Interaction Coefficients Research Articles

Iloperidone and Temozolomide Synergistically Inhibit Growth, Migration and Enhance Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal astrocytic glioma with poor prognosis and treatment resistance. Repurposing potential FDA-approved drugs like anti-psychotics can address the concerns in a timely and cost-effective manner. Epidemiological studies have shown that patients with schizophrenic using anti-psychotics have a low incidence of GBM. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of atypical anti-psychotic Iloperidone (ILO) alone and in combination with Temozolomide (TMZ) against GBM. The study assessed the growth inhibitory effect of ILO, TMZ, and their combination (ILO + TMZ) on U-87MG and T-98G cell lines using an MTT assay. The drug interaction coefficient (CDI) was determined, and doses with synergistic effects were used for subsequent experiments, including migratory, invasion, and TUNEL assays. The expressions of DRD2, β-catenin, Dvl2, Twist, and Slug were assessed by RTq-PCR, whereas the β-catenin protein expression was also determined by immunocytochemistry. ILO (p < 0.05) and TMZ (p < 0.01) significantly inhibited the growth of U-87MG cells at all tested doses. The combination of 60 µM of both drugs showed synergistic activity with CDI < 1. The inhibition of migration and apoptosis was more pronounced in the case of combination treatment (p < 0.001). Inhibition of the invading cells was also found to be significant in ILO- and combination-treated groups (p < 0.001). ILO and combination treatment also significantly downregulated the expression of DRD2, while TMZ upregulated the expression (p < 0.001). The expressions of β-catenin (p < 0.001), Dvl2 (p < 0.001), Twist (p < 0.001), and Slug (p < 0.001) were also significantly downregulated in all treatment groups as compared to the vehicle control. The data suggest that ILO possesses strong growth inhibitory activity, possibly due to its effect on DRD2 and β-catenin expression and has the potential to be repurposed against GBM.

Improvement of both human and animal memory by synergy between fructooligosaccharide and L-theanine function establishing a safe and effective food supplement.

Aging is classically associated with a decline of cognitive abilities, especially in relation to memory. While the development of potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases has been in sharp focus, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a form of age-related memory loss, in the absence of severe functional impairment, a condition experienced by many healthy adults, has received relatively little attention. Advances in this space would make significant contributions to the goal of healthy aging and may also help promote cognitive performance across the wider population. The individual action of either fructooligosaccharide (FOS) or L-theanine, both natural plant-derived molecules, has been tentatively linked with improvements in cognition, but our understanding remains far from complete. We therefore determined the effect of different dose combinations of FOS and L-theanine (termed MT-01/GBL-Memory1) in mice against FOS and L-theanine monotherapy. FOS and L-theanine were found to synergistically enhance murine memory in our animal tests at a dose of 100 mg/kg (coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) < 1). In a subsequent human trial, we demonstrated that MT-01 improved the memory of healthy adults after 1 month of consumption. Our results suggest that a combination of FOS and L-theanine synergistically enhances murine memory within a specific dose range. We show that this plant natural product regimen also improves human memory in a population of healthy adults. MT-01 therefore represents a novel, safe, and effective dietary supplement to promote human memory and cognition.

Benedict–Webb–Rubin–Starling Equation of State + Hydrate Thermodynamic Theories: An Enhanced Prediction Method for CO2 Solubility and CO2 Hydrate Phase Equilibrium in Pure Water/NaCl Aqueous Solution System

