Morphological Methods Research Articles

Evaluation of a Computer-Based Morphological Analysis Method for Free-Text Responses in the General Medicine In-Training Examination: Algorithm Validation Study.

The General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) tests clinical knowledge in a 2-year postgraduate residency program in Japan. In the academic year 2021, as a domain of medical safety, the GM-ITE included questions regarding the diagnosis from medical history and physical findings through video viewing and the skills in presenting a case. Examinees watched a video or audio recording of a patient examination and provided free-text responses. However, the human cost of scoring free-text answers may limit the implementation of GM-ITE. A simple morphological analysis and word-matching model, thus, can be used to score free-text responses. This study aimed to compare human versus computer scoring of free-text responses and qualitatively evaluate the discrepancies between human- and machine-generated scores to assess the efficacy of machine scoring. After obtaining consent for participation in the study, the authors used text data from residents who voluntarily answered the GM-ITE patient reproduction video-based questions involving simulated patients. The GM-ITE used video-based questions to simulate a patient's consultation in the emergency room with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism following a fracture. Residents provided statements for the case presentation. We obtained human-generated scores by collating the results of 2 independent scorers and machine-generated scores by converting the free-text responses into a word sequence through segmentation and morphological analysis and matching them with a prepared list of correct answers in 2022. Of the 104 responses collected-63 for postgraduate year 1 and 41 for postgraduate year 2-39 cases remained for final analysis after excluding invalid responses. The authors found discrepancies between human and machine scoring in 14 questions (7.2%); some were due to shortcomings in machine scoring that could be resolved by maintaining a list of correct words and dictionaries, whereas others were due to human error. Machine scoring is comparable to human scoring. It requires a simple program and calibration but can potentially reduce the cost of scoring free-text responses.

Biological effectiveness of Agave striata and Fouquieria splendens extracts against Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizoctonia solani in vitro

Background/Objective. Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizoctonia solani are pathogens that affect agricultural crops. The objective of this study was to evaluate some Agave striata and Fouquieria splendens methanolic extracts, from the Chihuahuan Desert, against those fungi, in search for biological control alternatives. Materials and Methods. Pathogens from chili plants were isolated and identified using morphological and molecular methods. Methanolic extracts from both plants were prepared, and the antioxidant capacity (AC), the total polyphenol content (TPC), and the antifungal compounds via HPLC-MS were assessed. The antifungal effectiveness was tested at concentrations of 3.9-2000 mg L-1 using a poisoned medium assay, where fungi structural damage was observed. Results. The F. splendens and A. striata extracts exhibited 55% and 68% AC, as well as 61 mg/g and 112 mg/g TPC, respectively. Both extracts contained caffeic acid and quercetin, while F. splendens also exhibited eriodyctiol, kaempferol, and luteolin; A. striata contained pinocembrin and theaflavin B. F. splendens attained 100% inhibition of P. aphanidermatum at 250 mg L-1, and of R. solani at 500 mg L-1, whereas A. striata achieved 100% inhibition at 1000 mg L-1 in both cases. The extracts produced lysis in P. aphanidermatum oogonia and mycelial fragmentation in R. solani. Conclusion. The F. splendens and A. striata methanolic extracts demonstrate promising antifungal activity against P. aphanidermatum and R. solani, suggesting that these natural compounds might be useful as a biological alternative for pathogen control in agricultural crops.

Experimental simulation of friction and wear between carbon fiber tow and heddle eye under periodic tension during the 3D weaving process

