Continuous Chain Research Articles

Hypothesis, Paradigm, Framework and Concept Evaluation and Testing Across Space and Time: A Revalidation of our Concepts of “Aeternitism” and “Omnimodism”

This paper is linked to our papers or our earlier work on neo-centrism, hypothesis formulation, the sociological ninety ten rule, cross-cultural research design, and inductive approaches to hypothesis formulation, all of which have been published by us over the years. Therefore, all the relevant papers are suitably referenced in this paper, and brief summaries and overviews of them provided. This is done in the interests of coherence, internal consistency and clarity, so that readers can understand and comprehend the core concepts easily. To emphasize and to reiterate here, all our papers are interrelated in a continuous chain, none of our papers conflict with each other in any way, and to any degree. We believe that there are no internal contradictions amongst our wide gamut and array of papers that we have been publishing over the years, and no logical fallacies and inconsistencies as well whatsoever. All our papers are therefore interrelated and mutually interdependent in a plethora of different ways; however, this paper offers a fresh perspective and takes the concepts proposed in our earlier papers in an altogether new trajectory. This is done through the means and mechanism of hypothesis, paradigm, framework and concept evaluation and testing across space and time. Likewise, axioms, principles, entities and assumptions, are also evaluated, tested, and revalidated for this purpose. A revalidation of our concepts of “aeternitism” and “omnimodism” is also carried out as a part of this paper. This exercise is done in the interests of better science and better reliabilism; it is also a core component of our “Globalization of science” mission and movement.

Robust approach for production of the human oncology target Aurora kinase B in complex with its binding partner INCENP

Protein kinases are key players in many eukaryotic signal transduction cascades and are as a result often linked to human disease. In humans, the mitotic protein kinase family of Aurora kinases consist of three members: Aurora A, B and C. All three members are involved in cell division with proposed implications in various human cancers. The human Aurora kinase B has in particular proven challenging to study with structural biology approaches, and this is mainly due to difficulties in producing the large quantities of active enzyme required for such studies. Here, we present a novel and E. coli-based production system that allows for production of milligram quantities of well-folded and active human Aurora B in complex with its binding partner INCENP. The complex is produced as a continuous polypeptide chain and the resulting fusion protein is cleaved with TEV protease to generate a stable and native heterodimer of the Aurora B:INCENP complex. The activity, stability and degree of phosphorylation of the protein complex was quantified by using a coupled ATPase assay, 31P NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The developed production system enables isotope labeling and we here report the first 1H–15N-HSQC of the human Aurora B:INCENP complex. Our developed production strategy paves the way for future structural and functional studies of Aurora B and can as such assist the development of novel anticancer drugs targeting this important mitotic protein kinase.

A Study on Network Anomaly Detection Using Fast Persistent Contrastive Divergence

As network technology evolves, cyberattacks are not only increasing in frequency but also becoming more sophisticated. To proactively detect and prevent these cyberattacks, researchers are developing intrusion detection systems (IDSs) leveraging machine learning and deep learning techniques. However, a significant challenge with these advanced models is the increased training time as model complexity grows, and the symmetry between performance and training time must be taken into account. To address this issue, this study proposes a fast-persistent-contrastive-divergence-based deep belief network (FPCD-DBN) that offers both high accuracy and rapid training times. This model combines the efficiency of contrastive divergence with the powerful feature extraction capabilities of deep belief networks. While traditional deep belief networks use a contrastive divergence (CD) algorithm, the FPCD algorithm improves the performance of the model by passing the results of each detection layer to the next layer. In addition, the mix of parameter updates using fast weights and continuous chains makes the model fast and accurate. The performance of the proposed FPCD-DBN model was evaluated on several benchmark datasets, including NSL-KDD, UNSW-NB15, and CIC-IDS-2017. As a result, the proposed method proved to be a viable solution as the model performed well with an accuracy of 89.4% and an F1 score of 89.7%. By achieving superior performance across multiple datasets, the approach shows great potential for enhancing network security and providing a robust defense against evolving cyber threats.

Adaptive distributed tracking control for Markov jump multiagent systems with a non-strict leader

This paper investigates the leader-following mean square distributed tracking control problem (DTCP) for a Markov jump multiagent systems (MJMASs) with the general linear dynamical model over an undirected graph. The non-strict control input of the leader is non-zero, unknown, and unavailable to any followers. First, the jump characteristics of the system for the single agent is modeled by a continuous Markov chain. Second, in order to address the leader–follower mean square DTCP, the distributed mode-dependent static controller and the fully distributed mode-dependent adaptive controller are designed for all followers based on the information from the agents’ neighbors and itself, respectively. Then, to further analyze the stability of the MJMASs, two categories of decomposed related Lyapunov functions are constructed using Lyapunov stability theory. The sufficient conditions for the existence of the distributed controller are obtained by derivation. Finally, two simulation cases are presented to verify the validity and feasibility of the proposed strategies.

