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Pre-orientation stretching of high-density polyethylene improves the charge stability of electrets produced in corona discharge. Electrets made of oriented polyethylene charged in the corona under uniaxial tensile mechanical stress have even greater stability. The increased stability of electrets is due to the capture of electrons in deep structural traps formed after the rupture of macromolecules during orientation and mechanical stress. By the method of thermally stimulated electron emission, it is shown that the charge of electrets is formed at the expense of electrons. New convenient formulas for calculation of electrical voltages in multilayer insulation with electrets were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method by which the direct detection effect in superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers can be analytically accounted for with sufficient practical accuracy. This is achieved by means of the advanced uniform, non-linear two-temperature model that considers the effective temperatures of electrons and phonons alongside established material parameters. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach for the ex situ correction of the radiance of the emission line of atomic oxygen under conditions when the direct detection causes a 30% error in the line magnitude. The correction was applied to data collected by a balloon-borne heterodyne receiver operating in the upper atmosphere of Earth. The corrected line shape and magnitude are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of atmospheric radiation transfer models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the geometry of subsets of Banach limits and Cesàro invariant Banach limits. The results are applied to the theory of singular traces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical performance of gold electrode in sulfuric acid was studied with addition of different concentrations of dissolved fullerenol-d with C60(OH)24 chemical formula. Based on the cyclic voltammetry data, the conclusion of surface complexation of Au(III) with fullerenol was made. The scheme was suggested to describe the electrode process, based on catalysis of anodic Au dissolution by fullerenol molecules. The technique was suggested to detect fullerenol-d (C60(OH)24) in concentration range from 2.6·10–9 M to 2.0·10–7 M by means of cyclic voltammetry of gold in aqueous sulfuric acid solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article presents research results on the relationship between the survival rate of lactic acid bacteria and the content of neurotransmitters in freeze-dried yogurt and yogurt with the addition of 15% pumpkin puree as a cryoprotectant. The decrease (p < 0.05) in the survival rate of lactic acid bacteria up to 52% and a predominance of norepinephrine (660–680 pmol/g) was noted in yogurt without cryoprotectant. In yogurt containing pumpkin puree, the survival rate of lactic acid bacteria was 25–28% higher. The content of serotonin and dopamine in freeze-dried yogurt with puree increased (p < 0.05) to 120–130 and 350–360 pmol/g, respectively. The use of pumpkin puree affects the content of neurotransmitters and allows the preservation of lactic acid bacteria cells if a sufficiently high primary drying temperature is used. The higher primary drying temperature and the use of cryoprotectant results in decreased (p < 0.05) drying time, energy savings, and an average of 20% in carbon footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The accurate emulation of the electrical impedance of biological tissues is crucial for the development and validation of bioimpedance measurement devices and algorithms. This paper describes a digitally controllable impedance emulator capable of reproducing values representative of tissue bioimpedance in user‐specified resistance, reactance, and frequency ranges up to 1 MHz. The presented solution uses a 2R‐1C impedance model to emulate the impedance characteristics of a biological tissue. Specific selection of each element value in this model is achieved using analog multiplexers with low Ron$$ {R}_{on} $$ resistance. A MATLAB algorithm was developed for value estimation using target impedance requirements. An example design to emulate impedance from 1 kHz to 1 MHz with 10 Ω$$ \Omega $$ to 400 Ω$$ \Omega $$ resistance and −45Ω$$ -45\Omega $$ maximum reactance is provided. The nonideal behavior of this design was evaluated and compared against experimentally collected impedance measurements. Deviations of <1% were observed between experimental and theoretical resistances for values >50Ω$$ >50\Omega $$ up to 100 kHz (with approximately 5% deviations up to 1 MHz) and reactance deviations were also <1% up to 10 kHz. High frequency deviations are attributed to the parasitic capacitance in the realization of the design. The experimental results validate the design approach and realization for low frequencies. Overall, the innovation of the proposed approach is the control of both resistance and reactance for emulating electrical impedance representative of biological tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We generalize Atsuyama's result on the geometry of symmetric spaces of type EVI to the case of fields of characteristic zero. We relate the possible mutual positions of two points with the classification of balanced symplectic ternary algebras (also known as Freudenthal triple systems). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triethylenediaminium ethylenediaminetetraacetatozincate trihydrate ([HN(CH2CH2)3NH]ZnL⋅ 3H2О) and tetramethylethylenediaminium ethylenediaminetetraacetatozincate dihydrate ([H(CH3)2NCH2CH2N(CH3)2H]ZnL⋅2H2О) were synthesized by the reaction of zinc oxides with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and then with its triethylenediaminum or tetramethylethylenediaminium salts. The synthesized compounds were isolated from aqueous solutions or organic solvents as fiber-like, cubic, and pyramidal crystals, which were characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrowly divergent high-energy electron beam is experimentally demonstrated during the interaction of terawatt Ti:Sa laser radiation with a nitrogen gas-cluster jet at gas pressure corresponding to the boundary of the condensation region. A collimated electron beam with an energy of up to 10 MeV and a divergence of 10 mrad at a plasma concentration of ~1019 cm–3 is obtained. The use of nitrogen instead of argon or krypton significantly improves the spatial (divergence) and energy (charge and spectrum shape) properties of the generated electron beam. The formation of clusters in a supersonic jet is observed and their composition is thermodynamically analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we propose a new perspective mathematical model of the beam with the distributed hysteresis properties. Hysteresis properties are formalized within two approaches: phenomenological (Bouc-Wen model) and design (Prandtl-Ishlinskii model). The equations for the beam vibrations are obtained using the well-known Hamilton approach. The dynamical response of the beam with distributed hysteresis is considered under various types of external load, such as impulse, periodic, and a seismic load. Numerical simulations show that the hysteresis beam is more "resistant" to external loads than the classical Euler-Bernoulli beam. Particularly, with the same types of the external load, the amplitude of oscillations of the hysteresis beam as well as its energy characteristics are lower than those of the classical one. These results may find some applications in the field of the design of earthquake-resistant constructions and buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi‒Sr‒Ca‒Cu‒O polycrystalline high-temperature superconductors with the 2–2-2–3 structure have been comprehensively studied, their properties have been described, and features of the small magnetic hysteresis in the investigated materials have been established. The small magnetic hysteresis is shown to be caused by the penetration of a magnetic flux into a superconductor and its capture in the region of boundaries between HTS crystallites and by Meissner currents flowing through these boundaries. It has been found that, at a certain magnetic prehistory, the small hysteresis collapses, i.e. its footprints disappear. This has been attributed to the interaction between two superconducting subsystems in the investigated polycrystalline HTS, specifically, the effect of the magnetic moments of HTS crystallites on the effective field in the regions of intercrystalline boundaries. The shape of the small magnetic hysteresis loop has been described within the critical state model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A root factor for the accuracy of all quantum chemical calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts is the quality of the molecular equilibrium geometry used. In turn, this quality depends largely on the basis set employed at the geometry optimization stage. This parameter represents the main subject of the present study, which is a continuation of our recent work, where new pecG-n (n = 1, 2) basis sets for the geometry optimization were introduced. A goal of this study was to compare the performance of our geometry-oriented pecG-n (n = 1, 2) basis sets against the other basis sets in massive calculations of 13C NMR shielding constants/chemical shifts in terms of their efficacy in reducing geometry factor errors. The testing was carried out with both large-sized biologically active natural products and medium-sized compounds with complicated electronic structures. The former were treated using the computation protocol based on the density functional theory (DFT) and considered in the theoretical benchmarking, while the latter were treated using the computational scheme based on the upper-hierarchy coupled cluster (CC) methods and were used in the practical benchmarking involving the comparison with experimental NMR data. Both the theoretical and practical analyses showed that the pecG-1 and pecG-2 basis sets resulted in substantially reduced geometry factor errors in the calculated 13C NMR chemical shifts/shielding constants compared to their commensurate analogs, with the pecG-2 basis set being the best of all the considered basis sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, digital technologies for modeling buildings and infrastructure are successfully used in international and national practice for the implementation of complex construction projects and large-scale programmes. At the same time, the transition to machine-readable standards, implemented in many countries to improve the quality of design documentation and automate its verification, faces serious methodological and technical challenges. First of all, these challenges are due to the complexity of digital models, as well as the variety of requirements formulated in natural languages and imposed on these models at the state, regional, departmental, and corporate levels. Attempts to create catalogs of requirements and software tools for their management and use generally have specific purposes and do not provide necessary completeness, normalization, consistency, interconnectedness, unambiguity, traceability, and validability of requirements description. In this regard, it seems reasonable to use formal methods for specification and verification of requirements that have proven themselves in system and software engineering. This paper provides a comparative analysis of software tools for automated verification of regulatory requirements in the construction domain. There is a growing interest in tools focused on international standards, such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and Information Delivery Specification (IDS), that allow one to control the completeness of the object and attribute