Rational Understanding Research Articles

Modulation of SpyCatcher Ligation Kinetics by SpyTag Thioamide Substitution.

Thioamide substitutions have been shown to impart valuable properties on peptides for biophysical experiments as well as cell or in vivo studies, but a rational understanding of thioamide effects on protein structure and protein-protein interactions is lacking. To elucidate their effects in β-sheet structures, we have used SpyCatcher003-SpyTag003 as a host-guest system to study individual thioamide incorporation at eight different positions in the SpyTag peptide. We have demonstrated that incorporating thioamides into SpyTag at specific positions can result in a ∼2-fold faster ligating complex, as well as >2000-fold slower ligating complex. Biophysical analysis and structural modeling provide a reasonable explanation for most of the thioamide effects, altering hydrogen bond networks as well as modulating an n→π* interaction within the SpyTag peptide. Our findings have important implications for potential applications of thioamide SpyTag variants, where the thioamide could impart protease stability in cells while also controlling the rate of ligation to SpyCatcher. These SpyCatcher-SpyTag host-guest experiments will also help to build a database for predicting thioamide effects on protein structure and function.

Will power serve for oneself or others? An exploratory study toward 6‐ to 9‐year‐old Chinese children

AbstractThis study investigated Chinese children's perspectives on the use of power and the prediction of these perspectives on their resource allocation. The sample included a total of 145 children from two primary schools in Mainland China (68 males, 77 females), with 70 in the younger group (Mage = 6.89, SD = 0.37, ranging from 6.08 to 7.67 years) and 75 in the older group (Mage = 9.03, SD = 0.55, ranging from 8.08 to 9.92 years). To explore the power perspective of children, they were presented a character who was ‘in charge’ and used his/her power to serve themselves or others. The results showed that children aged 6–9 years were more inclined to approve ‘bosses’ who used power for others' benefit, indicating children's support for benevolent power use, especially among 8–9‐year‐olds. Additionally, the study revealed that children who approved of benevolent power use tended to allocate more resources to others when possessing power, a behaviour not observed in 6–7‐year‐olds. This finding, more or less, indicated a correlation between children's perspectives on the use of power and their behaviour in allocating resources. These results demonstrate the importance of promoting a rational understanding of power use among children.Highlights All children held the benevolent perspective of power use, which agreed that those in power should use power to serve others. Children aged 8–9 were more inclined to think a ‘boss’ should prioritize the interests of others over their own. Children aged 8–9 who supported the benevolent perspective of power use allocate more resources to others.

Minimum Space When Transporting Pigs: Where Is the "Good" Law?

This paper focuses on the problem of numeracy when writing regulations, specifically how to describe a threshold for crowding of pigs during transport, considering transported pigs range in body mass from 5 to 500 kg. When scientific findings provide the basis for regulation in the public interest, those findings must be communicated in a consistent way to regulators and policymaking bodies. Numeracy is the ability to understand, reason with, and apply appropriate numerical concepts to real-world questions. Scientific understanding is almost always based on rational understanding of numerical information, numeracy. The threshold of administrative offenses is often a numerical description. Commercial livestock transporters have an interest in loading livestock compartments to the maximum to achieve the largest payload allowed by axle weight laws, as is the case in all bulk commodity transport. Maximizing payload minimizes costs and environmental hazards of fuel exhaust and can benefit the public with lower pork prices, but has a serious animal welfare risk. Livestock production academics, veterinarians, and animal welfare activists have been working for decades to determine the level of livestock crowding in transport containers that would be appropriate for regulatory enforcement. The scientific discourse has been plagued by a lack of numerical standardization when describing results of trials and forming recommendations. Exceeding specific numerical thresholds is the core to implementing enforcement actions. This paper examines the communication and other barriers that have prevented emergence of a consensus on this question and provides a direction toward resolution. Further confirmation of effects of crowding livestock in transit is needed. This paper suggests that articulating an enforceable standard in pig transport is possible. In inspection for compliance, discovering the LP50 (lethal pressure-50) for slaughter-weight pigs is an initial global benchmark goal. The LP50 is the loading floor pressure in a commercial transport compartment, under field conditions, that would result in the death of at least one pig in the group 50% of the time.

