bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IMPACTS OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN RESTRICTION ON RURAL HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES OF ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN YENAGOA AGRICULTURAL ZONE, BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA
Authors: Okringbo I. J. , Bethel O. , Diegbegha D. D.
Published: November 2023

With economic recoveries slowing, COVID-19 uncertainties and disruptions continuing, and worsening fiscal capacity, the outlook for food and nutrition security for many low- and middle-income farmers and their livelihood is of significant concern. The study analyzed the effect of COVID-19 lockdown restriction on rural household food security and livelihood activities of arable crop farmers in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Data were collected through well-structured questionnaire from 100 arable crop farmers. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The result showed that fever (x=3.8), cough (x=3.1), shortness of breath (x=3.5), headache (x=3.5), sore throat ( x=3.3) and congestion or running nose (=3.2) were perceived COVID-19 symptoms. Transportation (tricycle and taxi driving)  (x=3.7),  arable crop farming (x=3.4), handicraft (x=2.5),  oil palm farming (x=3.4), fish farming (x=3.2), vegetable farming (x=3.4) and snail farming (x=3.1) were livelihood activities affected by COVID-19 movement restriction. Food availability (x=2.9), feeding efficiency/sufficiency (x=2.6), economic access to food (=2.5) and food quality (=2.5) were food status of the sample arable crop farmers. The regression result showed that the coefficient of COVID-19 movement restriction (2.531) was positive and statistically significant at 1%. The study concluded that COVID-19 movement restriction significantly affected food security status and livelihood activities of arable crop farmers negatively. Hence, the study recommended effort should be made by government and other agricultural agencies to establish food storage, preservation and processing facilities so that during movement restrictions farmers can have access to food and to avoid malnutrition for the aged farmers...
EFFECT OF RESERVOIR UTILIZATION AND OTHER ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON THE HADEJIA RIVER VALLEY FLOODS: A REVIEW
Authors: Shanono N. J. , Attanda M. L. , Nasidi N. M. , Zakari M. D., , Ibrahim A. , Yahya M. N. , Usman I. M. T. , Abdullahi A. H. , Umar S. I.
Published: November 2023

The unceasing risk perception and socio-economic damages caused by flood disasters have been persistent in Hadejia River Valley (HRV). There is, however, a need to review upstream factors that could exacerbate downstream floods in the valley. The review tends to gain insight from the local and global flood occurrences due to the interplay between upstream reservoir management and other anthropogenic activities and downstream floods. The review underscores the impact of poor upstream reservoir operation, agriculture and other anthropogenic activities in exacerbating the occurrence of floods. These activities alter natural drainage patterns, reduce water absorption, and frequent spills from the major dams and hence, amplify runoff resulting in heightened flood risks. It was observed that reservoirs can serve as flood control facilities (if well-managed) and also exacerbate flooding by releasing large volumes of water too quickly or reaching capacity during intense rainfall events. It is, therefore, essential to consider the location, design, and operation of reservoirs, as well as their role within the HRV management context. In conclusion, the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) should adopt the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach that combines reservoir management, land use, flood forecasting, and emergency response strategies for minimizing downstream flood risks and maximizing the utilization of the upstream reservoirs.
ANALYSIS OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SOILS AS DETERMINANTS OF SOIL DEGRADATION IN ZARIA, NIGERIA
Authors: Umar Jibril Haruna , Ahmed Abdulrazak , Ayuba Mikhail Suleiman , Ajobunu Saliu Ibrahim , Abdulhakim Hassan Wagini
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to evaluate soil degradation in specific farmlands near Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Data collection methods included conducting field surveys and analyzing soil samples in the laboratory for physico-chemical parameters. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-15 cm from five different farmlands in four wards of Zaria, resulting in a total of twenty samples. The samples were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry to evaluate their physical and chemical properties. Principal Component Analysis and Pearson correlation were used for statistical analysis. Component 1 explains 30.8% of soil degradation, component 2 explains 25.6%, component 3 explains 14.5%, and component 4 explains 11.4%, totaling 82.2% of the variance explained by these four components. A factor loading greater than 0.75 is chosen as the parameter that most impacts land degradation in this study. Thus, in PC1, parameters of Bulk density (0.963), Porosity (-0.954), GMC (-0.287), Organic carbon (-0.77) and CEC (0.29) have strong effects on land degradation. PC2 explains CEC (0.753), Na (-0.513) and K (-0.88) to have effect on land degradation. PC3 explains parameters of Organic carbon (0.391), CEC (-0.221) and Na (0.205) to have strong impact on land degradation. While Organic carbon (0.822), CEC (0.395), Na (-0.178) and K (-0.149) have strong impacts on land degradation in PC4. The study indicates most soils of the study area were degraded. The study recommends that knowledge on the use of fertilizers to be effectively communicated to farmers in order to caution excess use and avoid future occurrence of soil degradation.
The Typology of Transition Zones with Shouldered Arches in Iranian Seljuk Structures
Authors: Golzari Elaheh , Rabb Péter
Published: November 2023

