Uncontrolled Process Research Articles

Clinical and Immunological Aspects of the Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in the New Coronavirus Infection Covid-19

To date, methods of prevention and treatment of coronavirus infections have not been developed in essence. One of the reasons for this situation may be the peculiarities of the pathogenesis of coronavirus infection and the rapid development of the pandemic, which could hinder the effectiveness of ongoing research. As with any viral infection, with the development and spread of the inflammatory process, viremia develops, that is, the generalization of infection, cytokine secretion becomes uncontrolled, and the concentration of IFNy, IL-1, IL-6, IL-12 in the blood serum significantly increases, in other words, the primary inflammatory reaction enters a new phase — the cytokine storm phase, which manifests itself violently even according to clinical and laboratory parameters. In this regard, adequate therapy aimed at stopping the uncontrolled process induced not so much by viremia as by the associated inflammation is crucial. In this regard, the aim of our study was to study the effect of monoclonal antibodies, in particular the drug "Kazirivimab + Imdevimab"— a combination of recombinant monoclonal antibodies directed against S-protein on the clinical course and laboratory data in patients with a new coronavirus infection –Covid-19.

Mechanisms of Myofibre Death in Muscular Dystrophies: The Emergence of the Regulated Forms of Necrosis in Myology.

Myofibre necrosis is a central pathogenic process in muscular dystrophies (MD). As post-lesional regeneration cannot fully compensate for chronic myofibre loss, interstitial tissue accumulates and impairs muscle function. Muscle regeneration has been extensively studied over the last decades, however, the pathway(s) controlling muscle necrosis remains largely unknown. The recent discovery of several regulated cell death (RCD) pathways with necrotic morphology challenged the dogma of necrosis as an uncontrolled process, opening interesting perspectives for many degenerative disorders. In this review, we focus on how cell death affects myofibres in MDs, integrating the latest research in the cell death field, with specific emphasis on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the best-known and most common hereditary MD. The role of regulated forms of necrosis in myology is still in its infancy but there is increasing evidence that necroptosis, a genetically programmed form of necrosis, is involved in muscle degenerating disorders. The existence of apoptosis in myofibre demise will be questioned, while other forms of non-apoptotic RCDs may also have a role in myonecrosis, illustrating the complexity and possibly the heterogeneity of the cell death pathways in muscle degenerating conditions.

Ethno-confessional and socio-political views of indigenous and non-indigenous Muscovites (sociological experience)

The article deals with the problems associated with the intensification of migration processes in the largest megacities. Both positive and negative consequences of uncontrolled large-scale migration flows are determined. The focus of this article is concentrated on the study of the nature and degree of manifestation of tolerance/intolerance in the ethno-confessional and socio-cultural interaction of various groups of indigenous and non-indigenous population (with varying degrees of involvement in assimilation processes) Moscow; based on a comparative analysis of religious, socio-cultural and socio-political views of the indigenous residents of the capital and migrants. The results of monitoring by ISPR FCTAS RAS and IDR FCTAS RAS prove that uncontrolled migration processes contribute to the development of social risks. Ethno-confessional interaction is marked by the attitudes of the capital's indigenous inhabitants towards ethnocentrism, national and confessional exclusivity ("adherence to mono-national and mono-confessional marriages"). A significant difference in the socio-political, patriotic and confessional orientations of the typological groups studied ("indigenous" Muscovites and "newcomers") was revealed. Thus, the results of a sociological survey show that native Muscovites are more optimistic about the socio-economic and socio-political situation in the country, the political reform of society compared to migrants. In addition, when comparing assessments of the role of religious organizations and, in particular, the ROC in modern society, a group of "newcomers" Muscovites is less tolerant than a group of "indigenous" residents of the capital. The revealed consequences of the negative phenomena of the uncontrolled migration process (for example, the illegal involvement of migrants in labor relations contributes to the growth of the shadow economy and corruption in the labor market, etc.) indicates the relevance of studying the integration, assimilation of migrants and tolerance/intolerance in the ethno-confessional and socio-cultural interaction of indigenous Muscovites and newcomers. It is noted that taking into account "social risks" in the practice of national policy can help minimize the potential of interethnic and interfaith tensions in the metropolitan metropolis.

