018. In addition to showing the value of urban agriculture, the findings of this study are important in informing the government, municipalities, and other stakeholders about how urban growth has the potential to compromise food security and livelihoods, especially for the urban poor.

Limiting and Binary Schemes of Vapor Bubble Growth in an Infinite Volume of Liquid

The problem of spherically symmetric growth of a vapor bubble in an infinite volume of a uniformly superheated liquid is considered. The concept of limiting growth schemes, each of which is determined by the influence of a single physical factor, is put forward. An analytical approximation of the Scriven integral is proposed, its asymptotics are analyzed. Analytical solutions for binary growth schemes with due account of the influence of two physical factors on bubble growth are obtained.

Epilepsy-associated SCN2A (NaV1.2) variants exhibit diverse and complex functional properties.

Pathogenic variants in voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel genes including SCN2A, encoding NaV1.2, are discovered frequently in neurodevelopmental disorders with or without epilepsy. SCN2A is also a high-confidence risk gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and nonsyndromic intellectual disability (ID). Previous work to determine the functional consequences of SCN2A variants yielded a paradigm in which predominantly gain-of-function variants cause neonatal-onset epilepsy, whereas loss-of-function variants are associated with ASD and ID. However, this framework was derived from a limited number of studies conducted under heterogeneous experimental conditions, whereas most disease-associated SCN2A variants have not been functionally annotated. We determined the functional properties of SCN2A variants using automated patch-clamp recording to demonstrate the validity of this method and to examine whether a binary classification of variant dysfunction is evident in a larger cohort studied under uniform conditions. We studied 28 disease-associated variants and 4 common variants using two alternatively spliced isoforms of NaV1.2 expressed in HEK293T cells. Automated patch-clamp recording provided a valid high throughput method to ascertain detailed functional properties of NaV1.2 variants with concordant findings for variants that were previously studied using manual patch clamp. Many epilepsy-associated variants in our study exhibited complex patterns of gain- and loss-of-functions that are difficult to classify by a simple binary scheme. The higher throughput achievable with automated patch clamp enables study of variants with greater standardization of recording conditions, freedom from operator bias, and enhanced experimental rigor. This approach offers an enhanced ability to discern relationships between channel dysfunction and neurodevelopmental disorders.

«Живая религия» и «вернакулярная религия». Проблема концептуализации терминов

The conceptual network used in modern religious studies is being constantly updated and supplemented with new terms, while “classical” concepts are undergoing semantic shifts as well. This paper is focused on the history of the notions of lived religion and vernacular religion, which entered the scientific lexicon in the late 20th century. Both terms relate to the study of everyday life and its philosophical understanding and are based on extensive empirical research as well as anthropological data. The concepts of lived religion and vernacular religion were proposed by scholars as an alternative to the traditional and widespread binary schemes for describing religion, which contrast the high/low, elite/folk and institutionalized/non-institutionalized forms of religion. The genesis and spread of these concepts reflected the general trend, which consists in refraining from applying a uniform Western European model and denominational theological discourse to the variable phenomena of religious experience. The term lived religion, which originated in memoirs and biographical literature, characterized the personal experience of Christians, extending to the daily religious practices of various traditions. Vernacular religion goes back to the Latin word vernaculus, which had been used to describe something native, local, domestic and, later, to distinguish the local language from the official Latin. The term was proposed by philologists to solve religious problems of studying unorganized, spontaneous, everyday and individual forms of manifestation of religion. Currently, both terms are being successfully used, including in Russian scientific discourse, in religious studies on various phenomena of materialization, kitsch, gender and many other aspects of religion.

