bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blockchain Smart Contract Technology in Urban Energy Management System
Authors: Jin Yueguang
Published: June 2021

Blockchain technology is considered a disruptive technology with real poten-tial for change after steam engines, electricity, and the internet. The regionalelectricity sales model based on blockchain technology will become anessential breakthrough in innovative city energy management. The thrust-less ingenious contract mechanism, the weakly centralized intelligent powerenergy micro-grid internal competitive energy business model, is based onblockchain technology. Its physical structure includes multiple levels suchas the energy use layer, control layer, and functional layer. All transactionentities of the innovative power energy microgrid have an equal status in theblockchain system. The transaction energy includes cold, heat, electricity,gas, etc., and is distributed after bidding through energy routers and com-petitive trading platforms. This model uses multi-party bidding to optimizethe allocation of resources such as cold, heat, and electricity, restores thecommodity and financial attributes of energy and dramatically improves theenergy efficiency and economic benefits of the power energy microgrid.
Avian Diversity in the Himalayas
Authors: Mohan Dhananjai
Published: June 2021

The Indian Himalayan mountain region is globally renowned for biologicaldiversity. The Himalayan mountain system contributes 10% of the worldbird’s species and about 8% of the world’s bird species breed in this region.However, bird species are not evenly distributed from East to West Himalayanregion; various factors are responsible for bird’s diversity gradient seen inthis mountain chain. The present article is briefing on the bird’s speciesdiversity patterns in the Indian Himalayan region and is largely based onthe work carried out under Wildlife Institute of India and University ofChicago collaborative research work titled ‘Study of bird species numbersand densities in east and west Himalayas’ and has already been published inmany research papers.
Floristic Diversity of the Himalaya in Relation to Climate Change: Status, Values and Conservation
Authors: Samant S. S.
Published: June 2021

The Himalayan region is very well known for the unique ecosystems. TheIndian Himalayan Region (IHR) forms the major part of the Himalayanregion. The vegetation along an altitudinal gradient comprises of tropical,sub-tropical, temperate, sub-alpine and alpine types and supports a greatvariety of forests with unique species that vary from east to west and from lowto high altitudes. The present study is based on the review of literature andsurveys in some parts of the IHR. A total of 10,503 species (10,452 speciesof Angiosperms and 51 species of Gymnosperms) are reported from theHimalayan region. The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) represents 18,940species of plants representing Angiosperms, Gymnosperms, Pteridophytes,Bryophytes, Lichens, and Fungi. A total of 6745 species of Angiosperms (604trees, 1049 shrubs & 5092 herbs) belonging to 225 families, 1768 genera arerecorded from the Trans, North-West and West Himalaya based on surveysand review of literature. Diversity of the orchids, medicinal plants, wild edi-bles, other economically important plants, factors affecting floristic diversity,impact of climate change and conservation initiatives have been discussed.
Pathways into childbearing delay of men and women in Australia
Authors: Lazzari Ester
Published: June 2021

Childbearing delay is a pervasive feature of Australian society, but little research has been conducted to examine how socio-economic factors are linked to childbearing timing among Australian men and women. This paper addresses this by analysing the timing of first childbirth for a large sample of Australian residents (N = 4,444). The findings indicate that childbearing delay is socially patterned and that life course experiences shape the risk of delaying childbearing across genders. Having a tertiary qualification delays the transition to parenthood, especially for women. An uninterrupted career prolongs time to parenthood for women but accelerates it for men. Low occupational prestige, being married and having been in only one co-residential union are associated with earlier parenthood for both men and women. For each increase in education level, not being married is associated with increasing levels of childlessness. Clear-cut gender differences are found in the relationship between childlessness and childbearing delay.
Wavelength-tunable narrow-linewidth gaseous Raman laser
Authors: Shen Chencheng , Cai Xianglong , Su Xinjun , Zheng Tiancheng , Liu Jinbo , Chen Ying , Jia Yuxi , Liu Dong , Guo Jingwei
Published: June 2021

Gaseous Raman lasers cover a range of wavelengths but lack wavelength tunability. Here, a

1

c

m

−
1

linewidth 532 nm laser was used as a pump laser, and with a narrow-linewidth seed laser injection, a narrow-linewidth first Stokes (S1) Raman laser was achieved. By tuning the wavelength of the seed laser, a tuning range of S1 up to

1

c

m

−
1

was obtained. The wavelengths of the first anti-Stokes and second Stokes lasers could also be tuned. A theoretical model was developed, and spectral profiles of Raman lasers from experiments and simulations agreed well; further simulation predicted that the linewidth of S1 could be compressed to as narrow as

0.01

c

m

−
1

under optimal conditions. A universal method of fine-tunable Raman lasers is presented that can be utilized in several important applications.
Direct observation Brownian motion of individual nanoparticles in water using microsphere-assisted microscopy
Authors: Yang Songlin , Ye Yong-Hong , Zang Jiaojiao , Pei Yong , Xia Yang , Zhang Jiayu
Published: June 2021