Squinches have been historically employed to facilitate the smooth transition from a square base to a circular dome in the transition zone beneath a dome. Their origin dates back to ancient Iranian architecture, and they were invented to address the challenge of supporting a dome on a square base. The shouldered arch style of squinch was initially used in Sasanian architecture. Over time, in Iranian-Islamic architecture, the transition zone with shouldered arches evolved, with Seljuk buildings representing the epitome of this development. The architectural style that emerged during the Seljuk dynasty (1037-1194) in Iran is referred to as Seljuk architecture. This study focused on the transition zones of Seljuk structures with the shouldered arch style of the squinch, examining their typology. The features of the transition zones of eleven case studies were converted into matrices, and the MATLAB programming platform was used for analysis. The findings of this research identified six types of transition zones that are composed of shouldered arches in Iranian Seljuk structures.
Wind and the Wiingashk
Authors: Leslie Simon
Published: November 2023

As a creative endeavour spurred on by the Natural Resources and the Environment from Indigenous Perspectives course in the Masters of Indigenous Relations program at Laurentian University, the story glimpses at life from the perspective of sweetgrass. Beginning life in fields of green, the story tells of the life of sweetgrass from its humble beginnings, the relationships it forms with the spirits that surround it, and the aspirations for a purposeful life that aims to be of service to others. With a focus on kindness and healing, the story and the subsequent poem look to a future that ventures to care for the earth and for others in a holistic way.
Furthering Anti-Racist Practice: Reconciliation in Action (RéconciliACTION) (Discussion Paper)
Authors: Avanthay Strus Jacqueline , Holmes Dave , Hammond Chad , Hammond Brianna
Published: November 2023

Nursing scholarship and practice has been historically complicit in the (re)production of racial inequities by not acknowledging and countering their part in the legacy of colonization . This paper will discuss the implementation of an experiential transformative learning project, RéconciliACTION, grounded in critical social justice theory. Four elements – testimonial authority, experiential learning, reciprocity, and relationality - can be implemented in nursing education that value lived experience to create change toward address anti-Indigenous racism in educational settings and health institutions. Lessons from the RéconciliACTION Project reinforce the need to increase nursing educators' knowledge of such methods and practices. Essential to this process is the recognition of lived experience as knowledge via Testimonial Authority. The process of transformation begins with the integration of anti-racist practices and Indigenous content. This project seeks to create leaders and allies in the journey towards reconciliation, reducing anti-racist attitudes and practices in educational and medical facilities
Medicine Story: Secret Life of the Arctic Willow
Authors: Haramincic Arijana
Published: November 2023

The medicine story about the Arctic Willow told through the eyes of three little girls living in the Canadian Arctic.
Roots
Authors: Patterson Kaitlyn
Published: November 2023

Colonialism disconnects Indigenous peoples from their Ancestral lands and waters, which significantly impacts Indigenous Peoples’ spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental wellness (Adelson, 2005; Richmond & Ross, 2009). In Canada, the settler state has designed legal and jurisdictional barriers that continue to restrict access to land and prevent land from being returned to Indigenous Peoples, thereby ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ wellness remains vulnerable to the effects of colonialism (Kim, 2019; Tomiak, 2017). I wrote this poem as an expression of my personal attempts to re-establish a meaningful, reciprocal connection with Land as a mixed-ancestry Algonquin Anishinaabe ikwe with roots in Mattawa/North Bay and community within Katarokwi (greater Kingston, Ontario). Despite the imposed barriers of colonialism, Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island are seeking out ways to reclaim Indigenous lands, connect with Mother Earth, and support their overall wellness.
Composition and Technology Development for Obtaining Amorphous Solid Dispersion of Ebastine by Hot Melt Extrusion to Increase Dissolution Rate
Authors: Gusev K. A. , Aliev A. R. , Generalova Yu. E. , Aksenova N. А. , Rechkalov G. V. , Maimistov D. N. , Alekseeva G. M. , Flisyuk E. V.
Published: November 2023

Introduction. Ebastine is a second-generation antihistamine drug available in the form of orally disintegrating tablets and film-coated tablets. Ebastine substance exhibits high bioavailability, but low solubility in water and gastrointestinal tract media. The technology of solid dispersions based on polymer carriers by hot melt extrusion is proposed to solve the problem of ebastine low solubility.

Aim. Composition development of extrudate and its production technology to create an amorphous solid dispersion of ebastine in oder to increase the recovery rate and bioavailability.

Materials and methods. Ebastin micronized (JSC "Active Component", Russia); ebastin crystalline (Arevipharma GmbH, Germany); VIVAPHARM® PVP/VA 64 (JRS Pharma GMbH & Co. KG, Germany). Extrudates were obtained on a HAAKE™ miniCTW co-rotating twin-screw laboratory extruder (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Germany). Extrudates were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, synchronous thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and FTIR-spectroscopy. The quantitative content of the active ingredient was determined by spectrophotometry. The content of related impurities in the amorphous solid dispersion of ebastine was determined by HPLC.

