Search Results (14)

Biological cellular structures exhibit a high degree of systematic organization in both morphological configuration and functional coordination, providing important biomimetic insights for urban spatial organization. To address issues in traditional high-density residential areas, such as homogeneous spatial structures and insufficient accessibility of public spaces, this study proposes a planning method for five-minute living circle residential areas based on a biomimetic cellular structure within the framework of space syntax theory. Taking a residential area in Wuhan, China, as a case study, a cell-like spatial structure model was constructed. Convex space analysis, axial analysis, and visibility analysis were conducted using Depthmap software to quantitatively evaluate key syntactic indicators, including integration, connectivity, mean depth, and choice. The results show that, compared with the original planning scheme, the biomimetic cellular planning model significantly optimized the spatial structure of the residential area by relying on the functionally synergistic mechanisms of selective permeability of the cell membrane, whole-area permeation of the cytoplasm, central regulation of the nucleus, distributed coordination of organelles, and efficient transport through cellular microfilaments. In the sample living circle, the overall integration increased from 1.27 to 1.64, the mean depth decreased from 3.79 to 3.18, and spatial connectivity increased from 3.74 to 5.44. Meanwhile, the synergy of the road network increased from 0.44 to 0.86, indicating marked improvements in spatial accessibility, connectivity, and the degree of coordination within the spatial structure. In addition, the visibility analysis showed that the pedestrian aggregation capacity of the public core space was enhanced, and the spatial vitality of public activity spaces in the residential area was improved. The findings demonstrate that the spatial organization model based on biomimetic cellular principles can effectively enhance spatial efficiency and social vitality in five-minute living circle residential areas, providing a quantifiable design method and theoretical framework for bio-inspired urban planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Music engages multiple brain networks simultaneously, yet most studies examine these networks in isolation. Methods: We investigated functional connectivity among the auditory, motor, and reward networks during music listening in different contexts using fMRI data from two samples (N = 39 each): focused music listening and background music during cognitive tasks. ROI-to-ROI, seed-based, and graph theory analyses examined connectivity patterns among 46 regions spanning the three networks. Results: Both contexts showed enhanced within-auditory network connectivity compared to rest, suggesting that this is fundamental to music processing. However, between-network patterns diverged markedly. Background music listening during cognitive tasks preserved reward-motor coupling while reducing auditory-motor and auditory-reward connectivity. Focused music listening produced widespread negative correlations between motor regions and both the auditory and reward networks, potentially reflecting motor suppression in the scanner environment. Graph theory measures revealed context-specific hub reorganization: reward regions (nucleus accumbens, caudate) showed increased centrality during background music listening, while the amygdala and frontal orbital cortex were selectively enhanced during focused listening. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that music engagement involves context-dependent network reorganization beyond simple attention effects. The same musical stimulus engages different neural mechanisms depending on concurrent cognitive demands, motor requirements, and listening goals. Enhanced within-auditory connectivity appears consistent across contexts, but between-network interactions are shaped by the broader cognitive-behavioral context. These results highlight the importance of considering ecological context when studying music processing and designing music-based interventions, as network connectivity patterns during music listening reflect complex interactions between task demands, attentional resources, and musical engagement rather than music processing alone. Full article

Bubble nuclei, characterized by a depletion in nucleon density at the nuclear center, are investigated within the atomic number range $71\le Z\le 80$ using the Deformed Relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov theory in continuum. This study extends previous investigations, which were limited to even–even isotopes, by incorporating even–odd, odd–even, and odd–odd nuclei within this range. The extension is achieved by introducing the blocking effect into the point-coupling approach to ensure self-consistency. Following previous studies, we define a nucleus as a bubble candidate if the bubble parameter exceeds ${\mathcal{B}}_p^{★}=20\%$, and identify five bubble nuclei in both even-Z and odd-Z nuclei groups, based on the highest ${\mathcal{B}}_p^{★}$ values. The formation of bubble structures is confirmed through an analysis of proton single-particle energy levels of the most centrally depleted nuclei across four categories: even–odd, even–even, odd–even, and odd–odd. Full article

In recent years, many studies have examined “novel foods” from various perspectives; however, the theoretical framework of social representations has been underutilized in this research. This paper denotes an initial attempt to study the socio-symbolic impact of synthetic foods using this framework. Specifically, the study aims to explore how different audiences—such as carnivores versus vegetarians—interpret unfamiliar foods, focusing on a new food technology: synthetic meat. The research seeks to describe and compare the social representations of cultured meat that are co-constructed and shared among these social groups (n = 350). The study adopts the structural approach, analyzing both the structure and content of the social representations in question. This was achieved through a mixed-methods strategy, which included hierarchical evocation, a food neophobia scale, checklists, open-ended questions, and a projective sensory analysis technique. Data analysis employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. The main findings indicate the significant roles of generative processes, cognitive polyphasia, and sensory anchors in the co-construction of social representations of cultured meat. The use of chemical-genetic objectification, metaphors, and clichés reflects ongoing debates about the possible implications of synthetic meat consumption for the environment and society. Our findings encourage consideration of social knowledge and cultural variables in food studies. Full article

