Natural Patterns Research Articles

Sustainability in Electromagnetic Metamaterials: Synthesis, Applications, and Future Directions with Challenges

This paper is about sustainable Electromagnetic Metamaterials (EM-MM), which are a new class of artificial materials with unique electromagnetic properties that cannot be found in nature. These materials are made from discrete micro and nanoscale objects which resonate, allowing for precise control over how they interact with electromagnetic waves, and hence, leading to unheard of functionalities. Thus the need for sustainable synthesis methods for EM-MM has become paramount to mitigate the quantity of resources associated with conventional fabrication techniques. Renewable resources like biopolymers that mimic natural patterns are examples of the sustainable use of bio based synthetic material pathways. This may guarantee sustainability through fabricating additive manufacturing strategies, especially 3D printing innovation where fabric statement is controlled only as required, diminishing waste. With all this recycling and up cycling offer opportunities for development and cost reduction while reducing the natural impacts related to sustainability. There are several different domains have benefited from the application of EM MM, for example solar energy harvesting offer potential for sustainable power generation, imaging uses met material lenses which have superior resolution and sensitivity, while in telecommunications met material antennas ensure to transmit and get signals more successfully. But there are still a few issues that still need to be resolved in electromagnetic met materials. Future directions include the research of incorporating a plan of new types of electromagnetic composites with upgraded qualities and sustainable synthesis strategies. Applications of technology require to overcome practical challenges such as integration, toughness, and cost-effectiveness while assessing societal implications, financial, and social affects. For the sustainable advancement of metamaterials in order to deal with major societal concerns, minimizing their natural impressions requires collaboration and moral concerns.

Epistemology of Ibn Sina: being and knowledge

This article examines the philosophical views of Ibn Sina, which are the highest peak of philosophy. In general, the main goal of the study is to analyze the philosophical teachings and views of the medieval scientist and physician Ibn Sina by presenting him as the first philosopher who systematized philosophy and brought it to highest peak. It also tells how the thinker viewed and studied philosophy as a science. That is, according to Ibn Sina, he believed that philosophy first considers being, and then studies the objects generated by being. The Thinker defines the essence as “Wujud”. And it proves that the necessary cause of Wujud is God. In the philosophical teachings of Ibn Sina, God is defined by the word Haq. The thinker does not consider the relationship between God and nature as a relationship between the creator and the created, but views them as an interacting cause-and-effect relationship. Along with this, the article covers issues that, according to the thinker, are the main issues of philosophy. This is the problem of man, the essence, being, physical and spiritual development of man. This article also outlines issues such as spase, time, soul, body and issues of the general theory of knowledge. The thinker solved this problem on the basis of intelligence and practice. In practice, relying on what exists in objects of the external world, he deduces natural patterns from them. Experimental, sensory knowledge, according to Ibn Sina, is the first stage of knowledge of nature. At the same time, the thinker deeply and comprehensively explored the role and power of the senses in the process of cognition.

PlantBiCNet: A new paradigm in plant science with bi-directional cascade neural network for detection and counting

Deep learning is increasingly popular for precise plant detection and counting in computer vision applications. Despite the rising cross-disciplinary research in this field, an important issue has been neglected: due to the inherent constraints imposed by the natural growth patterns of plants, the costly and time-consuming process of collecting plant image data, resulting in a scarcity of real-world available data. Consequently, researchers are often constrained to exploring large-scale data representations or limited applications. Currently, still no generalized network architecture excels in demanding environments. To address this, we introduce two new bi-directional cascade neural network paradigms, PlantBiCNet and its lightweight variant, PlantBiCNet-Lite. Unlike previous research, we place greater emphasis on the network decoding process itself rather than the encoder. Our bi-directional cascade and weight fusion decoding approach maximizes high-level semantics and low-level spatial data, enhancing the localization signal in a way that respects gradient diversity. We evaluate PlantBiCNet and PlantBiCNet-Lite on five public plant detection and counting datasets and a novel plant dataset. The average precision AP50 on these six small-scale datasets reached 0.905, with a high coefficient of determination R2 of 0.935, while the reported frame rate was 196 FPS. These results significantly outperform state-of-the-art computer vision methods. Moreover, we found that the introduction of the Dropout mechanism markedly enhances the model's performance and generalization ability. Further analysis supports our experiments and provides valuable insights into network optimization. Overall, our organization's open datasets and network modeling details provide a solid foundation for future research in the field of plant science.

