Consecutive Stages Research Articles

Cascade Latent Heat Storage for Solar Cooking Applications

The present investigation explores the potential of multiple phase change material (PCM) based storage for real-time solar thermal applications. There are two types of storage configurations tested in this work for the simultaneous charging and discharging operation, i.e., single PCM-based NaNO3 storage and 2-stage cascade latent heat storage having NaNO3 and NaNO2 as the storage mediums in the consecutive stages. The storage is designed to achieve the end-use temperature condition of 513 K (the highest temperature required for cooking) with the latent thermal energy accumulation capacity of 1 MJ. The study envisages that instead of using a single PCM in the storage unit, 2-stage cascading of the PCMs can improve energy accumulation and retrieval in storage. After 8 hours of operation, none of the storage achieves the complete charging state. The energy accumulated in the NaNO3/NaNO2 cascade storage is found to be 2.6 times higher than the energy accumulated in the NaNO3 storage. NaNO3/NaNO2 storage achieves the desired constant outlet temperature of cold heat transfer fluid for chapati making (531 K) after 165 minutes of operation. At this moment, the latent energy accumulated in the NaNO3 and NaNO3/NaNO2 storage is observed as 35% and 14%, respectively

Designing a model of emergency medical services preparedness in response to mass casualty incidents: a mixed-method study

BackgroundEmergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents is one of the most important concerns in emergency systems. A mass casualty incident is a sudden event with several injured individuals that overwhelms the local health care system. This study aimed to identify and validate the components of emergency medical services readiness in mass casualty incidents which ultimately led to designing a conceptual model.MethodsThis research was an explanatory mixed-method study conducted in five consecutive stages in Iran between November 2021 and September 2023. First, a systematic review was carried out to extract the components of emergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents based on the PRISMA guideline. Second, a qualitative study was designed to explore the preparedness components through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis approach. Third, the integration of the components extracted from the two stages of the systematic review and qualitative study was done by an expert panel. Fourth, the obtained components were validated using the Delphi technique. Two rounds were done in the Delphi phase. Finally, the conceptual model of emergency medical services preparedness in mass casualty incidents was designed by a panel of experts.Results10 articles were included in the systematic review stage and sixteen main components were extracted and classified into four categories. In the second stage, thirteen components were extracted from the qualitative study and classified into five categories. Then, the components of the previous two phases were integrated into the panel of experts and 23 components were identified. After validation with the Delphi technique, 22 components were extracted. Lastly, the final components were examined by the panel of experts, and the conceptual schematic of the model was drawn.ConclusionsIt is necessary to have an integrated framework and model of emergency medical service readiness in the planning and management of mass casualty incidents. The components and the final model of this research were obtained after the systematic scientific steps, which can be used as a scheme to improve emergency medical service preparedness in response to mass casualty incidents.

Comprehensive Experimental Study of Biomass Conversion Behavior: From Particle Phenomena to Reactor Scale

During biomass combustion in a grate-fired boiler, each particle undergoes a sequence of different reactions, and the phenomena differ from the conversion of a single, thermally thin, particle. Hence, this paper aims to deepen the understanding of biomass conversion processes and provides valuable insights for advancing biomass-based energy systems. Firstly, the weight loss characteristics of the larger particles of eucalyptus, pine, acacia, and olive samples were investigated at different isothermal temperatures in a purpose-built reactor that simulates the devolatilization process in a controllable manner. As opposed to the thermogravimetric analysis using thermally thin particles, it was concluded that all fuels show that the combustion of large particles does not exhibit separate consecutive conversion stages, due to internal diffusion resistance. Furthermore, it was verified that the devolatilization rate depends mainly on the reactor temperature, and, consequently, the mass-loss profile is independent of the biomass type. In addition to these experiments, the composition of the gases over the devolatilization period was analyzed for the main fuel used in power plants, eucalyptus. Once again, a strong correlation to the reactor temperature was observed, with CO2 and CO always being the main devolatilization products. The temperature dependence of both compounds presented an increase from 8 to 13% between 600 and 800 °C for CO, while the CO2 yield only slightly increased from 11 to 12%. These observations were essential to identify the transport phenomena effect and the gaseous products released during the biomass combustion.