Results and discussion. The technology of amorphous solid dispersion of ebastine by hot melt extrusion was developed. The pharmacokinetic properties of ebastine were significantly improved. The process of obtaining solid dispersion with 20 % of ebastine was optimized in order to reduce the content of impurities in the extrudate.

Conclusion. The maximum concentration of ebastine for proper quality amorphous solid dispersion based on PVP/VA64 amounted to 20 %. Obtaining a solid dispersion by hot melt extrusion with ebastine content in PVP/VA64 higher than 30 % is impossible because the melt does not possess the glass transition property.
Does the HyFlex Learning Environment Affect Student Likelihood to Whistle-Blow on Academic Dishonesty?
Authors: Diala Lucy U. , Zhao Le , Parra Fernando , Davis Lizhu
Published: November 2023

The reality of possible disruptions in daily life such as the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated increased adoptions of flexible hybrid learning, namely the HyFlex modality. With greater use of online or hybrid learning, concerns about academic dishonesty are more prevalent. Despite the empirical evidence that shows that whistleblowing reduces academic dishonesty, accounting education empirical literature on whistleblowing has mostly focused on traditional classroom modalities. This paper administered a survey to 232 students in HyFlex accounting classes and provides empirical evidence that HyFlex learning environment’s characteristics of engagement and campus connectedness are positively linked to whistleblowing likelihood, whereas HyFlex students who prefer in-person attendance are less likely to whistle-blow. Open-ended questions analyzing ways to increase whistleblowing revealed that students who feel engaged in HyFlex classes are more likely motivated to report on misconduct when they are incentivized and provided protected anonymity.
Subway’s “Fishy” Tuna Scandal: A Public Relations Case Study
Authors: Alegria Rebekah
Published: November 2023

Until 1630, the population of Mantua was about 30,000 inhabitants and its economy was really sturdy, thanks to agriculture and some manufacturing activities. The war and its overwhelming effects were added to the ones of the humongous plague epidemic. In 1631, the city counted less than 7,000 inhabitants and each economic activity was absent. Thus the new dukedom’s government tried to boost both the population and the economic growth by guaranteeing tax exemptions for those people who chose to move to Mantua. This paper analyzes the stories of these entrepreneurs, who took advantage of the incentives, making private negotiations with the new government. The outcome was kind of surprising because the demographic growth was really fast, in 1640 already, the city was back to 25,000 inhabitants, but mostly the economic recovery was focused on new areas, such as stockings and caps factories and paper industry. The Plague and the war erased a city but a new one arose in its place, followed by a new ruling class and new economic basis.
Breast cancer: machine learning aimed at triaging for screening, diagnostic workflow, and treatment
Authors:   , Wang Hui
Published: November 2023

Traditional biomarkers of breast cancer are dependent on invasive sampling of the areas suspicious of malignancy. In contrast, MRI not only investigates the whole tumor in vivo, but also evaluates the surrounding tissues (e.g., background parenchymal enhancement). The aim of this thesis was to investigate machine learning to support triaging decisions in screening, diagnostic workflow, and treatment by extracting imaging biomarkers from fibroglandular tissue and breast lesions on MRI. We identified quantitative properties of the breast parenchyma on baseline MRI in a screening population of women with extremely dense breasts, and found that breast cancer occurrence in women with higher volumes of enhancing parenchyma was around two times larger than that in women with low volumes of enhancing parenchyma (hazard ratio, 2.09, P = .005). In a population of women with early breast cancer, we constructed a computer-aided diagnosis model and identified malignancy with near-perfect specificity in approximately half of preoperative patients originally indicated for a breast biopsy. Finally, we investigated the imaging phenotype of synchronous cancers, and found that the MRI phenotype of ER+/HER2– breast cancer was different from that of its ipsilateral counterpart; a large MRI phenotype difference was associated with worse prognosis, which may have potential to serve as a noninvasive indicator of long-term prognosis before treatment.
The Effect of Financial Ratios on Financial Distress Conditions is Moderated by Profitability Ratios
Authors: Apasya Trida , Machmuddah Zaky , Sumaryati Anna
Published: November 2023

This study aims to examine the effect of financial ratios moderated by profitability ratios on the financial distress of transportation and logistics sector companies listed on the IDX for 4 consecutive years in the 2018-2021 period. The independent variables are proxied by CR (liquidity), DAR (leverage), SG (growth), and the addition of TATO (activity). In addition, ROA is a proxy for the profitability variable which is the moderating variable. The Z-Score (Altman) is a proxy for financial distress as the dependent variable. This study selected companies in the transportation and logistics sector for the 2018-2021 period as a population with a sample size of 18 companies in the transportation and logistics sector that met the criteria. Logistic regression analysis was used as an analytical technique in this study. The results of his research inform that CR, DAR, and TATO have a significant influence on the occurrence of financial distress. Meanwhile, SG did not significantly affects the occurrence of financial distress. In addition, ROA can moderate the effect of SG and TATO on the occurrence of financial distress. However, ROA is unable to moderate the effect of CR and DAR on the occurrence of financial distress.
Exploring Curriculum Making in Scottish Secondary Schools: Trends and Effects
Authors: Shapira Marina , Priestley Mark , Peace-Hughes Tracey , Barnett Camilla , Ritchie Michelle
Published: November 2023

