Values Of Tr Research Articles

Amplitude and duration hazard-consistent ground-motion selection for seismic risk assessment in Mexico City

The emphasis of seismic design regulations on applying nonlinear dynamic analyses (NDAs) promotes using accelerograms that characterize site-specific ground motions. Commonly, amplitude levels of such accelerograms are defined by a target spectrum that could be based on a uniform hazard spectrum (UHS), which is determined by a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) and represents a response spectrum with ordinates having an equal probability of being exceeded within a given return period, Tr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${T}_{r}$$\\end{document}. Conversely, the definition of ground-motion duration levels is not yet properly defined in current regulations to select accelerograms. Thus, adhering to data handling as that for amplitude ground-motion parameters, this study motivates executing PSHAs to define hazard-consistent levels for the ground-motion duration. That is, accelerograms can be selected to match both amplitude and duration ground-motion levels associated with Tr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${T}_{r}$$\\end{document}. Further, fragility functions conditional on Tr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${T}_{r}$$\\end{document} that cover typical performance objectives can be developed using sets of hazard-consistent accelerograms to implement, e.g., multiple stripe analyses (MSAs). To demonstrate the importance of choosing fully hazard-consistent accelerograms to perform NDAs, this study includes the displacement- and energy-based seismic-response evaluation of a steel frame building located at different soil-profile sites in Mexico City. Sets of fully hazard-consistent accelerograms and solely amplitude-based hazard-consistent accelerograms were artificially generated per site for values of Tr\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${T}_{r}$$\\end{document} up to 5000 years. Results indicate that the probability of failure can be underestimated if the ground-motion duration is unvaried in MSAs, e.g., structural damage caused by 50-year return-period or higher events can be more noticeable when fully hazard-consistent accelerograms take place.

Dynamic analysis of resistance in Colombian elite Hevea brasiliensis genotypes as a breeding strategy for enhancing South American leaf blight management under disease non-escape conditions in the Amazon region

South American Leaf Blight (SALB) is the primary limitation to the establishment of new rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) crops in Latin America. This study aimed to assess the temporal dynamics of resistance to SALB in 99 elite Colombian genotypes and the IAN 873 cultivar (control) of H. brasiliensis in small-scale clone trials conducted under conditions with a high disease prevalence in the northwestern Colombian Amazon. Resistance monitoring was carried out on a monthly basis and analyzed over five climatic periods. Three variables were recorded: attack severity (AT, ranging from 0 to 4), reaction type (TR, ranging from 1 to 6) and stromal density (ST, ranging from 0 to 4). The maximum scores for TR and ST were used to classify the level of resistance of the genotypes. Highly significant differences in the mean values of AT, TR and ST among the genotypes, across the periods, and in the interaction between genotype and period were found. Over time, an increase in symptoms (AT) and signs (TR and ST) of SALB was observed. During the rainy periods, SALB intensity was highest, resulting in a leaf area affected ranging from 16 to 30%. Eight genotypes showed partial resistance (PR) (TR < 5 and ST < 2), while 16 genotypes demonstrated complete resistance (CR) (TR < 3 and ST = 0), and 76 genotypes were highly susceptible (HS) (TR > 5 or ST > 2). The temporal analysis identified 23 Colombian superior genotypes with varying degrees of SALB resistance, which can be a valuable breeding resource for improving SALB management in the Colombian Amazon region.

Some applications of trace of powers of matrices to graph theory, algebra and combinatorics

In this paper, using Cayley Hamilton Theorem, we exhibit a combinatorial formula for Tr(An), (n ∈ ℤ, A ∈M3 (K)), over the field K(= ℝorℂ)using Tr (A), det(A) and sum of principal minors of A. Further, a formula for ∑nk=0 Tr(Ak) is derived. For specific values of Tr(A) and det(A), the formula of Tr(An) is highly simplified. We exhibit some applications of our results in Graph Theory, Algebra and Combinatorics. We have verified our results on various matrices using Scilab and found that Scilabfails tremendously because of the truncation. But our formulae give exact result.

