In the present study, the High Score Plus software (Malvern Panalytical, 2014), combined with the PDF-4+ database release 2023 (ICDD, 2018), was used to perform phase identification from all the powder XRD data sets of 0.5 g by weight of the crystalline deposits from various units of refineries and gas plants. Subsequently, the Rietveld method with the generalized spherical harmonic description for preferred orientation correction [Von Dreele (1997). Journal of Applied Crystallography 30: 517–25; Sitepu (2002). Journal of Applied Crystallography 35: 274–77; Sitepu et al., (2005). Journal of Applied Crystallography 38: 158–67; Sitepu (2009). Powder Diffraction 24: 315–26] were used to determine texture and crystal structure refinement of scale deposits (calcite – CaCO3) from the boiler equipment at a gas plant and quantitative phase analysis of (i) iron oxide corrosion products from the boiler tube, (ii) synthetic mixtures of 87.0 wt% by weight of barite (BaSO4), 10.0 wt% by weight of hematite (Fe2O3), and 3.0 wt% by weight of quartz (SiO2), (iii) iron oxide corrosion products from the affected equipment parts in a refinery, (iv) vanadium oxide (V2O5), sodium vanadium oxide (NaV2O5), sodium vanadium sulfate hydrate (Na2V(SO4)2⋅H2O), and mackinawite (FeS) compounds found in the ash deposits from an external surface of the boiler tubes in a refinery, and (v) iron sulfide corrosion products found at the affected equipment in the sulfur recovery unit. The results revealed that the phase identification of powder XRD data is an excellent tool to determine the nature, source, and formation mechanism of crystalline deposits – part of the scale and corrosion products formed by the processes in the various units of refineries and gas plants. The quantitative Rietveld analysis results serve to guide the engineers at the refinery and gas plants to overcome the problems by applying the right procedures. For example, for iron oxide corrosion products, at a high temperature, magnetite will coat the iron/steel to prevent oxygen reaching the underlying metal. At low temperature, lepidocrocite formed and with time it transformed into the most stable goethite. Akaganeite is formed in marine environments. Additionally, for iron sulfide corrosion products, pyrophoric iron sulfide (pyrrhotite – FeS) results from the corrosive action of sulfur compounds (H2S) and moisture on the iron (steel). Additionally, for the crystalline ash samples from an external surface of the boiler tubes in a refinery, if sodium and vanadium compounds appear, the fuel oil is poor. For the boiler crystalline deposits, if a hematite phase appears, it means that the boiler feed water contains dissolved oxygen; and if the metallic copper appears among the crystalline deposits, it indicates erosion in the boiler tubes, and therefore, special precaution is required to prevent the plating out of copper during cleaning operations. Finally, for crystalline deposits from the steam drum equipment at the sulfur recovery unit, if magnetite has a high quantity, it indicates the presence of dissolved oxygen in the boiler feed water.

The crystal structure of sparsentan has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Sparsentan crystallizes in space group P-1 (#2) with a = 11.4214(8), b = 12.0045(9), c = 14.1245(12) Å, α = 97.6230(22), β = 112.4353(16), γ = 110.2502(11)°, V = 1599.20(6) Å3, and Z = 2 at 298 K. The crystal structure consists of an isotropic packing of dimers of sparsentan molecules, linked by N–H···O=S hydrogen bonds. Several intra- and intermolecular C–H···O and C–H···N hydrogen bonds also link the molecules. The powder pattern has been submitted to the International Centre for Diffraction Data for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).

The crystal structure of flumethasone has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Flumethasone crystallizes in space group P21 (#4) with a = 6.46741(5), b = 24.91607(20), c = 12.23875(11) Å, β = 90.9512(6)°, V = 1971.91(4) Å3, and Z = 4 at 298 K. The crystal structure consists of O–H⋯O hydrogen-bonded double layers of flumethasone molecules parallel to the ac-plane. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).

Sample transparency aberration in Bragg–Brentano geometry affected by interference with opaque and translucent sample holders has been formulated. The formulation for an opaque sample holder should be classified to 5 cases, depending on the apparent diffraction angle, beam width, specimen width, and specimen thickness. The cumulants of the aberration function for a translucent sample holder with an arbitrary linear attenuation coefficient can numerically be evaluated by a Gauss–Legendre quadrature. The use of a function defined by the convolution of truncated exponential and rectangular functions has been tested as the model for the aberration function. A double deconvolutional treatment (DCT) designed to cancel the effects of the first and third order cumulants of the aberration function has been applied to the XRD data of Si standard powder, NIST SRM640d. The diffraction peak profile in the data treated by the DCT method certainly shows improved symmetry. The main features of the symmetrized peak profile in the DCT data have been simulated by instrumental and specimen parameters. It is suggested that the current analytical method could be utilized for texture analysis, if the manufacturer of an XRD instrument should supply a more accurate information about the instrument.