Observing Brownian motion of nanoscale objects through a traditional optical microscope is still a challenge. Here, we present a method to overcome this challenge by using a traditional optical microscope assisted with a removable microsphere-embedded thin film. The diffusion coefficient of individual unconstrained polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles with a diameter of 300 nm in water is calculated from their respective mean-square displacement versus time curves, and the measured diffusion coefficient shows good agreement with the theoretical Stokes–Einstein one, proving the feasibility of our method. In addition, the experimental results show that the movement of the PS nanoparticles is slowed down near a plane wall, and the diffusion coefficient is consistent with the theoretical constrained diffusion coefficient, which shows that our method can also study the constrained Brownian motion of nanoparticles constrained near a plane wall. Our research results are helpful for the application of microsphere-assisted microscopy in new fields and also provide a new method for nanoparticle tracking.
Multispectral small-angle light scattering from particles
Authors: Ceolato Romain , Aleau Killian , Paulien Lucas , Reynoso-Lara Edmundo , Berg Matthew J.
Published: June 2021

Using a supercontinuum laser, reflective optics, and a spatial filter, we measure two-dimensional small-angle light-scattering patterns for a variety of microparticles including spheres, salt, sand, and volcanic dust. The measurements are done at 13 wavelengths from 450–850 nm, where the absence of refractive optical elements minimizes the effects of chromatic aberration. Qualitative particle-material sensitivity is demonstrated by layering differently colored patterns. Last, the multispectral capability of our device demonstrates a new possibility to probe different

q

-space regimes for a given particle in a single measurement.
Experimental realization of wavelength multiplexed nonlinear upconversion in cesium atoms
Authors: Wu Jinze , Xu Yuhui , Dong Ruige , Zhang Junxiang
Published: June 2021

Blue-violet wavelength multiplexing offers the capability to enhance the operational capacity and efficiency in optical information processing, underwater communications, biology, and medicine. Here we present a specially designed atomic scheme of cesium for simultaneously generating two blue-violet lasers at 456 and 459 nm via four-wave-mixing (FWM)-based upconversion processes. We experimentally and theoretically show that a double-diamond-type coherent system pumped with 852 and 921 nm lasers is responsible for the efficient generation of the two blue-violet lasers. In this system, the large population inversions lead to self-amplified spontaneous emissions at 15.6 and

12.1

µ

m

, which, in turn, serve as the seeds for enhanced double FWM processes with dual-wavelength upconversions.
Deep learning-based modeling of photonic crystal nanocavities
Authors: Li Renjie , Gu Xiaozhe , Li Ke , Huang Yaoran , Li Zhen , Zhang Zhaoyu
Published: June 2021

A deep learning (DL)-based approach has been proposed to accurately model the relationship between design parameters and the Q factor of photonic crystal (PC) nanocavities. A convolutional neural network (CNN), which consists of two convolutional layers and three fully-connected layers is trained on a large-scale dataset consisting of 12,500 nanocavities. The experimental results show that the CNN is able to achieve a state-of-the-art performance in terms of prediction accuracy (i.e., up to 99.9999%) and convergence speed (i.e., orders-of-magnitude speedup). The proposed approach overcomes shortcomings of existing methods and paves the way for DL-based on-demand and data-driven optimization of PC nanocavities applicable to the rapid design of nanoscale lasers and photonic integrated circuits. We will open source the database and code as one of our main contributions to the photonics research community.
Design of a thermally stable and highly active SERS optical sensor for the ultrasensitive detection of dye molecules at high-temperature
Authors: Ma Hui , Xu Linlin , Tian Yue , Jiao Anxin , Zhang Mengya , Li Shuang , Chen Ming
Published: June 2021

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with both enhanced activity and pronounced thermal stability is very suitable for ultra-sensitive monitoring of thermally assisted chemical bonding/fragmentation reactions in important industrial catalysis. Herein, we report an appealing thermally stable SERS active sensor based on the construction of multiple-branched Au/Ag nanodendrites (NDs). The obtained Au/Ag NDs with tremendous elongated branches and enormous antennas exhibit a much higher SERS activity for dye detection under 785 nm near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, as compared to as-prepared other reference samples. Meanwhile, the corresponding unique intermetallic synergy can effectively suppress the oxidation of chemically active Ag in a hot environment. It is important that more than 90% SERS activity at room temperature (∼25 ℃) can be well maintained at high temperature (∼170 ℃) within 30 min continuous tests. Thus, it holds great potential for the in-situ SERS monitoring of high-temperature catalytic reactions in the future.
Impact of ecotourism on abundance, diversity and activity patterns of medium-large terrestrial mammals at Brownsberg Nature Park, Suriname
Authors: Ouboter Dimitri A. , Kadosoe Vanessa S. , Ouboter Paul E.
Published: June 2021