This article presents the findings from a recent study funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which aimed to provide insights into the experiences of young people and teachers in secondary schools across Scotland under the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Our research has uncovered a decrease in the number of National Qualifications entries in S4 under CfE, a phenomenon commonly referred to in Scotland as ‘curriculum narrowing.’ Furthermore, we have identified evidence of social stratification in overall and subject entry patterns in S4, with students from disadvantaged areas experiencing a more significant decline in entries and being limited to a narrower range of subjects. Additionally, our study has revealed signs of curriculum fragmentation during the Broad General Education phase (years S1–S3). The findings from our study also suggest that the curriculum decisions made in schools are primarily driven by the demand for better attainment data, particularly in National Qualifications during the Senior Phase (school years S4–S6), with less emphasis on what it means for an individual to become an educated person in a modern and complex society. Based on our findings, we have concluded that curriculum fragmentation and narrowing under CfE have a detrimental impact on the progression and attainment of young people. Schools that offer a broader curriculum in S4 demonstrate higher enrolment rates for Higher qualifications in S5 and Advanced Higher qualifications in S6. In contrast, schools that offer a narrower curriculum in S4, particularly those in deprived areas, are more likely to experience delays in higher-level qualification entry. A broader curriculum in S4 has been associated with improved performance in National 5 qualifications, higher scores in international tests such as PISA English and Maths, and higher scores on OECD measures of global competences. On the other hand, a narrower curriculum is correlated with less favourable outcomes after leaving school, especially in terms of Higher Education enrolment.
Climax of Clearance: Famine, Race and Compulsory Emigration
Authors: Devine T.M.
Published: November 2023

This public lecture considers the impact of the 1840s European potato blight on Scotland. It focuses especially on the Highlands, where phytophthora infestans exposed the people of the region to acute life-threatening crisis. Throughout, comparisons and contrasts are drawn with the Great Irish Famine ( an Gorta Mór) which has attracted much more scholarly and popular attention than the famine in Scotland. One key question is why did the Highlands not starve, unlike the appalling tragedy over the Irish Sea? Devine further describes how Highland famine triggered an unprecedented scale and intensity of ‘clearance’, forced removal of people from their traditional holdings, which emptied entire districts of their people. He concludes by querying whether the era of Clearance ended with the removal of forced mass eviction, or whether other strategies by the landed class served to compel Highlanders to leave.
Research Note: Protest, Liaison and Legitimacy
Authors: Gorringe Hugo , Rosie Michael
Published: November 2023

The policing of protest remains a vexed and contentious area, and this article examines the operation by Police Scotland around the National Service of Thanksgiving for King Charles and Queen Camilla in Edinburgh, July 2023 . There were a number of reasons why this particular operation faced a high degree of scrutiny, not least several arrests made some months previously around the funeral of the late Queen, and arrests made by the Metropolitan Police around the Coronation in London. From the outset Police Scotland emphasised a ‘human rights approach’ which aimed to balance security and public safety against the rights of those spectating and of those protesting the event. Here we examine the difficulties faced in such a complex operation, and assess the extent to which Police Scotland were able to deliver on their intended approach
Permeable Housing
Authors: Grealy Liam
Published: November 2023

This article explores how water acts on permeable housing and the documentary infrastructures that mitigate its impact and enable its flows. It does so through consideration of ongoing litigation brought by public housing tenants at the remote communities of Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) and Laramba in the Northern Territory of Australia for incomplete repairs and unsafe drinking water. I offer a distinction between pragmatist and functionalist housing, as competing concepts for framing, respectively, the impact of entrenched low expectations on remote housing performance and management and the minimum amenity that contemporary housing should provide. The litigation by Ltyentye Apurte and Laramba householders is notable for challenging the habitability standard that remote community housing must meet and for introducing the provision of safe drinking water as a matter of habitable housing. While water searches out cracks and refuses expulsion from the housing assemblage, necessitating repairs and maintenance, such mobility provides a challenge for allocating specific obligations to various settler colonial authorities that are collectively involved in maintaining house function. Drawing on close analyses of a series of legal decisions, the article examines how legal frameworks and intra-governmental funding arrangements are employed to eschew responsibility for safe drinking water inside remote community housing.
The Many Names and Shapes of Water: Emergent Narratives on a Non-existing Water Body in Latin America
Authors: Vallejo David Osorio
Published: November 2023

