Foreign Elements Research Articles

Sorbian kinship terminology according to the data in Volume 11. "Degrees of Kinship" of the Slavic Linguistic Atlas (preliminary results)

The study expounds up-to-date data on kinship names in the Sorbian dialects based on an analysis of linguistic maps with commentary available in Volume 11. “Степени родства” [Degrees of kinship] of the Slavic Linguistic Atlas which has been prepared for publication by the Bulgarian National Commission. The language material is authentic, collected and verified on site by Sorbian dialectologists. Emphasis is put on kinship names that belong to the all-Slavic vocabulary, as well as on own dialect word formation which lends originality to the Sorbian kinship names. The study outlines the linguistic areas of foreign language loanwords and elements which have replaced completely the native lexis. With nomina affinitatis, a disintegration of the old original naming system and an emergence of differences in the Slavic language territory can be traced. Particular attention is paid to the place of Sorbian dialects both among West Slavic languages, and in the entire Slavic language span. The key methods used in the study are linguo-geographical and comparative.

鷄首壺 小考

A jar with chicken head is a form representing the Liu-Chao pottery that appeared in Eastern Wu(東吳), and was popular during the Liu-Chao(六朝) and Sui (隋) period. Contrary to the previous view that it appeared in the Western Jin(西晉)-Eastern Jin(東晉) replacement period, the time of its appearance was retroactive to the middle of the Eastern Wu period. The background of its appearance reflects the ancient Chinese concept of admiring chickens and due to the Cheongdam(淸談) trend that was popular at the time, the era of pursuing aesthetic elegance in the culture of drinking alcohol and tea was reflected in the ceramic culture. A jar with chicken head is a new model that emerged by fusion of traditional elements and foreign Gandhara style elements. A jar with chicken head was used as a kettle contained alcohol or tea, but it became large after the middle of the Northern and Southern Dynasty period, and its use as a kettle deteriorated. In particular, it was enlarged and decorated with splendid relief patterns in the Northern Dynasty period, so it was used as a decoration rather than a daily container, and was buried in the tomb after the owner's death.

CRISPR-Cas9: A Cutting-edge Genome-editing Technology with Many Potential Applications

Unregulated human activities are responsible for climate change which is a major factor for the emergence of new infectious (bacterial, viral, fungus, and parasitic) and non-infectious diseases (genetic disorders, cancers, etc.). To tackle this situation, we must have better therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of emerging diseases in humans and animals. To address the aforementioned issues, CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary genome editing tool, can help us develop better therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines in a short time. In addition, it can be used to achieve food security by improving productivity, adaptability, and resilience traits in plants and animals. In nature, most bacteria and archaea have CRISPR as a part of their adaptive immune system that helps bacteria defend themselves from phages, viruses, and other foreign genetic elements. CRISPR-Cas9 is a highly effective, simple, and accurate genome editing tool compared to previous genome editing tools such as meganucleases, Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), and transcription activators like effector nucleases (TALENs). This review article discusses the different components and working of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, and how CRISPR-Cas9 plays a significant role in the development of next-generation therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccine platforms, and improved crops and livestock species for food security.

Endogenous retrovirus-like proteins recruit UBQLN2 to stress granules and alter their functional properties.

The human genome is replete with sequences derived from foreign elements including endogenous retrovirus-like proteins of unknown function. Here we show that UBQLN2, a ubiquitin-proteasome shuttle factor implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, is regulated by the linked actions of two retrovirus-like proteins, RTL8 and PEG10. RTL8 confers on UBQLN2 the ability to complex with and regulate PEG10. PEG10, a core component of stress granules, drives the recruitment of UBQLN2 to stress granules under various stress conditions, but can only do so when RTL8 is present. Changes in PEG10 levels further remodel the kinetics of stress granule disassembly and overall composition by incorporating select extracellular vesicle proteins. Within stress granules, PEG10 forms virus-like particles, underscoring the structural heterogeneity of this class of biomolecular condensates. Together, these results reveal an unexpected link between pathways of cellular proteostasis and endogenous retrovirus-like proteins.

