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The growth and development of embryophytes is deeply influenced by environmental stimuli, such as light, temperature, and soil nutrients. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the growth response of plants to environmental stimuli is crucial for agriculture. In this study, we examined the morphology of a flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, using microfocus X‐ray computed tomography (µCT), which enables non‐destructive analysis of the external and internal structures of plants. Three‐dimensional (3D) images of the plant, which were reconstructed from X‐ray scanned data, clearly showed the shapes of its leaves, stems, and buds from any angle. At a higher magnification, the µCT also revealed the small hair‐like structures called trichomes on the Arabidopsis leaf epidermis. However, motion artifacts found in the 3D‐reconstructed images indicated that plant's growth rate was faster than scanning speed. Thus, scan parameters must be accordingly optimized. Additionally, CT‐based 3D printing can be used to design micro devices that can be further used to monitor plant growth. These results suggest that µCT is a useful technique for analyzing morphology of growing plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ilama leaves are an important source of secondary metabolites with promising anticancer properties. Cancer is a disease that affects a great number of people worldwide. This work aimed to investigate the in vivo, in vitro and in silico anticancer properties of three acyclic terpenoids (geranylgeraniol, phytol and farnesyl acetate) isolated from petroleum ether extract of ilama leaves. Their cytotoxic activity against U-937 cells was assessed using flow cytometry to determine the type of cell death and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Also, a morphological analysis of the lymph nodes and a molecular docking study using three proteins related with cancer as targets, namely, Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and VEGFR-2, were performed. The flow cytometry and histomorphological analysis revealed that geranylgeraniol, phytol and farnesyl acetate induced the death of U-937 cells by late apoptosis and necrosis. Geranylgeraniol and phytol induced a significant increase in ROS production. The molecular docking studies showed that geranylgeraniol had more affinity for Bcl-2 and VEGFR-2. In the case of farnesyl acetate, it showed the best affinity for Mcl-1. This study provides information that supports the anticancer potential of geranylgeraniol, phytol and farnesyl acetate as compounds for the treatment of cancer, particularly with the potential to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions Upper elementary grade students encounter increasingly complex texts with abundant morphologically complex words. Despite the positive effects of morphology‐based vocabulary instruction, emergent bilinguals with limited word reading skills may need additional support.This study investigated the effects of morphological analysis and morphophonemic analysis instruction on the orthographic and semantic learning of morphologically complex academic words. Fourth‐ and fifth‐grade Spanish–English bilingual students (N = 30) in the United States participated in two learning tasks. In learning task one, participants learned two sets of carefully matched derivational words under morphological and whole‐word learning conditions. In learning task two, the same participants learned two other sets of words under morphophonemic and whole‐word learning conditions. Each learning task included two learning sessions interweaved by meaning recall and spelling production assessments. Cross‐classified multilevel regression was used to assess the effects of intervention conditions, child and item predictors, as well as cross‐level interactions.Findings showed no significant difference in meaning recall and spelling measures between morphological and whole‐word conditions. Students performed significantly better in the morphophonemic condition than in the whole‐word condition for both meaning and affix spelling outcomes. The effect of morphophonemic intervention over whole word condition was stronger for younger students and words of lower base frequencies. Student meaning and spelling performance was significantly predicted by their word reading skills.Morphophonemic analysis instruction enhances word meaning recall and spelling of complex derivative words. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consistent series of Pt (II) polypyridyl complexes (i.e., LDP‐10–25), previously obtained and characterized by our research group, underwent extensive biological investigations to verify their activity profile as target‐based anticancer agents. Preliminary in vitro screening at 10 μM against three tumor cell lines known to overexpress DNA G‐4 (MDA‐MB 231, U87, and U2‐OS) pointed out that four of them, namely, LDP‐15, LDP‐16, LDP‐24, and LDP‐25, had promising cytotoxic activity compared with cisplatin. Therefore, these four compounds were selected for continuous assays against the same three cell lines and morphological analyses on U2‐OS cells that showed IC50 values in the micromolar range and remarkable changes in nuclei shape and cytoskeleton integrity, respectively. Docking studies supported the idea that the antiproliferative activity of the complexes could be attributed to their interaction via a hybrid binding mode with the intended molecular target, DNA G‐4. In addition, in silico ADME‐Tox profiling studies showed no risk of tumorigenic, irritant, or reproductive effects for the title compounds. DFT calculations were used to verify the structural characteristics of the four selected compounds and to investigate their electronic behavior. Overall, the results obtained, both experimentally and theoretically, indicate that LDP‐15, LDP‐16, LDP‐24, and LDP‐25 complexes could be useful for further study as potential therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of vacuum induction melting and various concentrations (range of 0–8% by weight) of the titanium aluminium carbide (Ti2AlC) phase on the mechanical and tribological properties of Aluminium hypereutectic alloy (A390) were investigated. The addition of Ti2AlC particles enhances the strength and wear resistance of A390 alloy and also exerts a positive effect on its ductility, Moreover aerospace and automotive brake rotors deserved high strength and high wear resistance. The quick induction heating process could decrease the thermal energy degradation of the Ti2AlC particles into an Al alloy matrix alloy. The structural, microscopic and elemental analysis carried out to observe the hard precipitate components and reveal the various phases of the composites. The addition of Ti2AlC inclusions altered the morphology of eutectic silica to be globular and improved the grain size and evenly distributed within the A390 (Al-16Si) matrix. As the content of Ti2AlC reaches 8 wt% the strength and microhardness of the composites increased 74% and elongation decreased 2.1% (UTS = 285 MPa, H = 127VMH and EI = 1.1%). The tensile and fracture behaviour of the composites has been studied at 30 °C, 150 °C, and 250 °C. The Johnson-Cook model theoretically calculated the accurate flow stress of the Al-16Si/Ti2AlC composites. The negligible decrease in strength and ductility at 250 °C was observed. The root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values for the stress-strain curves prove the higher relationship between the theoretical and experimental values. The composites containing 8 wt% Ti2AlC reinforcement significantly enhanced the mechanical behaviour with a porosity < 2.23%.Therefore this composite exhibited appreciable tribological properties. It appeared that the wear mechanism of the composites abrasive wear at applied pressure 0.2 MPa with sliding distance 2000 m was prevailing. The ANN model addressing the parameters which influence the wear rate and friction coefficient as well as the experimental wear analysis of these composites was correlated precisely with the results of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregate shape is essential for evaluating concrete properties. Most of the existing literature utilizes X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) to assess the morphological characteristics of 2D/3D aggregates. However, the obtainment of a large number of aggregates by X-CT is a tedious, time-consuming and costly task. In this study, a framework combined concrete modeling and the numerical slicing method was developed, which simulated the process for obtaining 3D models of concrete and the corresponding 2D cross-sectional concrete models in the laboratory using X-CT. This was simpler, more efficient, and less costly than the X-CT method. Based on this framework, 3D concrete models with four different aggregate shape types and corresponding 2D cross-sectional concrete models were generated. The influences of 3D aggregate shape types on the roundness, aspect ratio, packing density, and grading curves of 2D cross-sectional aggregates were statistically analyzed and the correlation between the morphological descriptors of 2D/3D aggregates was investigated. The differences between 2D meso-concrete models generated based on the numerical slicing and the random placement methods were compared. The results showed that the 3D aggregate shape type had significant effects on the meso-structure of 2D sectional