A detailed study on implementing new approaches in the Game of Life

In 1952, Alan Turing who is considered as a father of Computer Science, based on his previous scientific research on the theory of computation, he emphasized how important is the analysis of pattern formation in nature and developed a theory. In his theory, he described specific patterns in nature that could be formed from basic chemical systems. Turing in his previous studies in the theory of computation, he had constantly worked on symmetrical patterns that could be formed simultaneously and realized the necessity for further analysis of pattern formation in biological problems. However, it was until the late 1960s, when John Conway was the first to introduce the "Game of Life", an innovative mathematical game based on cellular automata, having a purpose to utilize the fundamental entities, called as cells, in two possible states described as "dead" or "alive". This paper tries to contribute to a better understanding of the "Game of Life" by implementing algorithmic approaches of this problem in PASCAL and Python programming languages. Also, inside the paper numerous variations and extensions of the Conway's Game of Life are proposed that introduce new ideas and concepts. Furthermore, several machine learning algorithms to learn patterns from large sets of Game of Life simulations and generate new rules or strategies are described in detail.

Driving Mechanism Controlling Cultivated Tropical Peat Physicochemical Characteristics and Stoichiometry: Case Study of a Microtopographical Sequence

Contrasting to the large body of knowledge documenting peatland characteristics and their trends across major rivers, limited study was found in studying peat physicochemical and stoichiometry variability at the drained and cultivated site across microtopographical sequence. This study aimed to investigate peat physicochemical properties and stoichiometry in an old oil palm plantation/OPP in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, across a 3.1 km of a topo-hydrosequence transect perpendicular to the Leidong River and raised hummock. 20 peat cores (0-50 and 50-100 cm depth) from 10 sampling points were collected to determine their physicochemical properties and stoichiometry and analyze the driving mechanisms controlling them. This current study suggested that the long-term drainage and cultivation practices may partially alter the trends and patterns of peat’s physicochemical properties. It was indicated by diverse trends, in which several peat properties behave oppositely against their natural patterns. The soil’s chemical characteristics and stoichiometry throughout 0-100 cm depth were considered homogeneous, which exhibited oppositely with peat physical parameters. The prominent properties and stoichiometry mainly controlled peat variances were bulk density, pH, total N, available P, C:N, and N:K. Flooding experience and distance from the river were the driving mechanisms controlling peat properties and stoichiometry at the study site. This study’s results demonstrated peat physicochemical characteristics and stoichiometry trends that were observed at microtopographical features with a relatively small tributary may resemble those studies representing the extensive landscapes

IWRAM: A hybrid model for irrigation water demand forecasting to quantify the impacts of climate change

The phenomenon of climate change exerts a substantial influence on the water consumption patterns of agricultural crops, thereby affecting the overall demand for irrigation water and regional water security. The quantitative assessment of future changes in irrigation water requirements has great importance for long-term water resource planning and the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus. This work employed a comprehensive approach (IWRAM) by integrating many models and techniques, including a global climate model (CanESM2), a statistical downscaling model (SDSM), a bias correction technique (QTM), a temperature-based crop phenology method (GDD), and deep learning technology (LSTM), in order to assess the potential impact of climate change on irrigation water demand. Therein, the QTM is utilized for the purpose of bias correction for the CanESM2-SDSMed daily precipitation data. Additionally, the LSTM is implemented to forecast ETo using the CanESM2-SDSMed daily temperature data. The findings from the case study conducted in the Jinghuiqu irrigation area (JIA) indicate that the application of bias correction techniques resulted in notable enhancements in the frequency distribution of predicted precipitation data. Consequently, this led to a more coherent relationship between historical observed data and anticipated future data, aligning them more closely with natural patterns. The deep learning technique exhibited a strong degree of concordance, suggesting its exceptional capacity for modeling daily reference evapotranspiration. By using the IWRAM model, relatively accurate predictions were made for future precipitation, temperature, crop evapotranspiration, and effective precipitation. Consequently, an estimation was made regarding the anticipated need for irrigation water in JIA. These results highlighted that JIA total irrigation water demand (or net irrigation water demand) will increase by 121 mm (net irrigation water: 189 mm) and 119 mm (net irrigation water: 187 mm) in the year 2050 under RCP 2.6 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. Climate change could potentially affect the seasonal distribution of precipitation. Therefore, it is crucial for the authorities in JIA to not only take into account the overall irrigation water requirement but also give priority to the water requirements of each stage of crop growth.

