Effect Of Aggregation Research Articles

A review of mixture design and preparation methods for high-performance recycled aggregate concrete

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has been widely investigated for recent decades, during which there are a great deal of findings on the modification of RAC to overcome the drawbacks of RA, i.e. high absorption and low strength. In this paper, four methods for designing and preparing RAC are reviewed, including the particle packing method (PPM), equivalent mortar volume (EMV) method, two-stage mixing approach (TSMA) and distributing-filling coarse aggregate (DFCA) process, and their effects on the properties of RAC is compared to reveal the effective approaches to high-performance preparation of RAC. Among these methods, only TSMA presents a positive effect on the workability of RAC. In terms of the properties of hardened RAC, TSMA improves the compressive strength and penetration resistance by densifying the ITZs around RA, and the developed TSMAsc containing silica fume exhibits better efficiency in improving the properties of RAC. The EMV method and DFCA process are beneficial to the compressive strength, elastic modulus and volumetric stability of RAC, and the effectiveness of the DFCA process is superior to the EMV method, indicating that enhancing the coarse aggregate interlocking effect is an effective approach to obtain high-performance RAC. Furthermore, the combination of TSMA and EMV methods can synthesize the enhancements of ITZs and coarse aggregate interlocking effect, contributing to a further improvement in the properties of hardened RAC. It is conceived that the TSMA and DFCA process can be integrated as a promising combination to realize the high performance of RAC.

SIRT1 activation by Ligustrazine ameliorates migraine via the paracrine interaction of microglia and neurons

BackgroundNeuroinflammation with associated oxidative stress aggravates the pathogenesis and progression of migraine. Ligustrazine (LGZ) is a key component from traditional edible-medicinal herb Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., and has the effects of anti-platelet aggregation, expanding small arteries, improving microcirculation and promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis in clinic. Hypothesis/PurposeThis study aims to investigate the pharmacological effect and mechanism of LGZ in migraine. Study Design/MethodsA mouse model of migraine was induced by nitroglycerin (NTG), and LPS/IFN-γ stimulated microglial cell model was conducted to investigate neuroinflammation, the paracrine interactions between microglia and neurons were determined by the co-culture system, and the effect of LGZ on stability of SIRT1 protein was measured by cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA). Whilst, the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 was used alone or co-treatment with LGZ in vitro or in vivo. ResultsLGZ significantly attenuated migraine-like behaviors in NTG-induced mice, and ameliorated neuroinflammation and related oxidative damage in brain tissue, but co-treatment with SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 abolished the protective effects of LGZ. Mechanistically, LGZ mitigated neuroinflammation by upregulating SIRT1 expression and subsequently inhibiting the activation of NF-κB pathway in microglia. CETSA indicated that LGZ significantly maintained the stability of SIRT1 protein in microglia. While, in the co-culture system, culture medium from LPS/IFN-γ-treated microglia exacerbated neuronal damage and oxidative stress, which was suppressed by treating LPS/IFN-γ-induced microglia with LGZ, this effect might be related to the activation of Nrf2 signals in neurons. Notably, SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 abrogated the effects of LGZ both in vitro and in vivo. ConclusionConsequently, SIRT1 might be an important pharmacological target of LGZ, which attenuates migraine associated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress by interfering the crosstalk between microglia and neurons, thereby relieving migraine.

The Effect of Dense and Hollow Aggregates on the Properties of Lightweight Self-Compacting Concrete.