The impacts of ecotourism on biodiversity are poorly understood and the outcome of this type of research is often contradictory. On the one hand ecotourism could impact the occurrence, survival or behavior of species, on the other hand ecotourism is often mentioned as providing a “human shield” by deterring negative practices like gold mining, logging and hunting. Brownsberg Nature Park is easily the most visited protected area of Suriname, with a high number of ecotourists visiting from abroad. A four-year study on the impact of ecotourism on medium-large terrestrial mammals was carried out between 2013 and 2016 using 16 camera trap stations. The area has a clear gradient of tourism pressure, with the pressure decreasing further away from the lodging facilities. Evidently, the impacts of human presence on the mammal communities were more significant in the busiest areas. Most species avoided areas with many hikers or switched to a more nocturnal activity pattern. In these areas the impact was not reflected in species numbers, however it was causing a significant decrease in the diversity of mammals. On the other hand, vehicles had little impact on species avoidance or diversity, but did increase nocturnality, even more than hikers. A few species seemed to be "attracted" by hikers and/or traffic. Giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) and spotted pacas (Cuniculus paca) used the pools in the road created by traffic. Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), margays (Leopardus wiedii) and red-rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina) seemed to favor human disturbance probably because of predator release. Some of the most impacted species were the jaguar (Panthera onca), puma (Puma concolor) and lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), all three species with significant contribution to ecosystem balance. Management measures should focus on lowering the number of hikers in popular places and limiting the number of vehicles in recreational areas.
Wave generator as an alternative for classic and innovative wave transmission path vibration mitigation techniques
Authors: Herbut Aneta
Published: June 2021

In this paper the author proposes an approach in the form of an active wave generator for ground surface vibration reduction. The idea is compared to classic and innovative vibration mitigation techniques. The solution is mainly addressed to prevent people and structures against the destructive effects of anthropogenic vibrations. The efficiency of the presented idea is verified in the paper for two types of excitation–harmonic and impact loads, for points located on the ground surface and below it. The vibration reduction effect for structures is presented in the paper in the case of a three-story building. The advantages and disadvantages of the presented solutions are summarized. Moreover, this paper presents a wide and up-to-date literature review on the vibration control of the ground surface. Classical well-known technologies in the form of ground obstacles are compared with innovative ideas such as metamaterials.
Considerations on the Castrop formula for calculation of intraocular lens power
Authors: Langenbucher Achim , Szentmáry Nóra , Cayless Alan , Weisensee Johannes , Fabian Ekkehard , Wendelstein Jascha , Hoffmann Peter
Published: June 2021

Background

To explain the concept of the Castrop lens power calculation formula and show the application and results from a large dataset compared to classical formulae.

Methods

The Castrop vergence formula is based on a pseudophakic model eye with 4 refractive surfaces. This was compared against the SRKT, Hoffer-Q, Holladay1, simplified Haigis with 1 optimized constant and Haigis formula with 3 optimized constants. A large dataset of preoperative biometric values, lens power data and postoperative refraction data was split into training and test sets. The training data were used for formula constant optimization, and the test data for cross-validation. Constant optimization was performed for all formulae using nonlinear optimization, minimising root mean squared prediction error.

Results

The constants for all formulae were derived with the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Applying these constants to the test data, the Castrop formula showed a slightly better performance compared to the classical formulae in terms of prediction error and absolute prediction error. Using the Castrop formula, the standard deviation of the prediction error was lowest at 0.45 dpt, and 95% of all eyes in the test data were within the limit of 0.9 dpt of prediction error.

Conclusion

The calculation concept of the Castrop formula and one potential option for optimization of the 3 Castrop formula constants (C, H, and R) are presented. In a large dataset of 1452 data points the performance of the Castrop formula was slightly superior to the respective results of the classical formulae such as SRKT, Hoffer-Q, Holladay1 or Haigis.
Torque Teno Virus load in lung cancer patients correlates with age but not with tumor stage
Authors: Stefani Dirk , Hegedues Balazs , Collaud Stephane , Zaatar Mohamed , Ploenes Till , Valdivia Daniel , Elsner Carina , Bleekmann Barbara , Widera Marek , Dittmer Ulf , Aigner Clemens
Published: June 2021

Background

Torque teno virus (TTV) is a ubiquitous non-pathogenic virus, which is suppressed in immunological healthy individuals but replicates in immune compromised patients. Thus, TTV load is a suitable biomarker for monitoring the immunosuppression also in lung transplant recipients. Since little is known about the changes of TTV load in lung cancer patients, we analyzed TTV plasma DNA levels in lung cancer patients and its perioperative changes after lung cancer surgery.

Material and methods

Patients with lung cancer and non-malignant nodules as control group were included prospectively. TTV DNA levels were measured by quantiative PCR using DNA isolated from patients plasma and correlated with routine circulating biomarkers and clinicopathological variables.

Results

47 patients (early stage lung cancer n = 30, stage IV lung cancer n = 10, non-malignant nodules n = 7) were included. TTV DNA levels were not detected in seven patients (15%). There was no significant difference between the stage IV cases and the preoperative TTV plasma DNA levels in patients with early stage lung cancer or non-malignant nodules (p = 0.627). While gender, tumor stage and tumor histology showed no correlation with TTV load patients below 65 years of age had a significantly lower TTV load then older patients (p = 0.022). Regarding routine blood based biomarkers, LDH activity was significantly higher in patients with stage IV lung cancer (p = 0.043), however, TTV load showed no correlation with LDH activity, albumin, hemoglobin, CRP or WBC. Comparing the preoperative, postoperative and discharge day TTV load, no unequivocal pattern in the kinetics were.