Linguistic Sign on The Name of The Carvings of Rumah Gadang in Sungai Beringin Payakumbuh: Semiotic Analysis

The research discusses the linguistic sign on the name of the carvings of Rumah Gadang in Sungai Beringin Payakumbuh. The names of the carvings were found based on interviews and direct observations made with the owner of the Sanggar ukir in the village of Nunang Payakumbuh Barat. This research aims to find out the signifier and signified contained in the carvings of the name of the Rumah Gadang. In addition, this research also analyzed the meaning of the name carvings of the Rumah Gadang. The theory used in this research is semiotics, which refers to Chandler theory of linguistic signs. This research was conducted using qualitative descriptive research. The results of the research found that 26 carvings of the name Rumah Gadang Sungai Beringin came from natural patterns and were related to the natural philosophy espoused by the Minangkabau people. In conclusion, carvings are analyzed from signifier and signified, the denotation and connotation meaning and cultural meanings contained in the name of the carvings of the Rumah Gadang.

The Effect of Mindfulness Interventions on the Sleep Quality of Pregnant Mothers in the Second and Third Trimesters of Pregnancy

Background: Sleep disorder is a common problem during pregnancy and a large percentage of pregnant women (especially in the third trimester of pregnancy) experience changes in their natural sleep pattern. Considering the fact that sleep disorder can cause many complications before, during and after childbirth, it is necessary to achieve good sleep quality during pregnancy. Therefore, the present research investigated the effect of mindfulness interventions on the quality of sleep among pregnant mothers in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: The present randomized clinical trial study used pre-education-post-education design in Sabzevar Health Center from 2019 to 2020 on all pregnant women referred for receiving prenatal care. A sample of 98 women who met the inclusion criteria were divided into intervention (n=50) and control groups (n=48). The sleep quality and depression anxiety and stress -21 (DASS-21) questionnaires, were completed by two groups at pre-test, post-test, and one month after the educational intervention. The intervention group received 6 sessions (1 hour and 30 minutes) of mindfulness lessons during 2 months, while the control group received routine pregnancy care and a mindfulness session was performed after completion of the post-education. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (version 20) and descriptive and repeated measures analysis were used. Results: Mindfulness interventions were effective in changing the sleep quality of pregnant mothers (P<0.05). Also, the mean scores of anxiety, stress and depression questionnaires of pregnant mothers, as confounding variables on sleep quality, was significantly changed during different stages of the study (P<0.05). Conclusion: Mindfulness training significantly increased the sleep quality of pregnant mothers. Therefore, mindfulness interventions can be used as effective interventions in improving psychological wellbeing during pregnancy and also reducing the anxiety and stress of pregnant women.

Late Oligocene monsoonal climate in the Lunpola Basin, central Tibetan Plateau: evidence from palaeosol records

The Asian monsoon affects the natural patterns of climate in China and its origin and evolution have been a matter of much debate in palaeoclimatology. Results from recent studies indicate that the Asian monsoon had reached the subtropical zone by at least c. 41 Ma and expanded to the central Tibetan Plateau during the Late Oligocene, although more geological evidence is required to confirm its spatial and temporal evolution. The well-developed Late Oligocene palaeosol in the Lunpola Basin, central Tibetan Plateau is an ideal material for addressing the issue. Observations of various climatic indicators suggest that these palaeosols were forest cinnamon soils, as shown by the compound Bt and Bk horizons, abundant clay coatings and carbonate nodules, and the diagnostic chemical composition of clays in the Bt horizon. A high chemical weather index, the Rb/Sr ratios and high contents of illite/smectite mixed-layer minerals show that these palaeosols experienced intense weathering and leaching during pedogenesis. The mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation during the developmental period of the palaeosols were 10.4–14.8°C and 615–1128 mm, respectively, as estimated by empirical formulas, which are comparable with those of cinnamon soils in current monsoon climates. This study provides important independent evidence from palaeosols for studies of the evolution of the Asian monsoon. Supplementary material: The data about the clay chemical composition and climatic indicators of palaeosol and modern soils are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6850703 Thematic collection: This article is part of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics, landscape and climate change collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/mesozoic-and-cenozoic-tectonics-landscape-and-climate-change

