Unique Behavior Research Articles

Multiferroic and ferroelectric phases revealed in 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene film for high performance resistive data storage devices

Multiferroic materials, showing simultaneous ferroelectric and ferromagnetic orders, are considered to be promising candidates for future data storage technology however, the multiferroic phenomenon in two-dimensional (2D) materials is rarely observed. We report a simple approach to observe frequency-dependent ferroelectricity and multiferroicity in 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene film at room-temperature. To study the frequency and poling effect on ferroelectricity, we performed electric polarization vs. electric field (P-E) measurement at different frequencies, measured under zero and non-zero static magnetic fields. The results not only indicate a clear frequency dependence of electric domains owing to varying time relaxation during reversal dynamic but also showed magnetic field control of electric polarization thus, confirmed the presence of strong magneto-electric (ME) coupling at room-temperature. The existence of ME coupling was attributed to the coupling between disordered electric dipoles with local spin moments as well reduced dielectric loss after heat-treatment. Moreover, the ferroelectric Ti3C2Tx MXene film was employed as an active layer within the resistive data storage device that showed a stable switching behavior along with improved on/off ratio in comparison to non-ferroelectric Ti3C2Tx active layer. The unique multiferroic behavior along with ferroelectric-tuned data storage devices reported here, will help understand the intrinsic nature of 2D materials and will advance the 2D ferroelectric data storage industry.

Existence, uniqueness, and long-time behavior of linearized field dislocation dynamics

This paper examines a system of partial differential equations describing dislocation dynamics in a crystalline solid. In particular we consider dynamics linearized about a state of zero stress and use linear semigroup theory to establish existence, uniqueness, and time-asymptotic behavior of the linear system.

Predatory Activity of Myxobacteria Corallococcus exiguus against Soil Inhabiting Bacteria

Prokaryotic micropredators, including myxobacteria, shape the structure of the community in the soil as they prey on other microorganisms. Their unique behavior in nature has raised the interest in exploiting these bacterial groups to combat the threatening antibiotic resistance. The objective of this study is to assay the antibacterial activity of Corallococcus exiguus, a member of myxobacteria, based on their predation ability against soil inhabiting bacteria. A total of 17 soil bacteria from different taxa were preyed upon three C. exiguus isolates on TPM buffer agar medium. Based on the predation assay, all the three isolates actively killed all the Gram-negative Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria members used in this study. Protease producing assay using casein as substrate revealed that these isolates were able to break down the protein with lytic index up to 1.33 ± 0.10. Their ethyl acetate extracts slightly inhibited the growth of one selected Gram-positive bacterium. Hydrolytic enzyme and secondary metabolite produced by C. exiguus are considered to play an important role in their predation activity.

Magnetorheological fluids subjected to non-uniform magnetic fields: experimental characterization

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are suspensions of fine, low-coercivity, high-magnetizable particles in a continuous liquid phase. When subjected to magnetic field, the material exhibits a rapid change in the apparent viscosity of several orders of magnitude. This unique capability has been successfully exploited in automotive semi-active suspensions systems or systems for manufacturing high quality optics. In a majority of the existing systems, the rheology of MR fluids is controlled by an external uniform field oriented perpendicularly to the fluid flow direction. In general, it is an inherent feature of MR systems operating in flow, shear or squeeze modes, respectively. There is an experimental evidence that the behavior of MR fluids in the so-called pinch-mode (in which the fluid is subjected to non-uniform magnetic field distributions) clearly stands out against the remaining three operating modes. With the predecessors, the flow through the channel occurs once a pressure across it exceeds the field-dependent threshold pressure. For comparison, in pinch mode valves the magnetic flux energizes mostly the layers of the materials near the channel walls. The outcome is a change in the channel’s effective diameter achieved solely via material means without changing its geometry. To study the fluid’s unique behaviour in the pinch mode, the authors designed a prototype valve assembly and examined several fluid formulations of various particle concentration levels across a wide range of external (velocity, magnetic field density) stimuli in an organized effort to further comprehend the phenomenon. The obtained data indicate that the magnitude of the particular effect does not only depend on the magnitudes of the magnetic stimuli but also on the particle concentration; the smaller the concentration of particles the more pronounced the pinch mode like behavior is. In general, the authors believe that the study may provide guidelines as to the selection of fluid formulations for developing novel valveless actuators utilizing MR fluids operating in pinch mode.