The room-temperature X-ray powder diffraction data for bosentan monohydrate, an API used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, is presented. Bosentan monohydrate is monoclinic, P21/c (No. 14), with unit cell parameters a = 12.4520(7) Å, b = 15.110(1) Å, c = 15.0849(9) Å, β = 95.119(5)°, V = 2827.0(3) Å3, Z = 4. All the diffraction maxima recorded were indexed and are consistent with the P21/c space group. The crystal structure of this material corresponds to the phase associated with Cambridge Structural Database entry NEQHEY, which was determined at 123 K. The successful Rietveld refinement, carried out with TOPAS-Academic, showed the single-phase nature of the material and the good quality of the data. A comprehensive analysis of intra- and intermolecular interactions corroborates that the structure is dominated by extensive hydrogen bonding, accompanied by C▬H⋯π and π⋯π interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plots indicate that the most important interactions are H⋯H and O⋯H/H⋯O in bosentan and the water molecule and C⋯H/H⋯C interactions in bosentan.

The crystal structure of diroximel fumarate has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Diroximel fumarate crystallizes in space group P-1 (#2) with a = 6.12496(15), b = 8.16516(18), c = 12.7375(6) Å, α = 85.8174(21), β = 81.1434(12), γ = 71.1303(3)°, V = 595.414(23) Å3, and Z = 2 at 298 K. The crystal structure consists of interleaved double layers of hook-shaped molecules parallel to the ab-plane. The side chains form the inner portion of the layers, and the rings comprise the outer surfaces. There are no classical hydrogen bonds in the structure, but 9 C▬H⋯O hydrogen bonds contribute to the crystal energy. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).

The crystal structure of etrasimod has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Etrasimod crystallizes in space group P1 (#1) with a = 10.6131(5), b = 10.7003(5), c = 11.1219(8) Å, α = 72.756(2), β = 76.947(2), γ = 77.340(1)°, V = 1159.28(6) Å3, and Z = 2 at 298 K. The crystal structure contains O▬H⋯O hydrogen-bonded etrasimod dimers, which lie in layers approximately parallel to the (2,0,−1) plane. The amino group of each molecule forms an intramolecular N▬H⋯O hydrogen bond to the carbonyl group of the adjacent carboxylic acid group. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).

We present PCFTL (Probabilistic CounterFactual Temporal Logic), a new probabilistic temporal logic for the verification of Markov Decision Processes (MDP). PCFTL introduces operators for causal inference, allowing us to express interventional and counterfactual queries. Given a path formula ϕ, an interventional property is concerned with the satisfaction probability of ϕ if we apply a particular change I to the MDP (e.g., switching to a different policy); a counterfactual formula allows us to compute, given an observed MDP path τ, what the outcome of ϕ would have been had we applied I in the past and under the same random factors that led to observing τ. Our approach represents a departure from existing probabilistic temporal logics that do not support such counterfactual reasoning. From a syntactic viewpoint, we introduce a counterfactual operator that subsumes both interventional and counterfactual probabilities as well as the traditional probabilistic operator. This makes our logic strictly more expressive than PCTL⋆. The semantics of PCFTL rely on a structural causal model translation of the MDP, which provides a representation amenable to counterfactual inference. We evaluate PCFTL in the context of safe reinforcement learning using a benchmark of grid-world models.

