bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbiological air analysis of industrial premises and photocatalysis efficiency for its disinfection
Authors: Shkrabak V.S. , Zhgulev E.V. , Gavrikova E.I. , Shkrabak R.V.
Published: February 2020

This article analyzes the reasons of temporary disability of laborers in Agro Industrial Complex, dealing with microbial content in industrial premises. Development and implementation of equipment for correction of microbial content level results in reduction of general morbidity rate and duration of temporary disability among laborers in Agro Industrial Complex. It will help to increase labor efficiency and decrease labor intensity of production. Biofilm resistance against antibacterial agents is a vital problem during disinfection treatments. Increase in bacteria survival potential and reduction in sensitivity to the substances eliminating them, results in need for increased dosing of the latter decreased efficiency of sanitation. This is a stimulus to develop alternative antibacterial compositions and methods of disinfection treatment. The basic difference of the suggested photodynamic treatment from the disinfection methods with application of antimicrobial preparations is the lack of resistibility to destabilizing oxidant – singlet oxygen. Before disinfection treatment, we determined total microbial air contamination according to the original method, providing a possibility to use air medium sampling of the total volume of indoor area. Experimental results have shown a decrease in total microbial contamination by a factor of 5.5 on average.
Effect of extruded grain feed, with the preliminary germination of rapeseed, on the cicatricial digestion of dairy cows and calves
Authors: Sofronov Vladimir , Fayzrakhmanov Ramil , Yamaev Elvir , Danilova Nadezhda , Kuznetsova Elena , Sofronov Pavel
Published: February 2020

This article describes the scientific and production experience conducted in the Druzhba LLC, of the Buinsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. The purpose of the scientific and production experiment is to study the effect of extruded feed, with the preliminary germination of rapeseed in a 0.05 % nicotinic acid solution, on the cicatricial digestion of calves and dairy cows. During the experiment, it is found that feeding calves and dairy cows with extruded feed with preliminary germination of rapeseed in a 0.05 % nicotinic acid solution had a positive effect on cicatricial digestion, contributing to an increase in ammonia to 8.7 and 7.9 %, acetic acid – 12, 6 and 11.5 % and propionic – 13.4 and 12.6 % acids, with a decrease in butyric acid – 12.8 and 10.4 %, an increase in the total microbial number – 8 4.0 and 16.3 %, in including cellulolytic bacteria – 11.6 and 14.3 %, ciliates – 13.4 and 12.9 %, as well as the enzymatic activity of cicatricial microflora, respectively accordingly, in comparison with the control and the group where the grain feed is subjected to only one extrusion. Thus, the use of extruded feed with pre-germinated rapeseed in feeding calves and dairy cows improved the underlying indices of cicatricial digestion compared with the control group of animals fed with non-extruded feed and the group of animals fed with extruded feed.
Condition of tiny dogs’ homeostasis diagnosed having “spuria polyodontia”
Authors: Morozova Darya D. , Krasnikov Alexander V. , Krasnikova Ekaterina S. , Annikov Vyacheslav V. , Galimzyanov Ilsur G.
Published: February 2020

Nowadays special attention must be paid to pathology associated with the violation of the change of milk teeth to permanent of dogs of dwarf breeds. This fact is confirmed by the results of a statistical analysis of appeals from dog owners to specialized dental care at the “Veterinary Hospital”: 33 % of the animals were diagnosed with “false polyodontics” a general increase in the number of teeth due to non-temporal loss. In the literature, it is noted that the hormones of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, sex hormones regulate the exchange of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, thereby affecting the speed of tooth changes and the degree of bone mineralization. As a result of the research, the authors determined the features of hormonal and mineral homeostasis of the body during the period of teeth change in dogs of dwarf breeds at the age of 6 months in the blood serum, characterized by the thyroid gland profile, sex hormones – at the lower reference values, increased phosphorus and calcium levels.
Influence of mineral and modified fertilizers on oat yield
Authors: Sajdiasheva Galina , Kulikova Alevtina , Laschenkov Alexander , Nemtsev Sergey
Published: February 2020

The paper presents the study of the influence of mineral and modified fertilizers on the formation of yield and quality of oat grain in the Middle Volga. The study was carried out in 2016–2018 on the experimental field of Ulyanovsk Research Institute of Agriculture. The meteorological conditions of vegetation periods during the study varied in temperature and moistening. Three-year studies made it possible to confirm that the administration of a half-dose biomodified azophoska (½N15P15K15m) increased grain yield in relation to the absolute control on all study backgrounds by 0.13-0.49 t/ha. The greatest effect of fertilizers was observed against the background of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3m) applied under presowing cultivation at a dose of 40 kg active ingredient/ha treated with microbiological preparation BisolbiFit. Yield enhancement was accompanied by a relative decrease of protein content of oat grains ranging from 11.3 to 12.4 %. There is a negative relation (r=-0.76) between the mass of 1000 grains and the protein content.
Influence of microelements-synergists on the yield and quality of winter wheat grain
Authors: Kostin V.I. , Mudarisov F.A. , Isaev Yu. M. , Semashkina A.I. , Semashkin N. M.
Published: February 2020