AbstractWeaving is the predominant technology for fabricating carbon fiber composite preforms. Carbon fibers are subjected to various forms of reciprocating friction in the weaving process. Especially, the friction between carbon tow and heddle eyes is difficult to describe due to the complex conditions of variable tension. In this study, a novel experimental simulator was developed to characterize the friction behavior between warp yarn and heddle eye under periodic tension variation. The friction force (Ff) and coefficient of friction (COF) under variable tension conditions were tested. To investigate the variation of real contact area between carbon tow and heddle eyes under variable tension conditions, a silicon‐film indentation method was developed, and the effect of pre‐tension on carbon tow was obtained by combining three‐dimensional micro surface morphology and Hertz analysis methods. The results indicated that both the COF and Ff decreased with increasing pre‐tension. 3D morphology analysis suggested that the tow contact area reached its maximum when the pre‐tension was 1.2 N. In the Hertzian calculation of the actual contact area, the change of the contact area and the pre‐tension was generated by taking into account the evolving contact length, which differed from the measured friction force value by a constant factor.Highlights A variable tension device was designed and developed. The friction between carbon tow and heddle eye was simulated under variable tension. The Ff and COF under different pre‐tensions were tested. A silicon‐film indentation method was proposed. The relationship between contact area and friction was studied.

Practitioner preferences in the analysis of cremation deposits in archaeology and biological anthropology: An overview of current osteoarchaeological practices with a focus on sex estimation.

Osteological data, such as biological sex, constitute a base for research in paleodemography and palaeopathology, as well as for understanding past socio-cultural practices. Despite extensive research efforts concerning cremated human remains over the past decades, an internationally acknowledged, standardized osteological protocol is not fully agreed upon. Furthermore, assessing cremation research practices from the literature is challenging because analysis reports are often written in the national languages of practitioners, which makes them difficult to access by an international audience. This study addresses this gap by directly reaching out to experts working with cremated human remains through an online questionnaire in Lime Survey. The aim is to identify and characterize patterns in cremation analysis practices. A particular emphasis was put on the methods of biological sex estimation. While the significance of these data is widely acknowledged, the ways in which they are obtained in practice are seldom examined. The results of this survey reveal an absence of standardization in protocols of analysis, and data collection, as well as in reporting on the cremated remains in publications and reports. Notably, the findings reveal regional preferences in methodological choices and inconsistent institutional training. A majority of respondents expressed a preference for traditional morphological methods over recently published metric and alternative methods for sex estimation. These variations underscore the complexity of establishing standardized cremation analysis protocols and highlight the importance of considering regional contexts and training in shaping future research practices.

Cell Nuclear Segmentation of B-ALL Images Based on MSFF-SegNeXt.

The diagnosis and treatment of B-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) typically rely on cytomorphologic analysis of bone marrow smears. However, traditional morphological analysis methods require manual operation, leading to challenges such as high subjectivity and low efficiency. Accurate segmentation of individual cell nuclei is crucial for obtaining detailed morphological characterization data, thereby improving the objectivity and consistency of diagnoses. To enhance the accuracy of nucleus segmentation of lymphoblastoid cells in B-ALL bone marrow smear images, the Multi-scale Feature Fusion-SegNeXt (MSFF-SegNeXt) model is hereby proposed, building upon the SegNeXt framework. This model introduces a novel multi-scale feature fusion technique that effectively integrates edge feature maps with feature representations across different scales. Integrating the Edge-Guided Attention (EGA) module in the decoder further enhances the segmentation process by focusing on intricate edge details. Additionally, Hamburger structures are strategically incorporated at various stages of the network to enhance feature expression. These combined innovations enable MSFF-SegNeXt to achieve superior segmentation performance on the SN-AM dataset, as evidenced by an accuracy of 0.9659 and a Dice coefficient of 0.9422. The results show that MSFF-SegNeXt outperforms existing models in managing the complexities of cell nucleus segmentation, particularly in capturing detailed edge structures. This advancement offers a robust and reliable solution for subsequent morphological analysis of B-ALL single cells.

Matlab implementation of pore morphology method for modeling liquid residue in porous media with heterogeneous wettabilities

An alternative to the popular volume-of-fluid (VOF) and lattice Boltzmann (LB) methods for simulating fluid flow in porous media is the purely geometric pore morphology method (PMM). The PMM does not require solving partial differential equations and is therefore, orders of magnitude faster than the VOF and LB methods in terms of CPU time (e.g., about a week on 100 cores for the VOF vs. about 30 mins on one core for the PMM in our case). The PMM employs voxel-based morphological operations to provide a quasi-static approximation for capillary flow in porous structures. This paper presents step-by-step instructions for how to implement the PMM in the MATLAB environment, and further to benchmark the method using the simulation results obtained from the VOF and other continuum-based numerical methods. More specifically, this paper presents PMM simulations for the intrusion of a non-wetting fluid in two- and three-dimensional porous media with heterogeneous contact angles. Detailed discussions are also presented for the pros and cons of the PMM and how its non-continuum nature can be used as an advantage to conduct two-phase flow simulations in geometries where a symmetry boundary condition cannot be applied.