Accurately predicting the phase behavior and physical properties of carbon dioxide (CO2) in pure water/NaCl mixtures is crucial for the design and implementation of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology. However, the prediction task is complicated by CO2 liquefaction, CO2 hydrate formation, multicomponent and multiphase coexistence, etc. In this study, an improved method that combines Benedict–Webb–Rubin–Starling equation of state (BWRS EOS) + hydrate thermodynamic theories was proposed to predict CO2 solubility and phase equilibrium conditions for a mixed system across various temperature and pressure conditions. By modifying the interaction coefficients in BWRS EOS and the Van der Waals–Platteeuw model, this new method is applicable to complex systems containing two liquid phases and a CO2 hydrate phase, and its high prediction accuracy was verified through a comparative evaluation with a large number of reported experimental data. Furthermore, based on the calculation results, the characteristics of CO2 solubility and the variation of phase equilibrium conditions of the mixture system were discussed. These findings highlight the influence of hydrates and NaCl on CO2 solubility characteristics and clearly demonstrate the hindrance of NaCl to the formation of CO2 hydrates. This study provides valuable insights and fundamental data for designing and implementing CCUS technology that contribute to addressing global climate change and environmental challenges.

Analysis of two interactive burning droplets with different temperatures

This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the interaction between two quasi-steady burning droplets with differing temperatures, sizes and distances, building upon the mass-flux-potential model and flame-sheet assumption. In contrast to existing research, this study introduces a fresh perspective on droplet interactions by considering the different temperatures of the droplets. Utilizing the bispherical coordinate approach, theoretical solutions for the Stefan flow, scalar fields, droplet evaporation/burning rates, interaction coefficients and flame positions have been derived successfully. A comparison with extensive numerical simulations indicates a good agreement between the analytical and numerical results under a variety of conditions. It is revealed that proximity between the droplets causes non-uniform evaporation rates on their surfaces, and in some cases, leads to condensation on the cooler droplet. Notably, when the temperatures of the two droplets differ, this results in an uneven temperature distribution across the flame surface, and increasing the temperature of one droplet substantially elevates the temperature of the nearby flame. This study also establishes a criterion for the transition between different combustion modes, specifically between group and separated combustion. The findings of this study are crucial in deepening our understanding of evaporation and combustion processes, as well as the dynamics of flame spreading, local ignition, and extinction in systems involving multiple droplets.

Simultaneous but independent spatial associations for pitch and loudness

For the auditory dimensions loudness and pitch a vertical SARC effect (Spatial Association of Response Codes) exists: When responding to loud (high) tones, participants are faster with top-sided responses compared to bottom-sided responses and vice versa for soft (low) tones. These effects are typically explained by two different spatial representations for both dimensions with pitch being represented on a helix structure and loudness being represented as spatially associated magnitude. Prior studies show incoherent results with regard to the question whether two SARC effects can occur at the same time as well as whether SARC effects interact with each other. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the interrelation between the SARC effect for pitch and the SARC effect for loudness in a timbre discrimination task. Participants (N = 36) heard one tone per trial and had to decide whether the presented tone was a violin tone or an organ tone by pressing a top-sided or bottom-sided response key. Loudness and pitch were varied orthogonally. We tested the occurrence of SARC effects for pitch and loudness as well as their potential interaction by conducting a multiple linear regression with difference of reaction time (dRT) as dependent variable, and loudness and pitch as predictors. Frequentist and Bayesian analyses revealed that the regression coefficients of pitch and loudness were smaller than zero indicating the simultaneous occurrence of a SARC effects for both dimensions. In contrast, the interaction coefficient was not different from zero indicating an additive effect of both predictors.

Computational Codes for Fast Neutrons and Gamma Ray Interactions Coefficients in Different Material

In this research, many materials used as shields against ionizing radiation (neutrons and gamma rays) were studied. Seven glass systems compounds and five polymeric compounds were used to test their effectiveness in attenuating fast neutrons. These compounds are (S1-S7) as shown in table (1) and polymeric compounds as shown in table (3), many attenuation coefficients for these compounds were calculated through the use of a computer program called (SAZ) written in the Python programming language, which is used to calculate a number of basic parameters based on certain semi-empirical equations. The results showed that the sample (S7) and C9H9O is the best glass system compound and polymeric compound for neutrons attenuation, because they have a largest value of ΣR. Also, a number of Eco-friendly metallic compounds as shown in table (2) were used, to test them in shielding against gamma rays. The mass attenuation coefficient was calculated through the NIST-XCOM program for a range of energies starting from 59.53 keV up to 1 GeV. These compounds differed in their ability to attenuate gamma rays, as the results showed that the best studied compound against gamma rays was the PbS compound because it contains the Lead element, which has a largest atomic number.