The development of self-compacting lightweight concretes is associated with solving two conflicting tasks: achieving a structure with both high flowability and homogeneity. This study aimed to identify the technological and rheological characteristics of the flow of concrete mixtures D1400…D1600 based on hollow microspheres in comparison with heavy fine-grained D2200 concrete and to establish their structural and physico-mechanical characteristics. The study of the concrete mixtures was carried out using the slump flow test and the rotational viscometry method. The physical and mechanical properties were studied using standard methods for determining average density and flexural and compressive strength. According to the results of the research conducted, differences in the flow behaviors of concrete mixtures on dense and hollow aggregates were found. Lightweight concretes on hollow microspheres exhibited better mobility than heavy concretes. It was shown that the self-compacting coefficients of the lightweight D1400...D1600 concrete mixtures were comparable with that of the heavy D2200 concrete. The rheological curves described by the Ostwald-de Waele equation showed a dilatant flow behavior of the D1400 concrete mixtures, regardless of the ratio of quartz powder to fractionated sand. For D1500 and D1600, the dilatant flow behavior changed to pseudoplastic, with a ratio of quartz powder to fractional sand of 25/75. The studied compositions of lightweight concrete can be described as homogeneous at any ratio of quartz powder to fractional sand. It was shown that concrete mixtures with a pronounced dilatant flow character had higher resistance to segregation. The value of the ratio of quartz powder to fractional sand had a statistically insignificant effect on the average density of the studied concretes. However, the flexural and compressive strengths varied significantly more in heavy concretes (up to 38%) than in lightweight concretes (up to 18%) when this factor was varied. The specific strength of lightweight and heavy concrete compositions with a ratio of quartz powder to fractional sand of 0/100 had close values in the range of 20.4...22.9 MPa, and increasing the share of quartz powder increased the difference between compositions of different densities.

Magnetic Field Induced Dielectric Polarization to Enhance Raman Detection of Nitrite by NiFe2O4@Ag

AbstractRapid and accurate detection of nitrite in the aqueous environment is extremely important for ecological safety and human health. In this paper, the Raman detection of nitrite by a NiFe2O4@Ag sensor in water is enhanced by an extra magnetic field collaborated with surface plasma. Most importantly, it is demonstrated that the magnetic field enhances the Raman peak intensity through not only the effect of magnetic aggregation but also the magnetic field‐induced dielectric polarization effect. In this way, the NO2− can be detected in a wide linear range from 10−8 to 10−3 mol L−1, and the limit of detection (LOD) can reach as low as 1.25 × 10−9 mol L−1, which is 5.69 times lower than that in the absence of an external magnetic field. Similarly, the sensitivity under the magnetic field is 2.65 times that without the magnetic field. In addition, the sensor also shows superior detection ability to NO2− in real samples. Given the excellent capability of the magnetic field‐enhanced Raman spectra, the reported strategy offers new thoughts on how to enhance the detection ability by an external magnetic field and show the great application potential in real water bodies.

Of the first five US states with food waste bans, Massachusetts alone has reduced landfill waste.

Diverting food waste from landfills is crucial to reduce emissions and meet Paris Agreement targets. Between 2014 and 2024, nine US states banned commercial waste generators-such as grocery chains-from landfilling food waste, expecting a 10 to 15% waste reduction. However, no evaluation of these bans exists. We compile a comprehensive waste dataset covering 36 US states between 1996 and 2019 to evaluate the first five implemented state-level bans. Contrary to policy-makers' expectations, we can reject aggregate waste reductions higher than 3.2%, and we cannot reject a zero-null aggregate effect. Moreover, we cannot reject a zero-null effect for any other state except Massachusetts, which gradually achieved a 13.2% reduction. Our findings reveal the need to reassess food waste bans using Massachusetts as a benchmark for success.

Unwinding quantitative easing: State dependency and household heterogeneity

This paper studies the asymmetry in the macroeconomic effects of central bank asset market operations induced by state dependency and the associated role of household heterogeneity. We build a New Keynesian model with borrowers and savers in which quantitative easing and tightening operate through portfolio rebalancing between short-term and long-term government bonds. We highlight the significance of an occasionally binding zero lower bound in explaining a weaker aggregate impact of asset sales relative to asset purchases. In this context, when close to the lower bound, raising the nominal interest rate prior to unwinding quantitative easing mitigates the economic costs of monetary policy normalization. Furthermore, our results imply that household heterogeneity in combination with state dependency amplifies the revealed asymmetry, while household heterogeneity alone does not enhance the aggregate effects of asset market operations.