Assessing Environmental Quality in a Historically Polluted Fjord: A Comparison of Benthic Foraminiferal eDNA and Morphospecies Approaches

AbstractThis study is the first assessment of a fjord Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) by comparing both the traditional morphology‐based and emerging metabarcoding techniques in benthic foraminifera. For this, we focus on historically polluted Idefjord on the Swedish Norwegian border, which has experienced high effluent load from pulp and paper mill for almost a century. Based on our results, the morphological data was more sensitive to “naturally stressed” conditions, like course sediments and cascading water inflows at fjord sills. Generally, both data sets report congruous responses in the EcoQS and benthic foraminiferal assemblages to environmental stress factors, showing highest diversity at the coastal reference station and the outer fjord, with a diversity decline in proximity of industrial facilities and at the most oxygen depleted sites in the inner fjord. Genetic methods tend to overestimate EcoQS at highly anoxic sites probably due to a presence of dormant propagules or extraorganismal DNA, emphasizing a need for cross‐correlation with morphological methods to validate EcoQS assessment in such conditions.

Product perceptual design optimization model based on BP neural network

BackgroundUser reviews of online shopping platforms can truly reflect users’ feelings about the use of products. They have the advantages of large sample size, wide range and uniform distribution, and can help optimize the perceptual model of product design.MethodsThe web crawler crawls user comments, and TFIDF-SP quantifies them. The principal component analysis method selects the perceptual evaluation index, the morphological analysis method disassembles the product into several main structures, and the BP neural network constructs the perceptual optimization model.ResultsTaking the paint tray as an example, according to the trained BP neural network, the shape factor combination with the highest perceptual evaluation value is predicted. The experimental results verify the accuracy of the model.ConclusionThe model based on BP neural network has the ability to quickly and accurately combine the best form factors, improves the design efficiency of product design perceptual optimization, improves the rationality of product design, and provides a new idea for consumer demand market-oriented product design.

Preparation of carbon dot/polyaniline composites as voltage based dielectric material for capacitor applications

Polyaniline-carbon dot (CD/PANI) composites were prepared via in-situ oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of carbon dots, with specific concentrations carefully controlled during synthesis. The composite was characterized using spectroscopic (FT-IR), morphological (TEM, SEM) and electrical methods. Impedance analysis was employed to investigate the transport behavior of charge carriers in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 10 MHz at 25 °C. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the dielectric properties of the CD/PANI composite, including dielectric constant, dielectric loss, loss factor, AC conductivity, admittance, impedance, and Cole–Cole plots. The dielectric constant of the CD/PANI composite was 6.97 for 1 kHz at 0.5 V and 12.87 for 1 kHz at 5 V. The values indicate that the increase in the dielectric constant of nanocomposite with increasing voltage. This suggests that CD/PANI composite is a dielectric material whose dielectric constants are controlled by applied voltage. Notably, the dielectric constant increased with rising applied voltage and decreased with increasing frequency. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements revealed that the composite's dielectric parameters could be tuned by varying the applied DC voltage, suggesting its potential as a voltage-dependent dielectric (VDD) material for capacitor applications. Furthermore, the enhanced electrical conductivity indicates that the CD/PANI composite is a promising candidate for next-generation dielectric devices.

