Search Results (1,688)

Discovering the compactness properties in generalized-type metric spaces opens up a fascinating area of research. The present study tries to develop a theoretical framework for compactness with key properties in the recently developed interval metric space. This work begins with explaining the covers and open covers to define compact interval metric spaces and their main features. Next, a similar definition of compactness using the finite intersection property is introduced. Then, the famous Heine–Borel theorem for compactness is extended in the case of interval metric spaces. Also, the concepts of sequential-type compactness and Bolzano–Weierstrass (BW)-type compactness for interval metric spaces are introduced with their equivalency relationship. Finally, the notion of total boundedness in interval metric spaces and its connection with compactness is introduced, providing new insights into these mathematical concepts. Full article

This article documents abrupt lower distribution limits of sessile invertebrates and seaweeds from rocky intertidal habitats on Pacific and Atlantic shores from both hemispheres. The common feature of these striking patterns is that they are caused primarily by slow-moving predators or herbivores coming from lower elevations. This contribution aims at stimulating comparative studies on these fascinating systems as well as providing visual materials of educational value. Full article

Coordination complexes play a crucial role in modern research. 4-benzopyranone-2-carboxylic acid is a fascinating class of molecules with numerous applications, including the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and valuable chiral compounds. Antibacterial and tuberculostatic medicines, HIV protease inhibitors, intermediates in organic synthesis, and organic catalysis are only a few of the biological applications of chiral complexes. In this study, the synthesis of four metal complexes, C₃₀H₂₈N₂NiO₁₂ [Ni(bzpyr)₂(py)₂(H₂O)₂] (I), C₃₀H₂₄CoN₂O₁₀ [Co(bzpyr)₂(py)₂(H₂O)₂] (II), C₂₀H₂₀O₁₃Zn [Zn(bzpyr)₂(H₂O)₃] (III), and C₃₀H₂₂CuN₂O₉ [Cu(bzpyr)₂(py)₂(H₂O)] (IV), is reported via direct reactions of 4-benzopyranone-2-carboxylic acid with metal salts and pyridine in anhydrous ethanol. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that complexes I and II crystallize in the chiral space group P-1, whereas III and IV crystallize in the centrosymmetric space group P2₁/c. The structures of these complexes were further characterized by infrared spectroscopy, UV-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In addition, the cytotoxic activities of complexes I–IV were evaluated against the human tumor cell lines K562, A549, HepG2, MDA-MB-231, and SW480, and molecular docking studies were conducted on the four complexes. Full article

The bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces have demonstrated many fascinating performances in fields such as self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, anti-icing, energy-harvesting devices, and antibacterial coatings. However, developing a low-cost, feasible, and scalable production approach to fabricate robust superhydrophobic surfaces has remained one of the main challenges in the past decades. In this paper, we propose an uncommon method for the fabrication of a durable superhydrophobic coating on the surface of the glass slide (GS). By utilizing the screen printing method and high-temperature curing, the epoxy resin grid (ERG) coating was uniformly and densely loaded on the surface of GS (ERG@GS). Subsequently, the hydrophobic silica (H-SiO₂) was deposited on the surface of ERG@GS by the impregnation method, thereby obtaining a superhydrophobic surface (H-SiO₂@ERG@GS). It is demonstrated that the micro-grooves in ERG can provide a large specific surface area for the deposition of low surface energy materials, while the micro-columns can offer excellent protection for the superhydrophobic coating when it is subjected to mechanical wear. It is important to note that micro-columns, micro-grooves, and nano H-SiO₂ jointly form the micro–nano structure, providing a uniform and robust rough structure for the superhydrophobic surface. Therefore, the combination of a micro–nano rough structure, low surface energy material, and air cushion effect endow the material with excellent durability and superhydrophobic property. The results show that H-SiO₂@ERG@GS possesses excellent self-cleaning property, mechanical durability, and chemical stability, indicating that this preparation method of the robust superhydrophobic coating has significant practical application value. Full article

The intersection of edge computing, Large Language Models (LLMs), and the Transformer architecture is a very active and fascinating area of research. The core tension is that LLMs, which are built on the Transformer architecture, are massive and computationally intensive, while edge devices are resource-constrained in terms of power, memory, and processing capabilities. Therefore, LLMs based on the Transformer architecture are inherently unsuitable for edge computing in their original, full-sized form. They were designed for powerful, resource-rich cloud data centers. However, there is a massive and growing effort to make them suitable for edge devices. Implementing Transformer-based LLMs on edge computing devices is a complex but crucial task that requires a multi-faceted strategy. This paper reviews LLM deployment strategies for Transformer models on edge computing devices, examines the challenges, and estimates future directions. To address these challenges, researchers are exploring methods to compress LLMs and optimize their inference capabilities, making them more efficient for edge environments. Recent advancements in compact LLMs have shown promise in enhancing their deployment on edge devices, enabling improved performance while addressing the limitations of traditional models. This approach not only reduces computational costs but also enhances user privacy and security. Full article

