Individual Properties Research Articles

Testing methods to estimate population size for wastewater treatment plants using census data: Implications for wastewater-based epidemiology

In wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), wastewater loads are commonly reported as a per capita value. Census population counts are often used to obtain a population size to normalise wastewater loads. However, the methods used to calculate the population size of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from census data are rarely reported in the WBE literature. This is problematic because the geographical extents of wastewater catchments and census area units rarely align perfectly with each other and exist at different spatial scales. This complicates efforts to estimate the number of people serviced by WWTPs in these census area units. This study compared four geospatial methods to combine wastewater catchment areas and census area units to calculate the census population size of wastewater treatment plants. These methods were applied nationally to WWTPs across New Zealand. Population estimates varied by up to 73 % between the methods, which could skew comparisons of per capita wastewater loads between sites. Variability in population estimates (relative standard deviation, RSD) was significantly higher in smaller catchments (rs = −0.727, P < .001), highlighting the importance of method selection in smaller sites. Census population estimates were broadly similar to those provided by wastewater operators, but significant variation was observed for some sites (ranging from 42 % lower to 78 % higher, RSD = 262 %). We present a widely applicable method to calculate population size from census, which involves disaggregating census area units by individual properties. The results reinforce the need for transparent reporting to maintain confidence in the comparison of WBE across sites and studies.

Ecoliteracy to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

All living organisms cannot live in isolation as they are dependent on each other to maintain the conditions that make life worth living. Hence, sustainability involves a whole community and is not an individual property. One should always remember that ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts’, which means that all the important living systems depend on connections among the system’s components. Thus to support each other and make others live comfortably, each one should know about the environment they live in. In the billions of years of Earth’s evolution, the ecosystems have developed specific standards to sustain life. Understanding this is called as ‘ecoliteracy’. By becoming ecologically literate, one will be able to identify the patterns that help to sustain life and the ways in which these patterns were ignored by the previous generations. This literacy has to be arrived at an early stage by introducing interactive learning programs that allow children to participate in these initiatives. This will also encourage healthy habits and healthy lifestyle. The UN has propounded the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which pave the way for living a peaceful and healthy life. This paper demonstrates how Eco literacy can contribute towards the SDGs and how ecoliteracy could be a blessing for the Mother Earth and what are the challenges in implementing ecoliteracy.

A Triply Linked Porphyrin-Norcorrole Hybrid with Singlet Diradical Character.

Norcorrole Ni(II) complexes have recently received considerable attention because they are readily accessible antiaromatic molecules. Their high stability under ambient conditions and ease of synthesis have enabled the exploration of the intrinsic properties of antiaromatic molecules. Here, we report the synthesis and properties of meso-meso singly linked porphyrin-norcorrole hybrids and a triply linked porphyrin-norcorrole hybrid. The singly linked and triply linked porphyrin-norcorrole hybrids were fully characterized, including an X-ray structural analysis. Due to their orthogonal conformation, the singly linked hybrids maintain the individual electronic properties of their porphyrin and norcorrole subunits, while the triply linked hybrid shows a significantly smaller electrochemical HOMO-LUMO gap (0.45 eV) than that of Ni(II) dimesitylnorcorrole (1.08 eV). Furthermore, the triply linked hybrid exhibits singlet diradical characteristics, as confirmed by VT NMR, ESR, and SQUID experiments.

A Triply Linked Porphyrin‐Norcorrole Hybrid with Singlet Diradical Character

AbstractNorcorrole Ni(II) complexes have recently received considerable attention because they are readily accessible antiaromatic molecules. Their high stability under ambient conditions and ease of synthesis have enabled the exploration of the intrinsic properties of antiaromatic molecules. Here, we report the synthesis and properties of meso–meso singly linked porphyrin‐norcorrole hybrids and a triply linked porphyrin‐norcorrole hybrid. The singly linked and triply linked porphyrin‐norcorrole hybrids were fully characterized, including an X‐ray structural analysis. Due to their orthogonal conformation, the singly linked hybrids maintain the individual electronic properties of their porphyrin and norcorrole subunits, while the triply linked hybrid shows a significantly smaller electrochemical HOMO–LUMO gap (0.45 eV) than that of Ni(II) dimesitylnorcorrole (1.08 eV). Furthermore, the triply linked hybrid exhibits singlet diradical characteristics, as confirmed by VT NMR, ESR, and SQUID experiments.

