High Level Of Complexity Research Articles

Single-cell analysis reveals context-dependent, cell-level selection of mtDNA.

Heteroplasmy occurs when wild-type and mutant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecules co-exist in single cells1. Heteroplasmy levels change dynamically in development, disease and ageing2,3, but it is unclear whether these shifts are caused by selection or drift, and whether they occur at the level of cells or intracellularly. Here we investigate heteroplasmy dynamics in dividing cells by combining precise mtDNA base editing (DdCBE)4 with a new method, SCI-LITE (single-cell combinatorial indexing leveraged to interrogate targeted expression), which tracks single-cell heteroplasmy with ultra-high throughput. We engineered cells to have synonymous or nonsynonymous complex I mtDNA mutations and found that cell populations in standard culture conditions purge nonsynonymous mtDNA variants, whereas synonymous variants are maintained. This suggests that selection dominates over simple drift in shaping population heteroplasmy. We simultaneously tracked single-cell mtDNA heteroplasmy and ancestry, and found that, although the population heteroplasmy shifts, the heteroplasmy of individual cell lineages remains stable, arguing that selection acts at the level of cell fitness in dividing cells. Using these insights, we show that we can force cells to accumulate high levels of truncating complex I mtDNA heteroplasmy by placing them in environments where loss of biochemical complex I activity has been reported to benefit cell fitness. We conclude that in dividing cells, a given nonsynonymous mtDNA heteroplasmy can be harmful, neutral or even beneficial to cell fitness, but that the 'sign' of the effect is wholly dependent on the environment.

QCA Analysis of the Impact of Digital Economy on Export Technological Complexity: A Study Based on the Social and Economic Data of 31 Provinces in China

The digital economy, characterized by informatization and big data as key factors of production, and relying on digital technologies such as the internet and artificial intelligence, represents a new economic paradigm. Its potential to facilitate the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industries and to enhance the technological complexity of exports necessitates empirical testing. This paper examines the association between factors related to the digital economy and the technological complexity of exports, drawing upon socioeconomic data from 31 provinces and regions in China in 2021, and employing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis approach. The findings suggest that the digital economy can indeed foster an increase in the technological complexity of exports. Human capital, research and development (R&D) capabilities, digital infrastructure, financial capital, government scale, and market size all exert a positive influence on the technological complexity of exports. The impact configurations of the digital economy on the technological complexity of exports can be classified into two main types: government-market driven R&D innovation, and digital infrastructure-led multifactor influenced. Within the latter category, four subtypes are distinguished: digital infrastructure single-factor dominance, digital infrastructure-led with weak market, digital infrastructure-led with insufficient government strength, and digital infrastructure-led with weak R&D. In areas with a higher level of digital economy, its influence on the technological complexity of exports is notably more positive. The construction of digital infrastructure and R&D capabilities are core conditions affecting whether a region can achieve a high level of technological complexity in exports. Concurrently, attracting human capital, increasing government support, and expanding market size are also factors that cannot be overlooked.

Economic complexity, renewable energy and ecological footprint: The role of the housing market in the USA

Prior studies tested the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis via the income channel, but few studies have used the housing market to examine this relationship; these papers are constrained due to the fact that CO2 emission was used as a measure of environmental deterioration, which only accounts for air pollution. Therefore, this study aims to bridge this gap by employing the housing market to test for the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve using ecological footprint in the case of the USA, which serves as a more comprehensive measure of ecological equality. The present work is the first study to explore the impact of the housing market on ecological footprint in the context of the USA. The study uses the novel bootstraps ARDL approach to assess the effects of the housing market, renewable energy, economic growth, and economic complexity on the ecological footprint in the case of the USA from 1980 to 2018. The outcomes revealed that the impacts of renewable energy and economic complexity on ecological footprint are positive and statistically significant. In addition, the environmental Kuznets curve theory has also been validated in the case of the USA. The empirical results also indicate that the housing market adversely influences ecological quality. Based on the study findings, this study offers several policy implications for the USA policymakers to promote ecological sustainability by formulating comprehensive economic and green energy policies. Furthermore, the study suggests that USA policymakers should promote a high level of complexity through knowledge and skills to achieve a sustainable ecosystem.

