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This paper presents a systematic discussion of the design of all key subsystems of the ACCULINNA-2 facility: components of the primary beam line and beam diagnostics equipment, production target, and primary beam absorbers; equipment for the transport, purification, and diagnostics of the secondary beam; a RF-filter for additional beam purification; the cryogenic physical target; the forward spectrometer; and the automated control system. The characteristics of secondary beams are presented, such as angular and spatial distribution in the final focus; the quality of identification of ions by the E-ToF method; and the yields of the certain isotopes obtained during experiments in 2018-2020 with primary beams B (33.5 AMeV), N (49.3 AMeV), and 32S (52.7 AMeV) while tuning to secondary He, Li, Li, Be, S, and P beams with different energies. A comparison of secondary beam transport with the calculated one has been performed. The possibility is substantiated to carry out experiments with light exotic ions at high accuracy of detection and measuring parameters of the incident ion on condensed targets of hydrogen and helium isotopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the determination of phthalates in water is validated. It includes the sorption of hydrophobic components of a sample on a liquid chromatography column and the separation of analyte concentrated by online reversed-phase HPLC: for the quantitative determination of priority phthalates (PPhs) in surface waters at a trace level; qualitative assessment of the ratio of stable carbon isotopes 13C/12C in the PPh composition. It is shown that there is no contribution of PPhs from the laboratory background to the measurement results. The limits of determination (0.15−0.22 μg/L) and the accuracy of the determination (±δ = 10−20%) are found using online reversed-phase HPLC and the UV detection of the analytes. The boundary values for the 13C/12C isotope ratio are substantiated for a qualitative assessment of the results of measuring the Δ13C value in the structure of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and its ingress into waters of Lake Baikal from biogenic and abiogenic sources is revealed. A procedure for determining PPhs by reversed-phase HPLC with online UV detection is tested in the field using a portable liquid chromatograph; the concentration ranges for di-n-butyl phthalate (from <0.15 to 1.6 μg/L) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (from <0.22 to 1.6 µg/L) in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive proliferation of bacteria, or cell division in the absence of an exogenous substrate, is controlled by density-dependent mechanisms with the participation of AHL- and AI-2-dependent quorum sensing systems. Along with the signaling molecules of these bacterial communication systems, bacterial metabolites that are permanently released during microbial metabolism, for example, CO2, can also participate in the regulation and can serve as biomarkers of cell density. It has been found that carbon dioxide is necessary to the adaptive proliferation initiation, and the elevated atmospheric CO2 content causes this process to terminate prematurely. Thus, CO2 is able to regulate bacterial adaptive reactions and is probably one of the signals involved in the initiation and termination of the process of adaptive proliferation. It was shown that CO2 in the form of the bicarbonate ion can activate the cAMP-dependent signaling cascade and is also included in the bacterial cell mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial communities of bottom sediments of the Bolshaya Zelenovskaya oil seepage site (Lake Baikal) were investigated to assess their diversity and potential functional activity in the anaerobic degradation of oil. Microorganisms of the subsurface and deep sediment layers were grown in enrichment cultures supplemented with oil and various electron acceptors for 1 year at 10°C, and it was found that the concentrations of n-alkanes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons decreased by 1.2–2 and 2.2–2.8 times, respectively. Hydrocarbon conversion was accompanied by generation of hydrocarbon gases (methane and ethane). The microbial community of subsurface sediments had a higher bacterial diversity than the community of deep horizons and was composed of microorganisms specialized in degradation of a broad range of substrates, including oil hydrocarbons. The community of the deep sediment layer was dominated by Atribacterota, Caldisericota, and Bathyarchaeia (Thermoproteota), as well as members of the "rare biosphere": Elusimicrobiota and Candidatus Hadarchaeota. Apparently, oil degradation in the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal is primarily mediated by members of the phyla Bacillota, Pseudomonadota, Chloroflexota, Actinomycetota, Desulfobacterota, Atribacterota, Halobacteriota, and Bathyarchaeia (Thermoproteota). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current stage of proteomic research in the field of biology, medicine, development of new drugs, population screening, or personalized approaches to therapy dictates the need to analyze large sets of samples within the reasonable experimental time. Until recently, mass spectrometry measurements in proteomics were characterized as unique in identifying and quantifying cellular protein composition, but low throughput, requiring many hours to analyze a single sample. This was in conflict with the dynamics of changes in biological systems at the whole cellular proteome level upon the influence of external and internal factors. Thus, low speed of the whole proteome analysis has become the main factor limiting developments in functional proteomics, where it is necessary to annotate intracellular processes not only in a wide range of conditions, but also over a long period of time. Enormous level of heterogeneity of tissue cells or tumors, even of the same type, dictates the need to analyze biological systems at the level of individual cells. These studies involve obtaining molecular characteristics for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of individual cells, including their whole proteome profiles. Development of mass spectrometry technologies providing high resolution and mass measurement accuracy, predictive chromatography, new methods for peptide separation by ion mobility and processing of proteomic data based on artificial intelligence algorithms have opened a way for significant, if not radical, increase in the throughput of whole proteome analysis and led to implementation of the novel concept of ultrafast proteomics. Work done just in the last few years has demonstrated the proteome-wide analysis throughput of several hundred samples per day at