9,10-Disila-9,10-dihydroanthracenes have attracted significant attention due to their unique electronic structures, characterized by an extended π-system facilitated by σ-π conjugation. Here, we report the synthesis of 9,10-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)-9,10-disila-9,10-dihydroanthracene, which serves as a crucial precursor for the preparation of the corresponding difluoro derivative. This conversion is achieved through a selective deanisyl-fluorination at the silicon centers using HBF₄. A key finding is the successful isolation of the cis-isomer of 9,10-difluoro-9,10-disila-9,10-dihydroanthracenes as a crystalline compound. This allowed for definitive structural characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis, providing precise geometric insights into this electronically fascinating framework. Full article

Pascal’s Triangle, renowned for its geometric elegance and profound applications across combinatorics, algebra, and probability, has fascinated mathematicians for centuries. While its origins can be traced to Chinese, Persian, and European mathematical traditions, the study of its higher-dimensional analogues remains notably underexplored. This paper offers a systematic and self-contained study of Pascal Pyramids and Pascal Simplexes with their proofs. It encompasses both classical results (such as multinomial identities) and novel contributions (including boundary and scaling properties), as well as fresh perspectives (such as graph-theoretic interpretations) that are rarely documented in the existing literature. Full article

Fascinated by the influence of fluorine atom substitution in liquid crystal mesogens and building on our previous research on the influence of fluorination in liquid crystal mesogens, a novel project was undertaken where racemates and enantiomers of alkoxycyanobiphenyls with two adjacent fluorine atoms, one on each of two terminal carbon atoms, were synthesized to study their phase properties. The compounds were synthesized via Mitsunobu reaction, alkylation, epoxidation, hydrolytic kinetic resolution, fluoride opening, and deoxyfluorination. Racemates showed a monotropic nematic phase, while enantiomers showed a monotropic cholesteric phase. The dipole moments of the final difluorinated mesogens were also evaluated. The phase behavior of all the epoxy and fluorohydrin intermediates was also measured. This article provides data on the phase behavior of a handful of racemic compounds and their enantiomers. Additionally, the phase behavior of the enantiomerically impure and enantiomerically pure compounds is compared. Full article

Angiosperms include many taxa with dimorphic unisexual reproductive structures. These are well studied in some grasses, with maize as a key model, but other wind-pollinated lineages in Poales remain less explored. Within Poales, the family Restionaceae has the highest known proportion of dioecious species. In its Australian subfamily Leptocarpoideae, the sexually dimorphic Leptocarpus denmarkicus has raised questions about the basic flowering unit and the developmental basis of dimorphism. Here, we analyze inflorescence architecture and floral development in Eurychorda complanata, the sister lineage to the remainder of Leptocarpoideae. Using comparative morphology, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, we reconstruct synflorescence topology, floral organography, and ontogeny in both sexes and compare them with those in L. denmarkicus. In Eurychorda, both sexes produce polytelic paniculate synflorescences with distinct inhibition zones and many-flowered simple spikelets as the basic flowering unit. Male and female spikelets bear up to 50 and up to 15 fertile flowers, respectively. Male flowers have two stamens and a dimerous pistillode, whereas female flowers possess two long filamentous staminodes and a dimerous gynoecium. Ontogenetic series show that flowers of both sexes initiate both androecial and gynoecial structures, and that functional unisexuality is achieved through late arrest of the organs of one sex. Defining spikelets as racemose axes with lateral sessile flowers clarifies homologies of reproductive structures and supports reinterpretation of the dimorphic female unit in L. denmarkicus as a derived compound spike generated through shifts in branching rank and the timing of lateral initiation. The compound female spike of L. denmarkicus has a striking overall similarity to the simple female spikelet in Eurychorda, illustrating fascinating parallelism in the evolution of reproductive organs within Restionaceae and Poales more broadly. At the male side, Eurychorda achieves anther exsertion via filament elongation, whereas in L. denmarkicus filaments are very short and anthers remain within the perianth, but male spikelets sit on long, flexible peduncles that invert the spikelet and promote trembling, thereby ventilating the perianth chamber and aiding pollen escape. These two solutions—filament elongation versus spikelet-peduncle flexibility—represent alternative strategies of pollen release in wind-pollinated flowers. Full article