The Earth suffers from metabolic disorders. Disruptions in natural cycles, global warming, and species extinction lead to an indigestibility of being (Marder 2019), where the planet’s metabolism becomes increasingly dysfunctional, akin to the “clogged pores of existence” (Marder 2019). In his essay On Art as Planetary Metabolism, Marder proposes an intriguing remedy: art as a form of metabolism, capable of counteracting these global dysfunctions. In this work-based essay, we examine selected contemporary works from the fields of Eco Art, Bio Art, Bio Design, and Socially Engaged Art to explore how these, in the context of Marder’s theory, can metabolically counteract the dysfunctions of planet Earth. The starting point is the publication’s central question: “How can biotechnologies and biomaterials shape and sustain habitats in extreme and space environments?” We focus on planet Earth as an extreme environment based on the symptoms of the climate crisis. At the centre of the investigation is the thesis that art, as a field of experimentation, can unite scientific and sociological findings, envision alternative realities of life and stimulate sustainable social transformation processes. This gives rise to the following questions: How can artistic explorations of biomaterials and biotechnologies sustainably shape living spaces in extreme environments, such as planet Earth? What can art works teach us about global metabolism? How can they integrate past knowledge, react to the present and sensitise us to the future? Materially, aesthetically, technically and ethically. For the work-based essay, we have selected four works that are the subject of our respective research. Following Marder’s theory, we assume that the works contain metabolic aesthetic moments that can lead to a stimulation of the global metabolism. The following works will be analysed: Life (from the Protocells Triptych) (2022) by artist Shoshanah Dubiner; Internal Burial Suit (since 2008) by Jae Rhim Lee; Fermenting Futures (2022) by Anna Dumitriu and Alex May; and Return to Sender (2022) by Nest Collective. Following this sequence, we describe each work and connect analytical insights with theoretical perspectives to build upon Marder’s ideas. Our essay is positioned within the theoretical discourses from the humanities on post-anthropocentrism, new materialism, and ecocentrism. In response to the multiple crises of the Anthropocene, these discourses advocate for a decentred view of the human being, seeing it as an integral part of a connected environment. Matter is understood as vibrant, possessing ‘intrinsic vitality’, with particular emphasis on its self- organization and emergence (Witzgall 2014). Therefore, we place the following theoretical sources alongside our works: Donna Haraway’s work ‘Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene (2016), ‘Metamporphosis. Life has many forms. A Philosophy of Transformation’ (2020) by Emanuele Coccia and ‘Degrowth and the Arts’ (2022) by Daphne Dragona.

The magnetostrictive response of a Terfenol-D pellet was measured via a laboratory-based X-ray diffractometer. X-ray diffraction patterns were collected from the pellet sample with and without the presence of an applied magnetic field (~30 mT) generated by placing a large magnet under the pellet. A standard reference material, Silicon 640c, was employed as an internal standard. Magnetostriction values of 323 and 227 ppm Δl/l were determined for the (104) and (110) indexed peaks, respectively, assuming a rhombohedral structure for Terfenol-D. A threshold noise level value of ~20 to 30 ppm Δl/l was suggested based on before/after measurements in the absence of the applied field. No clear evidence of domain wall rotation was detected via changes in relative intensities of diffraction peaks in the presence of the applied magnetic field.

Real-time systems need to be built out of tasks for which the worst-case execution time is known. To enable accurate estimates of worst-case execution time, some researchers propose to build processors that simplify that analysis. These architectures are called precision-timed machines or time-predictable architectures. However, what does this term mean? This paper explores the meaning of time predictability and how it can be quantified. We show that time predictability is hard to quantify. Rather, the worst-case performance as the combination of a processor, a compiler, and a worst-case execution time analysis tool is an important property in the context of real-time systems. Note that the actual software has implications as well on the worst-case performance. We propose to define a standard set of benchmark programs that can be used to evaluate a time-predictable processor, a compiler, and a worst-case execution time analysis tool. We define worst-case performance as the geometric mean of worst-case execution time bounds on a standard set of benchmark programs.

The paper uses the material and conceptual figure of dust and matter out of place to amplify more-than-human perspectives of time, to trace the changing orientations and ethos of a site. Dust contains a complex mixture of inorganic and organic material, made up of an exuberance of microbial life such as Penicillium, Aspergillus and Cladosporium and around 20 other fungal sources. We are interested in dust as a material and metaphorical device to situate and critique temporality and the way we narrate and investigate the past and future, from a non-human, microbial point of view. Dust implies residual matter, a contradiction to order often associated with dirt. It indicates something that needs to be removed, or rearranged, something that is “out of place,” an element that does not fit. Dust also indicates time and space and signals movement and life: dust hosts a medley of non-human particles and microbial communities that engage in their own worldmaking practices. The paper brings together methods of “un-cleaning” with archival research and spatial methods of 3D scanning, modelling and mapping, as an opportunity to decentre human hubris and explore the ways in which non-humans have and continue to inhabit “our” spaces.

Molnupiravir Form I crystallizes in space group C2 (#5) with a = 6.48110(17), b = 8.71848(19), c = 27.0607(19) Å, β = 91.920(4)°, V = 1528.22(12) Å3, and Z = 4 at 295 K. The crystal structure consists of supramolecular double layers of molecules parallel to the ab-plane. The layer centers consist of hydrogen-bonded rings forming a 2D network and the outer surfaces of isopropyl groups, with van der Waals interactions between the layers. Each O atom acts as an acceptor in at least one hydrogen bond. A strong O–H⋯O hydrogen bond forms between the hydroxyl group of the oxolane ring and the carbonyl group of the oxopyrimidine ring. The other oxolane hydroxyl group forms bifurcated intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The hydroxylamino group forms an intramolecular O–H⋯N hydrogen bond with an N atom of the oxopyrimidine ring. The amino group forms an intermolecular N–H⋯N hydrogen bond to the same N atom of the ring. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).