a depth of several thousand proteins, levels unimaginable three or four years ago. The review examines background of these developments, as well as modern methods and approaches that implement ultrafast analysis of the entire proteome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in high-throughput high-resolution mass spectrometry and the development of thermal proteome profiling approach (TPP) have made it possible to accelerate a drug target search. Since its introduction in 2014, TPP quickly became a method of choice in chemical proteomics for identifying drug-to-protein interactions on a proteome-wide scale and mapping the pathways of these interactions, thus further elucidating the unknown mechanisms of action of a drug under study. However, the current TPP implementations based on tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), associated with employing lengthy peptide separation protocols and expensive labeling techniques for sample multiplexing, limit the scaling of this approach for the ever growing variety of drug-to-proteomes. A variety of ultrafast proteomics methods have been developed in the last couple of years. Among them, DirectMS1 provides MS/MS-free quantitative proteome-wide analysis in 5-min time scale, thus opening the way for sample-hungry applications, such as TPP. In this work, we demonstrate the first implementation of the TPP approach using the ultrafast proteome-wide analysis based on DirectMS1. Using a drug topotecan, which is a known topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitor, the feasibility of the method for identifying drug targets at the whole proteome level was demonstrated for an ovarian cancer cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—On February 6, 2023, two devastating earthquakes struck southern central Turkey, nine hours apart. The ground shaking from these earthquakes even swept over a significant part of northwestern Syria. In this paper, we consider the locations of the epicenters of these earthquakes against the prediction of the М ≥ 6.5 earthquake epicenters in Anatolia and adjacent regions, which was made in 1973 by I.M. Gelfand, V.I. Keilis-Borok and their colleagues using the Kora-3 pattern recognition algorithm based on morphostructural zoning data. We also present the results of early detection of the periods with an increased probability of the strongest earthquakes as determined by the medium-term prediction algorithm for the M8 earthquakes. It is found that the epicenters of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes occurred in a node identified in 1973 as potentially earthquake-prone for М ≥ 6.5, and both events occurred within the spatial and temporal coverage of the warning area diagnosed by the M8 algorithm in July 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cast oxide ceramic material consisting of Al2O3–Cr2O3 solid solution and ZrO2 inclusions uniformly distributed in it was prepared through metallothermic SHS from highly exothermic thermite-type mixtures containing molybdenum (VI) and chromium (III) oxides and Al/Zr as a combined reducing agent. The influence of green mixture mass on the synthesis parameters, composition, and microstructure of the final products was studied. The optimal conditions for high-temperature synthesis of cast composite oxide material consisting of 80 wt % Al2O3, 10 wt % Cr2O3, and 10 wt % ZrO2 were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steam pyrolysis of end-of-life waste tires is viable technology for obtaining pyrolysis oil, which could be used as fuel. The purpose of current study is determining emission and combustion characteristics of different waste tires pyrolysis oil fractions as well as their chemical properties and composition. The pyrolysis oil was obtained by steam pyrolysis of waste heavy-duty vehicle tires at 500 °C, and distilled into 6 fractions with boiling temperatures varied in range of 60–448 °C. The higher boiling temperature fraction consisted of hydrocarbons with higher molecular weight. The maximal sulfur content was observed for 180–250 °C fraction. Ignition delay times of studied samples were varied in range of 0.58–5.38 s, flaming combustion times—2.16–4.28 s, total combustion times—2.73- 8.41 s. Both ignition delay and total combustion times had been monotonously increasing with boiling temperature of fraction, while flaming combustion times were increasing up to 300–350 °C fraction. Combustion behavior of all samples indicated significant contribution of homogeneous gas-phase reactions. Emission characteristics of pyrolysis oil and its individual fractions were majorly determined by their reactivity and composition. Higher CO, CO2 and NO emissions were observed for fractions with higher boiling temperatures, while SO2 emissions were independent of boiling temperature and were connected to sulfur content. Maximal sulfur oxide emissions were observed for fraction 180–250 °C. The NO emissions of initial pyrolysis oil sample were higher than for any of its fraction, while SO2—lower (with < 180 °C fraction as exception) indicating negative and positive synergistic effects, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation and relaxation of optically induced electric charge in ZrO2(Y) films with embedded single-layered arrays of Au nanoparticles (NPs) of 2–3 nm in diameter have been studied subject to the depth of the Au NPs in the ZrO2(Y) layers and the optical excitation power at the wavelengths of 473 and 633 nm by Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy (SKPM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moss Physcomitrium (formerly Physcomitrella) patens (Hedw.) Mitt. is a seedless vascular plant with a deciphered genome, a representative of the most ancient living taxa of land plants, and a convenient model for studying the evolutionary development of plants. In order to study the formation and functions of carbohydrate-binding proteins in plants during evolution, a genome-wide screening of genes encoding proteins with lectin domains in the P. patens genome was carried out, and their expression in various cells and tissues of moss was analyzed. We identified 141 genes encoding proteins from 15 families, the set and number of representatives of which differed significantly from the earlier analyzed angiosperms. In P. patens, some of the proteins with lectin domains had a specific domain architecture absent in higher seed plants. Clustering of genes according to their level of expression in various tissues of moss showed three patterns of expression of genes for proteins with lectin domains, of which the third cluster, presented in cells with a tip growth type (in caulonema, chloronema, and moss rhizoids), was characterized by the largest number of actively expressed genes. The results obtained