Mueller matrix-based characterization of cervical tissue sections: a quantitative comparison of polar and differential decomposition methods.

Quantitative optical polarimetry has received considerable recent attention owing to its potential for being an efficient diagnosis and characterizing tool with potential applications in biomedical research and various other disciplines. In this regard, it is crucial to validate various Mueller matrix (MM) decomposition methods, which are utilized to extract and quantify the intrinsic individual polarization anisotropy properties of various complex optical media. To quantitatively compare the performance of both polar and differential MM decomposition methods for probing the structural and morphological changes in complex optical media through analyzing their intrinsic individual polarization parameters, which are extracted using the respective decomposition algorithms. We also intend to utilize the decomposition-derived anisotropy parameters to distinguish among the cervical tissues with different grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and to characterize the healing efficiency of an organic crystal. Polarization MM of the cervical tissues with different grades of CIN and the different stages of the self-healing crystal are recorded with a home-built MM imaging setup in the transmission detection geometry with a spatial resolution of . The measured MMs are then processed with both the polar and differential MM decomposition methods to extract the individual polarization parameters of the respective samples. The derived polarization parameters are further analyzed to validate and compare the performance of both the MM decomposition methods for probing and characterizing the structural changes in the respective investigated optical media through their decomposition-derived intrinsic individual polarization properties. Pronounced differences in the decomposed-derived polarization anisotropy parameters are observed for cervical tissue sections with different grades of CIN. While a significant increase in the depolarization parameter is obtained with the increment of CIN stages for both the polar [ for CIN grade one (CIN-I) and for CIN grade two (CIN-II))] and differential ( for CIN-I and for CIN-II) decomposition methods, a trend reversal is seen for the linear diattenuation parameter , indicating the structural distortion in the cervical morphology due to the CIN disease. More importantly, with the differential decomposition algorithm, the magnitude of the derived parameter decreases from 0.26 to 0.19 with the progression of CIN, which was not being probed by the polar decomposition method. Our results demonstrate that the differential decomposition of MM holds certain advantages over the polar decomposition method to characterize and probe the structural changes in the cervical tissues with different grades of CIN. Although the quantified individual polarization parameters obtained through both the MM decomposition methods can be used as useful metrics to characterize various optical media, in case of complex turbid media such as biological tissues, incorporation of the differential decomposition technique may yield more efficient information. Also, the study highlights the utilization of MM polarimetry with an appropriate decomposition technique as an efficient diagnostic and characterizing tool in the realm of biomedical clinical research, and various other disciplines.

Interactions between proteins and phenolics: effects of food processing on the content and digestibility of phenolic compounds.

Phenolic compounds have recently become one of the most interesting topics in different research areas, especially in food science and nutrition due to their health-promoting effects. Phenolic compounds are found together with macronutrients and micronutrients in foods and within several food systems. The coexistence of phenolics and other food components can lead to their interaction resulting in complex formation. This review article aims to cover the effects of thermal and non-thermal processing techniques on the protein-phenolic interaction especially focusing on the content and digestibility of phenolics by discussing recently published research articles. It is clear that the processing conditions and individual properties of phenolics and proteins are the most effective factors in the final content and intestinal fates of phenolic compounds. Besides, thermal and non-thermal treatments, such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, cold plasma, ultrasonication, and fermentation may induce alterations in those interactions. Still,new investigations are required for different food processing treatments by using a wide range of food products to enlighten new functionaland healthier food product design, to provide the optimized processing conditions of foods for obtaining better quality, higher nutritional properties, and health benefits. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

In patients with mild disability NMOSD: is the alteration in the cortical morphological or functional network topological properties more significant.

