Mass Release Research Articles

Release of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances from AFFF-impacted soils: Effects of water saturation in vadose zone soils.

Soil samples collected from an aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)-impacted sandy soil formation at two depth intervals above the water table were used in bench-scale column experiments to evaluate the release of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) under different degrees of water saturation. Artificial rainwater was applied to the soils under constant and variably saturated conditions. Results from constant saturation experiments suggest that retention of PFAS mass at air-water interfaces was evident in the deep soil (foc<0.00068g/g), particularly for longer chain and zwitterionic compounds, while PFAS mass release from the shallow soil (foc=0.0034g/g) was consistent with kinetically controlled desorption from the soil. The release profiles for the perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (FASAs) differed from other PFASs examined, with more FASAs generally being eluted under fully saturated conditions from both the shallow and deep soils. Importantly, variably saturated conditions resulted in more PFAS eluting from the soils: the average release rate of PFHxS from both soils was 10-fold higher under variably saturated conditions than under constant conditions. Both soils retained significant fractions of the total PFAS mass even after extensive flushing (51-83.8% for PFOS). These results suggest that PFAS transport in vadose zone soils is influenced by air-water interfaces, but solid-phase desorption also plays a role. Overall, these results are consistent with observations in the field and serve to confirm key mechanisms that control PFAS leaching.

Cold storage of Ganaspis kimorum (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) immature stages for optimized classical biological control of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Programs to mass rear and release Ganaspis kimorum Buffington (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) are ongoing in many countries to manage its host Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). To optimize parasitoid production and synchronize field releases with pest outbreaks, we investigated a cold storage protocol by exposing different immature G. kimorum stages to 2 storage temperatures (10 or 15°C) for 2, 4, 6, or 8wk. We further studied those temperature/exposure time combinations that allowed survival but prevented parasitoid emergence before the end of each cold exposure, or the cold storage suitability (CSS). The impact of cold storage on G. kimorum emergence time, total development time, and emergence rate was then evaluated for temperature/exposure time combinations with CSS > 60%. We also assessed fitness costs in terms of longevity and parasitism rates of emerging parasitoids. Results showed that only G. kimorum larvae and pupae were suitable for cold storage under this methodology. Cold exposure significantly delayed the emergence time and total development time of larvae and pupae, whereas the emergence rate was significantly reduced only for larvae at 10°C for 6wk. The longevity of emerging male and female parasitoids was significantly reduced when stored cold as larvae, while no effects were reported for the parasitism rate by emerged females. These findings provide new insights into G. kimorum cold sensitivity and offer valuable options to better schedule mass rearing and wasp releases for biological control of D. suzukii.

Molecular characterization of aphid and their mutualistic and antagonistic interactions with co-occurring herbivore in country bean

The bean aphid is a serious pest due to its ability to drain plant sap and spread viruses and controlling it remains challenging in Bangladesh. Ants are known to establish antagonistic and mutualistic interactions with honeydew-producing sucking pests, and their potential varies with the presence of different cooccurring herbivores. This study aims to infer the role that such interactions play in the population dynamics of ants, ladybird beetles, and aphids in country beans in a multilayered correspondence toward developing an effective biocontrol strategy. The molecular characterization of aphids was performed via the use of the cytochrome oxidase subunit-1 gene of mtDNA along with a taxonomic study of ants. The seven treatments (T1 to T7) included periodic culture and mass release of the ladybird beetle (LBB), which induced ants and aphids. Two subspecies of bean aphids, namely, Aphis fabae fabae (Scopoli, 1763) and Aphis fabae cirsiiacanthoidis (Scopoli 1763), were identified in reference to the GenBank accessions OQ892174-OQ892178 and OQ892199-OQ89220. This is the first sequencing of aphid colonies in Bangladesh, which identified two subspecies of black bean aphids. Among the identified ants, Tapinoma simrothi (Emery, 1925) and Monomorium libanicum (Emery, 1925) were found to be effective under both natural and induced LBB conditions. These findings hold promise for the development of sustainable pest management strategies for Bangladesh’s country bean ecosystems.