Antimicrobial peptides could antagonize uncontrolled inflammation via Toll-like 4 receptor.

Antimicrobial peptides are part of the organism's defense system. They are multifunctional molecules capable of modulating the host's immune system and recognizing molecules present in pathogens such as lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). LPSs are recognized by molecular patterns associated with pathogens known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that protect the organism from pathological microorganisms. TLR4 is responsible for LPS recognition, thus inducing an innate immune response. TLR4 hyperstimulation induces the uncontrolled inflammatory process that is observed in many illnesses, including neurodegenerative, autoimmune and psoriasis). Molecules that act on TLR4 can antagonize the exacerbated inflammatory process. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising molecules capable of mediating toll-like receptor signaling. Therefore, here we address the AMPs studied so far with the aim of inhibiting the intense inflammatory process. In addition, we aim to explore some of the interactions between exogenous AMPs and TLR4.

Effect of harvesting and post-harvest practices on the microbiological quality of dates fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

In Morocco, many dates varieties are produced and marketed, including local and imported dates, mainly Deglet Nour variety. The present study aimed to evaluate microbiological contamination on ten varieties of dates from four different production areas in Morocco, from the date market of Marrakech, and from the imported Deglet Nour variety, and to show effects of harvesting and post-harvest practices on the microbiological quality of dates. Physicochemical data presented that the pH of studied varieties varies between 5 and 6 and water activity from 0.28 to 0.62. Microbiological analysis displayed that samples from Tata region presented the highest microbial spoilage with Total Viable Counts (TVC) ranging from 4.2 log CFU.g −1 to 2.6 log CFU.g −1 and yeast/moulds reaching 2.99 log CFU.g −1 . Deglet Nour dates imported from Algeria, and Tunisia were less contaminated (TVC < 1.0 log CFU.g −1 , yeasts/moulds < 1.0 log CFU.g −1 ). Coliforms, Bacillus sp. and Staphylococcus were not found in any sample. Results revealed that some varieties produced and marketed in Morocco are affected by microbial spoilage, which can be assigned to uncontrolled dates processes of harvesting and post-harvesting practices.

Optimal Control Costs of Brain State Transitions in Linear Stochastic Systems.

The brain is a system that performs numerous functions by controlling its states. Quantifying the cost of this control is essential as it reveals how the brain can be controlled based on the minimization of the control cost, and which brain regions are most important to the optimal control of transitions. Despite its great potential, the current control paradigm in neuroscience uses a deterministic framework and is therefore unable to consider stochasticity, severely limiting its application to neural data. Here, to resolve this limitation, we propose a novel framework for the evaluation of control costs based on a linear stochastic model. Following our previous work, we quantified the optimal control cost as the minimal Kullback-Leibler divergence between the uncontrolled and controlled processes. In the linear model, we established an analytical expression for minimal cost and showed that we can decompose it into the cost for controlling the mean and covariance of brain activity. To evaluate the utility of our novel framework, we examined the significant brain regions in the optimal control of transitions from the resting state to seven cognitive task states in human whole-brain imaging data of either sex. We found that, in realizing the different transitions, the lower visual areas commonly played a significant role in controlling the means, while the posterior cingulate cortex commonly played a significant role in controlling the covariances.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain performs many cognitive functions by controlling its states. Quantifying the cost of this control is essential as it reveals how the brain can be optimally controlled in terms of the cost, and which brain regions are most important to the optimal control of transitions. Here, we built a novel framework to quantify control cost that takes account of stochasticity of neural activity, which is ignored in previous studies. We established the analytical expression of the stochastic control cost, which enables us to compute the cost in high-dimensional neural data. We identified the significant brain regions for the optimal control in cognitive tasks in human whole-brain imaging data.

Production of Bacterial Cellulose in the Medium with Yeasts Pre-Fermented Coconut Water or with Addition of Selected Amino Acids.