Poor statistical power in population-based association study of gene interaction

BackgroundStatistical epistasis, or “gene–gene interaction” in genetic association studies, means the nonadditive effects between the polymorphic sites on two different genes affecting the same phenotype. In the genetic association analysis of complex traits, nevertheless, the researchers haven’t found enough clues of statistical epistasis so far.MethodsWe developed a statistical model where the statistical epistasis was presented as an extra linkage disequilibrium between the polymorphic sites of different risk genes. The power of statistical test for identifying the gene–gene interaction was calculated and then compared in different hypothesis scenarios.ResultsOur results show the statistical power increases with the increasing of interaction coefficient, relative risk, and linkage disequilibrium with genetic markers. However, the power of interaction discovery is much lower than that of regular single-site association test. When rigorous criteria were employed in statistical tests, the identification of gene–gene interaction became a very difficult task. Since the criterion of significance was given to be p-value ≤ 5.0 × 10–8, the same as that of many genome-wide association studies, there is little chance to identify the gene–gene interaction in all kind of circumstances.ConclusionsThe lack of epistasis tends to be an inevitable result caused by the statistical principles of methods in the genetic association studies and therefore is the inherent characteristic of the research itself.

Harmonic Interaction Analysis of Inverters Based on Harmonic State-Space Model Considering Dead-Zone Effect

In the context of increasing device switching frequencies year by year, non-ideal factors such as dead-zone effects in inverters not only cause output waveform distortion, but also generate harmonics that make the interaction between inverters and power grids more complex. In order to accurately describe and analyze this phenomenon and establish a more practical grid-connected inverter model, this paper proposes and establishes a three-phase LCL grid-connected inverter harmonic state space model that considers dead-zone effects. By incorporating dead-zone effects into the modeling process, the system transfer function matrix is derived to quantify the harmonic interaction coefficient between the inverter and the power grid, and the influence mechanism of dead-zone effects on the harmonic interaction process at high switching frequencies is analyzed in depth. The necessity of considering dead-zone effects is illustrated through simulation, and the effectiveness and accuracy of the inverter HSS model considering the effects of dead-zone effects are verified through experiments.

Study on the Phase Behavior Simulation Method of High-Salinity Reservoirs.

The presence of salinity affects the accuracy of existing correlations used in the equation of state. Moreover, the variation of salinity is often ignored in the systematic analysis of the phase diagram, resulting in a large error in the final calculation result. It is obvious that the conventional phase equilibrium calculation is not applicable in a high-salinity reservoir. By introducing the hydrocarbon-brine binary interaction coefficient and α-function, combined with the definition of salinity, and considering the variation of salinity under different pressure and temperature conditions, a more perfect phase equilibrium calculation model was established. The complete phase diagram was drawn, and the calculation results of salinity distribution are obtained. The effect of the mole percentage of water and salt content on the phase behavior was simulated. Finally, the phase distribution simulation is carried out based on the measured data. The phase state and salinity variation law of a high-salinity reservoir are obtained. According to the fluid composition of different periods, the real phase state of the high-salinity reservoir can be monitored in real time. It can provide a theoretical basis for the gas reservoir development and the dynamic evaluation of gas storage injection and production with a hydrocarbon-brine two-phase system.