Феміністський гумор українського сектору соціальних мереж

Humour is instrumental in drawing attention to controversial topics like gender inequality. This empirical study aims to distinguish the culture-specifics of feminist humour in the Ukrainian social media sector by identifying women’s main techniques to overcome gender stereotypes and prejudices. The material for the study was humour patterns sampled in the Ukrainian social media sector from November 2022 to February 2023. During this period, 1803 posts were shared in these groups. In the first stage, we selected 698 posts with humour as their conceptual content. In the second stage, 121 patterns were selected, the main distinguishing characteristic of which is the use of gender terms and/or the presence of explicit gender categorical inferences. Attention was focused on those examples where the humour was aimed at gender deconstruction, achieved by criticism of discriminatory social norms restricting women’s and girls’ rights. Discourse-analytical research methods were used in the study. Feminist humour techniques used by women in the Ukrainian social media sector to challenge gender stereotypes and prejudices are as follows: 1. Positioning oneself as an irrepressible “bad girl”. This technique aims to develop and cultivate assertiveness, i. e. the ability to withstand the psychological pressure of traditional social norms attributed to a “real lady”, to regulate one’s behaviour and take responsibility for it. 2. “Confusion” of the gender binary. Humour is a platform for creating identities that do not follow the traditional concept of men or women and cannot be described within a rigid binary scheme. An important tool that enables women to challenge stereotypes is the genre of humour, such as banter, which makes it possible for women to experiment with different social constructions of what being a woman in the image of a man means. 3. Adopting the male tradition of disparagement humour. The recipients’ acceptance of disparagement humour means that they tacitly consent to the termination of typical serious or critical ways of thinking about socially problematic topics, thus ultimately destroying gender biases and stereotypes – if stereotypes do not apply to men, they lose their validity for women as well. 4. Cultivating self-compassion for oneself. Self-compassion fosters self-awareness that rejects normative gender stereotypes as factors that impede positive aspirations for growth and change. The concept of self-compassion is closely related to the positive perception of one’s body image. The results of this study have confirmed the basic conclusions made in the earlier publications that feminist humour is designed to address several psychological problems women face, the reason for which stems from their tendency to adhere to traditional beliefs about gender roles, but feminist humour is not man-hating. By identifying typical techniques employed to challenge gender biases and stereotypes in a particular country, we can understand the national and cultural specificity of feminist humour.

Modeling of curves by a design-control approximating refinement scheme

This paper introduces a modified method for construction of a new design-control 6-point approximating refinement scheme. The construction of the new scheme is based on translation of the points of 4-point approximating refinement scheme to the new position according to the linear combination of certain displacement vectors. The initial and terminal points of these vectors are the refinement points of two 4-point approximating binary schemes. The new scheme contains three design-control parameters. These parameters increase the efficiency and flexibility of the new scheme. The mathematical and graphical analysis of the refinement scheme show that this scheme is good choice for curve modeling.

The Semiotics of Willem de Kooning’s Easter Monday

Critics have frequently employed strict binary schemes to explain Abstract Expressionism’s singular contributions to art history: the victory of abstraction over figuration, avant-garde over kitsch, pure art over anecdotal illustration, action over premeditation, or escapist detachment over direct political engagement. Taking Willem de Kooning’s Easter Monday as a case study, this paper will question the efficacy of such dyadic explanations to encapsulate the diversity of New York School practice. Easter Monday includes both figural and abstract elements, some that parade the work’s impulsive and spontaneous character and others that were created by a photo-mechanical process. Some celebrate the artist’s personal and idiosyncratic touch, others the impersonality of popular forms of advertising. In contradistinction, the semiotic terminology of C.S. Pierce reveals not only multiple points of intersection with de Kooning’s work; it also effectively identifies and differentiates the plurality of elements the artist conjoined in a single visual field, some of which qualify as iconic, indexical, symbolic, or even as hybrid combinations of the above. These more elastic descriptors, it will be argued, are well-suited to address de Kooning’s variegated surfaces: they can address his accommodation of diverse techniques, as well as the multiple ways the artist constructed meaning and responded to popular culture.