The uncontrolled natural pre-fermentation process of coconut water represents great hidden safety hazards, unstable production, and impact on the quality of nata de coco-the trade name of bacterial cellulose (BC) in food industry. In this study, BC production from Komagataeibacter nataicola Q2 was conducted in the media of coconut water (50%, v/v) pre-fermented by 11 coconut-sourced yeast strains in static. Results suggested that coconut water pre-fermented by different yeast strains had varied effects on the production of BC. Compared with the use of fresh coconut water, the use of coconut water pre-fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC7 increased the BC yield by 165%. Both natural pre-fermentation and SC7 pre-fermentation altered the concentrations of amino acids in fresh coconut water. The addition of selected amino acids aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, methionine, threonine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and proline at different concentrations had varied effects on the production of BC. The yield of BC was the highest when adding 3.0% (w/v) methionine. Moreover, adding 3.0% methionine allowed the production of BC with larger loops of looser aggregated microfibers, increased the crystallinity of BC from 64.8% to 69.4%, but decreased the temperature of maximum weight loss rate, hardness, and adhesiveness from 223 °C, 8.68 kg, and 92.8 g.sec to 212 °C, 7.01 kg, and 58.5 g.sec, respectively, in the test condition.

Auxiliary Selection in Yiddish Dialects

The variation of the two past tense auxiliaries (HAVE and BE) is a well-studied phenomenon in European languages, especially in the West Germanic varieties. So far, however, the situation in Eastern Yiddish has not been examined. This paper focuses on auxiliary selection in these Yiddish dialects based on data from the Language and Culture Archive of Ashkenazic Jewry, which were collected in the 1960s. Like most of the current works on this topic, the following analysis uses and discusses Sorace’s (1993, 2000) Auxiliary Selection Hierarchy, which allows to examine the Yiddish structures in light of historical and diatopic evidence from other Germanic varieties, particularly German and Dutch. The main focus is on intransitive verbs that show a high degree of variation—state verbs, controlled and uncontrolled motional process verbs, and change-of-state verbs. However, the Auxiliary Selection Hierarchy also has weaknesses, as is demonstrated in the following.*

A feasible strategy for deep arsenic removal and efficient tungsten recovery from hazardous tungsten residue waste with the concept of weathering process strengthening

Tungsten residue waste (TRW), generated by tungsten hydrometallurgy, is classified as a hazardous solid waste by Chinese government due to its high content and leaching toxicity of arsenic, but is also a typical critical metal secondary resource of tungsten. Deep arsenic removal and tungsten recovery of TRW are beneficial to waste harmless treatment and circular economy. However, the occurrence state and weathering mechanism of arsenic in TRW have not been investigated and reported, which is the fundamental reason why the harmless treatment of TRW has become a bottleneck problem. In this paper, a feasible and novel strategy for deep arsenic removal and efficient tungsten recovery from TRW was proposed based on the concept of weathering process strengthening. The results show that arsenic in TRW mainly exists in the form of arsenopyrite, and ionically bound arsenic (V) generated by weathering of arsenopyrite directly leads to leaching toxicity of arsenic in TRW exceeding 5 mg/L. The environmental risk of arsenic in TRW can be completely eliminated by strengthening the uncontrollable and slow weathering process of TRW into a controllable and efficient process. Over 98 % of arsenic and 84 % of tungsten were simultaneously leached from TRW under optimal conditions via an enhanced pressure oxidation leaching process in alkaline solutions based on the leaching thermodynamic and kinetic, resulting in only 0.07 mg/L of arsenic leaching toxicity in the secondary leach residue. Hydrated ferric oxide (HFO) generated by the leaching process provides the possibility for the diffusion of reactants and products, so that arsenic and tungsten can be high-efficiently leached. The harmless secondary leach residue can be used as a raw material for the production of building materials, cement, and glass. Taking into account the reduction of alkali consumption and recovery of tungsten and arsenic, the leach solution was recycled. The closed-loop strategy shows great promise for the harmless treatment and tungsten recovery of TRW on an industrial scale to promote circular economy and environmental protection.