Seismic Collapse Risk Assessment of Low-Aspect-Ratio Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls Using the FEMA P695 Methodology

Several recent research studies have demonstrated that the seismic performance of low-aspect-ratio reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls (i.e., defined herein as walls with height-to-length ratios less than 2) has not been yet adequately quantified to allow for robust risk assessment. This is mainly attributed to the complex nonlinear flexure/shear interaction behavior of such walls, along with their wide spectrum of possible design parameters, leading to major discrepancies in their seismic performance. Despite this unique behavior, most building codes and design standards do not assign distinctive seismic performance factors for such walls. To address this, the main objective of the current study is to propose seismic performance factors for low-aspect-ratio RC shear walls when different wall geometrical configurations and design parameters (e.g., aspect ratios, axial load levels, and seismic design categories) are adopted. These factors are evaluated against the acceptance criteria of the FEMA P695 methodology for Quantification of Building Seismic Performance Factors. In this respect, a numerical model was developed and experimentally validated to simulate the seismic response of 36 low-aspect-ratio RC shear wall archetypes. The model was utilized to perform nonlinear static and dynamic analyses, and collapse fragility curves were then generated to assess the collapse risk of such wall archetypes following the FEMA P695 methodology. According to the methodology, the proposed seismic performance factors were assessed by quantifying the ratio between the median collapse intensity and the intensity of the maximum considered earthquake (MCE). The results showed that R factors of 2.0 and 3.0 for special low-aspect-ratio RC walls with low and high axial load levels, respectively, can limit the probability of collapse under the MCE and are subsequently able to meet the FEMA P695 acceptance criteria.

A Study on Mechanisms Underlying Proton Transport in Proton Pump-type Microbial Rhodopsins

Microbial rhodopsins are photoreceptive membrane proteins composed of seven transmembrane α-helical apoproteins (opsin) and a covalently bound retinal chromophore. Microbial rhodopsins exhibit a cyclic photochemical reaction referred to as photocycle when illuminated. During their photocycles, these proteins perform various functions such as ions transport and photosensing. Among the various functional types of rhodopsins found to date, we have focused on the utility of proton pump-type microbial rhodopsins as optogenetic tools for optical pH control in cells or organelles. To develop effective toolkits for this purpose, a deeper understanding of the proton-pumping mechanism in these rhodopsins may be required. In this review, we first introduce a useful experimental method for measuring rapid transient pH changes with photoinduced proton uptake/release using transparent tin oxide (SnO2) or indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. In addition, we describe the unique pH-dependent behavior of the photoinduced proton transfer sequence as well as the vectoriality of proton transportation in proteorhodopsin (PR) from marine eubacteria. Through intensive ITO experiments over wide pH range, including extremely high or low pH values, in combination with photoelectric measurements using Xenopus oocytes or a thin polymer film "Lumirror," we encountered several interesting observations on photoinduced proton transfer in PR:1) proton uptake/release sequence reversal and potential proton translocation direction reversal under alkali conditions, and 2) fast proton release from D227, a secondary counterion of the protonated retinal Schiff base at acidic pH values.

Facile electrochemical synthesis of rGO/PANI/ZnO heterostructure for energy storage applications

The combination of carbon nanomaterials, conducting polymers, and metal oxides provides a superior combination of high-quality supercapacitor (SC) materials. The carbon based materials are best known for its high electric double layer capacitance (EDLC) and the polymers like polyaniline (PANI) for pseudocapacitance. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) exhibit a combination of pseudocapacitance and EDLC owing to their unique chemical and morphological behaviour. The presence of an electric double layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance in the hybrid by using these combinations helps to obtain a higher specific capacitance. In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), polyaniline (PANI), zinc oxide (ZnO) were combined using the different electrodeposition methods on ITO substrate. RGO can electrophoretically deposited using GO and the simultaneous reduction occurs during deposition. The highly stable PANI in emeraldine salt oxidation state was obtained using anodic electrodeposition. ZnO nanopowders also can be electrophoretically deposited over rGO/PANI. This hybrid material is expected to exhibit superior electrochemical properties and be environmentally friendly. The morphologies and quality of the samples were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques and found to be morphologically suitable for energy storage devices like supercapacitors.