concrete. Unlike the projection image method, the morphological descriptors of 2D cross-sectional aggregates obtained based on the slicing method were poorly correlated with the morphological characteristics of 3D aggregates. This study laid the foundation for the study of the qualitative and quantitative relationships between the shape index and mechanical properties of aggregates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's study tables are an integral part of a child's learning life. Consumers are often attracted to their styling when deciding on the use and purchase of a children's study desk. This study focused on consumption preference for the styling of children's study desks and delved into the factors that influence these preferences. An important aspect of this research is to understand how different shapes of children's desks influence consumer preferences through morphological analysis. The study breaks down these desks into six different parts based on morphological analysis: backplane, bookshelves, desktop, cabinet, drawer, and table legs. Through a hierarchical analysis (AHP) and pairwise comparisons, the study created a hierarchy of preferred morphological elements. The hierarchy ranked the importance of each element in influencing consumption preference, revealing the order of preference from backsplash to table legs. In addition, by integrating personal interviews and employing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), this study provides insights into the most preferred components -- backplane and bookshelves. This integrated approach revealed a preference for desks with curved backsplashes and multi-tiered functional shelves, which was ultimately validated by successfully combining weighted rankings of specific component styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-destination tours and activities multisided platforms (T&A MSP) are growing ventures at the forefront of digitalizing tour and activity sector. While these platforms are transforming this sector, understanding of their business models and how they create, deliver and capture value is limited. To address this gap, we developed a morphological matrix to facilitate alternative business model exploration and discovery. Derived from three iterations, this matrix visually represents and describes the characteristics of T&A MSP business models. Utilizing this tool, T&A MSP can evaluate and make transformative adjustments to their business models, thereby enhancing performance, adapting to evolving tourists' preferences and generating greater value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroautophagy/autophagy is the process by which cells degrade their cytoplasmic proteins or organelles in vacuoles to maintain cellular homeostasis under severe environmental conditions. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, autophagy-related (Atg) proteins essential for autophagosome formation accumulate near the vacuole to form the dot-shaped phagophore assembly site/pre-autophagosomal structure (PAS). The PAS then generates the phagophore/isolation membrane (PG), which expands to become a closed double-membrane autophagosome. Hereinafter, we refer to the PAS, PG, and autophagosome as autophagy-related structures (ARSs). During autophagosome formation, Atg2 is responsible for tethering the ARS to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via ER exit sites (ERESs), and for transferring phospholipids from the ER to ARSs. Therefore, ARS and the ER are spatially close in the presence of Atg2 but are separated in its absence. Because the contact of an ARS with the ER must be established at the earliest stage of autophagosome formation, it is important to know whether the ARS is tethered to the ER. In this study, we developed a rapid and objective method to estimate tethering of the ARS to the ER by measuring the distance between the ARS and ERES under fluorescence microscopy, and found that tethering of the ARS to the ER was lost without Atg1. This method might be useful to predict the tethering activity of Atg2.Abbreviation: ARS, autophagy-related structure; Dautas, automated measurement of the distance between autophagy-related structures and ER exit sites analysis system; ERES, endoplasmic reticulum exit site; PAS, phagophore assembly site/pre-autophagosomal structure; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PG, phagophore/isolation membrane; prApe1, precursor of vacuolar aminopeptidase I; Qautas, quantitative autophagy-related structure analysis system; SD/CA; synthetic dextrose plus casamino acid medium; WT, wild-type [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering several logistical limitations associated with live trapping in arid environments, owl pellet analysis provides a potentially useful alternative to estimate small mammal diversity. Owl pellet analysis has been used to estimate local small mammal diversity under the assumption that the method can reliably reflect the composition of local small mammal assemblages. However, the validity of owl pellet contents for use in ecological assessments has not been established. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the potential for eastern barn owl (Tyto delicatula) pellet analysis to improve the monitoring of small mammals in arid Australia. We analysed two ecological datasets from Pilungah Reserve on the northern boundary of the Simpson Desert in central Australia to assess their effectiveness for detecting expected small mammal species: 250 owl pellets collected from a known roosting site and 5 years of small mammal records from historical, long‐term trapping surveys. Species composition and detection probability of mammals varied depending on the method used. Owl pellet analysis returned higher species richness overall, while traditional trapping methods indicated a higher probability of detecting certain mammal species (e.g., the wongai ningaui Ningaui ridei, brush‐tailed mulgara Dasycercus blythi and the hairy‐footed dunnart Sminthopsis hirtipes). Importantly, analysis of owl pellets revealed two mammal species that had never been detected at the study site (dusky hopping mouse Notomys fuscus and Carpentarian false antechinus Pseudantechinus cf. mimulus). We suggest that owl pellet analysis could be particularly valuable when used as a precursor or in concert with traditional trapping to monitor and assist in the conservation of small mammal species in arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitatively assessing the morphology of fractures by hydraulic stimulation is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of fracturing operations. Herein, a series of laboratory tests are conducted to induce fractures originating from a borehole situated within cylindrical-shaped granite specimens. A total of 13 specimens are pressurized with various viscosities of fracturing fluids and injection rates. For each fractured specimen, 3D X-ray computed tomography imaging is performed. To accurately identify and segment the various morphologies of fractures, a convolutional neural network (CNN) model is employed. A nested U-Net model, based on an encoder–decoder structure, is designed to obtain a more sophisticated segmentation of fractures compared with conventional image processing methods. The results indicate that the complicated fracture patterns, such as the hair-like thin fracture, fracture junction, and complex fracture network, are successfully segmented. For the 3D reconstructed binary fractures, the morphological parameters are quantitatively computed. The increase in fracturing fluid viscosity and injection rates, which in turn led to an increase in breakdown pressure, results in the increase in fracture volume and aperture, whereas the tortuosity and surface roughness tend to decrease. Thus, the CNN-based model enables the accurate segmentation of fractures induced by hydraulic stimulation and helps clarify the relationship between morphological consequences and pressurization conditions. Highlights: The proposed method of hydraulically stimulated fracture segmentation enables accurate quantitative morphological analysis. The nested U-Net-based CNN model can successfully segment various morphologies of fractures from 3D X-ray CT images. The 3D reconstructed fracture surface reveals that hydraulic fracture morphology is well correlated with injection conditions. A higher breakdown pressure increases the aperture and volume of fractures while decreasing the fracture undulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the study of essential oils as antifungal alternatives and their encapsulation to increase their properties for greater effects has been tested. In this work, nanoparticles of chitosan–Schinus molle L. essential oil (CS-PEO-Np) with a size of 260 ± 31.1 nm were obtained by ionic gelation and evaluated in some growth phases of Aspergillus flavus, a toxigenic fungus. At a concentration of 250 μg/mL of CS-PEO-Np, the A. flavus mycelial growth was inhibited at 97.1% with respect to control, at 96 h of incubation; the germination and viability of spores were inhibited at 74.8 and 40%, respectively, after exposure to 500 μg/mL of these nanomaterials, at 12 h of incubation. The fluorescence images of stained spores with DAPI showed the affectations caused by nanoparticles in the cell membrane, vacuoles and vacuolar content, cell wall, and nucleic acids. For both nanoparticles, CS-Np and CS-PEO-Np, no mutagenic effect was observed in Salmonella