bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social concordance and patient reported experiences in countries with different gender equality: a multinational survey
Authors: Eggermont D. , Kunst A. E. , Groenewegen P. P. , Verheij R. A.
Published: March 2024

Background

Patient reported experiences (PREMs) are important indices of quality of care. Similarities in demography between patient and doctor, known as social concordance, can facilitate patient-doctor interaction and may be associated with more positive patient experiences. The aim of this research is to study associations between gender concordance, age concordance and PREMs (doctor-patient communication, involvement in decision making, comprehensiveness of care and satisfaction) and to investigate whether these associations are dependent on a countries’ Gender Equality Index (GEI).

Methods

Secondary analysis on a multinational survey (62.478 patients, 7.438 GPs from 34 mostly European countries) containing information on general practices and the patient experiences regarding their consultation. Multi-level analysis is used to calculate associations of both gender and age concordance with four PREMs.

Results

The female/female dyad was associated with better experienced doctor-patient communication and patient involvement in decision making but not with patient satisfaction and experienced comprehensiveness of care. The male/male dyad was not associated with more positive patient experiences. Age concordance was associated with more involvement in decision making, more experienced comprehensiveness, less satisfaction but not with communication. No association was found between a country’s level of GEI and the effect of gender concordance.

Conclusion

Consultations in which both patient and GP are female are associated with higher ratings of communication and involvement in decision making, irrespective of the GEI of the countries concerned. Age concordance was associated with all PREMs except communication. Although effect sizes are small, social concordance could create a suggestion of shared identity, diminish professional uncertainty and changes communication patterns, thereby enhancing health care outcomes.
Safety and efficacy of trofinetide in Rett syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Abbas Abdallah , Fayoud Aya M , El Din Moawad Mostafa Hossam , Hamad Abdullah Ashraf , Hamouda Heba , Fouad Eman A.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that predominantly impacts females. It presents with loss of acquired skills, impaired communication, and stereotypic hand movements. Given the limited treatment options for Rett syndrome, there is a dire need for effective interventions.

Objective

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of trofinetide in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that report on Rett syndrome patients.

Methods

We identified 109 articles from four databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL). After removing the duplicates, we narrowed them down to 59 articles for further assessment. We included RCTs that evaluated the efficacy and safety of trofinetide in patients with Rett syndrome. Three studies were eligible for inclusion. Two independent reviewers evaluated the identified studies’ titles, abstracts, and full texts, extracting pertinent data. We assessed the quality of the studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) 2.0 tool. We then conducted a meta-analysis using the fixed effects model in the case of insignificant heterogeneity; otherwise, we used the random effects model. Based on the nature of the outcome, we analyzed the mean difference or the odds ratio. Analysis was conducted using RevMan version 5.3.

Results

Among the analyzed outcomes in 181 patients in the trofinetide group and 134 patients in the placebo group, significant improvement in Rett Syndrome Behavior Questionnaire (RSBQ) scores was observed at 200 mg dosage (overall mean difference: -3.53, p = 0.001). Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scores improved considerably at 200 mg dosage (overall mean difference: -0.34, p < 0.0001). No substantial changes were observed in Motor Behavioral Assessment (MBA) or Top 3 Caregiver Concerns. We evaluated Treatment Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) across the various dosages and noted significant associations with diarrhea (200 mg), vomiting (200 mg), and irritability (200 mg). However, we did not find a significant association between any of the dosages and the incidence of decreased appetite.

Conclusion

Trofinetide demonstrated potential in improving RSBQ and CGI-I scores at 200 mg dosage. Although no substantial changes were found in MBA and top 3 caregiver concerns. Adverse events were linked to specific dosages.
Risk factors of necrotizing enterocolitis in twin preterm infants
Authors: Xie Ying-Ling , Lai Shu-Hua , Liu Su-Jia , Xiu Wen-Long
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study was aimed to investigate the risk factors of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in twin preterm infants.

Methods

The clinical data of 67 pairs of twin preterm infants admitted to the neonatal department of our hospital from January 2010 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected. One of the twins had NEC (Bell II and above) and the other twin without NEC. They were divided into NEC group and control group according to whether NEC occurred or not.

Results

Univariate analysis showed that NEC was associated with congenital heart disease, small for gestational age, mild asphyxia at birth and feeding intolerance (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Occurrence of NEC was associated with congenital heart disease, small for gestational age, and asphyxia at birth. For twin preterm infants with congenital heart disease, small for gestational age, or asphyxia at birth, special attention should be paid to the occurrence of NEC to minimize and avoid the occurrence of NEC.
Efficacy and mechanisms of cannabis oil for alleviating side effects of breast cancer chemotherapy (CBC2): protocol for randomized controlled trial
Authors: Thu May Soe , Pongpirul Krit , Vongsaisuwon Mawin , Vinayanuwattikun Chanida , Banchuen Kamonwan , Ondee Thunnicha , Payungporn Sunchai , Phutrakool Phanupong , Nootim Preecha , Chariyavilaskul Pajaree , Cherdchom Sarocha , Wanaratna Kulthanit , Hirankarn Nattiya
Published: March 2024

Background

In a pilot study using both cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as single agents in advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care in Thailand, the doses were generally well tolerated, and the outcome measure of total symptom distress scores showed overall symptom benefit. The current study aims to determine the intensity of the symptoms experienced by breast cancer patients, to explore the microbiome profile, cytokines, and bacterial metabolites before and after the treatment with cannabis oil or no cannabis oil, and to study the pharmacokinetics parameters and pharmacogenetics profile of the doses.