composition of models, as well as the clarification of acceptable domains of values values. However, the IDS standard is not formalized and does not enable the specification of requirements expressed in terms of arbitrary algebraic conditions. The EXPRESS object-oriented data modeling language, in which the IFC data schema is specified, seems promising for the formal specification and verification of requirements for digital models used in the construction industry. As a substantiation, it is shown that IDS specifications can be represented by logical expressions and EXPRESS functions, as well as that arbitrary algebraic conditions can be specified as EXPRESS declarative rules. To illustrate the proposed approach, we consider some examples of the formalization of requirements from national construction standards and sets of rules concerning the safety of buildings, structures, and processes. The possibility of harmonizing the proposed formal approach with the IDS standard by defining new facets for the representation of local, uniqueness, and global EXPRESS rules is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to describe subsets of Banach limits in terms of a certain functional characteristic. We compute radii and cardinalities for some of these subsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within recent years, the choice of whether to employ local culture consumer positioning (LCCP) strategies has gained considerable interest in both international marketing research and practice, particularly due to the recent rise in nationalism around the world. This current research focuses on the individual-level drivers of consumer attitudes toward LCCP strategies by creating a more comprehensive framework of the antecedents of attitudes toward LCCP strategies. Utilizing an institution-based view, social identity, self-verification, and personality trait theories, we develop a framework that encompasses elemental personality traits (agreeableness and need for material resources), perceptions of national identity, international travel, world-mindedness, and national identification as direct and indirect antecedents of attitudes toward LCCP strategies. Within three studies, we test the hypothesized relationships in the proposed framework across two different markets (the US and India) and discover several interesting findings that contribute to understanding in both international consumer marketing theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been established that the variation in the conductance of insulation made with materials of various chemical nature and physical structure (polyvinyl chloride plastic compound and varnished cambric) with a short-term exposure to a mold fungus has an S-shaped character. The unambiguous correlation of the induction period, the stage of rapid increase and the time to reach the quasi-stationary level of conductance with the induction period, the stage of rapid growth, the time to reach the maximum amount of biomass on the surface of the material is due to the sorption by isolation of the metabolic products of the mold fungus. The variation in conductance at short times of exposure to microorganisms (~ 1 month) is reversible. Removal of microorganisms from the surface leads to a decrease in conductance to its original level. With their longer exposure (~ 1 year), the change in conductance may become irreversible as a result of the biochemical decomposition of insulation components, in particular, dialkyl phthalates - polyvinyl chloride plasticizers. Features of the processes of changes in conductance are due to the duration of the growth of microorganisms, the nature of materials and their components. The growth of microorganisms depends primarily on temperature and humidity conditions. For materials with high water absorption (varnished cambric), the most important external factor is temperature, and for materials with low water absorption (polyvinyl chloride) – relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the formation of associated petroleum gas (APG) hydrate from frozen solutions of promoterфs (sodium dodecyl sulfate and trisulfonated castor oil) under static conditions. The experiment utilized differential scanning calorimetry to analyze phase changes, such as ice crystallization, hydrate formation, and joint ice melting and hydrate formation. The visualization of the hydrate formation process helped identify factors that influence APG hydrates' growth under the given conditions. The study concluded that the type and presence of promoters significantly affect the growth rate of hydrates, while the preparation protocol has a greater impact on the reproducibility of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a laboratory setup designed to produce gas hydrate under static conditions and to compress hydrate pellets directly within the reactor. The setup is intended to facilitate development of effective methods for obtaining and storing gas hydrates. The paper discusses the design specifics of the setup, outlines the sequence of operations for producing methane hydrate and granules from it, and provides examples of experimental data related to accelerated production and compression of methane hydrate from a kinetic promoter solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors consider variational inequalities in the Hilbert space and two algorithms for their approximate solution: extrapolation from the past and operator extrapolation. Both algorithms have less computationally expensive iterations than the the classical extragradient algorithm: only one operator computation rather than two is needed. Non-asymptotic linear convergence rate estimates are proved for the variational inequalities with the Lipschitz continuous operators satisfying the generalized strict monotonicity condition. The results are new and improve the available estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) has gained prominence as a vital