Large Fragments Research Articles

Experimental study on failure mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock–coal combination under dynamic disturbance

This study aims to investigate the failure mechanical properties of deep soft rock–coal combinations when subjected to dynamic disturbance. Hence, uniaxial compression and dynamic disturbance experiments were conducted on samples of muddy sandstone, coal, and soft rock–coal combinations using a creep disturbance dynamic impact loading experimental system. This study analyzed the damage properties of soft rock–coal combinations under dynamic disturbance by combining sample failure characteristics, energy evolution, and waveform signals of samples using the acoustic emission system. Results indicate that the peak strength and modulus of elasticity of the soft rock–coal combinations under uniaxial compression and dynamic disturbance are intermediate between those of coal and rock. The strength deterioration effect of the rock–coal combinations under dynamic disturbance is obvious, and the peak strength of the roof–coal and coal–floor combinations are reduced by 6.17% and 10.30%, respectively. Dynamic disturbances increase the degree of damage to the rock–coal combinations, which is accompanied by large amounts of coal fragments and large fragments of the rock–coal combinations. The failure to the sample is primarily caused by the extension of tensile damage, with the development of shear cracks playing a secondary role. The soft rock-coal combinations undergo small-scale damage at the initial disturbance (N1), with large main frequency eigenvalues. Large-scale damage occurs at the time of failure (N2), with smaller main frequency eigenvalues, sharp fluctuations in the acoustic emission signal, and peaks in the absolute AE energy and counts.

Different Characteristics and Interleukin-6 Ratios of Scattering-Type Aortic Plaques.

Background Cholesterol crystals (CCs) are related to innate inflammation in spontaneously ruptured aortic plaques (SRAPs), and variability exists in the CCs and interleukin (IL)-6 ratio in SRAPs. Methods The prevalence of scattering-type ruptures that glittered against the light of angioscopic fibers (puff-chandelier ruptures) and those that did not (puff ruptures) was analyzed in 848 patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Overall, 177 puff-chandelier ruptures and 105 puff ruptures were sampled using nonobstructive general angioscopy (NOGA). The sampled plaques were analyzed by direct detection of CCs with polarized light microscopy. The characteristics of the plaque fragments from puff and puff-chandelier ruptures were compared. The Interleukin-6 (IL-6) ratios were calculated for 100 puff-chandelier ruptures and 100 puff ruptures. Results CCs were detected in 54% of puff-chandelier ruptures and 20% of puff ruptures. The longer and shorter dimensions of the puff ruptures were smaller than those of the puff-chandelier ruptures. CCs were more prevalent in puff chandeliers than in puff ruptures (54% vs. 20%, respectively; p<0.0001). The number of CCs was higher in puff chandeliers than in puff ruptures with CCs (median 12,727 (interquartile range (IQR) 3,636-25,909)/10 mL vs. median 3,182 ( IQR 909-9,318)/10 mL) in CC-positive samples (p=0.0120). The IL-6 ratio of puff-chandelier ruptures was higher than that of puff ruptures (p=0.0014). Conclusions Examination of plaque fragments from puff-chandelier and puff ruptures revealed a higher prevalence of CCs in puff-chandelier ruptures compared to puff ruptures. Puff chandeliers exhibited a significantly greater number of CCs, suggesting a potential correlation with inflammatory levels. The IL-6 ratio was also higher in puff-chandelier ruptures. Direct detection of CCs and hematoxylin and eosin staining for SRAPs demonstrated variations in CC degree and dimensions between puff-chandelier and puff ruptures. Puff-chandelier ruptures exhibited more CCs associated with innate inflammation and larger fragments than puff ruptures. NOGA proved effective in detecting diverse characteristics and inflammation levels, as indicated by IL-6, in scattering-type SRAPs.