The glycoprotein hormone receptor (LGR1) influences Malpighian tubule secretion rate in Rhodnius prolixus.

In the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus, successful post-prandial diuresis is accomplished through the synergistic actions of the peptidergic diuretic hormone RhoprCRF/DH and the biogenic amine 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and by an antidiuretic hormone RhoprCAPA-2 that terminates diuresis by inhibiting this synergy. Lateral neurosecretory cells (NSCs) in the mesothoracic ganglionic mass release RhoprCRF/DH, while midline NSCs release RhoprCAPA-2 during blood feeding. These NSCs co-express GPA2/GPB5, a conserved glycoprotein hormone involved in various physiological processes across bilaterians. This study investigated the influence of GPA2/GPB5 signaling on Malpighian tubule (MT) fluid secretion in R. prolixus. GPB5-like immunoreactivity in lateral and midline NSCs decreased following a blood meal, suggesting release and a role in diuresis. Downregulating the GPA2/GPB5 receptor LGR1 via RNA interference resulted in an increased basal fluid secretion rate in MTs, which was inhibited by the antidiuretic hormone RhoprCAPA-2. dsLGR1 treatment reduced the effects of RhoprCRF/DH and 5-HT on MT secretion and eliminated their synergism. RT-qPCR revealed that the expression of the diuretic and antidiuretic hormone receptors decreased in MTs of dsLGR1-injected insects, indicating that GPA2/GPB5 influences the expression of these other receptors. Downregulating LGR1 resulted in a smaller blood meal size and disrupted the normal time course of diuresis. As LGR1 is the most abundantly expressed G protein-coupled receptor gene in R. prolixus MTs, our results suggest that GPA2/GPB5 signaling has a critical role in regulating the timing and success of water retention in the unfed state, and in the complex processes associated with feeding and diuresis in R. prolixus.

Natural variation in timing of egg hatching, response to water agitation, and bidirectional selection of early and late hatching strains of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu lato

BackgroundEggs of anopheline mosquitoes hatch within a few days of laying and require high levels of humidity to survive. Assessing natural variation in egg hatching and its environmental and genetic determinants in sibling species of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.l. is important for understanding their adaptation to variable aquatic habitats. Crucially, it can also inform insectary rearing practices toward the optimization of mosquito production for genetic vector control strategies.MethodsHatching rates and timing of egg hatching in long-established and recently colonized strains of An. gambiae s.s, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles coluzzii, were compared under still water conditions (26 ℃) and with cold (4 ℃) and (15 ℃) water agitation regimes. Next, early and late hatching strains of the recently colonized An. coluzzii VK colony were generated through bidirectional selection for 18–23 generations to detect a genetic component for this trait.ResultsHatching rates differed significantly between species and treatments. The older An. arabiensis Senn and An. gambiae s.s. Kisumu strains had the highest proportion of hatching and preferred the nonagitation treatment at 26 °C. In contrast, the more recently colonized An. coluzzii VK and An. arabiensis Rufisque strains had lower overall hatching success but responded strongly to agitation at 4 °C, while the An. coluzzii Mopti strain did not significantly respond to water agitation. In all strains, eggs hatching started at day 2 and continued till day 5 in the older strains, whilst it was more staggered and extended up to day 6 in the younger strains. Bidirectional selection for early and late hatching over many generations resulted in early hatching selected strains with eggs hatching 2–3 days earlier than in late hatching ones indicating a significant heritable component for these traits.ConclusionsWater agitation and temperature and age of colonization are likely important determinants of egg hatching in natural An. gambiae s.l. populations. Current rearing protocols systematically select for fast hatching and result in the progressive loss of staggered egg hatching in older laboratory strains. The selection of novel slow-hatching strains may prove instrumental to enable the mass production, shipping, and release of Anopheles mosquitoes across Africa as part of genetic vector control programs.Graphical

