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In this work, we represent the lightning initiation scenario as a sequence of two transitions of discharge activity to progressively larger spatial scales: the first one is from small-scale avalanches to intermediate-scale streamers; and the second one is from streamers to the lightning seed. We postulate the existence of ion production centers in the cloud, whose occurrence is caused by electric field bursts accompanying hydrometeor collisions (or near collisions) in the turbulent thundercloud environment. When a new ion production center is created inside (fully or partially) the residual ion spot left behind by a previously established center, there is a cumulative effect in the increasing of ion concentration. As a result, the essentially non-conducting thundercloud becomes seeded by elevated ion-conductivity regions (EICRs) with spatial extent of 0.1–1 m and a lifetime of 1–10 s. The electric field on the surface of an EICR (due to its conductivity being at least 4 orders of magnitude higher than ambient) is a factor of 3 or more higher than ambient. For a maximum ambient electric field of 100 kV/m typically measured in thunderclouds, such field enhancement is sufficient for initiation of positive streamers and their propagation over distances of the order of decimeters, and this will be happening naturally, without any external agents (e.g., superenergetic cosmic ray particles) or extraordinary in-cloud conditions, such as very high potential differences or very large hydrometeors. Provided that each EICR generates at least one streamer during its lifetime, the streamers will form a 3D network, some parts of which will contain hot channel segments created via the cumulative heating and/or thermal-ionizational instability. These hot channel segments will polarize, interact with each other, and cluster, forming longer conducting structures in the cloud. When the ambient potential difference bridged by such a conducting structure exceeds 3 MV, we assume that the lightning seed, capable of self-sustained bidirectional extension, is formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical model with physical timing and grid spacing of 3 m is applied to studying the progression (including stepping and branching) of negative lightning stepped leader. The asymmetry between positive and negative streamers is taken into account via using polarity‐dependent initiation and propagation field thresholds. The stepped nature of negative leader is confirmed to be caused by this asymmetry. The step formation process of the negative leader is modeled to begin with the appearance of space stems inside and in the immediate vicinity of its streamer zone (corona streamer burst completing the preceding step). Some of those space stems evolve into space leaders, which can connect to the primary leader channel, thereby facilitating its extension. Model‐predicted morphology and dynamics of negative leaders are in good agreement with the recent recordings of lightning stepped and dart‐stepped leaders obtained using high‐speed video cameras, and their electrical parameters are in line with the current knowledge on negative lightning leaders. Key Points: Numerical model capable of reproducing the dynamics of negative‐leader stepping and branching processes has been developedModel predictions on leader speed, step length, interstep interval, and charge transfer are in reasonably good agreement with observationsAmong other features current pulses generated at the end of step‐formation process carry positive charge over hundreds of meters upward along the negative‐leader channel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model of a creeping discharge over a dielectric surface is presented. A discharge area (above a dielectric sheet separating a metal needle from a ground plain electrode) is presented as a system of gas sphere cells covering the dielectric. A discharge tree (conducting cluster) is represented by a nonlinear circuit consisting of capacitances, nonlinear conductances, and controlled sources. The sources simulate the potential caused by the needle electrode and free charge located in the neighboring cells. The coefficients for the controlled sources and cell capacitances are determined from the results of static field calculation. The effects of electron drift, impact ionization, and photoionization are involved into the conductance model. Physical parameters of the latter two processes are deduced from the experimental data available in the literature. The criteria for cell initiation are obtained for different applied voltages such that dynamic characteristics of the model correspond to the experimental ones. The experimental results for the nanosecond discharges are used here considering the streamer phase of discharge development. Further improvement of the conductance model is discussed with respect to plasma heating up to the temperatures enough for the streamer-to-leader transition. In addition to discharge patterns which were created to be similar to experimental Lichtenberg figures, the model allows us to determine such local properties of the discharge as current, voltage drop, loss, field, and charge distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new attempt to model two-dimensional mesospheric optical emissions named sprites with the use of a cellular automaton network. A large-scale model of sprites based on the phenomenological percolation-like probabilistic approach is developed to model streamer discharges in sprites. It is shown that a sprite is a self-affine structure rather than a simple fractal one, and that this self-affine structure is tightly connected with directed percolation phenomena. The system is found to evolve in the vicinity of the percolation threshold, which results in a wide variety of sprite characteristics even under similar initial conditions. The approach developed allows us to estimate a maximum size of the discharge pattern to be formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the need for changes required in the formal model of perestroika. Questions arising from the theoretical study of perestroika; Introduction of concepts to formulate, formalize and investigate the mechanisms of socioeconomic development; Basis of the simulation model; Approaches to determine the target preferences of social science.