Structure and composition of avifauna in two forest areas in Western Amazonia

The Amazon region boasts one of the world's greatest diversities of bird species and the highest in Brazil. However, overexploitation and habitat destruction have affected all animal species, particularly birds. Forest fragmentation leads to habitat reduction, species impoverishment, and alters the composition of the avifauna community. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the arrangement of bird communities in these areas to guide conservation efforts. This study aimed to describe and compare the structure of bird communities in two forest fragments of different sizes and proximity to urban areas in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. Using MacKinnon's list methodology, bird communities were sampled in two areas, recording a total of 189 species. The larger rural area, with lower anthropogenic influence, exhibited higher species richness (n=148), with groups more specialized in terms of habitat and diet and sensitive to environmental changes, indicating greater species diversity. In contrast, the smaller urban area had fewer species (n=77), mostly belonging to generalist groups. The data revealed differences in bird communities between the locations, with the larger fragment less affected by human presence showing greater species diversity and hosting more species sensitive to environmental changes and dietary specialists.

Plant Artificial Chromosomes: Construction and Transformation.

With the decline of cultivated land and increase of the population in recent years, an agricultural revolution is urgently needed to produce more food to improve the living standards of humans. As one of the foundations of synthetic biology, artificial chromosomes hold great potential for advancing crop improvement. They offer opportunities to increase crop yield and quality, while enhancing crop resistance to disease. The progress made in plant artificial chromosome technology enables selective modification of existing chromosomes or the synthesis of new ones to improve crops and study gene function. However, current artificial chromosome technologies still face limitations, particularly in the synthesis of repeat sequences and the transformation of large DNA fragments. In this review, we will introduce the structure of plant centromeres, the construction of plant artificial chromosomes, and possible methods for transforming large fragments into plant cells.

Morphological description of the digestive tract of the Amazonian Diving Lizard Uranoscodon superciliosus (Linnaeus, 1758) and its associations to the diet and foraging mode.

The study aimed to characterize the digestive tract of Uranoscodon superciliosus and its associations to the diet and foraging behavior already described for the species. Five lizards were captured in forest areas near the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Tongue, oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines fragments were collected, fixed, and processed for light microscopy. Hyaline cartilage was present in the center of the tongue, and the papillae from the apex and glands from the radix showed positive reaction to Alcian blue. The oesophagus presented a folded mucosa, covered by an epithelium with mucous and goblet cells positive to PAS and Alcian blue. There was presence of gastric glands in the cardic and fundic stomach regions, plus all the regions reacted positively to PAS. Fold and villi variations in both small and large intestine were noted, as well as the number and arrangement of goblet cells. Mucous and goblet cells from the small intestine were positively stained in PAS, while only the goblet cells were Alcian blue positive. These findings indicate that the Amazonian Diving Lizard's digestive tract organs, mainly the tongue and stomach, present morphologies associated to ambush-type foraging and a specific diet largely based on small invertebrates.

Ingestion of a Large Plastic Fragment by a Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aurata

Ingestion of a Large Plastic Fragment by a Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aurata

A separation-free paper-based hydrogel device for one-step reactive oxygen species determination by a smartphone.

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) are very convenient for determining biomarkers in point-of-care (POC) diagnosis while requiring sample pre-treatment or impurity separation. This study reports a novel hydrogel-coupled, paper-based analytical device (PAD) for separation-free H2O2 colorimetric detection in both aqueous solution and cell lysis with sample-to-answer analysis by directly loading into the sample test zone. By encapsulating an inorganic mimic enzyme and chromogenic substrate into the sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel, amplification of the color signal after catalyzing the substrate could be achieved. Taking advantage of the nanoscale porous structure of the hydrogel and the lateral flow channel of the PAD, large interference fragments or bio-macromolecules are prevented from diffusing into the chromogenic reaction, whereas the small target molecules enter the sensing region to trigger the catalytic reaction. This method demonstrated a rapid and accurate analysis with a limit of detection as low as 0.06 mM and detection selectivity. Our proposed device requires no enzyme and is separation-free, portable, easy-to-fabricate, and low-cost, and may offer a platform for quantitative or qualitative analysis of other analytes in body fluids for POC applications.