Typhimurium; also, the phytotoxic assay showed low-to-moderate toxicity toward seeds, which was dependent on the nanoparticle’s concentration. The acute toxicity of CS-PEO-Np to A. salina nauplii was considered low in comparison to CS-Np (control), which indicates that the incorporation of Schinus molle essential oil into nanoparticles of chitosan is a strategy to reduce the toxicity commonly associated with nanostructured materials. The nanoparticulated systems of CS-PEO-Np represent an effective and non-toxic alternative for the control of toxigenic fungi such as A. flavus by delaying the initial growth stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional growing rod (TGR) provides a corrective moment for deformed segments to straighten the spine, whose clinical efficacy has proven positive and growth‐friendly. However, an insufficient understanding of orthopedic mechanisms can affect the development of clinical strategies. This research attempts to analyze the spine that has undergone four distraction operations: exploring the spinal orthopedic mechanism, including alignment, growth, and morphology. In this study, the spinal morphology curves were illustrated in three human planes to exhibit the changes in spinal alignment. The spinal growth characteristics were measured to discuss the unsynchronized and diminishing growth rate. The spinal deformations were evaluated to indicate asymmetric growth. As a result, the spinal alignment changes indicated the orthopedic process improved, but the re‐unbalance occurred after multiple distractions. Then, unsynchronized growth existed in the superior and inferior segments, and the growth rate over every distraction diminished. Finally, asymmetric growth was indicated as the axial/circumferential growth ratio getting greater and the cuneate level approaching normal. Accordingly, a TGR is growth‐friendly, but combining the osteotomy fusion of lumbar segments for severe early‐onset scoliosis may be an excellent choice to solve the insufficient corrective stimulation. Regarding the distraction process, reshaping before the final fusion can fix the balance loss, and a prolonged distraction frequency fits the law of diminishing return. In conclusion, studying orthopedic mechanisms based on morphological measurement can guide clinical strategy optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages in various and variable aquatic ecosystems is of paramount importance, given the strategic supporting services offered by these organisms. Such knowledge is implicitly based on the analysis of the realized niche of the different populations, i.e. of the sets of conditions within which populations show a positive growth. The range of phytoplankton morphological traits variability is evolutionarily selected to maximize the ecological performance of species while they are entrained in the spectrum of turbulent flows. In addition, most phytoplankton species exhibit high morphological plasticity that can further optimize their performance under reduced environmental variability. Although this plasticity is well known, it is seldom considered in phytoplankton studies. Morphological analysis could therefore be used as a tool to estimate the environmental variability within which a species can persist and, ultimately, the niche width of phytoplankton populations. This opinion paper tries to answer the questions: to what extent can the morphological variability of phytoplankton offer a synthesis of the environmental variability of aquatic ecosystems?. Do the morphological traits contain sufficient information to describe the width of the realized niche of phytoplankton species? What can we do to fill eventual gaps in our knowledge? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the relationship between the occurrence of Helvella lacunosa and the ecological environment and soil environment,and then provide some reference for the domestication and cultivation of Helvella lacunosa,this study investigated the ecological environment and climate environment where Helvella lacunosa occurred in Kelan, Shanxi Province, and determined the soil nutrient content,and carried out morphological analysis of Helvella lacunosa. The results showed that in Shanxi,Helvella lacunosa occurred in coniferous forests and secondary forests after rainfall in late summer and early autumn. The temperature was between 10 and 27 ℃,and the soil pH was neutral and alkaline, and there was no significant difference between the rhizosphere soil and non-rhizosphere soil pH. At the same time, the contents of organic matter,alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium in rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than those in non-rhizosphere soil. Therefore, Helvella lacunosa was more likely to occur in neutral alkaline soil with high contents of organic matter,alkalihydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The natural history of congenital scoliosis (CS) caused by hemivertebra varies greatly. This study aimed to explore the association between the morphology of hemivertebra and the severity of CS, since the diagnosis of the hemivertebra. Methods: Patients with isolated (single fully segmented) hemivertebra were enrolled. The degree and progression of deformity were compared by three morphological parameters of hemivertebra, comprising whether the width of hemivertebra extends across the central vertical line of lower adjacent vertebra (midline); the lateral height ratio (LHR, lateral height of hemivertebra× 2/(lateral height of HV-1 plus HV + 1) with the cut-point being 0.9; and the sagittal position of hemivertebra that was divided into the lateral and posterolateral group. Results: In total, 156 patients (mean age 9.7 ± 6.2 years, 81 males) were enrolled. The number of thoracic, thoracolumbar (T12/13-L1), and lumbar hemivertebrae were 63, 41, and 52, respectively. Hemivertebrae across the midline had larger scoliosis and kyphosis (58.3 ± 20.6° vs. 42.8 ± 15.0°, P < 0.001; 45.1 ± 32.5° vs. 29.5 ± 25.7°, P = 0.013, respectively). Hemivertebrae with LHR ≥0.9 was associated with larger scoliosis (55.7 ± 20.6° vs. 41.4 ± 13.3°, P < 0.001). Larger scoliosis and kyphosis were observed in posterolateral hemivertebrae (54.4 ± 21.0° vs. 44.4 ± 15.6°, P = 0.026; 51.4 ± 31.5° vs. 20.6 ± 17.1°, P < 0.001, respectively). Co-occurrence of more than one of the three positive parameters above indicated higher annual progression (5.0 ± 2.2° vs. 3.3 ± 1.3°, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Three positive parameters, width across the midline, LHR ≥0.9, and posterolateral position were associated with a more severe deformity in patients with isolated hemivertebra. Hemivertebrae with more than one positive parameter may cause progressive deformity, and thus need prompt surgery. Level of evidence: Prognostic, level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metallic nano-oxide has been influenced the environment in the past two decades. Their consequences are dreadfully uncertain. The increased graph of their interference suggested many extensive studies in various fields of the environment. The Gossypium hirsutum one of the prime harvest plants in India has been chosen for studying the impacts of metallic nano-oxide on their morphological characters as well as their fresh shoot and root weights. Methods: Study has been done in July 2020 as a randomized triplet. The need for the study was fulfilled by the four different metallic nano-oxides with their five specific concentrations. The metallic nano-oxides were titanium oxide, silver oxide, copper oxide and zinc oxide. The five concentrations 00 ppm, 40 ppm, 60 ppm, 80 ppm and 100 ppm were taken from each one of metallic nano-oxide. Result: The zinc oxides treatment gave noteworthy positive growth and development in Gossypium hirsutum from germination to the blossoming time. Conversely, the concentrations of silver oxides were found little toxic for the growth of species. The copper and titanium oxides indicated little diversity in their growth patterns. The germination studies calculated best with titanium oxide treatment. The 80 ppm concentration of copper oxide also reported better results at germination in comparison to control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the unexplored intersection between the ideologies and education policies of the Slovak far-right party family. From a theoretical perspective, the article draws on the morphological approach to the study of ideology. By using this approach, the main goal of this article is to analyse, map, and compare education policies in the context of the ideologies of three successful yet ideologically distinct examples of far-right parties in Slovakia. The analysis aims to identify the education policies of Slovakia’s far-right parties and define their positions and roles both within and outside of their respective ideologies. On a more general level, by examining the Slovak case, the article addresses the question of whether, and if so, to what extent the far-right’s education policies are also far-rightist education policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent molecular phylogenetic and biogeographic study on the krill genus Hansarsia revealed undescribed cryptic diversity in the Atlantic. Each of four species analysed encompassed robust molecular clades that were linked to dimorphic males in H. microps , H. atlantica and H. tenella. We tested the robustness and divergence of the observed clades using an integrative approach including (1) three independent species delimitation methods for the mitochondrial COI gene (ASAP, GMYC, bPTP), (2) variability of two nuclear genes (H3 and ITS1) and (3) morphological analysis (MDS and PCA) with a dataset of 22 characters scored for 131 specimens. Both molecular and morphological analyses resulted in at least six distinct clades within the Atlantic Hansarsia. The strongest divergence was revealed between the two clades of H. tenella , one of which we diagnosed as a new species. Two clades of H. megalops also showed significant divergence but in the absence of males, we were reluctant to designate new species. Different clades linked to male forms in H. microps and H. atlantica are suggested as an incipient species. We also hypothesise an unusual trend in the evolution of euphausiids, in which visual recognition enhances tactile interaction during mating. Our results show that analyses of ostensibly well studied groups may yet yield taxonomic surprises. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AE045636-50EF-450A-B9B3-9231E8B91522 We characterise the biodiversity of the taxonomically entangled krill genus Hansarsia in the deep Atlantic by applying an integrative approach. Molecular and morphological analyses suggest at least six species of Hansarsia instead of the currently recognised four. We describe one new species and wait for males to describe the second one. The results confirm ongoing diversification of the Atlantic krill and show an unusual trend in the evolution of euphausiids, in which visual recognition enhances tactile interaction during mating. (Image credit: D. Kulagin.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increase of collagen content and reorganization characterizes fibrosis but quantifying the latter remains challenging. Spatially complex structures are often analyzed via the fractal dimension; however, established methods for calculating this quantity either provide a single dimension for an entire object or a spatially distributed dimension that only considers binary images. These neglect valuable information related to collagen density in images of fibrotic tissue. We sought to develop a fractal analysis that can be applied to 3-dimensional (3D) images of fibrotic tissue. A fractal dimension map for each image was calculated by determining a single fractal dimension for a small area surrounding each image pixel, using fiber thickness as the third dimension. We found that this local fractal dimension increased with age and with progression of fibrosis regardless of collagen content. Our new method of distributed 3D fractal analysis can thus distinguish between changes in collagen content and organization induced by fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is often associated with altered cerebral blood flow. Recent research with the use of the ultrasonic method suggests specific changes in the shape of cardiac-related cerebral arterial blood volume (CaBV) pulses in NPH patients. Our study aims to provide a quantitative analysis of the shape of CaBV pulses, estimated based on transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) in NPH patients and healthy individuals. Methods: The CaBV pulses were estimated using TCD cerebral blood flow velocity signals recorded from probable NPH adults and age-matched healthy individuals at rest. The shape of the CaBV pulses was compared to a triangular shape with 27 similarity parameters calculated for every reliable CaBV pulse and compared between patients and volunteers. The diagnostic accuracy of the most prominent parameter for NPH classification was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The similarity parameters were calculated for 31 probable NPH patients (age: 59 years (IQR: 47, 67 years), 14 females) and 23 healthy volunteers (age: 54 years (IQR: 43, 61 years), 18 females). Eighteen of 27 parameters were different between healthy individuals and NPH patients (p < 0.05). The most prominent differences were found for the ascending slope of the CaBV pulse with the AUC equal to 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.77, 0.97, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings suggest that in NPH, the ascending slope of the CaBV pulse had a slower rise, was more like a straight line, and generally was less convex than in volunteers. Prospective research is required to verify the clinical utility of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinolinic acid (QUIN) is a toxic compound with pro-oxidant, pro-inflammatory, and pro-apoptotic actions found at high levels in the central nervous system (CNS) in several pathological conditions. Due to the toxicity of QUIN, it is important to evaluate strategies to protect against the damage caused by this metabolite in the brain. In this context, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a provitamin present in the mitochondria with a protective role in cells through several mechanisms of action. Based on these, the present study was aimed at evaluating the possible neuroprotective role of CoQ10 against damage caused by QUIN in the striatum of young Wistar rats. Twenty-one-day-old rats underwent a 10-day pretreatment with CoQ10 or saline (control) intraperitoneal injections and on the 30th day of life received QUIN intrastriatal or saline (control) administration. The animals were submitted to behavior tests or euthanized, and the striatum was dissected to neurochemical studies. Results showed that CoQ10 was able to prevent behavioral changes (the open field, object recognition, and pole test tasks) and neurochemical parameters (alteration in the gene expression of IL-1β, IL-6, SOD, and GPx, as well as in the immunocontent of cytoplasmic Nrf2 and nuclear p-Nf-κβ) caused by QUIN. These findings demonstrate the promising therapeutic effects of CoQ10 against QUIN toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melophagus ovinus is a hematophagous insect that is distributed worldwide and plays a crucial role in transmitting disease‐causing pathogens. From June 2021 to March 2022, a total of 370 M. ovinus were collected from 11 sampling points in southern Xinjiang, China. The specimens were identified using morphological and molecular analyses. Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma ovis were detected from all the samples using seven Rickettsia‐specific genetic markers and the msp‐4 gene of A. ovis. Approximately 11% of the M. ovinus specimens were positive for Rickettsia spp., and Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae was the most predominant species (35/41; 85.4%), while R. massiliae was least prevalent (6/41; 14.6%). Approximately 10.5% (39/370) of the M. ovinus specimens were positive for A. ovis of genotype III, which was co‐detected with Candidatus R. barbariae in M. ovinus (3/370; 0.8%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of R. massiliae and Candidatus R. barbariae in M. ovinus globally. The detection and control of insect‐borne diseases originating from M. ovinus should be strengthened in southern Xinjiang, an area important to animal husbandry and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many vineyard soils in semiarid Mediterranean environments develop from carbonated materials and often show very diverse forms of pedogenic calcium carbonate accumulations. Based on 275 vineyard soil profiles in the Castilla La Mancha (CLM) territory (Spain), this paper presents an in‐depth comprehensive study of a large number of morphological expressions of these carbonate distributions, while exploring various pedogenesis formation hypotheses. The interactions among the calcareous nature of parent material, surface topography and climate are the factors that most affected their morphology and pedogenesis. The occurrence and distribution of carbonate features in CLM vineyard soils can be more complex than in other areas. Many accumulations are relatively ancient, which is the case of petrocalcic horizons, and in‐keeping with conservative means, which reveals the occurrence of successive carbonate accumulation cycles. More recently dissolved and precipitated seasonally pedogenic carbonates (sometimes as coatings) have appeared, which are nothing more than a simple recent redistribution of carbonates. A structural imprint is observed: pedogenic carbonates appeared much more abundantly on the lowermost horizons, which can be related to the repeated redistribution phases that occurred in different pedogenesis stages. The data provided herein help to improve the understanding of the nature of viticultural calcareous soils in semiarid Mediterranean regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual dimorphism patterns vary across geographic regions due to the influence of genetic characteristics and environmental factors. Therefore, sex estimation models are being developed specifically for each population or group. The applicability of morphological sex estimation methods has not been tested in Turkey. Hence, by using skulls, the present study aims to analyze the reliability of the visual morphological method and test the equations developed in different populations. The study material consists of 192 skulls (96 male, 96 female) with known sexes, excavated from Istanbul's Karacaahmet cemetery in 1925. In the present study, glabella, mastoid process, supraorbital margin, and nuchal crest traits were scored on a scale of 1 to 5 according to the instructions provided in standard protocols. Intra‐observer and inter‐observer