ВЧЕРА И СЕГОДНЯ: О ЛИТЕРАТУРНОЙ ОБРАБОТКЕ ПРОШЛОГО

The introduction to the archival collection “To Revive the Past Through Pedagogy: On History and Historicism in Children’s Literature” starts with a close reading of Yesterday and Today, a picture book for children, which the poet Samuil Marshak and the artist Vladimir Lebedev published in 1925 with the private press Raduga in Leningrad. Relying on clear binary schemes, the book presented temporal distinctions (yesterday/today) as a combination of differential features. Belonging to different time frames was presented not simply as a matter of chronology; also, it was read as a manifestation of cultural differences (old/new), that is, as differences constructed and appropriated through time, and, simultaneously, as a clear expression of historical differences (outdated/progressive), i.e., as differences that were rooted in a specific and therefore irreproducible context. The historical juxtaposition of the world of yesterday and the world of today was conceptualized in Yesterday and Today as a juxtaposition of two different orders of things — the things of the past vs. the things of the present. However, in the finale of the book this early Soviet version of the object-oriented ontology was transformed into something else: everyday objects reemerged as social symptoms. The order of things was re-coded as a metonym of a social order: behind everyday objects of the past and the present, there were “for- mer” and “new” people, lurking. This contrastive multilevel juxtaposition of yesterday and today diffused the linearity of history; the continuity of the material, intellectual, and social progression was subjected to purposeful fragmentation and polarization. And the habitual obviousness of the gap between “yesterday” and “today” was called upon to justify the organic — and therefore natural — essence of such fragmentations and breaks. Yesterday and Today was among the first Soviet books for children to articulate the contrastive method of the early Soviet historicism in a graphic and accessible way. The book’s poetics of historical discontinuities, gaps, and shifts provided an important foundation for the literary treatment of history in the early Soviet period. Moreover, the method of contrastive juxtaposition of the past and the present, of the good and the bad, of the heroic and the cowardly would be quickly turned into a popular narrative formula of Soviet literature for children. By grounding things and people in distinctive temporal settings, this early Soviet version of historicism could successfully organize the multidimensional and heterogenous coexistence of distinctive practices, mentalities, and symbolic frameworks. Incompatible things, styles, and ways of life were placed in their book on their own — separate — pages, as if to emphasize their historically discordant relations. The poetics of historical discontinuities evolved into a politics of historical incompatibility of heterogenous things, styles, and ways of life. By the middle of the 1930s, the poetics of historical discontinuities would be revised and reframed. A desire to juxtapose the past and the present would be replaced by the desire to demonstrate historical continuity. As an organizing model, “yesterday and today” would still be in use but its meaning would dramatically change: “today” would be perceived as a natural continuation of the revolutionary “yesterday.” “Gaps,” “breaks” and “shifts” would be pushed out by “stages” and “steps.” Historical allegories would make historicism ideologically useless and aesthetically irrelevant.

Spectrally Efficient Backscatter Systems: A Hardware-Oriented Survey

The growing interest in backscatter communications as a low-powered solution in various fields necessitates pushing the envelope of current backscatter systems in multiple frontiers, among which is spectral efficiency. The increase in spectral efficiency can drive real-time applications such as augmented reality. In most of backscatter-system applications such as radio-frequency identification, backscatter modulation is implemented using binary schemes realized with square pulses, which are not spectral efficient. To address the spectral efficiency concern, this article reviews—with a scope limited to prototyped systems—some of the existing works in the literature that pertain to increasing the spectral efficiency of backscatter systems. The prototyped systems can be grouped—based on the implementation technique used—into three groups: High-order modulation, single-sideband modulation, and pulse shaping. Based on the current trends and studied literature, the article concludes with discussions on some future directions and open-ended research problems such as optimal pulse shaping, the use of artificial intelligence, multi-carrier modulation, and agile modulation; which are all aim for overcoming the spectral-efficiency limit of contemporary backscatter systems.