Pre-and post-heating bar-concrete bond behavior of CFRP-wrapped concrete containing polymeric aggregates and steel fibers: Experimental and theoretical study

The present research attempted to explore the impact of steel fibers and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets on the pre-and post-heating bond behavior of steel bars in high-strength concrete incorporating waste polyethylene terephthalate (WPET) by conducting the pullout and beam tests and in both pullout and splitting failure modes. To achieve this aim, one hundred and forty-four cubes and forty-eight prisms were cast for the pullout and beam tests, respectively. The variable parameters included the replacement ratio of the fine aggregates with waste polyethylene terephthalate (WPET) particles (0 % and 10 % by volume), steel-fiber content (0 % and 1 % by volume), bar diameter (12-and 16-mm), target temperature (25, 200, and 600 °C), and confinement level (no confinement or CFRP wrapping applied after the thermal regime). Bond strength, bond stress-slip behavior between rebar and concrete, failure mode, and rebar debonding energy were among the parameters investigated after cooling. The results showed that in contrast with the positive effect of CFRP sheets on debonding energy, steel fibers have a positive effect on debonding energy only at 600 °C. Steel fibers did not offset the negative effect of polymeric aggregate, negatively changed the pullout mode to a mixed pullout/splitting failure at 200 °C, and tended to favor splitting failure mode to mixed mode at 600 °C. Moreover, steel fibers negatively affected the bond strength of pullout specimens in both confined and unconfined conditions, especially at 25 and 200 °C, and were less effective than CFRP sheets in avoiding splitting. Small-diameter bars reduced the negative effect of steel fibers on the bond, while polymeric aggregate tended to enhance the bond strength differences between large- and small-diameter bars. The effect of increasing the bar diameter on the effectiveness of CFRP sheets on the bond strength was not clear, but as a general trend, the effectiveness increased with the increase of the bar diameter. A predictive model based on the experimental results of this study and other studies was proposed as well to introduce the positive effect of the CFRP confinement and the dubious effect of steel fibers and polymeric aggregate on bond strength.

Uncovering the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelet composites with interlayers using a Monte Carlo model

Abstract This paper uses Monte Carlo (MC) method to study the thermal conductivity of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) composites. Firstly, a large number of GNPs are randomly set in a representative volume element (RVE). Then, based on the temperature field satisfying the Laplace equation in the matrix, a coated surface (CS) is set up on each GNP surface, and the temperature of CS and GNP are obtained by a Walk-on-Spheres (WoS) method. Finally, the WoS method continues to be applied to calculate the heat flux density of composite materials, further obtaining the thermal conductivity of the composite. We have incorporated the influence of interlayers in the WoS process and pointed out that walk onto the interlayer surface have a very low probability of getting to GNP due to the extremely low thermal conductivity of the interlayer. The calculated results are consistent with the experimental data. The model also studied the effects of size, orientation, and aggregation of GNP on the thermal conductivity of the composite.

Rank Aggregation Methods and Tools in Genomic Data Analysis

Rank aggregation (RA) is the process of consolidating disparate rankings into a single unified ranking. It holds immense potential in the field of genomics. RA has applications in diverse research areas, such as gene expression analysis, meta-analysis, gene prioritization, and biomarker discovery. However, there are many challenges in the application of the RA approach to biological data, such as dealing with heterogeneous data sources, rankings of mixed quality, and evaluating the consolidated rankings. In this review, we present an overview of the existing RA methods with an emphasis on those that have been tailored to the complexities of genomics research. These encompass a broad range of approaches, from distributional and heuristic methods to Bayesian and stochastic optimization algorithms. By examining these techniques, we aim to equip researchers with the background knowledge needed to navigate the intricacies of RA in genomics data integration effectively. We review the practical applications to highlight the relevance and impact of RA methods in advancing genomics research. As the field continues to evolve, we identify open problems and suggest future directions to enhance the effectiveness of rank aggregation in genomics, by addressing the challenges related to data heterogeneity, single-cell omics and spatial transcriptomics data, and the development of clear and consistent evaluation methods. In summary, RA stands as a powerful tool in genomics research, which can offer deeper insights and more comprehensive data integration solutions.