Enigmatic host-mite relationships: Unraveling the distribution of quill mites on Birds-of-Paradise

Mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) are permanent and obligatory parasites of birds. This study presents an analysis of mite material collected from 22 avian species belonging to the family Paradisaeidae (Passeriformes), revealing the presence of four mite species belonging to four genera: Syringophiloidus attenboroughi n. sp., Peristerophila regiusi n. comb., Picobia frankei, and Gunabopicobia garylarsoni. In the present work, the genus Neoperisterophila is synonymized with the genus Peristerophila. While the genera Syringophiloidus and Picobia were expectedly found on paradisaeid birds, given their prevalence in passerines, the presence of Peristerophila and Gunabopicobia was intriguing, suggesting potential host-switching events. The specificity of these mites varies, with some showing occurrence on hosts of closely related genera and others infesting phylogenetically distant hosts. Notably, the distribution of specific mite species on the Birds-of-Paradise appears to be influenced by both long coevolutionary histories and incidental contacts between often unrelated or intergeneric hybrid species of paradisaeid birds. Furthermore, our research of 104 specimens from 22 Birds-of-Paradise species shows generally low infestation rates across the studied species, suggesting a nuanced interaction between these mites and their avian hosts. Additionally, our network analysis provides a deeper understanding of these host-parasite interactions, revealing a high level of specialization and complexity in these ecological relationships.

"City manager" in the municipal management system: problems of competitive selection and efficiency of activities

The relevance of studying the problems of implementing the "city manager" model is due to the high level of complexity in the activities of modern municipalities. This article analyzes the activities of a city manager in the current Russian conditions and identifies the reasons for the low efficiency of this model. The author considers such aspects of the topic as professional training of city managers, ensuring their high-quality selection, as well as making managerial decisions by a city manager in conditions of constant interaction with both regional authorities and the local community. Special attention is paid to the search for mechanisms to improve competitive events within the framework of the functioning of the "city manager" model in the municipal government system, taking into account existing legislative, political, methodological and personnel barriers. The results of the survey of heads of local governments are analyzed. The article uses methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison and classification, as well as systemic, situational and institutional approaches. It is concluded that there are destructive practices of "transition" (inversion) of positive elements of the "city manager" model into its disadvantages, which is due to an inadequate level of elaboration of key selection processes and preparation of candidates for the position of head of local administration. At the same time, the blurring of the criteria for evaluating a city manager leads to the replacement of the competence criterion by an assessment of the level of political loyalty, the presence of stable ties with the regional elite. In this connection, recommendations are offered on the formation of models for assessing candidates' competencies, the role of professional knowledge and analytical skills of a city manager is justified. Additionally, the expediency of taking into account the "residency qualification" in evaluating candidates for the position of city manager as a factor in supporting the actions of the municipal leader by the local population is considered.

PERCEPTION AND ADOPTION OF UPLAND CROPPING SYSTEMS IN SOUTH-EAST CAMBODIA

A survey was carried out to assess the opportunities and barriers for farmers to adopt intercropping and crop rotations in the uplands of Prey Veng and Svay Rieng provinces in South-Eastern of Cambodia. Survey methods with 37 respondents in Prey Veng and 39 respondents in Svay Rieng. Epidata Software was used to build a data entry template and the data was further exported into SPSS Software for final cleaning and analysis. Each province has differences in agricultural cultivation and crop types. Majority of agricultural land is owned by farmers in Prey Veng province at 78.4% and Svay Rieng province at 74.4%, while rental land is 21.6-25.6%. The practices of crop rotation and intercropping systems is very low, crop rotation at 5.1-13.5% and intercropping at 2.6-5.4%. Own land ownership and practices of crop rotation/intercropping in Prey Veng province are higher than in Svay Rieng province. Obstacles to the adoption of intercropping between provinces are different, in Svay Rieng Province are lack of access to irrigation, lack of access to markets, labor and credit; while in the province of Svay Rieng are small field size, lack of market, lack of land ownership and lack of credit. In both provinces is the suitability of the technologies to the region and the high level of complexity. The barriers to adoption, especially lack of markets, labour and credit suggest the need for greater engagement of the private sector for the provision of advice and support.

