Space Evolution Research Articles

Morphogenic, molecular, and cellular adaptations for unidirectional airflow in the chicken lung.

Unidirectional airflow in the avian lung enables gas exchange during both inhalation and exhalation. The underlying developmental process and how it deviates from that of the bidirectional mammalian lung are poorly understood. Sampling key developmental stages with multiscale 3D imaging and single-cell transcriptomics, we delineate morphogenic, molecular, and cellular features that accommodate the unidirectional airflow in the chicken lung. Primary termini of hyper-elongated branches are eliminated via proximal-short and distal-long fusions, forming parabronchi. Neoform termini extend radially through parabronchial smooth muscle to form gas-exchanging alveoli. Supporting this radial alveologenesis, branch stalks halt their proximalization, defined by SOX9-SOX2 transition, and become SOX9 low parabronchi. Primary and secondary vascular plexi interface with primary and neoform termini, respectively. Single-cell and Stereo-seq spatial transcriptomics reveal a third, chicken-specific alveolar cell type expressing KRT14, hereby named luminal cells. Luminal, alveolar type 2, and alveolar type 1 cells sequentially occupy concentric zones radiating from the parabronchial lumen. Our study explores the evolutionary space of lung diversification and lays the foundation for functional analysis of species-specific genetic determinants.

Bidirectional Energy Flow in the Photosystem II Supercomplex.

The water-splitting capability of Photosystem II (PSII) of plants and green algae requires the system to balance efficient light harvesting along with effective photoprotection against excitation in excess of the photosynthetic capacity, particularly under the naturally fluctuating sunlight intensity. The comparatively flat energy landscape of the multicomponent structure, inferred from the spectra of the individual pigment-protein complexes and the rather narrow and featureless absorption spectrum, is well known. However, how the combination of the required functions emerges from the interactions among the multiple components of the PSII supercomplex (PSII-SC) cannot be inferred from the individual pigment-protein complexes. In this work, we investigate the energy transfer dynamics of the C2S2-type PSII-SC with a combined spectroscopic and modeling approach. Specifically, two-dimensional electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy provides enhanced spectral resolution and the ability to map energy evolution in real space, while the quantum dynamical simulation allows complete kinetic modeling of the 210 chromophores. We demonstrate that additional pathways emerge within the supercomplex. In particular, we show that excitation energy can leave the vicinity of the charge separation components, the reaction center (RC), faster than it can transfer to it. This enables activatable quenching centers in the periphery of the PSII-SC to be effective in removing excessive energy in cases of overexcitation. Overall, we provide a quantitative description of how the seemingly contradictory functions of PSII-SC arise from the combination of its individual components. This provides a fundamental understanding that will allow further improvement of artificial solar energy devices and bioengineering processes for increasing crop yield.

Problems of Studying the Urbanization Process for Students of the Educational Program "Geography" in Kazakhstan

The study of the urbanization process by students of the educational program "Geography" in Kazakhstan is topical in the context of rapid urban development and evolutions in the geographical space of the country. Various key problems were revealed in the process of the studies such as the need for in-depth research of the theoretical foundations of urbanization, limited access to current data and no work experience on modern methods of data processing and analysis. An online survey was conducted on the basis of the Google Forms and the survey questions were worked out to have the further study of urbanization processes and update knowledge in this field. The study applied a data analysis method using the SPSS Base software package. This method provided the opportunities to structure and process the survey results among 331 teachers and master’s students. The approach ensured an accurate analysis and interpretation of the data which enabled to identify key trends and consistent patterns in respondents’ answers. The results point to both positive and negative conclusions based on the data. The conclusions were made on having evaluated the results with the help of SWOT analysis.

Cretaceous cyclic peritidal carbonates of the Apulia Carbonate Platform (Apulia, southern Italy) in a hierarchical sequence‐stratigraphic perspective: A case study from the Murge area (the Giovinazzo sea‐cliff section)