Electrical breakdown mechanism and life prediction of thermal-aged epoxy/glass fibre composites

Epoxy/glass fibre composites possess excellent mechanical and electrical properties and are widely utilised in electrical and electronic power equipment. However, the composites exhibit relatively poor thermal conductivity, causing the temperature of the composites to increase during the operation of power equipment, resulting in a significant reduction in the electrical breakdown strength. Although the effects of thermal aging on polymeric materials have been widely studied, its influence on electrical strength mechanisms has not been investigated at the molecular level. In this study, epoxy/glass fibre composite specimens were subjected to accelerated thermal aging treatment for 360 h at 180 °C. Functional groups, molecular chain dynamics, and electrical breakdown are characterised using infrared spectroscopy, dielectric spectroscopy, and breakdown measurement. Subsequently, electrical breakdown mechanism and life prediction of the thermally aged composites are discussed. During thermal aging, the epoxy resin molecular chains undergo continuous oxidation and chain scission, which generate numerous polar functional groups and short chains and an increase in the free volume. This triggers an enhancement in the chain segmental dynamics, thereby significantly reducing the activation energy of the epoxy resin. After 360 h, activation energy decreased from 0.78 eV to 0.67 eV. The DC breakdown voltages of the specimens decreased from 168.28 kV/mm to 134.91 kV/mm. An insulation life prediction model for thermally aged epoxy/glass fibre composites is established based on the time-temperature equivalence theory. The prediction results indicate that the service life of the operational composites is approximately 11.2 years at 353 K, which is consistent with engineering experience.

Mean-square exponential stabilization of mixed-autonomy traffic PDE system

Control of mixed-autonomy traffic where Human-driven Vehicles (HVs) and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) coexist on the road has gained increasing attention over the recent decades. This paper addresses the boundary stabilization problem for mixed traffic on freeways. The traffic dynamics are described by uncertain coupled hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with Markov jumping parameters, which aim to address the distinctive driving strategies between AVs and HVs. Considering that the spacing policies of AVs vary in mixed traffic, the stochastic impact area of AVs is governed by a continuous Markov chain. The interactions between HVs and AVs such as overtaking or lane changing are mainly induced by impact areas. Using backstepping design, we develop a full-state feedback boundary control law to stabilize the deterministic system (nominal system). Applying Lyapunov analysis, we demonstrate that the nominal backstepping control law is able to stabilize the traffic system with Markov jumping parameters, provided the nominal parameters are sufficiently close to the stochastic ones on average. The mean-square exponential stability conditions are derived, and the results are validated by numerical simulations.

A self-powered sensor based on hollow bimetallic sulfide and double-strand TSDR amplification achieves sensitive miRNA-21 detection

MicroRNA (miRNA) sensitive detection is significant for cancer diagnosis. Currently, self-powered biosensors in clinical miRNA detection show the advantages of no external power supply, mild reaction conditions, low cost and portability. In this work, the bimetallic sulfide heterojunction hollow nanocubes are prepared as the substrate material, which can significantly improve the electrochemical reaction rate and increase the enzyme load. Meanwhile, we design the independent duplex-chain assisted toehold mediated strand displacement reaction (TSDR) strategy. The two substable double chains trigger a continuous chain displacement reaction, and the current signal amplification is realized based on molecular recognition. The constructed sensor has a linear response range of 0.05–10000 fM and a detection limit (LOD) of 8.3 aM. In addition, we use commercial apps to present signals, fundamentally changing the signal output mode of electrochemical sensors, and facilitating the construction of a portable real-time sensor platform. The self-powered biosensor has the characteristics of good biocompatibility, real-time monitoring and economic efficiency in miRNA detection, which provides a new idea for sensitive detection of miRNA. Moreover, it has far-reaching reference significance for the development of other sensing technologies, which is expected to extend from the medical field to environmental monitoring, food safety and other fields.