agreements were analyzed by two experts having the same level of experience. When equations derived from other populations were applied to our samples, they exhibited high sex biases (up to 50%). Therefore, new equations were derived through binary logistic regression analysis. Glabella had the highest performance in terms of repeatability (0.83) and reproducibility (0.74), whereas the nuchal crest showed the lowest performance (0.60–0.52). The most significant sexual dimorphism was observed in the glabella. Based on cross‐validated results using a single criterion, it accurately classified 80% of females and 84% of males. The nuchal crest was not significantly affecting the sex discriminative equations (p > 0.05). Multivariate equations achieved an accuracy of over 90% and cross‐validated results ranged between 80% and 90%. The results obtained from present study support the hypothesis that sexual dimorphism patterns vary under different conditions and highlight the importance of population variation in sex estimation. The models derived from the present study were found to be suitable for sex estimation from skulls and demonstrated high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new technique of feature extraction is proposed, which is considered an essential part of natural language processing. Feature extraction is the process of transformation of the unstructured text to a format which is recognizable by computers. This means a transformation to a vector of numbers. The study evaluates and compares the performance of three methods: M1, which is the baseline method TfIdf; M2, which combines TfIdf with POS tags; and M3, a novel technique called MDgwPosF that incorporates weighted TfIdf values based on word depths and the relative frequency of POS tags. The primary focus of the study is to assess and compare the performance of these methods, with particular emphasis on evaluating how M3 performs in comparison with M1 and M2. Two different datasets and feed-forward, LSTM and GRU neural networks were used in this study. The results showed that the feed-forward model with the proposed method MDgwPosF in moderate topology achieved the best performance across various measures. The dataset created automatically performed better than the manual dataset. The differences between methods and topologies were not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences between the classification models were proven. The MDgwPosF method achieved higher accuracy compared to the baseline TfIdf, indicating that incorporating additional information into the vector can enhance the performance of TfIdf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upogebia major (De Haan, 1841) is known for forming huge burrows in sandy, intertidal areas that can extend to depths of over 2 m. Despite its widespread distribution in East Asia and Russia, the genetic relatedness of its regional populations remains uncertain, likely owing to difficulties in specimen collection. Therefore, to appraise the phylogeographic patterns, genetic diversity, and morphological variety of U. major, the mitochondrial DNA of specimens collected from Japan, Korea and China were subjected to molecular phylogenetic analyses of COI genes, alongside morphological assessment. As a result, we discovered four principal groups; of these, Group 1 consisted predominantly of Japanese specimens, while Groups 3 and 4 were interpreted as having originated from the continent. Group 2 exhibited genetic segregation from both continental and Japanese descent. Group 1 mostly comprising Japanese specimens implies that the planktonic larvae of U. major were disseminated north and south by ocean currents encompassing the Japanese archipelago. In contrast, individuals probably originating from the continent were discovered in Lake Notoro, Hokkaido and Matsukawa-ura, Fukushima in northeastern Japan, indicating possible introduction from the continent through ocean currents or unintentional introduction with other organisms imported. Additionally, one of the specimens collected from Matsukawa-ura exhibited significant genetic and morphological differences from other specimens, suggesting the possibility of being a subspecies. The outcomes of this study not only offer valuable insights into the origins of distribution of U. major but also introduce a novel challenge of assessing the coexistence of two routes: natural and anthropogenic dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to develop a Non Destructive Testing (NDT) method for the detection and classification of defects in composite materials at a micro level and to devise methodologies to analyse the corrosion resistance behavior using Scanned Electron Microscope (SEM) imagery. The defects on the Stainless Steel – Molybdenum (SS-Mo) Nanocomposite coating is estimated from their Scanning Electron Micrographs by using Image Processing algorithms. For this, the SS-Mo Nano Composite coatings are fabricated using a DC magnetron sputtering process using an indigenously prepared sputtering target. Depositions are carried out on Glass substrate for the evaluation of structural, morphological, chemical composition and corrosion resistance of the coatings prepared under different conditions (deposition of SS at 300°C and RT (Room Temperature); deposition of SS + Mo at 300°C and RT). The structural and compositional analysis performed with X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) has confirmed the formation of Stainless Steel Molybdenum Composite, when the deposition is at 300°C. The SS-Mo composite deposited at 300°C is also observed to yield high corrosion resistance of the order 0.058 mm/year. A novel texture – morphology based image feature descriptor has been proposed for corrosion resistance to evaluate the composite material in a Non-destructive manner. The analysis of SEM image of the developed coatings using the proposed feature along with machine learning algorithm reveals the superior property for SS-Mo coatings deposited at 300°C which is also demonstrated by the laboratory experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogeny of the family Tritoniidae has recently been studied with significant advances, but the relationships between genera are still controversial. In our study, we investigated the phylogeny of Tritoniidae using the most diverse taxon sampling possible. We applied an integrative approach based on new sequences of two mitochondrial genes (COI and 16S), a nuclear gene (H3) and morpho-anatomical characters. The monophyly of the family Tritoniidae was not recovered in our phylogenetic analyses. In view of our results, we propose a new rearrangement at the subfamily and genus levels. The plate-bearing genera are raised to the subfamily level as the monophyletic Marioniinae subfam. nov. , formed by Marionia and the reinstated Marioniopsis. The remaining plate-less genera are raised to the subfamily level as the monophyletic Tritoniinae Lamarck, 1809. The genus Myrella is reinstated to assign the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic tritoniids. The taxonomic status of the monotypic Tritonidoxa is confirmed. Species delimitation analyses reveal a new large Marionia species from the Gulf of Cádiz (south-west Spain, Atlantic Ocean) and evidence for the pseudocryptic speciation of numerous Atlantic–Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific tritoniids. Finally, taxonomic notes are provided for several species according to the proposed rearrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work developed, validated, and compared statistical shape, statistical intensity, and statistical shape and intensity models (SSMs, SIMs, SSIMs) of scapulae from a clinical population. SSMs efficiently describe bone shape variation while SIMs describe bone material property variation, and SSIM's combine description of both variables. This work establishes these models' efficacy and whether they can be used in surgical planning. Models were developed using shoulder arthroplasty data of patients with bone erosion, which is challenging to treat and would benefit from improved surgical planning. Models were created using previously validated nonrigid registration and material property assignment processes that were optimized for scapula characteristics. The models were assessed using standard metrics, anatomical measurements, and correlation analyses. The SSM and SIM specificity and generalization error metrics were 3.4 mm and <1 mm and 184 HU and 156 HU, respectively. The SSIM did not achieve the same level of performance as the SSM and SIM in this study (e.g., shape generalization: SSIM--2.2 mm versus SSM--<1 mm). Anatomical correlation analysis showed that the SSM more effectively and efficiently described shape variation compared to the SSIM. The SSM and SIM modes of variation were not strongly correlated (e.g., rmax = 0.56 for modes explaining =2.1% of variance). The SSIM is outperformed by the SSM and SIM and the latter two are not strongly correlated; therefore, using the SSM and SIM in conjunction will generate synthetic bone models with realistic characteristics and thus can be used for biomechanical surgical planning applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plankton communities often consist of cosmopolitan species with an extensive gene flow between populations. Nevertheless, populations of some plankton species are genetically structured, owing to various barriers such as ocean currents, hydrological fronts, and continents. Drivers