Effect of impurities on hydrogen defect stability and migration barrier in yttrium dihydride crystal

The impurity or alloying atoms in YH2 can alter the local electronic structure and so the hydrogen defect stability, as well as the H migration barrier energy. Thus, DFT calculations were employed to determine the effect of foreign elements from alkali and alkaline earth metals to transition metals and one critical impurity element, O, on H vacancy stability and retention characteristics in YH2. Results revealed that alloying elements act as hydrogen vacancy sinks by reducing the vacancy formation energy at neighboring sites. The implantation of non-magnetic foreign elements (s1, s2, and d10 valence electrons) in hydrogen energy landscape was calculated to be minor; while the hydrogen vacancy formation energy was reduced from 1.37 eV to 1.00 eV, the migration energy barrier of hydrogen was increased from 0.87 eV to 1.15 eV for non-magnetic foreign elements. The migration energy barrier monotonically decreased with increasing d-shell occupancy, reaching as low as 0.4 eV for Cr, Mo(d4), and Fe (d4). Alloying with late transition metals (d8 and d9) moderately impacted the hydrogen vacancy formation. Finally, it was found to be O addition into the YH2- lattice did not alter the energy landscape of hydrogen vacancies. Since alloyed YH2 has not been studied extensively, this study provides an atomistic understanding how alloying elements and impurities trap vacancies and affects hydrogen mobility YH2. Meanwhile, the main findings of this study may serve as guidelines for introducing alloying elements in ZrH2 as well.

Revealing Enhanced Active Oxygen Formation by Incorporating Chromium into Nickel Hydroxide Nanosheets for Improved Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Nickel-based oxyhydroxides have emerged as promising catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) among Earth-abundant metals. While the incorporation of foreign elements is recognized to enhance catalytic activity, the origin of this enhancement is still debated. We synthesize and examine Ni hydroxide nanosheets, both with and without Cr doping, to elucidate the underlying enhancements. Operando UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy are employed to unravel the behavior of the catalysts. The Cr doping facilitates the oxidation of Ni, resulting in the generation of active oxygen species. The enriched active oxygen species improves OER performance through a lattice oxygen-mediated pathway in Fe-free KOH, and further contribute to the creation and increased activity of FeOxHy sites in the presence of Fe impurities. This work provides a mechanistic understanding of the performance enhancement in Ni-based catalysts through Cr doping and suggests a strategy for the design of more efficient catalysts in the future.

Stabilizing Distorted Ductile Semiconductors for Excellent Ductility and Thermoelectric Performance

AbstractElement doping/alloying is a common strategy to tune the electrical and thermal transports of thermoelectric (TE) materials, but the doping/alloying limit of foreign elements in many TE materials is usually very low, bringing a great challenge to improve the TE performance. In this work, beyond the classic principle of “like dissolves like,” it is found that choosing the compound with a severely distorted lattice and diversified chemical bonding as the matrix also facilitates achieving a high doping/alloying limit. Taking ductile semiconductors as an example, this work shows that gold (Au) element is nearly immiscible in Ag2S and Ag2Te, but has a relatively high alloying limit in complex Ag2S0.5Te0.5 meta‐phase. Au in Ag2S0.5Te0.5 significantly decreases the carrier concentration and improves the TE performance, but scarcely changes the mechanical properties. Consequently, Ag1.99Au0.01S0.5Te0.5 demonstrates both a high figure‐or‐merit of 0.95 at 550 K and extraordinary room‐temperature ductility. This work offers an effective and general strategy to develop stabilized doped/alloyed TE materials.