Conclusion

Our study suggest that lung cancer has no stage dependent impact on TTV plasma DNA levels and confirms that elderly patients have a significantly higher TTV load. Furthermore, we found no uniform perioperative changes during early stage lung cancer resection on plasma TTV DNA levels.
Bayesian estimation for Dagum distribution based on progressive type I interval censoring
Authors: Alotaibi Refah , Rezk Hoda , Dey Sanku , Okasha Hassan
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we consider Dagum distribution which is capable of modeling various shapes of failure rates and aging criteria. Based on progressively type-I interval censoring data, we first obtain the maximum likelihood estimators and the approximate confidence intervals of the unknown parameters of the Dagum distribution. Next, we obtain the Bayes estimators of the parameters of Dagum distribution under the squared error loss (SEL) and balanced squared error loss (BSEL) functions using independent informative gamma and non informative uniform priors for both scale and two shape parameters. A Monte Carlo simulation study is performed to assess the performance of the proposed Bayes estimators with the maximum likelihood estimators. We also compute credible intervals and symmetric 100(1 − τ)% two-sided Bayes probability intervals under the respective approaches. Besides, based on observed samples, Bayes predictive estimates and intervals are obtained using one-and two-sample schemes. Simulation results reveal that the Bayes estimates based on SEL and BSEL performs better than maximum likelihood estimates in terms of bias and MSEs. Besides, credible intervals have smaller interval lengths than confidence interval. Further, predictive estimates based on SEL with informative prior performs better than non-informative prior for both one and two sample schemes. Further, the optimal censoring scheme has been suggested using a optimality criteria. Finally, we analyze a data set to illustrate the results derived.
COVID-19 control strategies and intervention effects in resource limited settings: A modeling study
Authors: Pandey Kiran Raj , Subedee Anup , Khanal Bishesh , Koirala Bhagawan
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Many countries with weaker health systems are struggling to put together a coherent strategy against the COVID-19 epidemic. We explored COVID-19 control strategies that could offer the greatest benefit in resource limited settings.

Methods

Using an age-structured SEIR model, we explored the effects of COVID-19 control interventions–a lockdown, physical distancing measures, and active case finding (testing and isolation, contact tracing and quarantine)–implemented individually and in combination to control a hypothetical COVID-19 epidemic in Kathmandu (population 2.6 million), Nepal.

Results

A month-long lockdown will delay peak demand for hospital beds by 36 days, as compared to a base scenario of no intervention (peak demand at 108 days (IQR 97-119); a 2 month long lockdown will delay it by 74 days, without any difference in annual mortality, or healthcare demand volume. Year-long physical distancing measures will reduce peak demand to 36% (IQR 23%-46%) and annual morality to 67% (IQR 48%-77%) of base scenario. Following a month long lockdown with ongoing physical distancing measures and an active case finding intervention that detects 5% of the daily infection burden could reduce projected morality and peak demand by more than 99%.

Conclusion

Limited resource settings are best served by a combination of early and aggressive case finding with ongoing physical distancing measures to control the COVID-19 epidemic. A lockdown may be helpful until combination interventions can be put in place but is unlikely to reduce annual mortality or healthcare demand.
Interfacial polarization of in vivo rat sciatic nerve with crush injury studied via broadband dielectric spectroscopy
Authors: Otagiri Risa , Kawai Hideki , Takatsuka Masanobu , Shinyashiki Naoki , Ito Akira , Ikeguchi Ryosuke , Aoyama Tomoki
Published: June 2021

Electrical stimulation is one of the candidates for elongation-driven regeneration of damaged peripheral nerves. Different organs and tissues have an inherent cell structure and size. This leads to variation in the tissue-specific electrical properties of the frequency of interfacial polarization. Although nervous tissues have a membrane potential, the electrical reaction inside these tissues following electrical stimulation from outside remains unexplored. Furthermore, the pathophysiological reaction of an injured nerve is unclear. Here, we investigated the electrical reaction of injured and non-injured rat sciatic nerves via broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Crush injured and non-injured sciatic nerves of six 12-week-old male Lewis rats were used, 6 days after infliction of the injury. Both sides of the nerves (with and without injury) were exposed, and impedance measurements were performed at room temperature (approximately 25°C) at frequencies ranging from 100 mHz to 5.5 MHz and electric potential ranging from 0.100 to 1.00 V. The measured interfacial polarization potentially originated from the polarization by ion transport around nerve membranes at frequencies between 3.2 kHz and 1.6 MHz. The polarization strength of the injured nerves was smaller than that of non-injured nerves. However, the difference in polarization between injured and non-injured nerves might be caused by inflammation and edema. The suitable frequency range of the interfacial polarization can be expected to be critical for electrical stimulation of injured peripheral nerves.
EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT, LABOR MARKET IN THE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS
Authors: Belyaev V. I. , Kuznetsova O. V.
Published: June 2021

The article presents the results of theoretical researches devoted to the problems of institutional transformations of social and labor relations in the labor markets. The ratio of categories of employment, unemployment, labor market in the context of contradictory interactions of developing technological systems (productive forces) and social and labor (production) relations is presented. The hypothesis is substantiated that social and labor relations in the labor markets take the form of institutions; a system of rules, restrictions, mechanisms that determine the behavior of employers and workers in the labor market, thereby influencing employment and unemployment. A methodological scheme for the study of labor markets is proposed in order to identify contradictions in the relationship between developing technologies and social and labor relations. It is proposed to use it in the development of specific methods for managing the development of institutions of social and labor relations in the labor markets of regions, the country in order to reduce the level of tension in the field of employment.
PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING IN THE ALTAI REGION
Authors: Shevchuk N. A. , Ivleva A. V.
Published: June 2021

A promising direction for solving the problems of improving life in rural areas is the implementation of the Local Initiatives Support Project, which is the most common and popular practice of initiative budgeting on the whole territory of Russian Federation.