In a well-known narrative, a body of water intertwined with a suburban landscape in a town near Bogotá, Colombia's capital, is menaced by an expansive real estate industry. This paper offers a historical view on how the marshlands in and around Bogotá were dried. It examines how certain technologies captured, governed, and instrumentalised water. However, water manages to slip through these technologies, defying colonial relations but also falling into certain technoscientific classifications. Consequently, this work aims to go beyond colonial taxonomies of water and nature by focusing on the entanglements of both human and non-human actors through a multispecies ethnography. This allows us to delve deeper into the ways in which water, as a life force, provides the conditions for a rich and biodiverse assembling, letting us be part and witnesses of narratives that challenge the traditional views of Earth and the relationships between humans and the environment, also known as Gaia stories ( Haraway 2019 ). To conclude, we propose an exercise of political imagination through a situated story that helps us imagine a multispecies flourishing future that provides us clues for knitting a more just future for all of us.
Painful to Discuss: The Intersection of Chronic Pain, Mental Health, and Analgesic Use among People with HIV
Authors: Pullen Sara D. , Nuñez Maria Anjanette , Bennett Sydney , Brown Wellsley , Cronin Catherine , Fleischer Maya , Malcolm Abigail , Ramesh Vijay , Spencer Kayla
Published: November 2023

Objective: This retrospective chart review study aims to identify patients in an HIV clinical setting in an area of high HIV prevalence in Atlanta, Georgia, USA who have chronic pain, analgesic prescriptions, and/or mental health diagnoses.

Design: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at higher risk for experiencing trauma, mental health conditions, and chronic pain than their HIV-negative counterparts. This study was designed to evaluate the intersection of these factors within an urban HIV clinic.

Methods: Retrospective chart review study.

Results: Of the adult patients enrolled at an HIV clinic in Atlanta, Georgia USA between 2011-2022 (n=15,970), 93.7% were prescribed analgesics, 40.5% had documented pain diagnoses, and 23.5% had documented mental health diagnoses. Additionally, 14.3% of all enrolled patients had all three factors concurrently.

Conclusions: The complexity of HIV, chronic pain, mental health challenges, and analgesic use demand a patient-centered, collaborative approach including a multidisciplinary care team. Seeing persistent pain among PLWH with a trauma-informed approach to care within the lens of co-occurring mental health diagnoses will allow us to better understand, treat, and sustain patients in life-saving HIV care.
Problems of rural areas of Ukraine in the context of European integration processes
Authors: Palapa N. , Nagorniuk О. , Gulinchuk R. , Ustymenko О. , Gurmanchuk О.
Published: November 2023

Ukraine has favorable geographical, climatic, resource and other prerequisites for the development of rural areas, therefore it is potentially capable of becoming a state with priority development of the agricultural sector and one of the main suppliers to the world markets of ecologically safe food products. However, the problem of non-compliance of the level of development of the Ukrainian agricultural sector and rural areas with the world level and standards of the EU countries in general remains unresolved. The competitiveness of domestic agricultural products is achieved mainly due to cheap labor and ruthless exploitation of the land. The article analyzes the socio-economic and ecological state of rural areas of Ukraine and establishes that at the current stage rural areas are in a catastrophic state. The state of natural resources and the ecological situation are deteriorating, the engineering and social infrastructure, the system of social services (medicine, culture, preschool education) and the sphere of life are in decline, human potential is decreasing, unemployment and poverty are flourishing, which stimulates labor migration. The lack of work, medical care, social and infrastructure support does not encourage rural youth to actively give birth to children, as a result of which the rural population is aging at a very fast pace, there is no simple replacement of the population, mortality prevails over birth rate. The lifespan expectancy of the population in one or another country is precisely the indicator that characterizes well-being. In Ukraine, the average lifespan expectancy as of 2020 was 66.4 years for men and 76.2 years for women, which is an average 3.6–14.4 years for men and 1.3–9.3 years for women less compared to the countries of the European Union. During 32 years of independence, Ukraine, as a state, did nothing to improve the living conditions of the rural population, stop migration processes and the natural reduction of the population in general, and especially the rural population. As a result of such non-statistical attitude of the state of Ukraine towards rural areas, 435 rural settlements disappeared from the map of Ukraine during this period. The primary solution to the social and infrastructure problems of the rural population is one of the main conditions for Ukraine’s food security, its economic and social well-being, and therefore should become a priority direction for the state of Ukraine.
Ecological and economic basis of balanced development of horticulture in Ukraine
Authors: Vysochanska M. , Zubchenko V.
Published: November 2023