The Release of Convicts from Imprisonment for their Participation in Military Actions

The paper analyzes the problem of discrediting the institution of pardon through the mass release of convicts from criminal liability (from serving a sentence of imprisonment) to participate in military operations and the risks of unfavorable development of the criminal situation created as a result of this practice. There is a need for proper legal regulation of the exemption from criminal liability of persons for their participation in military activities. The point of view is defended that it is more preferable to adjust the provisions of criminal law institutions (postponement of serving a sentence or parole), rather than the constitutional and legal (primarily) institution of pardon. It is indicated that it is possible to reduce the risk of recidivism by fixing some restrictions on the application of the rules on exemption from liability for convicted persons (for example, specifying specific articles, the conviction of which will prevent release, and/or regulating the actual serving of part of the sentence differentially, depending on the category of crime). It is noted that it is necessary to exclude the practice of releasing from punishment persons who have committed the most socially dangerous acts: murders with aggravating circumstances, intentional infliction of serious harm to health, rape or violent acts of a sexual nature (especially against minors), etc. It is recognized impossible to create a legal mechanism that makes it possible, on the one hand, to quickly reinforce the military with persons serving sentences in the form of imprisonment, and on the other hand, to exclude the possibility of their committing crimes both during military operations and after their termination.

Agile Control of Test Mass Based on PINN-DDPG for Drag-free Satellite

Agile control after the release of test mass is related to the success or failure of China's space gravitational wave detection program, such as TianQin and Taiji. In the release process, the test mass’s motion state is complex and susceptible to collisions with the satellite cavity. In addition, the release capture control of the test mass uses electrostatic force, which is extremely small. These factors pose a significant challenge to the control system design. For this purpose, this paper proposes a real-time predictive control method for PINN-DDPG based on Physical Information Neural Network (PINN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) to solve the problem of agile capture control under weak electrostatic force. First, a PINN-LSTM network for real-time state prediction is designed based on PINN and LSTM to solve the problems of interpretability and time-dependent state prediction. Subsequently, a DDPG controller was designed to solve the reinforcement learning control problem in continuous action space. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that, in comparison to the traditional PINN, the PINN-LSTM markedly hastens the training convergence, cutting the time by 60%. Compared to traditional DDPG control, the PINN-DDPG diminish the stabilization time of position and velocity errors by 70%.

Multigenerational Rearing on Non-Prey Foods Does Not Affect Prey (Aphid) Recognition Behavior of Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

The pink spotted lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata has been identified as a promising predator to mass rear and release into greenhouses and high tunnels to control aphids on small fruits and vegetables. This study tested the hypothesis that laboratory-reared C. maculata, without any exposure to aphids for multiple generations, could recognize, attack, and consume live aphids. The aphid adults of two species were collected from non-crop host plants (weeds) over two consecutive seasons. The time (seconds) that C. maculata adults required to recognize and partially or completely consume live, healthy adult aphids was recorded in Petri dish arenas in the laboratory. Regardless of the non-prey food source (brine shrimp egg diet, mealworm-protein-based artificial diet), C. maculata adults readily recognized aphids. Adult females were occasionally more voracious than males. One aphid species (Uroleucon erigeronense) was consumed more readily than the other aphid species (Aphis nerii). In conclusion, multigenerational rearing on non-prey foods did not affect the prey recognition behavior of C. maculata adults in the laboratory. Validating the ability of lady beetles reared on artificial diets to recognize and consume live aphids is an important protocol before augmentative releases for aphid control in greenhouses and high tunnels.

Test Mass Capture Control for Drag-Free Satellite Based on State-Dependent Riccati Equation Method

The drag-free satellite plays an important role in the space-based gravitational wave observatory. The capture control of test mass after release is a crucial technology that can affect the success of the mission. The test mass must be released to the center of the electrostatic suspension cage accurately. This paper presents a nonlinear dynamic model of drag-free satellites in Lagrange formalism. A capture control scheme for test mass release phase is proposed based on the state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) strategy. To deal with the actuator saturation problem, a nonlinear saturation model is introduced to the dynamics of satellite, while the SDRE strategy is applied to the non-affine system. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified by the numerical simulation for the drag-free satellite.