In the framework of axial symmetric relativistic Hartree–Bogoliubov (RHB) theory and the Skyrme Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov (HFB) theory, the evolution of shell structure, density distribution, and ground state deformation in superheavy nuclei proximate to $N=258$ are investigated within the relativistic functionals DD-PC1 and DD-ME2, as well as the non-relativistic functional UNEDF0. The results from DD-ME2 and UNEDF0 indicate that $N=258$ is a neutron magic number, whereas DD-PC1 does not anticipate the existence of a bound $N=258$ magic nucleus. Further discussion suggests that the emergence of the magic number $N=258$ is related to the depression of the central density. Full article

This research examines the structural behavior of the central vault of the Matriz church that collapsed during the 1949 earthquake in Ambato, Ecuador. Following the disaster, the church and Episcopal Palace were demolished. The central vault lacked buttresses and had large cracks two years before the collapse. A study was conducted using graphic restitution and the theory of limit analysis of structures to analyze the mechanical behavior of the central vault. The aim was to provide a technical explanation for the cause of the collapse beyond the impact of the earthquake. The limit analysis of structures is a tool that determines the technical stability conditions of a masonry structure using graphic statics. In this case, the respective checks of the structural behavior could be made, concluding that the structural ensemble of the central vault was unstable and could have collapsed at any moment, not necessarily due to an earthquake. The article is based on the research project “Architectural analysis of the central nucleus of Ambato between 1895 and 1949: styles, types, techniques, losses, and continuities”, which was conducted at the Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ecuador, from 2021 to 2023. Full article

The theory of heavy ion double charge exchange (DCE) reactions proceeding by effective rank-2 isotensor interactions is presented. Virtual pion–nucleon charge exchange interactions are investigated as the source for induced isotensor interactions, giving rise to the Majorana DCE (MDCE) reaction mechanism. MDCE is of a generic character, proceeding through pairs of complementary (${\pi }^{\pm },{\pi }^{\mp }$) reactions in the projectile and target nucleus. The dynamics of the elementary processes is discussed, where the excitation of pion–nucleon resonances are of central importance. Investigations of initial and final state ion–ion interactions show that these effects are acting as vertex renormalizations. In closure approximation, well justified by the finite pion mass, the second-order transition matrix elements reduce to pion potentials and effective two-body isotensor DCE interactions, giving rise also to two-body correlations in either of the participating nuclei. Connections to neutrinoless Majorana double beta decay (MDBD) are elucidated at various levels of the dynamics, from the underlying fundamental electro-weak and QCD scales to the physical scales of nuclear MDBD and MDCE physics. It is pointed out that heavy ion MDCE reactions may also proceed by competing electro-weak charge exchange processes, leading to lepton MDCE by electrons, positrons, and neutrinos. Full article

Here, five bonds to carbon through tri-coordination are theoretically established in the global minimum energy isomers of ${\mathrm{Al}}_3{\mathrm{C}}_3^{-}$ anion (1a) and ${\mathrm{Al}}_3{\mathrm{C}}_3$ neutral (1n) for the first time. Various isomers of ${\mathrm{Al}}_3{\mathrm{C}}_3^{-/0}$ are theoretically identified using density functional theory at the PBE0-D3/def2-TZVP level. Chemical bonding features are thoroughly analyzed for these two isomers (1a and 1n) with different bonding and topological quantum chemical tools, such as adaptive natural density partitioning (AdNDP), Wiberg Bond Indices (WBIs), nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS), and atoms in molecules (AIM) analyses. The structure of isomer 1a is planar with C_2v symmetry, whereas its neutral counterpart 1n is non-planar with C₂ symmetry, in which its terminal aluminum atoms are out of the plane. The central allenic carbon atom of isomers 1a and 1n exhibits tri-coordination and thus makes it a case of five bonds to carbon, which is confirmed through their total bond order as observed in WBI. Both the isomers show σ- and π-aromaticity and are predicted with the NICS and AdNDP analyses. Further, the results of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal their kinetic stability at room temperature; thus, they are experimentally viable systems. Full article

(1) Background: In the process of urbanization, current suburban village spaces are undergoing drastic changes. Many villages have lost their original rural appearances, and their unique rural cultures have been destroyed. (2) Methods: In this study, we used the Depthmap software to analyze the integration and comprehensibility of the village spaces in the central suburbs of Jilin province. Based on spatial syntax theory, we quantitatively interpreted the suburban village spaces, and we analyzed the correlations between their spatial morphological characteristics and industrial structures. (3) Results: Fishbone and radial villages each have one spatial nucleus, while comprehensive villages have multiple spatial nuclei. The comprehensibility of the villages with industrial structures that are dominated by the secondary and tertiary industries expressed higher results, with the highest comprehensibility value for the village of Nianshan (0.874). (4) Conclusions: The spatial characteristics of the suburban villages in central Jilin province generally have a high correlation with their industrial structures. We can use the spatial syntax measurement index as a basis for the spatial-form adjustment and reconstruction of the villages, with the aim of providing a reference for the industrial selection of suburban villages with different landforms and industrial structures, as well as the sustainable development of rural cultural tourism, in order to contribute to the revitalization of the countryside in the new era. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance for countries to preserve a sustainable health system. Unfortunately, the emergency nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to economic and social disasters, putting global health at risk. Thus, through the Social Representation Theory, our aim is to replicate a previous study carried out in Brazil in mid-2020 on how Brazilian society has perceived the significance of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to investigate whether this perception changed almost a year after the publication of the former study. The results show that the perception of Brazilian society about the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil was, at the end of 2021, mainly shaped by the political polarization that existed at the time in the country. Thus, politics and government, social distancing, death, and fear were the categories that composed the central nucleus of the social representation of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, categories such as economy and employment and changes and the new normal were mentioned less. Surprisingly, the sustainability category was practically disregarded by Brazilians, thus constituting a missing link. In this way, with this research, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of this scenario, expanding the understanding of how society’s interpretation of the COVID-19 pandemic in an emerging country such as Brazil has changed over time. Finally, understanding the dynamics of society’s perception of the COVID-19 pandemic can contribute to better planning of local initiatives, both at a managerial and public levels, with the aim of mitigating this and other possible future pandemics in a sustainable way. Full article