The current state and ecological and economic foundations of balanced development of horticulture are analyzed. According to the data of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the balance of fruits, berries and grapes in Ukraine for 2015–2020 in relation to the growth of production during this period was 73%, imports decreased by 2 times, exports increased by 5 times, processing volumes increased by 2 times, the consumption fund increased by 46%. Inventories increased by 3.9 times in 2020 compared to 2015, which is due to problems with product sales, disruption of logistics due to the Covid-19 pandemic, decrease in sales and purchase prices by manufacturers, etc. Reasonably improving the efficiency of the use of enterprise resources, improving the breed-varietal structure of fruit and berry plantations and the introduction of innovative resource-saving technologies can really be priority directions for increasing productivity in the field of horticulture. It was determined that the implementations of measures to increase the efficiency of the use of water resources in horticulture, which will reduce irrigation costs and conserve water resources. This can be achieved, in particular, with the help of modern drip irrigation systems, which make it possible to reduce water consumption by 30-50% compared to traditional irrigation methods. It is also important to conduct regular monitoring of the groundwater level and develop a system for their effective use. It has been proven that horticulture is an important branch of the economy, which ensures the cultivation of fruits, berries, nuts and other useful plants. However, at the same time, it can have a significant impact on the environment and natural resources. Therefore, to ensure the ecological and economic sustainability of horticulture development, it is necessary to take into account the ecological and economic aspects of growing plants. One of the main aspects is the preservation of soil fertility and its water-physical properties. Soil is an important resource that ensures plant development, water storage and carbon conservation. Growing plants can lead to loss of fertile soil, erosion, water and air pollution. In order to preserve the fertility of the soil, it is necessary to use environmentally friendly farming methods that reduce the impact of agrochemicals on the soil.
Analysis of European statistical indicators of environmental efficiency
Authors: Polishchuk V.
Published: November 2023

The main task of this article is to define the function of statistical indicators in the process of analysing the environmental performance indicators. It is established that in economies of European countries the general principals of ecologisation of the economy are determined enviromental policy, which involves using of complex mechanisms for modernising and rationalizing of the manufacturing. In the EU countries, environmental protection is a strategically important task by active implementation of innovative production technologies and using effective financial instruments of influence for those subjects of management, whose activities significantly worsen the condition of the environment. In solving environmental and resource problems, it is necessary to use preventive methods that will reduce the risks of further escalation of the environmental and economic situation in the European region. To define the prospects of agricultural ecologisation, a statistical analysis of the dynamics of change in the area of organic farming was made. The indicators of energy tax revenues from the agricultural sector of European countries were determined and it was established that the volume of energy consumption is reduced by the introduction of innovative technologies for energy production and consumption. It is proved that sharing of zero-emission vehicles in newly registered cars is growing fast because of the large-scale implementation of automotive ecological programs. The indicators of production, safe and dangerous waste generation and the level of household waste recycling were explored too. A large part of goods is produced by recycling materials in economies of many developed countries. The analysis of the volume of environmental services provided by public authorities in a number of European countries was carried out in order to determine the dynamics indicators, conduct a comparative analysis and establish the absolute deviation. The research shows that in the structural model of environmental policy an important function is performed by mechanisms of environmental crediting and subsidisation, and the volumes of environmental subsidies, which are also determined and reviewed. It is recommended to study and implement the experience of European countries in solving environmental and resource problems by realisation the policy of sustainable development and balanced nature management in Ukraine.
Aquatic, riverside-aquatic and shrubswamp vegetation of Bile lake at «Biloozersky» NNP
Authors: Shevchyk V. , Solomakha V. , Palamarchuk R. , Postoienko D.
Published: November 2023

The territory of the «Biloozerskyi» National Park represents the landscape complexes of the Middle Dnipro region, the integral elements of which contain ancient watercourses, swampy and waterlogged, wedged between the raised segments of the pine terrace and often connected to the modern floodplain. In the central part of such a decline (89–92 m above sea level), which is located within the park, there is a floodplain Bile Lake with a swampy island, which divides it into a smaller eastern water area of the lake and a larger western one. The periphery of the lake is surrounded by areas of swampy shores. The total area of flooded and swampy areas is about 16 hectares, of which the area of the water pond is 9 hectares. Considerable areas are represented by thickets of air-water vegetation and swamp-bog swamps with a thick cover of Sphagnum sp. The water supply of this lake is complex and is provided by both the underground waters of the pine terrace and the waters of the surface runoff. And in the presence of a swampy decline with channels connecting them into one wetland system, they provide the possibility of slow water exchange between the Kaniv Reservoir and the lake. The examined territory has a fairly rich and diverse plant complex. A number of habitats protected by Directive 92/43/EU «On the conservation of natural habitats and species of natural fauna and flora» are presented and large populations of two species of marsh orchids (Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich., Epipactis palustris (L.) Crantz) and water fern (Salvinia natans (L.) All.) are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (2009). In addition, three species protected in the Kyiv region grow here in the conditions of natural biotopes (Drosera rotundifolia L., Dryopteris cristata (L.) A. Gray, Nymphaea alba L.).
The formation of a phytopathogenic microbiome as a factor of biological pollution of agrocoenoses of vivas
Authors: Beznosko I. , Havryliuk L. , Mudrak V.
Published: November 2023