Quaternary petrified trunks from Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand: Implications for past climate and preservation

Petrified trunks in Mueang Kamphaeng Phet District, upper Central Thailand, were unearthed in Quaternary deposits on the western rim of the Ping River. The sediments consist mainly of semi-consolidated gravel, sand, silt, and clay, indicating that the woods were transported by the ancient Ping River. Macroscopic features revealed that preservation of these fossils (e.g., intercellular spaces, iron oxides, quartz crystals, colors, and weathering conditions) shared many similarities to some petrified trunks in Tak Province. We investigated both large (approx. 0.50–0.7m wide, at least 10–20 meters long) and small fragments of fossils for both wood anatomical features and mineralogy. Diffuse porosity with indistinct growth rings and wide vessels at low densities suggest a tropical lowland forest paleoenvironment. Parenchyma patterns are aliform to confluent, banded, and diffuse-in aggregate. At least four distinct types of wood were recognized from this site. Among them, three wood types originate from legume trees (Fabaceae), while the fourth is from a eudicotyledonous tree. Two of the three legumes show closest resemblance to a tall (canopy emergent) legume tree, Koompassia cf. malaccensis Maingay ex Benth. and one resembles the legume Koompassia cf. malaccensis or cf. Pahudioxylon bankurensis Chowdhury, Ghosh, et Kazmi. The other legume-like wood shows banded parenchyma. Petrified wood from Kamphaeng Phet is correlative with other Quaternary paleofloras found in Northern Thailand in both preservation and taxa. The past climate, as inferred according to the Köppen-Geiger classification, was possibly similar to modern-day tropical rainforests (Af) in southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia in contrast to the modern vegetation in Mueang District, Kamphaeng Phet that is a mixed deciduous and dry dipterocarp forest where the modern climate in the area is tropical wet and dry (Aw).

Biolistic Transformation of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Biolistic transformation of Cryptococcus neoformans is used as a molecular tool to genetically alter or delete targeted genes. The DNA is introduced into the yeast on DNA-coated gold beads by a helium shock wave produced using a biolistic particle system. The procedure often involves insertion of a dominant selectable marker into the desired site by homologous recombination. To increase the likelihood of homologous recombination, large fragments of overlapping DNA are used. The two most used dominant selectable markers are nourseothricin and Geneticin. With the need to generate multiple gene deletions in the same strain, there are recyclable marker systems, such as the bacteriophage P1 Cre-loxP system or CRISPR that provide additional useful molecular tools. While newer strategies exist to generate deletions and introduce markers and other gene modifications, biolistic transformation has remained a viable tool to facilitate the construction of genetically modified yeast strains. This chapter provides a working protocol on how to delete and restore a gene in C. neoformans.

Genetically modified pigs with CD163 point mutation are resistant to HP-PRRSV infection.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a globally prevalent contagious disease caused by the positive-strand RNA PRRS virus (PRRSV), resulting in substantial economic losses in the swine industry. Modifying the CD163 SRCR5 domain, either through deletion or substitution, can eff1ectively confer resistance to PRRSV infection in pigs. However, large fragment modifications in pigs inevitably raise concerns about potential adverse effects on growth performance. Reducing the impact of genetic modifications on normal physiological functions is a promising direction for developing PRRSV-resistant pigs. In the current study, we identified a specific functional amino acid in CD163 that influences PRRSV proliferation. Viral infection experiments conducted on Marc145 and PK-15 CD163 cells illustrated that the mE535G or corresponding pE529G mutations markedly inhibited highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) proliferation by preventing viral binding and entry. Furthermore, individual viral challenge tests revealed that pigs with the E529G mutation had viral loads two orders of magnitude lower than wild-type (WT) pigs, confirming effective resistance to HP-PRRSV. Examination of the physiological indicators and scavenger function of CD163 verified no significant differences between the WT and E529G pigs. These findings suggest that E529G pigs can be used for breeding PRRSV-resistant pigs, providing novel insights into controlling future PRRSV outbreaks.