To assess the alteration of individual brain morphological and functional network topological properties and their clinical significance in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Eighteen patients with NMOSD and twenty-two healthy controls (HCs) were included. The clinical assessment of NMOSD patients involved evaluations of disability status, cognitive function, and fatigue impact. For each participant, brain images, including high-resolution T1-weighted images for individual morphological brain networks (MBNs) and resting-state functional MR images for functional brain networks (FBNs) were obtained. Topological properties were calculated and compared for both MBNs and FBNs. Then, partial correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between the altered network properties and clinical variables. Finally, the altered network topological properties were used to classify NMOSD patients from HCs and to analyses time- to-progression of the patients. The average Expanded Disability Status Scale score of NMOSD patients was 1.05 (range from 0 to 2), indicating mild disability. Compared to HCs, NMOSD patients exhibited a higher normalized characteristic path length (λ) in their MBNs (P = 0.0118, FDR corrected) but showed no significant differences in the global properties of FBNs (p: 0.405-0.488). Network-based statistical analysis revealed that MBNs had more significantly altered connections (P< 0.01, NBS corrected) than FBNs. Altered nodal properties of MBNs were correlated with disease duration or fatigue scores (P< 0.05/6 with Bonferroni correction). Using the altered nodal properties of MBNs, the accuracy of classification of NMOSD patients versus HCs was 96.4%, with a sensitivity of 93.3% and a specificity of 100%. This accuracy was better than that achieved using the altered nodal properties of FBNs. Nodal properties of MBN significantly predicted Expanded Disability Status Scale worsening in patients with NMOSD. The results indicated that patients with mild disability NMOSD exhibited compensatory increases in local network properties to maintain overall stability. Furthermore, the alterations in the morphological network nodal properties of NMOSD patients not only had better relevance for clinical assessments compared with functional network nodal properties, but also exhibited predictive values of EDSS worsening.

Anhedonia in bipolar depression treated with ketamine

AbstractBackgroundBipolar depression is the major cause of morbidity in patients with bipolar disorder. It affects psychosocial functioning and markedly impairs occupational productivity. Anhedonia is one of the most debilitating symptoms of depression contributing to treatment resistance. It correlates with suicidality, low quality of life, social withdrawal, and poor treatment response. Currently, there is no approved treatment specifically targeting anhedonia. Emerging evidence suggests that ketamine possesses anti‐anhedonic properties in individuals with depression.ObjectivesThe aim of this naturalistic open‐label study was to investigate the effect of add‐on ketamine treatment on anhedonia in treatment resistant bipolar depression.MethodsOur main interest was the change in patient‐reported (Snaith‐Hamilton Pleasure Scale) and rater‐based anhedonia measure (Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale‐anhedonia subscale). The secondary aim was to analyze the score change in three Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology‐Self Report (IDS‐SR) domains: mood/cognition, anxiety/somatic, and sleep. Patients underwent assessments at several time points, including baseline, after the third, fifth, and seventh ketamine infusions. Additionally, a follow‐up assessment was conducted 1 week following the final ketamine administration.ResultsWe found improvement in anhedonia symptoms according to both patient‐reported and rater‐based measures. The improvement in IDS‐SR domains was most prominent in anxiety/somatic factor and mood/cognition factor, improvement in sleep factor was not observed. No serious adverse events occurred.ConclusionAdd‐on ketamine seems to be a good choice for the treatment of anhedonia in treatment resistant bipolar depression. It also showed a good effect in reducing symptoms of anxiety in this group of patients. Considering unmet needs and the detrimental effect of anhedonia and anxiety, more studies are needed on ketamine treatment in resistant bipolar depression.

Looking Back on the Technique of Crime Investigation

Committing crime is not new for the human society . Since creation some individuals committed some activities against the established social customs and caused disharmony and indiscipline . These acts were in the form of causing loss of name , fame , property or life of individual . Individuals , by virtue of their character or being inspired by some other wicked persons caused harm even to the life of some socially reputed / important persons . Kings , socially reputed persons were the common victims of such conspiracy . It was not uncommon for the kings to be the target of enemy king and face conspiracy to cause harm to his life . For all such situations initially the society did investigation and punished the guilty one . Later on the administrators (kings) developed a system for the purpose and now-a-days a very sophisticated , organized system is working with assistance of some ultramodern techniques and equipments in the field of crime investigation which is facilitating the judiciary to work more efficiently . Toxicology (Agadatantra as given the nomenclature in Ayurvedic classics) is related with the discussion on use of poisons basically aimed to cause harm to the others . Charaka Samhita and Susruta Samhita being the basic classics of Ayurveda discuss in detail about poisons in different references . Initiating the discussion they stressed on the danger to the life of the kings from poison givers , cautions to be taken to prevent such efforts and also the methods to be opted to identify such people . A study and discussion on the crime investigation procedures discussed in the mentioned classics can be considered as an important work to understand the depth of knowledge and observations of the 2 eminent Ayurvedic scholars viz. Charaka and Susruta .