A combined study on structural, magnetic and specific heat on double perovskite iridates Ln2CoIrO6 [Ln = Pr, Nd

We report rich magnetic behavior for Co–Ir based double perovskites consisting of different rare earth cations Pr and Nd: Pr2CoIrO6 (PCIO) and Nd2CoIrO6 (NCIO). Both oxides show an antisite disorder of 10% and a ferrimagnetic transition, T around 96 K and 98 K respectively. The long range magnetic ordering is arising from the canted antiferromagnetic ordering between the Co2+ and Ir4+ ions. A prominent peak around 27 K in magnetization data of NCIO indicates that the total moment of Nd ion is antiferromagnetically coupled to the Co–Ir sublattice. The long range order of the Nd sublattice is corroborated by the evidence of an anomaly in specific heat at very low temperature. The compounds exhibit a maximum change of magnetic entropy of 0.57 (0.48) J kg.K−1 at T in a magnetic field of 5 T. The strong spin–orbit coupling in 5d states of Ir and cation disorder lead to the Mott insulating phase as found from the analysis of temperature dependent resistivity. These unique behaviors suggest an interesting interplay between localized Pr/Nd-4f, itinerant Co-3d and Ir-5d electrons.

Monitoring the structural stability of the isolated 'Mg2+-sensor' of MgtE by spectroscopic and computational approaches.

MgtE is the primary magnesium transport system in ∼50% of bacteria, and its eukaryotic homologs are SLC41 family of solute carriers. The full-length MgtE from T. thermophilus is a homodimeric Mg2+ channel, which contains transmembrane and cytosolic domains. The cytoplasmic domain, which is connected to transmembrane domain through the plug helix, is proposed to primarily function as a Mg2+ sensor. We have monitored the folding and structural stability of the isolated cytoplasmic domain of MgtE (MgtETT-CD) under protein denaturing conditions using sophisticated spectroscopic approaches. Despite being a soluble protein, our results from size-exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, CD measurements and various intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence approaches strongly demonstrate that MgtETT-CD is resistant to chemical and thermal denaturation. This is supported by the tryptophan lifetime distributions using MEM analysis of fluorescence decay and fluorescence quenching measurements. Interestingly, instead of denaturing the protein, it appears that chemical denaturants make the protein stably compact by modifying the secondary structural elements of MgtETT-CD. Like chemical denaturants, high temperature (>80 °C) also stabilizes the folded state, however, in contrast to denaturants, high temperature retains the α-helical nature of MgtETT-CD, suggesting that the mechanism of stabilization of the folded state of MgtETT-CD by chemical and physical means are different. Truncated versions of MgtETT-CD are also resistant to denaturation suggesting that the plug helix is not responsible for this unique behaviour of the Mg2+ sensor. An all-atom molecular dynamics simulation is currently underway to understand the nature of interaction of MgtETT-CD with denaturants. Taken together, our results show that the folded state organization of MgtETT-CD is not compromised under denaturing conditions. Overall, our results are relevant not only for understanding the nature of Mg2+-sensor of MgtE, but also in designing stable proteins.

Size-dependent optical properties of small titanium nitride nanoclusters

The calculation of optical properties of nanoclusters is a challenging and intriguing work. Depending upon the size and shape of the structure, they show some unique behavior. One of the most promising alternative plasmonic materials, titanium nitride has already been explored rigorously in bulk and films in terms of various properties. Here for the first time, the optical property calculation of small titanium nitride nanocluster systems are done using first-principles method. The calculated complex dielectric function, refractive index, extinction coefficient, loss function, reflectivity spectra, and absorption spectra provides information about the response of the clusters to the external field. A significant variation in the optical properties is observed with the change in the cluster size. The tiny size of the clusters is playing a significant role in giving out some fascinating results.