The article contains the results of winter wheat cultivation in the forest steppe of the Middle Volga region, as a result of the use of microelements. The object of research is winter soft wheat of the variety Saratovskaya 17. An empirical relationship was obtained between the options of using microelements (the first option is seed treatment; the second option is seed treatment in the combination with foliar top dressing at the end of the tillering phase – the beginning of shooting; the third option is only foliar top dressing) with the winter wheat yield for soil and climatic conditions of the region in question. The linear regression equations have been presented, obtained on the basis of correlation and regression analyses, which makes it possible to determine the analytical relationship between the ways of using microelements-synergists of manganese, zinc and the yield in the technology of cultivating winter wheat. At the same time, the mathematical processing of the data showed that the methods of using trace elements – manganese and zinc reliably influences the yield of winter wheat.
The use of acidophilus bacterium for cheese cheddaring
Authors: Bychkova Veronika A. , Utkina Olga S. , Achkasova Elena V.
Published: February 2020

One of the promising technologies for cheese making is cheddaring of cheese mass; it is desirable that the cheddaring takes place as soon as possible. The article considers the possibility of using acidophilus bacillus to intensify the cheddaring process. As starter cultures, the bacterial concentrate AiBi LcLS 30.11 and sourdough of acidophilus bacillus with inviscid BK-Uglich-ANV in a ratio of 5:1 were used. The cheddarization of cheese mass using a starter culture with acidophilus bacillus took 3 hours, while the cheddarization time was reduced by 2–4 hours. The optimum acidity of the serum is 65–70 ° T (pH 5.45–5.50), the thermomechanical processing requires water. Cheese produced using acidophilus bacterium meets the organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters.
Information system for satellite monitoring of agricultural machinery using Wialon IPS communication protocol
Authors: Galushka Vasiliy , Marshakov Daniil , Gazizov Andrey , Fatkhi Vladimir , Fatkhi Denis
Published: February 2020

The article is devoted to the urgent problem of developing an information system for monitoring the location and condition of agricultural machinery as part of the introduction of precision agriculture technologies in the activities of agricultural companies. It discusses the general principles of organizing the interaction of system components, such as GPS trackers, a web server and a client computer, defines the main stages of interaction and describes the communication protocols used at each stage. Special attention is paid to the consideration of the packet structure of the Wialon IPS protocol, which is used to transmit data on coordinates and other technical parameters. For this protocol, several methods have been proposed for parsing the contents of packets to extract useful information from them, both using standard functions of programming languages and using regular expressions. To protect the transmitted data, a two-way authorization algorithm is developed, its scheme is given and the main stages are described. The article also presents the approaches to the implementation of parallel processing of connections from a large number of GPS trackers to increase the overall efficiency of the system.
Expert assessment of animal infectious pathology nosological profile boundaries in a specific agroclimatical zone
Authors: Sochnev V.V. , Pashkina J.V. , Avilov V.M. , Pashkin A.V. , Gorina A.N. , Sisyagina E.P. , Kozyrenko O.V.
Published: February 2020

Functioning of 51 parasitic systems has been retrospectively ascertained in the South-Eastern agroclimatic zone of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, their co-agents, apart from their excitants, being productive and non-productive domestic and wild animals. For the entire depth of retrospection (82 years) eleven nosounits of infectious pathology in the region (21.6%) dominated in the quantity of epizootic foci and diseased animals (rabies, dictyocaulosis, infectious atrophic rhinitis, classical pig plague, pyroplasmosis, salmonellosis, swine erysipelas, anthrax, fasciolasis, blackleg, aphtha). They accounted for 241 episootic foci in the nosological profile of infectious pathology (68.5% of the total quantity of animal infectious disease epizootic foci in the region throughout the retrospection). At the same time, 13 nosounits in the investigated territory were registered only once during the entire period of retrospection, no expansion of the boundaries of their epizootic manifestation was ascertained, and carryover of the excitant of these infectious diseases beyond the limits of the original epizootic focus was prevented. Relapses of their epizootic occurrences in the region were prevented as well. Ten nosounits of animal infectious pathology (18%) in the aggregate animal pathology in the examined region during the entire period of retrospection were registered twice (hen typhus, swine and cattle taeniasis, swine metastrongylosis, contagious cattle rhinotracheitis, hen ascaridiasis, cattle parainfluenza, bee nosematosis). In addition, potential danger of animal infectious pathology spontaneous emergence and expansion was revealed in the South-Eastern zone of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (anthrax, blackleg, cattle tuberculosis, fasciolasis, classical and African pig plague, pyroplasmosis, echinococcosis, rabies). Schematic models of the biological hazard epizootic component potential threat in the region have been designed. New scientific data have been obtained about the epizootic condition dynamics of rural and urban territories in the region as a biological hazard epizootological component, about regional peculiarities of animal infectious pathology specific nosounits, about their potential epidemic danger in the region.
Digital economy and transformation of personnel training for AIC
Authors: Nezhmetdinova F.T. , Fassakhova G. R. , Shagivaliev L. R. , Sharypova N. Kh. , Zinurova R. I.
Published: February 2020