An Analysis of Lukabaras Borrowed Verbs from English

English as an official language, has come in contact with indigenous languages in Kenya. English has therefore become one of the major donors of loanwords to these indigenous languages, Lukabaras being one of the beneficiaries. This study investigated the morpho-phonological constraints that English loan verbs encounter when adapting into Lukabaras. The research utilized Lukabaras native speakers as respondents to elicit data. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 15 English loan verbs, which were then analyzed descriptively based on the tenets of Optimality Theory which states that constraints are universal and are fixed in their ranking and apply to all languages. The loan verbs were transcribed, and the study first analyzed the morphological constraints, followed by the phonological constraints. The findings reveal that English and Lukabaras have different morphological and phonological structures, leading to modifications of English loan verbs to fit the morphological and phonological patterns of Lukabaras. Additionally, the study identifies specific morpho-phonological constraints affecting the adaptation of English loan verbs into Lukabaras, including NOCODA, COMPLEX C, MAX IO, ONSET, DEP IO, IDENT IO, DEP-PREF, DEP-SUFFIX, and ALIGN left edge. Furthermore, faithful constraints are ranked higher than markedness constraints in Lukabaras. The study’s findings contribute to the understanding of morpho-phonological adaptation processes in language contact scenarios. Overall, the study’s findings align with the theoretical framework provided by OT, illustrating how languages manage the integration of foreign elements through a balance of faithfulness and markedness constraints. These findings not only enhance the understanding of loanword adaptation in Lukabaras but also contribute to the broader field of language contact and borrowing, providing a detailed case study of how specific constraints operate in a real-world linguistic context.

Polymers as Efficient Non-Viral Gene Delivery Vectors: The Role of the Chemical and Physical Architecture of Macromolecules.

Gene therapy is the technique of inserting foreign genetic elements into host cells to achieve a therapeutic effect. Although gene therapy was initially formulated as a potential remedy for specific genetic problems, it currently offers solutions for many diseases with varying inheritance patterns and acquired diseases. There are two major groups of vectors for gene therapy: viral vector gene therapy and non-viral vector gene therapy. This review examines the role of a macromolecule's chemical and physical architecture in non-viral gene delivery, including their design and synthesis. Polymers can boost circulation, improve delivery, and control cargo release through various methods. The prominent examples discussed include poly-L-lysine, polyethyleneimine, comb polymers, brush polymers, and star polymers, as well as hydrogels and natural polymers and their modifications. While significant progress has been made, challenges still exist in gene stabilization, targeting specificity, and cellular uptake. Overcoming cytotoxicity, improving delivery efficiency, and utilizing natural polymers and hybrid systems are vital factors for prospects. This comprehensive review provides an illuminating overview of the field, guiding the way toward innovative non-viral-based gene delivery solutions.

A reporter Oropouche virus expressing ZsGreen from the M segment enables pathogenesis studies in mice.

Oropouche fever caused by Oropouche virus (OROV) is a significant zoonosis in Central and South America. Despite its public health significance, we lack high-throughput diagnostics, therapeutics, and a comprehensive knowledge of OROV biology. Reporter viruses are valuable tools to rapidly study virus dynamics and develop neutralization and antiviral screening assays. OROV is a tri-segmented bunyavirus, which makes generating a reporter virus challenging, as introducing foreign elements into the viral genome typically affects fitness. We previously demonstrated that the non-structural gene NSm on the OROV medium (M) segment is non-essential for replication in vitro. Taking advantage of this, we have now generated a recombinant OROV expressing fluorescent protein ZsGreen in place of NSm. This reporter OROV is both stable and pathogenic in IFNAR-/- mice and provides a powerful tool for OROV pathogenesis studies and assay development.IMPORTANCEEmerging and reemerging infectious agents such as zoonotic bunyaviruses are of global health concern. Oropouche virus (OROV) causes recurring outbreaks of acute febrile illness in the Central and South American human populations. Biting midges are the primary transmission vectors, whereas sloths and non-human primates are their reservoir hosts. As global temperatures increase, we will likely see an expansion in arthropod-borne pathogens such as OROV. Therefore, developing reagents to study pathogen biology to aid in identifying druggable targets is essential. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and use of a fluorescent OROV reporter in mice to study viral dynamics and pathogenesis. We show that this reporter OROV maintains characteristics such as growth and pathogenicity similar to the wild-type virus. Using this reporter virus, we can now develop methods to assist OROV studies and establish various high-throughput assays.