FEASIBILITY OF SOYBEAN FARMING IN INDONESIA: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Soybeans are an essential commodity in the Indonesian economy; therefore, the government encourages soybean cultivation at the farmer level. This article aims to analyze variations in the feasibility level of soybean farming in Indonesia, the distribution of R/C values, and its forming parameters based on the results of a research literature review. This paper also attempts to look at the factors that influence R/C achievement and provide input for similar studies in the future. Literature was taken from the Google Scholar database, which published research on the feasibility of soybean farming in Indonesia, published in journals or proceedings, both in Indonesian and English, and published in 2013-2023. A total of 122 articles were screened, around 51 (113 case studies) for further explanation, consisting of 39 journal articles and 12 proceedings articles. The analysis technique uses CV (coefficient of variation) and simple tabulation. All articles concluded that soybean farming was worth cultivating (R/C &gt; 1), but three articles received an R/C value &lt; 1, or soybean farming was not worth cultivating. The highest R/C value is 3.96, and the lowest is 0.50. In contrast, the CV value of R/C shows the lowest value (of 0.33) compared to the CV values of TR, TC, productivity, and selling price of harvest, meaning the distribution The R/C value of soybean farming over the last ten years tends to be homogeneous (does not vary). High productivity does not indicate high R/C achievement, nor do certain superior varieties always show high R/C. Farming feasibility research needs to explain more fully the parameters that form R/C values, use standard writing standards in writing the units for each parameter, and explain varieties, cultivation techniques, and the conditions of farmers in soybean farming.

Responses of Planting Modes to Photosynthetic Characteristics and Fluorescence Parameters of Fokienia hodginsii Seedlings in a Heterogeneous Nutrient Environment

Fokienia hodginsii seedlings tend to vary significantly in response to differences in the surrounding environment, especially when the nutrient environment is heterogeneous and neighboring plants are in competition. Plant physiological differences occur not only in the root system, but also in the photosynthetic characteristics and fluorescence parameters of the leaves. Therefore, in this experiment, three planting modes (single planting, pure planting of F. hodginsii and mixed planting of F. hodginsii and Cunninghamia lanceolata) were set up to simulate different competition patterns. Three heterogeneous nutrient environments (N, P, K heterogeneous nutrient environment) were planted in this experiment, and the homogeneous environments were used as controls to determine the differences in photosynthetic characteristics, fluorescence parameters and the interaction of different environmental factors on each index in different heterogeneous nutrient and planting environments. The interactions of different environmental factors with various indicators were measured. In addition, all treatment combinations were evaluated and ranked by principal components analysis. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) was on average 28.8% and 22.3% higher under monoculture treatment compared to pure and mixed planting in each nutrient environment. Transpiration rate (Tr) and stomatal conductance (Gs) were the lowest under pure planting mode, and the overall mean of Tr was 27.2% and 5.5% lower than monoculture and mixed planting, respectively, and the overall mean of Gs was 36.5% and 14.7% lower, respectively. Intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) was higher under mixed and pure planting mode than monoculture, but their overall increments were not significant. Pn, Tr and Gs values of F. hodginsii in the N and P patches were significantly higher than those in the homogeneous patches, whereas the average values of Pn, Tr and Gs in the K patches were slightly higher than those in the homogeneous patches. The average values of leaf Fo, Fv/Fm and qP in each nutrient patch under single planting were higher than those under pure and mixed planting, but most of the differences were not significant. The actual photochemical efficiency (yield), photosynthetic electron transfer rate (ETR) and Fv/Fm in N and P patches were significantly higher than those in the homogeneous patches, whereas qP and NPQ in N and P patches differed due to different planting patterns. Most fluorescence parameters in the K patches were lower than those in the homogeneous patches. Planting patterns and nutrient heterogeneity showed significant interaction effects on Pn, Gs, Yield, ETR, Fv/Fm and NPQ. The highest scores for photosynthetic characteristics and fluorescence parameters of F. hodginsii single planting were in N and P nutrient patches.