DECONSTRUCTING TAPHONOMY TO RECONSTRUCT THE MORPHOLOGY AND LIFE HABIT OF ATTENBORITES JANEAE AT NILPENA EDIACARA NATIONAL PARK

Abstract Attenborites janeae is a soft-bodied, enigmatic member of the Ediacara Biota with variable internal and external morphology. This taxon is only found within the Ediacara Member of South Australia at Nilpena Ediacara National Park. It occurs rarely across this site but over 100 specimens occur on a single bedding plane, TB-ARB. Previous research has suggested that fossils of Attenborites represent a taphonomically altered form of the true organism which may have been pelagic. Here we use a combination of morphologic and taphonomic methods to reconstruct the most likely morphology and life habit of Attenborites janeae. Evaluating the characteristics of each fossil and the broader bed population, we find that the variable morphology among Attenborites specimens is a product of biostratinomic collapse and that these fossils represent the deflated form of living organisms that were most likely globose and radially symmetrical. We employ the 3D modeling software Blender to conduct inflation simulations on laser-scanned meshes of each fossil to reconstruct the original morphology. To determine the most likely life habit of Attenborites, we examine the broader sedimentological and preservational context of the taxon. We find a pelagic life habit most parsimonious, consistent with the original hypothesis and the reconstructed morphology, rendering Attenborites the only Ediacara taxon to be supported as pelagic based on both taphonomic and morphological evidence.

First report of Fusarium asiaticum and F. meridionale causing leaf spot on Hemerocallis citrina in Sichuan province, China.

Daylily (Hemerocallis citrina) is widely cultivated in China as vegetable and medicine. Its flower buds are nutritious vegetables rich in ascorbic acid, mineral elements and et al (Wang et al. 2024). Whereas, little is known about the pathogen identification in daylily. In April 2023, leaf spot symptoms were observed on 20% daylily seedlings in Dazhou city (30.91° N, 106.87° E), Sichuan province, China. The symptomatic leaves were superficially disinfected with 70% ethanol for 20 s, rinsed twice in sterile dH2O and subsequently disinfected with 1% NaClO for 40 s, and rinsed twice in sterile dH2O again. The disinfected leaves were cut into pieces (5 × 5 mm), placed on PDA amended with streptomycin sulfate (50 mg/L), and incubated in dark at 25 ℃ for two days. The fungal isolates, displaying morphological features of Fusarium species (Leslie and Summerell 2006), were purified through transferring single spores. Consequently, two distinct type fungal isolates were obtained. Cultured on PDA, Type Ⅰ (Q22, Q26, Q27) and Type Ⅱ (Q29, Q29-1) isolates showed similar growth phenotypes. Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ isolates' cultures were initially white but gradually became yellow, and scarlet diffusible pigments were produced with time (Fig. S1). On SNA medium, Type Ⅰ isolates produced macroconidia with 3 to 6 septa, which measured 5.56±0.54 × 48.65±6.12 µm (n = 50). While, Type Ⅱ isolates' macroconidia contained 3 to 11 septa that measured 4.08±0.93 × 51.40±12.83 µm (n = 50) (Fig. S1). All the isolates were properly preserved in our lab. To further identify these isolates, DNA fragments of Beta-tubulin (TUB2) (Glass and Donaldson 1995), translation elongation factor-1 alpha (TEF1) (Rehner and Buckley 2005), and DNA-directed RNA polymerase II largest (RPB1) (Hofstetter et al. 2007) and second largest subunit (RPB2) (O'Donnell et al. 2012) were amplified and sequenced. BLASTN analyses of TUB2 (PP266396 ~ PP266398), TEF1 (PP404039 ~ PP404041), RPB1 (PP404042 ~ PP404044) and RPB2 (PP408000 ~ PP408002) of Type Ⅰ isolates showed 99.35 ~ 100% identity to those of F. asiaticum NRRL 13818 (AF212745.1, MW233069.1, MW233240.1, JX171573.1). Type Ⅱ isolates' sequences (PP408003 ~ PP408010) showed their homology with those of F. meridionale NRRL 28436 (AF212730.1, MW233092.1, MW233263.1, MW233435.1) at 100% identity. The phylogenetic tree based on combined datasets of TUB2, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2 of Fusarium species confirmed that Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ isolates were F. asiaticum and F. meridionale, respectively (Fig. S2). Seedlings of cultivar "chuanhuanghua No.1" (n = 5) in a greenhouse (25°C, relative humidity 90%) were inoculated with conidial suspension (3 × 105 conidia / mL). Controls were treated with sterile dH2O. Fifteen days post-inoculation, natural symptoms appeared on inoculated leaves (Fig. S3). Whereas, non-inoculated controls were disease-free. The pathogenicity assay was repeated three times. F. asiaticum and F. meridionale were successfully re-isolated from diseased leaves and verified using morphological and molecular methods described above, fulfilling Koch's postulates. F. ussurianum, a Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) member, and F. proliferatum were identified as causal agents of leaf spot on daylily in China (Chen et al. 2024; Li et al. 2018). To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. asiaticum and F. meridionale causing leaf spot on daylily worldwide. Our studies demonstrate that FGSC members are the common pathogens causing leaf spot on daylily in Sichuan, China.

