CONVERGENCE PATTERNS IN CRYPTOCURRENCY MARKETS: EVIDENCE FROM CLUB CONVERGENCE

This paper empirically examines the convergence of cryptocurrency markets with particular attention to top 30 cryptocurrencies. The study applies the novel Phillips and Sul panel convergence technique to daily closing price data of 30 cryptocurrencies for the period October 4, 2017 to May 31, 2020. The empirical findings suggest the evidence of divergence and the existence of club convergence across the cryptocurrency markets. The study finds the existence of five clubs in the top 30 cryptocurrency markets. The outcome of the study helps the investors and crypto lovers to diversify their portfolio by seeing the common transition path of the group of currencies.

Constructivist pedagogy in context of modern philosophy of education

Introduction. The relevance of the research is underpinned by the lack of conceptual and methodological framework for the upgrade of educational practices against the background of common transition to new educational technologies associated with e-learning and distance learning technologies. The purpose of this article is to identify the key features of constructivist pedagogy to build the educational design understood as a set of teaching practices to create a series of educational events that allow a teacher to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in the most effective way. Materials and methods. We used methods of critical analysis of modern constructivist epistemology approaches; we applied methods of ideal type differentiation and content analysis; we used principles of definition of concepts reflecting the substance of constructivist pedagogical paradigm. Results. The analysis of modern forms of the constructivist pedagogical paradigm revealed its capabilities for overcoming crisis points in modern processes of common transition to e-learning formats and distance learning technologies. Increasing information competence of teachers will make it possible to leverage constructivist methods and stimulate the students' abilities to create their own sense of learning. Among the innovative educational technologies of constructivist pedagogy, there is a great potential for education related to the performance of creative artistic tasks in non-artistic professional education. Conclusion. The constructivist pedagogical paradigm is a new philosophy of education that is likely to systematically restructure the educational process at the undergraduate level and form an active position of student as the main subject of educational process.

A conserved superlocus regulates above- and belowground root initiation

During plant post-embryonic growth new meristems and associated stem cells form in different development contexts in order to respond to environmental cues. While underground lateral roots initiate from designated cells in the main root, an unknown mechanism allows cells to bypass the root/shoot identity trajectory and generate shoot-borne-roots. Using single-cell profiling of tomato (Solanum lycoperiscum) stems we isolated a rare transient cell population that serve as progenitors for shoot-borne-root meristems. Analysis of this population identified a transcription factor required for the formation of shoot-borne-roots which we named SHOOT BORNE ROOTLESS (SBRL). Evolutionary analysis revealed that SBRL function is deeply conserved in angiosperms and that it arose as part of an ancient duplicated superlocus, only lost in root-less plants, containing both shoot-borne and lateral root initiation regulators. We propose that the ability to activate a common transition state with context-specific regulators allows the remarkable developmental plasticity found in plants.One Sentence SummaryHighly conserved superlocus of LBD genes, acting within an early transition identity, regulates shoot-borne and lateral root formation.

Cell dormancy plasticity: quiescence deepens into senescence through a dimmer switch

Both being dormant cellular states, quiescence and senescence are traditionally considered distinct. Quiescence is reversible to proliferation upon growth signals, whereas senescence is irreversible in physiological conditions. Recent findings, however, suggest that quiescence deepening with a decreased proliferative tendency, but not capability, is a common transition path toward senescence in many cell and tissue types. This transition is associated with the continuously increased activation threshold of an RB-E2F-CDK gene network switch.

Numerical Investigation on Dynamic Performance of a Bridge-Tunnel Transition Section with a Deep Buried Pile-Plank Structure

To address the track irregularity at transition zones between subgrade and rigid structures (bridge, tunnel, etc.), some common transition approaches, such as trapezoid subgrade, were adopted in many engineering areas. However, in regard to a mountainous area, the common transition approaches may not be practicable anymore due to the limitation of the length between subgrade and rigid structures. In this paper, a new type of bridge-tunnel transition section with a deeply buried pile-plank structure (DBPPS) for short-distance transition is introduced. A three-dimensional finite element model that considers vehicle-track-subgrade coupling vibration is proposed to study the dynamic performances of a DBPPS transition section in the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway. With this model that has been validated with measured responses from field tests, the dynamic responses and the smoothness in track stiffness along the transition zone are analyzed. In addition, the influences of train speed, axle load, and train direction on dynamic responses are investigated, and the influences of two optimization strategies, including varying-length piles and constant-length piles, on the stiffness smoothness of the DBPPS transition section are discussed. Results show that the vibration level of the DBPPS transition section is lower than that of the abutment and the tunnel, and the additional load caused by vertical track stiffness difference aggravates the vibration at the connections between the DBPPS transition section and the abutment (or tunnel). Furthermore, the smoothness in stiffness along the transition zone can be significantly improved by the improvement strategy with varying-length piles.