Концепт «дом» в фольклорной картине мира монголоязычных народов

Introduction. The article examines a basic concept of any linguistic worldview — that of home (Mong. ger). Goals. The study aims at identifying and revealing semantic features of the concept in folklore texts of Mongolic peoples — Buryat, Kalmyk, and Mongolian paroemias. Methods. Folklore texts are analyzed with the aid of the structural / semantic and structural / typological methods that make it possible to consider different semantic aspects of the concept ger ‘home’. The analysis of Buryat proverbs shows the paroemias characterizing the concept can be divided into two groups: group one to include folklore texts that directly characterize somewhat general meaning of the word ger ‘home’, while group two is compiled from proverbs with an additional meaning manifested through the use of the concept ‘home’ depending on various life situations. Results. The work reveals the image of home — through the prism of proverbs — not only essentially expands its semantic content, but also characterizes specificities of ethnic worldviews inherent to Mongolic peoples, their mentality patterns. Our semantic analysis of Mongolic paroemias with the component ger ‘home’ shows the concept comprises quite a number of semes — from ‘house’, ‘dwelling’, and ‘hearth’ to ‘family’ and even ‘homeland’ (metaphorical meanings). The investigation of Buryat, Kalmyk, and Mongolian proverbs proves instrumental not only in revealing a universal nature of the binary scheme ‘us–them’ in cultural contexts, but also in an attempted characterization of the traditional nomadic worldview through the prism of specific economic and sociocultural activities.

Embedded Learning Approaches in the Whale Optimizer to Solve Coverage Combinatorial Problems

When we face real problems using computational resources, we understand that it is common to find combinatorial problems in binary domains. Moreover, we have to take into account a large number of possible candidate solutions, since these can be numerous and make it complicated for classical algorithmic techniques to address them. When this happens, in most cases, it becomes a problem due to the high resource cost they generate, so it is of utmost importance to solve these problems efficiently. To cope with this problem, we can apply other methods, such as metaheuristics. There are some metaheuristics that allow operation in discrete search spaces; however, in the case of continuous swarm intelligence metaheuristics, it is necessary to adapt them to operate in discrete domains. To perform this adaptation, it is necessary to use a binary scheme to take advantage of the original moves of the metaheuristics designed for continuous problems. In this work, we propose to hybridize the whale optimization algorithm metaheuristic with the Q-learning reinforcement learning technique, which we call (the QBWOA). By using this technique, we are able to realize an smart and fully online binarization scheme selector, the results have been statistically promising thanks to the respective tables and graphs.

BINARY ELECTRICAL GENERATING INSTALLATION FOR UTILIZATION HEAT OF BOILER FLUE GASES

The work is devoted to the development of modern thermal schemes for the production of electrical energy while utilizing the heat of flue gases from boilers of power units. On the example of a typical district boiler house, the parameters and potential of heat discharged into the atmosphere with the flue gases of boilers are investigated, and it is determined that they are sufficient to generate electrical energy by implementing the so-called organic Rankine cycles. To utilize the heat of exhaust gases with a temperature of 280 °С at a flow rate of 10 kg/s, a three-loop power generating plant similar to those used in geothermal energy was studied. In the process of conducting research related to solving the problem, the thermal scheme was improved. A number of turbine working bodies that meet the necessary requirements are analyzed and the most suitable ones are recommended. Taking into account the characteristics of the heat source, in order to determine the rational configuration of the circuit, 50 calculations of thermal circuits of power plants on different working fluids were performed. The research results showed that the efficiency (electrical efficiency) and power of the turbine cycle are determined by the waste heat potential, the thermodynamic properties of the working fluid, the structural and parametric characteristics of the circuit. Among the studied indicators, the best indicators are: electrical efficiency of 20,6 %, a "useful" electrical power of 357 kW at a flue gas temperature of 131 °C was a three-circuit utilization plant with working bodies Water / R-245fa / R-245fa. The variant of the circuit with working fluids Water / R-600a / R-600a lost ~ 8 kW of electric power to the best variant, but was recognized as more promising, since R-600a (isopropane) Freon has consumer advantages over R-245fa. Computational studies of the binary thermal scheme of the power plant were also carried out, which showed that it is rational to use Water for the 1st circuit, R-600a for the 2nd circuit. This solution made it possible to obtain the calculated "useful" electric power of the energy complex ~ 290,8 kW (1st circuit ~ 129 kW, 2nd circuit ~ 161,8 kW). The loss of the binary scheme in terms of "useful" electric power to the promising version of the three-loop scheme is compensated by a significant simplification of the thermal scheme and, as a result, significantly lower capital costs. The specific mass of the proposed heat exchange equipment of the installation with a binary thermal scheme is ~ 150 kg/kW. Taking into account the properties of the working fluids, a preliminary study of the structures of the turbines of the 1st (Water) and 2nd (R-600a) circuits was carried out. For the 1st circuit, it is proposed to use a 6-stage axial turbine, for the 2nd – a single-stage radial. The geometric characteristics of the flow parts of turbines are determined by calculation. A preliminary simplified assessment of a simple payback period indicates good prospects for the implementation of the proposed energy-saving installation.