that could explain the genetic structures of most mesopelagic species remain unknown on an ocean-basin scale, and our study aims to analyze the genetic and morphological differences between populations of a cosmopolitan mesopelagic shrimp, Systellaspis debilis, from the Southern and Northern Atlantic Ocean, and the Southwest Indian Ocean. We analyzed the ITS-1 and COI markers of 75 specimens and assessed the genetic integrity and within-species variability of these genes. We also coded 32 morphological characteristics in 73 specimens, analyzed their variability, and assessed the correlation between morphological and genetic characteristics using a Redundancy analysis and Mantel test. Systellaspis debilis was genetically cohesive across the whole Atlantic and Southwest Indian Oceans, which is possibly a result of an intensive gene flow through ecological barriers, the resistance of species to hydrological gradients, a purifying selection of mitochondrial genes, etc. In contrast, we found significant morphological differences between populations from different regions, which mirrors morphological diversification and calls for further genomic approaches in order to understand the basis of these variations and uncover potential local adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Three-dimensional (3D) multicellular spheroids are fundamental in vitro tools for studying in vivo tissues. Volume is the main feature used for evaluating the drug/treatment effects, but several other features can be estimated even from a simple 2D image. For high-content screening analysis, the bottleneck is the segmentation stage, which is essential for detecting the spheroids in the images and then proceeding to the feature extraction stage for performing morphotypic analysis. Problem: Today, several tools are available for extracting morphological features from spheroid images, but all of them have pros and cons and there is no general validated solution. Thanks to new deep learning models, it is possible to standardize the process and adapt the analysis to big data. Novelty: Starting from the first version of AnaSP, an open-source software suitable for estimating several morphological features of 3D spheroids, we implemented a new module for automatically segmenting 2D brightfield images of spheroids by exploiting convolutional neural networks. Results: Several deep learning segmentation models (i.e., VVG16, VGG19, ResNet18, ResNet50) have been trained and compared. All of them obtained very interesting results and ResNet18 ranked as the best-performing. Conclusions: A network based on an 18-layer deep residual architecture (ResNet-18) has been integrated into AnaSP, releasing AnaSP 2.0, a version of the tool optimized for high-content screening analysis. The source code, standalone versions, user manual, sample images, video tutorial, and further documentation are freely available at: https://sourceforge.net/p/anasp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, industries place a strong emphasis on low-cost, biodegradable materials with long lifespans. As a result, businesses are concentrating on creating composite materials utilizing the world's plentiful supply of natural fibers. In this study, acacia and raffia fibers are combined with epoxy resin and a hand layup method to create a biodegradable composite laminate. This article investigates the effect of fiber orientation on the mechanical and morphological evaluation of composite materials that have been manufactured. Three different kinds of composites were fabricated in this work: Composite 1, which contained acacia fiber; Composite 2, which was built of acacia and raffia fiber; and Composite 3, which was made of raffia fiber. While Composite 2 is a hybrid composite in this instance, Composites 1 and 3 are monofiber composites. In accordance with the ASTM standards, testing was performed to investigate the different mechanical behaviors, including tensile, flexural, double shear, delamination, hardness, and impact. The results demonstrate that Composite 1 has strong tensile strength, flexural strength, double shear, and hardness tests with a 45° fiber orientation. The 90° fiber orientation of Composite 1 performs well in the inter delamination test. The result demonstrates that composite 1 of type 0 absorbs greater energy. Additionally, Scanning electron microscopy was used to conduct morphological examinations in order to investigate the internal structural failure of the composites. It was found that the composite laminate has fiber cracks, pullouts, and voids, which were reduced with the right curing times and stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a burgeoning literature on the topic, Brexit has not yet been the subject of a comprehensive ideological analysis. Through morphological analysis we establish an understanding of the concepts and ideas which underpin Brexit's ideological structure and situate the political event and its aftermath firmly within a political economy context, as a response to the 2008 financial crash. Brexitism is a permutation of Conservatism which seeks to protect the interests of capital by maintaining a 'state of exception' characterised by instability and crisis. Political support is mobilised by way of a relentless pursuit of destructive change and innovation combined with a deindividualising concept of sovereignty. Thatcherism's market justice gives way to a more inequitable and arbitrary concept, manifested in Johnson's 'levelling up' agenda, which legitimises the sustained instability. Traditional Conservative rationality and respect for authority are necessarily eschewed in favour of stronger but more rigid emotional ties. While politically efficacious, Brexitism is inherently unstable and volatile, predicated on a contradiction between the promise of liberty and the maintenance of instability and uncertainty. Without the easy invocation of the 'EU menace' the fate of Johnson's levelling up agenda will decide the longevity of this particular ideological iteration of British Conservatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconel 718 alloy has high strength and work-hardening characteristics that make the material difficult to machine, and the morphology accuracy is difficult to guarantee. The microstructure of the alloy surface can improve the wettability of the material and affect the functional application of the alloy. In this study, a new process for machining square micropillars on the surface of Inconel 718 alloy using laser vertical cross-scanning technique is proposed—laser-belt machining. The microstructure, roughness, wettability, and chemical composition of Inconel 718 alloy surface were characterized. The results show that the morphological features can be effectively ensured by increasing the laser frequency, increasing the laser scanning pitch and decreasing the laser power. In addition, the capillary forces, nanoparticles, and roughness generated by the square micropillars under the effect of material ablation, thermodynamic processes, and oxidation reactions that make the alloy material surface with better wettability. Compared with other processes, this process has a contact angle of 4.7° under specific processing parameters, achieving a wettability transition from hydrophilic to superhydrophilic (contact angle less than 5°). This study provides guidance on the morphological accuracy and wettability analysis of microstructure surfaces using composite processing technology and provides a new idea for the rapid preparation of microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peacebuilding in contested societies is a cross-sectoral enterprise in which young people are primary stakeholders. Multilateral state-sponsored programmes and philanthropic agencies have resourced a vibrant youth sector delivering peacebuilding initiatives in Northern Ireland and the border counties. Despite billions in investment and a rich tapestry of transformative practice, a visionary peacebuilding strategy co-created with young people has remained elusive. As a result, youth sector peacebuilding in Northern Ireland is inhibited by an obstacle facing civil society peacebuilding across the globe – an ill-articulated vision resulting in pockets of disparate practice. Based on empirical research involving 43 youth work practitioners, this article offers a novel and rigorous methodological framework and sociological analysis to support researchers, policymakers and practitioners in contested societies to advance conceptualisations of peacebuilding. Freeden's framework of morphological analysis is operationalised through Q methodology leading to the identification of four distinctive orientations to peacebuilding. Bourdieu's concepts of capital and field are drawn upon to analyse the four perspectives, framed within a new sociopolitical model of youth sector peacebuilding. Tensions between harmonising versus politicising propensities are discussed as a substantial divergence variously incentivised or neglected by powerful actors within the field with significant implications for the trajectory of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we examine and distinguish the waste that is landfilled at the local level, this is the process by which unwanted and unnecessary waste is disposed of. We can distinguish them by defining and evaluating them properly. There is a law that states that municipal programs for waste management are sectoral programs and are an integral part of