Methods

A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted on the breast cancer cases who were diagnosed with breast cancer and currently receiving chemotherapy at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH), Bangkok, Thailand. Block randomization will be used to allocate the patients into three groups: Ganja Oil (THC 2 mg/ml; THC 0.08 mg/drop, and CBD 0.02 mg/drop), Metta Osot (THC 81 mg/ml; THC 3 mg/drop), and placebo oil. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), microbiome profile, cytokines, and bacterial metabolites will be assessed before and after the interventions, along with pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic profile of the treatment during the intervention.

Trial registration

TCTR20220809001.
Developing an innovative national ACP-OSCE program in Taiwan: a mixed method study
Authors: Wu Yen-Lin , Hsieh Tsu-Yi , Hwang Sheau-Feng , Lin Yi-Yin , Chu Wei-Min
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the process and the comprehensiveness of advance care planning (ACP), we designed a national ACP-OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) program.

Methods

The program was designed as a 40-minute OSCE test. Participants were categorized as different ACP team members to illustrate realistic scenarios. Preceptors were asked to observe ACP professionals’ actions, responses, and communication skills during ACP with standardized patients (SP) through a one-way mirror. Participants’ communication skills, medical expertise, legal knowledge, empathetic response and problem-solving skills of ACP were also self-evaluated before and after OSCE. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative analysis.

Results

In Nov 2019, a total of 18 ACP teams with 38 ACP professionals completed the ACP-OSCE program, including 15 physicians, 15 nurses, 5 social workers, and 3 psychologists. After the ACP-OSCE program, the average score of communication skills, medical expertise, legal knowledge, empathetic response, ACP problem-solving all increased. Nurses felt improved in medical expertise, legal knowledge, and problem-solving skills, psychologists and social workers felt improved in legal knowledge, while physicians felt no improved in all domain, statistically. Thematic analysis showed professional skills, doctoral-patient communication, benefit and difficulties of ACP were the topics which participants care about. Meanwhile, most participants agreed that ACP-OSCE program is an appropriate educational tool.

Conclusion

This is the first national ACP-OSCE program in Asia. We believe that this ACP-OSCE program could be applied in other countries to improve the ACP process and quality.
Increased di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure poses a differential risk for adult asthma clusters
Authors: Hsu Yuan-Ting , Wu Chao-Chien , Wang Chin-Chou , Sheu Chau-Chyun , Yang Yi-Hsin , Cheng Ming-Yen , Lai Ruay-Sheng , Leung Sum-Yee , Lin Chi-Cheng , Wei Yu-Feng , Lai Yung-Fa , Cheng Meng-Hsuan , Chen Huang-Chi , Yang Chih-Jen , Wang Chien-Jen , Liu Huei-Ju , Chen Hua-Ling , Hung Chih-Hsing , Lee Chon-Lin , Huang Ming-Shyan , Huang Shau-Ku
Published: March 2024

Background

DEHP, a common plasticizer known for its hormone-disrupting properties, has been associated with asthma. However, a significant proportion of adult asthma cases are “non-atopic”, lacking a clear etiology.

Methods

In a case-control study conducted between 2011 and 2015, 365 individuals with current asthma and 235 healthy controls from Kaohsiung City were enrolled. The control group comprised individuals without asthma, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, or other respiratory/allergic conditions. The study leveraged asthma clusters (Clusters A to F) established in a prior investigation. Analysis involved the examination of urinary DEHP metabolites (MEHP and MEHHP), along with the assessment of oxidative stress, sphingolipid metabolites, and inflammatory biomarkers. Statistical analyses encompassed Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, multiple logistic regression, and multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Asthma clusters (E, D, C, F, A) exhibited significantly higher ORs of MEHHP exposures compared to the control group. When considering asthma-related comorbidities (T2DM, hypertension, or both), patients without comorbidities demonstrated significantly higher ORs of the sum of primary and secondary metabolites (MEHP + MEHHP) and MEHHP compared to those with asthma comorbidities. A consistent positive correlation between urinary HEL and DEHP metabolites was observed, but a consistent negative correlation between DEHP metabolites and selected cytokines was identified.