Метод поиска и анализа оппозиций как основа историко-философской систематизации (о концепции Шарля Ренувье)

The article analyzes the features of understanding of the history of philosophical process by the leading representative of French Neo-Kantianism. The binary scheme, thoroughly substantiated by Renоuvier in the “Sketch of the Systematic Classification of Philosophical Doctrines”, was a certain result of his previous creative way. In the “Textbook of Philosophy of the New Age”, he, highlighting the pantheism–idealism dilemma, expresses his sympathies for eclecticism. In the “Textbook of Ancient Philosophy”, he advocates giving philosophy a scientific character by combining the laws of reason and history. In “Experiences of General Criticism” he builds a system of neo-criticism, identifying phenomena with reality. Finally, the “Sketch” presents an attempt at an objective consideration of the history of philosophy. Renоuvier identifies six oppositions passing through the entire history of thought (thing–consciousness, infinite–finite, evolution–creation, necessity–freedom, happiness–duty, evidence–belief). The strength of his method is the desire to make a choice between opposing trends, taking into account intellectual motives, passions, practical inducements of varying degrees of community. But both elements of reductionism and unfounded optimism about the lack of influence of all kinds of systems on his own constructions are present in his approach.

A new approach to the classification of carcinogenicity

Concern over substances that may cause cancer has led to various classification schemes to recognize carcinogenic threats and provide a basis to manage those threats. The least useful schemes have a binary choice that declares a substance carcinogenic or not. This overly simplistic approach ignores the complexity of cancer causation by considering neither how the substance causes cancer, nor the potency of that mode of action. Consequently, substances are classified simply as “carcinogenic”, compromising the opportunity to properly manage these kinds of substances. It will likely be very difficult, if not impossible, to incorporate New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into binary schemes. In this paper we propose a new approach cancer classification scheme that segregates substances by both mode of action and potency into three categories and, as a consequence, provides useful guidance in the regulation and management of substances with carcinogenic potential. Examples are given, including aflatoxin (category A), trichlorethylene (category B), and titanium dioxide (category C), which demonstrate the clear differentiation among these substances that generate appropriate levels of concern and management options.

Nonbinary Representations in the NK and NKCS Models

The NK model has been used widely to explore aspects of natural evolution and complex systems. Traditionally, the model has used a binary representation scheme. This paper introduces a modified form of the NK model through which to systematically explore the effects of discrete, nonbinary representations on evolution over rugged fitness landscapes. Results suggest the basic properties of the original model remain but changes are seen in walk lengths to optima and the sensitivity to mutation rates, in particular. The variation to the case of coupled fitness landscapes, the NKCS model, is also extended in the same way. Again, similarities and differences to the binary case are found.

Machine Learning-Driven Clinical Image Analysis to Identify Craniosynostosis: A Pilot Study of Telemedicine and Clinic Patients.