support the idea of the early appearance of genes encoding lectins in plants and the further expansion of families of proteins with lectin domains with increasing complexity of plant organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansins are small proteins that play a key role in modifying the structure of the cell wall during various physiological processes, in particular cell growth by elongation. Expansins are encoded by a large multigene family and are divided into four subfamilies, the main ones being alpha- and beta-expansins; the latter have received special development in cereals. Expansins are thought to modify the interactions of cellulose with xyloglucan (alpha-expansins) or with arabinoxylan (beta-expansins). At the same time, expansins do not have catalytic activity, the specific mechanism of their action is unclear, same as the physiological significance of such a wide variety of isoforms. To study the expression patterns of individual expansins, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis of all expansin genes identified in the maize genome using a convenient model system—zones of the maize growing primary root that differ in the stage of cell development and the composition of their cell walls. Of the 91 maize expansin genes, 67 were expressed in the root, and most expansin genes were characterized by a narrow range of zones with maximum transcript levels. Using a glycoarray containing 183 polysaccharides from the cell walls of plants of various species, we demonstrated that recombinant expansins AtEXPA1 and AtEXPB1 are able to bind to arabinogalactans and rhamnogalacturonans I and a number of other cell wall polysaccharides, which expands the list of their potential carbohydrate targets. Differences in the specificity of the interaction of alpha- and beta-expansins with various polysaccharides, both quantitatively and qualitatively, have been demonstrated. It has been hypothesized that the abundance of expansins in one plant organism and the fine regulation of their expression can be explained, at least in part, by the specific binding of individual expansins to specific cell wall polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the sloar flare SOL2012-04-27 emission in hydrogen, helium, and calcium spectral lines observed on the horizontal solar facility HSFA-2 of the Ondřejov Observatory (Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences). After processing the spectra, the integrated emission fluxes in the lines were determined. The data collected are treated using the approach of rapid energy release inside the chromosphere, accompanied by gas evaporation. Within the framework of the heated gas model, a theoretical calculation of the plasma parameters was performed, taking into account the physical conditions in the chromosphere, including spectral line self-absorption. Comparison across six lines allowed, with a high degree of validity, the reconstruction of the temperature , density, and spatial structure of the emitting gas. The best agreement of theory with observations is obtained in the model of the spread of inhomogeneous clouds, each of which has hot ( K) and less heated ( K) regions. On average, one cloud contributes about ten percent to the total emission flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the approaches to improve p-HEMT, we studied the effect of misorientation of GaAs substrates on the surface morphology, structure, and electrical properties of pseudomorphic heterostructures, as well as the parameters of transistors based on them. In a single technological cycle, heterostructures were formed on vicinal substrates with (100) orientation and misoriented by 2° to (110) by the method of MOCVD (MOCVD) in a single technological cycle. It has been established that on misoriented substrates, the growth of structurally consistent and stressed epitaxial layers occurs according to a layered-step mechanism with the formation of macrosteps. On vicinal substrates, the formation of monatomic growth steps was observed. The comparative characteristics of p-HEMT obtained using two types of substrates are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resistive switching effect in individual ferromagnetic filaments in memristive stacks based on ZrO2(Y)/Ni functional layers was studied experimentally. A conductive probe of an atomic force microscope played a role of a movable top electrode of a virtual memristive stack. The features of bipolar-type resistive switching found were related to the rapture and restoring of the filaments containing Ni atoms in the ZrO2(Y) dielectric films and are probably caused by different degree of metallization of the filaments. The filaments fromed were manifested in the images obtained by magnetic force microscopy as single-domain ferromagnetic particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UBVR polarimetric observations of 12 main-belt mostly primitive asteroids located near perihelion heliocentric distances were carried out from December 2022 to April 2023 with Zeiss-2000 telescope at the Terskol Peak observatory. The purpose of the monitoring program was to search for changes in the polarimetric parameters of the asteroids caused by possible sublimation-dust activity, as a result of which the formation of rarefied dust exospheres of asteroids is possible. The objects of the program were asteroids: (1) Ceres, (53) Kalypso, (117) Lomia, (164) Eva, (214) Ashera, (324) Bamberga, (419) Aurelia, (505) Cava, (554) Peraga, (654) Zelinda, (704) Interamnia, (1021) Flammario. Polarimetric observations of asteroids (117) Lomia, (164) Eva and (505) Kava were made for the first time, the remaining asteroids were observed earlier. Only for two asteroids (1) Ceres and (704) Interamnia, according to spectrophotometric observations, temporal spectrophotometric variability was noted earlier. Analysis of temporal changes in the degree of polarization of asteroids and comparison of the results of observations with the data available in the literature showed that the stability of the observed degree of polarization is comparable with measurement errors of % for asteroids of different brightness. Thus, during the observation period, no noticeable polarization signs of temporary sublimation-dust activity of the observed asteroids were detected. Additionally, it is shown that the currently existing variants of the spectral taxonomy of asteroids, based on spectrophotometric data and albedo, demonstrate a significant scattering of the selected classes when compared with their polarimetric phase dependencies. The asteroid (554) Peraga has been confirmed to have a negative degree of polarization at angles less than the inversion angle. Measurements of the polarization of the asteroid (1) Ceres in a wide range of wavelengths did