The theoretical basis of participatory budgeting is the republican theory of the organization of society and participatory democracy, which assumes a decentralized collective decision-making that affects the life of the community.

The article considers the history of the development of participatory budgeting in the world, the Russian Federation and the Altai Region in particular, describes the applied procedure of initiative budgeting, and analyzes the implementation of the Local Initiatives Support Project on the example of the Kosikhinsky district, Altai Region.

The performed researches indicate the expansion of the practice of realization the LISP in the Altai Territory.

But already at this stage the authors note the need to improve relations between the project participants and suggest using the experience of implementing the adapted methodology developed by the European University in St. Petersburg and the Committee of Civil Initiatives in the cities of Cherepovets (Vologda region) and Sosnovy Bor (Leningrad region) for this purpose.
Decolonization in a higher education STEMM institution – is ‘epistemic fragility’ a barrier?
Authors: Skopec Mark , Fyfe Molly , Issa Hamdi , Ippolito Kate , Anderson Mark , Harris Matthew
Published: June 2021

Central to the decolonial debate is how high-income countries (HICs) have systematically negated ways of knowing from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and yet the paucity of empirical decolonization studies leaves educators relatively unsupported as to whether, and how, to address privilege in higher education. Particularly in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) institutions, there are few published examples of attempts to engage faculty in these debates. In 2018–19, we invited faculty on a master’s in public health course to engage with the decolonization debate by providing: (1) descriptive reading list analyses to all 16 module leads in the master’s programme to invite discussion about the geographic representation of readings; (2) an implicit association test adapted to examine bias towards or against research from LMICs; (3) faculty workshops exploring geographic bias in the curriculum; and (4) interviews to discuss decolonization of curricula and current debates. These initiatives stimulated debate and reflection around the source of readings for the master’s course, a programme with a strong STEMM focus, and the possibility of systemic barriers to the inclusion of literature from universities in LMICs. We propose the notion of epistemic fragility, invoking DiAngelo’s (2011) ‘white fragility’, because some of the responses appeared to result from the challenge to perceived meritocracy, centrality, authority, individuality and objectivity of the HIC episteme that this initiative invites. We posit that the effortful reinstatement of a status quo regarding knowledge hierarchies in the global context, although not a representative reaction, can lead to a significant impact on the initiative in general. Efforts to decolonize curricula require actions at both the individual and organizational levels and, in particular, a managed process of careful engagement so that fragility reactions, if and where they occur, are given the time and space to be navigated in the open. Based on our experiences, we offer recommendations for policy and practice for those engaged in this movement and potential research questions to explore epistemic fragility in higher education.
Model for Assigning a Pupil to a Mentor in the Staff Training System of the Organization
Authors:   Voronezh State Technical University, Perevalova O.S. , Barkalov S.A. , Kalinina N.Yu. , Batrakova D.N.
Published: June 2021

This article will focus on the mentoring process, which is interconnected with such HR functions as adaptation, motivation and training. And recently, many employers from a variety of alternatives have made a choice in its favor. Aim. The work examines the main functions of mentoring, its practical benefits and areas of application, and the main attention will be focused on the issue associated with the formation of pairs of mentors and students in order to achieve the greatest effect from their interaction. Materials and methods. In the process of achieving the research goal at the initial stage, it was planned to solve the problem of assigning a student to a mentor by forming the most “effective” pairs of mentors and students. These tasks were solved using the Hungarian method. But all the solutions obtained testified to the optimality of any solution to this problem. From this, it was concluded that there was no significance in combining mentors and students, based on a comprehensive assessment of their competencies, skills, etc. As a consequence of the result obtained and analysis of various literary sources, it was concluded that the most effective criterion for composing pairs “mentor – teaching” is compatibility (psychological and socio-psychological), the presence of which will favorably affect the effectiveness of the interaction between the mentor and the student. Consequently, the human resource management department needs, in addition to assessing the competencies, skills and other parameters of the effectiveness of mentors and students, to assess their psychotypes and/or apply various methods to determine the compatibility of the participants in the mentoring process. Results. The main result of the work is a mechanism for securing a student for a mentor and a refutation of the fact that the “effectiveness” of mentors and students, i.e. a point assessment of their competencies, skills and qualities can be a determining factor in the formation of pairs of mentors and students. Conclusion. So, when forming pairs of mentors and students, i.e. distribution of students by mentors, it is proposed to focus on their psychological and socio-psychological compatibility.
Potential Antibacterial Activity of Bioactive β-sitosterol from Root Bark of Rhizophora apiculata from Lampung Coastal
Authors: Kurniawan Rahmat , Suhartati Tati , AS Yandri , Meriyanti Desi , Sukrasno Sukrasno
Published: June 2021