The comprehensive understanding of intrinsic contribution of nickel foam as a conductive substrate in water splitting

Using nickel foam as a substrate for an electrocatalyst to report overpotential in a manuscript is a popular method in electrochemical testing or water-splitting i.e., the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, use of coated Nickel foam as substrate methodology is, in essence, not reasonable for studying the intrinsic chemistry difference of electrocatalysts. To assess water-splitting devices, Ni-foam is a valid substrate if nanoparticles are grown uniformly; however, when drop-casted ink methodology is used or there is inhomogeneous growth of nanoparticles, it becomes difficult to determine whether a particular electrocatalyst is intrinsically active or not. In order to gain a rational understanding of the electrochemical activity and overpotential findings of a specific catalyst, it is essential to recognize the limitations of Ni-foam in reflecting its intrinsic role in electrocatalytic activity. In this study, the same catalyst was drop-casted on three different substrates, namely glassy carbon electrode (GCE), carbon fiber paper (CFP) and nickel foam (NF). It was observed that electrochemical results, such as overpotential, Tafel slope, turnover frequency, and others, varied significantly between NF and CFP or GCE. Therefore, it is concluded that NF should not be preferred as a conductive substrate during electrochemical testing (ET). On the contrary, other neutral substrates like CFP and GCE should be employed.

Structure search for molecular clusters. Towards a rational understanding of their size-dependent properties

Prediction of the lowest energy structure for transition metal clusters and related systems is fundamental in cluster science. Advances in the structure search methods have reduced the computer time for structure prediction, standing on the performance of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This perspective summarizes recent advances in the employed strategies to tackle geometrical determination of small and large metallic clusters via structure identification and rationalization of the resulting properties. Particularly, we pay attention to coinage metal clusters and noble metals due to their potential technological applications. The basics and recent achievements in structure search methods and related challenges are summarized, towards determining structural evolution accounting contributing to further development on efficient catalytic materials among other applications of technological interest.

(Invited) Evolution of Single Atom Catalysts during CO2 Electrocatalytic Reduction

The re-utilization of CO2 via its electrocatalytic reduction (CO2RR) into value-added chemicals and fuels is a promising avenue to minimize the impact of existing technologies on the climate change. This requires the development of low cost, efficient, selective and durable electrocatalysts based of their rational understanding. Moreover, it should be considered that even morphologically and chemically well-defined pre-catalysts can be susceptible to drastic modifications under operation, especially when the reaction conditions themselves change dynamically.This talk will address the transformations that Metal-N-C catalysts (M=Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Sn, Zn) experience during static and pulsed CO2RR using operando quick X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and Raman spectroscopy. In particular, I will illustrate the astonishing behaviordisplayed by Cu-N-C catalystsduring CO2RR, featuring reversible transformations from single atom sites towards Cu nanoparticles. The switchable nature of these species that can be achieved by applying different potential pulses holds the key for the on-demand control of the distribution of the CO2RR products and thus, a wide-spread adoption of this process.Moreover, I will elucidate the nature of the ligands forming under CO2RR at singly dispersed Ni sites in Ni-N-C catalysts, which are currently drawing great attention for their high performances in the CO formation. This will be achieved by a synergistic combination of conventional XAS, high energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption near edge structure (HERFD-XANES) spectroscopy, and X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) coupled with unsupervised and supervised machine learning methodologies and density functional theory.Overall, my lecture will feature the importance of operando characterization of electrocatalysts in order to unveil structure/composition-reactivity correlations during CO2RR.

The Effect of Metacognitive Strategies on Adult Second Language Acquisition

With the trend of “Chinese craze” becoming more and more popular all over the world, it has attracted many Chinese lovers to study Chinese, including children, teenagers and adults. In the process of adult second language acquisition (SLA), there is a gap between the learning ability and that of adolescent learners. In this process, learners often adopt various learning strategies in order to improve their language acquisition ability. But at present, adult learners have less knowledge of learning strategies. Even though some adult learners have some knowledge of learning strategies, there are still some confusions in using them. Therefore, the primary task is to study the learning strategies used in adult second language acquisition and make a more rational understanding of it.

Rational Understanding Hydroxide Diffusion Mechanism in Anion Exchange Membranes during Electrochemical Processes with RDAnalyzer

AbstractEnhancing the understanding of hydroxide transport mechanisms in anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is beneficial for the rational design of high‐performance AEMs in the renewable energy system. However, the high complexity and lack of adequate analytic tools make it challenging to clarify different mechanisms unambiguously. Herein, we developed an in‐house toolkit, the Reactive Diffusion Analyzer (RDAnalyzer), to conduct an effective analysis of hydroxide diffusion mechanisms from ReaxFF molecular dynamic simulations. Using the experimentally well‐synthesized T20NC6NC5N as a model system, we successfully decoupled the hydroxide diffusion mechanisms into free Vehicular and free Grotthuss, as well as associated Vehicular and associated Grotthuss, which was not yet achieved previously. Meanwhile, RDAnalyzer managed to specifically identify the drift length of hydroxide species for each mechanism under the electric field, which worked as a useful variable for calculating the conductivity of AEMs. Our theoretically predicted conductivity for T20NC6NC5N agrees reasonably with experimental results, indicating the reliability of RDAnalyzer. This work not only provides a rational understanding of the complex hydroxide diffusion mechanisms in AEMs but also holds the potential to guide the rational design of high‐performance AEMs with computations.