Multimode interferometers: an analytical method for determining the accumulated phase difference between the fundamental mode and one arbitrary high-order mode

In multimode interferometers, the interaction between several modes brings a high level of complexity to the interpretation of its light patterns. With recent advances, it is possible to selectively excite only a couple of modes inside the device. This paper presents an analytical method for determining the phase difference between two propagating modes in the multimode interferometer, in an effort to simplify the usage and expand the range of applications for this type of optical devices.

Common bean under different water availability reveals classifiable stimuli-specific signatures in plant electrome

ABSTRACT Plant electrophysiology has unveiled the involvement of electrical signals in the physiology and behavior of plants. Spontaneously generated bioelectric activity can be altered in response to changes in environmental conditions, suggesting that a plant’s electrome may possess a distinct signature associated with various stimuli. Analyzing electrical signals, particularly the electrome, in conjunction with Machine Learning (ML) techniques has emerged as a promising approach to classify characteristic electrical signals corresponding to each stimulus. This study aimed to characterize the electrome of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv. BRS-Expedito, subjected to different water availabilities, seeking patterns linked to these stimuli. For this purpose, bean plants in the vegetative stage were subjected to the following treatments: (I) distilled water; (II) half-strength Hoagland’s nutrient solution; (III) −2 MPa PEG solution; and (IV) −2 MPa NaCl solution. Electrical signals were recorded within a Faraday’s cage using the MP36 electronic system for data acquisition. Concurrently, plant water status was assessed by monitoring leaf turgor variation. Leaf temperature was additionally measured. Various analyses were conducted on the electrical time series data, including arithmetic average of voltage variation, skewness, kurtosis, Probability Density Function (PDF), autocorrelation, Power Spectral Density (PSD), Approximate Entropy (ApEn), Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and Multiscale Approximate Entropy (ApEn(s)). Statistical analyses were performed on leaf temperature, voltage variation, skewness, kurtosis, PDF µ exponent, autocorrelation, PSD β exponent, and approximate entropy data. Machine Learning analyses were applied to identify classifiable patterns in the electrical time series. Characterization of the electrome of BRS-Expedito beans revealed stimulus-dependent profiles, even when alterations in water availability stimuli were similar in terms of quality and intensity. Additionally, it was observed that the bean electrome exhibits high levels of complexity, which are altered by different stimuli, with more intense and aversive stimuli leading to drastic reductions in complexity levels. Notably, one of the significant findings was the 100% accuracy of Small Vector Machine in detecting salt stress using electrome data. Furthermore, the study highlighted alterations in the plant electrome under low water potential before observable leaf turgor changes. This work demonstrates the potential use of the electrome as a physiological indicator of the water status in bean plants.

Predictability of monthly streamflow by considering complexity measures

Natural fluid flow systems exhibit turbulent and chaotic behavior that determines their high-level complexity. Chaos has an accurate mathematical definition, while turbulence is a property of fluid flow without an accurate mathematical definition. Using the Kolmogorov complexity (KC) and its derivative (KC spectrum), permutation entropy (PE), and Lyapunov exponent (LE), we considered how chaos affected the predictability of natural fluid flow systems. This paper applied these measures to investigate the turbulent, complex and chaotic behaviors of monthly streamflow of rivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States, and the Mendoza Basin (Argentina) and evaluated their time horizons using the Lyapunov time (LT). Based on the measures applied for river streamflow, we derived four modes of the interrelationship between turbulence, complexity, and chaos. Finally, using the measures, we clustered rivers with similar time horizons representing their predictability.

Persembahan Persepuluhan Menurut Maleakhi 3:6-12

This research discusses the tithe offering according to Malachi 3:6-12, which is one of the topics with a high level of complexity, resulting in various interpretations. Tithing is also a highly sensitive issue in the lives of believers in relation to the church, causing controversies and even divisions. The method used is topical/theological exegesis with an emphasis on contextual-historical analysis. As a result, it is found that tithing is one of God's commands for the nation of Israel who deviated from the Torah law. Regarding the location of tithing, it is the house of God, which in the Old Testament refers to a place within the house of God, but nowadays it can refer to the church, organizations, or individuals in need, not limited to the local church, as long as it is to advance the work of God and not for the personal interests of the recipient. The purpose or result of obedience in giving tithes is gratitude and the glorification of God's name. Tithing represents a discontinuity because believers today do not live under the Torah law, but under the grace of God through the death of Christ.

