Uncontrolled Process Research Articles

A Theory of the Evolutionary Role of Hereditary Tumors (carcino-evo-devo): the History and the Current State. Part 1. From General Principles to Hypothesis, and from Hypothesis to New Concept

The theory of the evolutionary role of hereditary tumors, or carcino-evo-devo theory, may be considered as the next step after A.N. Severtsov theory of phylembryogenesis, the theory of evo-devo, and Susumu Ohno theory of evolution by gene duplication. The carcino-evo-devo theory pretends to be a unifying biological theory, because it unifies within an integrated consideration three main types of biological development – individual, evolutionary and neoplastic development. The carcino-evo-devo theory explains a series of unexplained biological phenomena. In the first place, it explains the mechanisms of progressive evolution and biological complexity increase using the concept of relatively unstable transitory forms and autonomous uncontrolled processes. The theory of the evolutionary role of hereditary tumors has formulated several non-trivial predictions in various fields of biology, which have been confirmed in the lab of the author and in other laboratories. The consequences of the carcino-evo-devo theory have implications in medicine and biotechnology. The first part of the article describes the basic principles from which the main hypothesis followed, the progressive developments of the concept, and the first experimental data in support of non-trivial predictions obtained in the laboratory of the author in the period before 2014, when our monograph “Evolution by Tumor Neofunctionalization” (Kozlov, 2014) has been published.

Fabricating High-Efficiency Sb2(S,Se)3 Solar Cells by Novel Additive-Assisted Longitudinal Component Engineering.

Antimony selenosulfide (Sb2(S,Se)3) solar cells have achieved an efficiency of over 10.0%. However, the uncontrollable hydrothermal process makes preparing high-quality Sb2(S,Se)3 thin films a bottleneck for efficient Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cell. To address this problem, triethanolamine (TEA) additive is innovatively utilized to regulate the reaction kinetic process of Sb2(S,Se)3 thin films in this work. The results show that TEA chelator can realize the time-domain control of the reaction process, optimizing the Se/(S+Se) elemental distribution of Sb2(S,Se)3 thin film and shrinking the bandgap offset of Sb2(S,Se)3 thin film. Meanwhile, the (021) and (061) crystal orientation of Sb2(S,Se)3 thin film are enhanced and the harmful VSe1 defects in Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells are passivated. Interestingly, a uniform back surface gradient for Sb2(S,Se)3 thin film is formed to reduce the minority carrier recombination at the back contact, increase the photocurrent and decrease the diode current of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells. Finally, the Jsc and FF of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells are significantly improved by 8.6% and 5.5% respectively, and the open-circuit voltage deficit of the device is reduced by 44mV, which leads to an efficiency of 9.94% which is the highest values of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells by sodium selenosulfate system.

Tracheobronchial amyloidosis following COVID-19 infection.

Deposition of amyloid proteins in extracellular space can occur due to uncontrolled inflammatory processes. Tracheobronchial amyloidosis (TBA) is a rare form of such disease. A 68-year-old woman was evaluated for chronic cough following a COVID-19 infection. Although post-viral sequelae were suspected, further investigation revealed TBA. This condition involves amyloid deposits within the airways. The temporal association with COVID-19 raises a potential etiological link, suggesting viral-induced inflammatory or immune-mediated processes may play a role. This case underlines the need to consider rare etiologies like TBA in patients with unresolved respiratory symptoms post-COVID-19.

Consequences of anthropization in the Veredas environments in the Brazilian Cerrado

