Permanent Stability Research Articles

Between Mask and Uniform: The Undecidability of Mimesis

In this essay I address the problem of identity formation posed by our mimetic condition by considering the relationship between art, domination, and liberation. To better understand how the artistic gift can engender liberation, even if permanently at risk of being instrumentalised for domination, I propose an analysis of the differences between an artistic mask and a uniform. More specifically, I focus on how each of these mimetic forms mobilise different kinds of actions due to the different conceptions of identity that underlie them: the temporary result of an instance of identification among many others, in the case of the artistic mask, and a permanent stabilisation, in the case of the uniform. I ground this differentiation in an analysis of the film Der Hauptmann (2018) by Robert Schwentke and on readings of Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe and Jean-Luc Nancy’s critique of ‘ The Nazi Myth’ (1990) constitutive of the mimetic turn.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNBALANCED CORE STRENGTHENING AND INJURIES IN DANCESPORT ATHLETES

ABSTRACT Introduction: The set of muscles in the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex is called the core. The core is located in the body's center of gravity. Dancesport require aligned trunk movements and permanent stabilization between the spine and pelvis. Despite few studies, the relationship between unbalanced core strengthening and injuries in dancesport is investigated. Objective: Study the relationship between unbalanced core strengthening and muscle strength in dancesport athletes. Methods: An experiment was conducted with 60 students from dance schools. They were randomly divided between an experimental group and a control group, with 30 people each. Each group included 15 males and 15 females. The experimental group used unilateral core stability training. The control group used traditional core stability training. Results: The results showed that the quality of action improved significantly after core strength training (P <0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: Core strengthening can improve balance ability in athletes. There was no statistical difference between the training, with similar positive balance ability and explosion strength effects in the athletes. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

Permanent Joint Stability of Heat-Resistant Deformable Nickel and Cast Intermetallic Alloys Obtained under Superplasticity Conditions: Part 1

Permanent Joint Stability of Heat-Resistant Deformable Nickel and Cast Intermetallic Alloys Obtained under Superplasticity Conditions: Part 1

Screening of indole derivatives as the potent anticancer agents on dihydrofolate reductase: pharmaco-informatics and molecular dynamics simulation

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a ubiquitous cellular enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of nucleotide and protein precursors, thus, the inhibition of human DHFR can be a promising strategy in cancer treatment. The design of effective anticancer drugs is an urgent need today according to the high spread of cancer. The indole molecule with diverse mechanisms of action and anticancer properties is one of the efficient pharmacophores in drug design. Hence, a virtual library of indole derivatives as a scaffold was selected for designing safer and more effective anticancer drugs against DHFR in this work. All indole derivatives utilized in the library design were selected regarding appreciable tumor growth inhibition. Structure–activity relationship (SAR), docking energy, ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) parameters, and effective non-covalent interactions were used to identify potential anticancer with indole scaffold. Results showed a higher number of indole moieties provide a strong attachment to the DHFR binding pocket and therefore more effective anticancer activity. The indole scaffold in combination with dichlorobenzene improves DHFR inhibition whereas barbituric acid weakens inhibition activity. In the following to validate the docking results, Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and molecular mechanics generalized-Born surface area (MM-GBSA) indicated the permanent stability of the selected ligands into the DHFR binding pocket and the key amino acids. Therefore, promising pharmacophores based on indole-DHFR interactions were discovered, and the outcome could be useful in guiding future in vitro and in vivo drug discovery in cancer medicine. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Modification of asphalt using polyurethanes synthesized with different isocyanates

To study the effect of isocyanates on the properties of polyurethane (PU) modified asphalt, three kinds of polyurethane with different hard segments were synthesized, by the reaction of polyethylene adipate (PEA) with diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and polyaryl polymethylene isocyanate (PAPI), respectively. These three kinds of polyurethane were used to modify the asphalt and study the effects of isocyanate on the performance of polyurethane modified asphalt by experiments. The Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were used to analyse PU samples. The dynamic shear rheology (DSR), bending beam rheology (BBR), multiple stress creep test (MSCR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscope (AFM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to research rheological properties, modification mechanism and microstructure of the asphalts, respectively. The results show that isocyanates influence the structure of polyurethane molecules, the distribution of soft and hard segments and the content of hard segments, and affect the distribution of asphaltenes in asphalt, resulting in different modification effects on asphalt. Of the three isocyanates, the PU synthesized by TDI provides the best improvement to the asphalt in terms of resistance against permanent deformations, low-temperature property and storage stability. Improvement effects of PU synthesized by PAPI on resistance against the permanent deformations and storage stability are better than that of MDI, but the effects on low-temperature property are worse with that of MDI.