attribute for organizational managers, encompassing their ability to navigate diverse cultural contexts effectively. However, despite its acknowledged significance, the relationships among its dimensions need to be better understood. This paper contributes to the existing CQ literature in two ways. First, we propose a model of CQ that integrates elements from previous conceptualizations, separating the motivational component. Our proposed framework retains the metacognitive, cognitive, and behavioral CQ dimensions but does not assume predefined relationships among them. Instead, we demonstrate that metacognitive CQ positively influences cognitive and behavioral CQ. Second, this paper explores the culture-specificity of the applications of CQ dimensions. We challenge the prevailing notion that CQ applications are culture-neutral, offering initial evidence to the contrary. Our research contributes to refining CQ conceptualization and provides practical insights for recruiting and developing internationally oriented managers with a strong emphasis on their CQ enhancement. Ultimately, this study addresses the pressing need to unravel the intricate dynamics of CQ and its dimensions, enhancing our understanding of its role in international management effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review summarises the prospects in the application of graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) in nanomedicine, including drug delivery, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, and theranostics in cancer treatment. The application of GBNs in various areas of science and medicine is due to the unique properties of graphene allowing the development of novel ground-breaking biomedical applications. The review describes current approaches to the production of new targeting graphene-based biomedical agents for the chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy of tumors. Analysis of publications and FDA databases showed that despite numerous clinical studies of graphene-based materials conducted worldwide, there is a lack of information on the clinical trials on the use of graphene-based conjugates for the targeted drug delivery and diagnostics. The review will be helpful for researchers working in development of carbon nanostructures, material science, medicinal chemistry, and nanobiomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical stress governs the dynamics of viscoelastic polymer systems and supercooled glass-forming fluids. It was recently established that liquids with long terminal relaxation times are characterized by transiently frozen stress fields, which, moreover, exhibit long-range correlations contributing to the dynamically heterogeneous nature of such systems. Recent studies show that stress correlations and relaxation elastic moduli are intimately related in isotropic viscoelastic systems. However, the origin of these relations (involving spatially resolved material relaxation functions) is non-trivial: some relations are based on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT), while others involve approximations. Generalizing our recent results on 2D systems, we here rigorously derive three exact FDT relations (already established in our recent investigations and, partially, in classical studies) between spatio-temporal stress correlations and generalized relaxation moduli, and a couple of new exact relations. We also derive several new approximate relations valid in the hydrodynamic regime, taking into account the effects of thermal conductivity and composition fluctuations for arbitrary space dimension. One approximate relation was heuristically obtained in our previous studies and verified using our extended simulation data on two-dimensional (2D) glass-forming systems. As a result, we provide the means to obtain, in any spatial dimension, all stress-correlation functions in terms of relaxation moduli and vice versa. The new approximate relations are tested using simulation data on 2D systems of polydisperse Lennard–Jones particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shrinking Arctic sea-ice area (SIA) in recent decades is a striking manifestation of the ongoing climate change. Variations of the Arctic sea ice have been continuously observed by satellites since 1979, relatively well monitored since the 1950s, but are highly uncertain in the earlier period due to a lack of observations. Several reconstructions of the historical gridded sea-ice concentration (SIC) data were recently presented based on synthesized regional sea-ice observations or by applying a hybrid model–empirical approach. Here, we present an SIC reconstruction for the period 1901–2019 based on established co-variability between SIC and surface air temperature, sea surface temperature, and sea level pressure patterns. The reconstructed sea-ice data for March and September are compared to the frequently used HadISST1.1 and SIBT1850 datasets. Our reconstruction shows a large decrease in SIA from the 1920 to 1940 concurrent with the Early 20th Century Warming event in the Arctic. Such a negative SIA anomaly is absent in HadISST1.1 data. The amplitude of the SIA anomaly reaches about 0.8 mln km2 in March and 1.5 mln km2 in September. The anomaly is about three times stronger than that in the SIBT1850 dataset. The larger decrease in SIA in September is largely due to the stronger SIC reduction in the western sector of the Arctic Ocean in the 70°–80°N latitudinal zone. Our reconstruction provides gridded monthly data that can be used as boundary conditions for atmospheric reanalyses and model experiments to study the Arctic climate for the first half of the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconstruction of the Early Paleozoic collision metamorphism of the Khan-Khukhei Block (Northern Mongolia) based on 3D modeling of thermal state of the crust and isotope dating is presented. The age of garnet–biotite schist from a metamorphic complex of the Khan-Khukhei Block of 517.4 ± 7.4 Ma is determined for the first time. 3D modeling was conducted to compare this age of metamorphism with the available age determinations of (post-) collision granite formation in the range of 513‒505 Ma. The model considers radiogenic heating at an elevated heat production of rocks of the thickened crust of the Khan-Khukhei block as the cause of the migmatization and granitoid melts formation. 