not confirm the previously suspected change in the angle of the polarization plane with the wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is aimed at studying the kinetics of silicon electrodeposition from different chloride melts in order to select both optimal melt compositions and their electrolysis parameters. The study was carried out in KCl, KCl-CsCl and LiCl–KCl-CsCl melts with the addition of K2SiF6 at different temperatures depending on the melting point of each system. The optimal deposition potentials and current densities for electrolysis were determined by voltammetry. The LiCl–KCl-CsCl based melts are characterized by the highest silicon electrodeposition rates. Moreover, lowering lithium chloride content increase electrodeposition rates at the same other conditions. In LiCl–KCl-CsCl melt containing lithium chloride, the electrodeposition rate is highest in an electrolyte with a reduced LiCl content due to the lowest decomposition rate of the additive. Galvanostatic and potentiostatic electrolysis was carried out in the melts with different composition that have the highest rate of electrodeposition. It was found that continuous deposits occur in the LiCl–KCl-CsCl melt, while in other melts silicon is deposited in the form of fibers and dendrites. Fibers with a diameter of up to 0.7 μm were obtained in LiCl-free melts, and films consisting mainly of spherical grains with a diameter of up to 1 μm were obtained in a melt with lithium chloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of an analysis of observations of an eruptive prominence on the MFS and HSFA2 spectrographs of the Ondřejov Observatory (Astronomical Institute, Czech Republic) in the hydrogen, helium, and calcium lines. After spectral processing, the integral radiation fluxes in the lines were determined and the physical parameters of the plasma were calculated theoretically using a model in the absence of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Comparison of the observed and calculated values showed that the observed radiation fluxes in the lines can be explained in a model of stationary gas radiation taking into account the opacity in the spectral lines. To calculate the theoretical fluxes, in some cases, it was necessary to introduce radiation from several layers with different temperatures and heights. The calculated radiation fluxes agree with the observed ones to within 10%. As a result of the simulation, the main parameters of the plasma of the prominence were obtained: temperature, concentration, etc. The values of the radiation fluxes in the spectral lines are evidence of inhomogeneity of the emitting gas, and there may be regions next to each other with temperatures differing by an order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To carry out the experiments with radioactive beams at the ACCULINNA-2 fragment separator in the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, a complex of cryogenic thin physical targets with isotopes H2, D2, T2, 3He, and 4He is being created for the gas, liquid, and solid phase (for hydrogen). One of the three types of cryotargets created for nonhazardous gases in any phase at a temperature of 11–30 K is described. Requirements to the targets are formulated. A variety of available cells are presented, a concept of safe operation with the solid phase of hydrogen is given, and the gas–vacuum test bench for its implementation is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the T-10 tokamak, the Thomson scattering diagnostics was upgraded in 2016. The new system is based on the Nd:YAG laser with the pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz; the measurements can be performed every 10 ms during the entire plasma discharge at the spatial resolution of up to 5 mm. Using the upgraded diagnostics, the electron temperature measurements were performed during experimental campaigns of the T-10 tokamak in 2016−2018. In the regimes with the electron cyclotron resonance heating, it was demonstrated that the regions with increased temperature gradients form in the plasma, which was interpreted as the formation of internal transport barrier. The ASTRA-code-based simulations of the current profile time evolution made it possible to correlate the positions of the barrier and the rational surface q = 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secondary beam diagnostics at the ACCULINNA-2 fragment separator is implemented event-by-event by the beam particle detector, allowing one to identify the projectile ion with the dE-ToF method and determine the ion's velocity vector and localization on the target. The detector comprises two ToF stations and a pair of MWPCs. Two identical ToF stations located on the straight section of the ACCULINNA-2 fragment separator form a base of 12.35 m. In each station, light from a thin organic scintillator is detected with four compact PMTs directed symmetrically inside a closed volume. MWPCs are stationary shells designed to work in vacuum at atmospheric pressure of gas CF4. Each chamber provides XY coordinates with a pitch of 0.125 cm. This work studies the purpose and scope of application of the beam particles detector and its characteristics, layout, operation logic, as well as techniques of setting and calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1688 two sculptural fragments, a head of bearded man and a head of an unbearded youth, arrived in Copenhagen, sent from Athens as a gift to King Christian 5. They were placed in the Royal Kunstkammer, their provenance given as the Temple of Artemis in Ephesos, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Almost a hundred and fifty years later, in the early 1820's they were noticed and studied by two scholars independently visiting the Kunstkammer. However, both concluded that the two heads belonged to one of the metopes decorating the south side of the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens, showing fighting between Greeks and the mythical Centaurs, part man and part horse. In the 1830's another sculptural fragment, a horse's hoof, obtained through the German archaeologist and state antiquary of Greece, Ludwig Ross, reached Copenhagen. It was forwarded by the Danish consul to Athens, C.T. Falbe, as a gift to King Christian 8. The inventory reads: '... was found on the Acropolis near the Parthenon temple and is supposed to belong to one the Centaurs on the metopes.' The present paper focuses solely on the head of the Centaur. A brown stain was noticed on the Parthenon marbles as early as 1830 by the British Museum and has ever since eluded a deeper understanding of its genesis despite many investigations and attempts of analyses. A quite similar brown stain can be observed on the Centaur's head in Copenhagen as well. The present study reports