Performance of five statistical methods to infer interactions among moving individuals in a predator–prey system

Abstract Rapid development of tracking technologies allow the collection of high‐quality data on multiple simultaneously moving individuals. This, in turn, initiated the development of several methods to infer interactions among moving animals. However, the performance of these methods has not been studied systematically, especially with regard to the factors that are highly relevant for field ecologists, such as duration of the tracking period, its temporal resolution and the proportion of the tracked community. Here, we assessed the performance of three dynamic interaction indices (Coefficient of sociality, Correlation coefficient and Dynamic interaction) and two novel approaches based on step selection functions (SSF‐occurrence‐distribution and SSF‐distance). We tested these methods on the data simulated with a predator–prey system, reflecting three common types of interactions while on the move: avoidance (prey individuals fleeing from the predator), attraction (predator following and chasing prey) and neutral movement (no interactions between predator and prey). We assessed the ability of each method to correctly detect the modelled interaction type by manipulating the perceptual range of the predator, the proportion of tracked prey individuals, the temporal resolution and the duration of the tracking period. We found that the ability to correctly infer interactions increased for all methods with an increase in the perceptual range of the predator and the proportion of tracked prey individuals. In contrast, the duration of the tracking period affected the methods' performance differently: some methods (Cs and SSF‐distance) were insensitive to it, whereas the performance of other methods improved (DI and SSF‐occurrence‐distribution) and worsened (Cr) with the duration of the tracking period. The three dynamic interaction indices and SSF‐distance were rather robust to changes in data resolution. Despite using the predator–prey system as our study case, our findings are applicable to other systems in which two animals on move may interact. We formulate guidelines for field ecologists studying animal movement to select the most suitable method depending on the availability of tracking devices, the duration and resolution of the tracking they can afford, as well as perceptual ranges of study species.

Inner-particle reaction mechanism of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin during photo-thermal pyrolysis process: Evolution characteristics of free radicals

Based on the concentrated photo-thermal thermogravimetry analyzer (PT-TGA) reactor, the pyrolysis of the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin with different ratios at 100 °C/min and 550–850 °C was performed. The interaction among the three components significantly reduced the reaction temperatures and increased the maximum weight loss rate. The cellulose/lignin interactions were the main reason for the increase of gas production, especially for the H2 production which reached 128.13 mL/g biomass, much higher than the calculated value of 75.35 mL/g biomass without considering the interactions. What occurred during the co-pyrolysis of cellulose/lignin was the combination of free radicals without consuming the hydrogen radicals, while the formation of chemicals in others’ interactions integrated with the hydrogen radicals inhibited the production of H2 at high temperatures. For full-component pyrolysis, the yield of C-containing gas can be calculated by adding a coefficient of interaction between two components, indicating that the effect of the three-component interaction was much lower than that of the two-component. This study established the interaction mechanism for the three components of biomass during photo-thermal pyrolysis based on free radicals.

Tensile and micro-compression behaviour of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel single crystals at 20 °C and 300 °C: Experiments, modelling and simulations

The mechanical behaviour of 316L stainless steel single crystal is characterised at room temperature and 300°C. Elasticity moduli at room temperature are obtained with resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Their dependence on temperature is calibrated with molecular dynamics simulations. The plastic behaviour is characterised by tensile tests on millimetre-sized single crystal specimens and compression tests on micrometre-sized single crystal specimens. A constitutive model of crystal plasticity based on dislocation density hardening at finite strains is developed and implemented in an open-source material subroutine compatible with several finite element (FE) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) solvers. Tensile curves at room temperature and 300°C are used to calibrate the interaction coefficients for self and coplanar dislocation interactions. The dislocation mean free path for obstacle dislocations and the annihilation distance are also calibrated. The calibrated model predicts tensile curves in excellent agreement with experimental data. In addition, the predicted plastic strain fields are in good agreement with the experimental fields obtained by digital image correlation. Semi-quantitative agreement between simulation and experimental data is obtained for micro-compression tests without further calibration of the model. Finally, an extension to polycrystals with grain size effects is finally proposed. The predicted strain hardening behaviour is compared with experimental data on stainless steel polycrystals.