Removal Large Fragment of Metal Wire from Eye Using Vitrectomy. Clinical Case

Purpose. Demonstration of non-standard clinical case of removing large fragment of metal wire from the eye. Patient and methods. Patient, 37 years old, with penetrating right eye injury with intraocular foreign body (IOFB) introduction — a fragment of metal wire. After unsuccessful attempt to remove IOFB during primary repair of eye injuries lacerations by ophthalmologist of the surgical department of the district hospital, he was sent to the Khabarovsk branch of the S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution. On admission: VIS OD — 0.01 uncorrected, intraocular pressure (IOP) — 16 mm Hg (noncontact tonometer TOMEY, Japan). OD — metal IOFB protrudes by 1.0 mm from the corneoscleral laceration in projection of corneal limbus at the 13 o’clock position, postoperative aphakia; according to B-scan ultrasonic data: metallic foreign body of linear shape, 14.3 mm long, about 1.5 mm thick. There is hemorrhage in the vitreous cavity. Results. Initially, conditions for visualization of the vitreous cavity were created by performing 25G vitrectomy. The course of wire location was specified: under the choroid and retina, going out through the sclera in the equatorial region. After conjunctival tweezers expanded wound edges, the embedded fragment of wire was delicately remove: 25 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter. A single retinal break was delimited by cryotherapy and laser photocoagulation. On the 2nd day: VIS OD — 0.3 with diaphragm, uncorrected; IOP — 13 mm Hg. After 3 months: VIS OD — 0.01 sph + 13.0 D = 0.7, IOP — 14 mm Hg. Silicone removal was combined with intraocular lens implantation model RSP-3 (+23D). The next day: VIS OD — 0.3 with diaphragm, 0.5 cyl — 6.0 D ax 170 = 0.5; IOP — 16 mm Hg. Conclusion. Use of 25G vitrectomy for removal IOFB localized between the inner membranes of the eye created optimal conditions for visualizing depth of its penetration, which minimized traumatic impact and avoided severe intra- and postoperative complications.

R-BRICS - A Revised BRICS Module That Breaks Ring Structures and Carbon Chains.

Molecular fragmentation has been frequently used for machine learning, molecular modeling, and drug discovery studies. However, the current molecular fragmentation tools often lead to large fragments that are useful to limited tasks. Specifically, long aliphatic chains, certain connected ring structures, fused rings, as well as various nitrogen-containing molecular entities often remain intact when using BRICS. With no known methods to solve this issue, we find that the fragments taken from BRICS are inflexible for tasks such as fragment-based machine learning, coarse-graining, and ligand-protein interaction assessment. In this work, a revised BRICS (r-BRICS) module is developed to allow more flexible fragmentation on a wider variety of molecules. It is shown that r-BRICS generates smaller fragments than BRICS, allowing localized fragment assessments. Furthermore, r-BRICS generates a fragment database with significantly more unique small fragments than BRICS, which is potentially useful for fragment-based drug discovery.

Development of Technology for the Production of Meat Products of the "Halal" Category for Functional Nutrition

The article is devoted to the development of technology for meat products of the "Halal" category. The authors consider the main problems of the meat industry in the field of the development of meat products of the "Halal" category in accordance with the National Program "Development of meat farming for 2018-2027", as well as the peculiarities of the production of meat products of the "Halal" category in Kazakhstan. A technology for the production of sausages for frying of the "Halal" category based on minced turkey and beef meat for functional nutrition has been developed, organoleptic, physico-chemical parameters of the new product have been studied. The mass fraction of protein is 8 %, the mass fraction of fat is 7 %. The authors of the article have developed a technological scheme for the production of a new product of the "Halal" category, which includes: acceptance of raw materials, cutting, deboning, veining, grinding to 2-3 mm of meat raw materials. At the next stage, meat is cooked at t 2-4 0C for 12 hours, minced meat is prepared (adding jerusalem artichoke 3 %, adding vitamin premix "Rovifarin" in an amount of 1.0 %, as well as spices and garlic according to the developed recipe). At the next stage, the minced meat is stuffed into natural shells with a diameter of (32-44) mm, cooled at t (4 + 2) 0C, stored at t (4 + 2) 0C for 36 hours. During the microstructural study of a sample of boiled and smoked sausage produced using traditional technology, it was found that the mass of the sample was formed from large fragments of muscle, fat and connective tissue (0.7-1.4) microns. The layout of the structural elements of the minced meat is dense, vacuoles and microcapillaries are rounded in shape, sometimes without clear boundaries, merged, with a size of (60-300) microns.