Enhancing the Surface Structure of Public Filler and Macroscopic Properties of Recycled Cement Mortar Using Polyethyleneimine

This study introduces an innovative approach by modifying a commonly used filler with a natural compound, PEI. Fine aggregates within the filler were treated with different contents of PEI solutions. This research thoroughly examined the filler’s pore structure, mineral composition, physical characteristics, and surface morphology. Additionally, this study explored the effects of PEI-treated fine aggregates on the macroscopic features of recycled cement mortar, focusing on aspects like flowability, compressive strength, capillary water absorption, and chloride ion permeability. The findings revealed that treating the fine aggregates with PEI decreased the pore volume by up to 28.2% compared to untreated samples. This improvement in the microstructure may originate from the formation of calcite and its by-products, which occupy the pores with nanoparticles generated in situ. Furthermore, the modification with polyethyleneimine resulted in a wavy, plate-like structure that not only enhanced the surface morphology but also improved the compressive strength and chloride ion permeability. Furthermore, it significantly reduced capillary water absorption by 32% to 51%, thereby enhancing the material’s durability. The present study underscores the superior advantages of PEI modification as a promising strategy to enhance the viability of public fine aggregates.

Extrapolation factors for calculating ecotoxicity effects in LCA

Abstract Purpose This study focuses on updating, improving, and expanding the extrapolation factors needed to convert various acute or chronic effect concentration indicators into consistent chronic EC10eq (effect concentration inducing a 10% response over background) for use in life cycle assessment (LCA). Our main objectives include (1) to present a detailed approach for the harmonization of ecotoxicity data, with a focus on deriving extrapolation factors, and (2) to estimate both generic and species group-specific extrapolation factors, facilitating the conversion of effect concentration indicator groups (EC10eq and EC50eq) into chronic EC10eq. Methods Experimental ecotoxicity data were sourced from CompTox Version 2.1.1, which integrates toxicity information from ToxValDB v9.1.1, and the information from REACH registration dossiers. We developed a framework for harmonizing ecotoxicity data, ensuring uniformity and high quality of aquatic ecotoxicity information from these sources. Through linear regression analysis, both generic and species group-specific extrapolation factors were then derived. Results and discussion Harmonization of ecotoxicity data yielded a streamlined dataset with 339,729 datapoints for 10,668 chemicals, reflecting a 54% reduction in raw datapoints. The geometric mean-based aggregation process produced 79,001 aggregated effect concentration datapoints at the species level, 41,303 at the species group level, and 23,215 at the effect concentration indicator level for these chemicals. This process facilitated the derivation of 3 generic and 24 species group-specific extrapolation factors, allowing for the conversion of effect concentration indicator groups (EC10eq and EC50eq) to a chronic EC10eq across two exposure classes (acute vs. chronic) and species groups, as defined in the US EPA ECOTOX knowledgebase, including algae, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, insects/spiders, invertebrates, molluscs, and worms. Conclusions The harmonization of ecotoxicity data and the derived extrapolation factors permit the integration of diverse datapoints with varying effect concentration indicators and exposure durations into USEtox ecotoxicity characterization factors. This has the potential to enhance substance coverage for characterizing ecotoxicity effects across chemicals in LCA frameworks by permitting wider species coverage. More generally, this is part of global efforts to extend the potential for quantitative assessment of environmental impacts of chemicals in an LCA framework.

Association analysis of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmic variants: Methods and application

We rigorously assessed a comprehensive association testing framework for heteroplasmy, employing both simulated and real-world data. This framework employed a variant allele fraction (VAF) threshold and harnessed multiple gene-based tests for robust identification and association testing of heteroplasmy. Our simulation studies demonstrated that gene-based tests maintained an appropriate type I error rate at α = 0.001. Notably, when 5 % or more heteroplasmic variants within a target region were linked to an outcome, burden-extension tests (including the adaptive burden test, variable threshold burden test, and z-score weighting burden test) outperformed the sequence kernel association test (SKAT) and the original burden test. Applying this framework, we conducted association analyses on whole-blood derived heteroplasmy in 17,507 individuals of African and European ancestries (31 % of African Ancestry, mean age of 62, with 58 % women) with whole genome sequencing data. We performed both cohort- and ancestry-specific association analyses, followed by meta-analysis on both pooled samples and within each ancestry group. Our results suggest that mtDNA-encoded genes/regions are likely to exhibit varying rates in somatic aging, with the notably strong associations observed between heteroplasmy in the RNR1 and RNR2 genes (p < 0.001) and advance aging by the Original Burden test. In contrast, SKAT identified significant associations (p < 0.001) between diabetes and the aggregated effects of heteroplasmy in several protein-coding genes. Further research is warranted to validate these findings. In summary, our proposed statistical framework represents a valuable tool for facilitating association testing of heteroplasmy with disease traits in large human populations.