analyses by LA-ICP-MS, SEM–EDX, µXRD, GC–MS, and LC–MS-MS, as well as optical microscopy of five small samples sequestered in 1999 from the Centaur head curated by the National Museum of Denmark. Our analyses show that the brown stain consists of two consecutively added surficial layers of the calcium oxalate minerals whewellite and weddellite. Despite a thorough search using proteomics, we have found no viable organic precursor material for the oxalates. Our results do not solve the mystery of the formation of the brown stain, but they do further qualify the structure and characterization of the brown stain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delaying nodule senescence and prolonging the time of nitrogen fixation are promising objectives for increasing legume yields. However, the mechanisms of nodule senescence still require further investigation. In this study, the ultrastructural organization of symbiotic nodules subjected to the combined effect of two factors that activate premature senescence of symbiotic nodules: ineffective interaction and elevated temperature (28°C) was investigated. It was demonstrated that symbiotically ineffective pea (Pisum sativum L.) mutant lines SGEFix−-3 (sym26) and SGEFix−-7 (sym27) exhibiting a premature senescence phenotype respond differently to a stress factor such as elevated temperature. Indeed, the mutant line SGEFix−-3 (sym26) exhibited pronounced oxidative stress reactions, while the mutant line SGEFix−-7 (sym27) developed reactions affecting cell walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the development of legume-rhizobial symbiosis, the process of rhizobia internalization depends on the modification of the plant-microbial surfaces and, first of all, on the remodeling of cell walls of both plant cells and infection threads. The components of cell walls, intercellular matrix and plasma and symbiosome membranes in nitrogen-fixing nodules of two legume species belonging to different types—determinate (Glycine max L. Merrill) and indeterminate (Galega orientalis Lam.)—were studied. As a result, the localization and distribution of different types of pectins, fucosylated xyloglucans, cell wall proteins and arabinogalactan proteins were revealed. Species-specific features of the symbiotic interface were identified, namely the presence of the linear galactan side chain of rhamnogalacturonan I in the infection thread walls, the rhamnogalacturonan I backbone, Ca2+-linked homogalacturonan, and an increase in the labeling of low methylesterified homogalacturonan in the cell walls of uninfected cells in the indeterminate nodules of G. orientalis; the presence of the galactan side chain of rhamnogalacturonan I in the cell walls of uninfected cells and the predominant accumulation of fucosylated xyloglucan in the infection thread walls in the determinate nodules of G. max. In nodules of both species, arabinans (cross-linked with rhamnogalacturonan I and as part of arabinogalactan proteins) play a major role in the development of infection structures, in particular symbiosomes, namely, they are detected at early stages of symbiosome differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In map production it is necessary to keep the spatial relationships between map features. Generalization is simplification performed on geographical data when decreasing its representation scale. It is a common practice to simplify each type of spatial features independently (administrative boundaries first, then road network, hydrographic network, etc.). During the process, some spatial conflicts, which require manual correction, arise inevitably. The generalization automation still remains an open issue for data producers and users. Many researchers are working to achieve a higher level of automation. In order to detect the spatial conflicts, a refined description of spatial relationships is needed. This paper analyzes models of describing topological relationships of spatial features: the 9-intersections model, the topological chain model, and the E-WID model. Each considered model allows one to take into account some relations between features, but it does not make it possible to transfer them exactly. As a result, the task of developing a model of relations preserving topology is relevant. We have proposed an improved model of nine intersections, which takes into account the topological conflict that occurs when a point feature is located next to a simplified line. Line simplification is one of the most requested actions in map production and generalization. When the mesh covered the map inside the cell, there can be points, line segments, and polygon topological features, which, if the cell is rather small, are polyline features. Thus, the issue of simplification of topological features within a cell is reduced to the issue of simplifying linear features (polylines). The developed algorithm is planned to be used to solve the problem of consistent generalization of spatial data. The ideas outlined in this article will form the basis of a new index of spatial data that preserves their topological relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of the deep-sea neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD continues in Lake Baikal. By April 2022, ten telescope clusters, which include 2880 optical modules, were put into operation. One of the urgent tasks of the Baikal project is to study the possibility of increasing the detection efficiency of the detector based on the experience of its operation and the results obtained with other neutrino telescopes in recent years. In this paper, the authors consider a variant of optimizing the telescope configuration by installing an additional string of optical modules between the detector clusters (external string). An experimental version of the external garland was installed in Lake Baikal in April 2022. The paper presents the results from calculations of the efficiency of registration of neutrino events for a new setup configuration, the technical implementation of the system for recording and collecting data from the external garland, and the first results of its full-scale tests in Lake Baikal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer-matrix composites based on ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and KxCoyTi8 – yO16 solid solution with a hollandite-like structure (KCoTO(H)) are obtained and studied as promising materials for components of electronic devices. The filler is synthesized by modifying X-ray amorphous potassium polytitanate (PPT) K2O·nTiO2 (n = 4.3) in a CoSO4·7H2O solution under alkaline conditions, followed by thermal treatment at 900°C. The structure of the synthesized material and the morphology of particles are studied by X‑ray phase analysis (XPA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. KCoTO(H) is introduced in the EVA polymer matrix by mixing a preliminarily prepared polymer solution and a dispersion of filler powder in an appropriate solvent in amounts of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 vol %. The frequency behavior of the permittivity, dielectric loss tangent, and conductivity of the obtained composites is studied by impedance spectroscopy. It is established that an increase in the KCoTO(H) content in the composite contributes to the growth of all the studied dielectric characteristics of a relatively pure EVA polymer matrix in the entire frequency range of 0.1 kHz–1 MHz (the maximum values are noted at a 50 vol % of the filler and f = 102 Hz: ε = 518, tanδ = 4, and σ = 1.35 S/cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectrum of a finite group is the set of its element orders. We give an affirmative answer to Problem 20.58(a) from the Kourovka Notebook proving that for every positive integer k, the k-th direct power of the simple linear group L n (2) is uniquely determined by its spectrum in the class of finite groups provided n is a power of 2 greater than or equal to 56 k 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-dimensional systems exhibiting a continuous symmetry can host quantum phases of matter with true long-range order only in the presence of sufficiently long-range interactions1. In most physical systems, however, the interactions are short-ranged, hindering the emergence of such phases in one dimension. Here we use a one-dimensional trapped-ion quantum simulator to prepare states with long-range spin order that extends over the system size of up to 23 spins and is characteristic of the continuous symmetry-breaking phase of matter2,3. Our preparation relies on simultaneous control over an array of tightly focused individual addressing laser beams, generating long-range spin–spin interactions. We also observe a disordered phase with frustrated correlations. We further study the phases at different ranges of interaction and the out-of-equilibrium response to symmetry-breaking perturbations. This work opens an avenue to study new quantum phases and out-of-equilibrium dynamics in low-dimensional systems.A one-dimensional trapped-ion quantum simulator with up to 23 spins is used to demonstrate a continuous symmetry-breaking phase that relies on long-range interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, hypercrosslinked copolymers (HCCPs) designated as HCCP-1DVB, HCCP-2DVB and HCCP-3DVB were obtained by post-crosslinking of styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers with the various molar content of divinylbenzene (1, 2, and 3%) using chloromethyl methyl ether via the Friedel-Crafts reaction. The chemical structure, porous and morphological characteristics of hypercrosslinked copolymers were determined by FT-IR, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption method and SEM, respectively. The synthesized hypercrosslinked copolymers had high surface area values and different micro/mesoporous structures. It was found that mesopore volume increased with a decrease in divinylbenzene content in a copolymer. HCCP-1DVB had the largest mesopore volume (0.53 cm3/g), the highest adsorption capacity for rifampicin (qm = 183.27 mg/g), and the highest rifampicin adsorption rate. Adsorption capacity of HCCP-1DVB towards rifampicin is comparable with other adsorbents used for its adsorption or even significantly higher. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetic processes were well described by the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model. The experimental data indicated that the removal efficiency of rifampicin reached 99.8% at the dosage of HCCP-1DVB equal to 80 mg/10 mL. The removal efficiency of rifampicin by HCCP-1DVB was higher than by some tested commercial hypercrosslinked adsorbents. After 5 cycles of reuse, the adsorption capacity of HCCP-1DVB decreased only by 7%, which indicates sufficient stability and reusability of this hypercrosslinked copolymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Gaussian noise on the switching of a ZrO2(Y) based memristor from the low resistance state (LRS) into the high resistance state (HRS) including transitions from the LRS into intermediate metastable states has been studied. The series of positive (with addition of the noise signal or without the one) and negative rectangular voltage pulses were used as the switching signals. The adding of noise to the switching signal initiated the switching of the memristor from the LRS into the HRS at smaller pulse magnitudes than in the case of switching by the rectangular pulses without adding the noise. A necessary (preset) HRS can be achieved passing the intermediate states by adding the noise with certain parameters to the rectangular switching pulses. The resistive switching is performed without application of adaptive switching protocols. The results of the present study can be applied in the development of innovative memristor switching protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proton and deuteron pickup reactions and were studied with the radioactive beam produced by the new fragment separator ACCULINNA-2 at FLNR, JINR. These measurements were initially motivated as the test reactions intended for the elucidation of results obtained in the study of the extremely neutron-rich H and H systems created in the and reactions with the use of the same setup. In the reaction the Li ground-state () and its first excited state (2.69 MeV, ) were identified in the low-energy region of its excitation spectrum. The differential cross sections for the population were extracted at the forward center-of-mass angles () and compared with the FRESCO calculations. Spectroscopic factor of , derived by a model suggesting the clustering was found in accord with the experimental data. The energy spectrum of Li populated in the reaction shows the strong peak which corresponds to the excitation of the second excited state of Li (2.25 MeV, ). The fact that the ground and the first excited states of Li were not observed in this reaction is consistent with the shell-model structure of the nuclei involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deflection of a 1-GeV proton beam by a bent silicon crystal 1 mm long by an angle of (3.0 ± 0.1) mrad with an efficiency of (32 ± 3)% for end-face capture into the channeling regime has been observed for the first time in the presented experiment. The developed crystal deflector makes it possible to increase the beam deflection angle and can be used to produce low-intensity beams at intermediate energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni–Al–Co alloy with the composition 45 wt % Ni + 41 wt % Co + 14 wt % Al has