Assessment of the solitary wave attenuation through pervious concrete breakwater

Breakwaters are coastal structures typically used to protect shorelines from coastal erosion by providing wave energy attenuation and reflecting amounts of wave currents. Traditional breakwaters made of impervious materials can have a significant environmental impact, disrupting the coastal ecosystem and altering natural wave patterns. In general, permeability has become an acquainted characteristic since it directly influences the interaction between the structure, the coastal zone behind it, and the lateral zone without structural protection, which makes pervious concrete a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete. In this study, pervious concrete is utilised as a permeable breakwater considering the influence of permeability introduced to deliver ecological friendliness defence for shorelines. A physical experiment was used to evaluate four models of structures that varied in porosity in order to study the physical properties and then analyse the performance of the pervious concrete breakwater over the solitary wave impact. Subsequently, the hydrodynamic scattering coefficient is analysed by considering changes in physical parameters. The results indicated that pervious concrete breakwater (PCB) could effectively work in the case of emergence due to the increased interaction between wave and structure. PCBs can effectively reduce wave reflection and increase wave transmission, with the magnitude of these effects increasing with porosity. The result indicated the potentiality of PCB to serve as a feasible alternative to traditional breakwaters for a prospective coastal protection structure by reducing the environmental impact as PCBs allow for the passage of water and other marine organisms, which can help maintain the health of coastal ecosystems. Finally, the structure of PCBs, which can be prefabricated, could reduce the complexity and time of installation, making them a cost-effective solution for coastal protection.

Fracturing parameter optimization technology for highly deviated wells in complex lithologic reservoirs

Highly-deviated wells are the key technology to reduce the risk of drilling accidents and improve the utilization of reservoirs. However, for reservoirs with complex lithology, highly-deviated wells are faced with the problems of geomechanical transformation and fracturing parameter optimization. The research on fracturing parameter optimization technology of high-deviated wells in complex lithologic reservoirs is helpful to the research and application of geomechanics in deep unconventional reservoirs. This paper is based on geological mechanics laboratory experiments and logging interpretation, combined with regional geological background, to clarify the geological and mechanical characteristics of the Fengcheng Formation shale oil region in the Mabei Slope. On this basis, based on the current geostress field and natural fracture distribution pattern of the Mabei Slope, an integrated model of shale oil geological engineering in local well areas was established. Based on the finite element method, optimization design was carried out for the cluster spacing, construction fluid volume, displacement, and sand volume of highly deviated well fracturing, and three-dimensional simulation of fracturing fractures was completed. The research results indicate that: (1) The current dominant direction of the maximum principal stress in the Fengcheng Formation on the Mabei Slope is from northeast to southwest, with the maximum horizontal principal stress generally ranging from 90 to 120 MPa and the minimum horizontal principal stress generally ranging from 70 to 110 MPa. (2) The difference in stress between the two horizontal directions is relatively large, generally greater than 8 MPa. Two sets of natural fractures have developed in the research area, one with a northwest southeast trend and the other with a northeast southwest trend. The natural fracture density of the Fengcheng Formation shale reservoir in the Mabei Slope is 0.32–1.12/m, with an average of 0.58/m, indicating a moderate to high degree of fracture development. (3) The geological model and three-dimensional geo-mechanical model are established according to the actual drilling geological data, and different schemes are designed to carry out single parameter optimization. The optimization results show that the optimal cluster spacing of the subdividing cutting volume pressure of the highly deviated wells in the Fengcheng Formation of the Mabei Slope is 12 m, the optimal construction fluid volume is 1400–1600 m3/section, the optimal construction displacement is 8 m3/min, and the optimal sanding strength is 2.5 m3/m. At the same time, by comparing the fracturing implementation effect with the fracturing scheme design, it is proven that the artificial parameter optimization method for highly deviated wells based on the finite element method based on the regional stress background and the natural fracture development law proposed in this paper is feasible and can provide a scientific basis for the fracturing development of highly deviated wells in complex lithologic reservoirs. This research has been well applied in Mahu area of Xinjiang oilfield.