Rational Understanding Hydroxide Diffusion Mechanism in Anion Exchange Membranes during Electrochemical Processes with RDAnalyzer.

Enhancing the understanding of hydroxide transport mechanisms in anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is beneficial for the rational design of high-performance AEMs in the renewable energy system. However, the high complexity and lack of adequate analytic tools make it challenging to clarify different mechanisms unambiguously. Herein, we developed an in-house toolkit, the Reactive Diffusion Analyzer (RDAnalyzer), to conduct an effective analysis of hydroxide diffusion mechanisms from ReaxFF molecular dynamic simulations. Using the experimentally well-synthesized T20NC6NC5N as a model system, we successfully decoupled the hydroxide diffusion mechanisms into free Vehicular and free Grotthuss, as well as associated Vehicular and associated Grotthuss, which was not yet achieved previously. Meanwhile, RDAnalyzer managed to specifically identify the drift length of hydroxide species for each mechanism under the electric field, which worked as a useful variable for calculating the conductivity of AEMs. Our theoretically predicted conductivity for T20NC6NC5N agrees reasonably with experimental results, indicating the reliability of RDAnalyzer. This work not only provides a rational understanding of the complex hydroxide diffusion mechanisms in AEMs but also holds the potential to guide the rational design of high-performance AEMs with computations.

Incorporating Design Based Implementation Research with a Randomized Controlled Trial to develop and evaluate the efficacy of playful rational number learning

We combine design-based implementation research with a pre-registered RCT to address a long-standing challenge in psychological science: How to use psychological principles to address real-world problems while designing and implementing interventions in the field. We posit this as a design methodology for optimizing the translation between psychological science and real-world applications. We tested the efficacy of an extensively co-designed version of a game-based rational number intervention, Fraction Ball, versus “business-as-usual” math instruction and physical education in a sample of 4th/5th grade Latine students (N = 360). Insights from nine co-design sessions with 20 teachers informed revisions and additions to a previous version of Fraction Ball, strengthening impacts across 10 of 12 rational number subtests. This methodology provides insights for translating psychological science research and scaling it to address real-world educational needs, such as play-based interventions that improve rational number understanding in authentic contexts.

O-glycans Expand Lubricin and Attenuate Its Viscosity and Shear Thinning.

Lubricin, an intrinsically disordered glycoprotein, plays a pivotal role in facilitating smooth movement and ensuring the enduring functionality of synovial joints. The central domain of this protein serves as a source of this excellent lubrication and is characterized by its highly glycosylated, negatively charged, and disordered structure. However, the influence of O-glycans on the viscosity of lubricin remains unclear. In this study, we employ molecular dynamics simulations in the absence and presence of shear, along with continuum simulations, to elucidate the intricate interplay between O-glycans and lubricin and the impact of O-glycans on lubricin's conformational properties and viscosity. We found the presence of O-glycans to induce a more extended conformation in fragments of the disordered region of lubricin. These O-glycans contribute to a reduction in solution viscosity but at the same time weaken shear thinning at high shear rates, compared to nonglycosylated systems with the same density. This effect is attributed to the steric and electrostatic repulsion between the fragments, which prevents their conglomeration and structuring. Our computational study yields a mechanistic mechanism underlying previous experimental observations of lubricin and paves the way to a more rational understanding of its function in the synovial fluid.

The Impact of Culture Shock and Psychological Adjustment on Mental Well-Being in International Students

Cultural shock is attributed as a psychological response experienced due to adjusting into a new cultural environment. This present study research explored the impact of cultural shock on psychological adjustment and mental well-being. It was hypothesized that there will be an inverse relationship of Culture shock and Mental Well-Being in international students. For this purpose, correlational cross-sectional research design was used. The sample included 192 international students with the age range of 18 to 40 (M=21.02, SD=1.50) including 154 men and 38 women recruited through using convenience sampling strategy. A self-constructed demographic sheet, psychological adjustment scale (Ryff & Keyes,1995)., Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale (Tennant et al., 2007) and culture shock scale (Mumford, 1998) were used for the assessment. The result of Pearson product moment correlation illustrated the inverse relationship between culture shock and psychological adjustment in students. This revealed that examining the links between the evaluation elements could improve the rational understanding of psychological outcomes of acculturation related to personal variability factors. Such insights could also guide host university communities in bolstering the self-esteem and self-belief of their international student peers, aiding them in navigating their psychological adaptation challenges.