Polymer-interface-tissue model to estimate leachable release from medical devices.

The ability to predict clinically relevant exposure to potentially hazardous compounds that can leach from polymeric components can help reduce testing needed to evaluate the biocompatibility of medical devices. In this manuscript, we compare two physics-based exposure models: 1) a simple, one-component model that assumes the only barrier to leaching is the migration of the compound through the polymer matrix and 2) a more clinically relevant, two-component model that also considers partitioning across the polymer-tissue interface and migration in the tissue away from the interface. Using data from the literature, the variation of the model parameters with key material properties were established, enabling the models to be applied to a wide range of combinations of leachable compound, polymer matrix and tissue type. Exposure predictions based on the models suggest that the models are indistinguishable over much of the range of clinically relevant scenarios. However, for systems with low partitioning and/or slow tissue diffusion, the two-component model predicted up to three orders of magnitude less mass release over the same time period. Thus, despite the added complexity, in some scenarios it can be beneficial to use the two-component model to provide more clinically relevant estimates of exposure to leachable substances from implanted devices.

Effect of individual quick freezing treatment and cold storage on the host egg (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) quality for the production of the parasitoid Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae)

BackgroundThe augmentative release of the parasitoid species Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is essential for managing the recent invasion of litchi stink bugs (Tessaratoma papillosa (Drury)) (Hemiptera: Tessaratomidae) in Taiwan. The mass release program in the spring targets this univoltine pest’s reproduction cycle. Low-temperature storage for the host eggs and parasitoids is required to maximize the production for the annual release program. This study aimed to enhance the shelf life of Samia cynthia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) eggs using the combination of refrigeration and individual quick freezing (IQF) as a storage treatment. Storage of A. japonicus in the IQF-treated S. cynthia eggs was evaluated to determine the optimal production process during the short preparation window before the release.ResultsThe influences of cold storage and IQF treatment on the host eggs were evaluated for different storage durations. The host quality was determined according to the emergence rate and female ratio of A. japonicus. The study’s results demonstrated that the host quality of S. cynthia eggs did not change significantly compared to the control group after 28 d of refrigeration at 7 °C. IQF treatment extended S. cyathia’s shelf life to 5 months without significantly affecting the host quality. Applying IQF at different developmental stages of the host eggs affected the parasitism rates of A. japonicus. Significantly higher emergence rates of A. japonicus were recorded in the eggs treated during the initial development (D0 to D2). However, storing parasitoids in the IQF-treated eggs under the current storage condition for one month at 12 °C significantly impacted the parasitoid’s emergence rate.ConclusionsThe results of this study highlight the potential benefits of the individual quick freezing technique. This technique didn’t alter the egg quality of S. cynthia, a crucial factor for the mass production of A. japonicus. The IQF treatment extends the shelf life of the host eggs to 5 months when stored at − 20 °C, a significant improvement compared to the 4-week shelf life without IQF treatment. This technology offers a promising and efficient approach for the mass production of A. japonicus and supports field releases. The treatment allowed for the stockpiling of host eggs during the off-season, which can help expedite the mass production of A. japonicus to fit an eight-week production window.

Understanding Fluctuations in Public Opinion toward COVID-19 Vaccines: Insights from Social Media Analysis