Reproductive success of Bornean orangutan males: scattered in time but clustered in space

The social and mating systems of orangutans, one of our closest relatives, remain poorly understood. Orangutans (Pongo spp.) are highly sexually dimorphic and females are philopatric and maintain individual, but overlapping home ranges, whereas males disperse, are non-territorial and wide-ranging, and show bimaturism, with many years between reaching sexual maturity and attaining full secondary sexual characteristics (including cheek pads (flanges) and emitting long calls). We report on 21 assigned paternities, among 35 flanged and 15 unflanged, genotyped male Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii), studied from 2003 to 2018 in Tuanan (Central Kalimantan, Indonesia). All 10 infants born since mid-2003 with an already identified sire were sired by flanged males. All adult males ranged well beyond the study area (c. 1000 ha), and their dominance relations fluctuated even within short periods. However, 5 of the 10 identified sires had multiple offspring within the monitored area. Several sired over a period of c. 10 years, which overlapped with siring periods of other males. The long-calling behavior of sires indicated they were not consistently dominant over other males in the area around the time of known conceptions. Instead, when they were seen in the area, the known sires spent most of their time within the home ranges of the females whose offspring they sired. Overall, successful sires were older and more often resident than others.Significance statementIt is difficult to assess reproductive success for individuals of long-lived species, especially for dispersing males, who cannot be monitored throughout their lives. Due to extremely long interbirth intervals, orangutans have highly male-skewed operational sex ratios and thus intensive male-male competition for every conception. Paternity analyses matched 21 immature Bornean orangutans with their most likely sire (only 10 of 50 genotyped males) in a natural population. Half of these identified sires had multiple offspring in the study area spread over periods of at least 10 years, despite frequently ranging outside this area. Dominance was a poor predictor of success, but, consistent with female mating tactics to reduce the risk of infanticide, known “sires” tended to have relatively high local presence, which seems to contribute to the males’ siring success. The results highlight the importance of large protected areas to enable a natural pattern of dispersal and ranging.

Social values are significant factors in control of COVID-19 the first phase pandemic

Introduction. This study examines the relationship between social values and the control of the COVID-19 pandemic in selected European countries during the early months of 2020.
 Methods. Utilizing epidemiological data, including starting and controlled reproduction rates (R(t)), and social values' dimensions based on Schwartz's framework, we uncover significant associations by linear regressions.
 Results. Our findings reveal that highly hierarchical societies with a strong focus on maximising individual utility (affective autonomy) are less successful in controlling the spread of the virus. Conversely, societies with interconnected (embedded) structures appear to be more effective in disease control. Our discussion acknowledges the complexity of distinguishing between natural disease patterns and control efforts. Interactive dashboard is available: https://infodemia-koronawirusa.shinyapps.io/culture/
 Conclusions. This study underscores the substantial influence of social values on disease control in Europe. It emphasises the need to consider social contexts when evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation strategies on an international scale. While recognising the potential role of confounding variables such as healthcare capacity, our research suggests that analysing outbreak dynamics across countries can provide insights into not only why some nations fare better but also how to combat future disease spread effectively.

How bio-inspired solutions have influenced the built environment design in hot and humid climates

The rapid increase in the population, which has been concentrated mainly in urban areas, has caused an environmental imbalance over the years since the built environment developed as a foreign element to the ecosystem, which prevents having resilient environments capable of adapting to the challenges posed by climate change. This research aims to provide an updated knowledge base of bio-inspired strategies emulated in hot and humid climates to achieve an efficient built environment, restoring resources, and bringing nature closer to cities. A systematic review is conducted based on keyword selection to answer i) what has been achieved in built environments to be more efficient and sustainable (including tropical climates) and ii) how natural patterns, strategies, and models are mimicked. Implementing these strategies is very little in regions with hot and humid climates. Bio-inspired approaches are concentrated in those that try to emulate the functions of nature, followed by approaches that imitate the form of nature, biomimicry, and biomimetics being the most used approaches, leading to the development of efficient and resilient cities.