Checking the parameters of the internal environment by calculated simulation of measurements with a ball thermometer

According to the regulatory documents in force in the Russian Federation, the measurement of the normalized indoor environment indicators should be carried out with a ball thermometer. These norms also apply to the premises of the transport infrastructure buildings. In this paper, the values of the radiation temperature tr and the local asymmetry of the radiation temperature dtr as to the ball thermometer have been estimated by calculation. An ordinary room of an intermediate floor with a window in the outer wall with a width of 3.8 m and a height of 1.8 m, the bottom of which is located at a height of 1 m from the floor, in Belgorod, has been subject to consideration. The room is provided by an air heating. The values of the asymmetry of the radiation temperature at the boundary of the serviced area of the room, that is, at a distance of 0.5 m from the outer wall, at a height of 1.7 m and 1.1 m from the floor in the calculated winter conditions exceed the optimal ranges limited by norms. It is shown that with an increase in the resulting room temperature, the values of the radiation temperature asymmetry also increase. The presented distributions of the radiation temperature over the volume of the room indicate that in the calculated winter conditions, the optimal requirements for tr values are not met at the same heights of 1.7 m and 1.1 m from the floor. Acceptable conditions meet the requirements of the norms.

Salt interferences to metabolite accumulation, flavonoid biosynthesis and photosynthetic activity in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum

This work mainly investigated the interferences of NaCl treatment to major metabolite accumulation, individual flavonoid biosynthesis and photosynthetic activity in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum. The results showed that the accumulation of phenolic acids, steroids and polysaccharides in T. hemsleyanum was significantly enhanced after the treatment of 50 or 100 mM NaCl for 12 days, and after 150 mM NaCl treatment for 3 days, the total content of flavonoids reached the highest value of 219.5 μg·g‐1−1 and was higher by 3.8 times in comparison with the control (CK). In addition, the salt stress would generally enhance the reaction selectivity of Path II (RPSII) to produce flavonol derivatives (Rut, IsoQ, Km3rut, Ast, Qu, Km) and reduce the reaction selectivity of Path I (RPSI) to produce flavone derivatives (IsoO, Or, Ap), and after the treatment of 150 mM NaCl for 3 days, the RPSII and the RPSI reached the highest level of 0.785 and the lowest level of 0.215, respectively. Moreover, salt stress demonstrated significant and diverse effects on photosynthetic characteristics of T. hemsleyanum. Compared with CK, the values of Pn, Cond, Tr, Fv/Fm, Y(Ⅱ) and qP increased first and then declined with increasing NaCl concentration and stress time, and the highest level of Pn, Fv/Fm and Y(II)occurred after 50 mM NaCl treatment. These findings clearly showed that 50 mM NaCl treatment results in favorable changes in photosynthesis and secondary metabolites accumulation in T. hemsleyanum.

Hip joint mobility in relation to measurement position, gender and limb dominance

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether three different measurement position yield divergent results in ROM using a goniometer, and how is it affected by anthropometrical factors. Methods: We measured the range of rotation in the hip joint in healthy participants aged 21.6 ± 1.88, seeking to determine how the distribution of internal vs. external rotation (RI) within the total range of mobility (TR) was influenced by the measurement position used, the gender of the participant, and the dominant lower limb. Results: We found that not only gender and limb dominance, but also the body position in which hip joint’s range of motion is measured significantly affects the values of TR and RI. We found that TR achieves the highest values in the prone position – PrP (males: 95.35 ± 12.44 and 93.15 ± 12.49; females: 103.75 ± 14.87 and 106.25 ± 15.56) and the lowest values in supine position – SuP (male: 62.65 ± 8.51 and 57.85 ± 9.60; female: 59.5 ± 12.27 and 55.85 ± 8.54). The analysis shows that CERD occurs 1.72 RI in women (StP), and &gt;2.08 RI in men (PrP). Conclusions: Due to the similarities between asymmetry of internal/external rotation in the hip joint and asymmetry in the rotation of the shoulder found in Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit (GIRD), we propose the concepts of Coxal Internal Rotation Deficit (CIRD) and Coxal External Rotation Deficit (CERD) as tools to indicate the possibility for injury to the hip joint, and propose threshold rotation index values serving as indicators of these deficits.