The Veredas are considered a wet savanna phytophysiognomy that is important for the preservation of the Cerrado. This study aims to evaluate the impacts of anthropic actions on soil and vegetation degradation in the Veredas environments in the Environmental Protection Area (EPA). Two environments of preserved and anthropized Veredas were selected. Anthropized environments are understood as areas of Veredas that had their vegetation cover lost due to the occurrence of recurrent forest fires associated with the presence of domestic animals. In these areas, samples were collected to evaluate soil characteristics, and floristic surveys were conducted to characterize vegetation. It was found that the uncontrolled anthropization process driven by forest fires and domestic animals in the Veredas environments led to the degradation of the land cover and soils of these environments. Vegetation removal is manifested by a reduction in the number of individuals and species present in anthropized environments. Organic matter content and fertility have decreased, while soil density has increased. These results are explained by the accelerated decomposition and (or) by the deposition of biomass burning products in anthropized environments. We also analyzed statistics of fire foci and found the highest values in relation to soil classes in the Entisols and the Oxisols environments. The highest bulk density of fire foci was observed in the Entisols environments and is influenced by the presence of an herbaceous stratum composed of grasses. Thus, an understanding of the anthropization processes of the Veredas environments in conservation units for sustainable use, such as the EPA, is urgently required. Our results facilitate the development and enaction of environmental policies for the most effective preservation and protection of these areas.

Inhibiting Cation Segregation to Enable Highly Efficient Perovskite Light‐Emitting Diodes

AbstractPerovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) present potential applications for next‐generation displays due to their excellent luminescent properties and solution processing. The formamidinium‐caesium lead bromide (FAxCs1−xPbBr3) mixed cation strategy is one of the primary methods to achieve high‐performance of Cs‐dominate PeLEDs system. However, the inhomogeneous distribution of cations is detrimental to the photoelectronic performance of Cs‐dominated PeLEDs. Here, in mixed FA/Cs perovskite films, it is observed that Cs, Br and trace Pb elements precipitated on the surface of the perovskite films. It is found that the segregation of cations is induced by the uncontrollable crystallization process of Cs/FA cations. By introducing biuret additive, the hydrogen bonding interaction of biuret and FA cation balances crystallization rate, which therefore significantly improves the crystal quality and cations distribution of perovskite films. As a result, green PeLEDs with a high external quantum efficiency of 28.8% are obtained, and represent five times enhancement in half‐life time (T50) of 2.48 h at an initial luminance of 100 cd m−2 relative to the control device. The results help to understand the relationship between cationic distribution and PeLEDs properties, offering significant insights for modulating the performance of PeLEDs.

Alternating current and electrolyte engineering-promoted surface reconstruction of NiFeOxHy catalysts for amper-level oxygen evolution reaction

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) holds vital significance for energy conversion and sustainable synthesis, but the scope of achievable reactions using active and durable electrocatalysts remains limited. Nearly all employed electrocatalyst surfaces undergo uncontrolled reconstruction processes during OER, resulting in inevitable uncertainties and randomness in the formation and evolution of the reconstituted layer. Most current efforts are confined to a single process or region, leaving the energy supply and microenvironment uncontrollable. Here, we propose a novel approach using alternating current (AC) for energy supply and nitrate ions for electrolyte engineering to optimize the reconstruction process of NiFeOxHy. The AC profile induces an opposite electrochemical process, significantly enhancing the stability of the newly formed reconstruction layer against reverse currents originating from the intermittent operation of the electrolyzer. Additionally, nitrate ions act as inducers, optimizing the microenvironment and facilitating the rational formation of the reconstruction layer. The combined energy and electrolyte engineering result in a well-defined reaction surface, promoting fast charge transfer, mass transfer, and abundant active sites for reducing OER kinetics. As a result, an anode based on the optimized catalysts achieves a 17.8 % increase in current density at 2.4 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode). For potential practical applications, the current density can be improved by 92 %, with long-term stability lasting up to 200 h under the condition of 1 A cm−2. Moreover, the optimized catalysts remain stable even after intermittent operation at a current density of 1 A cm−2 for 1400 cycles. This work provides a unique strategy for surface reconstruction of energy-related catalysts, effectively manipulating their catalytic properties and functionalities.