3D modeling was conducted for the first time for thermal-dome type of metamorphism. The results provide a realistic conception of magma generation in typical collision settings in the absence of mantle magmatic heat sources. The time interval between metamorphism and the stage of anatectic magma formation is 5–12 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a new mathematical framework and large multi-year multi-mission data sets, we reconstruct electric currents and magnetic fields around the dayside magnetopause and their dependence on the incoming solar wind, IMF, and geodipole tilt. The model architecture builds on previously developed mathematical frameworks and includes two separate blocks: for the magnetosheath and for the adjacent outer magnetosphere. Accordingly, the model is developed in two stages: 1) reconstruction of a best-fit magnetopause and underlying dayside magnetosphere, based on a simple shielded configuration, and 2) derivation of the magnetosheath magnetic field, represented by a sum of toroidal and poloidal terms, each expanded into spherical harmonic series of angular coordinates and powers of normal distance from the boundary. The spacecraft database covers the period from 1995 through 2022 and is composed of data from Geotail, Cluster, Themis, and MMS, with the total number of 1-min averages about 3 M. The modeling reveals orderly patterns of the IMF draping around the magnetosphere and of the magnetopause currents, controlled by the IMF orientation, solar wind pressure, and the Earth's dipole tilt. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the magnetosheath flux pile-up and the dayside magnetosphere erosion during periods of northward or southward IMF, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early NMR studies of several heterohelicenes containing an annular nitrogen atom and a thiophene ring in their structure suggested the possibility of the lengthening of the carbon–carbon bonds in the interior of the helical turn of the molecule based on the progressive upfield shift of 13C resonances toward the center of the helical turn. We now report a comprehensive analysis of the optimized geometry and a comparison of the calculated vs. observed 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts of nineteen representative benzothienoquinoline heterohelicenes. As was initially hypothesized on the basis of the progressive upfield shift of carbon resonances toward the center of the interior helical turn, the present computational study has demonstrated that carbon–carbon bonds indeed have more sp3 character and are longer than normal sp2 bonds to accommodate the helical twist of the molecule, as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the experiments of Mössbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) the morphology and structurization of the carbon phase, the charge state of europium and the dynamic properties of europium bis-phthalocyanine pyrolysed derivatives, including the Debye temperature, were revealed. It was found that the pyrolysis of europium bis-pthalocyanine resulted in the amorphous carbon matrix and nanoscaled graphene clusters both forming turbostratic carbon phase. The europium ions in the charge state Eu3+/Eu2+ were detected. The data indicated that localization of Eu ions took place between layers of graphenes similar to graphite intercalation compounds. It was shown that an isomeric shift, linewidths and the magnitude of the resonant absorption are essential characteristics of structural transformations at the pyrolysis of rare earth bis-phthalocyanines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rail rolling stock undercarriage condition monitoring is proposed by using an automated measuring system, located on the railway track and measuring the specified parameters of the wheels directly, while the train is moving. Regular undercarriage condition monitoring reduces the costs of preventive maintenance of rolling stock without compromising the traffic safety. An algorithm has been developed for the operation of a special software package for visualizing and assessing monitoring data on the condition of the undercarriage of rail rolling stock. The software package consists of separate software modules that can be used independently of each other. It is possible to make short- or long-term predictions of the behavior of any of the monitored parameters using an proposed automated measuring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greater transparency of the polymer obtained by adding a small amount of molecular iodine to the liquid photopolymerizing composition is satisfactorily explained by the formation of a π,σ-type charge transfer (CT) complex of oligocarbonate dimethacrylate with molecular iodine. The CT band at 360 nm absorbs a significant part of the actinic radiation such that the rate of the photolytic decomposition of the photoinitiator in the initial polymerization stage permits release of free volume from the polymer into the liquid part of the photopolymerizing composite. Layer-by-layer photopolymerization occurs at advanced stages due to the thin upper layers exposed to UV irradiation becoming steadily more transparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of primary drying temperature on the quality of freeze-dried fermented dairy products was determined experimentally. The objectives of this research were to investigate the freeze-drying characteristics of yogurt, bio-yogurt and curdled milk dried at primary drying temperatures of −40 ± 2 °C; −25 ± 