Some Probabilistic Interpretations Related to the Next-Generation Matrix Theory: A Review with Examples

The fact that the famous basic reproduction number R0, i.e., the largest eigenvalue of the next generation matrix FV−1, sometimes has a probabilistic interpretation is not as well known as it deserves to be. It is well understood that half of this formula, −V, is a Markovian generating matrix of a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) modeling the evolution of one individual on the compartments. It has also been noted that the not well-enough-known rank-one formula for R0 of Arino et al. (2007) may be interpreted as an expected final reward of a CTMC, whose initial distribution is specified by the rank-one factorization of F. Here, we show that for a large class of ODE epidemic models introduced in Avram et al. (2023), besides the rank-one formula, we may also provide an integral renewal representation of R0 with respect to explicit “age kernels” a(t), which have a matrix exponential form.This latter formula may be also interpreted as an expected reward of a probabilistic continuous Markov chain (CTMC) model. Besides the rather extensively studied rank one case, we also provide an extension to a case with several susceptible classes.

First principles validation of energy barriers in Ni75Al25

Precipitates in nickel-based superalloys form during heat treatment on a time scale inaccessible to direct molecular dynamics simulation, but can be studied using kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) modelling. This requires reliable values for the barrier energies separating distinct configurations over the trajectory of the system. In this study, we validate vacancy migration barriers found with the Activation-Relaxation Technique nouveau (ARTn) method in partially ordered Ni75Al25 with a monovacancy using published potentials for the atomic interactions against first-principles methods. In a first step, we confirm that the ARTn barrier energies agree with those determined with the nudged elastic band (NEB) method. As the number of atoms used in those calculations is too great for direct ab initio calculations, we cut the cell size to 255 atoms, thus controlling finite size effects. We then use the plane-wave density functional theory code CASTEP and its inbuilt NEB method in the smaller cells. This provides us with a continuous validation chain from first principles to KMC simulations with interatomic potentials (IPs). We evaluate the barrier energies of five further IPs with NEB, demonstrating that none yields values with sufficient reliability for KMC simulations, with some of them failing completely. This is a first step towards quantifying the errors incurred in KMC simulations of precipitate formation and evolution.

Reassortment incompetent live attenuated and replicon influenza vaccines provide improved protection against influenza in piglets

Swine influenza A viruses (swIAV) cause an economically important respiratory disease in modern pig production. Continuous virus transmission and antigenic drift are difficult to control in enzootically infected pig herds. Here, antibody-positive piglets from a herd enzootically infected with swIAV H1N2 (clade 1 A.3.3.2) were immunized using a homologous prime-boost vaccination strategy with novel live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) based on a reassortment-incompetent bat influenza-swIAV chimera or a vesicular stomatitis virus-based replicon vaccine. Challenge infection of vaccinated piglets by exposure to H1N2 swIAV-infected unvaccinated seeder pigs showed that both LAIV and replicon vaccine markedly reduced virus replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract, respectively, compared to piglets immunized with commercial heterologous or autologous adjuvanted whole-inactivated virus vaccines. Our novel vaccines may aid in interrupting continuous IAV transmission chains in large enzootically infected pig herds, improve the health status of the animals, and reduce the risk of zoonotic swIAV transmission.

Мисливствознавство та мисливські лабораторії в Україні за 100 років: трансформації ідей та інституцій

The study is devoted to the history of game management laboratories as one of the most obscure pages of Ukrainian theriology. The prerequisites for the formation of such laboratories as a system of applied research related primarily to ‘useful’ fauna are considered. These laboratories form a continuous chain of research centres that have existed in different cities. They were founded in 1929 by V. Averin in Kharkiv, developed by A. Mygulin and his followers in Zavorychi (1936–1962), K. Kopein at the fur farm in Kolo-Mykhailivka near Vinnytsia (1963–1973), and M. Evtushevsky in Cherkasy (1973–2004). The final phase was completed by two academic game management laboratories: at the Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (in 1975–1989, led by V. Kryzhaniv¬skyi) and the Institute of Forestry of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences (in 1991–2022, in Oleshky, led by I. Sheihas). The stages of research development in a series of successive transformations, in the wake of socio-political events and changes in public demands are analysed. The distinct sequence and, in fact, continuity of their existence in time (despite their movement in space) indicates a corresponding demand for them from the state, including the support of state budgetary programmes. Their tasks were constantly changing, and each period had its own specifics. The first period (Kharkiv) was supposed to put the system of survey, monitoring, and rational use of game resources on a scientific basis, as well as to streamline and direct the work of hunting communities. The second phase (‘Zavorychi’) was focused on providing the state with the necessary amount of fur for the needs of international trade and (undoubtedly) the military. The third phase remains the most obscure and is most likely associated with the formation of elite hunting grounds. The fourth phase (Cherkasy) was characterised by increased attention to fur farming and a waning interest in hunting as such. The fifth phase (Kyiv and Oleshky) was characterised by a cooperation with the State Committee of Forestry, the Ukrainian Society of Hunters and Fishermen, and certain (elite) farms. It is shown that the origins of many well-known scientific schools in Ukraine are related to hunting practices and that game management laboratories became leaders in developing action plans to maintain populations of game animals.