Dense orchard landscape mapping based on image merging with skeleton prediction

To address the difficulty of individual vine-plant segmentation in large orchards, this study proposes a segmentation model for individual canopies that combines the characteristics of tree deciduousness and natural growth patterns. This enables the landscape mapping of orchards under intensive planting conditions. In this study, winter and summer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote-sensing images of kiwifruit orchards were used for canopy segmentation. It involved: 1) target location identification of tree trunks in winter images and alignment of winter and summer image information; 2) semantic segmentation of branches in winter images; 3) screening of individual skeletons and prediction of branch growth; 4) removal of non-canopy parts of summer images using digital image processing to obtain canopy leaf segmentation results; and 5) segmentation of the extent of the individual plant canopies based on the predicted results of the individual plants. The branch precision rate for the final kiwifruit canopy at the plant level was 99.25% and the recall rate was 95.96%. The average recall rate of the canopy precision segmentation was 82.79%, the accuracy rate of which was 73.31%. This model does not involve plant height information and can implement instance segmentation of deciduous trees of the same species, with similar characteristics, and dense planting. The proposed solution addresses the problem of large-scale standardized planting of the same species, especially those that do not have obvious height or color differences and cannot be segmented using a digital elevation model.

PENERAPAN PEMBELAJARAN BERDIFERENSIASI DALAM PERSPEKTIF TEORI BELAJAR HUMANISTIK

This research aims to find out the application of differentiated learning from the perspective of humanistic learning theory. The concept used in this research provides nearly the same concept between differentiated learning and humanistic learning theory because both of them provide an understanding of the importance of humanizing humans to suit their characteristic. This research was conducted on 5th grade students of SD Negeri Kiyaran 2 Cangkringan. The method of this research used descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. The researcher in this research hope to find natural patterns that occur in the application of differentiated learning in the perspective of humanistic learning theory that occurs in the classroom. The researcher of this research observed learning activities starting from planning, implementing, and evaluating during the implementation of differentiated learning. The researcher gathered the data by used diagnostic tests, observation, work method, and final tests. The subjects of this research were the 5th grade students of SD Negeri Kiyaran 2 Cangkringan in the 2022/2023 academic year with a total of 14 students, consisting of 8 boys and 6 girls. The results of this research showed that the used of differentiated learning in the perspective of learning theory has a positive influence on creativity and learning outcomes of students. This is indicated by the increase in the average value of the creativity on students from the initial condition of 67.86 to 80.21. Moreover, differentiated learning in the perspective of learning theory can improve student learning outcomes by showing the average test score which was initially 79.29 increased to 84,86.

Gas source of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation in the Zhongjiang large gas field of Western Sichuan Depression: Constraints from geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons

The Zhongjiang gas field is a typical large gas field in terrigenous strata of the Western Sichuan Depression. It remains debatable which member of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation served as the source rocks and how significant the member contributed to the gas accumulations in the Zhongjiang gas field. In this study, we analyzed the essential characteristics of the Lower Jurassic source rocks and the geochemical features of light hydrocarbons in natural gas from the 2nd (T3x2) and 4th members (T3x4) of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation (T3x), as well as the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao (J2s) and Qianfoya (J2q) formations. Based on this, we explored the sources of the natural gas in the Zhongjiang gas field and determined the natural gas migration patterns and their effects on the properties of light hydrocarbons in the natural gas. The results indicate that the Lower Jurassic lacustrine source rocks of the Zhongjiang gas field contain humic organic matter, with vitrinite reflectance (Ro) values ranging from 0.86% to 0.98%. Samples meeting the criterion for effective source rocks [total organic carbon (TOC) content ≥0.75%] exhibited an average TOC content of merely 1.02%, suggesting significantly lower hydrocarbon generation potential than source rocks in the underlying T3x, which show higher thermal maturity and TOC contents. For natural gas samples from T3x2, T3x4, J2s, and J2q reservoirs, their C5–7 iso-alkane content was significantly higher than their n-alkane content, and their methylcyclohexane (MCH) index ranged from 59.0% to 77.3%, indicating the predominance of methylcyclohexane in C7 light hydrocarbons. As indicated by the origin identification and gas-source correlation based on the geochemical features of light hydrocarbons, the natural gas in the Zhongjiang gas field is typical coal-derived gas. The gas from the primary pay zone of the Shaximiao Formation, with significantly high K1, (P2 + N2)/C7, and P3/C7 values, predominantly originated from the 5th member of the T3x and migrated in the free phase, with a small amount possibly sourced from the Lower Jurassic source rocks. The dissolution and adsorption during gas migration led to a decrease in the aromatic content in C6–7 light hydrocarbons and an increase in the iso-heptane values. Therefore, their effects must be considered when determining the gas origin and thermal maturity based on the aromatic content in C6–7 light hydrocarbons and iso-heptane values.