As of early 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak has ensued in millions of deaths, making it one of the worst pandemics in history. In addition to wearing masks, increasing sanitation, and avoiding crowds, widespread vaccination is crucial for preventing virus transmission. Despite significant progress in vaccine research and policy implementations, widespread immunization remains challenging. Analysis of exchanges on social media regarding COVID-19 vaccines has revealed significant uncertainty and mistrust in vaccines. As a result, ongoing evaluation of trust and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines is critical to crafting successful communication approaches for promoting extensive vaccination. This study aims to use content analysis of tweets about COVID-19 vaccines while also examining the user accounts generating them to provide evidence of fluctuations in public views toward COVID-19 vaccines. The proposed framework collects and processes data from social media networks, particularly Twitter, before presenting various analytics based on the different analyses performed through machine learning and deep learning algorithms. We hypothesize that a qualitative study starting from the pandemic would identify themes in public discourses (particularly those with negative sentiment or evidence of misleading information) that circulated during the developmental and mass release phases of COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, it could inform and aid healthcare officials, public health agencies, and policymakers in increasing awareness and educational interventions for COVID-19 vaccines.

Wolbachia and mosquitoes: Exploring transmission modes and coevolutionary dynamics in Shandong Province, China.

Vector-borne diseases leave a large footprint on global health. Notable culprits include West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), all transmitted by Culex mosquitoes. Chemical insecticides have been widely used to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Still, mosquitoes are becoming more and more resistant to most chemical insecticides which cause particular harm to the ecology. Wolbachia belongs to the family Ehrlichiaceae in the order Rickettsiales and is a matrilineally inherited endosymbiont present in 60% of insects in nature. Wolbachia is capable of inducing a wide range of reproductive abnormalities in its hosts, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, and can alter mosquito resistance to pathogen infection. Wolbachia has been proposed as a biological alternative to chemical vector control, and specific research progress and effectiveness have been achieved. Despite the importance of Wolbachia, this strategy has not been tested in Culex pipiens pallens, the most prevalent mosquito species in Shandong Province, China. Little is known about how the mass release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes may impact the genetic structure of Culex pipiens pallens, and how the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia interacts with mitochondria during host mosquito transmission. Based on the population genetic structure of Culex pipiens pallens in Shandong Province, this study investigated the infection rate and infection type of Wolbachia in Shandong Province and jointly analysed the evolutionary relationship between the host mosquito and the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. Our study showed that Wolbachia naturally infected by Culex pipiens pallens in Shandong Province was less homologous to Wolbachia infected by Aedes albopictus released from mosquito factory in Guangzhou. Our results also show that Culex pipiens pallens is undergoing demographic expansion in Shandong Province. The overall Wolbachia infection rate of Culex pipiens pallens was 92.8%, and a total of 15 WSP haplotypes were detected. We found that the genetic diversity of Wolbachia was low in Culex pipiens pallens from Shandong Province, and the mosquitoes were infected only with type B Wolbachia. Visualizing the relationship between Culex pipiens pallens and Wolbachia using a tanglegram revealed patterns of widespread associations. A specific coevolutionary relationship exists between the host mosquito and Wolbachia. Knowledge of this mosquito-Wolbachia relationship will provide essential scientific information required for Wolbachia-based vector control approaches in Shandong Province and will lead to a better understanding of the diversity and evolution of Wolbachia for its utility as a biocontrol agent.

Design of multiple-function matrix encapsulated with Marjoram extract to support cellular functions, stimulate collagen synthesis and decrease infection in wound

This study aimed to assess the role of the combination of design techniques of the engineered substrates, and the effect of encapsulating Marjoram (Origanum Majorana L.) into the matrix network was studied. To this end, PVA-PEG matrices were designed through 3 techniques of freeze–thaw (FT), the combination of both methods of freeze-drying and freeze-thawing(FT-FD), and ternary technique(freeze-drying,freeze-thawing,cross-linking(FT-FD/CL)), by combining equal volume ratios of both polymers. The results indicated the ternary technique can provide better physicochemical properties(porosity: 96%, lower degradation rate, higher modulus) compared to FT and FT-FD methods. Afterward, encapsulation of Marjoram-extracted bio-actives in the matrix network designed with the ternary technique demonstrated that the increase in the extract concentration up to 3% can increase encapsulation efficiency. The encapsulation also caused a more cohesive network by better bonding between functional groups in herbal biomolecules and polymer chains of the matrix. Mass transport mechanisms and release kinetics of matrix-encapsulated bio-actives indicated a deviation from Fickian diffusion and the release by diffusion and swelling process. Biologically, matrix-loaded herbal carbohydrate(Epi-alpha-Cadinol) improved fibroblast adhesion and distribution on the substrate surface, and led to the better synthesis of collagen fibers, especially in 3% herbal extract, and antibacterial activities owing to the controlled release of sesquiterpenoids and N-Acetyl-l-proline.