β-sitosterol is an essential bioactive phytosterol naturally present in plant cell membranes. It has a coincident structure with animal cholesterol. This investigation reported isolation, structure analysis, and an antimicrobial assay of β-sitosterol from the root bark of Bakau Minyak (Rhizophora apiculata) from Lampung coastal. The isolation of β-sitosterol was carried out through maceration using methanol, separation by vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC), and purification by column chromatography (CC) using ethyl acetate/n-hexane (2:8) as eluent. The structure of β-sitosterol was determined using spectroscopic analysis (UV-Vis, FT-IR, 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR, DEPT, and GC-MS). The pure β-sitosterol has 107.4 mg of white needle crystalline compound, the compound melting point about 140.7-141.2oC, the molecular mass confirmed by m/z 414, and UV absorption detected at λ 203.9 nm. The β-sitosterol antimicrobial bioactivity assay has shown potential activity to be developed as a lead compound against E. coli.
Bandgap Energy of TiO₂/M-Chlorophyll Material (M=Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺)
Authors: Yusprianto Muhammad , Zaharah Titin Anita , Silalahi Imelda Hotmarisi
Published: June 2021

The bandgap energy (Egap) of TiO2 material modified with metal-chlorophyll complex compounds (M = Cu2+, Fe3+) was observed. Chlorophyll (Chl) was isolated from cassava leaves, and its UV-Vis spectra showed absorption peaks in the Soret band region (410 nm) and in the Q band region (665 nm), which is the typical peak of chlorophyll. Copper(II)-chlorophyll complex was prepared from the reaction between chlorophyll and CuSO4.5H2O, while the iron(III)-chlorophyll was synthesized from chlorophyll and FeCl3.6H2O in methanol solvent under reflux at 65°C. The presence of copperand iron metals in the chlorophyll metal complexes was identified using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy in methanol solution. The absorption of copper measured in Cu2+-Chl was 0.0488 (0.4805 mg/L), while the iron atom in Fe3+-Chl was 0.0050 (0.0195 mg/L). The UV-vis spectra demonstrate the hypsochromic shift of the Soret band to 405 nm (Cu2+-Chl) and 402 nm (Fe3+-Chl). The Infrared spectra of chlorophyll after being complexed with copper(II) shows the increase of vibrational absorption wavenumber of the C=N group from 1225.06 cm-1 to 1241.94 cm-1 indicates the coordination of the metal ion on the N atom in the pyrrole ring. The shift in the absorption band on the Fe3+-Chl spectrum was seen for the C=O ester group from 1720.49 cm-1 to 1721.10 cm-1 indicating the metal ion bonding in the C=O group of esters. The DR-UVis analysis of TiO2/metal-chlorophyll shows a bathochromic shift towards the visible light region. By using the Tauc plot method, it was observed that the Egap of TiO2 reduces from 3.08 eV to 2.89 eV and 2.93 eV in the compound of TiO2/Cu2+-Chl and TiO2/Fe3+-Chl, respectively.
Simple pyrolysis of polystyrene into valuable chemicals
Authors: Lu Chao , Xiao Hang , Chen Xi
Published: June 2021

Overuse of polymer products has led to severe environmental problems, which are threatening survival of creatures on earth. It is urgent to tackle enormous polymer wastes with proper cycling methods. Pyrolysis of polymers into high-value chemicals and fuels is displaying great potential to address the white pollution issue. In this study, we focus on chemical recycling of polystyrene, an important polymer in our everyday life, into valuable chemicals through simple pyrolysis strategy under nitrogen protection. It is found that yield of liquid product from polystyrene pyrolysis achieves as high as 76.24%, and there exists single component in the liquid product, which has been identified as styrene through hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Moreover, we propose monomer dissociation mechanism to explain the pyrolysis process of polystyrene based on the structure of polystyrene and experimental results.
The Pandemic, the Economy, and Environmental Change: Six Implications for the Study of International Political Economy
Authors: Katz-Rosene Ryan
Published: June 2021

What is the relationship between the global COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recession that followed in its wake, and the ongoing degradation of the global environment? What are key takeaways from this relationship for scholars of international political economy? This article identifies a trialectical relationship between these three forces, addresses ways that the trialectic presents moments of both continuity and change in the trajectory of the global political economy, and invokes Arundhati Roy’s concept of “the pandemic as portal” to foreground the need for scholars of international political economy to tease out and promote new political economic ideals that improve humanity’s resilience to future destabilization risks.
Comparative wood anatomy of Atraphaxis taxa in Turkey
Authors: Erşen Bak Funda , Cesur Derya
Published: June 2021