First Report of Pestalotiopsis lushanensis Causing Black Leaf Spot on Italian Ryegrass in China.

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is widely grown for forage in Southwest China. In December 2023, black leaf spots were observed on Italian ryegrass in a 10 hm2 field in Hongya County, Sichuan Province, China (29°52'11''°N, 103°16'16''°E). The disease developed sporadically with an incidence rate of < 1%. Leaves showed typical symptoms of small, black spots. For isolation, six samples (about 0.5 cm × 1 cm) were cut with a sterilized blade at the junction of diseased and healthy tissues from two different plants. They were surface disinfected in 75% ethanol for 40s, rinsed thrice in sterilized distilled water, air-dried, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated in the dark at 25°C for 3-7 days. A Pestalotiopsis-like fungus with similar colony characteristics was consistently isolated from all samples. Pure cultures were obtained with the single-spore technique (Cai et al. 2009), and two strains (LJH17 and LJH18) were selected for further study. After 5 days in the dark at 25°C, colonies on PDA were cottony, whitish, 70-78 mm in diameter, with an entire edge. The reverse side of the colonies appeared white to light yellow. Conidia were fusoid, straight to slightly curved, 4-septate, with 2-4 (mostly 3) tubular apical appendages, measuring 17.3 to 25 × 6.1 to 9.9 μm (mean ± SD = 20.7 ± 2.3 × 7.9 ± 0.7 µm; n = 50; LJH17). For further identification, the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 and 5.8S nuclear ribosomal RNA (ITS), partial β-tubulin (tub2) and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) genes from the two pure strains GMCC000083 (=LJH17; GMCC, Grassland Microbiome Culture Collection) and LJH18 were amplified with the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), T1/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995; O'Donnell and Cigelnik 1997), and EF1-728F/EF2 (Carbone and Kohn 1999; O'Donnell et al. 1998). Sequences were deposited in GenBank (PP779763, PP781949, and PP781950 for LJH17; and PQ013725, PQ015095, and PQ015096 for LJH18). BLAST analysis showed 100% identity across all three segments with ex-type isolate LC4344 of Pestalotiopsis lushanensis (Liu et al. 2017). A randomized accelerated maximum likelihood (RAxML) phylogenetic tree based on concatenated ITS, tub2, and tef1 alignments showed that our two strains clustered with the previously reported P. lushanensis strains ((Liu et al. 2017; Jiang et al. 2022) (Fig. S1F). Eight-week-old healthy plants were grown from Italian ryegrass seeds in pots, with three plants per pot. Following our previous spray inoculation procedures (Xue et al. 2020): fresh 5-day-old mycelia from each strain were prepared as mycelial suspensions at about 2.5 × 104 CFU/ml, and conidial suspensions were adjusted to about 2 × 105 conidia/ml. For each strain (LJH17 and LJH18), five pots were separately spray-inoculated with conidial and mycelial suspensions (about 2 ml/pot). Five pots served as non-inoculated controls were sprayed with sterilized distilled water. All pots were individually covered with transparent polyethylene bags for 5 days to maintain high relative humidity and placed in a greenhouse at 23-29°C. After incubation for 15 days, both conidial and mycelial suspensions produced black spots on the plants (Fig. S1), resembling those previously observed in the field. No symptoms were observed in the control plants. Pathogenicity tests were conducted thrice using the same method. The same fungus was reisolated from the lesions and confirmed via the morphological and molecular methods described above, thus fulfilling Koch' s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. lushanensis causing black leaf spot on Italian ryegrass in China or worldwide. This finding may aid in diagnosing, identifying the pathogen, and controlling the disease on Italian ryegrass.