Socially fair improvement of taxation of income and property of individuals in the Russian Federation

The object of the study is the taxation of income and property of individuals. The subject of the study is the socially fair improvement of taxation of income and property of individuals. The article presents specific recommendations for socially fair improvement of taxation of income and property of individuals in the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the substantiation of the proposal to introduce a progressive tax scale for personal income tax. The article presents recommendations aimed at increasing the income of regional and local budgets from the collection of the taxes in question, as well as increasing the tax culture of citizens and reducing the number of road accidents. When conducting the research, the author used methods of analysis and synthesis of data (in different forms), induction and deduction. The scientific novelty is associated with the recommendations developed by the author for socially fair improvement of taxation of income and property of individuals in the Russian Federation, which meets the national development goals of the state for the period until 2030 and the list of instructions for the implementation of the Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The author’s special contribution to the study of the topic is the author’s proposed scale of progressive taxation of personal income (assuming the use of tax rates in the range of 13%–21%), the practical implementation of which will allow mobilizing about 1 trillion rubles. Recommendations for modernizing the taxation of property of individuals (including land and transport) have also been formulated. The materials of this study can be used in the practical activities of the Government of Russia, the Ministry of Finance of Russia, the Federal Tax Service, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, as well as in organizations of higher and secondary vocational education.

Influence of environmental conditions on the degradation of rubber compounds

Rubber compounds are complex, chemically active and viscoelastic materials. In this material type, transient and transient changes in the individual rubber properties occur during the manufacturing processes. A large number of rubber compounds consist of a large number of elastomers and virtually all of them are made up of fillers such as (carbon black, silica, kaolin, calcium carbonate, etc.). A very important element of which rubber compounds are composed is sulphur. Its important function is to ensure the cross-linking process during vulcanisation. Lubricants, plasticizers and various organic substances used to modify the properties are also essential components of rubber compounds. The aim of this work is to assess the influence of natural environmental conditions (temperature, time, humidity, microorganisms, UV radiation) on the modification of the properties of rubber composites.

Individual word representations dissociate from linguistic context along a cortical unimodal to heteromodal gradient.

Language comprehension involves multiple hierarchical processing stages across time, space, and levels of representation. When processing a word, the sensory input is transformed into increasingly abstract representations that need to be integrated with the linguistic context. Thus, language comprehension involves both input-driven as well as context-dependent processes. While neuroimaging research has traditionally focused on mapping individual brain regions to the distinct underlying processes, recent studies indicate that whole-brain distributed patterns of cortical activation might be highly relevant for cognitive functions, including language. One such pattern, based on resting-state connectivity, is the 'principal cortical gradient', which dissociates sensory from heteromodal brain regions. The present study investigated the extent to which this gradient provides an organizational principle underlying language function, using a multimodal neuroimaging dataset of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings from 102 participants during sentence reading. We found that the brain response to individual representations of a word (word length, orthographic distance, and word frequency), which reflect visual; orthographic; and lexical properties, gradually increases towards the sensory end of the gradient. Although these properties showed opposite effect directions in fMRI and MEG, their association with the sensory end of the gradient was consistent across both neuroimaging modalities. In contrast, MEG revealed that properties reflecting a word's relation to its linguistic context (semantic similarity and position within the sentence) involve the heteromodal end of the gradient to a stronger extent. This dissociation between individual word and contextual properties was stable across earlier and later time windows during word presentation, indicating interactive processing of word representations and linguistic context at opposing ends of the principal gradient. To conclude, our findings indicate that the principal gradient underlies the organization of a range of linguistic representations while supporting a gradual distinction between context-independent and context-dependent representations. Furthermore, the gradient reveals convergent patterns across neuroimaging modalities (similar location along the gradient) in the presence of divergent responses (opposite effect directions).

Seis2Rock: A Data‐Driven Approach to Direct Petrophysical Inversion of Pre‐Stack Seismic Data

AbstractThe inversion of petrophysical parameters from seismic data represents a fundamental step in the process of characterizing the subsurface, with applications ranging from subsurface resource exploration to geothermal, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen storage. We propose a novel, data‐driven approach, named Seis2Rock, that utilizes optimal basis functions learned from well‐log information to create a direct link between pre‐stack seismic data and so‐called band‐limited petrophysical reflectivities. Seis2Rock is composed of two stages: training and inference. During training, a set of optimal basis functions are identified by performing singular value decomposition on one or more synthetic amplitude variation with offset gathers created from measured or rock‐physics synthesized elastic well logs. In inference, seismic pre‐stack data are first projected into a set of band‐limited petrophysical reflectivities using the previously computed basis functions; this is followed by regularized post‐stack seismic inversion of the individual properties. In this work, we apply the Seis2Rock methodology to a synthetic data set based on the Smeaheia reservoir model and to the open Volve field data set. Our numerical results reveal the ability of the proposed method in recovering accurate porosity, shale content, and water saturation models. Finally, the proposed methodology is applied in the context of reservoir monitoring to invert time‐lapse, pre‐stack seismic data for water saturation changes.