Cost-effectiveness uncertainty may bias the decision of coal power transitions in China

A transition away from coal power always maintains a high level of complexity as there are several overlapping considerations such as technical feasibility, economic costs, and environmental and health impacts. Here, we explore the cost-effectiveness uncertainty brought by policy implementation disturbances of different coal power phaseout and new-built strategies (i.e., the disruption of phaseout priority) in China based on a developed unit-level uncertainty assessment framework. We reveal the opportunity and risk of coal transition decisions by employing preference analysis. We find that, the uncertainty of a policy implementation might lead to potential delays in yielding the initial positive annual net benefits. For example, a delay of six years might occur when implementing the prior phaseout practice. A certain level of risk remains in the implementation of the phaseout policy, as not all strategies can guarantee the cumulative positive net benefits from 2018–2060. Since the unit-level heterogeneities shape diverse orientation of the phaseout, the decision-making preferences would remarkably alter the selection of a coal power transition strategy. More strikingly, the cost-effectiveness uncertainty might lead to missed opportunities in identifying an optimal strategy. Our results highlight the importance of minimizing the policy implementation disturbance, which helps mitigate the risk of negative benefits and strengthen the practicality of phaseout decisions.

Deriving relations at multiple levels of complexity following minimal instruction: A demonstration.

Recommendations for achieving generalized instructional outcomes often overlook the capacity for generative learning for most verbally competent humans. Four children (ages 5-8) participated in this project. In Study 1, we provided decontextualized discrete trial teaching to establish arbitrary relations between colors, pictures of characters, and researcher motor actions. All participants engaged in derivative responding, providing evidence of relational framing. Subsequently, we demonstrated that, with no additional instruction, these derivatives contributed to effective action within a socially valid context (i.e., Candyland gameplay). Study 2 extended the demonstration by teaching frames of opposition. Following teaching, all participants engaged in novel and contextually appropriate responding that entailed the derivation of both coordination and opposition between untrained stimuli. This outcome demonstrates how teaching simple relations can result in learning that manifests at higher levels of complexity (i.e., relational networking), providing some evidence that there can be socially valid benefits to decontextualized discrete trial instruction.

Gid Crypto: Application for End-to-End Encrypt and Decrypt E-mail and Data

Privacy and security in our digital environment have become essential today. Some data stored on hard disks, in flash memory, or exchanged through our communication channels is sensitive and should be kept confidential. Additionally, documents containing confidential information, such as business algorithms or new application coding, require adequate measures to ensure privacy and security. Therefore, data encryption is crucial in protecting information from being intercepted, misused, or stolen. While encryption tools are available for business e-mails, using these tools often requires subscribing as a member and paying extra fees. Effective tools are not limited to e-mail alone. Still, they can also be applied to any text data that requires a high level of security and complexity to ensure the protection of the data for a duration longer than it needs to be safeguarded. Our research aims to develop a stand-alone application that encrypts data to ensure its confidentiality without additional subscriptions or fees. The application is designed to be user-friendly, with fast encryption and decryption capabilities. It can be used not only for encrypting and decrypting e-mail messages but also for programming languages and Excel data. The application development utilizes techniques such as Diffe-Hellman, Mersenne Twister, and AES, arranged in layers to generate complex ciphertext that is difficult to decrypt without the developed application. LabVIEW was used for testing encryption speed. The attempt to attack encrypted data was subjected, but the result yielded no successful key retrieval.