In Vitro Comparative Evaluation of Change in Mass, pH and Fluoride Release of Cention-N and Glass–Ionomer Cement

In Vitro Comparative Evaluation of Change in Mass, pH and Fluoride Release of Cention-N and Glass–Ionomer Cement

Three-dimensional structural tomography and thermal characterization of the kidney stones and gallstones to know the temperature disintegration

The present study aimed to carry out a structural and thermal characterization of kidney and gallstones to reinforce knowledge aimed at their possible reduction or disintegration. Densities of 36 body stones at different dimensions, obtained by assessments of mass and volume, and structural features of the stones identified by 3D tomographic analysis. The density of kidney stones was greater than that of gallstones, at 0.0025 gr/cm3 > 0.0020 gr/cm3. DTA and TG curves of kidney stones showed minimal structural changes after 200 °C, with initial mass loss and release of carbon dioxide at 458 °C resulting in 66 % mass loss and the transformation of C2H2CaO5. Gallstones are composed mainly of cholesterol (C27H46O). Cholesterol gallstones have a relatively low density and are susceptible to potentially disintegrating within the human body. Kidney stones require high temperatures above 400 °C for their size reduction, which is why partial intracorporeal thermal disintegration may not be feasible.

Establishing a Male-Positive Genetic Sexing Strain in the Asian Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi.

Genetic biocontrol interventions targeting mosquito-borne diseases require the release of male mosquitoes exclusively, as only females consume blood and transmit human pathogens. This reduces the risk of spreading pathogens while enabling effective population control. Robust sex sorting methods to enable early larval sorting in mosquitoes need to be developed to allow for scalable sex sorting for genetic biocontrol interventions. This study applies the SEPARATOR (Sexing Element Produced by Alternative RNA-splicing of A Transgenic Observable Reporter) system, previously developed for Aedes aegypti, to the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. We hypothesized that the intron from the doublesex gene in Anopheles gambiae would function in An. stephensi due to evolutionary conservation. Our results confirm that the splicing module from An. gambiae operates effectively in An. stephensi, demonstrating evolutionary conservation in sex-specific splicing events between these species. This system enables reliable positive male selection from first instar larval to pupal stages. RT-PCR analysis demonstrates that male-specific EGFP expression is dependent on doublesex sex-specific splicing events. The SEPARATOR system's independence from sex-chromosome linkage confers resistance to meiotic recombination and chromosomal rearrangements. This approach may facilitate the mass release of males, and the cross-species portability of SEPARATOR establishes it as a valuable tool for genetic biocontrol interventions across various pest species.

Ultrastructure of the Spermiogenesis in Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): X-Irradiation and New Insights on the Centriolar Region Organization.

Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is an insect pest native to Asia that has spread over the last two decades to most of the North America, parts of South America, Europe and North Africa. Its impact is significant as it can feed on more than 300 host plants, rendering affected fruits and vegetable crops unsellable or of lower quality. Various chemical and biological methods have been used to control this pest, with varying degrees of success. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a pest control method involving the sterilization of insects via ionizing radiation and their subsequent mass release into the field. In the present contribution, the spermiogenesis of H. halys was studied from an ultrastructural point of view in both irradiated and non-irradiated adult males. In both cases, we observed ultrastructural characteristics typical of hemipteran sperm cells: bridges connecting the mitochondrial derivatives and the axonemal microtubules, the absence of accessory bodies, and the presence of two or three crystalline inclusions within the mitochondrial derivatives, an acrosome composed of tightly packed tubules, and an atypical, plaque-shaped microtubular organizing center (MTOC) in the centriolar region. Moreover, in the same region, we seldom observed the presence of two centrioles in the spermatids, one of which disappeared at a later stage of maturation. This feature is a novelty for insect spermiogenesis. The cysts of irradiated adults were not all uniformly affected by the radiation. However, irradiated cysts sometimes exhibited a general disorganization of sperm arrangement, incomplete divisions of sperm cells resulting in multiple copies of the same organelle within the same cell, failure to reabsorb the cytoplasm, and the lack of axonemes. Finally, rod-shaped viruses or virus-like particles were observed in vasa deferentia independently of irradiation.