Emergence and Causality in Complex Systems: A Survey of Causal Emergence and Related Quantitative Studies.

Emergence and causality are two fundamental concepts for understanding complex systems. They are interconnected. On one hand, emergence refers to the phenomenon where macroscopic properties cannot be solely attributed to the cause of individual properties. On the other hand, causality can exhibit emergence, meaning that new causal laws may arise as we increase the level of abstraction. Causal emergence (CE) theory aims to bridge these two concepts and even employs measures of causality to quantify emergence. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in quantitative theories and applications of CE. It focuses on two primary challenges: quantifying CE and identifying it from data. The latter task requires the integration of machine learning and neural network techniques, establishing a significant link between causal emergence and machine learning. We highlight two problem categories: CE with machine learning and CE for machine learning, both of which emphasize the crucial role of effective information (EI) as a measure of causal emergence. The final section of this review explores potential applications and provides insights into future perspectives.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of The Thai Versions of The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Form – Anxiety 8a and the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20 in Individuals with Chronic Low Back Pain

Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Form v1.0–Anxiety 8a and the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20 into Thai versions (T-PROMIS-Anx8a and T-PASS-20, respectively) and evaluate their psychometric properties in individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP).Material and Methods: The translations and cultural adaptations were performed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) guidelines. Thai individuals with CLBP completed the T-PROMIS-Anx8a and T-PASS-20. Psychometric evaluation including: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and dimensionality. Construct validity was evaluated by computing correlations among the scores on the T-PROMIS-Anx8a, T-PASS-20, Thai version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale–Anxiety (T-HADS-A), and Thai version of the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (T-FABQ).Results: A total of 269 individuals with CLBP were included in the analyses. The T-PROMIS-Anx8a showed unidimensionality and the T-PASS-20 evidenced a 4-factor structure. Both measures demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas ranged from 0.85 to 0.95), good test-retest reliability (ICC(2,1) ranged from 0.79 to 0.88), and neither ceiling nor floor effects were observed for any of the scales. Both measures evidenced acceptable convergent and discriminant validity, based on their associations with the T-HADS-A and T-FABQ.Conclusion: The T-PROMIS-Anx8a and T-PASS-20 were culturally adapted and evidenced acceptable psychometric properties for assessing anxiety in Thai individuals with CLBP.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of The Thai Versions of The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Form – Anxiety 8a and the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20 in Individuals with Chronic Low Back Pain

Objective: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Short Form v1.0–Anxiety 8a and the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale-20 into Thai versions (T-PROMIS-Anx8a and T-PASS-20, respectively) and evaluate their psychometric properties in individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP).Material and Methods: The translations and cultural adaptations were performed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) guidelines. Thai individuals with CLBP completed the T-PROMIS-Anx8a and T-PASS-20. Psychometric evaluation including: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and dimensionality. Construct validity was evaluated by computing correlations among the scores on the T-PROMIS-Anx8a, T-PASS-20, Thai version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale–Anxiety (T-HADS-A), and Thai version of the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (T-FABQ).Results: A total of 269 individuals with CLBP were included in the analyses. The T-PROMIS-Anx8a showed unidimensionality and the T-PASS-20 evidenced a 4-factor structure. Both measures demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas ranged from 0.85 to 0.95), good test-retest reliability (ICC(2,1) ranged from 0.79 to 0.88), and neither ceiling nor floor effects were observed for any of the scales. Both measures evidenced acceptable convergent and discriminant validity, based on their associations with the T-HADS-A and T-FABQ.Conclusion: The T-PROMIS-Anx8a and T-PASS-20 were culturally adapted and evidenced acceptable psychometric properties for assessing anxiety in Thai individuals with CLBP.

Whose Miles Are These Anyway?

