The lattice of quasivarietes of modules over a Dedekind ring

In 1995 D. V. Belkin described the lattice of quasivarieties of modules over principal ideal domains [1]. The following paper provides a description of the lattice of subquasivarieties of the variety of modules over a given Dedekind ring. It also shows which subvarieties of these modules are deductive (a variety is deductive if every subquasivariety is a variety)

Decision-support system for safety and security assessment and management in smart cities

Counter-terrorism measures and preparedness play a critical role in securing mass gatherings, soft targets, and critical infrastructures within urban environments. This paper introduces a comprehensive Decision Support System developed as part of the S4AllCitites project, designed to seamlessly integrate with existing legacy systems in Smart Cities. The system encompasses urban pedestrian and vehicular evacuation, incorporating predictive models to anticipate the progression of incendiary and mass shooting attacks, alongside a probabilistic model for threat assessment in the case of improvised explosive devices. A notable achievement of this research is the successful implementation and deployment of the system in operational environments through pilot studies. It empowers public and private security operators with real time decision support capabilities during both prevention and intervention stages of potential attacks. The decision support information provided encompasses various aspects, including optimal evacuation strategies, estimated egress times, pedestrian movement profiles, probability assessments, and the potential impact of different terrorist threats in terms of casualties. Additionally, the system offers real-time insights into the status of the traffic network under normal and unusual conditions, enabling efficient emergency management throughout its progression. This includes the ability to identify optimal intervention routes and assess the impact of anomalous traffic resulting from evacuations

Metabolomic and transcriptomic data on major metabolic/biosynthetic pathways in workers and soldiers of the termite Prorhinotermes simplex (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and chemical synthesis of intermediates of defensive (E)-nitropentadec-1-ene biosynthesis

Production of nitro compounds has only seldom been recorded in arthropods. The aliphatic nitroalkene (E)-nitropentadec-1-ene (NPD), identified in soldiers of the termite genus Prorhinotermes, was the first case documented in insects in early seventies. Yet, the biosynthetic origin of NPD has long remained unknown. We previously proposed that NPD arises through the condensation of amino acids glycine and/or l-serine with tetradecanoic acid along a biosynthetic pathway analogous to the formation of sphingolipids. Here, we provide a metabolomics and transcriptomic data of the Prorhinotermes simplex termite workers and soldiers. Data are related to NPD biosynthesis in P. simplex soldiers. Original metabolomics data were deposited in MetaboLights metabolomics database and are become publicly available after publishing the original article. Additionally, chemical synthesis of biosynthetic intermediates of NPD in nonlabeled and stable labeled forms are reported. Data extend our poor knowledge of arthropod metabolome and transcriptome and would be useful for comparative study in termites or other arthropods. The data were used for de-replication of NPD biosynthesis and published separately (Jirošová et al., 2017) [1]

Co-option of the sphingolipid metabolism for the production of nitroalkene defensive chemicals in termite soldiers

The aliphatic nitroalkene (E)-1 nitropentadec-1-ene (NPD), reported in early seventies in soldiers of the termite genus Prorhinotermes, was the first documented nitro compound produced by insects. Yet, its biosynthetic origin has long remained unknown. Here, we investigated in detail the biosynthesis of NPD in P. simplex soldiers. First, we track the dynamics in major metabolic pathways during soldier ontogeny, with emphasis on likely NPD precursors and intermediates. Second, we propose a hypothesis of NPD formation and verify its individual steps using in vivo incubations of putative precursors and intermediates. Third, we use a de novo assembled RNA-Seq profiles of workers and soldiers to identify putative enzymes underlying NPD formation. And fourth, we describe the caste- and age-specific expression dynamics of candidate initial genes of the proposed biosynthetic pathway. Our observations provide a strong support to the following biosynthetic scenario of NPD formation, representing an analogy of the sphingolipid pathway starting with the condensation of tetradecanoic acid with L-serine and leading to the formation of a C16 sphinganine. The C16 sphinganine is then oxidized at the terminal carbon to give rise to 2-amino-3-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, further oxidized to 2-amino- 3-oxohexadecanoic acid. Subsequent decarboxylation yields 1-aminopentadecan-2-one, which then proceeds through six-electron oxidation of the amino moiety to give rise to 1-nitropentadecan-2-one. Keto group reduction and hydroxyl moiety elimination lead to NPD. The proposed biosynthetic sequence has been constructed from age-related quantitative dynamics of individual intermediates and confirmed by the detection of labeled products downstream of the administered labeled intermediates. Comparative RNA-Seq analyses followed by qRT-PCR validation identified orthologs of serine palmitoyltransferase and 3-ketodihydrosphingosine reductase genes as highly expressed in the NPD production site, i.e. the frontal gland of soldiers. A dramatic onset of expression of the two genes in the first days of soldier's life coincides with the start of NPD biosynthesis, giving further support to the proposed biosynthetic hypothesis

Analýza životního cyklu fosilních motorových paliv a biopaliv pro tvorbu koncepčních dokumentů zavedení daně z CO2 v oblasti mobilních zdrojů znečišťování:Výpočty úspor emisí skleníkových plynů během životního cyklu biopaliv č. X/2011

Metodika je nástrojem a podkladovým materiálem pro zavedení certifikace biopaliv v ČR v souladu se směrnicemi EU a její principy mohou přispět k realizaci návrhů zavedení daně z CO2 v oblasti mobilních zdrojů znečišťování a také pro další aplikace nástrojů zajišťujících udržitelné využívání motorových paliv

Analýza životního cyklu fosilních motorových paliv a biopaliv pro tvorbu koncepčních dokumentů zavedení daně z CO2 v oblasti mobilních zdrojů znečišťování

V rámci projektu byla řešena analýza hodnocení životního cyklu fosilních motorových paliv a biopaliv, jejichž použití se jeví jako perspektivní v současnosti a v horizontu blízké budoucnosti, ať již ve formě směsného motorového paliva, či v podobě čistého paliva. Hlavními cíli autorů studie bylo vyhodnotit bilanci emisí CO2 v celém životním cyklu definovaných motorových paliv a energetickou bilanci výroby jednotlivých motorových paliv. Nad rámec současného stavu řešení LCA analýz byla také během řešení projektu zpracována analýza hodnocení ekonomických nákladů v celém životním cyklu (LCCA – Life-Cycle Cost Assessment), která bude sloužit jako podkladový materiál pro návrh zavedení daně z CO2 v oblasti mobilních zdrojů znečišťování a také pro další aplikace nástrojů, zajišťujících udržitelné využívání motorových paliv. Ve zprávě jsou uvedeny externí náklady změny klimatu v dopravě, externí náklady změny klimatu z použití neobnovitelných zdrojů energie, výpočtový model, hodnocení a výklad LCCA fosilních motorových paliv a biopaliv, hodnocení a výklad LCCA fosilních paliv a bioplaiv se zohledněním ekonomické úrovně ČR. Je popsáno rozdělení výsledků LCA na fáze životního cyklu