2 °C; −15 ± 2 °C; −10 ± 2 °C and −5 ± 2 °C. The primary drying time and the total drying time of the tested products were determined for each primary drying temperature. The survival rate of lactic acid bacteria, active and titratable acidity, color and sensory quality evolution were also determined. Increasing the temperature of primary drying (p < 0.05) from −40 ± 2 °C to −25 ± 2 °C was observed to lead to the preservation of 75–80% of lactic acid bacteria. A further increase in the primary drying temperature to −15 ± 2 °C and to −10 ± 2 °C leads to a decrease (p < 0.05) of this parameter to 65-70% and 5-35%, respectively. It is noted that an increase in the temperature of primary drying leads to a decrease (p < 0.05) in pH to 3.7-3.8 and an increase (p < 0.05) in the titratable acidity to 93-95°T for yogurt and bio-yogurt and it is up to 85°T for curdled milk. An increase in the primary drying temperature affected the sensory characteristics of the freeze-dried dairy products. The optimal primary drying temperature for yogurt and curdled milk is found to be −25 ± 2 °C, and for bio-yogurt this temperature is −15 ± 2 °C. The application of the optimal primary drying temperature proposed in the industrial practice is expected to lead to significant savings in specific energy costs along with a reduction in the time of drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes different growth modes of AlN layers on micro-cone patterned c-sapphire substrates (μ-PSSs) using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Ordered arrays of AlN nanoprisms and microrods were selectively grown on the tips of μ-PSS's microcones according to a bottom-up formation mechanism using sequential migration enhanced and metal-modulated epitaxy (MME) under metal-rich growth conditions at 820 °C. Transmission electron microscopy revealed structurally perfect AlN regions above the tips of the μ-PSSs, which initiate as inverted nanopyramids with {10 11 ¯ } side faces, evolving into hexagonal nanoprisms with orientations of {1 1 ¯ 00} and (0001) for side and top surfaces, respectively. The diameter and height of these ordered hexagonal nanoprisms, which have a 60% probability of nucleating, were about 1 μm. Long-term MME growth of these nanoprisms in both vertical and lateral directions led to the formation of AlN(0001) microrods with a maximum possible diameter of two micrometers and a height of up to 6 μm. Atomic force microscopy revealed a mixed step-flow and 2D nucleation growth mechanism for the flat tops of these AlN nanoprisms and microrods with an average surface roughness of 1–2 monolayers. Micro-Raman spectroscopy demonstrated narrow E2 (high) linewidths of 3.8 and 4.2 cm−1 for essentially stress-free AlN nanoprisms and microrods, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a new approach to control the process of general education. Digital tools are used to form spaces of goals, tasks and learning activities, and to record the educational process of each student. Artificial intelligence tools are used when choosing a student's personal goals and ways to achieve them, to make forecasts and recommendations to participants in the educational process. Big data from the entire education system and big linguistic models are used. The effects of the approach include ensuring the success of each student, objective assessment of the work of teachers and schools, and the adequacy of the succession process to higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a‐C:H:SiOx coatings in a non‐self‐sustaining arc discharge plasma with a hot cathode in combination with a low‐frequency (200 kHz) inductively coupled plasma. It is shown that increasing the inductor power from 0 to 600 W leads to a twofold increase in the ion current density on the substrate. An increase in ion bombardment intensity results in a 1.3‐fold reduction in the coating's growth rate due to the resputtering phenomenon, a 1.5‐fold reduction in surface roughness, and an improvement in the mechanical properties of the coatings. The hardness of the coating is increased by 9–11%, the plasticity index by 10–17%, and the resistance to plastic deformation by 32–49%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ITER thermonuclear reactor is being built in France near the Cadarache nuclear center jointly by the countries participating in the project—Russia, the European Union, China, India, Korea, Japan, and the United States. The project plans the remote scientific participation in the pilot program and access to data from home agencies. The Russian Center for Remote Participation is being created in Troitsk at the Russian Domestic Agency ITER (Institution Project Center ITER) and currently the most advanced in terms of available functionality; on its basis, the joint work is carried out with the International Organization ITER (IO ITER) for developing technologies and principles of remote participation in the experiment for other participants. The article presents the results of investigations on protocols, methods, and channels for data transmission through existing networks and related information security issues including the network zoning. The elements of access to the ITER real-time data acquisition system through the EPICS facility control system gateway are described, various tools for remote participation planned for use within the ITER project, such as screen sharing and real-time data viewing, are tested. On the basis of the results of the work of the IO ITER, the requirements are formulated for remote connection of partners to the ITER resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subgradient methods are frequently used for optimization problems. However, subgradient techniques are characterized by slow convergence for minimizing ravine convex functions. To accelerate subgradient methods, special linear non-orthogonal transformations of the original space are used. This paper provides an overview of these transformations