The wood anatomy of four Atraphaxis taxa that have natural distribution in Turkey—Atraphaxis billardieri Jaub. & Spach, Atraphaxis billardieri subsp. tournefortii (Jaup. & Spach) Lovelius, Atraphaxis spinosa L., and endemic Atraphaxis grandiflora (Willd.)—were compared in this study. The wood samples were sectioned according to standard techniques. Samples were macerated with Schultze’s method. Tangential and radial vessel diameters, intervessel pit diameters, vessel wall thickness, vessel elements length, dimensions of libriform fibres (lengths, widths, cell wall thickness and, lumen diameter), and uniseriate and biseriate ray heights were measured, and the number of vessels per mm2, number of rays per mm, and number of vessels per group were counted. The qualitative features such as growth rings, vessel grouping, presence of helical thickening and storied structure, vestured pits, type of perforation plate, and arrangement of axial parenchyma were determined. These four species of Atraphaxis shrubs differ in some wood characteristics such as growth rings, vessel grouping, vestured pits, height and density of rays, number of vessels per mm2, and the dimensions of the vessel.
TECHNOLOGIES OF GENETIC MATERIAL USE RESTRICTION: TYPES, MOLECULAR-GENETIC BASE AND ETHICAL ANALYSIS OF THEIR APPLICATION
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Zubik P. R.
Published: June 2021

In order to save money, some farms use the seed obtained in the process of cultivation not only for sale, but also for sowing, which has not found supporters among companies engaged in the production of genetically modified seed. To protect their rights, the latter have created technologies to limit the use of genetic material, which are intended to be used for protection the intellectual rights to reproduce plants with a changed genotype. However, these technologies contain also a commercial component and violate a number of moral principles and international acts. Aim. To describe the types of terminator technologies, their genetic and molecular basis and purpose. To assess a correspondence of their compliance with the international documents and norms. Method. Terminator technologies types, genetic bases and application and their analysis from the standpoint of international norms were studied. To achieve the goal, the methods of fact analysis, comparison and generalization were used. Results. There are two types of terminator technologies (variety- and trait-specific), which are based on the interaction of three genes, which leads to the implementation of certain phenotypic manifestations. It was found that the technologies for limiting the use of genetic material are both contradictory and consistent with a number of international legal acts, which did not make it possible to determine clearly the appropriateness of their use in agriculture. Conclusions. Terminator technologies application is still a controversial fact since they are based on the duality principle: to carry simultaneously a positive and a negative manifestation for people.
APPLICATION EFFICIENCY OF BOVINE SERUM ALBUMIN FOR RECOVERY OF SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES OF TESTES AFTER CRYOPRESERVATION
Authors:   Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicineof the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Volkova N. O
Published: June 2021

An optimal approach to the recovery of testicular tissue fragments after cryopreservation is critical for their further use in order to successful fertility restoration. Aim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) addition to the rehabilitation medium on the morphofunctional characteristics of fragments of seminiferous tubules of testes (FSTT) of immature rats after cryopreservation. Methods. The object of the study was cryopreserved by slow cooling and vitrified FSTT. Warmed samples were incubated for 30 min in Leibovitz medium supplemented with BSA at concentrations of 0, 2, 5 or 10%. After that, morphological characteristics, the activity of the metabolic and antioxidant systems were evaluated. Results. It was found that in the samples cryopreserved by slow cooling, the use of 5% BSA contributed to the increase in the safety of spermatogenic epithelium cells, in the levels of metabolic and antioxidant activities. In case of vitrified FSTT samples, it was observed that the addition of 5% BSA to the medium promoted the repair of minor tissue damage and increased metabolic activity level, but did not affect the state of the antioxidant defense system. Conclusions. The obtained data can be used to develop an effective rehabilitation medium for cryopreserved fragments of the seminiferous tubules of testes using BSA.
ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC STRUCTURE VARIABILITY OF RAINBOW TROUT Oncorhynchus mykiss (WALBAUM, 1792) OF UKRAINIAN LOCAL STOCKS USING POLYMORPHIC BLOOD PLASMA PROTEINS
Authors:   Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Bielikova О. Yu.
Published: June 2021

Rainbow trout is a valuable species of aquaculture, which is characterized by a high level of variability. Aim. The goal was to study the peculiarities of genetic variability of rainbow trout based on polymorphism of transferrin (TF), posttransferrin (PTF), esterase (EST) (EC 3.1.1.1.) and albumin (ALB) loci. Methods. Electrophoretic separation of plasma proteins of rainbow trout from three local stocks (Chernivtsi, Kharkiv and Transcarpathian) was carried out in the native polyacrylamide gel. Results. Peculiarities of the distribution and relative electrophoretic mobility of allelic variants of the studied loci of rainbow trout of Ukrainian local stocks were established.The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the analysis using methods of biochemical genetics to establish the characteristics of the genetic structure, the level of heterozygosity of local stocks and to carry out their differentiation. Conclusion. The use of selected markers would allow monitoring the dynamics of changes in the state of local stocks under the established conditions of cultivation in the future. Key words: rainbow trout, polymorphic blood plasma proteins, transferrin, posttransferrin, esterase, albumin.
Severity of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Among Very Preterm Infants in the United States
Authors: Jensen Erik A. , Edwards Erika M. , Greenberg Lucy T. , Soll Roger F. , Ehret Danielle E.Y. , Horbar Jeffrey D.
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network recently proposed new, severity-based diagnostic criteria for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This study provides the first benchmark epidemiological data applying this definition.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of infants born from 22 to 29 weeks’ gestation in 2018 at 715 US hospitals in the Vermont Oxford Network. Rates of BPD, major neonatal morbidities, and common respiratory therapies, stratified by BPD severity, were determined.