A Hydrodynamic‐Based Physical Unified Modeling for Simulating Shallow Landslide Local Failures, Mass Release and Debris Flow Run‐Out Extent Behavior

AbstractAccurate prediction of shallow landslide occurrence and the subsequent motion range after transformation into debris flows is crucial for reducing disaster‐induced losses. The use of Cellular Automata‐based (CA) hydrodynamic models has seen increasing application in predicting landslides, debris flows, and other related hazards. However, previous CA‐based models have primarily focused on the motion and evolution process of debris flows, lacking detailed description about the dynamic instability associated with shallow landslides. In this study, we propose a comprehensive CA‐based model that is based on existing theories and improved models for simulating hydrological processes, sliding surface identification algorithms, threshold‐based mechanical interactions, material entrainment, and deposition. The model was applied to the Yindongzi (YDZ) landslides in Sichuan, China. The accuracy of the model was validated through comparisons with field investigation results and calculations based on shallow water equations. This model enables efficient and rapid prediction of shallow landslide occurrence time, volume, spatial distribution, and runout distance. Evaluation of the model’s predictive performance reveals an error range of −23.12% to +44.26% for YDZ landslides. Moreover, the influence of different shallow landslide failure patterns on the deposition and erosion of debris flows was analyzed. The results indicate that the failure patterns of shallow landslides significantly affect the deposition and entrainment capacity of debris flows. This study provides a novel approach for predicting the occurrence of shallow landslides and the subsequent motion, entrainment, and deposition after transformation into debris flows.

РОЛЬ ІННОВАЦІЙНОЇ СКЛАДОВОЇ РОЗВИТКУ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА В УМОВАХ КОНКУРЕНТНОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА

The most significant source of the emergence and maintenance of competitive advantages of the enterprise is the use of updated scientific and technical products, which are the result of scientific, engineering, technological and intellectual activities of leading specialists. High competitiveness provides opportunities to earn profits sufficient to interest investors for further cooperation, which will ensure stable development of the enterprise. Thus, under the conditions of a dynamic competitive environment, the introduction of innovations is a necessary condition for maintaining high competitive positions of the enterprise. Based on the theory of "innovative development" developed by J. Schumpeter, the main emphasis in the article is on the need to introduce innovations into the production process, as an integral component of ensuring competitiveness on the market of the business entity. Thus, the modern market needs the active development of innovations materialized in updated technologies, products, organizational and management solutions. Innovative activity has several specific features: increased risk, unpredictability of results, delayed effectiveness (longterm nature of obtaining results), and at the same time, the potential for obtaining high profits. The formation of the company's innovative potential, as well as its implementation, is determined, to a greater extent, by the continuous interaction of a complex of factors and conditions that accelerate the innovation process, from the results of scientific research to the introduction of innovative technology, or the mass release of innovative products. The article explores such important categories as "innovation", "novation", "discovery", "invention" and "innovation" and outlines the clear differences between them. Different approaches of scientists to the category "innovative potential" are characterized. The choice of the most optimal method of assessing the innovation potential is of great importance, since such an indicator demonstrates the readiness of the enterprise to create an innovative product in the form of a scientific and technical sample and its use in practice, and also helps to assess how much the implementation of the innovation is economically justified. The methods of assessment of innovation potential proposed by various scientists, which are most widely used in practice, are considered.