Role of CRISPR-Cas systems in periodontal disease pathogenesis and potential for periodontal therapy: A review.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) are DNA sequences capable of editing a host genome sequence. CRISPR and its specific CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein complexes have been adapted for various applications. These include activating or inhibiting specific genetic sequences or acting as molecular scissors to cut and modify the host DNA precisely. CRISPR-Cas systems are also naturally present in many oral bacteria, where they aid in nutrition, biofilm formation, inter- and intraspecies communication (quorum sensing), horizontal gene transfer, virulence, inflammation modulation, coinfection, and immune response evasion. It even functions as an adaptive immune system, defending microbes against invading viruses and foreign genetic elements from other bacteria by targeting and degrading their DNA. Recently, CRISPR-Cas systems have been tested as molecular editing tools to manipulate specific genes linked with periodontal disease (such as periodontitis) and as novel methods of delivering antimicrobial agents to overcome antimicrobial resistance. With the rapidly increasing role of CRISPR in treating inflammatory diseases, its application in periodontal disease is also becoming popular. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the different types of CRISPR-Cas in oral microbes and their role in periodontal disease pathogenesis and precision periodontal therapy.

Comparative genomics identifies key adaptive traits of sponge-associated microbial symbionts.

Sponge microbiomes are often highly diverse making it difficult to determine which lineages are important for maintaining host health and homeostasis. Characterising genomic traits associated with symbiosis can improve our knowledge of which lineages have adapted to their host and what functions they might provide. Here we examined five microbial families associated with sponges that have previously shown evidence of cophylogeny, including Endozoicomonadaceae, Nitrosopumilaceae, Spirochaetaceae, Microtrichaceae and Thermoanaerobaculaceae, to better understand the mechanisms behind their symbiosis. We compared sponge-associated genomes to genomes found in other environments and found that sponge-specific clades were enriched in genes encoding many known mechanisms for symbiont survival, such as avoiding phagocytosis and defence against foreign genetic elements. We expand on previous knowledge to show that glycosyl hydrolases with sulfatases and sulfotransferases likely form multienzyme degradation pathways to break and remodel sulfated polysaccharides and reveal an enrichment in superoxide dismutase that may prevent damage from free oxygen radicals produced by the host. Finally, we identified novel traits in sponge-associated symbionts, such as urea metabolism in Spirochaetaceae which was previously shown to be rare in the phylum Spirochaetota. These results identify putative mechanisms by which symbionts have adapted to living in association with sponges.

Single-Atom Catalysts in Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks: Enabling Reversible Gas Sensing at Room Temperature.

Conductive metal-organic frameworks (cMOFs) offer high porosity and electrical conductivity simultaneously, making them ideal for application in chemiresistive sensors. Recently, incorporating foreign elements such as catalytic nanoparticles into cMOFs has become a typical strategy to enhance their sensing properties. However, this approach has led to critical challenges, such as pore blockage that impedes gas diffusion, as well as limited improvement in reversibility. Herein, single-atom catalyst (SAC)-functionalized cMOF is presented as a robust solution to the current limitations. Facile functionalization of SACs in a cMOF can be achieved through electrochemical deposition of metal precursors. As a proof of concept, a Pd SAC-functionalized cMOF is synthesized. The Pd SACs are stabilized at the interplanar sites of cMOF with Pd-N4 coordination while preserving the porosity of the MOF matrix. Notably, the microenvironment created by Pd SACs prevents irreversible structural distortion of cMOFs and facilitates a reversible charge transfer with NO2. Consequently, the cMOF exhibits a fully recoverable NO2 response, which was not previously attainable with the nanoparticle functionalization. Additionally, with the combination of preserved porosity for gas diffusion, it demonstrates the fastest level of response and recovery speed compared to other 2D-cMOFs of this class.