Metal Ion-Induced Large Fragment Deactivation: A Different Strategy for Site-Selectivity in a Complex Molecule.

Complex natural product functionalizations generally involve the use of highly engineered reagents, catalysts, or enzymes to react exclusively at a desired site through lowering of a select transition state energy. In this communication, we report a new, complementary strategy in which all transition states representing undesirable sites in a complex ionophore substrate are simultaneously energetically increased through the chelation of a metal ion to the large fragment we wish to neutralize. In the case of an electrophilic, radical based fluorination reaction, charge repulsion (electric field effects), induced steric effects, and electron withdrawal provide the necessary deactivation and proof of principle to afford a highly desirable natural product derivative. We envisage that many other electrophilic or charge based synthetic methods may be amenable to this approach as well.

Metal Ion‐Induced Large Fragment Deactivation: A Different Strategy for Site‐Selectivity in a Complex Molecule

AbstractComplex natural product functionalizations generally involve the use of highly engineered reagents, catalysts, or enzymes to react exclusively at a desired site through lowering of a select transition state energy. In this communication, we report a new, complementary strategy in which all transition states representing undesirable sites in a complex ionophore substrate are simultaneously energetically increased through the chelation of a metal ion to the large fragment we wish to neutralize. In the case of an electrophilic, radical based fluorination reaction, charge repulsion (electric field effects), induced steric effects, and electron withdrawal provide the necessary deactivation and proof of principle to afford a highly desirable natural product derivative. We envisage that many other electrophilic or charge based synthetic methods may be amenable to this approach as well.

TiO2-kaolinite composite photocatalyst for industrial organic waste decontamination

The industrially feasible TiO2-clay based photocatalysts are essential to overcome the practical barriers that are intrinsic to currently available clay-based photocatalysts. The present study demonstrates the fabrication of heterogeneous photocatalyst consisting of TiO2 and kaolinite (TKCP) that has shown improved catalytic activity and strength, ensuring industrial viable photocatalyst. TKCP is prepared via an economical method, employing mechanical compression and dehydroxylation, forming TiO2-clay hybrid matrix. Amount of clay primarily determines mechanical strength and photocatalytic efficiency of TKCP where TKCP with the lowest clay percentage results in a homogeneous matrix that consists of tiny TiO2 particles embedded clay sheet-like structure. The TiO2 particles embedded clay sheet-like structure is responsible for the high specific surface area and small pore size, increasing the active surface that is available for effective disintegration of organic contaminants. By increasing clay fraction in TKCP, a significant increase in surface defects can be observed due to large clay fragments and TiO2 agglomerates, which results in flexural strength and catalytic activity decrease. Methylene blue degradation on TKCP with the maximum TiO2 percentage results in the highest pseudo first-order rate constant of 0.58 h−1, exhibiting improved photocatalytic activity due to well-organized matrix and high specific surface area (82.79 m2 g−1). TKCP can be obtained in variable sizes and shapes that ensure dynamic wastewater treatment applications.

Distribution and Implications of Haloarchaeal Plasmids Disseminated in Self-Encoded Plasmid Vesicles.

Even though viruses and plasmids are both drivers of horizontal gene transfer, they differ fundamentally in their mode of transfer. Virus genomes are enclosed in virus capsids and are not dependent on cell-to-cell contacts for their dissemination. In contrast, the transfer of plasmids most often requires physical contact between cells. However, plasmid pR1SE of Halorubrum lacusprofundi is disseminated between cells, independent of cell-cell contacts, in specialized membrane vesicles that contain plasmid proteins. In this study, we searched for pR1SE-like elements in public databases and a metagenomics dataset from Australian salt lakes and identified 40 additional pR1SE-like elements in hypersaline environments worldwide. Herein, these elements are named apHPVs (archaeal plasmids of haloarchaea potentially transferred in plasmid vesicles). They share two sets of closely related proteins with conserved synteny, strongly indicating an organization into different functional clusters. We find that apHPVs, besides transferring themselves, have the potential to transfer large fragments of DNA between host cells, including virus defense systems. Most interestingly, apHPVs likely play an important role in the evolution of viruses and plasmids in haloarchaea, as they appear to recombine with both of them. This further supports the idea that plasmids and viruses are not distinct but closely related mobile genetic elements.