SUPER ENKRIPSI ALGORITMA ROUTE CIPHER DAN ALGORITMA VARIABLY MODIFIED PERMUTATION COMPOSITION (VMPC) UNTUK PENGAMAN FILE CITRA

Securing image files is a crucial aspect in addressing information security challenges. Super encryption is an approach that combines various cryptographic algorithms to enhance data security. In this research, we implement Super Encryption by combining two algorithms, namely Route Cipher and VMPC (Variably Modified Permutation Composition). Firstly, we employ the Route Cipher to encrypt image files by rearranging the pixels in the image using a specific mapping scheme. Subsequently, we apply VMPC, a key-symmetric encryption algorithm, to encrypt the previously modified image. The use of VMPC as the second layer aims to provide additional security by incorporating efficient and secure key-symmetric encryption. The results of this research demonstrate that the combination of Route Cipher and VMPC provides strong security for image files. This method introduces a high level of complexity for attackers attempting to decrypt the image without the correct key. Moreover, this Super Encryption offers higher confidentiality and resilience against attacks on image files compared to using a single encryption algorithm.

Methodologies and Handling Techniques of Large-Scale Information in Decision Support Systems for Complex Missions

Designing integrating systems for support, real-time monitoring, and executing of complex missions is challenging, since they often fail due to high levels of complexity and overwhelming volume of input data. Past attempts have resorted to “ad hoc” solutions, which face issues of being non-updatable, non-upgradable, and not applicable to similar missions, necessitating a complete redesign and reconstruction of the system. In the national defense and security sector, the impact of this reconstruction requirement leads to significant costs and delays. This study presents advanced methodologies for organizing large-scale datasets and handling complex operational procedures systematically, enhancing the capabilities of Decision Support Systems (DSSs). By introducing Complex Mission Support Systems (CMSSs), a novel SS sub-component, improved accuracy and effectiveness are achieved. The CMSS includes mission conceptualization, analysis, real-time monitoring, control dynamics, execution strategies, and simulations. These methods significantly aid engineers in developing DSSs that are highly user-friendly and operational, thanks to human-reasoning-centered design, increasing performance and efficiency. In summary, the systematic development of data cores that support complex processes creates an adaptable and adjustable framework in a wide range of diverse missions. This approach significantly enhances the overall sustainability and robustness of an integrated system.

Analysis of 1051 ICD Leads Extractions in Search of Factors Affecting Procedure Difficulty and Complications: Number of Coils, Tip Fixation and Position-Does It Matter?

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) leads are considered a risk factor for major complications (MC) during transvenous lead extraction (TLE). Methods: We analyzed 3878 TLE procedures (including 1051 ICD lead extractions). Results: In patients with ICD lead removal, implant duration was almost half as long (69.69 vs. 114.0 months; p < 0.001), procedure complexity (duration of dilatation of all extracted leads, use of more advanced tools or additional venous access) (15.13% vs. 20.78%; p < 0.001) and MC (0.67% vs. 2.62%; p < 0.001) were significantly lower as compared to patients with pacing lead extraction. The procedural success rate was higher in these patients (98.29% vs. 94.04%; p < 0.001). Extraction of two or more ICD leads or additional superior vena cava (SVC) coil significantly prolonged procedure time, increased procedure complexity and use of auxiliary or advanced tools but did not influence the rate of MC. The type of ICD lead fixation and tip position did not affect TLE complexity, complications and clinical success although passive fixation reduces the likelihood of procedural success (OR = 0.297; p = 0.011). Multivariable regression analysis showed that ICD lead implant duration ≥120 months (OR = 2.956; p < 0.001) and the number of coils in targeted ICD lead(s) (OR = 2.123; p = 0.003) but not passive-fixation ICD leads (1.361; p = 0.149) or single coil ICD leads (OR = 1.540; p = 0.177) were predictors of higher procedure complexity, but had no influence on MC or clinical and procedural success. ICD lead implant duration was of crucial importance, similar to the number of leads. Lead dwell time >10 years is associated with a high level of procedure difficulty and complexity but not with MC and procedure-related deaths. Conclusions: The main factors affecting the transvenous removal of ICD leads are implant duration and the number of targeted ICD leads. Dual coil and passive fixation ICD leads are a bit more difficult to extract whereas fixation mechanism and tip position play a much less dominant role.