The Chilean exposome-based system for ecosystems (CHiESS): a framework for national data integration and analytics platform.

The double burden of diseases and scarce resources in developing countries highlight the need to change the conceptualization of health problems and translational research. Contrary to the traditional paradigm focused on genetics, the exposome paradigm proposed in 2005 that complements the genome is an innovative theory. It involves a holistic approach to understanding the complexity of the interactions between the human being’s environment throughout their life and health. This paper outlines a scalable framework for exposome research, integrating diverse data sources for comprehensive public health surveillance and policy support. The Chilean exposome-based system for ecosystems (CHiESS) project proposes a conceptual model based on the ecological and One Health approaches, and the development of a technological dynamic platform for exposome research, which leverages available administrative data routinely collected by national agencies, in clinical records, and by biobanks. CHiESS considers a multilevel exposure for exposome operationalization, including the ecosystem, community, population, and individual levels. CHiESS will include four consecutive stages for development into an informatic platform: (1) environmental data integration and harmonization system, (2) clinical and omics data integration, (3) advanced analytical algorithm development, and (4) visualization interface development and targeted population-based cohort recruitment. The CHiESS platform aims to integrate and harmonize available secondary administrative data and provide a complete geospatial mapping of the external exposome. Additionally, it aims to analyze complex interactions between environmental stressors of the ecosystem and molecular processes of the human being and their effect on human health. Moreover, by identifying exposome-based hotspots, CHiESS allows the targeted and efficient recruitment of population-based cohorts for translational research and impact evaluation. Utilizing advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, this framework enhances data security, real-time monitoring, and predictive analytics. The CHiESS model is adaptable for international use, promoting global health collaboration and supporting sustainable development goals.

Applying a clinical staging model in patients affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Clinical staging, already widespread in medicine, represents a new frontier in psychiatry. Our goal was to convert the existing theoretical staging model for schizophrenia into a feasible tool to have a timely assessment of patients' health status applicable in any psychiatric facility. We assessed the empirical soundness of a staging model for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), primarily centered on their current status. This model delineated six sequential stages (1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 4) based on factors like symptom recurrence, persistence, and progression, including functional decline. Our analysis involved data from 137 individuals affected by SSDs. We examined 22 baseline variables, 23 construct-related variables, and 31 potentially modifiable clinical variables. The latter stages demonstrated significantly poorer outcomes compared to the early stages across various measures, indicating medium to large effect sizes and a dose-response pattern. This pattern confirmed the validity of the model. Notably, stages 2 and 3A exhibited pronounced differences in comparison to other stages, although variables from each validation category also distinguished between consecutive stages, particularly 3A and beyond. Baseline predictors, such as familial predisposition to schizophrenia, neurodevelopmental impairment, childhood adversities, treatment delay, negative symptoms, neurological impairment, and inadequate early response to treatment, independently largely explained the staging variance. The clinical staging model, grounded in the extended course of psychosis, exhibited sound validity and feasibility, even without the use of biological or neuroimaging markers, which could greatly improve the sensitivity of the model. These findings provide insights into stage indicators and predictors of clinical stages from the onset of psychosis.