Tinnitus, a common disease in the clinic, is associated with persistent pain and high costs to society. Several aspects of tinnitus, such as the pathophysiology mechanism, effective treatment, objective detection, etc., have not been elucidated. Any change in the auditory pathway can lead to tinnitus. At present, there is no clear and unified mechanism to explain tinnitus, and the hypotheses regarding its mechanism include auditory plasticity theory, cortical reorganization theory, dorsal cochlear nucleus hypothesis, etc. Current theories on the mechanism of tinnitus mainly focus on the abnormal activity of the central nervous system. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of objective diagnostic methods for tinnitus. Developing a method that can detect tinnitus objectively is crucial, only in this way can we identify whether the patient really suffers from tinnitus in the case of cognitive impairment or medical disputes and the therapeutic effect of tinnitus. Electrophysiological investigations have prompted the development of an objective detection of tinnitus by potentials recorded in the auditory pathway. However, there is no objective indicator with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to diagnose tinnitus at present. Based on recent findings of studies with various methods, possible electrophysiological approaches to detect the presence of tinnitus have been summarized. We analyze the change of neural activity throughout the auditory pathway in tinnitus subjects and in patients with tinnitus of varying severity to find available parameters in these methods, which is helpful to further explore the feasibility of using electrophysiological methods for the objective detection of tinnitus. Full article

This study investigates the social representation of Blockchain from the perspective of professionals in Brazil, herein considered as a proxy for emerging markets, and then compares the results found with the existing academic literature on the concept of Blockchain. To do that, the social representation theory was applied, operationalized through the words evocation technique. Security, bitcoin and decentralization were the categories located in the central nucleus of the social representation of Blockchain, while innovation, data, network, cryptocurrency, and technology were the categories located in the peripheral system. Based on the results obtained, there was a perceived strong association of Blockchain with bitcoin, one of its applications, and a dissonance between the existing academic literature and the perception of Brazilian professionals about the concept of Blockchain, as the latter is a privilege of the technical and operational issues of Blockchain to the detriment of its strategic potential. This dissonance can cause Blockchain initiatives to have results below expectations. Finally, Brazilian professionals did not realize the potential for inclusion of Blockchain in an emerging market such as Brazil and did not notice the need and relevance of a specific legal governance for Blockchain, an issue also forgotten by academia. Full article

Density functional theory (DFT) was used to study the structure, stability, and bonding in some selected neutral pentaatomic systems, viz., CGa₂Ge₂, CAlGaGe₂, and CSiGa₂Ge containing planar tetracoordinate carbon. The systems are kinetically stable, as predicted from the ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis showed that strong electron donation occurs to the central planar carbon atom by the peripheral atoms in all the studied systems. From the nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) analysis, it is shown that the systems possess both σ- and π- aromaticity. The presence of 18 valence electrons in these systems, in their neutral form, appears to be important for their stability with planar geometries rather than tetrahedral structures. The nature of bonding is understood through the adaptive natural density partitioning analysis (AdNDP), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis, and also via Wiberg bond index (WBI) and electron localization function (ELF). Full article

Emotions arise from activations of specialized neuronal populations in several parts of the cerebral cortex, notably the anterior cingulate, insula, ventromedial prefrontal, and subcortical structures, such as the amygdala, ventral striatum, putamen, caudate nucleus, and ventral tegmental area. Feelings are conscious, emotional experiences of these activations that contribute to neuronal networks mediating thoughts, language, and behavior, thus enhancing the ability to predict, learn, and reappraise stimuli and situations in the environment based on previous experiences. Contemporary theories of emotion converge around the key role of the amygdala as the central subcortical emotional brain structure that constantly evaluates and integrates a variety of sensory information from the surroundings and assigns them appropriate values of emotional dimensions, such as valence, intensity, and approachability. The amygdala participates in the regulation of autonomic and endocrine functions, decision-making and adaptations of instinctive and motivational behaviors to changes in the environment through implicit associative learning, changes in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity, and activation of the fight-or-flight response via efferent projections from its central nucleus to cortical and subcortical structures. Full article