Assessment of wetting conditions in quasistatic drainage modeling using a pore morphology method and J-function wettability estimator

This study hypothesizes that a pore morphology method (PMM) can be used to accurately determine representative contact angles by effectively capturing fluid morphologies within porous media, thereby overcoming the challenges of accurate wettability characterization for porous materials. We introduce a methodology for the estimation of the wettability, along with measurements of capillary pressure and relative permeability, using a PMM. This approach employs morphological operations to model quasistatic drainage under different surface wetting conditions. To assess PMM, fluid morphologies resulting from the simulation were compared with experimentally derived geometric and thermodynamic contact angles, along with surface area, and Euler characteristic measurements. Based on fluid configurations under different wettability conditions, we find that PMM effectively captures realistic fluid morphologies. At lower capillary pressures, PMM exhibits superior adaptability to a wide range of wetting behaviors. However, at higher capillary pressures, PMM does not reflect the true morphologies of the fluid due to the interfaces that exist in the pendular state. The influence of these effects at higher capillary pressures introduces an inaccuracy in the simulated relative permeability of the wetting phase, though they do not affect the relative permeability of the nonwetting phase. Overall, these findings can significantly enhance the accuracy of wettability characterization in porous media, thereby advancing our understanding and prediction of fluid behavior in surface-based research of porous materials.

An integrated rapid detection of Botryosphaeriaceae species in grapevine based on recombinase polymerase amplification, CRISPR/Cas12a, and lateral flow dipstick.

Grapevine Botryosphaeria dieback (GBD), caused by Botryosphaeriaceae species, is an important grapevine trunk disease that poses a threat to grape yield and quality in global viticultural regions. Pathogen diagnosis at the species level using morphological methods is difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a rapid and accurate detection method for the pathogens causing GBD. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with CRISPR/Cas12a cleavage was combined for detecting pathogens associated with GBD and lateral flow dipsticks (LFD) were employed to monitor the outcomes. Based on the β-tubulin sequences of Botryosphaeriaceae and their related species, specific RPA primers and CRISPR/Cas12a CrRNA were designed and subsequently selected for specifically detecting pathogens associated with GBD. Under optimized reaction conditions and systems, the developed RPA/CRISPR-Cas12a detection system specifically detected Botryosphaeriaceae species within 30 min of RPA and 25 min of CRISPR/Cas12a reactions at 37°C. Specificity tests showed that specific fragments were amplified with the RPA primers in the DNA of six Botryosphaeriaceae species found in China, while none fragments were amplified in the other 22 non-target fungal pathogens species of grapevine. The detection sensitivity of this method was 1 pg μL-1, and which is equal to that of real-time PCR. In summary, our method is simple to perform, produces visual results, does not rely on expensive equipment, and therefore possesses high practical value, providing an efficient and robust detection platform to accelerate the field detection of pathogens associated with GBD.

Three new species of the genus Kockovaella (Cuniculitremaceae, Tremellales) from the phylloplane in China.

Kockovaella, in the family Cuniculitremaceae of the order Tremellales, is a globally distributed genus of blastoconidia-forming fungi. Currently, 23 species have been described and accepted as members of the genus. In this study, five yeast strains were isolated from plant leaf surfaces collected in the Fujian and Guizhou Provinces of China and identified through a combination of morphological and molecular methods. The related phenotypic features and molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, and RPB1 sequences demonstrated that they were members of three novel Kockovaella species: K.iteae sp. nov., K.quanzhouensis sp. nov., and K.sambucuse sp. nov. These species were described in detail and discussed relative to other species. This study demonstrated the novel geographical distribution as well as the high species diversity of Kockovaella in China and offered more data for further studies in fungal systematics and evolution.