Адаптация форм Pinus sylvestris с разным цветом семян на избыточно увлажненных почвах

Adaptive changes in biochemical parameters of different pine forms under conditions of constant excessive soil moisture in the northern latitudes of the European part of Russia have been studied. The influence of seasonal variability on the dynamics of the photosynthetic pigment complex of pine forms with different seed colours has been shown. It has been established that elevated temperatures in early autumn contribute to the accumulation of chlorophyll, and this can negatively affect the hardening of trees in preparation for overwintering. The proportion of chlorophylls localized in the light-harvesting complexes of chloroplasts fluctuates from May to November from 43 to 60 %, which is associated with the adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus of trees of different forms to the light conditions of high latitudes and other environmental factors. It has been determined that anthocyanins accumulate significantly more in pine needles in autumn, which increases their antioxidant role in this season. It has been revealed that peroxidase activity in 1-year-old needles increases in the autumn period. This can be considered as a protective reaction of different forms of pine, preventing the development of uncontrolled processes with a limited oxygen supply to the organs. A significant new formation of water-soluble proteins in pine needles with dark-coloured seeds has been detected due to the deterioration of weather conditions. This form, compared to pine with light seeds, probably reacts more strongly to the effect of stress factors that increase hypoxia of the root system. It has been concluded that the concentration of proline in needles is a very variable indicator, reacting sharply to the action of stress factors. No general trends in the seasonal dynamics of the indicator have been identified. It has been established that the content of ascorbic acid in the needles of trees of different forms of pine in late spring is significantly lower than in the summer and autumn seasons. This indicates the development of protective mechanisms to prevent oxidative stress under adverse weather conditions.

Improving the pore properties of porous aromatic frameworks in two aspects via partition strategy

Microporous solids are famous for their high surface area and pore size at the molecular scale, which are crucial for the applications of adsorption, separation and catalysis. An ideal porous solid would simultaneously have a high surface area and nanopores with the desired opening size. However, due to the uncontrollable reaction process of porous organic frameworks (POFs), the acquisition of such a solid is still technically limited. Herein, we reported a simple but platform-wide pore partition strategy to improve the porosity of porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) in two aspects. This strategy was achieved by introducing a partition unit with flexible linkage to segment the original voids of PAFs into multiple micropore domains. The obtained partitioning PAFs have 130%-217% increments in surface area due to the creation of extra accessible surfaces while the pores are segmented into smaller ones. Notably, the partitioning PAFs showed significantly increased adsorption capacity for CO2 due to their improved surface area. At the same time, the narrowed pore size allowed selective capture of dye molecules by their size differences. Similar to their parent PAFs, the partitioning PAFs retained their high stability in harsh environments. A simple and universal pore partition strategy will be an important step in improving PAF porosity to desired functions.

US dollar is losing it position of a reserve currency: how new BRICS development bank can ensure a soft landing

Freezing or the danger of freezing the assets of many countries can make the run away from the US dollar an uncontrolled process. Whereas in the long term this process may be beneficial for the US and the world economy, the short- and medium-term adjustment costs can be extremely high. To ensure a soft landing the New Development Bank of BRICS countries can issue bonds that would be sold to countries, whose assets have been frozen or are afraid that they might be frozen by the West, so that they can store their foreign exchange reserves in these bonds. The Bank will invest the proceeds from the sale of these bonds in the traditional financial instruments for storing foreign exchange reserves—US and EU treasury bills and bonds denominated in the same dollars and euros. These BRICS bonds would be less prone to sanctions and thus considered safe investment.

Exploiting the Base‐Triggered Thiol/Vinyl Ether Addition to Prepare Well‐Defined Microphase Separated Thermo‐Switchable Adhesives