The article presents the results of research into the impact of the digital economy and Industry 4.0 on the education system as a global mechanism and on the tangible segment of the sectoral economy – agriculture. The aim of this study is to determine the main directions of education system transformation both structurally and substantively under the influence of the digital economy and Industry 4.0. According to the results obtained, Russia’s entry into the digital world system is hindered by a number of factors, including the lag of the Russian Federation from world’s major economies in breakthrough technologies, the shortage of staff with specialization in “Industry 4.0” and the level of digital culture development. The development of agro-industrial complex’s digital economy, provided by modern technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence, entail high productivity, increased efficiency, safety and convenience. But on the other hand, it also raises complex questions about the broader impact of digitalization on the labor market in the agro-industrial complex, skills and competencies.
Influence of the adoption of phosphogips and seros-containing fertilizers on the microbial population of south chernozem
Authors: Tskhovrebov Valeriy , Umarov Alexander , Faizova Vera , Lysenko Vera
Published: February 2020

The following field experiences were performed on the Chernozem southern carbonate: 1.Control, 2. Sulphoammophos – 150 kg/ha, 3. Sulphoammophos – 250 kg/ha, 4.Phosphogypsum – 3 t/ha, 5.Phosphogypsum – 6 t/ha, 6.Phosphogypsum – 12 t/ha, 7. Phosphogypsum – 3 t/ha ammophos –70 kg/ha ammonium nitrate, 100 kg/ha 8. Phosphogypsum – 6 t/ha ammophos -70 kg/ha ammonium nitrate, 100 kg/ha 9. Phosphogypsum – 12 t/ha ammophos–70 kg/ha ammonium nitrate, 100 kg/ha. 10. ammophos-70 kg/ha + ammonium nitrate 100 kg/ha. The determination of the number of microorganisms produced in the phase of milky-wax ripeness of winter wheat on the selective nutrient medium: meat-peptone agar – number of ammonifiers; on starch and ammonia agar – microorganisms that assimilate mineral forms of nitrogen on the Hutchinson medium – calculatorsreal the number of microorganisms on the Czapek-Dox medium – the number of micromycetes on the Ashby medium – the number of aerobic nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Azotobacter. Introduction phosphogypsum, sulphoammophos, ammophos and ammonium nitrate contributes to the increase in the numbers of various physiological groups of microorganisms. The highest values of the studied indicators in comparison with the control was achieved through the joint application of phosphogypsum – 12 t/ha ammophos-70kg/ha and ammonium nitrate-100kg/ha: ammonifiers on 123.4 million CFU/g (or 2.5 times); nitrifiers at 138 million CFU/g (3.3 times), microscopic fungi on 90,0 thousand CFU/g (1.7 times); cellulose-fermenting microorganisms on 250.6 thousand CFU/g (more than 2 times); aerobic nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Azotobacter by 30.7 thousand CFU/g (1.5 times). Thus, the most responsive to the introduction of phosphogypsum and fertilizers microorganisms that convert mineral and organic nitrogen compounds.
Food value and basic parasitosis of fish used in food by indigenous populations of Yakutia
Authors: Platonov Terenty , Stepanov Konstantin , Nyukkanov Ayan , Kuzmina Natalia , Gorokhova Anna
Published: February 2020

The article presents the results of studies of nutritional value and the degree of infection with parasitoses of Siberian vendace (Coregonus sardinella Vallenciennes, 1848) and Yakut crucian carp (Carassius carassius jacuticus Kirillov, 1972). By the amount of protein, the Siberian vendace is classified as medium-protein, in terms of fat content, it is especially fatty fish and of high calories. It has been established that a distinctive feature of the Yakut crucian carps compared to European ones is high fat content (up to 10 % versus 2.5 %), high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, macro- and microelements, vitamins, and have high energy value. The most common parasitic diseases of the crucian carp and vendace, affecting the quality and appearance of the fish, are myxosporidioses caused by Myxobolus, digramosis and phylometroidosis, the negative impact on the quality of which depends on the parasite infection intensity.
Progress status in fabrication of HBC stripper foil for 3-GeV RCS at J-PARC in Tokai site
Authors: Yoshimoto Masahiro , Yamazaki Yoshio , Nakanoya Takamitsu , Saha Pranab Kumar , Kinsho Michikazu
Published: February 2020