Nerolidol- Potential Therapeutic Agent for Various Neurological Disorders via its Antioxidative Property.

Neurological disorders are devastating conditions affecting both cognitive and motorrelated functions in aged people. Yet there is no proper medication to treat these illnesses, and the currently available medications can only provide symptomatic relief to the patients. All neurological disorders share the same etiology, such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neurochemical deficiency, neuronal loss, apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, neuroinflammation, and disease-related protein aggregation. Nowadays, researchers use antioxidant-based strategies to prevent or halt the disease progression. Nerolidol, a strong antioxidant, possesses various biological activities and properties that treat cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and many other diseases. Many recent publications and research studies highlight the beneficial effect of nerolidol on brain disorders. In Alzheimer's disease, nerolidol shows neuroprotection by decreasing amyloid plaque formation, lipid peroxidation, cholinergic neuronal loss, locomotor dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and hippocampal damage via enhancing antioxidant expression. Also, it shows neuroprotection against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting microglial activation. Another study reported that nerolidol shows antiepileptic effects in animal models by suppressing kindling-induced memory impairment by decreasing oxidative stress. It has been found that NRL administration increases the antioxidant levels, decreasing the proinflammatory cytokine release as well as decreasing the apoptotic protein and cerebral infarct size. In conclusion, nerolidol tends to reverse the harmful effects of disease-related factors, including OS, neuroinflammation, protein aggregation, and apoptosis, making nerolidol a choiceable drug for the management of neurological disorders. The purpose of this review is to discuss the mechanism of nerolidol in treating various neurological disorders.

Synergistic assessment of multi-scenario urban waterlogging through data-driven decoupling analysis in high-density urban areas: A case study in Shenzhen, China

Extreme meteorological events and rapid urbanization have led to serious urban flooding problems. Characterizing spatial variations in flooding susceptibility and elucidating its driving factors are essential for preventing damages from urban pluvial flooding. However, conventional methods, limited by spatial heterogeneity and the intricate mechanisms of urban flooding, frequently demonstrated a deficiency in precision when assessing flooding susceptibility in dense urban areas. Therefore, this study proposed a novel framework for an integrated assessment of urban flood susceptibility, based on a comprehensive cascade modeling chain consisting of XGBoost, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), and Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) in combination with K-means. It aimed to recognize the specific influence of urban morphology and the spatial patterns of flooding risk agglomeration under different rainfall scenarios in high-density urban areas. The XGBoost model demonstrated enhanced accuracy and robustness relative to other three benchmark models: RF, SVR, and BPDNN. This superiority was effectively validated during both training and independent testing in Shenzhen. The results indicated that urban 3D morphology characteristics were the dominant factors for waterlogging magnitude, which occupied 46.02 % of relative contribution. Through PDP analysis, multi-staged trends highlighted critical thresholds and interactions between significant indicators like building congestion degree (BCD) and floor area ratio (FAR). Specifically, optimal intervals like BCD between 0 and 0.075 coupled with FAR values between 0.5 and 1 have the potential to substantially mitigate flooding risks. These findings emphasize the need for strategic building configuration within urban planning frameworks. In terms of the spatial-temporal assessment, a significant aggregation effect of high-risk areas that prone to prolonged duration or high-intensity rainfall scenarios emerged in the old urban districts. The approach in the present study provides quantitative insights into waterlogging adaptation strategies for sustainable urban planning and design.