Mathematical model of the influence of the time of start reaction in 100 m sprint run

The purpose of this study is to explain the influence of the time of start reaction tR to the results of sprinters in a 100 m run, using a new simple mathematical model based on the measured values for distance s, corresponding time t, and tR. The research is based on IAAF data obtained by measuring the segment length, the time of start reaction, transient times in 100 m run, and final times for the top sprinters C. Lewis (1988); M. Green (2011), and U. Bolt (2009) (men) and F. Griffith-Joyner (1988); E. Ashford (1988), and H. Drechsler (1988) (women). The values of the start reaction tR for both male and female top sprinters indicate that there appear no substantial differences in the values of tR based on gender which would directly favor male or female sprinters in achieving the top results in the 100m run. The influence of the time of start reaction tR decreases exponentially with the time t during the run (t&gt;tR) and ends up at about 30 m, influencing the initial velocity vR although it is not directly related to the result of the run. Due to its applicative simplicity, the presented mathematical model and related conclusions can represent a solid basis for future studies concerning sprint running.

Assessment of dimension-reduction and grouping methods for catchment response time estimation in Hungary

Study region61 catchments located in Hungary, with drainage areas from 8.74 to 810 km2. Study focusMany engineering tasks require the estimation of the catchment response time (Tr). The most frequently used Tr parameters are the time of concentration and the lag time. At ungauged catchments, they are usually estimated by empirical equations that relate Tr to catchment characteristics. This paper provides a comparative study of three dimension-reduction techniques and seven clustering methods for fitting empirical equations to the observed values of Tr. 60 catchment descriptors were calculated for each catchment, then three subsets with 1–3 descriptors were extracted from the entire parameter set during the dimension-reduction analysis. Two and four catchment groups were created during a cluster analysis, by re-calibrating the three equations that resulted from the dimension-reduction analysis. New hydrological insights for the region under studyIt is demonstrated that the principal component analysis can be easily outperformed by the linear correlation and the all-possible-regressions methods, the latter yielding a root-mean-squared error (RMSE) of 6.77 h when applied with three catchment descriptors. The most interesting finding of the dimension reduction is that Tr is strongly connected to field capacity in the region of study. The performance of the clustering methods varies considerably (RMSE = 5.05–12.03 h). The best overall performance comes from the residual approach (RMSE = 8.14 h on average). It is shown that several of the methods outperform the grouping based on geographical regions, however, the estimation error is reduced only in a few cases when compared to the regional estimation (i.e., one cluster) method. Clusters created based on catchment width yields the best results, resulting in RMSE values of 5.80 and 5.77 h (with two and four clusters, respectively). The comparison of the new and the existing empirical equations clearly demonstrated that the estimation of Tr needs improvement in Hungary, while the application of more than two clusters is unwarranted for the study region.

A novel UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of trigonelline, 4-hydroxyisoleucine, and diosgenin from Trigonella foenum-graecum extract: Application to pharmacokinetic study in healthy and type 2 diabetic rats.

Trigonelline (TR), 4-hydroxyisoleucine (4-HI), and diosgenin (DG) are the main bioactives of the purified standardized extract of the popular plant Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (TFG), and it has been proven effective for the treatment of various diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the pharmacokinetic parameters of purified standardized T. foenum-graecum extract in normal and diabetic Wistar rats. The present study has developed and validated a rapid, reliable, and sensitive simultaneous ultra-performance liquid chromatography MS method to estimate these bioactives. The chromatographic separation was achieved using methanol, acetonitrile, and 0.1% formic acid with the ideal gradient flow system on a BEH Shield RP 18 column. A positive electrospray ionization mode was selected to estimate m/z values of TR (138.14 > 94.63), 4-HI (148.19 > 74.08), and DG (415.54 > 271.33). The method was robust and reproducible over the linearity range of 60-5000, 6-5000, and 15-5000 ng/mL for TR, 4-HI, and DG, respectively. Using this novel validated method, we investigated the pharmacokinetic parameters of bioactives using Phoenix WinNonlin version 8.0 (Certera) in normal and diabetic rats. The assay was successfully applied for the estimation of pharmacokinetic parameters using noncompartmental analysis. This investigation shows that the absorption rate increased, whereas distribution and elimination processes slowed down in diabetic rats compared with normal rats.