In the 3-GeV Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) at Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), we adopted thick Hybrid type Boron-doped Carbon (HBC) stripper foil for multi-turn H- charge-exchange injection. The HBC stripper foil developed at KEK has demonstrably improved the foil lifetime significantly. In addition, Graphite Thin Films (GTF) developed by KANEKA corp. was attempted to use for user operation. The GTF is a multilayer graphene sheet and it is expected to be a new candidate for highly durable charge stripping foil. HBC and GTF foils can be both employed the J-PARC RCS for long-term user operation. Early manufacturing of the stripper foil for the J-PARC was carried out according to the following two steps: foil fabrication at the KEK Tsukuba site and foil preparation at the JAEA Tokai site. Recently, the HBC foil deposition apparatus was relocated from KEK to JAEA, and new HBC foils were fabricated at the Tokai site. The performance of the new HBC foil was verified to be equivalent to the original HBC foil with offline beam irradiation tests. Furthermore, the use of the new HBC foils was successfully demonstrated during RCS user beam operation for one week.
Target preparation for neutron-induced reaction measurements
Authors: Sibbens Goedele , Göök Alf , Lewis David , Moens André , Oberstedt Stephan , Vanleeuw David , Wynants Ruud , Zampella Mariavittoria
Published: February 2020

Neutron-induced reaction measurements, e.g. cross-sections and particle emission yields, require samples, called "targets", with specific properties depending on the reaction being studied and the quantities being measured. The target characteristics influence the results of these measurements and can have a strong impact on the total uncertainty of neutron-induced reaction data, which are important for industry and in research. This paper gives an overview of the main techniques applied in the target preparation laboratory at JRC-Geel for production and characterization of targets for neutron-induced reaction data measurements. The use of different targets is demonstrated with a few examples of total and reaction cross-section as well as nuclear fission experiments. In addition, on-going investigations and technical developments are presented.
Multi-jet gas cooling of in-beam foils or specimens: CFD predictions of the convective heat-transfer coefficient
Authors: Steyn Gideon , Vermeulen Christiaan , Steyn Michael
Published: February 2020

An experiment was designed to investigate the possible enhancement of the convective heat-transfer coefficient by utilizing multiple, parallel jets in the cooling of a small heated surface, such as typically induced by an accelerated ion beam on a thin foil or specimen. The hot spot was provided using a small electrically heated plate. It was found that heat-transfer calculations by means of simple empirical methods based on dimensional analysis are not useful in this case and that advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) mod-elling is essential to interpret the results. It is shown that enhanced convective cooling can indeed be obtained with a multi-jet configuration as compared to a single-jet configuration but only under very selective conditions. An improperly designed multi-jet configuration can also provide significantly reduced cooling relative to the single-jet case and the estimation of the behavior of any particular jet geometry is eminently non-intuitive. CFD provides acceptable quantitative results and seem to be the only tool available to gain an understanding of these complex flows where simple models and “rules of thumb” cannot be relied upon. – LA-UR-18-29455
Rhenium and iridium targets prepared using a novel graphene loading technique
Authors: Greene John P. , Gott Matthew , Fink Richard L. , Pavlovsky Igor
Published: February 2020

For accelerator targets, graphene films are an excellent material choice due to their high thermal conductivity, high temperature tolerance, low outgassing, mechanical integrity, and ease of handling. A variety of targets have been produced using graphene material as a backing or a host matrix. One of the unique advantages of the graphene film fabrication process is the capability to embed target materials, including refractory metals, in the nanoparticle form into a host graphene matrix during target preparation. Targets of natIr and natRe have been fabricated as nanoparticle loaded graphene targets for use in nuclear physics research. We have obtained beam time to evaluate target performance as well as production yields and nuclear decay properties via the natRe(a,2n)186Ir and natIr(a,3n)194Au reactions, respectively. These rhenium and iridium targets will be irradiated using the ATLAS accelerator and gamma rays measured in-place using the high-precision gamma-ray spectroscopy capabilities of Gammasphere and further analyzed using a multi-parameter detector system. Future plans include the preparation of isotopic targets of these two elements.
Medical isotope collection from ISAC targets
Authors: Kunz Peter , Andreoiu Corina , Brown Victoria , Cervantes Marla , Even Julia , Garcia Fatima H. , Gottberg Alexander , Lassen Jens , Radchenko Valery , Ramogida Caterina F. , Robertson Andrew K. H. , Schaffer Paul , Sothilingam Rozhannaa
Published: February 2020

The ISAC facility (Isotope Separation and Acceleration) at TRIUMF has recently started to provide isotopes for pre-clinical nuclear medicine studies. By irradiating ISOL (Isotope Separation OnLine) targets with a 480 MeV proton beam from the TRIUMF H- cyclotron, the facility can deliver a large variety of radioactive isotope beams (RIB) for research in the fields of nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure and material science with half-lives down to a few milliseconds via an electrostatic beamline network. For the collection of medical isotopes, typically with half-lives in the range of hours or days, we have developed a compact apparatus for the implantation of mass-separated RIB on a target disc at energies between 20-55 keV. In this paper, we also discuss two different retrieval methods of the implanted activity from the implantation target: by chemical etching of the target surface and by recoil collection of implanted alpha emitters.
Tumor width on T1-weighted MRI images of glioblastoma as a prognostic biomarker: a mathematical model
Authors: Pérez-Beteta Julián , Belmonte-Beitia Juan , Pérez-García Víctor M.
Published: February 2020