AbstractSwitchable adhesives are materials of utmost importance due to their capability of having their adhesion/cohesion properties reversibly triggered upon stimuli, allowing on‐demand surface attaching/detaching. Still, several challenges mainly associated with complex uncontrolled chemical processes hinders their production. In this study, it is found that unexpectedly vinyl ethers are able to react with thiols in the presence of a catalytic concentration of base, which allows the preparation of well‐defined phase‐separated switchable adhesives. Indeed, these findings show that base‐catalyzed thiol‐acrylate and thiol‐vinyl ether are highly orthogonal, making the acrylate reaction faster. This is explored to react in the first stage thiols with acrylates in the presence of vinyl ethers to end‐cap all the oligomers with stable vinyl ethers and suppress undesirable disulfide formation. In a second stage the UV‐triggered thiol‐ene “click reaction” is carried out, forming the network. It is shown that the network prepared by this approach presents superior adhesion due to greater backbone length, a controlled crosslinking motif, and better‐defined microphase separation. Additionally, the adhesives made by this strategy are thermo‐switchable due to the temperature‐triggered base‐catalyzed thioether dynamic covalent character at 200 °C. Despite providing superior adhesive properties, the proposed technology endows scalable, thermo‐switchable, and O2‐resistant adhesives with huge industrialization potential.

Преступность мигрантов в России: реальность, вызовы и перспективы

This article examines the current situation with migrant crime in Russia, as well as the relationship between uncontrolled migration flows and criminal activity of migrants. It raises the question of the effectiveness of the current state migration policy in the light of increased public concern about this issue. The article presents current statistical data on the state of migrant crime in Russia. Despite the decrease in the overall crime rate, the author notes an increase in the number of certain types of crimes, as well as a high level of latency and social tension. There is a category of migrants who commit crimes more often. The article takes into account the personal practical experience of the author and forms a set of problems in the analyzed area. The role of the state and law enforcement agencies in combating migrant crime, as well as measures to counter it in modern conditions, is discussed. Migration crime and uncontrolled migration processes are considered as a threat to national security, which must be dealt with now in order to prevent serious negative consequences in the future.

EXPERIENCE IN HEALING FARMS FROM LEUKEMIA OF CATTLE

This article presents the experience of rehabilitating two farms with initial infection with the bovine leukemia virus of 17.72% and 33.48%. A scheme for improving the health of a farm using the method of serological and hematological research, with the isolation of sero-positive animals and the subsequent elimination of animals with hematological leukemia, is described. This also shows the prevalence and incidence of oncornavirus infection in an uncontrolled epizootic process.

An Optimal Multibarrier Strategy for a Singular Stochastic Control Problem with a State-Dependent Reward

We consider a singular control problem that aims to maximize the expected cumulative rewards, where the instantaneous returns depend on the state of a controlled process. The contributions of this paper are twofold. Firstly, to establish sufficient conditions for determining the optimality of the one-barrier strategy when the uncontrolled process X follows a spectrally negative Lévy process with a Lévy measure defined by a completely monotone density. Secondly, to verify the optimality of the (2n+1)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$(2n+1)$$\\end{document}-barrier strategy when X is a Brownian motion with a drift. Additionally, we provide an algorithm to compute the barrier values in the latter case.

Stability analysis for passive robots walking on inclined surfaces with local angles

For common-legged robots with a kind of stiff joints, the human-like and consecutive gait shown by passive walking robots is a bit difficult to achieve because of varying degrees of control, which is usually accompanied by computational cost. Of course, passive dynamic walking undoubtedly has its inevitable disadvantages because of the lack of control, which is stability. At the same time, the significant nonlinearity of the passive gait increases the difficulty of realizing the walking stability of the passive robot. Therefore, the passive robot still needs certain control to achieve stable walking even on the natural plane or smooth slope. In this paper, a passive robot model walking on an inclined plane with a local angle is studied. First of all, the approximate solution of the nonlinear dynamic equation is given by the perturbation method, and the conditions for the robot to achieve stable walking without external forces are obtained. Further, the input-output feedback linearization control based on hybrid zero dynamics is employed to carry out virtual constraints on the passive robot during the swing stage of walking, facilitating the transition from the unstable state to the stable periodic state. From the result of the experiments, the walking stability of the passive robot is improved over a larger range of walking status values compared with the condition without external force control, and the use of this method reduces the complicated work of solving the fixed point. These findings possibly have reference value in passive walking stabilization control. Meanwhile, the simulation results obtained by designing and studying the minimum controlled walking model show that human walking is based on the uncontrolled mechanical process. The exploration of the mechanism of passive gait can provide some enlightenment to the research of human texture and the application of exoskeleton.