Ultrathin nanosheets of FeOOH with oxygen vacancies as efficient polysulfide electrocatalyst for advanced lithium–sulfur batteries

Developing high effectively affinitive to lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) conversion, permanent electrochemical stability, and cost-effective electrocatalyst for sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) in a high‐sulfur‐loading and lean-electrolyte condition is highly desired for the application of lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs). Here, an amorphous FeOOH (A-FeOOH) with nanosheet architecture is obtained by a mild oxidation transformation process at room temperature, which is constructed as a practical catalyst to facilitate the conversion of LiPSs. A systematic structure analysises and calculation simulations reveal that the enhanced surface electron transfer dynamics of the as-formed A-FeOOH is modulated by a loss of oxygen coordination, and retention ligand oxygens are also found to be activated as co-catalysts to boost SRR process. Unsaturated Fe-O bondings tuning of catalysts via shifting of d band centers, leading to an elevated interaction between Fe 3d orbitals and S 2p orbitals, which much more effectively accelerate the breaking of S-S bonds in LiPSs. Meanwhile, enhanced electrical conductivity originated from oxygen vacancies accelerates electron repopulation, thereby promoting the smooth conversion reaction of sulfur. Additionally, A-FeOOH acts as non-carbon-based catalysts, which alleviates short circuits while reducing non-catalytic domains. The amorphous nanosheets are also uniformly and spontaneously coating on the surface of cathodes, inhibiting the shuttle effect and buffering volumetric expansion. A-FeOOH based Li-S cathode (A-FeOOH@SCM) exhibits a reversible capacity of 723 mAh.g−1 over 250 cycles at 1C and delivers a high energy density of 363 wh.kg−1 at 0.2C on multilayer-pouch cell level under lean electrolyte of 3.2 g.g−1Sulfur and high loading of 9.36 mg.cm−2.

Global dynamics in stochastic n‐species food chain systems with white noise and Lévy jumps

This paper is concerned with a n‐species stochastic food chain model with white noise and Lévy jumps. The global stochastic dynamics are established, including the existence of the global and positive solutions, stochastic ultimate boundedness, extinction with probability one, and the permanence and global stability in the mean by developing a new research method, using the auxiliary functions and theory of stochastic differential equations. Furthermore, the numerical simulations are presented to verify the theoretical results and illustrate the proposed open problems.

Salt-free Chromium Tanning: Practical Approaches

Chromium tanning finds a prominant place in leather manufacturing for permanent stabilization of hide/skin matrix. Though, it has multiple advantages in terms of high thermal stability, easy process and low cost etc., the current practice is not environmentally sustainable. Poor chromium exhaustion and TDS load generation are the major environmental threats of conventional chromium tanning systems. On the other hand, salt-free chromium tanning is identified as one of the efficient alternative approaches for hide/skin matrix stabilization. However, it has not been commercially practiced due to the several practical difficulties. In this work attempts have been made to develop a practically viable high-performance salt-free chromium tanning system using deliming liquor as tanning float and changing the order of addition of masking salt. The developed methodologies completely avoid the use of salt/basification process and it is suitable for all kinds of raw materials and tannery houses. Besides, the process enjoys 71-77% reduction in TDS load and the uptake of chromium is around 90%. The physical strength characteristics are on par with conventional process and the leathers exhibit good grain tightness and roundness. The developed methodologies are simple and do not require any specialty chemicals.

Effects of fear and anti-predator response in a discrete system with delay

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>In this paper a discrete-time two prey one predator model is considered with delay and Holling Type-Ⅲ functional response. The cost of fear of predation and the effect of anti-predator behavior of the prey is incorporated in the model, coupled with inter-specific competition among the prey species and intra-specific competition within the predator. The conditions for existence of the equilibrium points are obtained. We further derive the sufficient conditions for permanence and global stability of the co-existence equilibrium point. It is observed that the effect of fear induces stability in the system by eliminating the periodic solutions. On the other hand the effect of anti-predator behavior plays a major role in de-stabilizing the system by giving rise to predator-prey oscillations. Finally, several numerical simulations are performed which support our analytical findings.</p>

Towards Glasses with Permanent Stability.

Unlike crystals, glasses age or devitrify over time, reflecting their nonequilibrium nature. This lack of stability is a serious issue in many industrial applications. Here, we show by numerical simulations that the devitrification of quasi-hard-sphere glasses is prevented by suppressing volume-fraction inhomogeneities. A monodisperse glass known to devitrify with "avalanchelike" intermittent dynamics is subjected to small iterative adjustments to particle sizes to make the local volume fractions spatially uniform. We find that this entirely prevents structural relaxation and devitrification over aging time scales, even in the presence of crystallites. There is a dramatic homogenization in the number of load-bearing nearest neighbors each particle has, indicating that ultrastable glasses may be formed via "mechanical homogenization." Our finding provides a physical principle for glass stabilization and opens a novel route to the formation of mechanically stabilized glasses.