The tempo of trophic evolution in small-bodied primates

ObjectivesAs a primary trophic strategy, insectivory is uncommon and unevenly distributed across extant primates. This pattern is partly a function of the challenges that insectivory poses for large-bodied primates. In this study, I demonstrate that the uneven distribution is also a consequence of variation in the rate of trophic evolution among small-bodied lineages.MethodsThe sample consisted of 307 species classified by primary trophic strategy and body size, creating an ordered three-state character: small-insectivorous, small-herbivorous, and large-herbivorous. I tested for rate heterogeneity by partitioning major clades from the rest of the primate tree and estimating separate rates of transition between herbivory and insectivory for small-bodied lineages in each partition.ResultsBayesian analysis of rate estimates indicates that a model with two rates of trophic evolution provides the best fit to the data. According to the model, lorisiforms have a trophic rate that is 4–6 times higher than the rate for other small-bodied lineages.ConclusionsThe rate heterogeneity detected here suggests that lorisiforms are characterized by traits that give them greater trophic flexibility than other primates. Previous discussions of trophic evolution in small-bodied primates focused on the low frequency of insectivory among anthropoids and the possibility that diurnality makes insectivory unlikely to evolve or persist. The present study challenges this idea by showing that a common transition rate can explain the distribution of insectivory in small-bodied anthropoids and nocturnal lemurs and tarsiers. The results of this study offer important clues for reconstructing trophic evolution in early primates.

Biosynthesis of Galactan in Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a Viable TB Drug Target?

While target-based drug design has proved successful in several therapeutic areas, this approach has not yet provided compelling outcomes in the field of antibacterial agents. This statement remains especially true for the development of novel therapeutic interventions against tuberculosis, an infectious disease that is among the top ten leading causes of death globally. Mycobacterial galactan is an important component of the protective cell wall core of the tuberculosis pathogen and it could provide a promising target for the design of new drugs. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on galactan biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including landmark findings that led to the discovery and understanding of three key enzymes in this pathway: UDP-galactose mutase, and galactofuranosyl transferases GlfT1 and GlfT2. Moreover, we recapitulate the efforts aimed at their inhibition. The predicted common transition states of the three enzymes provide the lucrative possibility of multitargeting in pharmaceutical development, a favourable property in the mitigation of drug resistance. We believe that a tight interplay between target-based computational approaches and experimental methods will result in the development of original inhibitors that could serve as the basis of a new generation of drugs against tuberculosis.

Recent Organic Transformations with Silver Carbonate as a Key External Base and Oxidant

Silver carbonate (Ag2CO3), a common transition metal-based inorganic carbonate, is widely utilized in palladium-catalyzed C–H activations as an oxidant in the redox cycle. Silver carbonate can also act as an external base in the reaction medium, especially in organic solvents with acidic protons. Its superior alkynophilicity and basicity make silver carbonate an ideal catalyst for organic reactions with alkynes, carboxylic acids, and related compounds. This review describes recent reports of silver carbonate-catalyzed and silver carbonate-mediated organic transformations, including cyclizations, cross-couplings, and decarboxylations.

Graded regulation of cellular quiescence depth between proliferation and senescence by a lysosomal dimmer switch

The reactivation of quiescent cells to proliferate is fundamental to tissue repair and homeostasis in the body. Often referred to as the G0 state, quiescence is, however, not a uniform state but with graded depth. Shallow quiescent cells exhibit a higher tendency to revert to proliferation than deep quiescent cells, while deep quiescent cells are still fully reversible under physiological conditions, distinct from senescent cells. Cellular mechanisms underlying the control of quiescence depth and the connection between quiescence and senescence are poorly characterized, representing a missing link in our understanding of tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Here we measured transcriptome changes as rat embryonic fibroblasts moved from shallow to deep quiescence over time in the absence of growth signals. We found that lysosomal gene expression was significantly up-regulated in deep quiescence, and partially compensated for gradually reduced autophagy flux. Reducing lysosomal function drove cells progressively deeper into quiescence and eventually into a senescence-like irreversibly arrested state; increasing lysosomal function, by lowering oxidative stress, progressively pushed cells into shallower quiescence. That is, lysosomal function modulates graded quiescence depth between proliferation and senescence as a dimmer switch. Finally, we found that a gene-expression signature developed by comparing deep and shallow quiescence in fibroblasts can correctly classify a wide array of senescent and aging cell types in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that while quiescence is generally considered to protect cells from irreversible arrest of senescence, quiescence deepening likely represents a common transition path from cell proliferation to senescence, related to aging.