Soil elemental cycles become more coupled in response to increased nitrogen deposition in a semiarid shrubland

Abstract Background and aims Increased N deposition can break the coupled associations among chemical elements in soil, many of which are essential plant nutrients. We evaluated the effects of four years of N deposition (0, 10, 20, 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1) on the temporal dynamics of the spatial co-variation (i.e., coupling) among ten chemical elements in soils from a semiarid shrubland in central Spain. Methods Soil element coupling was calculated as the mean of Spearman rank correlation coefficients of all possible pairwise interactions among elemental cycles, in absolute value. We also investigated the role of atomic properties of elements as regulators of coupling. Results While N deposition impacts on nutrient bioavailability were variable, soil elemental coupling consistently increased in response to N. Coupling responses also varied among elements and N treatments, and four out of ten elemental cycles also responded to N in a season-dependent manner. Atomic properties of elements such as mass, valence orbitals, and electronegativity contributed to explain the spatial coupling of soil elements, most likely due their role on the capacity of elements to interact with one another. Conclusions The cumulative effects of N deposition can alter the spatial associations among chemical elements in soils, while not having evident consequences on the bioavailability of single elments. These results indicate that considering how multiple elements co-vary in topsoils may provide a useful framework to better understand the simultaneous response of multiple elemental cycles to global change.

The effects of Urban Identity on Entrepreneurial Choice.

This study investigate how the Urban identity(UI) influence the entrepreneurial choice of the migrants. Drawing on the identity economics theory in combination with microscopic perspective on entrepreneurship, we conclude that the UI increases the odds of self-employment of the migrants by 19.91% after solving endogenous problem in our sample of 126385 individuals from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey. We test the moderating effect of medical insurance and find that the interaction coefficient is positive. This study further reveals that the expanding social networks, improving urban integration, and increasing income are the three main mechanisms through which the UI influences the entrepreneurial choice of the migrants. So, we derive results consistent with our hypotheses. The findings have implications for both the entrepreneurship and national policy literature.

Newly observed low-lying Ω = 1 state of PbO.

High-resolution spectroscopy of lead monoxide was performed in a range of 22 400-25 300 cm-1. A new Ω = 1 state located between the a1 and A0+ states was observed, and it is labeled c1. Spectroscopic constants, including the hyperfine interaction coefficient, were determined for the a1 and c1 states. The vibrational levels of these two electronic states are located closely to each other, and the interaction between them causes gradual exchange of electronic state properties in our observation wave number range. Our observation poses a question for the band assignment for the b0- state, which has some resemblance with this c1 state.

Stability of penetrative convective currents in local thermal non-equilibrium

The aim of this paper is to investigate the onset of penetrative convection in a Darcy–Brinkman porous medium under the hypothesis of local thermal non-equilibrium. For the problem at stake, the strong form of the principle of exchange of stabilities has been proved, i.e. convective motions can occur only through secondary stationary motions. We perform linear and nonlinear stability analyses of the basic state, with particular regard to the behaviour of stability thresholds with respect to the relevant physical parameters characterizing the problem. The Chebyshev- τ method and the shooting method are employed and accurately implemented to solve the differential eigenvalue problems arising from linear and nonlinear analyses to determine critical Rayleigh numbers. Via numerical simulations, the stabilizing effect of the upper bounding plane temperature, of the Darcy number and of the interaction coefficient for the heat exchange, is demonstrated.

Dynamical of Prey Refuge in a Diased Predator-Prey Model with Intraspecific Competition for Predator