Dynamic coupled coordination and spatial correlation between ice-snow tourism network attention and tourism industry development systems: Evidence from 31 provinces of China

Using the coupled coordination degree model, DEA coupled coordination efficiency model, and spatial autocorrelation model, this study explored the dynamic coupled coordination relationship and spatial correlation between the ice-snow tourism network attention and tourism industry development in 31 Chinese provinces and proposed suggestions pertaining to development. Our findings showed that (1) most provinces have not yet achieved excellent coordinated development between the two systems, and the coupled coordination efficiency is low. Each province's coupled coordination degree and coordination efficiency exhibited a small increase. (2) Spatial differences in the coupled coordination level and coordination efficiency of the two systems in each province were more evident. In seven provinces, including Heilongjiang, tourism industry development demonstrated a relatively high utilization rate and enhanced ice-snow tourism network attention. (3) The rankings of the coupled coordination degree and coordination efficiency of the two systems in each province remained relatively stable at the upper and lower ends, with large changes in the central provinces. The coupled coordination efficiency of Heilongjiang, Beijing, Jilin, and Shanghai remained at the top of the list steadily, whereas Tibet, Anhui, and Qinghai stayed at the bottom. In contrast, the ranking of the coupled coordination efficiency of Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Jiangsu displayed a great change. (4) The spatial correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation that decreased annually. Some provinces exhibited characteristics of spatial aggregation, with a high-high aggregation effect in Liaoning and Jilin, a low-low aggregation effect in Gansu and Qinghai, and no spatial aggregation effect in most other provinces.

Pore structures and deterioration mechanism of concrete after cryogenic freeze-thaw cycles: Effects of moisture contents and aggregates

With the popularization of all-concrete liquefied natural gas (ACLNG) storage tanks, the performance of concrete after cryogenic exposure (−170 °C) has garnered significant interests from researchers. To investigate the damage mechanism of pore structures and the corresponding influencing factors, this study involved subjecting concrete with two moisture contents, namely air-dried and water-saturated to 10 cryogenic freeze-thaw cycles (CFTCs) to assess the variation laws in strengths. The mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), nitrogen adsorption and desorption (NAD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), backscattered scanning electron (BSE) and low-temperature calorimeter (LTC) methods were employed to evaluate pore characteristics and the phase transition of pore water. Furthermore, pore structures were conducted using fractal dimensions based on the Zhang model and Frenkel-Halsey-Hill model. Findings indicate that there is a more pronounced reduction in strengths after 10 CFTCs in water-saturated state. Following cryogenic exposure, the porosity of paste increases from 4.97 % to 5.58 % and 7.04 %, and the porosity of mortar rises from 6.05 % to 7.20 % and 8.76 %, respectively. Aggregates in mortar contribute to more severe damage to pore structures in cryogenic circumstances, particularly capillary and macropores. The nucleation of pore water and ice contents are greatly influenced by moisture contents, and the frozen fraction is only 84.3 % in air-dried state. The destruction of gel pores is attributed to the continuous multi-order phase transition in water-saturated state. This work conducts a thorough cross-scale analysis of the pore structure in both paste and mortar, and it quantitatively evaluates the phase transition of pore water under cryogenic conditions using the LTC method. Ultimately, the influence of moisture contents and aggregates on the pore structures are evaluated, which provides deeper insights into the deterioration mechanism of concrete following cryogenic exposure.

A scalable adaptive quadratic kernel method for interpretable epistasis analysis in complex traits.