been prepared for the first time by aluminothermic reaction. The phase composition of the synthesized alloy comprises a cubic (Ni,Co)3Al solid solution of cobalt in nickel aluminide (γ'-phase) and a tetragonal (Ni,Co)3Al phase. The formation of the tetragonal structure of (Ni,Co)3Al is due to a martensitic transformation of a supersaturated initial structure in grains of the cubic (Ni,Co)3Al phase. The intragranular microhardness of the synthesized alloy is 6500 MPa. The alloy has soft magnetic properties, with the highest magnetization of 27 emu/g in a magnetic field of 10 kOe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment on seismic survey of the geological structure of the Black Sea seabed using a fiber-optic cable laid on the sea bottom (in shallow water) and a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) is described. Based on the experimental results, it is shown that the proposed technology is promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new architecture of a fiber phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (φ-OTDR, i.e., a distributed acoustic sensor) suitable for engineering geology application is proposed. The sensor is based on a double-pulse scheme in which a pair of pulses is formed using an unbalanced Michelson interferometer. A symmetrical 3 × 3 coupler built into the Michelson interferometer is used to obtain the phase delay needed for the demodulation of the backscattered light. Using the unbalanced Michelson interferometer in the circuit for dual-pulse probe signal generation, it is possible to reduce the requirements for the degree of coherence of the light source, since the delay line introduced between the dual-pulse parts is compensated in the φ‑OTDR fiber under test. As a result, it is possible to use a laser with a wide spectral line (~1 GHz) and generate short (7-ns-wide) laser pulses by directly modulating the laser-diode injection current. In order to reduce the signal fading in the φ-OTDR and to improve the linearity of its response, responses are averaged over 16 optical frequencies. The efficiency of the proposed distributed acoustic sensor has been demonstrated by detecting a strong impact on a cable that was horizontally buried in the ground as well as by detecting seismic waves using a cable inserted in a well at the sea bottom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fiber phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (a distributed acoustic sensor) with a low-noise output signal in the frequency range of 0.01−1 Hz is proposed for seismology applications. The sensor architecture is based on an unbalanced Mach−Zehnder interferometer, which is used to form a dual-pulse probe signal with required phases of its components and to stabilize the frequency of the laser source in the feedback circuit. The low noise level of the output signal is achieved in the proposed circuit by compensating for the difference in the optical paths of the dual-pulse probe signal fields scattered by different fiber sections. The applicability of the proposed circuit has been experimentally demonstrated by detecting a remote earthquake using a fiber-optic cable located at the bottom of the Black Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented literature review was prepared by a team of authors united by the Program and Organizing Committees of the "Optical Reflectometry, Metrology, and Sensing" (ORMS) conference in 2023. It is intended to assess the state and prospects in this area for the coming years. The review covers the following topics: distributed acoustic sensors, fiber-optic measurement systems based on Brillouin scattering, research methods based on the principles of optical reflectometry in the frequency domain, and low-coherence approaches to distributed temperature and strain monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of numerical modeling of a polymer filament with two degrees of freedom are presented. It was shown that the majority of existing mechanical models fail to adequality describe the phenomena that occur during dynamic deformation of synthetic yarns based on carbo- and heterocyclic aramids. In particular, these models cannot describe the phenomenon of runouts observed for these materials over a narrow range of stresses in the free oscillation mode. A structural-rheological model of a synthetic filament is proposed, which is supplemented with a spiral viscoelastic element, in addition to a spring and a damper. The introduction of a new structural element into the model allowed the authors to not only obtain a second-order equation, but also quantitatively describe the phenomenon under consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, ultrafast liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry methods have been extensively developed for the use in proteome profiling in biochemical studies. These methods are intended for express monitoring of cell response to biotic stimuli and elucidation of correlation of molecular changes with biological processes and phenotypical changes. New technologies, including the use of nanomaterials, are actively introduced to increase agricultural production. However, this requires complex approbation of new fertilizers and investigation of mechanisms underlying the biotic effects on the germination, growth, and development of plants. The aim of this work was to adapt the method of ultrafast chromatography/mass spectrometry for rapid quantitative profiling of molecular changes in 7-day-old wheat seedlings in response to pre-sowing seed treatment with iron compounds. The used method allows to analyze up to 200 samples per day; its practical value lies in the possibility of express proteomic diagnostics of the biotic action of new treatments, including those intended for agricultural needs. Changes in the regulation of photosynthesis, biosynthesis of chlorophyll and porphyrin- and tetrapyrrole-containing compounds, glycolysis (in shoot tissues), and polysaccharide metabolism (in root tissues) were shown after seed treatment with suspensions containing film-forming polymers (PEG 400, Na-CMC, Na2-EDTA), iron (II, III) nanoparticles, or iron (II) sulfate. Observations at the protein levels were consistent with the results of morphometry, superoxide dismutase activity assay, and microelement analysis of 3-day-old germinated seeds and shoots and roots of 7-day-old seedlings. A characteristic molecular signature involving proteins participating in the regulation of photosynthesis and glycolytic process was suggested as a potential marker of the biotic effects of seed treatment with iron compounds, which will be confirmed in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the development of a technological scheme for the comprehensive processing of copper cable conductors