Background: Insect metamorphosis is one of the most fascinating developmental processes in the natural world. Complete metamorphosis requires the breakdown and reorganisation of larval tissues and the coordinated construction and development of adult structures. The molecular events that achieve this transformation are, however, incompletely understood, and there is a particular shortage of data describing changes in protein abundance that occur during the process. Methods: Here, using a label-free quantitative bottom-up approach, we perform a novel whole-organism proteomic analysis of consecutive developmental stages of male Bicyclus anynana butterflies as they develop from caterpillars into adults via pupation. Results: Our analysis generated a dynamic reference dataset representing 2749 detected proteins. Statistical analysis identified 90 proteins changing significantly in abundance during metamorphosis, and functional interpretation highlights cuticle formation, apoptosis and autophagy during the pupal stages, and the up-regulation of respiration and energy metabolism upon completion of the fully formed adult. A preliminary search for potential peptide phosphorylation modifications identified 15 candidates, including three proteins with roles in muscle function. Conclusions: The study provides a basis for future protein-level analysis of butterfly metamorphosis and suggests the importance of dissecting the post-translational regulation associated with this fascinating developmental transformation. Full article

Inflammation underpins pulmonary disease progression during tobacco smoke exposure, which may culminate in irreversible pulmonary disease. While primary smoke poses a notable risk, nearly half of the US population is also susceptible due to frequent exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS). In the present study, we assessed the potential role of VYN202, a novel small molecular bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitor, as a possible means of attenuating SHS-mediated inflammation. We exposed wild-type mice to an acute time course of room air (RA), SHS via a nose-only delivery system (Scireq Scientific, Montreal, Canada), or to both SHS and 10 mg/kg VYN202 (efficacious dose from prior inflammatory models) via oral gavage three times a week. Specific smoke exposure delivery to mice involved SHS from two cigarettes over 10 min, equilibration in room air for 10 min, followed by exposure to SHS from one cigarette for an additional 10 min, for a total SHS exposure of 20 min per day, five days a week for 30 days. We evaluated leukocyte abundance and the secretion of inflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). We also assessed general morphology via histology staining and the activation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family members. While standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining resulted in unchanged morphology, SHS-mediated increases in BALF protein abundance, total cellularity, and percent PMNs were attenuated with concomitant administration of VYN202. We also discovered SHS-induced activation of RTKs that were pro-inflammatory (JAK1, JAK3, ABL1, and ACK1), as well as RTKs related to endothelial and vascular remodeling (VEGFR3, VEGFR2, EphB4, EphB6, and FAK). Furthermore, inflammatory cytokines including GCSF, IFN-γ, IL-12p70, IL-17A, LIX, and TNF-α were all augmented by SHS exposure. Despite SHS exposure, each of these RTKs and cytokines/chemokines was significantly attenuated by VYN202. In summary, inflammatory responses induced by SHS exposure were mitigated by VYN202. These data reveal fascinating potential for the utility of VYN202 in lessening smoke-induced pulmonary exacerbations. Full article

The article focuses on demonstrating the connections between works of visual art and their musical representation—in the sense of a musical response to a work that served as a source of inspiration. The discussion focuses on works by outstanding composers: Zbigniew Bargielski (born 1937), Zygmunt Krauze (born 1938), and a younger composer, Bettina Skrzypczak (born 1961). Among the distinguished artists are also the authors of works of visual art that provided the “causative impulse” for musical compositions: Władysław Strzemiński (1893–1952), Tadeusz Mysłowski (born 1943), Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966). Their works, taken into account by the composers, belong to various genres of visual arts: Strzemiński’s unistic painting fascinated Z. Krauze (including Unistic Compositions for solo piano), Mysłowski’s multimedia objects inspired the musical imagination of Z. Bargielski (Shrine for Anonymous Victim, Light Cross, Towards Organic Geometry), while Giacometti’s sculptures prompted B. Skrzypczak to interpret them musically (Vier Figuren). The methodological basis for developing the topic was the concept of ekphrasis, introduced into the field of musical semiotics (as musical ekphrasis) by the German musicologist Siglind Bruhn, as well as the work by Jacek Szerszenowicz, Artistic Inspirations in Music (2008), whose author, in the Polish context, undertook research on capturing the nature of the relationship between the extra-musical source of inspiration (artistic works) and music. Full article