The impact of wheat bran and molasses addition to caramba mix silage on feed value and in vitro organic matter digestibility

BackgroundThe fermentation process in silage is an inherently uncontrolled process that results in significant nutritional losses. Supplementing silage with different additives may boost nutrient and energy recovery during fermentation, which in turn can boost animal productivity. However, the impact of wheat bran and molasses addition on feed value of caramba mix silage is unknown. MethodsThis study determined the impact of molasses and wheat straw addition on fermentation and in vitro organic matter digestibility of caramba mix silage. Caramba was cut at harvest maturity and subjected to five different treatments, i.e., control, addition of 5% and 10% molasses, and addition of 5% and 10% wheat bran. Caramba mix and additives were mixed and ensiled into laboratory type 1 L glass containers. Silage fermentation, chemical and microbiological composition, and in vitro metabolic energy content in silages were determined 60 days after the initiation of treatments. ResultsDifferent chemical and microbial properties of silage were significantly altered by the addition of molasses and wheat bran. The addition of 10% molasses resulted in the highest values of all measured traits of Caramba mix silage. The dry matter was 27.00%, 28.44%, 33.93%, 32.67%, and 30.61% in control, 5% molasses, 10% molasses, 5% wheat bran and 10% wheat bran, respectively. Similarly, pH was 5.32, 4.89, 4.56, 4.62, and 4.39 in control, 5% molasses, 10% molasses, 5% wheat bran and 10% wheat bran, respectively. Likewise, crude protein was 14.58%, 13.03%, 16.23%, 14.75%, and 16.42% in control, 5% molasses, 10% molasses, 5% wheat bran and 10% wheat bran, respectively. ConclusionIt is concluded that addition of molasses and wheat bran to the caramba mix silage increased the chemical, and microbiological qualities. Particularly molasses improved the digestibility of silage. Therefore, it is recommended that 10% molasses should be added during the fermentation of the silage to improve chemical, and microbiological properties of Caramba mix silage.

Highly symmetric Lewis base coordinated with Sn2+ for reducing voltage loss and retarding oxidation in tin-halide perovskite solar cells

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of tin perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) has made significant breakthroughs recently, making them the most promising eco-friendly perovskite solar cells. However, the uncontrollable crystallization process and the easy oxidation of Sn2+ limit the achievable open-circuit voltage (Voc) and PCE. Herein, a highly symmetric Lewis base small molecule of melamine was introduced into perovskite precursor solution to coordinate with Sn2+, thus effectively modulate the crystallization process of tin perovskite and the oxidation degree of Sn2+. Meanwhile, the introduction of melamine greatly reduced the defect-induced non-radiative recombination in tin perovskites. As a result, the target TPSCs achieved a PCE of 10.3 % and excellent stability, which maintained 85 % of its initial PCE after aging in N2 glove box for 1300 h and 78 % in air for 30 h. Thus, our work provides a feasible strategy to modulate the crystallization process of tin perovskite for reducing the Voc loss in TPSCs.