We construct a minimal macroscopic model of glioblastoma growth including necrosis to explain the recently observed correlation between MRI-observed features and tumor growth speed. A theoretical study of the modified model was carried out. In particular, we obtained an expression for the minimal wave speed of the traveling wave solutions. We also solved numerically the model using a set of realistic parameter values and used these numerical solutions to compare the model dynamics against patient’s imaging and clinical data. The mathematical model provides theoretical support to the observation that tumors with broad contrast enhancing areas as observed in T1-weighted pretreatment postcontrast magnetic resonance images have worse survival than those with thinner areas.
Ein (nicht ganz so) klarer Fall
Authors: Jahn Claus
Published: February 2020

Mit typischen Anämiezeichen stellt sich eine junge, sportliche Patientin vor, darunter Blässe, Erschöpfung, Atemnot, Herzklopfen sowie erniedrigte Eisen, Hb- und Hämatokritwerte. Wie sich zeigt, ist exzessiver Sport ursächlich beteiligt, aber auch die bislang maskierte und unentdeckte Kupferspeicherkrankheit Morbus Wilson. Mit einer Kombination aus alpha-Liponsäure, Zink, Eisen, Vitamin B12, Folsäure, Lebensstil- und Ernährungsumstellung bessert sich der Zustand innerhalb von acht Wochen erheblich.
Notfall Psyche – Diagnostik und Krisenintervention in der Präklinik
Authors: Jordan Wolfgang
Published: February 2020

Der psychiatrische Notfall gehört zu den häufigsten Einsatzursachen für Notärzte. Der Beitrag bietet einen Leitfaden zum Umgang mit Menschen in seelischer Not: von der Orientierung im Notfallgeschehen über eine Zusammenstellung der häufigsten Krankheitsbilder, die Vorstellung spezieller Techniken zur Krisenintervention bis hin zu pharmakologischen Aspekten.
“Avaliação do uso de ergogênicos por praticantes de academia no Noroeste e Nordeste do estado de São Paulo”
Authors: Filho Durval Ribas , da Silva Fillipe de Biaggi Borges , Botura Renan Isa
Published: February 2020

O presente estudo visa analisar o perfil do praticante de atividade física que faz uso de suplementos alimentares ergogênicos, baseando-se no seu gênero, idade, índice de massa corporal(IMC), escolaridade e os suplementos nutricionais utilizados. Foram entrevistados 229 praticantes através de questionário em 7 cidades do Nordeste e Noroeste paulista: Ribeirão Preto, Jaboticabal, Cajuru, Taquaritinga, Catanduva, São José do Rio Preto e Pindorama. Destes 229, 100 (43,6%) utilizavam ergogênicos nutricionais, sendo 69 (69%) homens e 31 (31%) mulheres. A faixa etária média foi de 26,8 anos tendo como valores mínimo e máximo respectivamente 15 e 60 anos; o IMC médio foi de 24,95; e a escolaridade prevalente foi o Terceiro Grau completo ou incompleto, sendo o incompleto composto por estudantes. Os suplementos mais utilizados em geral foram: ricos em proteína (73%), aminoácidos de cadeia ramificada (36%), ricos em carboidratos (35%) e creatina (29%); lembrando que os usuários poderiam consumir mais de um ergogênico nutricional. No público masculino, os suplementos mais utilizados foram: ricos em proteína (80%), aminoácidos de cadeia ramificada(39%), ricos em carboidratos (39%) e creatina (36%); já o feminino foram: ricos em proteína (58%), queimadores de gordura (32%), aminoácidos de cadeia ramificada (29%) e ricos em carboidratos (26%). O perfil geral do usuário aponta para um indivíduo jovemadulto na faixa etária entre 20 a 30 anos, com ensino superior e IMC de 24,9 kg/m, mostrando sua preocupação tanto física quanto nutricional.
The evolution of vortices on the surface of normal He I
Authors: Pelmenev A. A. , Levchenko A. A. , Mezhov-Deglin L. P.
Published: February 2020

Thermogravitational convection (Rayleigh—Bénard convection, RBC) occurs in a layer of normal He I heated from above, at temperatures below the liquid density maximum of 4He T ≤ Tm = 2.178 K. It is experimentally established that the appearance of RBC in the bulk of the layer is accompanied by the excitation of a vortex flow on the free surface of He I. With time, small vortices form two large-scale vortices (vortex dipole) in a cylindrical vessel, the dimensions of which are limited by the vessel’s diameter. As the temperature of the liquid rises above Tm, the convective motion in the bulk of the nonuniformly heated layer rapidly decays, but the vortex flow on the surface of He I is conserved. The results of studying the vortex system evolution in the absence of RBCs (without energy pumping) show that, during long-term observations (over 1300 s), the non-linear interaction between weakly damped large-scale vortices leads to the appearance of small vortices on the surface of He I.
Brucella: not your ‘typical’ intracellular pathogen
Authors: Keyburn Anthony L , Buller Nicky
Published: February 2020