Study on the spatial changes in land use and landscape patterns and their effects on ecosystem services in Ghana, West Africa

Changes in land use significantly affect the environment by disrupting the natural landscape patterns. These changes may alter the ecological processes that affect the flow and provision of ecosystem services. In this study, we quantified land-use changes and the effects of landscape patterns on estimated Ecosystem Service Values (ESVs) at spatial and temporal scales in Ghana for four different years: 1995, 2005, 2015, and 2020. Using Fragstats spatial software, we computed landscape metrics to calculate the landscape patterns of the study area. We established a relationship between ecosystem services and landscape patterns by using correlation and regression analyses. The dominant land use in Ghana found in decreasing order were agriculture, forest, and savannah. The proportions covered by settlement and bare land were relatively small. The estimated ESVs for the study periods were US$172.11 billion in 1995, US$166.38 billion in 2005, US$166.07 billion in 2015 and US$166.59 in 2020. The entire decline observed was very significant (US$5.52 billion) because of the huge reduction in wetlands during this period. Linear multiple regression and correlation analyses revealed the relationships between ecosystem services and landscape patterns. According to the regression models, the landscape metrics of landscape composition and configuration had a net effect on the individual ecosystem services. This study provides useful reference material for land use policy makers, managers, and institutions involved in the implementation of policies and conservation practices to enhance the provision of ecosystem services.

Exploring the interaction of tepotinib with calf thymus DNA using molecular dynamics simulation and multispectroscopic techniques

In recent times, there has been a surge in the discovery of drugs that directly interact with DNA, influencing gene expression. As a result, understanding how biomolecules interact with DNA has become a major area of research. One such drug is Tepotinib (TPT), an FDA-approved anti-cancer medication known as a MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor, used in chemotherapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 skipping alterations. In our study, we adopted both biophysical and in-silico methods to investigate the binding relationship of TPT and ctDNA. The absorption spectra of ctDNA exhibited a hypochromic effect when titrated with TPT and the binding constant of TPT–ctDNA complex was calculated, Ka = 9.91 × 104 M−1. By computing bimolecular enhancement constant (KB) and thermodynamic enhancement constant (KD) in fluorometric investigations, it was found that the fluorescence enhancement is a result of a static process involving the ctDNA-TPT complex formation in the ground state, as opposed to a dynamic process. The displacement assay results further supported this finding, showing that TPT exhibits a binding preference for minor groove of ct-DNA and was also demonstrated by KI quenching and CD spectroscopy. The molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations validated TPT's groove binding nature and binding pattern with ctDNA, respectively. Thus, the results of our present investigation offer valuable insights into the interaction between TPT and ctDNA. It is evident that TPT, as an anti-cancer medication, binds to the minor groove of ctDNA.

Nanocasting technique for imprinting a natural leaf pattern on biomimetic polyaniline to yield an artificial hierarchical surface structure for gas sensing

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) posed substantial safety risks in industrial settings due to its odorless and toxic nature and necessitated vigilant detection. With the burgeoning importance of H2S gas sensing applications, this study focused on the synthesis and utilization of a novel biomimetic material aimed at advancing gas sensing capabilities. Biomimetic polyaniline (Bio-PANI) with an artificial hierarchical surface structure was fabricated through the innovative nanocasting technique. This technique involved the replication of the surface pattern of a natural Xanthosoma sagittifolium leaf (XSL) onto a PANI coating, achieved using a negative template. In comparison to PANI, Bio-PANI showcased higher specific surface area (160 m2/g versus 41 m2/g of PANI) and exhibited significantly amplified reversible redox and doping–dedoping capacities. The application of Bio-PANI and PANI coatings on interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) allowed for gas-sensing assessments. These evaluations encompassed as-prepared IDE sensor’s responsivity, selectivity, repeatability, and stability. Notably, the Bio-PANI-coated IDE sensor showed larger response (185% versus 27% of PANI toward a 10 ppm concentration of H2S), a consequence of their substantially larger specific surface area and greater electrochemical performances when contrasted with PANI-coated IDE sensor. In addition, Bio-PANI-coated IDE sensor exhibited better selectivity, repeatability, long-term stability, and moisture resistance.