ІНТЕГРОВАНИЙ КУРС «МИСТЕЦТВО» ЯК ІНСТРУМЕНТ РОЗВИТКУ КРИТИЧНОГО МИСЛЕННЯ ЗДОБУВАЧІВ ПОЧАТКОВОЇ ОСВІТИ

For more than ten years, modern psychology and pedagogy have preferred effective and original educational tools, the main purpose of which is to reveal the potential of modern art, the development of critical thinking that can be used in the study of various school subjects. Modern society, like life, is very demanding, it needs citizens who are able to think flexibly and dynamically, are able to navigate the variability of life, can make unusual decisions. Critical thinking of contemporary art is a jewelry tool for understanding the new educational paradigm focused on the adaptation of free communication in the world. Life proves that thanks to creativity, flexibility, the ability to generate new ideas, society will be easier to navigate in the most difficult times. How to prepare primary school students for life activities and fruitful work? Why should teachers and their students understand contemporary art? Scientific research (Kolotilo O.) proves that the main tasks of teaching an integrated course «art» are to reveal creative talents, stimulate artistic and figurative thinking, education of aesthetic taste of the individual in early school age and later independent life. In the process of a brief review of the history of modern art, the development of cultural values, the development of artistic and figurative thinking is formed on the basis of the idea of «beautiful». The demand for creative, intellectually developed people is very high.The classification of types of thinking has its origins in the works of Aristotle, who built the sphere of «speculation» and «pure reason» on a system of universal abstractions. Psychologists, in turn, consider several types of thinking: visual, concrete and abstract, intuitive and critical thinking. The scientific prism of intellectual and practical activity emphasizes the unity of thinking with the feelings of perception of the world around. Thanks to critical thinking, the child goes beyond sensory cognition. L. Masol, S. Zhupanin and F. Shchegel agree that the methodological basis for understanding the essence of the artistic image are the philosophical provisions of the theory of knowledge, interpret thinking as a holistic expression of human essence, where feelings and imagination provide diversity of implementation. Each of us is an artist, and creativity brings us great pleasure. In art, a person gets many opportunities to express their feelings and emotions. Creative talents in children are no longer perceived as internal uncontrolled processes. Creativity – a constant companion of child development, and in a broader sense – a necessary condition for existence. With the help of an integrated art course introduced by the New Ukrainian School, primary school students expand their knowledge of the ideas and features of contemporary art and develop skills to implement various components of contemporary art in their professional activities. Key words: critical thinking, creativity, subject learning, creativity, abilities, art, New Ukrainian School

Glycosyltransferase engineering and multi-glycosylation routes development facilitating synthesis of high-intensity sweetener mogrosides

SummaryMogrosides are widely served as natural zero-calorie sweeteners. To date, the biosynthesis of high-intensity sweetness mogrosides V from mogrol has not been achieved because of inefficient and uncontrollable multi-glycosylation process. To address this challenge, we reported three UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) catalyzing the primary and branched glycosylation of mogrosides and increased the catalytic efficiency by 74–400-folds toward branched glycosylation using an activity-based sequence conservative analysis engineering strategy. The computational studies provided insights into the origin of improved catalytic activity. By virtue of UGT mutants, we provided regio- and bond-controllable multi-glycosylation routes, successfully facilitating sequential glycosylation of mogrol to three kinds of mogroside V in excellent yield of 91–99%. Meanwhile, the feasibility of the routes was confirmed in engineered yeasts. It suggested that the multi-glycosylation routes would be combined with mogrol synthetic pathway to de novo produce mogrosides from glucose by aid of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies in the future.

Лесные пожары в удаленных населенных пунктах сибири: причины и совершенствование технологии тушения

Проведен анализ лесных пожаров на территории Иркутской области, выявлены причины возгорания и масштабного распространения пожаров. Предложен новый подход к решению проблемы тушения лесных пожаров, который заключается в применении комбинированной мобильной техники, позволяющей выполнять сельскохозяйственные и хозяйственные функции, а также функции пожаротушения. Рассмотрен один из вариантов такой техники на примере устройства для метания грунта и пробивания водой. Предложена модель для оценки необходимых для тушения сил и средств, учитывающая новый подход. Forest fires, as shown by the results of numerous studies, are a complex uncontrollable process that leads to significant material damage, changes in the ecosystem and soil erosion. The reason for such a large number of forest fires and significant damage is that a long time passes from the moment of detection and warning to the fire localization start. In most cases, the protection of nearby forest areas is carried out by residents of adjacent settlements (creation of mineralized belts and plowing of adjacent areas). But the available technical means that are located in remote settlements do not meet the requirements for intensive fire extinguishing and suppression in the shortest possible time. The carried out studies were related to a greater extent to model the control of the extinguishing intensity, taking into account the technical equipment and a certain extinguishing technology. The introduction of scientific research in relation to fire hazards in forest plantations determines the relevance of the results obtained. The main goal of this work was to study the effect on the fire intensity. Taking into account our proposed extinguishing technology, using a device for throwing soil and simultaneously water spilling, the impact intensity of each type of control actions on fire is set by a vector that is included into the natural fire model. Based on the results of the study there was determined a control action for fire extinguishing in the form of a vector, which would allow to control the impact intensity on a fire by each of the types of controlled factors. Particular attention was paid to special mobile technical appliances, which should include a unit for throwing soil and cutting reclamation strips in the aisles of coniferous forest plantations, as well as the required amount of fire extinguishing liquid with a motor pump for spilling fires. Technical hitch and fire fighting equipment must be aggregated with mini-tractors of sufficient power, which can move freely in the aisles of coniferous forest stands. The results obtained should be used to extinguish forest fires in remote settlements, to develop methods, technologies and methods for extinguishing such fires, allowing to reduce the intensity of fire spread. The proposed mathematical model allows to select the most significant control parameters to achieve the maximum function of the impact intensity on the fire. The use of technology with special ground throwers for timely response and cutting of militia strips working with general-purpose tractors, the creation of artificial reservoirs, near remote settlements will allow to reduce the area of fires as well as the damage from forest fires in the territories of remote settlements of Siberia.