AbstractCretaceous cyclic peritidal carbonates form the bulk of the Apulia Region in Italy and represent the vestiges of the Apulia Carbonate Platform. To show from a sequence stratigraphic perspective the architecture of peritidal carbonates, the 17 m thick Albian Giovinazzo sea‐cliff section was studied at a centimetre detail, aiming to: (i) describe cyclic facies organisation in beds and bedsets; (ii) reconstruct the relative sea‐level curve and its evolution over time; (iii) interpret the long‐term evolution of the accommodation space in terms of sequence stratigraphy. The hierarchical stacking pattern of facies in beds and bedsets reveals Milankovitch cyclicity. As a working hypothesis, elementary sequences are assumed to represent the precession cycle (ca 20 kyr) and small‐scale and medium‐scale sequences the short (ca 100 kyr) and long (ca 400 kyr) eccentricity cycles, respectively. Four different types of elementary sequences (condensed, catch‐down, catch‐up and give‐up) are recognised and interpreted in terms of relative sea‐level changes to reconstruct the relative sea‐level curve of the entire succession. The envelope of the reconstructed relative sea‐level curve is used to represent the long‐term accommodation change on the platform, which covers a time span of approximately 1.8 Myr. Most of this time was spent in subaerial exposure, as approximately 1.2 Myr was predicted to be condensed in a stratigraphic interval encompassing both the sequence‐boundary zone/falling stage deposits and the lowstand deposits. Moreover, it was interpreted that about two‐third of the total thickness of the succession was formed in only 280 kyr and consisted of both transgressive and maximum‐flooding deposits. The main implication of this study is that unconformities do not necessarily correspond to single surfaces but, rather, to very amalgamated intervals or unconformity zones. Moreover, based on biostratigraphic constraints, there is a correlation between the unconformity zone of the studied succession and the third‐order KAl4 sequence boundary of the Cretaceous eustatic cycle chart.

The Chlamydia effector IncE employs two short linear motifs to reprogram host vesicle trafficking

Chlamydia trachomatis, a leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections, creates a specialized intracellular replicative niche by translocation and insertion of a diverse array of effectors (Incs [inclusion membrane proteins]) into the inclusion membrane. Here, we characterize IncE, a multifunctional Inc that encodes two non-overlapping short linear motifs (SLiMs) within its short cytosolic C terminus. The proximal SLiM, by mimicking just a small portion of an R-N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor adaptor protein receptor (SNARE) motif, binds and recruits syntaxin (STX)7- and STX12-containing vesicles to the inclusion. The distal SLiM mimics the sorting nexin (SNX)5 and SNX6 cargo binding site to recruit SNX6-containing vesicles to the inclusion. By simultaneously binding two distinct vesicle classes, IncE brings these vesicles in close apposition with each other at the inclusion to facilitate C.trachomatis intracellular development. Our work suggests that Incs may have evolved SLiMs to enable rapid evolution in a limited protein space to disrupt host cell processes.

Space and Landscape Evolution Mechanism and Resource Governance Characteristics of Traditional Villages from the Perspective of Social-Ecological System

Space and Landscape Evolution Mechanism and Resource Governance Characteristics of Traditional Villages from the Perspective of Social-Ecological System

The Evolution of Worship Space in the Yungang Grottoes under the Influence of the Silk Road

With the spread of Buddhism, cave temples, originated from India, were introduced to Central Asia via the Silk Road, and then to mainland China. This foreign religious architecture took root in China and completed the process of gradual Sinicisation. The worship space defines the core of the cave temples architectural space. This article takes the Yungang Grottoes as an example to explore the evolution of Buddhist worship spaces. Indian Buddhist architecture has produced two most basic forms of worship spaceright-hand space and prostration spacewhereas in Central Asia, Buddhist architecture has undergone great changes in style, but the basic prototype of the worship space is still composed of Indian Buddhist principles: it still follows the two worship spaces of right rotation and prostration. In the Yungang Grottoes, the two worship space have been influenced by both native India and Western Central Asia, combining with the characteristics of the Han Dynasty to develop and evolve.

A fine-grained investigation on the predictors of urban green space growth in Nanjing

ABSTRACT Existing studies have primarily examined urban green space (UGS) evolution in isolation from the urban development context, neglecting the dynamicity of the factors affecting UGS growth in different spatiotemporal conditions and urban development levels. Taking Nanjing as the study site, we constructed spatial lag models using multi-source data and investigated the patterns and predictors of UGS growth across diverse spatiotemporal conditions in high-density environments. The model results show that: (1) although good natural conditions can support UGS development, this effect is greatly weakened in fast urban expansion as other land uses show higher priority in land occupation; (2) industrial and public service lands and commercial lands show a negative effect on UGS growth in the early and late urbanization, respectively, while residential lands demonstrated sustained negative effect in all the urbanization phases; (3) the effect of the total population and population structure varies in different urban development phases; (4) at an advanced urban development level, the areas close to city centre have better opportunities to install new UGSs. These findings offer useful references to the decision makers and planners, especially for their work on the UGS layout optimization within the high-density areas.