Assessment of process parameters on modified 316L SS surfaces prepared via hybrid powders mixed EDM

This study aims to assess the influence of hybrid powders (hydroxyapatite, manganese, copper, and carbon nanotube) mixed electric discharge machining (EDM) and coating process on 316L stainless steel (SS). An efficiently machined, hydrophilic, thin, and microporous surface is produced using variable discharge energies and powders weighted percentage suspended in the dielectric medium. The research outcome indicates that the hybrid powders mixed-EDM process synthesised a coating that substitutes the base elements with foreign elements of calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), copper (Cu), carbon (C), oxygen (O), and manganese (Mn). The surface wettability response of the coating displays a hydrophilic nature with a contact angle of 51.5° and surface energy of 52.9 mJ m−2. The coated surface exhibited a roughness value of 3.201 μm, which is expected to promote osseointegration, and the material removal rate has been enhanced to an optimal value of 100.32 mg/min. The Taguchi design demonstrated that the powder mixing ratio, current intensity, and spark time are the most influential factors in the hybrid powders mixed EDM process. This study determines a novel multiple additives-assisted EDM method to synthesise a coating on 316L SS with potential benefits for biomedical applications.

Language Politics in Sri Lanka: Linguistic Purism, Cultural Pluralism and Identity

This study, based partly on archival research, tackles a number of interrelated issues regarding the sociolinguistic dynamics of language politics in Sri Lanka from the colonial era to the present. In colonial Ceylon, such politics initially manifested as resistance against foreign elements, but later evolved into internal conflicts when majoritarian Sinhala-focused linguistic purism movements appropriated Sinhala as a national identity marker. The resulting civil war until 2009 indicated that misguided prospects of linguistic purism in the name of ethnic nationalism have been a costly mistake for this small state, threatening to tear the nation apart. Regarding more recent issues of language planning and policy reforms, which also concern the place of English, the focus turns specifically to the rapid digitalisation of communication and related impacts of global virtual language environments. These substantially reduce the significance of any specific language or local vernacular, while individual and group identity is strengthened through inclusive use of linguistic registers within multilingual digital spaces.

Направления преодоления юридических коллизий, возникающих при заключении трудового договора с мигрантам

As part of the expansion of labor migration flows, the likelihood of legal conflicts in labor relations increases, which become more complicated under the influence of a foreign element. At the same time, legal errors most often and probably arise when concluding an employment contract with migrants in domestic practice, which is due to the complexity of compliance with the necessary legislative requirements by the parties to such relations, due to the imperative fulfillment of additional conditions that are provided for in the provisions of the labor legislation of Russia. In order to prevent legal conflicts that arise when concluding an employment contract with migrants, the author provides directions for overcoming them by using special conflict-of-laws rules — “bindings”.

A Haloarchaeal Transcriptional Regulator That Represses the Expression of CRISPR-Associated Genes.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins) systems provide acquired heritable protection to bacteria and archaea against selfish DNA elements, such as viruses. These systems must be tightly regulated because they can capture DNA fragments from foreign selfish elements, and also occasionally from self-chromosomes, resulting in autoimmunity. Most known species from the halophilic archaeal genus Haloferax contain type I-B CRISPR-Cas systems, and the strongest hotspot for self-spacer acquisition by H. mediterranei was a locus that contained a putative transposable element, as well as the gene HFX_2341, which was a very frequent target for self-targeting spacers. To test whether this gene is CRISPR-associated, we investigated it using bioinformatics, deletion, over-expression, and comparative transcriptomics. We show that HFX_2341 is a global transcriptional regulator that can repress diverse genes, since its deletion results in significantly higher expression of multiple genes, especially those involved in nutrient transport. When over-expressed, HFX_2341 strongly repressed the transcript production of all cas genes tested, both those involved in spacer acquisition (cas1, 2 and 4) and those required for destroying selfish genetic elements (cas3 and 5-8). Considering that HFX_2341 is highly conserved in haloarchaea, with homologs that are present in species that do not encode the CRISPR-Cas system, we conclude that it is a global regulator that is also involved in cas gene regulation, either directly or indirectly.