Conclusion

The current study reveals a heightened risk of MEHHP and MEHP + MEHHP exposure in specific asthma subgroups, emphasizing its complex relationship with asthma. The observed negative correlation with cytokines suggests a new avenue for research, warranting robust evidence from epidemiological and animal studies.
Residents’ experiences during a hydrogen sulfide crisis in Carson, California
Authors: Quist Arbor J. L. , Hovav April , Silverman Alexander D. , Shamasunder Bhavna , Johnston Jill E.
Published: March 2024

Background

In early October 2021, thousands of residents in Carson, California began complaining of malodors and headaches. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a noxious odorous gas, was measured at concentrations up to 7000 parts per billion (ppb) and remained above California’s acute air quality standard of 30 ppb for a month. Intermittent elevations of H2S continued for 3 months. After 2 months of malodor in this environmental justice community, a government agency attributed the H2S to environmental pollution from a warehouse fire. Research has yielded conflicting results on the health effects of H2S exposure at levels that were experienced during this event. This research fills a critical need for understanding how people perceive and experience emergent environmental health events and will help shape future responses.

Methods

Through a community-academic partnership, we conducted 6 focus groups with 33 participants who resided in the Carson area during the crisis. We sought to understand how this incident affected residents through facilitated discussion on topics including information acquisition, impressions of the emergency response, health symptoms, and ongoing impacts.

Results

The majority of participants were women (n = 25), identified as Latina/o (n = 19), and rent their homes (n = 21). Participants described difficulty obtaining coherent information about the emergency, which resulted in feelings of abandonment. Most participants felt that local government and healthcare providers downplayed and/or disregarded their concerns despite ongoing odors and health symptoms. Participants described experiencing stress from the odors’ unknown health effects and continued fear of future odor incidents. Residents sought to take control of the crisis through information sharing, community networking, and activism. Participants experienced longer term effects from this event, including increased awareness of pollution and reduced trust in local agencies.

Discussion

This study demonstrates the necessity of clear, comprehensive, and prompt responses by relevant decisionmakers to chemical emergencies to appropriately address residents’ fears, curb the spread of misinformation, and minimize adverse health effects. Participant responses also point to the benefit of supporting horizontal community networks for improved information sharing. By engaging directly with community members, researchers and disaster responders can better understand the various and complex impacts of chemical disasters and can improve response.
Integrative multi-omics analysis identifies genetically supported druggable targets and immune cell specificity for myasthenia gravis
Authors: Li Jiao , Wang Fei , Li Zhen , Feng Jingjing , Men Yi , Han Jinming , Xia Jiangwei , Zhang Chen , Han Yilai , Chen Teng , Zhao Yinan , Zhou Sirui , Da Yuwei , Chai Guoliang , Hao Junwei
Published: March 2024

Background

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by fluctuating muscle weakness. Despite the availability of established therapies, the management of MG symptoms remains suboptimal, partially attributed to lack of efficacy or intolerable side-effects. Therefore, new effective drugs are warranted for treatment of MG.

Methods

By employing an analytical framework that combines Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analysis, we estimate the causal effects of blood druggable expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and protein quantitative trait loci (pQTLs) on the susceptibility of MG. We subsequently investigated whether potential genetic effects exhibit cell-type specificity by utilizing genetic colocalization analysis to assess the interplay between immune-cell-specific eQTLs and MG risk.

Results

We identified significant MR results for four genes (CDC42BPB, CD226, PRSS36, and TNFSF12) using cis-eQTL genetic instruments and three proteins (CTSH, PRSS8, and CPN2) using cis-pQTL genetic instruments. Six of these loci demonstrated evidence of colocalization with MG susceptibility (posterior probability > 0.80). We next undertook genetic colocalization to investigate cell-type-specific effects at these loci. Notably, we identified robust evidence of colocalization, with a posterior probability of 0.854, linking CTSH expression in TH2 cells and MG risk.

Conclusions

This study provides crucial insights into the genetic and molecular factors associated with MG susceptibility, singling out CTSH as a potential candidate for in-depth investigation and clinical consideration. It additionally sheds light on the immune-cell regulatory mechanisms related to the disease. However, further research is imperative to validate these targets and evaluate their feasibility for drug development.
Botulinum toxin: a new differential diagnosis for a lytic bone lesion
Authors: Lefkovits Yael , Lipton Lara
Published: March 2024

Background

Botulinum toxin, produced by the Gram-positive anaerobe Clostridium botulinum, is composed of seven antigenic subtypes (A, B, C, D, E, F, and G). Currently, only Botulinum toxin type A, commonly referred to as “Botox,” is approved for clinical use, given its relatively safe clinical profile. Botulinum toxin type A has a wide range of therapeutic indications, including treatment for dystonia, migraine headache, neurogenic bladder, and large muscle spastic disorders. However, the toxin is most widely known for its cosmetic effects in treating wrinkles and facial lines.