Evaluation of Properties and Micro-Characteristics of Waste Polyurethane/Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Composite Modified Asphalt.

In order to solve the problems caused by asphalt diseases and prolong the life cycle of asphalt pavement, many studies on the properties of modified asphalt have been conducted, especially polyurethane (PU) modified asphalt. This study is to replace part of the styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modifier with waste polyurethane (WP), for preparing WP/SBS composite modified asphalt, as well as exploring its properties and microstructure. On this basis, this paper studied the basic performance of WP/SBS composite modified asphalt with a conventional performance test, to analyze the high- and low-temperature rheological properties, permanent deformation resistance and storage stability of WP/SBS composite modified asphalt by dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests. The microstructure of WP/SBS composite modified asphalt was also observed by fluorescence microscope (FM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as the reaction between WP and asphalt. According to the results of this study, WP can replace SBS as a modifier to prepare WP/SBS composite modified asphalt with good low-temperature resistance, whose high-temperature performance will be lower than that of SBS modified asphalt. After comprehensive consideration, 4% SBS content and 15% WPU content (4 S/15 W) are determined as the suitable types of WPU/SBS composite modified asphalt.

Study on Ultimate Seismic Capacity of Concrete Gravity Dam-Superhigh Face Rockfill Dam Compound Structure

Based on a very high for the project of the concrete face rockfill dam, by three-dimensional finite element analysis method, from the seismic permanent deformation, stress, deformation and stability of dam slope angle of joint panel, this paper demonstrates the ultimate seismic capacity of concrete gravity dam - superhigh face rockfill dam compound structure, the research results show that the dam seismic permanent deformation limit aseismic capacity from 0.65 g to 0.72 g, panel stress seismic limit of 0.7 g, joint dislocation of aseismic capacity limit is 0.8 g, dam slope stability of aseismic capacity limit is 0.43 g. The seismic ability of concrete gravity dam - superhigh face rockfill dam compound structure is strong and can meet the local fortification intensity requirements.

Long-term pre-clinical evaluation of an injectable chitosan nanocellulose hydrogel with encapsulated adipose-derived stem cells in an ovine model for IVD regeneration.

The potential therapeutic benefit of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) encapsulated in an injectable hydrogel for stimulating intervertebral disc (IVD) regeneration has been assessed by a number of translational and preclinical studies. However, previous work has been primarily limited to small animal models and short-term outcomes of only a few weeks. Long-term studies in representative large animal models are crucial for translation into clinical success, especially for permanent stabilization of major defects such as disc herniation. An injectable chitosan carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel scaffold loaded with ASCs was evaluated regarding its intraoperative handling, crosslinking kinetics, cell viability, fully-crosslinked viscoelasticity, and long-term therapeutic effects in an ovine model. Three IVDs per animal were damaged in 10 sheep. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was the source for autologous ASCs. Six weeks after IVD damage, two of the damaged IVDs were treated via ASC-loaded hydrogel injection. After 12months following the implantation, IVD disc height and histological and cellular changes were assessed. This system was reliable and easy to handle intraoperatively. Over 12months, IVD height was stabilized and degeneration progression significantly mitigated compared to untreated, damaged IVDs. Here we show for the first time in a large animal model that an injectable chitosan carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel system with encapsulated ASCs is able to affect long-term stabilization of an injured IVD and significantly decrease degeneration processes as compared to controls.

Suppression of β-catenin signaling in colon carcinoma cells by a bacterial protein.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is mutated in hereditary colorectal tumors and in more than 80% of sporadic colorectal tumors. APC mutations impair β-catenin degradation, leading to its permanent stabilization and increased transcription of cancer-driving target genes. In colon cancer, impairment of β-catenin degradation leads to its cytoplasmic accumulation, nuclear translocation, and subsequent activation of tumor cell proliferation. Suppressing β-catenin signaling in cancer cells therefore appears to be a promising strategy for new anticancer strategies. Recently, we discovered a novel Vibrio cholerae cytotoxin, motility-associated killing factor A (MakA), that affects both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. It promotes bacterial survival and proliferation in invertebrate predators but has unknown biological role(s) in mammalian hosts. Here, we report that MakA can cause lethality of tumor cells via induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, MakA exhibited potent cytotoxic activity, in particular against several tested cancer cell lines, while appearing less toxic toward nontransformed cells. MakA bound to the tumor cell surface became internalized into the endolysosomal compartment and induced leakage of endolysosomal membranes, causing cytosolic release of cathepsins and activation of proapoptotic proteins. In addition, MakA altered β-catenin integrity in colon cancer cells, partly through a caspase- and proteasome-dependent mechanism. Importantly, MakA inhibited β-catenin-mediated tumor cell proliferation. Remarkably, intratumor injection of MakA significantly reduced tumor development in a colon cancer murine solid tumor model. These data identify MakA as a novel candidate to be considered in new strategies for development of therapeutic agents against colon cancer.