Our knowledge of the contribution of genetic interactions (epistasis) to variation in human complex traits remains limited, partly due to the lack of efficient, powerful, and interpretable algorithms to detect interactions. Recently proposed approaches for set-based association tests show promise in improving the power to detect epistasis by examining the aggregated effects of multiple variants. Nevertheless, these methods either do not scale to large Biobank data sets or lack interpretability. We propose QuadKAST, a scalable algorithm focused on testing pairwise interaction effects (quadratic effects) within small to medium-sized sets of genetic variants (window size ≤100) on a trait and provide quantified interpretation of these effects. Comprehensive simulations show that QuadKAST is well-calibrated. Additionally, QuadKAST is highly sensitive in detecting loci with epistatic signals and accurate in its estimation of quadratic effects. We applied QuadKAST to 52 quantitative phenotypes measured in ≈300,000 unrelated white British individuals in the UK Biobank to test for quadratic effects within each of 9515 protein-coding genes. We detect 32 trait-gene pairs across 17 traits and 29 genes that demonstrate statistically significant signals of quadratic effects (accounting for the number of genes and traits tested). Across these trait-gene pairs, the proportion of trait variance explained by quadratic effects is comparable to additive effects, with five pairs having a ratio >1. Our method enables the detailed investigation of epistasis on a large scale, offering new insights into its role and importance.

Preliminary Study on Polymerization between Hemoglobin and Enzymes during the Preparation of PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA.

The objective of this study was to explore the influence of different factors on the aggregation effect on hemoglobin (Hb) and enzymes during the preparation of Polyhemoglobin-Superoxide dismutase-Catalase-Carbonic anhydrase (PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA). Several factors including temperatures, pH values, Glutaraldehyde (GDA) amounts and enzymes amounts were investigated systematically to study their effects on the enzymes recoveries and polymerization rates including the Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Carbonic anhydrase (CA), as well as their effects on the molecular weight distribution of PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA. Then the oxygen affinity and methemoglobin (MetHb) contents of obtained PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA were measured to evaluate the effects of enzyme crosslinking on the properties of Polyhemoglobin (PolyHb) moieties in the molecular structure of obtained PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA conjugate. The results showed that the enzyme recoveries and polymerization rates could be decreased with the temperatures increasing and could be generally kept stable in the physiological pH conditions, but presented only slight changes among the investigated enzyme amounts ranges. Although the GDA concentration increasing could promote the enzyme polymerization rates, the enzyme recoveries decreased in whole. The polymerization rate and molecular size of PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA conjugate increased with the elevation of temperature and the concentration of GDA. Lastly, the P50 values, Hill coefficients, and MetHb contents of PolyHb-SOD-CAT-CA conjugate with different enzyme crosslinking degrees exhibited no obvious differences with each other. In conclusion, the polymerization reactions between enzymes and Hb molecules could be remarkably affected by temperatures, pH values, and GDA amounts, and the enzyme crosslinking presented no obvious effects on the Hb properties, especially about the oxygen affinity and oxidation degrees.

Bribery, plant size and size dependent distortions

I document that small plants spend a higher fraction of their output on bribery than big plants, and that non-bribe-paying plants face higher distortions compared to bribe-paying plants in Türkiye. I develop a one-sector growth model in which size-dependent distortions, bribery opportunities, and different plant sizes coexist. In the model, plants are able to avoid distortions through bribery. The model parameters are calibrated with distortions and bribery opportunities in order to account for the plant size distribution as well as bribery expenditures by different plant sizes in the Turkish data. Counterfactual exercises show that size-dependent distortions become less distortionary in the presence of bribery opportunities. An increase in the size dependency of distortions has smaller aggregate effects since plants are able to circumvent distortions by paying larger bribes. Quantitatively, when bribery opportunities are present in the economy, mean plant size and output are 7.8 and 2.0 percent higher, respectively.

Quantitative study of triboemission kinetics from polymer fiber-reinforced mortar paving blocks: Unravelling the dynamics of nanoparticle aerosol release

Triboemission of nanoparticle aerosols from construction materials is a growing concern due to its potential impact on air quality and human health. In this study, we investigated the effect of aggregation of polyurethane fibers (PUFs) proceeding from waste on the kinetics of triboemission in cement mortars. A quantitative methodology was employed to assess the deposition rate, particle size distribution, and emissivity for the aerosols within the particle aerodynamic diameter range of 10–400 nm. The triboemission properties were correlated with the pore structure, morphology and tribochemical transformations of the particles and worn surfaces. Our results highlight the intricate influence of PUF aggregation on the kinetics of triboemission in cement mortars through both direct and indirect mechanisms and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms governing triboemission in construction materials.