Identification of Stage-Specific microRNAs that Govern the Early Stages of Sequential Oral Oncogenesis by Strategically Bridging Human Genetics with Epigenetics and Utilizing an Animal Model.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly prevalent and aggressive malignancy, with mortality rates reaching 60%, mainly due to its excessive diagnostic delay. MiRNAs, a class of crucial epigenetic gene-expression regulators, have emerged as potential diagnostic biomarkers, with >200 molecules exhibiting expressional dysregulation in OSCC. We had previously established an in silico methodology for the identification of the most disease-specific molecules by bridging genetics and epigenetics. Here, we identified the stage-specific miRNAs that govern the asymptomatic early stages of oral tumorigenesis by exploiting seed-matching and the reverse interplay between miRNA levels and their target genes' expression. Incorporating gene-expression data from our group's experimental hamster model of sequential oral oncogenesis, we bioinformatically detected the miRNAs that simultaneously target/regulate >75% of the genes that are characteristically upregulated or downregulated in the consecutive stages of hyperplasia, dysplasia, and early invasion, while exhibiting the opposite expressional dysregulation in OSCC-derived tissue and/or saliva specimens. We found that all stages share the downregulation of miR-34a-5p, miR124-3p, and miR-125b-5p, while miR-1-3p is under-expressed in dysplasia and early invasion. The malignant early-invasion stage is distinguished by the downregulation of miR-147a and the overexpression of miR-155-5p, miR-423-3p, and miR-34a-5p. The identification of stage-specific miRNAs may facilitate their utilization as biomarkers for presymptomatic OSCC diagnosis.

Weakly Supervised Deep Embedding for Product Review Sentiment Analysis

Online reviews have become an important source of information for users before making an informed purchase decision. Early reviews of a product tend to have a high impact on the subsequent product sales. In this project, we take the initiative to study the behavior characteristics of early reviewers through their posted reviews on two real-world large e-commerce platforms, i.e., Amazon and Yelp. In specific, we divide product lifetime into three consecutive stages, namely early, majority and laggards. A user who has posted a review in the early stage is considered as an early reviewer. We quantitatively characterize early reviewers based on their rating behaviors, the helpfulness scores received from others and the correlation of their reviews with product popularity. We have found that (1) an early reviewer tends to assign a higher average rating score; and (2) an early reviewer tends to post more helpful reviews. Our analysis of product reviews also indicates that early reviewers’ ratings and their received helpfulness scores are likely to influence product popularity. By viewing review posting process as a multiplayer competition game, we propose a novel margin-based embedding model for early reviewer prediction. Extensive experiments on two different e-commerce datasets have shown that our proposed approach outperforms a number of competitive baselines. In our project we have used algorithms like Decision Tree (DT) and Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP). All are measured in terms of accuracy

A mobile-based self-care application for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for design, implementation, and evaluation.

Education and providing self-care skills are essential for patients with chronic respiratory disease. Today, the use of information and communication technologies has provided many opportunities for facilitating self-care in chronic patients. In this regard, the attention of researchers has been shifted toward the design and use of mobile phone-based technologies for self-care purposes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, a protocol is proposed for the design, implementation, and evaluation of a mobile-based self-care application for patients with COPD. The design science approach will be used in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the self-care application. This solution-oriented paradigm goes beyond the level of description and explanation and takes steps toward problem-solving. One of the most common models of design science is the waterfall model of information technology development. The seven consecutive stages of the waterfall model include preliminary analysis, system analysis, design, programming, testing, implementation, and maintenance/modification. The present protocol is the first to design, implement, and evaluate a mobile-based self-care application for patients with COPD in Iran. The integration of new technologies for the self-care education of COPD patients is considered an innovative strategy. This application is designed based on the self-care needs of COPD patients, which will ultimately promote the self-care activities of patients.

Preliminary Research of Information Technology for Assessing the Level of Fatigue of Air Traffic Controllers

The work carried out a preliminary study of the development of the information technology concept for assessing the level of fatigue of air traffic controllers using special technical means, software, and expert opinion. For this purpose, it is proposed to construct an information technology that can consist of three consecutive stages: assessment of air traffic controllers' fatigue, based on the use of special technical means and software; expert evaluation of the level of fatigue of air traffic controllers; information technology that combines data from special technical means and experts' conclusions to derive a complex linguistic level of fatigue of air traffic controllers. Each stage has its permissible levels. Non-compliance with any of them leads to automatic notification of the decision maker (DM). The value of information technology is that it will consider data from special technical means and software on the one hand and, and the other hand, consider the opinions and experiences of experts on the fatigue of air traffic controllers. The technology works dynamically and involves experts only in case of need. For information technology, it is proposed to model uncertainties for technical and expert evaluation and use logical derivation to formalize knowledge. At the output, the comprehensive level of fatigue of the air traffic controller is obtained, in the opposite case, DM is signaled to immediately take measures to remove from official duties and replace the air traffic controller. The knowledge obtained about air traffic controllers' fatigue levels is important for ensuring flight safety. Proper management of fatigue can help reduce the risk of human error and improve working conditions for staff.