Static Schwinger-Level Electric Field Nonlinearities and Their Significance to Photons and Photon Entanglement

In this work, we postulate that Schwinger’s threshold for a dynamic electric field intensity to induce spatial nonlinearity is a special case and, more generally, it is the threshold field for both static and dynamic electric fields. Fields of this magnitude induce negative-energy charges to adapt positive energy attributes; within an atom, they also support interstate energy transfers and intrastate chaotic mixing of time-varying fields. Nonlinearity-induced chaos forms the basis for the probabilistic nature of photon creation. Answers to physical problems at atomic and lower scales continuously evolve because chaotic-like electron movements change their configurations on a time scale of 10 zs. Within atoms, frequency mixing that creates an optical frequency field occurs in the nonlinear region surrounding the nucleus. On a probabilistic basis, a ring of vacuum charge can be induced that forms into an equivalent waveguide, which confines the energy as it travels permanently away from the atom. The propagating relativistically augmented fields losslessly induce charges that bind and protect the energy-carrying fields. The photon charge-field ensemble is a closed system and possesses all first-order photon properties, including zero rest mass and permanent stability. For near-neighbor photons traveling at a speed approaching c, we find a small constant force between them that is dependent upon their relative spin orientations. Our model shows that the radius of a photon is ≈10 am and that photon wavelength information is coded by energy.

Dynamic behaviors of a nonautonomous predator\u2013prey system with Holling type II schemes and a prey refuge

In this paper, we consider a nonautonomous predator–prey model with Holling type II schemes and a prey refuge. By applying the comparison theorem of differential equations and constructing a suitable Lyapunov function, sufficient conditions that guarantee the permanence and global stability of the system are obtained. By applying the oscillation theory and the comparison theorem of differential equations, a set of sufficient conditions that guarantee the extinction of the predator of the system is obtained.

Permanence and exponential stability for generalised nonautonomous Nicholson systems

The paper is concerned with nonautonomous generalised Nicholson systems under conditions which imply their permanence: by refining the assumptions for permanence, explicit lower and upper uniform bounds for all positive solutions are provided, as well as criteria for the global exponential stability of these systems. In particular, for periodic systems, conditions for the existence of a globally exponentially attractive positive periodic solution are derived.

Optimal control of behaviour and treatment in a nonautonomous SIR model

In this paper, we have considered a nonautonomous susceptible, infected, removed (SIR) model with saturation incidence rate for disease transmission. The global dynamical properties like permanence and global stability of the system as well as extinction of disease are analytically and numerically studied. The impact of behavioural patterns of individuals on disease control is validated along with possible applications. Furthermore, Pontryagin's Maximum Principle is used to characterise optimal level of the two controls, treatment and awareness level. Our objective is to minimise the infected population as well as the cost of applied control. The controls at optimal level are found to achieve different levels of impact on infection. It is observed that the combined impact of treatment and awareness exhibits more effective result in disease control compared to their single application. Based on observation, the strategy regarding the implementation of awareness and treatment is suggested.

Designing a Permanent EU-wide Stabilization Facility

While the EU recovery plan provides a useful step in alleviating the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis and achieving further European integration, a permanent fiscal stabilization capacity dealing with major crises is still missing. Such a EU-wide stabilization function would be in accordance with the subsidiarity principle, enshrined in the Treaty of Maastricht, as the risk-sharing that it provides can only be conducted at the supranational level. We envisage a mechanism to semi-automatically respond to region- and country-specific shocks via a central fiscal stabilization fund (CFSF). A simple model incorporating hysteresis, cross-border externalities and moral hazard, is deployed to illustrate the optimal responses of the CFSF to these shocks. A well-designed CFSF has the potential to improving welfare not only in crisis-hit member countries, but also in the union as a whole.

Modeling and Assessing Nailing Conduct Utilizing FEM Method

The nailing method is utilized for temporary and permanent stabilization of the drilled excavations and walls. In most instances, nailing is much more cost-efficient than other excavation stabilization alternatives, hence the popularity and rapid development of nailing technology have been increased. In this research, several parameters such as changes in the height of the excavation, alterations in the soil environmental parameters, changes in the nails’ layouts, and their lengths were analyzed to evaluate the conduct of the nailing system. The findings of this study demonstrated that each of the mentioned parameters makes changes in the locations, and the forces of the system. Further examination of the impact of each parameter, the maximum and minimum impact of the changes are assessed and ultimately, a general insight is created for designing each constituent of this study.