Compressive Behavior of Concrete Subjected to High Rate of Loading Using SHPB

Concrete is the most widely used construction material for strategic structures which are subjected to high rate of loading (impact and blast loading). Hence, the study of the concrete material becomes essential day by day for the structural engineers for the analysis and design of the concrete structures for safety and security purposes. This paper focuses on investigating the dynamic compressive response of the standard concrete (M35) and high-strength concrete (M60) under impact loading by using the newly developed split Hopkinson pressure bar setup (SHPB) apparatus. First, the calibration of SHPB performed at a 4.90[Formula: see text]ms[Formula: see text] impact velocity generates almost similar incident and transmission trapezoidal profile waves with minor reflection showing accuracy. Second, the dynamic compression tests were performed on the standard concrete (SC) and high-strength concrete (HSC) specimens of 29.5[Formula: see text]mm in diameter and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mm in length with an aspect ratio of about 1([Formula: see text]) and a comparative study of strain rate effect and quasi-static compressive strength on the material properties has been investigated. The dynamic compression behavior of SC and HSC thus studied under varying strain rates has been presented in terms of the compressive strength, dynamic increase factor, stress–strain relationship, material failure, and fragmentation. Compressive strength increments of 114% and 41% were observed in SC and HSC as the loading condition changed from quasi-static to dynamic. In addition, the HSC described the [Formula: see text]% and [Formula: see text]% higher compressive strength corresponding to 290[Formula: see text]s[Formula: see text] and 131[Formula: see text]s[Formula: see text] strain rate as compared to SC describing that the HSC is more sensitive to the strain rate. The dynamic mechanical properties increased with an increase in the strain rate, and the DIFs were found to vary in the range of 1.42–2.14 and 1.07–1.41 for SC and HSC, respectively. The critical strain and ultimate strain were also found to be sensitive to strain rate and increased with increase in strain rate for both grades of concrete. Moreover, strain rates exert a noteworthy influence on fragmentation, leading to an increase in the percentage weight of fine fragments and a decrease in the percentage weight of large fragments as the strain rate increases. Additionally, there is an overall increase in the quantity of fragments for both SC and HSC specimens under these conditions. The flaky, elongated, angular, and irregular shape fragments were observed but their quantity and size varied significantly with strain rate.

Bellows and furnace covers in the unalloyed copper metallurgy of the Chalcolithic Southern Levant: reassessing the evidence from Abu Matar

AbstractUnalloyed copper objects were produced in the Chalcolithic Southern Levant in a two‐step process. Copper ore was smelted in pit furnaces, and the mechanically extracted copper prills melt in crucibles and cast into objects. However, the air supply remained unknown, and practical considerations shed doubt on the validity of some of the reconstructed practices. To refine the reconstruction, the metallurgical material from Abu Matar was reassessed. Most importantly, several previously unreported fragments suggest the use of bellows and covering the furnace with large pottery fragments. Our results provide probably the earliest evidence for the use of bellows.

Wrapping Up 1QM

Abstract This article evaluates the debated placements of fragments in the reconstruction of the War Scroll from Cave 1 (1QM). There are three fragments (frags. 3, 9, 10) and one large fragment cluster (1QM 2, 8, DSSHU pl. 34; 1Q33 2) that are contested in 1QM scholarship. These placements are important for establishing the text of 1QM and the determination of whether there was another War Scroll from Cave 1 among the fragments assigned to 1QM and 1Q33. I will evaluate the remaining debates about fragment placements in 1QM, focusing especially on Hanan and Esther Eshel’s proposal (2000) that the large fragment cluster is not part of 1QM but is the remnant of a different scroll, which they label 1QMa. To assist in weighing the plausibility of fragment placements in 1QM, this article incorporates 3D visualizations of how 1QM would appear in a rolled state to demonstrate how well some proposed fragment placements cohere with the scroll’s damage patterns.