The formation of the phytopathogenic microbiome as a factor in the biological contamination of oat agrocenoses is an important research task, the solution of which will make it possible to create ecologically balanced agroecosystems. This will increase their ability to self-regulate the population of micromycetes in order to obtain high-quality and safe oat raw materials. Therefore, the influence of environmental factors (abiotic, biotic, anthropogenic) on the formation of micromycete populations in the oat leaf microbiome under different plant growing technologies was studied. The article presents the results of ecological assessment of oat plant varieties based on indicators of influence on population density, frequency of occurrence, and intensity of sporulation of micromycetes. Vegetative organs of oat plants of Parlamentskyi and Tembr varieties were selected in the following phases: tillering, emergence into tubes and earing. It was determined that climatic conditions, as an abiotic factor, namely an increase in air temperature, frequent droughts, rare but abundant rains, which changed depending on the year of the study, significantly influenced the formation of micromycete populations in the oat leaf microbiome. Plant growing technologies, as an anthropogenic factor, significantly influenced the spectrum of species and their frequency of occurrence in the leaf microbiome of oats of various varieties. Under the organic technology of growing plants, the spectrum of micromycete populations was more diverse, but with a lower frequency of occurrence of species compared to the traditional technology of growing plants. Also, varieties of oat plants, as a biotic factor, thanks to the physiological substances of plants, are able to restrain the spread of micromycete populations in the leaf microbiome of plants or stimulate them. It was found out that with the traditional and organic technology of growing plants in the leaf microbiome of Tembr oat variety, the population density, the frequency of occurrence of micromycete species, and the intensity of sporulation were significantly lower compared to Parlamentskyi oat variety plants. This indicates that the cultivation of oat varieties capable of restraining the formation of micromycete populations at an ecologically safe level will ensure a decrease in the level of biological pollution of agrocenoses and increase the biosafety of plant raw materials
Еvaluation of chemical preparations for apple tree protection against pests according to ecotoxicological indicators
Authors: Fоmenko O.
Published: November 2023

The article analyzes the amount of insecticide application in the system of protection of perennial plantations for 2019–2021 and determines the degree of danger of their use and the potential risk of ecotoxicological danger. It has been established that in Ukraine during the year the largest number of chemical preparations based on active substances is introduced by: malathion (2.29 thousand per kg), dimethoate (1.59 thousand per kg), imidacloprid (1.49 thousand per kg), propargite (1.49 thousand per kg) and cypermethrin (1.11 thousand per kg). The highest ecotoxicological risk is determined for such active ingredients as imidacloprid, dimethoate, alpha-cypermethrin, zeta-cypermethrin, propargite, flupyradifurone, lambda-cyhalothrin, which are the part of preparations Konfidor, SL, Danadym stabilnyi, ЕC, Bi-58 new, е.c., Alfahard 100, ЕC, Fastak, е.c., F’iuri, е.w., Omait 57%, ЕW, Sivanto Praim 200 SL, Ampliho 150 ZC, FC, Enzhio 247 SC, s.с., Karate Zeon 050 СS mк.s. According to the totality of ecotoxicological and sanitary-hygienic indicators such preparations as Bi-58 new, е.c., Danadym stabilnyi, ЕC, Kalipso 480 SC, Movento 100 SС, Oberon Rapid 240 SС, SС, Transform, WG, Fufanon 570, ЕC are classified as low-hazard (Cn 6–7). Dangerous (level 3) include Ampliho 150 ZC, FC, Arrivo, е.c., Enzhio 247 SC, s.с., Karate Zeon 050 СS mк.s., Sivanto Praim 200 SL, F’iuri, е.w. Very dangerous (level 2) ones include Alfahard 100, ЕC, Proteus 110 ОD, Fastak, е.c. According to the set of characteristics of active substances and preparations based on them, indicators of ecotoxicological danger and the degree of danger, it was established that the use of Kalipso 480 SC, Movento 100 SС, Oberon Rapid 240 SС, SС, Transform, WG, Fufanon 570, ЕC preparations, in compliance with the recommended application norms, it poses the least potential danger to the natural environment. The biggest danger in agrobiocenoses of apple trees is the preparations from the class of pyrethroids such as Arrivo, е.c., Karate Zeon 050 СS mк.s., F’iuri, е.w., Fastak, е.c., аnd Alfahard 100, ЕC, Proteus 110 ОD.
Cyanobacterial water blooms as an environmental hazard to waters
Authors: Tsentylo L. , Stetsiuk I.
Published: November 2023