Particles with constant speed and random velocity in 3+1 space-time: separation of the space variables

We consider a particle in 3+1 space-time dimensions which constantly moves at speed of light c, randomly changing its velocity which can be represented by a point on the surface of a sphere of radius c. The velocity performs an isotropic Wiener process on this surface so that the velocity trajectories are almost everywhere continuous although not differentiable, while the position trajectories are continuous and differentiable. Together with the process that describes the particle in the ‘rest frame’, where the diffusion of velocity on the surface of the sphere is isotropic, the entire family of anisotropic processes which result from Lorentz boosts is also described. The focus of this article is on stochastic evolution in space. We identify a reduced set of variables whose stochastic evolution is autonomous from the remaining variables, but, nevertheless, carry all the relevant information concerning the spatial properties of the process. The associated stochastic equations as well the Forward Kolmogorov equation are considerably simplified compared to those of the complete set of position and velocity variables.

Extraction of nonlinearity in neural networks with Koopman operator

Nonlinearity plays a crucial role in deep neural networks. In this paper, we investigate the degree to which the nonlinearity of the neural network is essential. For this purpose, we employ the Koopman operator, extended dynamic mode decomposition, and the tensor-train format. The Koopman operator approach has been recently developed in physics and nonlinear sciences; the Koopman operator deals with the time evolution in the observable space instead of the state space. Since we can replace the nonlinearity in the state space with the linearity in the observable space, it is a hopeful candidate for understanding complex behavior in nonlinear systems. Here, we analyze learned neural networks for the classification problems. As a result, the replacement of the nonlinear middle layers with the Koopman matrix yields enough accuracy in numerical experiments. In addition, we confirm that the pruning of the Koopman matrix gives sufficient accuracy even at high compression ratios. These results indicate the possibility of extracting some features in the neural networks with the Koopman operator approach.

BlastAsia – its quest for innovation in enterprise software application development

ABSTRACT The case sheds light on the rapid evolution in the no-code application development space. It presents opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to support customers with their digital transformation journeys. The protagonist of the case, Arup Maity, is the founder of a traditional software development company, BlastAsia. He is contemplating launching a no-code application development platform, given evolving market preferences and customer expectations. The case outlines the emergence of no-code application development platforms as a potent alternative to traditional software development techniques. It highlights exactly how business uncertainty coupled with rapidly evolving technology requirements demands shorter software development lifecycles, which traditional methods might not be able to cater to. It also explores evolving customer and employee expectations to engage in applications which are intuitive, work across devices seamlessly, and deliver real-time project status and data. The case also discusses budgetary considerations, which companies looking to deploy enterprise software have to grapple with. The landscape is further complicated by cutthroat competition in the industry, start-ups offering enhanced value propositions at competitive prices, and black-swan events like the COVID-19 pandemic, which pose existential challenges for organizations.

Cybersecurity and the Evolution of the information space: a phenomenological analysis of the relationship with the metaverse and the digital world

The subject of the study is cybersecurity, within the framework of the modern changing conditions of the information space, which is filled with such phenomena as the metaverse and the digital world. These systems create new threats and problems in the processing, transmission, preservation and confidentiality of data. Assuming that the intersection of cybersecurity, digital transformation (including the metaverse and the digital world) and phenomenological analysis is an important area of research, the paper examines aspects of building cybersecurity in the country. The merger itself is seen as a centrifugal current that cannot be stopped, but must be regulated, which suggests that the transformation of approaches to cybersecurity plays a crucial role in developing effective strategies to overcome the problems that arise in a rapidly changing digital landscape. The research methods are based on data collection, analysis and synthesis, which revealed key problems. The key method is a phenomenological analysis of the ongoing changes in the information sphere associated with the spread of the phenomena of the metaverse and the digital world, which made it possible to reflect the problems of information processing and insecurity from malicious attacks and propose a new approach to the formation of a cybersecurity system. The scientific novelty of the article lies in an integrated approach to studying the relationship of cybersecurity, the evolution of the information space and such new concepts, like the metaverse and the digital world. The transition to the latter is the next stage in the development of the information space, which can be traced in the gradual expansion of ecosystems and personal information platforms. All this suggests the need to expand the system of providing personal information, as well as data that gets into unsecured information networks. At the same time, domestic cybersecurity systems are being criticized, which indicates the need to find new solutions. One of these options may be a phenomenological approach to the study of data. The study shows how the use of phenomenological research methods allows us to take a fresh look at the capabilities of domestic developers to strengthen cybersecurity measures and adapt them to rapidly changing digital landscapes.