Application of vertical electrical sounding resistivity technique to explore groundwater in the Errachidia basin, Morocco

The resistivity technique involving Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) was carried out North of Ain Al Atti area, in Zaouia Jdida locality, with the aim of delineating zones not contaminated by the extension of the salinity and determining the potentiality of the existing aquifers. The measurements of apparent resistivity were collected using MolisanaApparecchiatureElettroniche (MAE) advanced geophysics instruments and were taken in twenty two VES points, along four profiles oriented N-S. The VES profiles were implanted using the Schlumberger configuration. VES Interpretation results shows that the potential aquifer horizon consists of the infracenomanian sand. The isopach map shows that the thickness of this geological formation varies between 20 m and 170 m. The sand layer is more thick (>80 m) along the profiles P3 and P4, with a maximum of about 170 m at 2P4 and 3P4 VES points. The isohypse map indicates that the sand formation is shallow (<10 m) in the East, and the depth of the roof of the infracenomanian sand increases gradually towards the West of the prospect area (>30 m). The transverse resistance (Tr) map shows that the identified aquifer has high values of Tr (Tr > 50000 Ω m2) in the western part, corresponding to zones with relatively high thickness and may have high transmissivity. The longitudinal conductance anomaly (Sl > 0.6 Ω-1) indicates that the area delimited by 1P2, 4P2, 1P4 and 3P4 VES points may have an important underground hydraulic potential. The interpretation of the acquired data also shows the presence of small depressions that could be implicated in the storage of the infracenomanian groundwater. Furthermore, the resistivity results reveal the presence of electrical discontinuities interpreted as faults and fracture zones. These could be the preferential axes of the groundwater circulation.

Effects of water-nitrogen coupling on photosynthetic characteristics, yield, water and nitrogen use efficiency for mountain apple trees under surge-root irrigation in Northern Shaanxi area of China.

Taking 7-year-old apple trees (Hanfu) as the test material, an experiment with three irrigation levels including high water (W1, 85%-100%θf, θf was the field water holding capacity), medium water (W2, 70%-85%θf) and low water (W3, 55%-70%θf), and three nitrogen application levels, high (N1, 600 kg·hm-2), medium (N2, 400 kg·hm-2) and low (N3, 200 kg·hm-2), was conducted to investigate the effects of water and nitrogen coupling on photosynthetic characteristics, yield and water and nitrogen utilization of apple trees in mountainous areas under surge-root irrigation (SRI). The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), leaf instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi) of apple trees leaves decreased with decreasing nitrogen application rates under the same irrigation amount, but Ci increased. Under the same nitrogen application rate, foliar Pn, Tr, gs and WUEi decreased with decreasing irrigation amount, but Ci increased. The daily average values of Pn and Tr under W1N1 treatment were the largest, while W2N2 treatment had the largest WUEi. Apple yield, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and nitrogen partial productivity (NPFP) were significantly affected by irrigation and nitrogen application. The W2N2 treatment had the highest yield (26761 kg·hm-2). IWUE increased significantly with the decreasing irrigation and the increasing nitrogen application, while NPFP increased significantly with the increases of irrigation and the decreases of nitrogen application. Results of the regression analysis showed that the combination of irrigation and nitrogen application was closest to W2N2 treatment when yield and IWUE got the optimal solution. Therefore, W2N2 treatment was the best combination mode of water and nitrogen application for apple under SRI in Northern Shaanxi mountain area.