Advancements in Hybrid Additive Manufacturing: Integrating SLM and LMD for High-Performance Applications

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies enable near-net-shape designs and demand-oriented material usage, which significantly minimizes waste. This points to a substantial opportunity for further optimization in material savings and process design. The current study delves into the advancement of sustainable manufacturing practices in the automotive industry, emphasizing the crucial role of lightweight construction concepts and AM technologies in enhancing resource efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By exploring the integration of novel AM techniques such as selective laser melting (SLM) and laser metal deposition (LMD), the study aims to overcome existing limitations like slow build-up rates and limited component resolution. The study’s core objective revolves around the development and validation of a continuous process chain that synergizes different AM routes. In the current study, the continuous process chain for DMG MORI Lasertec 65 3D’s LMD system and the DMG MORI Lasertec 30 3D’s was demonstrated using 316L and 1.2709 steel materials. This integrated approach is designed to significantly curtail process times and minimize component costs, thus suggesting an industry-oriented process chain for future manufacturing paradigms. Additionally, the research investigates the production and material behavior of components under varying manufacturing processes, material combinations, and boundary layer materials. The culmination of this study is the validation of the proposed process route through a technology demonstrator, assessing its scalability and setting a benchmark for resource-efficient manufacturing in the automotive sector.

Spherical polystyrene/zinc oxide nanocomposite powder fabricated by continuous process chain of melt mixing and indirect heating

Polymer powders are limited by particle size, shape, and properties in various applications. Preserving the chemical properties of the material throughout the process is a critical part of developing consistently shaped nanocomposite powders across diverse polymer types. The goal of this study is to demonstrate continuous methods to produce spherical Polystyrene (PS) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites. A single-screw extruder is used to melt mix PS pellets with ZnO nanoparticles, followed by pelletization, dry grinding, and spheroidization in a Downer Tower to form spherical polymers. To minimize agglomeration, the process incorporates an ethanol treatment and a final sieving step. The resulting nanocomposite powder exhibits exceptional flowability and well-defined spherical morphology. Additionally, incorporating ZnO nanoparticles enhanced the thermal stability and glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite while reducing particle size distribution. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction confirm the preservation of the chemical structure of the spherical nanocomposite specimens throughout processing.

Continuous chain elongation process for carbon resource recovery from excess sludge: Enhanced n-caprylate production and specific microbial functionalities

Thermal hydrolyzed sludge (THS) exhibits considerable promise in generating medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) through chain elongation (CE) technology. This study developed a novel continuous CE process using THS as the substrate, achieving an optimal ethanol loading rate (5.8 g COD/L/d) and stable MCFA production at 10.9 g COD/L, with a rate of 3.6 g COD/L/d. The MCFAs primarily comprised n-caproate and n-caprylate, representing 41.5 % and 54.3 % of the total MCFAs, respectively. Utilization efficiencies for ethanol and acetate were nearly complete at 100 % and 92.8 %, respectively. Key microbial taxa identified under these optimal conditions included Alcaligenes, SRB2, Sporanaerobacter, and Kurthia, which were instrumental in critical pathways such as the generation of acetyl-CoA, the initial carboxylation of acetyl-CoA, the fatty acid biosynthesis cycle, and energy metabolism. This research provides a theoretical and technical blueprint for converting waste sludge into valuable MCFAs, promoting sustainable waste-to-resource strategies.

Improving IT Assets Management with ITIL 4 Framework

IT Asset Management (ITAM) is crucial for organizations as it enables efficient utilization of IT resources, cost reduction, and risk mitigation. Horangi, a startup company, recognizes the importance of asset optimization and aims to enhance its ITAM service. To achieve this, researcher conducts research to identify a suitable framework as a solid foundation. ITIL 4, a widely adopted IT service management framework, is chosen, along with the Continual Service Improvement and Service Value Chain models. These models provide guidelines and recommendations to identify weaknesses and improve current processes while enabling continuous improvement in response to the dynamic IT landscape. The research employs a qualitative approach, utilizing in-depth interviews, document research, and the ITIL 4 guidebook. The study aims to provide recommendations and a foundation for developing guidelines and workflows in ITAM within the company. However, a limitation of this research is not much research related to ITIL 4 in ITAM area and cannot proceed until the implementation of recommendations due to funding constraints and approval processes. To overcome this limitation, it is suggested that future research includes the implementation process to obtain more optimal evaluation results.