Modern aspects of the use of natural polyphenols in tumor prevention and therapy.

Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites or organic compounds synthesized by them. In other words, these are molecules that are found in plants. Due to the wide variety of polyphenols and the plants in which they are found, these compounds are divided according to the source of origin, the function of the polyphenols, and their chemical structure; where the main ones are flavonoids. All the beneficial properties of polyphenols have not yet been studied, since this group of substances is very extensive and diverse. However, most polyphenols are known to be powerful antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory effects. Polyphenols help fight cell damage caused by free radicals and immune system components. In particular, polyphenols are credited with a preventive effect that helps protect the body from certain forms of cancer. The onset and progression of tumors may be related directly to oxidative stress, or inflammation. These processes can increase the amount of DNA damage and lead to loss of control over cell division. A number of studies have shown that oxidative stress uncontrolled by antioxidants or an uncontrolled and prolonged inflammatory process increases the risk of developing sarcoma, melanoma, and breast, lung, liver, and prostate cancer. Therefore, a more in-depth study of the effect of polyphenolic compounds on certain signaling pathways that determine the complex cascade of oncogenesis is a promising direction in the search for new methods for the prevention and treatment of tumors.

Inducing crystal-oriented growth while inhibiting grain boundary migration with multifunctional ionic liquid for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells

The uncoordinated Pb2+ and X- vacancy defects caused by the uncontrollable crystallization process are detrimental to the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a multifunctional ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluoroan (BMIMSbF6) is introduced into perovskite to form an intermediate phase to induce crystal-oriented growth and passivate intrinsic defects. The results demonstrate that PbI2·BMIMSbF6 intermediate phase can delay the crystallization rate through molecular exchange and induce the crystal-oriented growth of perovskites. Moreover, by passivating uncoordinated Pb2+ and X- vacancy defects, BMIMSbF6 promotes the grain coarsening of perovskite and inhibits the grain boundary migration with an Urbach energy decreased by 10 meV. As a result, the PSCs with the BMIMSbF6 additive achieves a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.03% and improved long-term stability. In addition to comprehensively controlling the growth of perovskite, the chemically stable BMIMSbF6 could prevent water infiltration to protect the perovskite and enhance its humidity stability. Thus, the PSCs with BMIMSbF6 additive maintains 85% of its initial PCE after aging at 45% relative humidity for 500 h. This work highlights the multifunctional roles of BMIMSbF6 to induce crystal-oriented growth, passivate intrinsic defects, and enhance humidity stability to form efficient and stable PSCs.