Problem, research strategy, and findings State, local, and private-sector climate policies increasingly require estimates of site-generated vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for individual properties. No standard, agreed-upon method exists for this purpose. If alternative methods produce reasonably consistent results, then an analyst may select a method based on convenience. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this is the case. We reviewed existing applications and methods for estimating site-generated VMT, which can be conceptualized as the product of site-level trip generation and average length of a site-generated trip. We identified four plausible methods for estimating site-level trip generation and three for estimating average lengths of site-generated trips. Combining these yielded 12 methods for estimating site-generated VMT. We applied these methods to estimate trip generation, average trip length, and total VMT generated by eight existing office sites in the San Francisco Bay Area (CA) and the Wasatch Front Region of Utah. We found that trip generation and trip length estimates varied widely, with greater variation in trip generation estimates than in trip length estimates. Variation was magnified when the estimates were multiplied to produce site-generated VMT estimates, with the minimum estimate at a single site ranging from 84% to 96% lower than the corresponding maximum. Takeaway for practice In the short term, planning policies requiring site developers or occupants to produce site-level estimates of VMT should specify consistent methods to allow for comparison across sites and over time as needed. In the long term, if VMT is to be used as a performance metric, industry-wide standards for estimating it for both existing and prospective projects are needed. Alternatively, policymakers should consider whether the goals of VMT reduction might be better met with a different performance metric.

Synaptobrevin2 monomers and dimers differentially engage to regulate the functional trans-SNARE assembly.

The precise cell-to-cell communication relies on SNARE-catalyzed membrane fusion. Among ∼70 copies of synaptobrevin2 (syb2) in synaptic vesicles, only ∼3 copies are sufficient to facilitate the fusion process at the presynaptic terminal. It is unclear what dictates the number of SNARE complexes that constitute the fusion pore assembly. The structure-function relation of these dynamic pores is also unknown. Here, we demonstrate that syb2 monomers and dimers differentially engage in regulating the trans-SNARE assembly during membrane fusion. The differential recruitment of two syb2 structures at the membrane fusion site has consequences in regulating individual nascent fusion pore properties. We have identified a few syb2 transmembrane domain residues that control monomer/dimer conversion. Overall, our study indicates that syb2 monomers and dimers are differentially recruited at the release sites for regulating membrane fusion events.

Carbon Dots as Ligand Operons to Expand Cluster Size Distribution for High Load‐bearing Liquid Superlubricity

AbstractAdding additives (e.g., carbon dots, CDs) to liquid lubricants is an effective method for enhancing their load‐bearing capacity and friction reduction. However, it is challenging to simultaneously impart high load‐bearing capacity and superlubricity for them (e.g., ionic liquid analogs, ILAs) through this strategy due to strong Coulombic interactions. With CDs as a competing ligand operon, the cluster size distribution can be expanded, conferring superlubricity with ultrahigh load‐bearing capacity (&gt;705 MPa, the highest value of CDs‐based superlubricious materials thus far) for CDs/ILAs. In particular, methodologies such as Raman, 1H‐NMR, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and laser particle size analysis are employed to characterize the evolution of their H‐bonding interactions and particle size distribution. CDs can act as competing ligands and enable CDs/ILAs to form systems with ultra‐low coefficient of friction and wear consisting of a mixture of large and small clusters. The mixed and expanded size clusters facilitate the reduction of the viscosity for CDs/ILAs under shear, thereby reducing the interfacial shear resistance during superlubricity, while the CDs within them efficiently transfer the normal bearing loads. The progress is made from the perspective of cluster particle size distribution rather than individual additive properties, providing a new avenue for designing ILAs‐based superlubricious materials.

Numerical Modeling of Cutting Characteristics during Short Hole Drilling: Part 2—Modeling of Thermal Characteristics

The modeling of machining process characteristics and, in particular, of various cutting processes occupies a significant part of modern research. Determining the thermal characteristics in short hole drilling processes by numerical simulation is the object of the present study. For different contact conditions of the workpiece with the drill cutting inserts, the thermal properties of the machined material were determined. The above-mentioned properties and parameters of the model components were established using a three-dimensional finite element model of orthogonal cutting. Determination of the generalized values of the machined material thermal properties was performed by finding the set intersection of individual properties values using a previously developed software algorithm. A comparison of experimental and simulated values of cutting temperature in the workpiece points located at different distances from the drilled hole surface and on the lateral clearance face of the drill outer cutting insert shows the validity of the developed numerical model for drilling short holes. The difference between simulated and measured temperature values did not exceed 22.4% in the whole range of the studied cutting modes.