Implications of peri-urban land reform programs on urban land markets: a case study of Harare, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe implemented the Fast-Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP) in the year 2000. This program has had far-reaching implications on urban development, especially on urban land markets in cities and towns. This paper highlights the implications of the land reform program on urban land markets, using Harare as a case study. The paper is based on document review (policy, academic and development literature) and interviews with key informants with experience and knowledge of the land reform and its associated implications on urban land markets. Our analysis demonstrates that the land reform process in peri-urban spaces was complex and largely driven by political interests. The land reform process distorted the urban planning processes, leading to disparities in the land markets. Such disparities include informal and uncontrolled processes of accessing land and, ultimately, rapid development of informal settlements in the city. Political elites and land barons took advantage of the land reform program extorting money from desperate home-seekers. We conclude that the distortion of urban land markets by politically driven land reform processes negatively affects sustainable urban development. Overall, the paper makes a valuable contribution to the growing literature on land reforms and peri-urban development in Africa, demonstrating the complex and multidimensional implications of land reform programs on peri-urban land markets. Based on the study findings, the paper provides a set of policy recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness and equity of land reform programs in African peri-urban areas.

Intermetallic Compounds in Solder Alloys: Common Misconceptions

Intermetallic compounds (IMC) or intermediate phases are formed between two or more metallic elements in many metal alloy systems. During soldering, an IMC is formed at the soldered interface as the molten solder reacts with an element in the substrate. IMCs also can form within the bulk solder as the joint solidifies. IMCs have critical roles in the solder joint quality and reliability. Unlike most metal alloys, an intermetallic compound typically has a fixed stoichiometry and is in variance with the conventional phases or constituents in the metal system (e.g., alpha and beta). IMCs have a different crystal structure than any of its constituents and some but never all the characteristics and properties of its constituents. Ductility is an important solder joint property, and the low intrinsic ductility of IMCs is associated with brittle behavior and reliability risk in service. However, a review of published solder field failures shows little evidence that IMC properties or IMC evolution under service conditions reduce solder joint reliability. Most IMC-induced solder joint failures are found to result from incorrect material specification or uncontrolled soldering processes. This paper describes the IMCs that occur typically in eutectic, Sn63Pb37 solder and near-eutectic SAC305 or other tin-based Pb-free solder alloys, including how they impact solder joint reliability. The paper also describes the potential impact of IMCs on the solder joint reliability for the newest generation of Pb-free high-performance solder alloys.

The growth evolution of SnSe-doped SnTe alloy by in-situ selenization substitution method

In the era of increasing environmental pollution and energy crisis, the development of thermoelectric materials to achieve the reuse of waste heat energy is of great significance. SnTe, as an environmentally friendly thermoelectric material, its high electronic-thermal conductivity and coupled high electrical conductivity originated from intrinsic high carrier hole concentration leads to the unsatisfactory thermoelectric properties. With a lot of research going on to optimize thermoelectric performance by decoupling the thermo-electrical contradiction, the entropy engineering strategy, which can independently modulate lattice thermal conductivity is proved to be feasible by increasing the internal configurational entropy through doping. However, due to the uncontrollable growth microscopic process and the perturbation of film quality, the desired precise phase doping remains a challenge. In this work, we report an instantiation of the entropy increase of SnSe-doped SnTe alloy thin films prepared by two-step magnetron sputtering and selenization method. The microstructure and physical properties of thin films were investigated for replaying and controlling the growth evolution of in-situ selenization substitution. When the reaction temperature and duration were adjusted to 300℃ and 30 mins respectively, the desired pure phase doping was obtained. This work provides a new method of doping modification of SnTe materials, and the product as a new functional material expands the thermoelectric material library. In particular, it has positive reference significance for the development of synthesis controllability and structure establishment of complex polycrystalline materials.