The article describes and analyzes the problem of cyanotoxin contamination of water bodies in Ukraine and other countries of the world. Eutrophication of water bodies, which is caused by human activity, climate change lead to uncontrolled development of cyanobacteria, and thus to ecological danger in hydrosphere objects. Anthropogenic eutrophication (increasing the content of nutrients in water due to their introduction into water bodies during pollution of water bodies by flood and municipal runoff, fish farming use of water bodies), temperature rise, increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, as a result of the transformation of introduced organic matter in water, contribute to increasing the dominance of cyanobacteria in water ecosystems. Bloomforming cyanobacteria produce various neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, and dermatotoxins that can be fatal to birds and mammals (including waterfowl, cattle, and dogs) and threaten the use of water bodies for public water supply, recreation, irrigation, and fishing. Among the toxins of blue-green algae, nodularin, saxitoxin, microcystin, domoic acid, guanitoxin, anatoxins and others were found. Exceeding the critical mass of algae and their metabolites activates the selfdecomposition process. This leads to the removal of oxygen from the water, and instead the release of methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and other toxic substances. The result of this is not only the death of fish. Cyanobacteria are capable of natural genetic transformation — genetic change of the cell as a result of direct absorption and inclusion of exogenous DNA from its environment. A sufficiently effective solution to the issue of controlling the activity of cyanobacteria is the use of humic preparations. it was established that humic substances (humic acids, fulvic acids) in certain concentrations negatively affect the growth, development and activity of cyanobacteria. Humic substances, as a component of organic matter and a reserve of organic carbon in its global cycle, have a negative effect on hydrobionts by increasing their concentration in water bodies. However, humic substances are able to regulate the activity of phytoplankton. The introduction of humic substances at a concentration of 2-5 mg/l of reservoir water significantly affects the activity of phytoplankton (suppresses phytoplankton vegetation, reduces the slime formation of cyanobacteria, and, from the beginning, inactivates the synthesis of cyanotoxins). This effect is provided by the alkaline pH of humates, high content of iron and copper.
Protein kinase B/AKT phosphorylates hypoxia-inducible factor-3α1 in response to insulin, promoting cell growth and migration
Authors: Nguyen Tran Vinh Hong , Bergmann Ulrich , Kietzmann Thomas , Mennerich Daniela
Published: November 2023

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are best known for their roles in the adaptation to low oxygen environments. Besides hypoxia, HIF-1/2 α-subunits are also regulated by various non-hypoxic stimuli including insulin which can act via the PI3K/protein kinase B (PKB) signaling pathway. However, with respect to insulin little is known about HIF-3α. We aimed to investigate this relationship and found that insulin stimulates HIF-3α expression under both normal and low oxygen conditions. Blocking PKB activity reversed the effects of insulin, indicating that HIF-3α is a direct target of PKB. We identified serine 524, located in the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-3α, as a phosphorylation site of PKB. Mutating serine 524 impaired binding of PKB to HIF-3α and its ubiquitination, suggesting that PKB regulates HIF-3α stability through phosphorylation, thereby affecting important cellular processes such as cell viability and cell adhesion. Importantly, we discovered that this phosphorylation site also influenced insulin-dependent cell migration. These findings shed light on a novel mechanism by which insulin affects PKB-dependent HIF-3α expression and activity, with potential implications in metabolic diseases and cancer.
Case report: Diagnosis of ADCY5-related dyskinesia explaining the entire phenotype in a patient with atypical citrullinemia type I
Authors: Pontrucher Audrey , Barth Magalie , Ziegler Alban , Chao de la Barca Juan Manuel , Mirebeau-Prunier Delphine , Reynier Pascal , Homedan Chadi
Published: November 2023

In this case study, we report the case of a 13-year-old girl with citrullinemia type 1 (MIM #215700), an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of the urea cycle, which was confirmed by the identification of a homozygous pathogenic variant in the argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1) gene. However, the patient presented abnormal hyperkinetic movements with global developmental delay and clinical signs that were not fully consistent with those of citrullinemia type 1 or with those of her siblings with isolated citrullinemia type 1. Exome sequencing showed the presence of a de novo heterozygous pathogenic variant in the adenylate cyclase type 5 (ADCY5) gene. The variant confirmed the overlap with the so-called ADCY5-related dyskinesia with orofacial involvement, which is autosomal dominant (MIM #606703), a disorder disrupting the enzymatic conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). In addition to the citrullinemia-related low-protein diet and arginine supplementation, the identification of this second disease led to the introduction of a treatment with caffeine, which considerably improved the dyskinesia neurological picture. In conclusion, this case highlights the importance of clinical-biological confrontation for the interpretation of genetic variants, as one hereditary metabolic disease may hide another with therapeutic consequences.

This article reports the misleading superposition of two inherited metabolic diseases, showing the importance of clinical-biological confrontation in the interpretation of genetic variants.
Organ Repair and Regeneration During Ex Situ Dynamic Preservation: The Future is Nano
Authors: Gilbo Nicholas , Blondeel Joris , Pirenne Jacques , Romagnoli Renato , Camussi Giovanni , Monbaliu Diethard
Published: November 2023

Organ preservation and assessment with machine perfusion (MP) has provided transplant physicians with the ability to evaluate and select grafts suitable for transplantation. Nevertheless, the discard of organs considered too damaged still sustains the imbalance between donor organs supply and demands. Therefore, there is the pressing clinical need for strategies to repair and/or regenerate organs before transplantation, and MP is uniquely positioned to satisfy this need. The systemic administration of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) was shown to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury in pre-clinical organ transplant models but could not be reproduced in clinical transplantation, largely because of inefficient cell delivery. The administration of MSC during MP is one strategy that recently gained much attention as an alternative delivery method to target MSC directly to the donor organ. However, careful reinterpretation of preliminary results reveals that this approach is equally limited by a suboptimal delivery of short-lived MSC to the target organ. In contrast, the use of MSC secretome and/or extracellular vesicles therapy during MP seems to be more efficient in harnessing MSC properties during MP. In this mini review we speculate on the future of the novel niche of ex situ organ repair and regeneration before transplantation.