Entropy generation and heat transfer analysis in power-law fluid flow: Finite difference method

In this article entropy generation analysis for unsteady laminar free convection flow of power-law fluid is investigated. Fluid flow is in the presence of thermal radiation and magnetic field. The flow and heat transfer are governed by coupled system of PDE's. System of partial differential equation (PDE's) governs the continuity, momentum and energy equations. Using suitable dimensionless parameters, the system of PDE's is transformed into dimensionless form. Numerical computations made employing finite difference method (FDM). This method converts the nonlinear PDE 's to simple algebraic equations and by using variational technique the approximate solution is obtained technique. Impacts of important flow variables on velocity, skin friction and Nusselt number are shown graphically. Skin friction and Nusselt number are discussed for different pertinent flow variables. Velocity, temperature, entropy and Bejan number variations through important variables are discussed in the form of graphs. The obtained results show that velocity decays against Re, Ha and Pr. Temperature is enhanced for higher values of Re, Ec, Tr and Gr. For higher estimation of Ec entropy of the system enhance while show opposite behavior for the Bejan number. Entropy of system boosts for strong magnetic field.

Hydrothermal Behavior of Transient Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer Through a Rotating Curved Rectangular Duct with Natural and Forced Convection

The present work explores a spectral-based computational study on hydrothermal behavior of transient fluid flow with natural and forced convective heat transfer through a rotating curved rectangular duct of strong curvature. The outer wall of the duct is heated while the inner wall cooled, the other walls being thermally insulated. The system rotates about the vertical axis in the positive and negative direction for the Taylor number (-1000≤Tr≤1000) with a constant non-dimensional pressure gradient force, the Dean number Dn = 2000. Time-history analysis is performed and fluid characteristics are well determined by depicting the phase space of the time-history result. It is found that the chaotic flow turns into steady-state flow through multi-periodic and periodic oscillating flows, if Tr is increased either in the positive or in the negative direction. Streamlines of secondary flow and isotherms are obtained at some specific values of Tr, and it is found that the time-dependent flow consists of asymmetric 2- to multi-vortex solutions. Vortex structure of secondary flows is obtained for physically realizable solutions and it is found that maximum 8-vortex is obtained for the chaotic solution while 2-vortex for the steady-state solution. Nusselt number as well as temperature gradient is calculated as an index of heat transfer, and it is found that convective heat transfer is significantly enhanced by the secondary flow; and the chaotic flow, which occurs relatively at small Tr, boosts heat transfer more effectively than the steady-state or other solutions. Finally, our numerical results have been validated with the experimental outcomes and it is found that there is a good agreement between the numerical and experimental investigations.

Intraventricular Flow Patterns in Patients Treated with Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

The success of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy is hampered by complications such as thrombosis and bleeding. Understanding blood flow interactions between the heart and the LVAD might help optimize treatment and decrease complication rates. We hypothesized that LVADs modify shear stresses and blood transit in the left ventricle (LV) by changing flow patterns and that these changes can be characterized using 2D echo color Doppler velocimetry (echo-CDV). We used echo-CDV and custom postprocessing methods to map blood flow inside the LV in patients with ongoing LVAD support (Heartmate II, N = 7). We compared it to healthy controls (N = 20) and patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, N = 20). We also analyzed intraventricular flow changes during LVAD ramp tests (baseline ± 400 rpm). LVAD support reversed the increase in blood stasis associated with DCM, but it did not reduce intraventricular shear exposure. Within the narrow range studied, the ventricular flow was mostly insensitive to changes in pump speed. Patients with significant aortic insufficiency showed abnormalities in blood stasis and shear indices. Overall, this study suggests that noninvasive flow imaging could potentially be used in combination with standard clinical methods for adjusting LVAD settings to optimize flow transport and minimize stasis on an individual basis.

Chromatographic separation simulation of metal-chelating peptides from surface plasmon resonance binding parameters.

Some metal-chelating peptides have antioxidant properties, with potential nutrition, health, and cosmetics applications. This study aimed to simulate their separation on immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography from their affinity constant for immobilized metal ion determined in surface plasmon resonance, both technics are based on peptide-metal ion interactions. In our approach, first, the affinity constant of synthetic peptides was determined by surface plasmon resonance and used as input data to numerically simulate the chromatographic separation with a transport-dispersive model based on Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Then, chromatographic separation was applied on the same peptides to determine their retention time and compare this experimental tR with the simulated tR obtained from simulation from surface plasmon resonance data. For the investigated peptides, the relative values of tR were comparable. Hence, our study demonstrated the pertinence of such numerical simulation correlating immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography and surface plasmon resonance.