RESULTS

Among 24 896 infants, 2574 (10.3%) died before 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age (PMA), 12 198 (49.0%) did not develop BPD, 9192 (36.9%) developed grade 1 or 2 BPD, and 932 (3.7%) developed grade 3 BPD. Rates of mortality before 36 weeks’ PMA and grade 3 BPD decreased from 52.7% and 9.9%, respectively, among infants born at 22 weeks’ gestation to 17.3% and 0.8% among infants born at 29 weeks’ gestation. Grade 1 or 2 BPD peaked in incidence (51.8%) among infants born at 25 weeks’ gestation. The frequency of severe intraventricular hemorrhage or cystic periventricular leukomalacia increased from 4.8% among survivors without BPD to 23.4% among survivors with grade 3 BPD. Similar ranges were observed for late onset sepsis (4.8%–31.4%), surgically treated necrotizing enterocolitis (1.4%–17.1%), severe retinopathy of prematurity (1.2%–23.0%), and home oxygen therapy (2.0%–67.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

More than one-half of very preterm infants born in the United States died before 36 weeks’ PMA or developed BPD. Greater BPD severity was associated with more frequent development of major neonatal morbidities, in-hospital mortality, and use of supplemental respiratory support at discharge.
Gênero, pobreza e saúde
Authors: Coldibeli Larissa Pimenta , De Paiva Fernando Santana , Batista Cássia Beatriz
Published: June 2021

As mulheres em situação de rua, parte de um fenômeno que se constitui como uma problemática global e inerente ao modo de produção capitalista (MPC), estão submetidas a uma série de opressões e desigualdades, especialmente alarmantes no que se refere a sua saúde. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi realizar uma revisão sistemática de literatura a fim de conhecer o que tem sido pesquisado sobre a saúde desse grupo de mulheres no contexto nacional e internacional, considerando-se as especificidades relacionadas à condição de gênero. Foram realizadas buscas nas bases de dados Lilacs, Redalyc, Psychinfo, SciELO, ERIC e no Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES/Brasil). A partir dos descritores homeless women, health, health care, health care policy e therapeutic itineraries, chegou-se a uma amostra final composta por 21 artigos, cuja análise foi expressa em três categorias: violência, pobreza e viver nas ruas: implicações para a saúde das mulheres; maternidade, trabalho e saúde: ambivalência sentida nos corpos; e acesso aos serviços de saúde e assistência social. Os achados evidenciam a interseção entre condição de gênero, situação de rua e saúde, apontando o caráter transcultural do fenômeno, e a necessidade de se investir em mais investigações na área.
NEW COMBINATIONS AND OTHER TAXONOMIC CHANGES FOR THE FORTHCOMING ‘FLORE DES MASCAREIGNES’ ORCHIDACEAE ACCOUNTS
Authors: Hermans Johan , Cribb Phillip
Published: June 2021

In preparation for the forthcoming orchid accounts of the Flore des Mascareignes lectotypifications are made for Angraecum cadetii, A. cornigerum, A. corrugatum, A. costatum, A. eburneum, A. mauritianum, A, patens, A. pingue, A. tenuifolium, Benthamia erinacea, B. perfecundum, Bulbophyllum commersonii, B. compressum, B. conicum, B. cordemoyi, B. densum, B. pusillum, B. variegatum, Cynorkis arnottioides, C. calcarata, C. calcaripotens, C. cordemoyi, C. falcata, C. fastigiata, C. flexuosatis, C. graminea, C. lilacina, C. nervilabris, C. paradoxa, C. pleiadea, C. purpurascens, C. reticulate, C. squamosa, C. trilinguis, C. variegata, Disperis cordata, Gastrorchis villosa, Habenaria arachnoides, H. lancifolia, H. praealta, H. undulata, Platylepis densiflora, P. margartifera, P. occlusa, Oeceoclades analavelensis and O. pulchra. Neotypifications are made for Angraecum tenuifolium, Benthamia spiraloides, Cynorkis coccinelloides and C. constellata. Clarification is provided of the taxonomy of Angraecum crassifolium, A. tenellum, Benthamia erinacea, Bulbophyllum densum, B. elliotii, B. incurvum, B. pendulum, Cheirostylis boryi, C. gymnochiloides, C. nuda, Cynorkis calcarata, C. coccinelloides, C. falcata, C. flexuosatis, C. squamosa, Habenaria sigillum, Oeceoclades analavelensis, Platylepis densiflora, P. margaritifera and P. occulta. New combinations are made for Benthamia spiraloides, Bulbophyllum elliotii var. latibracteatum, Cheirostylis boryi, Cynorkis aristei and C. flexuosatis.

Key words/Palabras clave: Mauritius, new combinations, nuevas combinaciones, new synonyms, nuevos sinónimos, Reunion, Rodrigues, typification, tipificación