Static-dynamic characteristics and management scheme of county space resilience based on geographical natures—An empirical study of 95 counties from Jiangsu Province, China

Resilient counties has the capability to navigate adverse environmental changes, adaptively reallocate resources during challenges, and bolster county competitiveness. This study introduces an original framework for nurturing resilient counties based on geographical natures, emphasizing the role of geographic space evolution, termed county space resilience (CSR). This study focuses on 95 counties in Jiangsu, a prominent province in the rapidly urbanizing region of eastern China, as a case study. Employing a multi-dimensional feature model and LISA spatiotemporal transition analysis, this study analyzes the static-dynamic characteristics of CSR and proposes a regional guidance scheme. This study draws three key conclusions. Firstly, it reveals that the average CSR value decreased from 0.327 in 2000 to 0.320 in 2005, then increased to 0.380 in 2021, and the geographic trend of transitioning from more economically developed zones to less developed ones. Secondly, the general structural characteristics of CSR were classified into four groups: upgrade transformation, focus optimization, potential enhancement, and safety adjustment. Furthermore, the spatial–temporal coalescence of the Moran’s I scatterplot equals 0.684, signifying stability in the spatial correlation of CSR. Additionally, the dynamic evolution characteristics of CSR were categorized into positive and negative types, with the Yangtze River Green Development Belt acting as the boundary. Lastly, this study constructs a management scheme comprising zoning control and classification strategy tailored for different counties, offering strategic recommendations customized for each. This scheme can serve as a decision-making foundation for policymakers in county development endeavors, fostering the cultivation of resilient counties.

Study on Residential Space Evolution of Honggangcheng in Wuhan, China, Using Capital Concept of Field Theory

Study on Residential Space Evolution of Honggangcheng in Wuhan, China, Using Capital Concept of Field Theory

Evolution and zoning of the "production-living- ecological" spatial pattern in the coastal urban agglomeration of Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang

Clarifying the spatial differentiation patterns and evolutionary characteristics of urban territories is the basis and prerequisite for enhancing regional spatial governance capacity and realizing sustainable urban development patterns. In order to make up for the inadequacy of the existing coastal urban agglomerations of Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang in the exploration of regional evolutionary characteristics and zoning. Based on the theory of production-life-ecology space, the land use data from 2010 to 2020 are used to analyze the land space pattern and evolution characteristics of urban agglomeration by applying the methods of transfer matrix, kernel density analysis, and comparative advantage index. The results show that: (1) the ecological space continued to decrease and the area of production space and ecological space continued to increase. (2) The high-value areas of production space show multinuclear diffusion, the high-value areas of ecological space are mainly distributed in a faceted manner, and the living space are distributed in a band along the coastline. (3) The entire urban agglomeration was categorized into six types of land function zones based on the comparative advantage indices of the three spaces at the county scale.

How Civil Societies Are Undermined

Several studies highlight the fact that the first decades of the 21st century are characterized by a resurgence of authoritarianism, which contradicts the optimistic visions of the 1990s regarding the so-called end of history. For instance, Freedom House argues, presenting relevant data, that since 2006, a process of democratic backsliding has been in place worldwide. Not only developing countries or regions are affected but also countries in Europe and Northern America, where democracy once seemed inexpugnable. This illiberal wave thrives on the weaknesses of civil societies and has the effect of further reducing the dimensions of the civic space. Although those who promote open societies are on the defensive, their cause is far from being an obsolete remnant of the second half of the 20th century. However, their endeavors can be ineffective if the causes of the antidemocratic forces’ success are not properly acknowledged. The main goal of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the factors that are vital for building or strengthening closed societies. To shape relevant conclusions, we analyze information from projects like People Power under Attack, realized by the CIVICUS global civil society network or V-Dem (The Varieties of Democracy), managed by an institute affiliated with the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). We focus especially on countries that experienced sharp transformations regarding the state of their civil societies in the last 3–5 years. Our findings underline, among others, the importance of the electoral process and foreign policy influencing the evolution of the civic space. Cases like the Czech Republic suggest that the decline of civil society can be stopped at the polls. The Russian Federation is an example of a successful suspension of civic freedoms under the pretext of protecting the population from toxic foreign interference.

Degradation modeling in solid oxide electrolysis systems: A comparative analysis of operation modes

To fully realize the potential of solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) systems, improvements in long-term durability and scalability are required. Investigating and comparing different degradation mechanisms under different conditions is crucial. A multi-scale cell to system level time-dependent simulation framework for SOE systems including various degradation phenomena is presented. Galvanostatic, Potentiostatic, and Potentio-Galvanostatic operation, a combination of the two previous modes, are investigated. The time and space evolution of various performance and degradation parameters are compared. Potentio-Galvanostatic operation consistently maintains stable efficiency throughout its lifetime. Near thermoneutral condition is maintained in Potentiostatic and Potentio-Galvanostatic operations, while degradation eventually leads to exothermic operation in Galvanostatic mode. Cathode overpotential is higher in Galvanostatic operation, while in Potentio-Galvanostatic operation, it drops over time as the temperature increases. After 25,000 h of operation under specified conditions, the area-specific resistance (ASR) experiences a 51% and 62% increase in Galvanostatic and Potentiostatic operations, respectively, while Potentio-Galvanostatic operation results in only a 4% increase compared to the beginning of life. Interconnect oxidation is most pronounced in Potentio-Galvanostatic mode, highlighting the need for high-quality steels and coatings in this operation strategy. Over time, in Galvanostatic operation, the current density shifts from being highest at the inlet towards the outlet.