Continuous chains: childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence victimization among displaced women in a war context

BackgroundChildhood victimization has been associated with long-term psychological effects and an increased risk of being victimized in later life. Previous research has primarily focused on sexual abuse during childhood, and a wide range of consequences have been identified. However, a significant gap remains in our understanding of the complex interaction between different forms of childhood abuse and violence in later life, particularly in the context of broader social stressors such as armed conflict and displacement.MethodsThis study examines the association between exposure to different types of childhood maltreatment in the context of family and intimate partner violence (IPV) among displaced women living in refugee camps in northern Iraq. Structured interviews were conducted by trained female psychologists with 332 women aged between 20 and 62 years.ResultsResults indicated that over one-third of the participating women reported experiencing at least one occurrence of IPV by their husbands within the past year. In addition, participants reported experiences of different types of maltreatment (physical, emotional, and sexual violence and physical and emotional neglect) perpetrated by family members in their childhood. While all forms of childhood maltreatment showed an association with IPV within the past year, only emotional childhood maltreatment was found to be a significant predictor of IPV in a multivariate analysis.ConclusionThe study highlights the ongoing impact of child maltreatment and its contribution to increased vulnerability to IPV victimization in later life. In addition, this study describes the specific cultural and contextual elements that contribute to IPV in refugee camps.

Statistics of Gaussian polymer chains in harmonic applied fields.

The model of an ideal polymer chain in a harmonic applied field has broad applicability in situations involving polymer confinement and deformation due to applied stress. In this work we (1) formulate a general analytical model for a continuous Gaussian chain under a harmonic applied potential and (2) evaluate the statistical mechanics of this model given the potential, obtaining partition functions and moment generating functions (MGFs) that describe the chain configurations. Closed-form expressions for the squared radius of gyration, potential energy, partition function, and MGF for the center of mass are obtained for a general and multidimensional harmonic field. The expressions are compared with results of Monte Carlo simulations of a discrete Gaussian chain as well as results for related systems obtained from the literature. The theory derived here is used to test the applicability of the current model assumptions to relations from the literature describing polymer confinement and deformation in experiment, theory, and simulations.

A continuous polymerase chain reaction 3D spiral microreactor capable of facile and on-demand fabrication

A continuous polymerase chain reaction 3D spiral microreactor capable of facile and on-demand fabrication

A Binary-State Continuous-Time Markov Chain Model for Offshoring and Reshoring

We present a two-country model (North and South) that describes the phenomenon of offshoring and reshoring. The model is a continuous time-controlled Markov chain with binary states. The main trade-off involves production costs and transaction costs between one country and another. In the first part of this paper, we identify the key parameters of the model: the difference in unit production costs between the two countries considered, the marginal cost of transitioning between countries, and the incentive paid by the North country to all companies that have not relocated at the end of the planning interval. The final goal of our paper is to understand how national tax incentives can influence this process.

Trust as a key element in family mediation during divorce: strategies, practices (supervision experience with the use of neural networks)

The article summarises the experiment on building confidence in the procedure of family mediation – peaceful resolution of family disputes through introduction of the technology of the first outreach meeting. The article analyses the statistics of marriage and family relations, the number of divorces in Russia, Moscow, in the world for 5 years, also during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the work examines the statistics of enforcement proceedings on family relations and the order of communication for several years as well as sociological studies of 2022–2023. The results of experimental supervision using technologies of two neural networks are presented. The peculiarities of family mediation as the most effective non-judicial way of resolving family disputes are studied. It is shown that the achievement of the result, peaceful settlement of family disputes, was facilitated by the experimental development and implementation of a new procedure for Russia – first outreach meeting. It was performed by the Centre for mediation and socio-legal assistance, jointly with the Departments of Social Protection of population of Moscow. The first results are presented: 98 % of efficiency, almost all couples gave their consent to mediation, and the first mediations were successfully conducted. Some of the main reasons for low prevalence of pre-trial settlement of family conflicts were revealed: the normative non-mandatory nature of family mediation for couples with minor children when filing for divorce and lack of awareness of couples about advantages and benefits of resorting to family mediation. The research presents arguments proving that the first outreach meeting is a successful strategy of trust building and the first step to mediation and to preservation of family, family identity, spiritual values for their further transmission to the next generation in the continuous chain of socio-cultural identity