with a contact surface coating containing lead. A hydrometallurgical method for removing (leaching) lead from the surface of copper conductors of the cable scrap by using solutions consisting of a mixture of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide at various process parameters has been investigated. The optimization of the controlled parameters of the process was performed. It has been established that the highest rates of the lead dissolution process are achieved at a ratio of CH3COOH:H2O2 = 2:1. An equation is proposed to describe the dependence of the lead dissolution process on the controlled parameters, such as duration of sample processing, solution temperature, and pH level. The kinetics of lead dissolution in the mixture of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide has been studied. The equation describing the lead dissolution process at an atmospheric pressure and temperature range of 20–96°C is obtained. A modernized technological scheme for cable scrap processing has been developed and proposed. The scheme includes process operations related to mechanical separation and sorting of the raw materials with subsequent hydro- and electrometallurgical treatment of the resulting product. Moreover, each material recovered according to the proposed scheme represents a finished commercial product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for estimating the ratio of stable carbon isotopes 13С/12С in the composition of phthalates from surface water at a trace concentration level is proposed. It is based on the concentration of hydrophobic components of water using an analytical reversed phase HPLC column followed by their gradient separation and detection of eluted phthalates using a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ESI-HRMS-TOF) in the form of molecular ions. The ratio of stable carbon isotopes 13С/12C in phthalates is calculated as a ratio of integrals under the monoisotopic [M+1+H]+ and [M+H]+ peaks. The Δ13C value is calculated relatively to the 13C/12C ratio in commercial DnBP and DEHP phthalates used as standards. The minimal concentration of DnBP and DEHP in water required for a reliable determination of Δ13C value is estimated by the level of ca. 0.2 μg L−1. The technique has been verified during the monitoring of priority phthalates in the waters of Lake Baikal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the Weber integral transforms , which have a nontrivial kernel, so that the spectral expansion contains not only the continuous part of the spectrum but also the zero eigenvalue corresponding to the kernel. The inversion formula, the spectral decomposition, and the Plancherel–Parseval equality are derived. These transforms are used in an explicit formula for the solution of the classical nonstationary Stokes problem on the flow past a circular cylinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we derive the no-slip boundary condition for a non-stationary vorticity equation. This condition generates the affine invariant manifold and no-slip integral relations on vorticity can be transferred to a Robin-type boundary condition. This condition leads to the appearance of the non-trivial kernel in Laplace operator and as result it causes the presence of the stationary solution of linearised equation. The no-slip condition causes an orthogonality of the flow to this kernel which is consistent with the Stokes Paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setup fitting the requirements for the detailed study of the five-body decay of the 7H nucleus obtained as a result of the proton transfer from the 8He projectiles to the deuterium target nuclei is being built at the radioactive beam line of ACCULINNA-2 separator in the G.N. Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. Described here is the assembly of 100 BC-404 plastic scintillators, intended for neutron detection, the annular Si detector telescope for the 3He recoils, and the detector array providing the ΔE–E-TOF registration of 3H nuclei emitted at the 7H decay. Results obtained by the Monte Carlo simulations made for the energy values and flight passes of all these particles are given together with the luminosity expected for the discussed experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baikal-GVD is a 1 km3 scale neutrino telescope now under construction in Lake Baikal. The sensitive volume of the detector is currently around 0.5 km3. Muons form through the exchange of W-bosons in the interaction between muon- and partial tau-neutrinos near the telescope. The muons then propagate to great distances in the lake's water. Reconstructing their trajectory allows us to obtain the most accurate estimate of the direction of neutrinos at telescopes of this type. Angular resolution can be as good as 0.5° for fairly long muon tracks. The current state of affairs in analyzing track events at the Baikal-GVD is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope under construction and its main scientific results are presented. The detector consists of 2916 optical sensors located at 81 vertical strings deep below the surface of Lake Baikal. Its geometric configuration is optimized for detecting neutrinos with energies above 100 TeV. Events from muon neutrinos were identified, the flux of which is consistent with the expectation for the flux of atmospheric neutrinos. The data obtained during the alerts of the ANTARES and IceCube telescopes were analyzed. Candidate events for high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a finite group and N(G) be the set of its conjugacy class sizes without 1. In the 1980s Thompson conjectured that the equality N (G) = N (S) , where Z (G) = 1 and S is simple, implies the isomorphism G ≃ S . In a series of papers of different authors, Thompson’s conjecture was proved. We show that if G is a finite centerless group with the same set of conjugacy class sizes as L 2 (q) × L 2 (q) , where q is odd greater 3 and numbers q - 1 , q + 1 are not power of 2, then G ≃ L 2 (q) × L 2 (q) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from the prolonged tests of zeolite-containing cobalt catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in reactor tubes comparable in size to those used in industrial reactors. During 3000 hours on stream catalyst activity was decreased by 13%. It is shown that the main reasons for zeolite-containing cobalt catalyst deactivation are agglomeration of cobalt clusters and carbon deposition on the catalyst surface. The authors propose one method of reducing the catalyst deactivation rate and two methods of regenerating it. It is shown that the oxidative regeneration treatment of zeolite-containing cobalt catalysts allows to recover 98% of the initial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]