Physiological and transcriptome analysis of changes in endogenous hormone and sugar content during the formation of tender asparagus stems

Asparagus is a nutritionally dense stem vegetable whose growth and development are correlated with its quality and yield. To investigate the dynamic changes and underlying mechanisms during the elongation and growth process of asparagus stems, we documented the growth pattern of asparagus and selected stem segments from four consecutive elongation stages using physiological and transcriptome analyses. Notably, the growth rate of asparagus accelerated at a length of 25 cm. A significant decrease in the concentration of sucrose, fructose, glucose, and additional sugars was observed in the elongation region of tender stems. Conversely, the levels of auxin and gibberellins(GAs) were elevated along with increased activity of enzymes involved in sucrose degradation. A significant positive correlation existed between auxin, GAs, and enzymes involved in sucrose degradation. The ABA content gradually increased with stem elongation. The tissue section showed that cell elongation is an inherent manifestation of stem elongation. The differential genes screened by transcriptome analysis were enriched in pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism, phytohormone synthesis metabolism, and signal transduction. The expression levels of genes such as ARF, GA20ox, NCED, PIF4, and otherswere upregulated during stem elongation, while DAO, GA2ox, and other genes were downregulated. The gene expression level was consistent with changes in hormone content and influenced the cell length elongation. Additionally, the expression results of RT-qPCR were consistent with RNA-seq. The observed variations in gene expression levels, endogenous hormones and sugar changes during the elongation and growth of asparagus tender stems offer valuable insights for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms of asparagus stem growth and development and provide a theoretical foundation for cultivation and production practices.

Individual quality overwrites carry-over effects across the annual cycle of a long-distance migrant.

In seasonal environments, the fitness of animals depends upon the successful integration of life-history stages throughout their annual cycle. Failing to do so can lead to negative carry-over effects where individuals are transitioning into the next season in different states, consequently affecting their future performance. However, carry-over effects can be masked by individual quality when individuals vary in their efficiency at acquiring resources year after year (i.e. 'quality'), leading to cross-seasonal consistency in individual performance. Here we investigated the relative importance of carry-over effects and individual quality in determining cross-seasonal interactions and consequences for breeding success over the full annual cycle of a migratory seabird (black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla). We monitored the reproduction and annual movement of kittiwakes over 13 years using geolocators to estimate their breeding success, distribution and winter energy expenditure. We combined this with an experimental approach (clutch removal experiment, 2 years) to manipulate the reproductive effort irrespective of individual quality. Piecewise path analyses showed that successful breeders reproduced earlier and were more likely to breed successfully again the following year. This positive interaction among consecutive breeding stages disappeared after controlling for individual quality, suggesting that quality was dominant in determining seasonal interactions. Moreover, controlling experimentally for individual quality revealed underlying carry-over effects that were otherwise masked by quality, with breeding costs paid in higher energy expenditure and delayed onset of reproduction. We highlight the need to combine an experimental approach along with long-term data while assessing apparent carry-over effects in wild animals, and their potential impact on fitness and population demography.