The authors have developed pretrained machine learning (ML) models to evaluate neonatal head shape deformities using top-down and facial orthogonal photographs of the patient's head. In previous preliminary analysis, this approach was tested with images from an open-source data bank. To determine the accuracy of pretrained ML models in identifying craniosynostosis among patients seen in our outpatient neurosurgery clinic. We retrospectively reviewed top-down and facial orthogonal images of each patient's head and provider clinical diagnosis from the same encounters. Head shape classifications generated from 3 pretrained ML models (random forest, classification and regression tree, and linear discriminant analysis) were applied to each patient's photograph data set after craniometric extraction using a predefined image processing algorithm. Diagnoses were codified into a binary scheme of craniosynostosis vs noncraniosynostosis. Sensitivity, specificity, and Matthew correlation coefficient were calculated for software vs provider classifications. A total of 174 patients seen for abnormal head shape between May 2020 and February 2021 were included in the analysis. One hundred seven patients (61%) were seen in-person and 67 (39%) through telemedicine. Twenty-three patients (13%) were diagnosed with craniosynostosis. The best-performing model identified craniosynostosis with an accuracy of 94.8% (95% CI 90.4-97.6), sensitivity of 87.0% (95% CI 66.4-97.2), specificity of 96.0% (95% CI 91.6-98.5), and Matthew correlation coefficient of 0.788 (95% CI 0.725-0.839). Machine learning-driven image analysis represents a promising strategy for the identification of craniosynostosis in a real-world practice setting. This approach has potential to reduce the need for imaging and facilitate referral by primary care providers.

Energy Aware Latency Minimization for Network Slicing Enabled Edge Computing

With the rapid growth of traffic in current wireless networks, the management of heterogeneous and time-critical services with limited computing and communication resources has become a significant challenge. Edge computing (EC) is one of the key techniques in enabling 5G networks to reduce the latency of services while the network slicing (NS) technique aims to provide users with tailored services by taking advantage of virtualization of a physical network. Besides, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), one of the key enablers of 5G networks, enables more users to share wireless resources. We propose to leverage these techniques to minimize the total latency of the computing tasks with energy constraints. The combination of NS with NOMA for EC can reduce the unnecessary allocation of resources and consequently enhance both the energy and spectral efficiencies of the system. We first propose a binary scheme for offloading computing tasks and formulate an optimization problem to minimize the total latency of completing the tasks. We then transform the optimization problem to facilitate a near-optimal solution. We also introduce a heuristic algorithm to reduce the computational complexity of solving the optimization problem. Finally, extensive simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.

Simulation of pH-Dependent Conformational Transitions in Membrane Proteins: The CLC-ec1 Cl-/H+ Antiporter.

Intracellular transport of chloride by members of the CLC transporter family involves a coupled exchange between a Cl− anion and a proton (H+), which makes the transport function dependent on ambient pH. Transport activity peaks at pH 4.5 and stalls at neutral pH. However, a structure of the WT protein at acidic pH is not available, making it difficult to assess the global conformational rearrangements that support a pH-dependent gating mechanism. To enable modeling of the CLC-ec1 dimer at acidic pH, we have applied molecular dynamics simulations (MD) featuring a new force field modification scheme—termed an Equilibrium constant pH approach (ECpH). The ECpH method utilizes linear interpolation between the force field parameters of protonated and deprotonated states of titratable residues to achieve a representation of pH-dependence in a narrow range of physiological pH values. Simulations of the CLC-ec1 dimer at neutral and acidic pH comparing ECpH-MD to canonical MD, in which the pH-dependent protonation is represented by a binary scheme, substantiates the better agreement of the conformational changes and the final model with experimental data from NMR, cross-link and AFM studies, and reveals structural elements that support the gate-opening at pH 4.5, including the key glutamates Gluin and Gluex.

Linking Sustainability, Embeddedness and Marketing Strategies: A Study on the Craft Beer Sector in Italy

This paper proposes an in-depth analysis of the branding strategies implemented by agricultural craft breweries in Italy. For small-scale companies operating in the emerging craft beer sector, effective branding strategies play a key role in differentiating themselves from their competitors and gaining competitive advantages. The paper focuses on the concept of sustainability and its relation to Neolocalism. In addition, the paper analyses to what extent the craft brewing companies leverage the status of agricultural craft breweries. A mixed-method approach is adopted in the analysis. A Web Content Analysis (WebCa) led to the extrapolation of relevant information from the company websites. The data were coded according to a 1/0 binary scheme (presence/absence) and subjected to cluster analysis. The results highlight the presence of six different typologies of strategies implemented by the agricultural craft breweries, thus identifying six clusters. The six clusters differ in their emphasis on both agricultural brewery status and the components characterising the corporate brand and the attributes defining the concept of sustainability.