based on Shor's original idea. Two one-rank linear transformations of Euclidean space are considered. These simple transformations form the basis of variable metric methods for convex minimization that have a natural geometric interpretation in the transformed space. Along with the space transformation, a search direction and a corresponding step size must be defined. Subgradient Fejer-type methods are analyzed to minimize convex functions, and Polyak step size is used for problems with a known optimal objective value. Convergence theorems are provided together with the results of numerical experiments. Directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The physics and chemistry of planet-forming disks are far from being fully understood. To make further progress, both broad line surveys and observations of individual tracers in a statistically significant number of disks are required. Aims. Our aim is to perform a line survey of eight planet-forming Class II disks in Taurus with the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA), as a part of the MPG-IRAM Observatory Program PRODIGE (PROtostars and DIsks: Global Evolution; PIs: P. Caselli and Th. Henning). Methods. Compact and extended disks around T Tauri stars CI, CY, DG, DL, DM, DN, IQ Tau, and UZ Tau E are observed in ~80 lines from > 20 C-, O,- N-, and S-bearing species. The observations in four spectral settings at 210–280 GHz with a 1σ rms sensitivity of ~8–12 mJy beam−1 at a 0.9″ and 0.3 km s−1 resolution will be completed in 2024. The uv visibilities are fitted with the DiskFit model to obtain key stellar and disk properties. Results. In this first paper, the combined 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 2–1 data are presented. We find that the CO fluxes and disk masses inferred from dust continuum tentatively correlate with the CO emission sizes. We constrained dynamical stellar masses, geometries, temperatures, the CO column densities, and gas masses for each disk. The best-fit temperatures at 100 au are ~ 17–37 K, and decrease radially with the power-law exponent q ~ 0.05–0.76. The inferred CO column densities decrease radially with the power-law exponent p ~ 0.2–3.1. The gas masses estimated from 13CO (2–1) are ~0.001–0.2 M⊙. Conclusions. Using NOEMA, we confirm the presence of temperature gradients in our disk sample. The best-fit CO column densities point to severe CO freeze-out in these disks. The DL Tau disk is an outlier, and has either stronger CO depletion or lower gas mass than the rest of the sample. The CO isotopologue ratios are roughly consistent with the observed values in disks and the low-mass star-forming regions. The high 13CO/C18O ratio of ~23 in DM Tau could be indicative of strong selective photodissociation of C18O in this disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments were performed on RBC labeled by lipophilic fluorescent dye CM-DiI to evaluate the role of adenylyl cyclase cascade activation in changes of lateral diffusion of erythrocytes membrane lipids. Stimulation of adrenergic receptors with epinephrine (adrenaline) or metaproterenol led to the significant acceleration of the FRAP recovery, thus indicating an elevated membrane fluidity. The effect of the stimulation of protein kinase A with membrane-permeable analog of cAMP followed the same trend but was less significant. The observed effects are assumed to be driven by increased mobility of phospholipids resulting from the weakened interaction between the intermembrane proteins and RBC cytoskeleton due to activation of adenylyl cyclase signaling cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boundary conditions for describing the mass transfer of carbon from oxygen-free low-pressure atmospheres into steel during vacuum carburizing are analyzed. The effect of the content of carbide-forming alloying elements on the values of the carbon potential of low-pressure acetylene atmospheres is determined depending on the temperature of the process of vacuum carburizing. Temperature dependences of the carbon mass transfer coefficient are derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose and investigate a new algorithm for solving variational inequalities in Hilbert spaces. The proposed iterative algorithm is regularized by the operator extrapolation method using the Halpern scheme. In terms of the amount of computation required for the iterative step, the algorithm has an advantage over the Korpelevich extragradient method and the method of extrapolation from the past. For variational inequalities with monotone, Lipschitz continuous operators acting in Hilbert space, a theorem on the strong convergence of the method is proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the new forms of ecologically safe, stable in composition, in functional activity, biodegradable preparations development with a complex positive effect on plants remains high and the presented work is devoted to acquaintance with the generalized results of interdisciplinary studies for the effect on the system of soil (soil substitute)—cultivated plants by nanocompositions created based on carbon (water-soluble polyhydroxylated, carboxylated and amino acid derivatives of fullerene C60) nanostructures with additions of trace elements in certain concentration ratios. Based on the previously identified concentration ranges of the tested fullerene derivatives with a positive effect on plants when treating their seeds, introducing them into the soil, other root habitats and foliar exposure, their compositions with salts of trace elements were developed and in a series of vegetation and field experiments under controlled favorable conditions and when modeling oxidative stress caused by UV-B irradiation, deficiency of soil moisture, deficiency of nutrients, phytopathogens, as well as in the natural conditions of the Leningrad region, the main mechanisms of positive impact (regulatory on vital systems, adaptogenic, immunomodulatory, protective) of