Case presentation

This article describes a 62-year-old Caucasian female who presented for investigation and workup of an isolated lytic lesion of her frontal bone a few weeks after administration of botulinum toxin injection into the corresponding site in the frontalis muscle. This presented as a large, palpable, painless forehead lump causing significant psychological distress. After no neoplastic cause for the lesion was found and histopathology was performed, our researchers concluded that the most likely explanation was that the bony lytic lesion resulted from inadvertent injection of the “Botox” neurotoxin through the intended target muscle and into the cortex of the underlying bone.

Conclusions

Our search of the literature failed to identify any previous cases of this occurring. However, as the popularity of this cosmetic procedure only increases, we believe that this represents an important possible differential for isolated lytic lesion after administration of “Botox” injection.
Stigma, depression, and quality of life among people with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed through active and passive case finding in Nepal: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Dixit Kritika , Rai Bhola , Aryal Tara Prasad , de Siqueira-Filha Noemia Teixeira , Dhital Raghu , Sah Manoj Kumar , Pandit Ram Narayan , Majhi Govinda , Paudel Puskar Raj , Levy Jens W. , van Rest Job , Gurung Suman Chandra , Mishra Gokul , Lönnroth Knut , Squire Stephen Bertel , Annerstedt Kristi Sidney , Bonnett Laura , Fuady Ahmad , Caws Maxine , Wingfield Tom
Published: March 2024

Background

The psychosocial consequences of tuberculosis (TB) are key barriers to ending TB globally. We evaluated and compared stigma, depression, and quality of life (QoL) among people with TB diagnosed through active (ACF) and passive (PCF) case-finding in Nepal.

Methods

We prospectively recruited adults with TB diagnosed through ACF and PCF in four districts of Nepal between August 2018 and April 2019. Participants were interviewed at 8–12 weeks (baseline) and 22–26 weeks (follow-up) following treatment initiation. TB stigma was measured using an adapted Van Rie Stigma Scale (0 = no stigma to 30 = highest stigma). Depression was measured using a locally-validated Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Mild and major depression were indicated by  PHQ-9 scores 5–9 and ≥ 10, respectively. QoL was measured using the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) from 0 to 1 (optimal QoL); and self-rated health from 0 to 100 (optimal self-rated health).

Results

We recruited 221 participants (111 ACF; 110 PCF) with a mean age of 48 years (standard deviation [SD] =  ± 16), of whom 147/221 (67%) were men. The mean TB stigma score was 12 (SD = 7.3) at baseline and 12 (SD = 6.7) at follow-up. The most commonly perceived elements of TB stigma at baseline were that people with TB experienced guilt (110/221, 50%) and feared disclosure outside their household (114/221, 52%). Self-rated health and EQ-5D-5L scores increased from baseline to follow-up (69.3 to 80.3, p < 0.001; 0.92 to 0.9, p = 0.009). Nearly one-third of participants (68/221, 31%) had mild or major depression at baseline. The proportion of participants with major depression decreased from baseline to follow-up (11.5% vs. 5%, p = 0.012). There was a moderate, significant positive correlation between depression and stigma scores (r = 0.41, p < 0.001). There were no differences found in TB stigma, self-rated health, QoL, or prevalence of mild/major depression between ACF and PCF participants.

Conclusions

We found a substantial, persistent, and clustered psychosocial impact among adults with TB diagnosed through both ACF and PCF strategies in Nepal. These findings suggest an urgent need to develop effective, evidence-based psychosocial support interventions with the potential to be integrated with existing ACF strategies and routine TB service activities.
BACTERIAL CONSORTIUM BASED ON RHIZOSPHERE BACTERIA OF SPRING BARLEY
Authors: Validov Shamil' , Komissarov Ernest
Published: March 2024

The studies were conducted to determine the protective effect demonstrated by a consortium of bacteria, isolated from barley rhizosphere, against root rot. The work was carried out on a model system in the laboratory and on barley plants in the field. Under laboratory conditions, the consortium was tested for the absence of phytotoxicity towards spring barley plants and for the ability to inhibit the development of root rot on a tomato-Fusarium oxysporum model system, where 31% decrease in disease development was demonstrated, compared to the control. Field experiments were conducted in 2023-2024 in the Republic of Tatarstan. The soil is gray forest heavy loam. For field experiments of the consortium, Kamashevskiy barley seeds were treated with a fungal spore suspension at a concentration of 104 CFU/ml at a rate of 4 l/t on the day of sowing. Root rot was observed both in the control and in the experimental variant - the development of disease in 2023 reached 17.1% and 9%, respectively, in 2024 - 12.6% and 7%. Despite the effect on root rot, the differences between the values of biometric indicators were statistically insignificant. The productivity in 2023 in the control variant was 41.5 c/ha, in the experimental it was significantly higher by 7.9 c/ha (HSR005 - 6.3 c/ha). In 2024 there were no significant differences between experimental and control variants, the yield was 43.0...44.5 c/ha with a lower value of this indicator in the control. Thus, the consortium of bacteria from the rhizosphere of spring barley is able to restrain the development of root rot without having a toxic effect on plants.
TO THE FORMATION OF AN EFFICIENCY MODEL OF AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS FUNCTIONING AS A PART OF MACHINE-TRACTOR UNIT WHEN WORKING ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Authors: Glushchenko Andrey , Salahutdinov Il'mas , Subaeva Asiya , Kalimullin Marat , Latypov Rafkat
Published: March 2024