In the past decade, stimuli-responsive hydrogels are increasingly studied as biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine purposes. Smart hydrogels can not only replicate the physicochemical properties of the extracellular matrix but also mimic dynamic processes that are crucial for the regulation of cell behavior. Dynamic changes can be influenced by the hydrogel itself (isotropic vs anisotropic) or guided by applying localized triggers. The resulting swelling-shrinking, shape-morphing, as well as patterns have been shown to influence cell function in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. Furthermore, the use of stimuli-responsive hydrogels as bioinks in 4D bioprinting is very promising as they allow the biofabrication of complex microstructures. This perspective discusses recent cutting-edge advances as well as current challenges in the field of smart biomaterials for tissue engineering. Additionally, emerging trends and potential future directions are addressed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The growing number of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria poses a global threat to human health. For this reason, the search for ways to enhance the antibacterial activity of existing antibiotics is now an urgent medical task. The aim of this study was to develop novel delivery systems for polymyxins to improve their antimicrobial properties against various infections. For this, hybrid core-shell nanoparticles, consisting of silver core and a poly(glutamic acid) shell capable of polymyxin binding, were developed and carefully investigated. Characterization of the hybrid nanoparticles revealed a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 100 nm and a negative electrokinetic potential. The nanoparticles demonstrated a lack of cytotoxicity, a low uptake by macrophages, and their own antimicrobial activity. Drug loading and loading efficacy were determined for both polymyxin B and E, and the maximal loaded value with an appropriate size of the delivery systems was 450 µg/mg of nanoparticles. Composite materials based on agarose hydrogel were prepared, containing both the loaded hybrid systems and free antibiotics. The features of polymyxin release from the hybrid nanoparticles and the composite materials were studied, and the mechanisms of release were analyzed using different theoretical models. The antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated for both the polymyxin hybrid and the composite delivery systems. All tested samples inhibited bacterial growth. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of the polymyxin B hybrid delivery system demonstrated a synergistic effect when compared with either the antibiotic or the silver nanoparticles alone.

Polymyxins are peptide antibiotics that are highly efficient against many multidrug resistant pathogens. However, the poor stability of polymyxins in the bloodstream requires the administration of high drug doses that, in turn, can lead to polymyxin toxicity. Consequently, different delivery systems have been considered for polymyxins to overcome these obstacles. In this work, we report the development of polymyxin delivery systems based on nanoparticles obtained from the self-assembly of amphiphilic random poly(l-glutamic acid- co -d-phenylalanine). These P(Glu- co -dPhe) nanoparticles were characterized in terms of their size, surface charge, stability, cytotoxicity, and uptake by macrophages. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading into P(Glu- co -dPhe) nanoparticles were determined for both polymyxin B and E. The release kinetics of polymyxins B and E from nanoformulations was studied and compared in buffer solution and human blood plasma. The release mechanisms were analyzed using a number of mathematical models. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of the nanoformulations were established and compared with those determined for the free antibiotics.

Living neuronal networks in dissociated neuronal cultures are widely known for their ability to generate highly robust spatiotemporal activity patterns in various experimental conditions. Such patterns are often treated as neuronal avalanches that satisfy the power scaling law and thereby exemplify self-organized criticality in living systems. A crucial question is how these patterns can be explained and modeled in a way that is biologically meaningful, mathematically tractable and yet broad enough to account for neuronal heterogeneity and complexity. Here we derive and analyse a simple network model that may constitute a response to this question. Our derivations are based on few basic phenomenological observations concerning the input-output behavior of an isolated neuron. A distinctive feature of the model is that at the simplest level of description it comprises of only two variables, the network activity variable and an exogenous variable corresponding to energy needed to sustain the activity, and few parameters such as network connectivity and efficacy of signal transmission. The efficacy of signal transmission is modulated by the phenomenological energy variable. Strikingly, this simple model is already capable of explaining emergence of network spikes and bursts in developing neuronal cultures. The model behavior and predictions are consistent with published experimental evidence on cultured neurons. At the larger, cellular automata scale, introduction of the energy-dependent regulatory mechanism results in the overall model behavior that can be characterized as balancing on the edge of the network percolation transition. Network activity in this state shows population bursts satisfying the scaling avalanche conditions. This network state is self-sustainable and represents energetic balance between global network-wide processes and spontaneous activity of individual elements., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

We have investigated the fractal dynamics of intracloud microdischarges responsible for the formation of a so-called drainage system of electric charge transport inside a cloud volume. Microdischarges are related to the nonlinear stage of multiflow instability development, which leads to the generation of a small-scale intracloud electric structure. The latter is modeled by using a two-dimensional lattice of finite-state automata. The results of numerical simulations show that the developed drainage system belongs to the percolation-cluster family. We then point out the parameter region relevant to the proposed model, in which the thundercloud exhibits behavior corresponding to a regime of self-organized criticality. The initial development and statistical properties of dynamic conductive clusters are investigated, and a kinetic equation is introduced, which permits us to find state probabilities of electric cells and to estimate macroscopic parameters of the system.