Erosion of community complexity increases temperature-dependency of microbial respiration, but not growth, in short-term incubations

Biodiversity loss and climate change are 2 of the most alarming threats to ecosystem functioning and stability. These factors are, however, typically investigated separately, overlooking potential interactions between species extinctions and climate change on ecosystems. Here, we evaluated how different temperature regimes impact the relationship between microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning, in terms of temperature sensitivity of carbon (C) cycling functions. We hypothesized that more complex communities promote the stability of C cycling functions under both temperature regimes. We did not observe a ubiquitous response of all C-cycling processes to temperature increases within communities of distinct complexities. While growth was stable with increasing temperatures across the complexity levels, respiration rates increased more strongly at low complexity than high complexity levels at higher temperatures. Carbon use efficiency, which integrates both growth and respiration, tended to decrease with temperature at lower levels of complexity. Jointly, these results demonstrate the importance of community complexity for maintaining C-cycling thermal response under a changing climate.

Potency assay to predict the anti-inflammatory capacity of a cell therapy product for macrophage-driven diseases: overcoming the challenges of assay development and validation

BackgroundGiven the high level of product complexity and limited regulatory guidance, designing and implementing appropriate potency assays is often the most challenging part of establishing a quality control testing matrix for a cell-based medicinal product. Among the most elusive tasks are the selection of suitable read-out parameters, the development of assay designs that most closely model the pathophysiological conditions, and the validation of the methods. Here we describe these challenges and how they were addressed in developing an assay that measures the anti-inflammatory potency of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in an M1 macrophage-dominated inflammatory environment. MethodsAn in vitro inflammation model was established by coculturing skin-derived ABCB5+ MSCs with THP-1 monocyte-derived M1-polarized macrophages. Readout was the amount of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) secreted by the MSCs in the coculture, measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ResultsIL-1RA was quantified with guideline-concordant selectivity, accuracy and precision over a relevant concentration range. Consistent induction of the macrophage markers CD36 and CD80 indicated successful macrophage differentiation and M1 polarization of THP-1 cells, which was functionally confirmed by release of proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor α. Testing a wide range of MSC/macrophage ratios revealed the optimal ratio for near-maximal stimulation of MSCs to secrete IL-1RA, providing absolute maximum levels per individual MSC that can be used for future comparison with clinical efficacy. Batch release testing of 71 consecutively manufactured MSC batches showed a low overall failure rate and a high comparability between donors. ConclusionsWe describe the systematic development and validation of a therapeutically relevant, straightforward, robust and reproducible potency assay to measure the immunomodulatory capacity of MSCs in M1 macrophage-driven inflammation. The insights into the challenges and how they were addressed may also be helpful to developers of potency assays related to other cellular functions and clinical indications.

Theoretical analysis of the physiological and technical aspects of jumping from a trampoline within the limits of skiing

Skiing, and especially ski jumping, is characterized by high intensity and a high level of technical complexity. The presented scientific study is devoted to a detailed analysis of the physiological and technical aspects of ski jumping within the scope of skiing. The main goal of this study is to highlight the features of the functional training of athletes and to analyze the key technical elements that are of decisive importance for the successful performance of this specific discipline.&#x0D; The article pays considerable attention to the importance of physiological training as a necessary factor for achieving high results in this demanding sport. A detailed overview of the technical aspects that affect the quality and performance of ski jumping is also provided. A deep understanding of the relationship between physiological performance and technical skills in this field can lead to decisive conclusions.&#x0D; The obtained research results can play a significant role in improving the quality of training programs and training systems for athletes in the field of skiing. This will contribute not only to increasing the efficiency of jumping from the ski jump, but also to ensure an increased level of safety for athletes who are engaged in this exciting discipline.

Inverse elastic scattering by random periodic structures

This paper investigates an inverse scattering problem of time-harmonic elastic waves incident on a rigid random periodic structure. A novel and efficient numerical method is proposed to quantify the randomness, i.e., to reconstruct key statistical properties of random structures from boundary measurements of the scattering data. This method consists of two ingredients, the Monte Carlo technique for sampling the probability space and a continuation method with respect to the wavenumber. Unlike existing methods, this approach does not require a priori knowledge of the randomness and can handle a wide range of random structures, including non-Gaussian processes with extremely high levels of complexity. To illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method, numerical examples involving Gaussian and non-Gaussian processes with various covariances are provided.