A new approach to quantify asymmetry in human movement

In this perspective paper, we propose a new approach to quantify the asymmetries in human movement. Before describing this approach, we delve into the asymmetry in human movement, often defined as the opposite of symmetry, and its implications for studying human movement. We critically examine the various methods available to quantify and describe bilateral differences, from arbitrary thresholds (such as the commonly employed 10–15% difference) to the measure of the smallest meaningful changes, and we stress the need for consideration of interindividual variability in the analysis. Our proposal centers on a straightforward metric, the probability of agreement, and a corresponding plot summarizing the agreement between measures from two limbs. Critically, the agreement between two limbs depends on the value of the clinically acceptable difference. The agreement will increase with larger values of clinically acceptable difference and decrease with smaller values of clinically acceptable difference. Data from various movements and conditions in athletes’ sports training and rehabilitation are used to illustrate this approach. Our perspective provides valuable insights into the nature of asymmetry in human movement, considering that a rational understanding of asymmetry in human movement requires a thoughtful approach encompassing both statistical and clinical significance. The data and codes employed in our research are openly accessible in the supplementary materials, enabling others in the field to replicate and build upon our findings.

Deadly consequences: lessons from the evolution of terrorist attacks against United States diplomats

ABSTRACT This article sheds light on the complex relationship between adaptive terrorist behaviours and U.S. diplomacy by investigating the interplay between diplomatic security reform and terrorist target selection. A longitudinal study (1970–2019) of 555 terrorist attacks against U.S. diplomats suggests that terrorists targeted U.S. diplomats between 1970 and 1998 because they were perceived as soft, yet symbolic, targets. In response to increasing attacks on diplomats, the U.S. began improving diplomatic security, but an inability to grasp how terrorists operate caused this process to be inefficient and flawed. Terrorists, in turn, exploited these security conditions for decades until, after the deadliest series of coordinated attacks against U.S. diplomats occurred in 1998, security improved to a level where diplomats were no longer a viable target. The findings underscore the critical role of security enhancements and lessons learned in deterring terrorists, emphasising the need for effective intelligence systems and policies. The analysis therefore has numerous implications for understanding how we can learn from our inaction and demonstrates how we should use our understanding of terrorist rationality to predict tomorrow’s terrorist threats.

Ionic Liquid Gating Induces Anomalous Permeation through Membrane Channel Proteins.

Membrane channel proteins (MCPs) play key roles in matter transport through cell membranes and act as major targets for vaccines and drugs. For emerging ionic liquid (IL) drugs, a rational understanding of how ILs affect the structure and transport function of MCP is crucial to their design. In this work, GPU-accelerated microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the modulating mechanism of ILs on MCP. Interestingly, ILs prefer to insert into the lipid bilayer and channel of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) but adsorb on the entrance of voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav). Molecular trajectory and free energy analysis reflect that ILs have a minimal impact on the structure of MCPs but significantly influence MCP functions. It demonstrates that ILs can decrease the overall energy barrier for water through AQP2 by 1.88 kcal/mol, whereas that for Na+ through Nav is increased by 1.70 kcal/mol. Consequently, the permeation rates of water and Na+ can be enhanced and reduced by at least 1 order of magnitude, respectively. Furthermore, an abnormal IL gating mechanism was proposed by combining the hydrophobic nature of MCP and confined water/ion coordination effects. More importantly, we performed experiments to confirm the influence of ILs on AQP2 in human cells and found that treatment with ILs significantly accelerated the changes in cell volume in response to altered external osmotic pressure. Overall, these quantitative results will not only deepen the understanding of IL-cell interactions but may also shed light on the rational design of drugs and disease diagnosis.