Analyzing and validating simulated tempering implementations at phase transition regimes

This work presents a comprehensive analysis of key elements determining the efficiency of Simulated Tempering implementations for lattice models. Important aspects like the proper choice of the replicas temperature set ϒR, their quantity R and adequate estimation of the weight factors (establishing the probabilities of jumps between the replicas) are considered. A number of tests to validate distinct ST implementations – as well as to characterize convergence and fluctuations (this latter, after reaching the steady condition) of the thermodynamic estimators – is proposed. Also, by combining the ST method with the so called fixed exchange frequency protocol (to determine ϒR), a new procedure to calculate critical temperatures is developed. As cases studies, two commonly addressed lattice models are discussed, the Blume–Emery–Griffiths and Bell–Lavis. Their detailed investigation at the coexistence condition or under first order phase transition regimes allows to properly inspect factors like, pace of convergence, tunneling between replicas and minimal values of the highest replica temperature TR, affecting a good overall performance of the ST method.

Risk assessment of using fish from different types of reservoirs as human food – A study on European perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn in sediment samples and muscle tissue of the European perch were analyzed using inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), with the aim to assess the potential ecological (RI) and human health risk, and the degree of contamination (Cd) of three types of reservoirs in Serbia, based on their purpose: electricity generation (Vlasina, Perućac, Zaovine, and Međuvršje), drinking water supply (Garaši), and recreation (Lake Sava). The concentrations of the studied elements were higher in sediments than in fish. However, the levels of Cd in fish caught in Vlasina, Zaovine, and Međuvršje, Hg in Perućac and Garaši, and Pb in Lake Sava exceeded the maximum allowed concentrations. The pollution load index (PLI) indicated that sediments in all six reservoirs were contaminated, but Cd was low; a moderate contamination with Cd was observed in Vlasina, Perućac, and Zaovine, Cr in Zaovine and Međuvršje, and Cu in Međuvršje. A low RI was recorded for all studied reservoirs. Cd was found to be the primary contamination and ecological risk factor. Total target hazard quotient (THQ) and target carcinogenic risk factor (TR) were higher for fishers operating in these reservoirs than for the general population. Higher values of PLI, Cd, RI, and TR were observed in electricity generation reservoirs. Results indicated that this type of reservoirs suffer from higher anthropogenic pressure and/or have a worse pollution management policy compared with other types of reservoirs included in this study, especially the drinking water supply reservoir.

Influence of planting distance and density on the yield and photosynthetic traits of sweet potato (Ipomoea balatas L.) under an intercropping system with walnut (Juglans regia) saplings

Sweet potato is a high-yield food crop with strong adaptation and is widely cultivated in southwestern China. Adjusting crop planting distance and planting density to improve the yield and productivity of intercropping systems has become an important management practice around the globe. However, little is known about the response of the sweet potato yield and photosynthetic characteristics to intercropping with walnut saplings. Field experiments were conducted in a split-plot arrangement, e.g., three plant densities (Dl, low, 4 plants/m2; Dm, moderate, 8 plants/m2; and Dh, high, 12 plants/m2) were randomly assigned (subplot) to three planting distances (P1, 0.25 n; P2, 0.5 n; and P3, n) (main plot). The results showed that with increasing plant distance, the yield of high-density sweet potatoes decreased significantly (P < 0.05). However, the highest sweet potato fresh root tuber yield (FRTY) appeared in the combination of P1Dh (plant distance: 0.25 n; plant density: 12 plants m2). Our data further suggested that under the planting distance of P1 (0.25 n) or P2 (0.5 n), soil moisture content increased significantly (approximately 3%) with planting density (P < 0.05). The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of sweet potatoes was significantly improved in cases of high sweet potato density and a short distance between sweet potatoes and walnut saplings, which ultimately increased yield. For the walnut saplings and sweet potatoes, a more compact planting distance was associated with higher values of Pn, Tr and Gs. Based on yield performance, photosynthetic traits and walnut sapling growth, the combination of 12 plants/m2 and P1 is the optimal scheme for walnut/sweet potato intercropping systems.