The development of the Russian agro-industrial complex provides for increasing the efficiency of the functioning of energy machines while simultaneously reducing energy and labor costs. A promising direction for saving diesel fuel and improving the environmental performance of mobile agricultural machinery is the use of alternative motor fuel. In modern agricultural machines, this will be reflected, first of all, in the parameters of the working process and its flow in the engine, as well as in the indicators of power, fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness of its operation, which, to one degree or another, will lead to changes in the indicators characterizing the operational properties of a machine-tractor unit. The functioning of the engine as a model can be presented in the form of a multi-level and multidimensional system in which the control flows will be indicators of the work process (effective power, indicator pressure, the amount of fresh charge entering the cylinders, etc.), fuel supply parameters (cyclic supply, fuel injection pressure, fuel temperature, etc.), which depend on the physicochemical and operational properties of the alternative fuel. The proposed model provides for the determination of the rational composition of the fuel, technical solutions for adapting the fuel system for the effective supply of alternative fuel to the engine cylinders with the required indicators, as well as determining their influence on the parameters of the operational efficiency of the tractor as part of machine-tractor unit. The obtained numerical values of the parameters of the diesel operating process and fuel supply, depending on the physical-chemical properties of the alternative fuel used, make it possible to determine the performance indicators of the tractor as part of machine-tractor unit and evaluate the efficiency of its operation on various alternative types of fuels, in comparison with using petroleum diesel fuel.
THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE CONVEYOR FOR UNLOADING VEGETABLE ROOT CROPS AND POTATO TUBERS FROM STORAGE
Authors: Dorohov Aleksey , Sibirev Aleksey , Aksenov Aleksandr , Mosyakov Maksim , Sazonov Nikolay
Published: March 2024

The need to develop specialized machines and equipment for laboratory and field research on potato breeding is due to the fact that the methodology of breeding processes and the first stages of seed production involves comparing many plants of different origins and selecting the best for further work up to the creation of a new variety or transfer of seeds for propagation in production conditions. The large variability of machines for unloading vegetables and potatoes does not adequately prevent damage to vegetable and potato products, which is due to the imperfect design of such machines, including the imperfection or absence of patterns of automated control of the technological process of work and justification of the parameters of their working parts. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the parameters of the conveyor for unloading vegetable crops and potatoes into storage and to determine the patterns of formation of the control signal of the transfer function of automatic control of operation. The power required to move the pick-up depends on the maximum pressure force of introducing the intake element into the embankment, the mass of the pick-up and the rolling resistance coefficients of the running wheels of the pick-up and transport sections. The length of the unloading conveyor of the machine is determined by the reserve zone to prevent wheels from hitting the tubers, their maximum difference in the embankment, the height of the layer, as well as the angle of inclination of the unloading conveyor. The width of the conveyor belt for unloading products from storage is determined by the values of the coefficient of friction of root crops on the surface of the belt, the coefficient of working time utilization and the forward speed of the conveyor belt. After removing the collapsed mass of tubers, the line of crumbling slopes and the limiting equilibrium are a straight line, characterized by an empirical equation for determining the coordinates of the tuber collapse point, the height of the tuber layer and the embankment collapse coefficient. When the feeder tubers are introduced into the surface of the embankment, the formation of slopes occurs in four stages: the formation of a natural slope, a limiting equilibrium slope, a shedding slope and a product collapse slope.
ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE AND SELECTION OF CONTACT MODEL PARAMETERS WHEN SIMULATING PEAS SEEDS USING THE DISCRETE ELEMENT METHOD
Authors: Mudarisov Salavat , Farkhutdinov Ildar , Imangulov Vener , Podolyakin Vladislav , Nasyrov Ruslan
Published: March 2024