Innovation at the Board Level: Bibliometric Analysis over Three Decades

Abstract This study aims to investigate the evolutionary path of the relationship between innovation and board research knowledge over the past thirty years. Its objective is to understand the scientific activity and influence of current research in this field. Furthermore, it aims to outline current theme trends and provide suggestions for future study in this field. This research is a quantitative exploration that involves analyzing an intellectual framework within the field. Using a bibliometric methodology, we carefully chose 184 papers from the Scopus database that are specifically focused on innovation at the board level. These studies were then subjected to thorough examination. The utilization of VOSviewer software enabled the clear and concise representation of the outcomes. The bibliometric study involved identifying research themes, current and future directions, co-occurrences, co-citations, impact, and collaboration tendencies. The methodological framework has four consecutive stages: data acquisition, data examination, data representation, and data interpretation. The data demonstrate a noticeable increase in scholarly interest, especially in the past three years, suggesting a growing field of study. Four main areas of research were identified: the relationship between board diversity and its effect on the innovation process; the interaction between board culture and the effectiveness of innovation; the impact of board structure on innovation; and the growing emphasis on green innovation influenced by boards of directors. The methodology of this study recognizes the complex relationships between innovation and the overall setting of the board of directors, providing useful insights for both academic research and practical decision-making in the field of company performance.

Етапи та заходи антикризового управління на підприємстві

The instability of the global economic environment leads to the formation of crisis phenomena, which negatively affect the activities of enterprises and necessitate the implementation of crisis management. The purpose of the work is to study and develop the stages of conducting crisis management at the enterprise based on the identification of the type of crisis and its phases, which will enable the selection of the correct methods of combating and prevention measures. The essence of crisis management lies in systemic management of crisis situations to prevent, adapt to, and overcome their negative consequences. It solves the tasks of ensuring the stability, success of operation, and competitiveness of the enterprise in conditions of market instability by forecasting and analyzing crisis situations, evaluating external and internal threats that may lead to a crisis situation at the enterprise. The subject of crisis management by the enterprise is the factors that cause the crisis, while the object is the enterprise itself and its operational activities. The subjects of crisis management by the enterprise are all interested parties in overcoming the crisis, primarily the leadership of the enterprise. The research conducted in the article allowed to identify a certain algorithm of the sequence of crisis management at the enterprise, which includes ten consecutive stages – from diagnosing the current state of the enterprise and identifying threats to preventive monitoring of possible threats. Moreover, the sequence of stages of crisis measures depends on the type of crisis that has arisen in the external or internal environment of the enterprise. The authors concluded that enterprise management should demonstrate flexibility and the ability to quickly react to changes and, if necessary, use all tools and means of crisis management, which will help it better resist crisis situations and maintain the stability of the enterprise. To overcome manifesta- tions of macroeconomic and microeconomic crises at the enterprise, it is necessary to implement crisis measures, the list of which the enterprise will choose based on the type of crisis, its phase, scale of coverage, as well as a number of other factors.

Microbial dynamics and vertical transmission of Escherichia coli across consecutive life stages of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

BackgroundThe black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens L.) is one of the most promising insects for bioconversion of organic waste, which often carry a high microbial load with potential foodborne pathogens. Although horizontal transmission (from rearing substrate to larvae) has been extensively studied, less is known about vertical transmission of microorganisms, and particularly of foodborne pathogens, across different BSF life stages.ResultsThis study investigated the microbial dynamics and vertical transmission of Escherichia coli across different life stages (larvae, prepupae, pupae and adults) of one BSF life cycle and its associated substrate (chicken feed) and frass, based on a combination of general microbial counts (based on culture-dependent techniques) and the bacterial community composition (based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing). Multiple interactions between the microbiota of the substrate, frass and BSF larvae were affirmed. The larvae showed relative consistency among both the microbial counts and bacterial community composition. Diversification of the bacterial communities started during the pupal stage, while most notable changes of the microbial counts and bacterial community compositions occurred during metamorphosis to adults. Furthermore, vertical transmission of E. coli was investigated after substrate inoculation with approximately 7.0 log cfu/g of kanamycin-resistant E. coli, and monitoring E. coli counts from larval to adult stage. Although the frass still contained substantial levels of E. coli (> 4.5 log cfu/g) and E. coli was taken up by the larvae, limited vertical transmission of E. coli was observed with a decreasing trend until the prepupal stage. E. coli counts were below the detection limit (1.0 log cfu/g) for all BSF samples from the end of the pupal stage and the adult stage. Additionally, substrate inoculation of E. coli did not have a substantial impact on the bacterial community composition of the substrate, frass or different BSF life stages.ConclusionsThe fluctuating microbial counts and bacterial community composition underscored the dynamic character of the microbiota of BSF life stages. Additionally, vertical transmission throughout one BSF life cycle was not observed for E. coli. Hence, these findings paved the way for future case studies on vertical transmission of foodborne pathogens across consecutive BSF life stages or other insect species.