Selective conversion of spent cracking catalyst to faujasite-structured zeolites

Current recycling strategies for spent catalyst in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) focus on valuable rare-earth elements (REE) and sometimes include a reuse of spent materials by down-cycling, which hinders a circular economy. Herein, a new procedure for the selective conversion of spent FCC catalysts to FAU-type zeolite without secondary crystalline phases such as sodalite, zeolite P or zeolite A is reported. The steps include a leaching process of REE, followed by thermal activation with sodium hydroxide and acid treatment to get an aluminum-rich feed. The synthesis of FAU-type zeolites with varying Si/Al ratios uses the aluminum-rich catalyst feed and commercial water glass. The experiments show that incorporation of silicate from water glass into the zeolite structure is limited to zeolite products with Si/Al ratio ≤ 2.0. It indicates a flocculation of silicates in higher concentration in competition to the crystallization process of FAU-type zeolites. This is reinforced by the resulting crystals, covered and surrounded with small particles with morphology of silica. Moreover, a clear differentiation between zeolite Y and zeolite X is possible from materials properties with the definite evidence of a mixed phase. The kinetics of feed dissolution and incorporation of impurities, alumina and silica are controlled by the pre-treatment temperature, duration and silicon source. This enables flexible adjustment of the aluminum re-use from spent FCC catalyst, the amount of foreign elements (Fe, Ni, V), phase purity, Si/Al ratio, specific surface area and thermal stability of the final zeolite product. Structural and textural data of the resulting zeolites reveals high crystallinity > 80 %, Si/Al ratios of 1.6–2.0, and specific surface areas up to 780 m2/g.

Corporate Mergers from the Perspective of Private International

Economic competition casts its shadow on economic projects, as it pushes most of these projects to move towards economic blocs, and international merger is the legal means through which companies and economic projects can achieve their goals in creating these economic blocs. This merger technique directly affects the merging companies because the companies concerned with it not only lose their economic independence, but also lose their legal entity and thus their legal personality, as they disappear completely and are dissolved in the merging company. Also, the international merger of companies takes place through a contract called the merger contract, and these companies are usually of different nationalities, which raises the problem of searching for the law applicable to the merger contract itself, as it is a contract that includes a foreign element, and what is the legal system to which the international merger of companies is subject.

Hague choice of court convention: current state of affairs and application issues

The article provides a scientific and practical analysis of international legal aspects relating to the issue of determining the exclusive jurisdiction of a dispute by means of a choice of court agreement, which is quite relevant, since the ratification of the relevant Convention, which was signed in 2014, took place during the martial law regime, which complicates the process of implementing the provisions of the Convention in the Ukrainian legal system. The author analyses the current Ukrainian legislation in the area of determining the jurisdiction of private law relations with a foreign element, in particular, proceedings in cases related to the jurisdiction determination procedure, and international documents in the area of choice of court agreements, such as the Laws of Ukraine «On International Private Law», «On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine in connection with the Ratification of the Convention on Choice of Court Agreements», the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements and the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. The author identifies certain problems of enforcement of the choice of court agreement in the judicial system of Ukraine and issues of procedural protection of the parties to the agreement. It is noted that currently there is no definition of an exclusive choice of court agreement in national legislation and there are problems in the enforcement of a Ukrainian court decision by other states where no agreement on legal assistance has been concluded. The difficulty of applying the Convention on Choice of Court Agreements in comparison with the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards has been proven, which may lead to differences in the practice of use among the countries that are parties to the Convention. The author identifies the need to expand Article 4-1 of the Law of Ukraine «On Private International Law» and improve the implementation of disputes involving an exclusive choice of court agreement. The author emphasises the need to resolve problematic issues, as this will positively affect the international legal image of the state and prepare further legislative changes for more effective synthesis of the legal systems of Ukraine and the EU member states.