Currently the genus Brucella consists of a group of bacteria that are genetically monospecific yet phenotypically diverse, and a recent genetic and phenotypic divergent group known as ‘atypical' Brucellae. The host range is extremely varied and includes mammals, including humans, terrestrial animals and marine mammals, but now extends to reptiles and amphibians. Almost all Brucella species are zoonotic. The disease collectively termed Brucellosis leads to abortion and reproductive disease in animals, whereas human infection presents as a non-specific undulating fever accompanied by general malaise, chills, joint pain, muscle aches, genitourinary disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. These Gram-negative coccobacilli invade and replicate in the host macrophages where they can limit the effects of the host immune system and antibiotic treatment. Due to the phenotypic and genotypic diversity and close relationship with Ochrobactrum species, the genus Brucella presents challenges for accurate identification and recognition of new species.
The progressive form and its functions in spoken learner English
Authors: Meriläinen Lea
Published: February 2020

Present-day English manifests ongoing changes in the frequency and semantic range of the progressive form, which presents a
challenge for foreign language learners. This study examines the frequencies and semantic functions of the progressive in the
Louvain International Database of Spoken English Interlanguage with the aim of finding out to what extent
learners are adopting the ongoing changes. This study analyses the effects of an exposure-rich learning environment by
comparing learners from countries where English is used in varying degrees outside formal educational contexts and by
examining intra-corpus variation between learners who have vs. have not spent time in English-speaking countries. The results
reveal that exposure to English in the home country explains some of the variation in the progressive frequencies, but most of
all it shows in the extent to which the learners have adopted its new semantic uses. By contrast, stay in English-speaking
countries was not found to be an influential variable for all learner groups.
Individual performance progression of German elite female and male middle‐distance runners
Authors: Weippert Matthias , Petelczyc Monika , Thürkow Christoph , Behrens Martin , Bruhn Sven
Published: February 2020

Current standards for talent identification often base on age‐related cross‐sectional or mixed data analyses. Longitudinal studies of elite runners from their very early to their late career are still rare, despite their need for valid talent identification and prognoses. Thus, we analysed individual performance trajectories of German international level middle‐distance runners (30 females, 41 males) from an age of 14 until their top performance. Quadratic equations best fitted the individual performances from 14 years to late career in relation to the world record time. The individual trajectories were further used to construct a global performance progression model, providing annual performance estimates (mean and standard deviation of 800, 1000 and 1500 m race times in relation to the current world record time) of later top runners from early to late career. Our analysis implies that, on average, females started from a higher performance level at young age. In contrast, average performance progression of the males was higher until the age of 17 years. Performance peaked at an age of 24.0 ± 3.0 and 23.3 ± 2.6 years for the female and male runners, respectively. The provided average annual performance progressions, as well as their ranges, may help coaches and sport federations in their decision making on age‐related performance criteria for talent identification in middle‐distance running.
A low-cost, portable biopotential monitoring system to study electrical activities of the human brain and body
Authors: Bandara Vibodha , Nanayakkara Asiri
Published: February 2020

A portable, low-cost, all-in-one biopotential monitoring system that can be used for demonstrating the basic characteristics of electrical activities of the human brain and body for undergraduate physics students is described. The monitoring system consists of a wireless biopotential amplifier, an electrode cap and a software interface. Some of the biopotential activities recorded from the monitoring system, together with theoretical explanations associated with them are presented. Experimentation with the system will provide students with an opportunity to verify the theories involved in biopotential activities. The construction of the system can also be an interesting project for undergraduate students and it exposes them to instrument construction and troubleshooting techniques.
Deformation and removal of semiconductor and laser single crystals at extremely small scales
Authors: Wu Yueqin , Mu Dekui , Huang Han
Published: February 2020

Semiconductor and laser single crystals are usually brittle and hard, which need to be ground to have satisfactory surface integrity and dimensional precision prior to their applications. Improvement of the surface integrity of a ground crystal can shorten the time of a subsequent polishing process, thus reducing the manufacturing cost. The development of cost-effective grinding technologies for those crystals requires an in-depth understanding of their deformation and removal mechanisms. As a result, a great deal of research efforts were directed towards studying this topic in the past two or three decades. In this review, we aimed to summarize the deformation and removal characteristics of representative semiconductor and laser single crystals in accordance with the scale of mechanical loading, especially at extremely small scales. Their removal mechanisms were critically examined based on the evidence obtained from high-resolution TEM analyses. The relationships between machining conditions and removal behaviors were discussed to provide a guidance for further advancing of the grinding technologies for those crystals.
Climate of the Free Troposphere and Mountain Peaks
Authors: Brönnimann Stefan
Published: February 2020

The free troposphere is the location of important weather and climate processes. Here, horizontal and vertical transport of energy, mass, and momentum take place, and it holds greenhouse gases, water vapor, and clouds. The free troposphere therefore plays an important role in global climate feedback processes. Mountains provide important ecosystem services for a large lowland population. Mountain ecosystems may react particularly strongly to climatic changes. This is because mountains intersect important environmental and geoecological boundaries such as the snow line and the tree line. In a changing climate, these boundaries may shift. Climate change thus affects mountain glaciers, water resources, and mountain ecosystems.