An integral part of technological operations in agriculture during sowing, harvesting, transportation and post-harvest processing is the impact of the working parts of machines on crop seeds. To increase the efficiency of machines and reduce seed injury, it is necessary to improve the design and technological parameters of the working units. Currently, the most promising method for theoretically substantiating the parameters of machines working with seeds and improving their design is modeling using the discrete element method. The study is carried out to substantiate the parameters of the contact model of discrete elements when modeling pea seeds. The parameters of the contact model were justified based on the results of testing on the angle of slope and arch when pouring seeds. To analyze the angle of repose and vault, a transparent rectangular container was used, when seeds were poured out of the upper part of which, the remaining seeds formed the angle of the vault, and the crumbled ones formed the angle of repose. Evaluation of the coefficients of the regression equations for changes in the angles of the arch and slope when shedding seeds in a container from the parameters of the selected contact linear viscoelastic model made it possible to establish a significant parameter - the coefficient of dynamic friction between particles. The nature of the change in the angle of repose of pea seeds from moisture is identical to the change in this angle for particles modeled by the discrete element method, with their recovery coefficient v = 0.2 and the coefficient of dynamic friction between them fd = 0.15...0.17. The dependences of the angle of repose on the moisture content of pea seeds and the coefficient of dynamic friction between particles obtained during the implementation of experiments represent a nomogram for choosing the coefficient of dynamic friction between particles fd for a contact linear viscoelastic model depending on the moisture content of pea seeds when modeling using the discrete element method.
DETERMINATION OF RATIONAL REGIME PARAMETERS FOR BIOHYDROGEN FERMENTATION USING CLOSTRIDIUM BUTYRICUM AND ENTEROBACTER CLOCAE ON HYDROLYZATES OF STRAW ACTIVATED BY STEAM EXPLOSIVE TREATMENT
Authors: Prosvirnikov Dmitriy , Tuncev Denis , Gizatullina Liliya , Gayfullin Ilnur
Published: March 2024

Studies have been conducted to determine the possibility of using agricultural waste, in particular straw, for the production of biohydrogen. In our work, we used two types of straw hydrolysates (after acidic and enzymatic hydrolysis), pre-activated by steam blasting at steam temperatures of 100, 165, 210 0C. The hydrolysates were diluted with distilled water to a concentration of reducing agents (RR) equal to 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% of their mass in order to determine the rational concentration. Two cultures of anaerobic microorganisms were tested on 18 samples of hydrolysates: a strain of bacteria of the genus Clostridium Butyricum E.VI .3.2.1 (no. VKPM B-9619), a strain of bacteria of the genus Enterobacter cloacae (no. VKPM B-1980). The fermentation temperature for all samples was set at 37 ± 0.5 0C, pH 5.5 ± 0.1. The released gas accumulated in the gas tank; its samples were taken every 12 hours and analyzed for the volume content of hydrogen. After establishing the rational initial concentration of the substrate, the temperature of steam explosive activation of straw, the type of hydrolysate and the maximum yield of biohydrogen, the cultivation temperature and pH for each culture were further changed in order to determine the rational parameters: for Clostridium Butyricum, the cultivation temperature was set to 32 ±0.5, 37 ±0.5 and 42±0.5 0C for Enterobacter cloacae – 36±0.5, 37±0.5, 38±0.5 0C; the pH for all samples was set in the range of 5...6 in increments of 0.5 ± 0.1). On acidic straw hydrolysates, Clostridium Butyricum demonstrated the best productivity (steam explosion temperature 165 0C) - hydrogen yield was 73 ml/g, on hydrolysates fermented by Enterobacter cloacae (steam explosion temperature 210 0C), hydrogen yield was 50 ml/g. Both cultures are capable of producing the maximum amount of hydrogen at a concentration of reducing substances of 2%. The rational fermentation temperature for Clostridium Butyricum is 37 ± 0.5 0C, for Enterobacter cloacae – 36 ± 0.50 C, for both cultures – pH = 6.
Simulation of the influence of electromagnetic fields on microcircuits
Authors: Poluektov Aleksandr , Medvedev Roman , Zolnikov Konstantin
Published: March 2024

The article examines the influence of electromagnetic fields on radiation effects in microcircuits, describes the influence of electromagnetic fields depending on the distance from the center of the explosion, and evaluates the degree of protection of microcircuits. Assessments of the impact of electromagnetic fields created by gamma radiation on CMOS microcircuits are considered, the physical process, a mathematical model of the occurrence of leakage current, charge loss, transistor switching speed and electronic mobility are described. The methods of protecting CMOS semiconductors from the effects of electromagnetic fields are considered: shielding, reducing the power and frequency of radiation, and compensation for the effects. Both the physical basis and the mathematical model of the parameters for shielding are considered: attenuation coefficient and shielding efficiency. The main method of protecting microcircuits from electromagnetic fields is determined using shielding, reducing the power and frequency of radiation, as well as compensating for exposure. The article describes the mathematical and algorithmic models on the basis of which a computer model was built to assess the impact of the electromagnetic field on CMOS semiconductors. The assessment of the reliability of the chip security assessment is based on a computer experiment built using a program written in the C# programming language. The result was data from an analysis of protection from the effects of an electromagnetic field on CMOS semiconductors for distances from the epicenter of the explosion at a distance of 10 to 100 km with a step of 10 km.
Mathematical support for information and control system for storing products with limited storage life
Authors: Arapov Denis , Yudina Nadezhda , Kuritsyn Vladimir , Korobova Lyudmila Lyudmila Anatol'evna
Published: March 2024