Bimolecular Crystallization Modulation Boosts the Efficiency and Stability of Methylammonium‐Free Tin–Lead Perovskite and All‐Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

AbstractThe elimination of methylammonium (MA) cation from mixed tin–lead (Sn–Pb) narrow‐bandgap (NBG) perovskites is an effective approach to enhance the operational stability of all‐perovskite tandem solar cells (TSCs). Unfortunately, the uncontrolled nucleation and crystallization processes of MA‐free Sn–Pb perovskites usually lead to inferior film quality and device performance. Herein, a bimolecular crystallization modulation strategy is reported by using guanidine thiocyanate (GuaSCN) and aminoacetamide hydrochloride (AHC) together as additives to improve the film quality of MA‐free Sn–Pb perovskites. It is demonstrated that the use of bimolecular additives can effectively improve the crystallinity, increase the grain size, and induce a preferred (100) orientation for the corresponding films, leading to high‐quality absorber with considerably reduced defect density and suppressed non‐radiative recombination. In addition, the bimolecular additives can reduce the self‐p‐doping hole concentration within the perovskite films and enhance the charge extraction at the perovskite/electron transport layer interface. The modified NBG perovskite solar cells deliver a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.14%. Coupled with the wide‐bandgap (WBG) subcell, the all‐perovskite TSCs give a champion certified PCE of 27.15%, which is the highest certified PCE for MA‐free all‐perovskite TSCs. Encapsulated tandem devices maintain 90% of the initial PCE after 473 h operation.

Trends and current food safety regulations and policies for functional foods and beverages containing botanicals.

Globally, the demand for functional foods and beverages has significantly increased due to socioeconomic changes, particularly in health consciousness to enhance their functionality. Functional ingredients derived from botanicals are widely used because of their phytochemical properties with health benefits. This study aims to (1) review the capabilities and challenges of botanical addition in functional foods, (2) review current policies and regulations for functional foods containing botanicals in the European Union (EU), Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand, and (3) provide recommendations on effective food safety control measures for better consumer trust and trade facilitation. This critical review was analyzed from online publications and available guidelines, regulations, and control measures published by food industries and governments in the EU and the four selected countries. The result confirmed that potentialities of botanicals arise from numerous bioactive compounds with varieties of sources. However, the usage may potentially raise health risks through hazardous substances in different species or plant parts, contaminants from environments and uncontrolled processes. Inadequate knowledge of botanical formulation and the maximum limit for daily consumption may elevate health risks through food-drug interaction or adverse effect incidents. Current policies and regulations show that varieties of measures are implemented influencing both economic growth and consumer awareness. The novel finding is that countries that provide a comprehensive national food control system influence not only the growth of the functional food subsectors but also build trust in food safety among trade partners and consumers.

Impact of lactic acid bacteria starter inoculation on the Physico-chemical, microbiological, volatiles and sensory properties of natural black Gemlik (Olea europaea L., cv.) table olives

Traditionally, the fermentation of Gemlik table olives takes place spontaneously by the endogenous microbiota in Turkey, but the uncontrolled process during fermentation can result in the formation of off-flavours and a low sensory quality of the final product. In this research, the effects of inoculating naturally black Gemlik olives with Lactiplantibacillus pentosus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum starter cultures on lactic fermentation development, volatile compounds, and sensory properties were investigated. Changes in spontaneous and culture inoculated olives were monitored during fermentation. Compared to spontaneous fermentation, rapid acidification, and sugar depletion were achieved with the use of starter cultures. Extra lactic acid bacteria and total yeast growth were detected in the inoculated trials during fermentation compared to the control trial. Volatile compounds in olives were extracted by the Purge and Trap method. 46 volatile compounds from 10 chemical groups have been identified in olives. In all three trials, volatile acids were the group of volatile compounds found in the top amount in olives, higher alcohols, phenols, aldehydes/ketones, and terpenes followed the volatile acids. Phenyl ethyl alcohol, α-farnesen, (Z)-3-hexene-1-ol and 2-hexanol, which give pleasant flavors, were determined to be in more quantity in olives with inoculated starter cultures. This study reveals that the use of starter culture provides advantages in the production of Gemlik variety table olives, positively affects aroma development, and improves sensory properties.