municipal programs for environmental protection. We will also consider the objectives guaranteeing the achievement of the general objective of the Plan. We will consider the equations by which the amount of household waste generated is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat genotypes grown in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries cannot compete with commercial cultivars for productivity. These landraces are valuable genetic resources that could benefit in developing new cultivars enriched with nutritious microelements and other ingredients beneficial for human health. As a result of wheat research, for the first time, preserving the 31 landraces in their natural form in the remote territories of Uzbekistan ensued, including a catalog of compilation by determining their economic and morphologically valuable features. Based on cluster analysis and quantitative characteristics, local wheat genotypes attained five groupings with a compiled dendrogram. With the dendrogram, determining the morphological attributes of ancient local cultivars of wheat materialized, even though the grain color is the same, a sharp difference is noticeable, but still similar based on quantitative characteristics that ensure the grain yield. In ancient local wheat cultivars, plant height and 1000-seed weight have a weak correlation with other traits, and a strong positive association was distinct between the spike length and spikelets per spike and the number and grain weight per spike. The polymorphism of soft wheat landraces showed according to the electrophoretic spectra in the grain's gliadin proteins. The electrophoretic parameters of gliadin proteins indicated that of the six samples of cultivar Kzyl-bugdoy listed in the catalog, only four have similar electrophoretic spectra. In cultivar Ak-bugdoy's four specimens, three have identical spectra, while three from the cultivar Surkhak have different bands. Based on individual selection and according to electrophoretic spectra from wheat landraces, the release of the wheat cultivar Kairaktash was due to its high baking and nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polymer based on nanocomposites was prepared to examine its radiation-shielding properties for potential industrial applications. Bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3) nanoparticles and flower tungsten oxide nanostructures (FL-WO 3) was hydrothermal synthesized. The Bi 2 O 3 nanoparticles and WO 3 nanostructure formation were confirmed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Bi 2 O 3 nanospheres had an average diameter of approximately 30–68 nm. The WO 3 nanostructure and Bi 2 O 3 nanoparticles were incorporated into low density polyethylene (LDPE) to fabricate a nanocomposite. The radiation-shielding performance of different nanocomposites was investigated. The results showed that LDPE loaded with WO 3 , WO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 , and Bi 2 O 3 displayed higher tensile strength and thermal stability than unloaded LDPE. The results showed that the LDPE loaded with 3% Bi 2 O 3 performed better gamma attenuation at 662, 1173, and 1332 keV. Additionally, WO 3 , WO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 , and Bi 2 O 3 as ecofriendly additive-reinforced LDPE materials have a gamma-ray-shielding performance. The results indicate that LDPE containing Bi 2 O 3 have higher gamma-ray-shielding properties than other nanocomposites. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3) nanoparticles and flower WO 3 nanostructures (FL-WO 3) by hydrothermal simple method. • Fabrication and characterization of new polyethylene nanocomposites containing Bi 2 O 3 and WO 3 as an eco-friendly additive. • Usage of LDPE/WO 3 /Bi 2 O 3 composite that should be utilized the gamma radiation shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of analyzing data known as Discrete Mathematical Analysis (DMA) incorporates fuzzy mathematics and logic. This paper focuses on applying DMA to study the morphology of time series by utilizing the language of fuzzy mathematics. The morphological characteristics of the time series, such as background, slopes, and vertices, are considered fuzzy sets within the domain of its definition. This allows for the use of fuzzy logic in examining the morphology of time series, ultimately leading to the detection of anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to investigate whether exposure to spellings would boost memory of meanings and spellings of morphologically complex words, and when spellings are present, whether drawing attention to the morphology of derivative words would activate morphological analysis and therefore enhance word learning. Participants were 36 fourth and fifth graders (20 Spanish speakers, and 16 English speakers) from an elementary school in the Southeastern U.S. students were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: (a) group A, simple spelling exposure group; and (b) group B, drawing attention to morphology group. Each group learned 12 low-frequency morphologically complex words (e.g., odorous) in two orthographic conditions: with the presence of spelling (1) and with the absence of spelling (2). Three learning trials and three test trials were interweaved. After each learning trial, students were prompted to meaning and spelling recall for each target word. Results have extended the evidence of orthographic facilitation effect to morphologically complex words. Students with both higher and lower word reading skills benefitted from spelling presence. Drawing attention to morphology did not enhance the memory of meanings and spellings of morphologically complex words, in comparison to spelling exposure only condition. Implications for vocabulary learning theories and instruction for linguistically diverse students were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, photoactive polymer film coatings were prepared using the breath figure (BF) method, starting from a poly(tert-butyl acrylate-styrene block), PtBA-block-PS and a photochromic agent, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3,3-dimethylindoline-6-nitrobenzopyran (SP) grafted onto the poly(tert-butyl acrylate) block. The effects upon the composite film behavior in response to the solvent concentration, type of solvent and relative humidity were studied. Films containing homogeneously dispersed micrometre-sized pores were obtained. The optical and morphological behavior were investigated using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The films obtained have various potential applications as surface coating materials with color changing properties, such as whiteboards, device displays or advertising surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface morphology of biomass pellets can provide data for the contact mechanics fractal model between the molding pellet and hole in biomass molding machines and for predicting wear of the molding hole. In this study, desert caragana (Caragana korshinskii) was mixed with residue from maize production, crushed, and compressed into pellets, which were used to collect data on their circumferential surface roughness profile, density, diameter, and hardness. The results showed that frictional wear occurs during contact between the forming hole and the molding particles, increasing the diameter d0 of the forming hole and the diameter d of the molding particles. The density ρ and hardness HD of the molded pellets decreased as their diameter d increased, and the ρ and HD of caragana were higher in autumn than in summer. The values of the roughness parameters Ra, Rc and Rz of the molded particles increased with their diameter d. The maximum material rate Mr2 value of the roughness's central profile remained at 86% with the increase of diameter d. Molded particles had surface roughness kurtosis Rku>3 and roughness skew Rsk<0 with the increase of diameter d. The surface of molded particles was spiky and negatively skewed, and with a low number of spikes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: One of the oldest methods of classifying and identifying different plant species is the use of morphological traits. Among the morphological characteristics, leaves are very important due to photosynthesis and carbon capture. Morphometric analysis is usually performed by two traditional and geometric methods. Studies of the morphological changes of plants in Iran are often based on the traditional method and the geometric morphometry method has been used for animal species. This study aims to investigate the changes in the geometrical morphology of Fagus orientalis leaves at different altitudes and to compare its results with the traditional morphological changes. Materials and methods: In this study, the natural population of Fagus orientalis was sampled in four altitudinal stations. In the traditional morphological method, 40 trees were selected, while in the geometric morphology method, 10 trees were selected at each gradient, and 1 leaf was selected from each direction. In the traditional method, morphological traits include lamina length, lamina width, lamina area, lamina perimeter, shape factor, and length-to-width ratio measured with a leaf area meter device. In the geometrical method, the collected leave samples were dried and then digitally stored with a scanner in the form of an image, hence, eight morphological traits were used to investigate the morphological changes of eastern beech leaves at different