The work presents a solution to the problem of developing mathematical support for an information and control system for storing products with a limited shelf life using the example of storing sugar beets in field conditions and in heaps at sugar factories based on experimental experiments published in the open press data. An end-to-end ranking of methods for storing root crops was carried out, starting with a root lying separately on the field (rank 0.1 points), from simple windrows and heaps (rank 0.2 points) to specialized root storage and ventilated piles covered with special bactericidal coatings with reflective and protective properties (rank 4 points). An end-to-end ranking of mechanical damage to sugar beet roots has been implemented, starting from 1 point (the root crop is practically undamaged) to 0.1 point (fragments and tails). The studied hybrids were ranked according to sugar content. Based on the rankings, taking into ac-count storage time and temperature, mathematical models (mm) of the dependence of technological indica-tors of beet raw materials, including losses of beet mass and sucrose, on storage parameters were built for each study. Extensive computational experiments were per-formed using an interactive identification and optimization system (isio), which is based on a genetic algorithm and the Hooke Jeeves nonlinear programming method. The errors of the developed models do not exceed the errors of the experimental data used to construct them.
Korpora im DaF-Unterricht: Einsatz im Schulbereich
Authors: Farroni Cristina
Published: March 2024

Corpora are electronic resources that students can use – in the context of data-driven learning – to explore language and clear up any linguistic uncertainties, by searching, for example, for frequent co-occurrences and collocations through a search query. Corpora serve as input factors (cf. Fandrych/Tschirner 2007) that draw the learners’ attention to recurring linguistic patterns (cf. Drumbl 2011: 67) and promote autonomous and explorative learning. This process also enables the development of language awareness (cf. Boulton 2010), which is a key element of multilingual competence (cf. Jessner 2008). The use of corpora is increasingly being integrated into university foreign language teaching but remains rather unknown in the school sector to date. This article explores how corpora could be used in schools and the extent to which students could work with them autonomously to improve their language skills and develop, over time, multilingual competence. To answer this question, a project carried out in an Italian high school specialized in the study of foreign languages (Liceo Linguistico) is examined and presented. The project took place in 2021 and required students to undertake several corpus analysis tasks.
Auditives Dekodierungstraining zur Unterstützung der Dolmetscherausbildung: Die Rolle der deutschen Sprachvarietäten und der neuen Technologien
Authors: Morf Miriam
Published: March 2024

The paper aims to propose a reflection on the importance of German varieties in the preparation of interpreters. Like many other languages, German is classified as a pluricentric language, i. e. a language officially spoken in more than one centre or nation. This makes it a very variegated language that boasts a multitude of both standard and non-standard varieties. The task of interpreters who choose German as a foreign language is therefore to be able to understand and translate into another language what is spoken by native speakers of German, many of whom, according to the previous statement, often speak different varieties. To do this, the interpreters’ preparation must consider the inclusion of the different language varieties of both standard and non-standard German, especially at the level of auditory decoding, in order to facilitate the understanding of the message at a receptive level. Starting from the definition of a pluricentric language, this contribution will highlight the main difficulties of interpreters at the level of listening comprehension, most of which are found at the level of auditory decoding, before proposing training aimed at decoding the different varieties of standard and non-standard German realised through the use of new technologies.
La comunicazione turistica plurilingue: il Progetto “Museo poliglotta"
Authors: Carobbio Gabriella , Lombardi Alessandra
Published: March 2024

Tourism communication, especially since the digital turn, has registered several attempts to open to new forms of multilingualism. For instance, the traditional multilingual experience offered by guided tours and audio guides has now been enhanced by social networking tools. Recent research points to the need of interdisciplinary work at the crossroads of linguistics, media sciences and museum studies to investigate communication strategies and linguistic devices by means of which an international audience of tourists can be addressed and get involved in museums in the digital age. The present paper illustrates the first findings of the project “Museo poliglotta”, a project run by two universities in the Italian towns of Bergamo and Brescia in cooperation with local museums with the goal of producing digital multilingual contents for international museum visitors. The empirical part of the paper describes a workshop activity in which students developed Instagram reels in Italian, German and English on the figure of the well-known Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. A number of observations lead to the conclusion that synergies between language research and foreign language teaching on the one hand and museum institutions on the other can bring about important benefits for all parties involved, in particular the possibility to offer professionalising training in the academic world and stimuli to innovate and improve multilingual communication in the museum sector.
Shì as a Complementizer
Authors: Yang Zhaole
Published: March 2024