Characterizing and Predicting Early Reviewers for Effective Product Marketing on E-Commerce Websites

Online reviews have become an important source of information for users before making an informed purchase decision. Early reviews of a product tend to have a high impact on the subsequent product sales. In this project, we take the initiative to study the behaviour characteristics of early reviewers through their posted reviews on two real-world large e-commerce platforms, i.e., Amazon and Yelp. In specific, we divide product lifetime into three consecutive stages, namely early, majority and laggards. A user who has posted a review in the early stage is considered as an early reviewer. We quantitatively characterize early reviewers based on their rating behaviours, the helpfulness scores received from others and the correlation of their reviews with product popularity. We have found that (1) an early reviewer tends to assign a higher average rating score; and (2) an early reviewer tends to post more helpful reviews. Our analysis of product reviews also indicates that early reviewers’ ratings and their received helpfulness scores are likely to influence product popularity. By viewing review posting process as a multiplayer competition game, we propose a novel margin-based embedding model for early reviewer prediction. Extensive experiments on two different e-commerce datasets have shown that our proposed approach outperforms a number of competitive baselines. In our project we have used algorithms like Decision Tree (DT) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). All are measured in terms of accuracy

Scope and adaptive value of modulating aggression over breeding stages in a competitive female bird

Abstract In seasonally breeding animals, the costs and benefits of territorial aggression should vary over time; however, little work thus far has directly examined the scope and adaptive value of individual-level plasticity in aggression across breeding stages. We explore these issues using the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), a single-brooded bird species in which females compete for limited nesting sites. We measured aggressiveness in nearly 100 females within 3 different stages: (1) shortly after territory-establishment, (2) during incubation, and (3) while caring for young chicks. Based on the timing, direction, and magnitude of behavioral changes between stages, we used k-means clustering to categorize each female’s behavior into a “plasticity type.” We then tested whether plasticity type and stage-specific aggression varied with key performance metrics. About 40% of females decreased aggressiveness across consecutive breeding stages to some degree, consistent with population-level patterns. 33% of females exhibited comparatively little plasticity, with moderate to low levels of aggression in all stages. Finally, 27% of females displayed steep decreases and then increases in aggression between stages; females exhibiting this pattern had significantly lower body mass while parenting, they tended to hatch fewer eggs, and they had the lowest observed overwinter survival rates. Other patterns of among-stage changes in aggressiveness were not associated with performance. These results reveal substantial among-individual variation in behavioral plasticity, which may reflect diverse solutions to trade-offs between current reproduction and future survival.

Effectiveness evaluation indicators of organizational E-learning courses

Many organizations have turned to e-learning courses to train their employees, as a result of which the evaluation of the effectiveness of these courses has become an important issue in organizations. The study aims to design a construct that evaluates the effectiveness of e-learning courses in the industry. Effectiveness can be evaluated with measurable indicators specific to this type of training and it can investigate the results of organizational managers' investment in training programs. Data were collected in three consecutive stages; first, using a mixed methods systematic review, the effectiveness evaluation dimensions were identified; second, the effectiveness evaluation indicators were determined by using semi-structured interviews with three groups including trainees in the industry, instructors of e-learning courses in the industry, and university professors; third, the indicators were validated by using a quantitative method. Finally, 46 measurable indicators from 6 main dimensions including content, instructor, learner, organization, assessment, and technical system were identified as effective evaluation indicators of e-learning courses in the industry. In evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning courses, different aspects of different dimensions were identified that managers of organizational training can use in evaluating organizational e-learning courses. It is similar to a system that includes input, process, output, and all factors together affect the effectiveness of these courses.