altitudes. Data analysis was done with a multiway analysis of variance and Duncan's test. Results: The results showed that altitude is one of the important factors in the formation of leaf morphology in eastern beech. Trees that grow at high altitudes generally have smaller leaves which show higher adaptability to environmental conditions at each height level. The characteristics of the beginning of the petiole, the end of the petiole, the last vein on the left side, the widest leaf width from the left side, the widest leaf width from the right side in geometric morphology and the characteristics of the perimeter and area in traditional morphology were introduced as the most effective traits in the separation of populations. Conclusion: In this study, it was found that populations of different altitudes were separated in both traditional and geometric morphological methods, and it was shown that the two traditional and geometric methods did not work in the same way between samples. The grouping of most populations in geometrical morphology analysis shows the efficiency and accuracy of this method in the separation of populations. Using the new method, the geometric information of morphological differences can be displayed in different images and graphs, which can highlight the differences in populations and increase the interpretability of results. Determining the most effective traits in the separation of populations indicates the ability of the geometric method to define different and more detailed traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the use of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by-product biomass from industrial plants as reinforcement for designing a range of new degradable and biobased thermoplastic materials. As a novel technique, this fully circular approach enables a promising up-cycling of tomato wastes. After an in-depth morphological study of the degree of reinforcement through SEM and dynamic analysis, mechanical characterization was carried out. Our mechanical results demonstrate that this circular approach is of interest for composite applications. Despite their moderate aspect ratio values (between 1.5 and 2), the tomato by-product-reinforced materials can mechanically compete with existing formulations; PBS-Tomato fiber, for example, exhibits mechanical performance very close to that of PP-flax, especially regarding strength (+11%) and elongation at break (+6%). According to the matrix and particle morphology, a large range of products—biobased and/or degradable, depending on the targeted application—can be designed from tomato cultivation by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis has a promising future for large-scale hydrogen production. As PEM electrolysis technology develops, larger operating current densities are required. In order to increase current density, more water should be available at the reaction sites. Moreover, the removal rate of oxygen and hydrogen needs to be effectively improved. This, in turn, necessitates a better understanding of the main mass transport and electrochemical processes. On the anode side, mass transport is particularly crucial because water must be supplied to the catalyst layer (CL) while, at the same time, oxygen bubbles must be eliminated in a parallel flow from the reaction sites into the flow channels. Hence, simulating the two-phase bubbly flow across the cell thickness is necessary to predict PEM electrolysis performance more accurately as a function of the operating current density. This study provides a systematic understanding of how morphological and geometrical features contribute to the polarization curve and performance characteristics of a PEM electrolysis cell. Hence, a multi-phase PEM electrolysis model has been implemented using MATLAB R2022a. Polarization curves have been calibrated against experimental data and then assessed to provide a fundamental understanding of the relationship between the two-phase flow and cell performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a processing scheme whose aim is to provide the basis for a fast time-series analysis of iceberg drifting patterns. The study focuses on the drifting of iceberg A-76 and makes use of SAR images which were collected by the Sentinel-1 satellites, from May 2021 to June 2022. The processing scheme is composed of the following steps: a) image pre-processing by morphological theory; b) contextual analysis for performing the segmentation task; and c) regularization of the derived label field. The implemented processing scheme incorporates a further step for measuring the drift trajectory and a geometric characterization of the iceberg's shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the influence of hybridizing jute and carbon fibers on the mechanical properties and water absorption behavior of polyester composites was evaluated. The composites were fabricated by using compression molding technique with discrete of overall fiber weight fraction, being pure jute or pure carbon fiber or hybrid. The outcomes of the study revealed that the jute fiber composites have lower mechanical properties and higher water absorption rate when compared with carbon fiber composites. While, the combined effect enhanced the mechanical property (tensile strength of 136.3 MPa, tensile modulus of 3403 MPa, flexural strength of 175.84 MPa, flexural modulus of 9350 MPa and impact strength of 47.43 kJ/m2) and reduced the moisture absorption rate and have good interfacial bonding with polyester which was confirmed in the morphological investigation using scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the mechanism of fracture in mechanical-tested samples was observed through scanning electron microscopic images. All the composites developed in the work was followed the Fickian behavior of water absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Anomalodesmata Dall, 1899 includes some of the rarest and most specialised species of marine bivalves. This rarity has consequently constituted the greatest obstacle for understanding the internal relationships due to the low representativeness of species present in any phylogenetic reconstructions. Therefore, with the primary purpose of creating a more comprehensive morphological analysis, data including all the anomalodesmatan families were gathered into a cladistic analysis. Our data set includes, for the first-time, information about members of the families Clistoconchidae, Cetoconchidae, Protocuspidariidae, Spheniopsidae and the recently described Bentholyonsiidae. Information on shell morphology, anatomy and behaviour of anomalodesmatans was compiled through a review of the literature (from 1895 to 2022) and a re-analysis of shells and internal anatomy of some freshly collected and archived specimens in museum collections around the world. Our analysis suggests a deep division of the Anomalodesmata into two distinct clades: the first generally composed of shallow water species from 12 families and a second clade of a carnivorous lineage mainly comprising deep water species from 10 families. Consequently, a new topology for Anomalodesmata is suggested bringing new insights into the interfamilial relationships of this sometimes bizarre clade of bivalves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils buried under archaeological monuments of the Bronze Age were studied on three test plots in Orenburg oblast, Stavropol krai, and Krasnodar krai. Kurgan 1 of burial mound (BM) Boldyrevo IV was built in two stages from the second quarter to the middle of the 4th millennium BC by the population of the Yamnaya culture of the early Bronze Age and included four earthen structures. Kurgan Essentukskii 1 was built in the second quarter of the 4th millennium BC (the early Maikop culture) and included four earthen structures. According to archaeological data, the mounds were built during several ten-year periods. In kurgan 1 of BM Beisuzhek 9, three constructions of different periods were identified: the first and second ones of the middle of the 2nd millennium BC (the Novotitorovskaya culture) and the third one of the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC (the Catacomb culture). Buried soils were studied under each kurgan structure, and pits of modern soils were laid outside each kurgan under similar topolithological conditions. A comparative analysis of the morphological and physicochemical properties of buried and modern soils of the chronoseries, as well as analysis of the palynological spectra from the upper horizons of these soils, were conducted. The processes of dehumification, carbonate accumulation, salinization, and alkalization of the studied soils became more intensive from the beginning to the end of the construction periods of all the mounds. The thickness of the humus horizon decreased, and the depth of occurrence of carbonates became closer to the day surface. The percentage of herbaceous plants in the plant association increased noticeably, and species typical for steppes appeared by the end of the construction period of the mounds. The analysis of paleosoil and palynological data shows that the regions studied were characterized by climatic changes—an increase in the mean annual temperatures and a decrease in the precipitation—in the Atlantic period of the Holocene (in the interval of 5500–5300 years ago) and in the Subboreal period of the Holocene (in the interval of 4500–3800 years ago). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]