Movement and surrounding community of the understudied and endangered Ligumia recta (Mollusca, Unionidae)

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-023-05145-2.

Anti-σ28 Factor FlgM Regulates Flagellin Gene Expression and Flagellar Polarity of Treponema denticola.

FlgM, an antagonist of FliA (also known as σ28), inhibits transcription of bacterial class 3 flagellar genes. It does so primarily through binding to free σ28 to prevent it from forming a complex with core RNA polymerase. We recently identified an FliA homolog (FliATd) in the oral spirochete Treponema denticola; however, its antagonist FlgM remained uncharacterized. Herein, we provide several lines of evidence that TDE0201 functions as an antagonist of FliATd. TDE0201 is structurally similar to FlgM proteins, although its sequence is not conserved. Heterologous expression of TDE0201 in Escherichia coli inhibits its flagellin gene expression and motility. Biochemical and mutational analyses demonstrate that TDE0201 binds to FliATd and prevents it from binding to the σ28-dependent promoter. Deletions of flgM genes typically enhance bacterial class 3 flagellar gene expression; however, deletion of TDE0201 has an opposite effect (e.g., the mutant has a reduced level of flagellins). Follow-up studies revealed that deletion of TDE0201 leads to FliATd turnover, which in turn impairs the expression of flagellin genes. Swimming plate, cell tracking, and cryo-electron tomography analyses further disclosed that deletion of TDE0201 impairs spirochete motility and alters flagellar number and polarity: i.e., instead of having bipolar flagella, the mutant has flagella only at one end of cells. Collectively, these results indicate that TDE0201 is a FlgM homolog but acts differently from its counterparts in other bacteria. IMPORTANCE Spirochetes are a group of bacteria that cause several human diseases. A unique aspect of spirochetes is that they have bipolar periplasmic flagella (PFs), which bestow on the spirochetes a unique spiral shape and distinct swimming behaviors. While the structure and function of PFs have been extensively studied in spirochetes, the molecular mechanism that regulates the PFs' morphogenesis and assembly is poorly understood. In this report, FlgM, an anti-σ28 factor, is identified and functionally characterized in the oral spirochete Treponema denticola. Our results show that FlgM regulates the number and polarity of PFs via a unique mechanism. Identification of FliA and FlgM in T. denticola sets a benchmark to investigate their roles in other spirochetes.

Molecular Weight-Dependent Oxidation and Optoelectronic Properties of Defect-Free Macrocyclic Poly(3-hexylthiophene).

The redox behaviors of macrocyclic molecules with an entirely π-conjugated system are of interest due to their unique optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. In this study, defect-free cyclic P3HT with a degree of polymerization (DPn) from 14 to 43 was synthesized based on our previously established method, and its unique redox behaviors arising from the cyclic topology were investigated. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the HOMO level of cyclic P3HT decreases from -4.86 eV (14 mer) to -4.89 eV (43 mer), in contrast to the linear counterparts increasing from -4.94 eV (14 mer) to -4.91 eV (43 mer). During the CV measurement, linear P3HT suffered from electro-oxidation at the chain ends, while cyclic P3HT was stable. ESR and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy suggested that cyclic P3HT has stronger dicationic properties due to the interactions between the polarons. On the other hand, linear P3HT showed characteristics of polaron pairs with multiple isolated polarons. Moreover, the dicationic properties of cyclic P3HT were more pronounced for the smaller macrocycles.

The economics of art: price determinants and returns on investment in Indian paintings