Incontinentia Pigmenti In a Female Infant: A Case Report

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is an X-linked disorder characterized by a variety of findings that affect different systems, including cutaneous, ophthalmologic, neurologic, and dental. The cutaneous findings occur in 4 consecutive stages, generally referred to as vesicular, verrucous, hyperpigmented, and atrophic. The first stage is often observed in infancy, and this may be the first indication of IP in an infant. Early diagnosis is critical so that interventions can be implemented as soon as possible to monitor for complications and mitigate the effects of IP given the potential for multisystem involvement. Here, we describe a case of IP that was diagnosed in a female infant with no prior family history of IP. Prompt diagnosis and family counseling is critical, as early interventions can help optimize patients’ quality of life and genetic testing may help families make informed future family planning decisions.

Latency Evaluation in the Image Acquisition System Based on MTCA.4 Architecture for Plasma Diagnostics

ITER diagnostic systems provide measurements to the Plasma Control System (PCS) in real-time. These measurements are used for plasma control and machine protection. Latency is an important parameter in the assessment of such systems. It is a time gap between capturing an external event by hardware and finishing the processing of acquired data. PCS requires the diagnostic systems to introduce a maximum total latency of 10 to 100 ms, therefore, the systems need to be tested if they meet the requirements. The system evaluated in this paper is a reference real-time image acquisition system developed as a base for ITER diagnostic systems. It consists of hardware based on the Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (MicroTCA) standard, developed firmware, and software. It supports cameras with various interfaces. In the paper, two cameras, with a Camera Link and 1 GigE Vision interfaces were selected to perform latency evaluation. The paper presents two methods of measuring the latency of image acquisition. The first one is based on precise time stamping consecutive stages of acquisition. This approach allows for determining which step of acquisition takes more or less time. In consequence, the software or hardware can be optimized. The other one uses LED to evaluate a particular camera, by checking the time of camera reaction to the trigger. A dedicated testing framework is developed to perform automated tests to evaluate latency. It supports collecting and analyzing the results of measurements. Besides that, a dedicated hardware is used to perform the latency tests using LED. The results and discussion of the measurements are presented in the manuscript. They show the latency evaluated using earlier proposed methods, comparing the cameras used in the image acquisition system.

Nuclear patterns of phosphatidylinositol 4,5- and 3,4-bisphosphate revealed by super-resolution microscopy differ between the consecutive stages of RNA polymerase II transcription.

Phosphatidylinositol phosphates are powerful signaling molecules that orchestrate signaling and direct membrane trafficking in the cytosol. Interestingly, phosphatidylinositol phosphates also localize within the membrane-less compartments of the cell nucleus, where they participate in the regulation of gene expression. Nevertheless, current models of gene expression, which include condensates of proteins and nucleic acids, do not include nuclear phosphatidylinositol phosphates. This gap is partly a result of the missing detailed analysis of the subnuclear distribution of phosphatidylinositol phosphates and their relationships with gene expression. Here, we used quantitative dual-color direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy to analyze the nanoscale co-patterning between RNA polymerase II transcription initiation and elongation markers with respect to phosphatidylinositol 4,5- or 3,4-bisphosphate in the nucleoplasm and nuclear speckles and compared it with randomized data and cells with inhibited transcription. We found specific co-patterning of the transcription initiation marker P-S5 with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the nucleoplasm and with phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate at the periphery of nuclear speckles. We showed the specific accumulation of the transcription elongation marker PS-2 and of nascent RNA in the proximity of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate associated with nuclear speckles. Taken together, this shows that the distinct spatial associations between the consecutive stages of RNA polymerase II transcription and nuclear phosphatidylinositol phosphates exhibit specificity within the gene expression compartments. Thus, in analogy to the cellular membranes, where phospholipid composition orchestrates signaling pathways and directs membrane trafficking, we propose a model in which the phospholipid identity of gene expression compartments orchestrates RNA polymerase II transcription.