Implications to basin evolution from the interpretation of superficial and buried geological features from remote sensing and magnetic data sets, Lower and Middle Benue Trough, Nigeria

The Lower and Middle Benue Trough is an intra-continental rifted basin with most rocks concealed by thick sediments and vegetation. Geological field mapping is very difficult resulting in high uncertainties. Remote sensing and geophysical techniques can assist in refining lithological boundaries and detecting buried geological features such as intrusive bodies, which can be very useful in interpreting the structural history of a basin. The main aim of our study is to re-process and interpret aeromagnetic and multispectral satellite datasets to understand the evolution of the Benue Trough. We used high-resolution aeromagnetic data and, Landsat 8 and ASTER data sets to interpret surface and near-surface lithologies, particularly igneous bodies, within the Benue Trough, Nigeria, with the aim of better constraining the basin evolution in time and space. A matched bandpass filter was applied to the aeromagnetic data to separate shallow/near-surface (residual) anomalies from deep (regional) anomalies. The result of the residual anomaly was further filtered by derivative-based filters to delineate surface/near-surface igneous bodies. The satellite remote sensing datasets were processed and enhanced, and diagnostic mineral spectral signatures related to geology were interpreted. A spectral angle mapping (SAM) supervised classification was used to map various lithologies and their boundaries. The delineated igneous bodies (volcanic rocks, plugs, dykes, bosses, and sills) are concentrated along the SE margin of the Trough where they intruded along a major NE-SW trend; but changes in the intrusion style are interpreted to relate to specific stages in the basin history. We suggest that the initial magma emplacement was controlled by structures mostly along the SE margin of an asymmetric basin, but the rifting locus later migrated towards the centre of the present basin.

Mapping the Evolutionary Space of SARS-CoV-2 Variants to Anticipate Emergence of Subvariants Resistant to COVID-19 Therapeutics.

New sublineages of SARS-CoV-2 variants-of-concern (VOCs) continuously emerge with mutations in the spike glycoprotein. In most cases, the sublineage-defining mutations vary between the VOCs. It is unclear whether these differences reflect lineage-specific likelihoods for mutations at each spike position or the stochastic nature of their appearance. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 lineages have distinct evolutionary spaces (a probabilistic definition of the sequence states that can be occupied by expanding virus subpopulations). This space can be accurately inferred from the patterns of amino acid variability at the whole-protein level. Robust networks of co-variable sites identify the highest-likelihood mutations in new VOC sublineages and predict remarkably well the emergence of subvariants with resistance mutations to COVID-19 therapeutics. Our studies reveal the contribution of low frequency variant patterns at heterologous sites across the protein to accurate prediction of the changes at each position of interest.

A speed limit on serial strain replacement from original antigenic sin

Many pathogens evolve to escape immunity, yet it remains difficult to predict whether immune pressure will lead to diversification, serial replacement of one variant by another, or more complex patterns. Pathogen strain dynamics are mediated by cross-protective immunity, whereby exposure to one strain partially protects against infection by antigenically diverged strains. There is growing evidence that this protection is influenced by early exposures, a phenomenon referred to as original antigenic sin (OAS) or imprinting. In this paper, we derive constraints on the emergence of the pattern of successive strain replacements demonstrated by influenza, SARS-CoV-2, seasonal coronaviruses, and other pathogens. We find that OAS implies that the limited diversity found with successive strain replacement can only be maintained if [Formula: see text] is less than a threshold set by the characteristic antigenic distances for cross-protection and for the creation of new immune memory. This bound implies a "speed limit" on the evolution of new strains and a minimum variance of the distribution of infecting strains in antigenic space at any time. To carry out this analysis, we develop a theoretical model of pathogen evolution in antigenic space that implements OAS by decoupling the antigenic distances required for protection from infection and strain-specific memory creation. Our results demonstrate that OAS can play an integral role in the emergence of strain structure from host immune dynamics, preventing highly transmissible pathogens from maintaining serial strain replacement without diversification.