In this article, it is argued that a purely functional and semantically bleached shì in Mandarin could in many contexts be best analyzed as a complementizer. As such, i t is comparable to English that and functions as an (optional) introducer of the clausal arguments. Our survey shows that the morpheme shì as a complementizer occurs after quite a number of clause introducing operators, for instance, epistemic modals, clausal adverbs, clausal conjunctions, and verbs taking clausal objects like psych verbs and speech act verbs. Like in some other languages, e.g., the West African language Twi and Dutch, the complementizer can merge with a preceding element and the two elements are turned into one frozen combination involving reanalysis and constituency rebracketing . We argue that Mandarin shì has gone through similar developments as complementizer in many frozen combinations such as shuōshì . As a piece of additional evidence, we find that in Gangou dialect, a Mandarin variant, shì can also take on a complementizer function. In the end, based on the fact that shì is used as a demonstrative pronoun in Pre Qin times, we argue that Mandarin indeed has complementizers from two different sources out of the five major sources across languages listed by Chappell (2017), i.e., shuō , the complementizer (as argued by many) originally from a verb of saying, and shì , originally a demonstrative.
A New Interval Arithmetic to Generate the Complementary of Contractors
Authors: Pierre Filiol  , Theotime Bollengier  , Luc Jaulin  , Jean Christophe Le Lann
Published: March 2024

Contractor algebra is used to characterize a set
defined as a composition of sets defined by
inequalities. It mainly uses interval methods combined
with constraint propagation. This algebra includes the
classical operations we have for sets such as the
intersection, the union and the inversion. Now, it
does not include the complement operator. The reason
for this is probably related to the interval
arithmetic itself. In this paper, we show that if we
change the arithmetic used for intervals adding a
single flag, similar to not a number, we are able to
include easily the complement in the algebra of
contractors.
Set-Valued Approach for the Online Identification of the Open-Circuit Voltage of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Lahme Marit , Rauh Andreas
Published: March 2024

To describe the dynamic behavior of lithium-ion
batteries using the terminal current and the terminal
voltage as input and output of the battery, equivalent
circuit models are used, which comprise series
resistances, RC sub-networks and a state of charge
dependent voltage source. The parameters of the battery
model are influenced by aging effects as well as other
factors such as the state of charge and the cell
temperature. Although those variations can be estimated
with the help of an augmented state vector, the
typically applied approaches do not allow for a direct
identification of nonlinear dependencies of circuit
elements on the state of charge or other influence
factors. Therefore, a two-stage identification routine
for identifying those nonlinear dependencies using an
interval observer and an interval contraction scheme is
proposed in this paper. The identification routine was
successfully applied to identify the open-circuit
voltage characteristic of a lithium-ion battery.
Numerical simulations are used to evaluate the
identification quality of the identification routine.
Verified Bit and Power Allocation for MIMO Systems: A Comparison of SVD Based Techniques With GMD
Authors: Auer Ekaterina , Ahrens Andreas
Published: March 2024

Methods with result verification have been applied in different practical contexts, for example, in such diverse areas as robotics, computer graphics, or chemistry. Such methods help to verify the result of a computer simulation, additionally taking into account possibly present bounded uncertainty in a deterministic way. Modeling and simulation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has not received much attention from this angle. Nowadays, increasing the capacity of communication links by using the MIMO mechanism is an essential part of various wireless communication standards.
In this paper, we consider the channel separation stage in the overall modeling and simulation process for MIMO systems and compare the singular value decomposition (SVD) and the geometric mean decomposition (GMD) based approaches from the point of view of the achievable bit error ratio (BER) under good and poor scattering conditions. As a special focus, we use interval methods to verify the result and to deal with the appearing epistemic uncertainty. Additionally, we consider resource allocation in detail, which mostly makes sense only for the SVD approach since the goal of the GMD based one is to avoid it. However, this has been studied only asymptotically until now and needs confirmation. We propose a combined analytical-numerical approach to simulate resource allocation relying on verified techniques. The theoretical results are illustrated and the comparison is performed using simulated data for an uncorrelated and a correlated MIMO system with four receiving and four transmitting antennas.
Az igazság harmadik pillanata
Authors: Gyenis Balázs
Published: March 2024

Tőzsér János Az igazság pillanatai (2018) c. könyvében két érvet ad arra, hogy a filozófia művelése nem alkalmas módja a filozófiai problémák megoldásának: az egyik érv a filozófiai problémák természetéből, a másik metainduktív szkepticizmusból indul ki. Elsőként rámutatok, hogy a filozófiai probléma javasolt fogalmából következik az a tézis, miszerint nincsen formai különbség filozófiai problémák és (bizonyos alapvető típusú) tudományos problémák között, és érvelek amellett, hogy Tőzsér álláspontjával ellentétben a filozófiai probléma javasolt fogalmából nem következik, hogy a filozófiai problémákat reménytelen lenne megoldani. Másodszor rámutatok, hogy ugyanezen tézis egyenes következménye, hogy Tőzsér metainduktív szkeptikus érve hibás: vagy az ún. túlélési torzítás egy szélsőséges változata, vagy pedig körbenforgó. Mivel Tőzsér mindkét érve kútba esik, Tőzsér érvei alapján nincsen okunk arra, hogy szkeptikusak legyünk a filozófiai módszerek sikerességét illetően. A tanulmány zárásaként rámutatok, hogy Tőzsér The Failure of Philosophical Knowledge című, 2023-ban megjelent könyve sem tud kibújni a korábbi könyvvel szemben fent megfogalmazott kritikák alól.