the created nanocompositions on plants and the prospects of their application in plant growing are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationships among Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), advertising intensity, and performance in different national philanthropic environments. National philanthropic environment is defined as the propensity of a nation to be philanthropic. Employing institutional theory, we hypothesize that (1) advertising intensity mediates the CSR/performance relationship, (2) national philanthropic environment moderates the relationship between CSR and advertising intensity, and (3) national philanthropic environments moderate the relationship between advertising intensity and performance. Using a sample of 262 firms from 10 countries, the results support the moderated mediation model. We demonstrate that the success of CSR programs depends on their effective integration with advertising intensity. However, this dynamic is relevant only in countries with higher levels of national philanthropic environment. Thus, strategic managers should increase advertising intensity as CSR increases to ensure a positive effect on performance, but only in countries with high national philanthropic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A successful LINAC operation at Synchrotron Radiation Facility−Siberian Circular Photon Source (SRF SKIF) is directly related to the improvement of diagnostic methods for measuring the transverse profile and longitudinal distribution of the beam charge, which, in turn, requires the use of new materials or methods for their production. The thermal outgassing has been measured from aerogel and electrophoretically deposited P43 phosphor used in the LINAC diagnostic system of SRF SKIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the negative effects of ferroelectric applications, particularly for electrocaloric effect (ECE) applications, is temperature hysteresis (ΔTHyst). Temperature hysteresis is the difference between the temperatures corresponding to the maximum dielectric permittivity in heating and cooling modes. The value of ΔTHyst is commensurate with the value of the ECE temperature change. The ECE is a phenomenon in which a material shows a reversible temperature change under an applied electric field. The aim of this work is to study the possibilities of temperature hysteresis reduction by varying the ceramic sintering temperature, changing the stoichiometry of BaxSr1-xTiO3 solid solutions, and changing the rate of the heating-cooling cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review systematizes data on the wide possibilities of practical application of carbon nanostructures. Much attention is paid to the use of carbon nanomaterials in medicine for the visualization of tumors during surgical interventions, in the creation of cosmetics, as well as in agriculture in the creation of fertilizers. Additionally, we demonstrate trends in research in the field of carbon nanomaterials with a view to elaborating targeted drug delivery systems. We also show the creation of nanosized medicinal substances and diagnostic systems, and the production of new biomaterials. A separate section is devoted to the difficulties in studying carbon nanomaterials. The review is intended for a wide range of readers, as well as for experts in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a metric space , we prove existence of continuous maps associating to each compact set , a probability measure with in such a way that the set is dense in the space of probability measures on . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generalised approach for the implementation of memristive two-terminal circuits with piecewise-smooth characteristics is proposed on an example of a multifunctional circuit based on a transistor switch. Two versions of the circuit are taken into consideration: an experimental model of the piecewise-smooth memristor (Chua's memristor) and a piecewise-smooth memristive capacitor. Physical experiments are combined with numerical modelling of the discussed circuit models. Thus, it is demonstrated that the considered circuit is a flexible solution for synthesis of a wide range of memristive systems with tunable characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies were performed with samples from different horizons of soddy podzolic soils (Albic Retisols) and typical chernozem (Haplic Chernozems) collected under natural lands and arable fields. The carbon contents in structural (particulate organic matter of 2–0.05 mm in size (CPOM) and mineral-associated organic matter of <0.05 mm in size (CMAOM)) and process (potentially mineralizable organic matter (C0) and microbial biomass (Cmic)) pools were determined. In the humus horizon of virgin and arable Albic Retisols, the CPOM, CMAOM, C0, and Cmic pools contained 38 and 24, 56 and 72, 5.9 and 5.6, and 1.2 and 1.3% of Corg, respectively. The sizes of these pools in virgin and arable Haplic Chernozems amounted to 42 and 30, 53 and 68, 3.6 and 2.8, and 0.5 and 0.5% of Corg, respectively. Despite a low weight of the POM fraction, the emission potential of CPOM pool is comparable to that of the CMAOM pool having the large MAOM fraction. A method for quantitative separation of soil organic matter (SOM) into active, intermediate (slow), and passive pools is proposed. The size of the SOM active pool is assessed according to the Сmic and C0 contents; the size of the passive pool, according to the content of chemically non-oxidizable organic matter in CPOM and CMAOM fractions. The intermediate pool size is estimated according to the difference between the total organic carbon and the sum of the active and passive pools. The active, intermediate, and passive pools of the studied soils contained 1–7, 51–81, and 13–48% of Corg, respectively, without any significant differences between different land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]