The predator-prey model described is a population growth model of an eco-epidemiological system with prey protection and predator intraspecific traits. Predation interactions in predator species use response functions. The aim of this research is to examine the local stable balance point and look at the characteristics of species resulting from mathematical modeling interventions. Review of balance point analysis, numerical simulation and analysis of given trajectories. The research results show the shape of the model which is arranged with a composition of 5 balance points. There is one rational balance point to be explained, using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion, . The characteristic equation and associated eigenvalues in the mathematical model are the local asymptotically stable balance points. In the trajectory analysis, local stability is also shown by the model formed. There are differences for each population to reach its point of stability. The role of prey protection behavior is very effective in suppressing the spread of disease. Meanwhile, intraspecific predator interactions are able to balance the decreasing growth of prey populations. If we increase the intraspecific interaction coefficient, we can be sure that the growth of the prey population will both increase significantly. When the number of prey populations increases significantly, of course disease transmission and prey protection become determining factors, the continuation of the model in exosite interactions. In prey populations and susceptible prey to infection, growth does not require a long time compared to the growth of predator populations. The time required to achieve stable growth is rapid for the prey species. Although prey species' growth is more fluctuating compared to predator populations. Predatory species are more likely to be stable from the start of their growth. The significance of predatory growth is only at the beginning of growth, while after that it increases slowly and reaches an ideal equilibrium point. Each species has its own characteristics, so extensive studies are needed on more complex forms of response functions in further research.

A Prediction Model of Evaporation Behavior of Nickel-Based Superalloy in Electron Beam Melting

The electron beam melting technique has emerged as a novel refining technology extensively employed for alloy purification due to its advantages of effectively eliminating volatile impurities and non-metallic inclusions. However, a drawback associated with the melting process is the evaporation of alloy elements, which results in an uncontrollable alloy composition. In this paper, Wagner model is used to calculate and study the evaporation behavior. of nickel-based superalloy, and the database of infinite dilution activity coefficient and interaction coefficient of nickelbased superalloy has been established. The results show that the model can well predict the composition of electron beam melting superalloy, establish the relationship between electron beam melting power and temperature, and predict the composition of several groups of DZ125 alloys after melting with different power, which is in consistent with the experimental results. This model is of guiding significance for electron beam melting of nickel-based superalloy.

Thermo-acoustic properties of monosaccharides D(−)-ribose and D(+)-xylose in aqueous diammonium hydrogen phosphate solutions at different temperatures

The volumetric and acoustic properties are used for investigating the interactions of polyhydroxy solutes D(−)-ribose and D(+)-xylose in different concentrations of diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP) solutions. Densities and speeds of sound of D(−)-ribose and D(+)-xylose in aqueous diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP) solutions have been measured over a temperature range of (298.15–318.15) K and at experimental pressure p = 0.1 MPa. Different parameters viz apparent molar volumes, Vϕ, partial molar volumes, apparent molar isentropic compression, partial molar isentropic compression, partial molar volume of transfer and molar isentropic compression of transfer are obtained using experimental density and ultrasonic speed data. The calculated parameters are discussed in rapports of solute–solvent interactions in solutions indicated the presence of ion-ion, ion-polar, hydrophilic-hydrophilic and hydrophobic–hydrophobic interactions in these ternary solutions, which was also confirmed from obtained positive values of apparent molar volume and negative values of apparent molar isentropic compressibility. Pair (VAB, KAB) and triplet (VABB, KABB) interaction coefficients determined by means of McMillan-Mayer theory are used to acquire valuable information about the dominance of pairwise interactions in the studied mixtures.

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties and Failure Mechanisms in Jute-Polyester Composite Laminates under Off-Axis Tensile Loading

Abstract This study focuses on the experimental investigation of the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of jute-polyester composite laminates under off-axis tensile loading. Various off-axis tests were conducted to analyze the effects of different fiber orientations (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°) with respect to the load direction. The experimental results revealed a decrease in both off-axis strength and elastic moduli as the off-axis angle increased. Notably, the 45° off-axis tests exhibited the lowest tensile strength and modulus, indicating a more ductile behavior with the highest failure strain. The tensile stress-strain relationship exhibited a nonlinear behavior during off-axis tension loading. Failure analysis was performed using the Tsai-Wu criteria, considering various values of the interaction coefficient F12. The tensile strength and modulus predicted by the Tsai-Wu criteria demonstrated a good correlation with the experimental results. Consequently, the Tsai-Wu criterion proves effective for analyzing the failure properties of woven fabric composites under multiaxial stress conditions.