PurposeThe valuation of artworks is challenging since their value encompasses economic, social and cultural values. This study examines two specific questions about the economics of Indian art market: first, the determinants of the price of paintings by Indian artists and second, the risk and return characteristics of investment in Indian paintings. The authors also analyze the role of local context for both questions.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses 8,865 paintings that are auctioned between January, 2000 and June, 2018. A generalized additive model (GAM) is employed to identify the determinants of auction prices and estimate art market price index.FindingsThe results indicate that the price of paintings in the Indian market is impacted by both global and local factors. Consistent with the previous research, this study finds that provenance, literature, living status of an artist, artist reputation, auction house, location and gender determine prices. However, the unique behavior of artwork medium and art movement affiliation in the Indian art market signifies the importance of local context in the valuation of artworks. An analysis of the second aspect of the study, i.e. risk and return characteristics of art investment, suggests that though overall art market returns are not lucrative, there are sub-sections in the market that outperform stocks and other assets. Further, the Indian art market shows a weak or negative correlation with other assets, thus making it a good candidate for a diversified portfolio. One of the important findings of this study is that artworks created by artists associated with the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group (PAG) command a significant price premium over all other artworks. Moreover, the average return on investment in paintings by artists affiliated to the Bombay PAG is not only significantly better than other art movements but also higher than all other art assets.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the growing literature on the economics of art market by providing a comprehensive analysis of the economics of Indian paintings. This research highlights the importance of local factors in price determination and on the risk and return characteristics of art investment. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the most comprehensive study of the economics of Indian painting market and the first study to identify the relationship between Indian art movements and prices of paintings and returns on investment in paintings.

Structures and Supramolecular Properties of Inclusion Complexes of Anthracene-Triptycene Nanocages with Fullerene Guests and Their Dynamic Motion as Molecular Gyroscopes.

Three derivatives of macrocyclic cage compounds consisting of diarylanthracene and triptycene units were synthesized. These nanocages formed host-guest complexes with C60 and other fullerene guests as confirmed by 1 H NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy. The association constant of the mesityl and 2,4,6-tributoxyphenyl derivatives with C60 was determined to be 2.2 × 104 L mol-1 , which was larger than that of the pentafluorophenyl derivative. Direct experimental evidence of the complexation was obtained by X-ray diffraction analysis: the guest C60 molecule was included in the cavity via multipoint CH⋅⋅⋅π interactions. Dynamic disorders of the included C60 molecule in variable-temperature X-ray analysis indicated uniaxial motion, such as gyroscopic motion. The unique dynamic behavior of the spherical C60 rotor anchored by the cage stator via CH⋅⋅⋅π interactions in the crystal, as well as substituent effects on the association properties, are discussed with the aid of DFT calculations.

Sourcing high tissue quality brains from deceased wild primates with known socio‐ecology

Abstract The selection pressures that drove dramatic encephalisation processes through the mammal lineage remain elusive, as does knowledge of brain structure reorganisation through this process. In particular, considerable structural brain changes are present across the primate lineage, culminating in the complex human brain that allows for unique behaviours such as language and sophisticated tool use. To understand this evolution, a diverse sample set of humans' closest relatives with varying socio‐ecologies is needed. However, current brain banks predominantly curate brains from primates that died in zoological gardens. We try to address this gap by establishing a field pipeline mitigating the challenges associated with brain extractions of wild primates in their natural habitat. The success of our approach is demonstrated by our ability to acquire a novel brain sample of deceased primates with highly variable socio‐ecological exposure and a particular focus on wild chimpanzees. Methods in acquiring brain tissue from wild settings are comprehensively explained, highlighting the feasibility of conducting brain extraction procedures under strict biosafety measures by trained veterinarians in field sites. Brains are assessed at a fine‐structural level via high‐resolution MRI and state‐of‐the‐art histology. Analyses confirm that excellent tissue quality of primate brains sourced in the field can be achieved with a comparable tissue quality of brains acquired from zoo‐living primates. Our field methods are noninvasive, here defined as not harming living animals, and may be applied to other mammal systems than primates. In sum, the field protocol and methodological pipeline validated here pose a major advance for assessing the influence of socio‐ecology on medium to large mammal brains, at both macro‐ and microstructural levels as well as aiding with the functional annotation of brain regions and neuronal pathways via specific behaviour assessments.

Nanoindentation avalanches and dislocation structures in HfNbTiZr high entropy alloy

High temperature nanoindentation was performed on a refractory HfNbTiZr high-entropy alloy to probe the unique dislocation behaviors. Anomalous nanoindenation avalanche occurs once the load reaches a critical value of 10 mN and exceeds the elastic limit of the alloy. The depth of the plastic zone under indentation is much deeper in the sample with avalanches, and continues to deepen with the increase of testing temperature. A large fraction of mixed dislocations is formed after nanoindentation, instead of forming the long screw dislocations as in common refractory metals. Nanoindentation avalanche is induced by the sudden movement of a group of usually sluggish dislocations, which have a low mobility due to local chemical fluctuations and large lattice distortions. These results manifest a weak temperature-dependence of dislocation mobility in body-centered cubic high-entropy alloy.