Design of China's Modern Parks in Post-industrial Territories: Project Approaches in the Processing of Industrial Heritage

The transformation of industrial heritage is an essential issue in the urban development process in China. Currently, most of China’s industrial heritage has undergone numerous changes. Such territories, where industrial buildings are stored, have undergone adaptive changes for recreational use. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to establish project approaches to the processing of industrial heritage and the formation of modern Chinese parks in post-industrial territories. Research methods. Achieving the goal of this work involves studying the object and identifying various types of connections that exist in it, which determines the use of a systemic approach. In the process of conducting the research, both the comparative-historical method and the morphological and compositional methods were used. Their inclusion in the research procedure made it possible to consider the park environment as a complex compositional structure characterised by the interrelationship between functional and morphological solutions and the artistic characteristics of park environment design. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the work systematises material on the usage of industrial heritage objects in the design of modern parks created on post-industrial territories. Project approaches to its development have been established. Conclusions. The contem porary approach in the processes of renewal of industrial heritage is characterised by the transition from only adaptive reuse to the creation of urban cultural landscapes. This is due to combining the original industrial texture with the new design, which forms a landscape with unique characteristics. Scale is the most characteristic feature of industrial heritage. This scale marks industrial buildings and individual equipment that characterises a particular territory. The following project approaches have been established in the processing of buildings: exposing the frameworks of industrial buildings while preserving their authentic appearance, when the brutal textures of building materials of industrial buildings act as carriers of memory; another approach – frame structures in the environment of the park landscape are solved as expressive accents thanks to bright painting, lighting, wrapping with a glass shell. Also, an expressive object of industrial heritage is the equipment that ensured the production process in each production. Depending on the type of this equipment, several approaches are distinguished in its processing: large-sized objects retain their original appearance, are brightly painted, and play the role of visual anchors in the park environment, marking the identity of the area; as for small individual elements of production equipment, they become art objects, organising specific areas of the park.

Microscopic effect and mechanism of spray polyurea modifier on the asphalt binder: Experimental characterization and molecular dynamics simulations

To investigate the impact of spray polyurea (SPUA) modifiers on the microstructure and performance of asphalt, SPUA powder prepared by cryogenic grinding was selected as modifier to explore the microscopic mechanisms of spray polyurea modified asphalt. Initially, the morphological characteristics of the SPUA modifiers were systematically characterized using morphological methods. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were conducted to examine the effects of SPUA on the thermodynamic properties of asphalt. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to model SPUA modified asphalt at different concentrations. Critical parameters such as cohesive energy density, solubility parameters, interaction energy, free volume, and radial distribution function (RDF) were analyzed to elucidate the microscopic mechanisms underlying the experimental results. The results indicate that the surface morphology of SPUA includes several pore structures, which enhance the tight and continuous bonding at the SPUA asphalt interface, thereby enhancing the microstructural stability of the modified asphalt. Additionally, incorporating SPUA increased the decomposition temperature of the asphalt binder, improving its thermal stability. This phenomenon is further validated by molecular dynamics simulations, which show that with increasing amounts of polyurethane, both the cohesive energy density and interaction energy of the asphalt system significantly increase, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the asphalt system. However, while low SPUA concentrations enhance the surface roughness of the asphalt, excessive SPUA may disrupt the uniform dispersion of the asphalt binder. This leads to a reduction in the difference in solubility parameters between the two components, diminishing compatibility, and decreasing the free volume fraction of the asphalt while increasing the peak of the radial distribution function curve. Such changes adversely affect the flowability and stability of the modified asphalt.

A second species of Stenasellus Dollfus, 1897 (Isopoda, Stenasellidae) from sulfidic groundwater of Iran described using morphological and molecular methods