Antimony Doping of CsBi3I10 for Tailoring the Film Morphology and Defects toward Efficient Lead-Free Thin-Film Solar Cells

The CsBi3I10 (CBI) semiconductor as a light absorber emerges as a promising alternative to lead-based perovskites owing to its low toxicity, good stability, and satisfying physical properties. However, CBI exhibits an uncontrollable crystallization process, poor film morphology, high defect density, and short carrier lifetime, which lead to inferior optoelectronic properties, limiting its practical application in solar cell devices. Here, the Sb doping strategy is successfully developed for CBI films by a one-step antisolvent-free fabrication method. It is found that Sb incorporation in binary CsBi3–xSbxI10 can modulate the crystallization kinetics and optimize the film quality. As a result, polycrystalline films with high density and few pinholes are obtained to enable the enhancement of light absorbance, reduction of defects, suppression of nonradiative recombination, and increase of surface hydrophobicity. The solar cells based on the CsBi2.7Sb0.3I10 film show a remarkably improved power conversion efficiency of 0.82% compared to that of pristine CBI (0.22%), which is among the highest reported efficiencies for CBI-based thin-film solar cells. Moreover, unencapsulated devices based on Sb-doped CBI exhibit outstanding environmental stability and moisture tolerance. This work not only offers insights into understanding the binary Bi-based materials but also provides a new way to fabricate efficient and stable Bi-based solar cells.

Strengthening AL-Kadhimin Tilted Minaret by Using a System of Micro-piles

In this study, a strengthening system to control a tilt of about 80cm from vertical axis in the northeast minaret of AL- Kadhimin shrine that is located in the city of Baghdad, Iraq is proposed. The shrine consists of four minarets with two domes inside a big courtyard. Due to uncontrolled dewatering process inside the shrine, the four minarets have tilted in different angles, but the most severe tilt occurred in the northeast minaret. The dewatering well that operated near the minaret is causing water table level to decrease and effective stresses of the soil to increase. This results in a differential settlement of the minaret foundation. In order to protect the minaret's foundation from potential lateral loads, a group micro-piles have been proposed around the minaret. A Three-dimensional numerical analysis is used to analyze this problem by using PLAXIS 3D model. Different diameters, depths, angles of inclination were used to simulate the performance of single-row and double-row micro pile systems. The simulation results showed that the proposed micro pile system is an effective solution in resisting lateral loads and controlling the tilt that occurred in the minaret.

Mechanistic Study of a Microwave Field-Controlled Static Crushing Agent for Efficient Rock Breaking.

The long reaction time and uncontrollable reaction process of the swelling agent in the process of rock breaking by static crushing agent lead to unsatisfactory efficiency and effect of rock breaking. This paper uses physical experiments to compare and analyze the changes in temperature and pressure of the hydration reaction under different microwave conditions; utilizes microscopic analysis of the hydration reaction products under each condition, combined with numerical calculations to elucidate the mechanism of the effect of microwave field on the hydration reaction of the expansion agent; and proposes a microwave field-controlled static crushing agent rock-breaking method. The study reached the following main conclusions: (1) microwave heating is better than conventional heating in terms of heating rate, peak temperature, and peak pressure; (2) using static crushing agent rock breaking is preferable to use a low-power microwave field to control the reaction process, and to ensure that the initial temperature is not higher than the local water boiling point; (3) microwave heating to promote the reaction mechanism lies in its deep heating of the system, faster heating rate, and higher energy utilization, and is more conducive to hydration expansion reaction; (4) selective heating of microwaves can enhance the hydration reaction of calcium oxide and inhibit the production of hydrated tricalcium silicate, making the reaction more complete, while microwave heating will also improve the microstructure of hydration products.

The morphological faces of Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

The urban revolution of Barra da Tijuca-RJ was characterized by a late growth, due to its location, to be an immense sand and concentration of great extensions of land in the hands of a few. This finding reflects subsequent actions in the region, where the real state growth process and road connections were the focus of urban actions. Lucio Costa's pilot plan, with modernist characteristics, arises from the need to anticipate the uncontrolled and inevitable ocupation process of the area. The plan aimed to prevent the reprodution of what had happened with other neighborhoods on the Rio de Janeiro coast, which were experiencing intense densification. &#x0D; After 50 years, several changes were made to update the plan to the present, to remedy some points in which the plan did not have enough detail and many that succumbed to real estate pressures. &#x0D; In this way, this article aims to analyze the transformations that took place in Barra da Tijuca, from the implementation of the plan to the current urban fabric, and verify the urban design performance and real estate pressure as modelers of the neighborhood.