Climates of mountains and of the free troposphere have attracted scientists of the enlightenment and have been studied scientifically at least since the 18th century. High-altitude observatories were installed in the late 19th century, and upper-air measurements were started soon afterwards. However, even in the early 21st century, the climate observing systems do not well cover mountain regions and specifically mountain peaks.

The temperature of the free troposphere is dominated by horizontal and vertical transport of sensible and latent heat, condensation and release of latent heat, and radiation to space. Mountain peaks sometimes reach into the free troposphere, but at the same time also share characteristics of surface climate. They are strongly influenced by radiative processes of the surrounding surface, while during the day they are often within the atmospheric boundary layer.

With respect to climate change, temperature trends are amplified in the tropical upper-troposphere relative to the surface due to latent heat release, while in the Arctic the surface warms faster than the free atmosphere due to strong inversions and due to feedback processes operating at the surface. Mountain peaks may see both types of amplification. Several processes have been suggested to cause an elevation dependent warming, the most important of which arguably is the snow-albedo feedback. Elevation dependent warming is also seen in model studies and in observations, although detecting this signal in observations turns out rather difficult outside the tropics due to high variability and sometimes low-data quality. The observed climatic changes are expected to continue into the future.
Justice and Home Affairs in the European Union
Authors: Trauner Florian , Ripoll Servent Ariadna
Published: February 2020

Justice and home affairs (JHA) is one of the most salient policy fields at European Union (EU) level. It deals with issues closely related to the sovereignty of member states including immigration, borders, and internal security. This article takes stock of the policy’s development and current academic debates. It argues that EU justice and home affairs is at a crossroads. Most EU actors underline the value added of European cooperation to tackle transnational threats such as terrorism and organized crime as well as the challenge of international migration. Indeed, the EU has increased its operational cooperation, data-sharing and legislative activities. The EU home affairs agencies, notably the European Police Office (Europol) and European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), have been substantially empowered. Yet JHA has also become a playing field for those attempting to politicize the European integration process. Therefore, recent years have seen major conflicts emerge that risk fragmenting the EU. These include controversies over the distribution of asylum seekers within the EU and the upholding of rule of law standards in some Eastern European states. Scholars have followed these developments with interest, contributing to a multifaceted and rich literature on aspects such as the dynamics of EU decision-making and the policy’s impact on the member states’ respect for fundamental rights and civil liberties. Promising avenues of further research include the implications of the politicization of the field and the consequences of ever more interconnected internal security databases and technologies.
Parties and Regime Change in Latin America
Authors: Gamboa Laura
Published: February 2020

The importance of political parties has been at the heart of the debate about regime and regime change. Parties are essential actors for democratic politics. They can trigger transitions from and to democracy, polarize making democracies vulnerable to breakdown, or manage conflict to protect democratic institutions. However, not all parties or party systems are equal. The levels of fragmentation, polarization, and institutionalization in any given party and/or party system are key to understanding the rise, fall, and survival of democracy. In Latin America, the literature has focused, mostly, on party and party system institutionalization. In general, scholars agree that institutionalization fosters democracy. The organizational strength and embeddedness of political parties in society and the extent to which they interact regularly in stable ways, they argue, is key to the survival of democratic politics. There are instances, however, that suggest that this relationship is more problematic than the literature assumes. In contexts of crisis, highly institutionalized parties and party systems can be slow to adjust to new groups or demands and stiffen party leaders’ ability to respond to new issues. When facing a polarizing potential autocrat, for instance, high levels of party and party system institutionalization could hurt more than help democracy. They can reduce the ability of politicians to attract moderate voters from opposing parties, hinder their capacity to counteract antisystemic trends in order to lead opposition efforts, or limit the extent to which they can reach across the aisle to build ideologically diverse prodemocratic coalitions.
Injustice and Inequalities in Health
Authors: Sreenivasan Gopal
Published: February 2020

Serious inequalities in health abound the world over. For example, there are marked differences in average life expectancy both between and within countries. Individual life expectancy varies by more than 30 years between the highest national average and the lowest. Even worldwide, average life expectancy lags more than 10 years below the highest national average. Within single countries, inequalities in life expectancy between the top and bottom groups of men, for example, have been recorded at 7 years in England and Wales and at almost 15 years in the United States, albeit using rather differently constituted groups.

Intuitively, these inequalities in health will strike many observers as unjust. But why are they unjust, if they are? Are inequalities in health unjust per se? If not, what makes some inequalities in health unjust, but not others?