Performance evaluation of polymer nanolatex particles as fluid loss control additive in water-based drilling fluids

The development of various nanoparticles and their successful application in oil and gas drilling engineering is an extremely interesting and crucial area of research, particularly in the field of drilling fluids. In this study, styrene, butyl acrylate, acrylamide, and 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid were used as the main raw materials to synthesize a polymer nanolatex (SBAA) employing a conventional emulsion polymerization approach (one-pot method). SEM, TEM, and PSD experiments demonstrated that SBAA is a nanoparticle with a particle size of around 150 nm and a distinct core-shell structure. The TGA analysis revealed that SBAA had a decomposition temperature of 296 °C. Particularly, the unique self-assembly behavior of nanolatex particles is discussed for the first time using TEM and UV–Vis experiments. Additionally, filtration and permeability plugging tests were used to evaluate the filter loss reduction and micro-pore plugging ability of the SBAA in water-based drilling fluids. The findings showed that SBAA could reduce the medium pressure filtration loss by around 33% compared with the basic bentonite fluid, and the reduction rate after aging at 200 °C is around 41%. Particularly, it can reduce the filtrate loss velocity of water-based drilling fluid in heterogeneous pores, and the effects of filtration reduction and mud cake quality enhancement outperform those of commercial nanosilica particles. This study offers a novel reference approach for developing novel nanomaterials for water-based mud to plug microscopic pores and maintain wellbore stability.

Tunable local piezopotential properties of zinc oxide nanowires grown by remote epitaxy

Remote epitaxy has been developed recently as a new method for synthesising zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) with unique structural and physical properties. In this paper, the piezopotential properties and piezotronic behaviours of ZnO NWs epitaxially grown on monolayer graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) i.e., graphene-ZnO and MoS2–ZnO NWs are studied through a multiscale simulation technique. It is shown that compression is the only type of force that can efficiently trigger the piezopotential in ZnO NWs grown by remote epitaxy, since their ZnO and two-dimensional (2D) material components are weakly connected at the interfaces. Although compressed MoS2–ZnO and graphene-ZnO NWs are found to have different piezopotential distributions due to the unique polarity inversion behaviour in MoS2–ZnO NWs, the local piezopotential distribution in both ZnO NWs can be similarly modified by changing the location of 2D interlayer material. Moreover, the graphene-ZnO NWs are found to possess a much larger global piezopotential difference than conventional ZnO NWs, though both ZnO NWs have the similar piezopotential distribution. Due to the unique local piezopotential property and the existence of additional peak barriers or Schottky barriers at the interfaces between ZnO NW and 2D interlayer material components, ZnO NWs grown by remote epitaxy, especially MoS2–ZnO NWs exhibit a distinct piezotronic behaviour that is significantly different from that of their conventional counterparts.

Thermoresponsive homo-polymeric ionic liquid as molecular transporters via tailoring interchain π-π interactions and its unique temp-resistance behavior during ions pairing

In this study, a polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) called Poly[ECH-BIM]Cl was polymerized by ring-opening and quaternization reaction of benzimidazole and epichlorohydrin without additional ion-exchange reaction. Both 1H NMR and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed the chemical structure of Poly[ECH-BIM]Cl. Poly[ECH-BIM]Cl in water was thermoresponsive and its UCST transition was studied by UV–vis spectrometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at variable temperature. Moreover, the first introduced Temp-resistance behavior during ions pairing found Poly[ECH-BIM]Cl had properties similar to those of the precipitation of inorganic salts from their saturated solutions. The variable-temperature 1H NMR analysis demonstrated that the tailored interchain π-π interactions promoted the aggregation of macromolecular chains and particles formed from Poly[ECH-BIM]Cl aqueous solution. The results showed that increasing the interaction between cations of PIL can endow its thermosensibility and the possibility of being a programmable shuttle.