We report on a new species of Stenasellus Dollfus, 1897 (Isopoda, Stenasellidae) from groundwater of Iran. Stenasellus stygopersicus Jugovic, Malek-Hosseini &amp; Issartel sp. nov. inhabits the Chah Kabootari Cave that is adjacent to the Tashan Cave, the type locality of the first recorded species of Stenasellidae from Iran, Stenasellus tashanicus Khalaji-Pirbalouty, Fatemi, Malek-Hosseini &amp; Kuntner, 2018. Both caves are fed by sulfidic groundwater and belong to the Tashan-Chah Kabootari species-rich aquifer on the Zagros Mountains. Both species are characterized by a large body size (≥ 20 mm), a female-biased sexual size dimorphism, and a distinct black-pigmented Bellonci’s organ. Stenasellus stygopersicus differs from S. tashanicus by a short and wide protopodite of pleopod I, setae set essentially along the apical margin of pleopod I exopodite, the subequal length and width of the male pleopod II protopodite, and deeply bilobed endopodites of pleopods III–V. Molecular evidence suggests that while Stenasellus stygopersicus is sister to S. tashanicus, the species are genetically distinguishable, with divergence time estimates ranging from 23 to 39.8 Ma.

Yeast fungi in the Ediacaran stromatolites of the Siberian Platform

Yeast fungi are extremely diverse, very widespread, and have a long history of industrial use; however, the time of their origin and early ecology on Earth remain unclear. This work fills this gap in scientific research, and, for the first time, descriptions are given with the allocation of new taxa of discovered yeast fungi in the Ediacaran (635–538 Ma). They are perfectly preserved in the form of microfossils and participated in the development of silicified columnar stromatolites (reef-like organogenic formations). The rock material was collected from the Byuk Formation (about 550 Ma) in the Berezovsky trough in the east of the Siberian platform. It was studied in thin sections of stromatolites on a scanning electron microscope. Microfossils were studied using standard comparative morphological methods. Their biological interpretation and systematic identification were conducted using analogy, the most widespread and efficient method of scientific research. The fungal (yeast) nature of the microorganisms discovered is indicated by the following features: reproduction by budding, sporulation, and division of individuals (cells), and properties of cell growth and their ecology (parasitization on the green algae thalli). New taxa of fossil yeast fungi have been identified: genus Tungusia, type-species Tungisia mane. We suggest that these microorganisms were the early ancestors of the modern yeast fungi. Keywords: Tungusia, green algae, Ediacaran, Byuk Formation, Siberian platform.

REGULARITIES OF DEVELOPMENT AND FORMATION OF EMBRYOTOPOGRAPHY OF THE THYROID AND PARATHYROID GLANDS IN HUMAN EMBRYOS OF 7-9 WEEKS OF GESTATION

The article describes the peculiarities of development and formation of variants of external shape and localization of thyroid and parathyroid glands in human embryos of 7-9 weeks of gestation.Aim of the study. The objective of the study was to fi nd the regularities of development and formation of embryotopographic relations between the thyroid and parathyroid glands during 7-9 weeks of the human intrauterine development. Material and methods. The study was carried out using a complex of morphological methods on 42 samples of human embryos without external signs of anatomical deviations or developmental defects. The specimens were taken from the museums of the Department of Human Anatomy of M. H. Turkevytch and the Department of Anatomy, Clinical Anatomy and Operative Surgery of the Bukovinian State Medical University.Results and discussion. In embryos with parietococcygeal length (PCL) of 14,0-17,0 mm intensive organogenesis processes of thyroid gland occur: separation of gland lobes, loss of connection with aortic arch and establishment of close correlations with laryngeal rudiment and vagus nerves. Therefore, the thyroid gland becomes semicircular. In embryos with 18,0-24,0 mm PCL there is a separation of the isthmus from the lateral lobes of the thyroid. Initially it is caused by intensive growth of the cricoid arch. Gradually the gland becomes H-shaped and fragmentation of the caudal part of the thyroglossal duct occurs. When the PCL reaches 29.5-31.0 mm, folliculogenesis begins and the thyroid gland becomes horseshoe- shaped. 9-week embryos show clear individual variations in the external shape of the thyroid gland: semicircular, H-shaped, and horseshoe. Areas of undiff erentiated epithelial tissue are found in the thyroid parenchyma, especially in its center.Conclusions. The conducted study has shown that during the 7-9 weeks of intrauterine development the structural organization of the thyroid and parathyroid rudiments becomes more complicated. Tight embryotopographic relations are established between them. Vascularization intensifi es and the connective tissue capsules of the thyroid and parathyroid glands are formed. At the same time their linear dimensions increase rapidly.