Research on the Influencing Factors of DT of SMEs from TOE Perspective

Purpose: This paper is to examine how the DT of SMEs is affected and driven, and provide theoretical and practical implications for the DT of SMEs. Design/methodology/approach: Starting from the TOE framework, combined with the resource-based view and contingency theory, this study identifies the antecedents that affect the DT of SMEs from the three dimensions of technology, organization, and environment. Under the framework of TOE, digital technology infrastructure, employee skills, management support and environment uncertainty will be fully discussed. With the data from 221 SMEs from China analyzed by the fs_QCA 3.0, the driving paths for high DT are divided into different conditions configurations. Findings: The DT of SMEs is not the result of a single factor driven, but rather the result of the synergistic effect of the enterprise. There are multiple resource allocation configurations that drive the DT of SMEs, indicating the complexity and synergy of the factors affecting the DT of SMEs, which can prove the DT of SMEs has the characteristic of “multiple concurrency”. Research limitations/implications: DT is a very complex phenomenon, and there are many factors that affect the DT of SMEs. Based on the TOE framework, this paper selects four factors, and many possible factors are not included in the model. Besides, for QCA, a case-based research method with a quantitative approach, structured questionnaire surveys often result in a lack of detailed understanding of the research subjects and the inability to delve into all case enterprises. Originality/value: The findings will enrich the research in the DT field, and deepen the rational understanding of the complex interaction nature of multiple factors behind the successful DT of SMEs and provide path guidance for SMEs to realize DT. The research conclusions of this study provide valuable insights for SMEs to promote DT by combining possible antecedent configurations.

Electrode, Electrolyte, and Membrane Materials for Electrochemical CO2 Capture

AbstractOne of the many possible ways to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) is through electrochemical means. This is an emerging approach with various merits. It is energy efficient, utilizes renewable energy, operates under ambient conditions, provides ease for control of reaction rates, and is scalable. Additionally, it can be integrated as a plug‐and‐play module at various scales, including large industrial sources or at small scale, e.g., on vehicles, and can easily combine CO2 capture, storage, and utilization into value‐added chemicals. Various “proof‐of‐concept” electrochemical CO2 capture approaches have been demonstrated in the recent past. These are made possible with electro‐active materials that capture, separate, and concentrate CO2 in the form of electrodes, electrolytes, and membranes in devices. Herein, these materials and their working mechanisms are identified and reviewed in various electrochemical CO2 capture devices where they are utilized. Also, the current challenges and future research directions with the identified electrodes, electrolytes, and membranes are summarized to give a rational understanding and guidance for selecting and designing materials for use in electrochemical CO2 capture devices.

Э.В. Ильенков о свободе воли

<p>Evald Ilyenkov’s works explores the issue of free will within the framework of activity theory. According to him, the concept of freedom is linked to the general activity of living beings in the external world and to the purposeful nature of this activity. Human freedom, or the ‘freedom of the will’, is treated as acting in accordance with the “purpose of the species”, that is, the interests of human society. The will is a psychological function that subordinates an individual’s activity to the goals and norms of social life. Alternative doctrines postulate free will as an immediate “fact of consciousness”, discovered through introspection and underlying human activity. This is where traditional empirical psychology intersects with the physiological doctrine of the unconditional reflex of freedom. Ilyenkov regards such a conception of free will as a “psychological illusion” and examines the implications of this illusion in the classic experiments of academician Ivan Pavlov. The article offers a cultural-historical perspective on the development of the human mind as a process of increasing free will: the emancipation of mental activity from the captivity of natural affects through the use of cultural tools and man’s rational understanding of the world and himself.</p>

A Critical Exploration to Godfrey Higgins's Apology from the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

In the book, “An Apology for the Life and Character of the Celebrated Prophet of Arabia, Called Mohamed, or The Illustrious,” Godfrey Higgins (1772-1833) presents “Persian empire and the oriental part of the Roman empire at the beginning of the seventh century,” “the emergence of Islam,” “the Prophet Muhammad’s (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam [SAW]) character, and mission,” “there is no god but Allah,” and “Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah.” He also compared Christianity (Bible) and Islam (Quran) in detailed. Higgins noted that the object of the book is to abate the spirit of intolerance that existed between Christians and Muslims. The review emphasizes the book's contribution to fostering a rational understanding of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Islam for researchers interested in Islamic history and those who are curious about the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Islam.

Świat i rzeczywistość. O radości jako współ-istnieniu

Starting from Coleridge’s ode On Dejection the essay attempts to define complex relationships between dejection and joy also in the domain of pedagogy conceived of as the exercise in practicing the art of living. Faust’s complaint of the elimination of joy from teaching and learning clearly aims at a larger social project: a society of people who are active and critically assess social and political reality of the day. “Training”, which education has become, adapts the individual to perform repetitive tasks in order to adapt well to an increasingly mechanistic world. Already in the early decades of the 19th century, Thomas Carlyle said that if he had been looking for a single term to describe the new age, he would have found it in the word 'mechanical'. We understand joy as an inclusive rationality that not only allows for that which does not submit to the rigours of the currently valid understanding of rationality, but is capable of taking a step back on the path of “progress” made under the sign of rationality. It turns out to be necessary to accept the postulate of multiple ways of domiciling in the world, all of which apply in a “mild way”. Such mildness creates the right aura for the joy that comes from the practice of co-being with others.