According to an influential analysis, inequalities in health are unjust when they are avoidable, unnecessary, and unfair. Thus, if an inequality in health is inevitable, it is not unjust. Following this analysis means that answering these questions requires a combination of empirical and normative understanding. On the empirical side, some understanding of the socially controllable causes of health is required. On the normative side, various dimensions of fairness have to be understood. In addition, some appreciation of the interaction between these two sides is needed..

Each side of the question is fairly complicated. With respect to the requirements of fairness, three subsidiary controversies can be distinguished. To begin with, should a general principle of equality be applied directly to the case of health? An alternative approach traces the injustice of avoidable inequalities in health to the independent injustice of their social causes instead. Next, should inequalities be defined across social groups (such as class or race within countries or, indeed, countries themselves)? If so, which groups? An alternative is to define inequalities across individuals. Finally, should equality be defined in comparative terms (as is traditional)? An alternative is to define the requirements of fairness non-comparatively (as a matter of “priority” to the worst off). Even if a given inequality in health is avoidable, some resolution of all three controversies is needed to decide whether that inequality is unfair.
Media-Effects Experiments in Political Decision Making
Authors: Gervais Bryan
Published: February 2020

Recognizing its causal power, contemporary scholars of media effects commonly leverage experimental methodology. For most of the 20th century, however, political scientists and communication scholars relied on observational data, particularly after the development of scientific survey methodology around the mid-point of the century. As the millennium approached, Iyengar and Kinder’s seminal News That Matters experiments ushered in an era of renewed interest in experimental methods. Political communication scholars have been particularly reliant on experiments, due to their advantages over observational studies in identifying media effects. Although what is meant by “media effects” has not always been clear or undisputed, scholars generally agree that the news media influences mass opinion and behavior through its agenda-setting, framing, and priming powers. Scholars have adopted techniques and practices for gauging the particular effects these powers have, including measuring the mediating role of affect (or emotion).

Although experiments provide researchers with causal leverage, political communication scholars must consider challenges endemic to media-effects studies, including problems related to selective exposure. Various efforts to determine if selective exposure occurs and if it has consequences have come to different conclusions. The origin of conflicting conclusions can be traced back to the different methodological choices scholars have made. Achieving experimental realism has been a particularly difficult challenge for selective exposure experiments. Nonetheless, there are steps media-effects scholars can take to bolster causal arguments in an era of high media choice. While the advent of social media has brought new challenges for media-effects experimentalists, there are new opportunities in the form of objective measures of media exposure and effects.
Gangs and Globalization
Authors: Fraser Alistair , Van Hellemont Elke
Published: February 2020

It has been a century since Frederic Thrasher researched his pioneering text on youth gangs in Chicago. In it he depicts gangs as a street-based phenomenon that emerged from the combined forces of urbanization, migration, and industrialization—with new migrant groups seeking to find a toehold on the American Dream. Gangs were discrete and highly localized, drawing on names from popular culture and the neighborhood, seeking ways to survive and thrive amid the disorganization of the emerging city. In the 21st century, street gangs have been identified in urban contexts all over the world and have become increasingly viewed as a transnational phenomenon that is qualitatively different from Thrasher’s neighborhood groups. Processes of globalization have created a degree of flow and connectedness to urban life that is unlike any other stage in human history. Yet a close reading of Thrasher shows that some of the key themes in the study of gangs in a global context—urban exclusion, grey economies, human mobility, and cultural flow—were presaged in Thrasher’s work. In a global era, however, these processes have intensified, amplified, and extended in ways that could not have been predicted.

We elaborate the spatial, economic, social, cultural, and technological implications of globalization for gangs across five principle areas: (1) Gangs in the Global City; (2) Gangs, Illicit Markets, and the Global Criminal Economy; (3) Mobility, Crimmigration, and the “Transnational Gang”; (4) Gangs and Glocalization; and (5) The Gang Mediascape. Taken together, these themes seek to offer both a conceptual vocabulary and empirical foundation for new and innovative studies of gangs and globalization. Empirical evidences from Europe, the United States, and beyond, emphasize the uneven impacts of globalization and the ways in which national and cultural dynamics are implicated in the study of gangs in the 21st century.
Positive Criminology: Theory, Research, and Practice
Authors: Ronel Natti , Elisha Ety
Published: February 2020

Positive criminology is an innovative perspective that underlies existing theories and models emphasizing the positive forces that influence and assist individuals at risk and offenders in their recovery process. The theories and models included in positive criminology (e.g., peacemaking criminology, social acceptance, crime desistance, restorative justice) are not new; its novelty lies in their inclusion in a unique and distinct conceptualization. This has led to a shift in discourse and research in criminology, which goes beyond focusing on risk and criminogenic factors while focusing on the positive factors and strengths that help individuals to rehabilitate and successfully integrate into the community.

Studies and practices developed over the past decade have confirmed and reinforced the assumptions of the positive criminology perspective. Despite its specific limitations, positive criminology provides a promising platform for further developments and innovations in research in theory (e.g., positive victimology, spiritual criminology) and in practice (e.g., restorative justice, problem-solving courts, community policing).