bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Methodology for constructing a static regression multifactor model from experimental data with factor scheduling of a fiber optic gyroscope
Authors: Скворцов В.С. , Лазаренко О.И.
Published: March 2022

В статье обосновывается использование полного факторного эксперимента, как основного для исследования волоконно-оптического гироскопа. Показаны этапы построения регрессионных многофакторных моделей, полученных на основе результатов активного эксперимента. Также на основе модели волоконно-оптического гироскопа, построенной в вычислительно среде Matlab/Simulink, проведен анализ выбора основных характеристик, которые могут выступать как факторы необходимые для проведения полного факторного эксперимента и получения адекватной математической модели.

The article substantiates the use of a full factorial experiment as the main one for the study of fiber-optic gyroscopes. The stages of constructing regression multifactor models obtained based on an active experiment are shown. Also, based on the fiber-optic gyroscope model built in the Matlab/Simulink computing environment, the analysis of the selection of the main characteristics that can act as factors necessary for conducting a complete factor experiment and obtaining an adequate mathematical model is carried out.
Study of neural network approach application in face detection problem
Authors: Крысин И.А. , Гаврилов К.А.
Published: March 2022

В статье приводится исследование применения сверточных нейронных сетей с разными структурами при решении задачи обнаружения лиц. Приводятся тесты и сравнение эффективности в сравнении с алгоритмом Viola-Jones по оценкам точности и скорости обработки. Проверяется точность при обнаружении лиц с очками. Результаты доказали возможность применения нейросетевого подхода. В статье описываются возможные варианты применения нейронных сетей в гибриде с алгоритмом Viola-Jones для более эффективного решения.

The article brings study of convolutional neural network with various structures application in face detection problem. Tests and effectiveness comparison to Viola-Jones algorithm are carried out in terms of accuracy and speed of processing. Accuracy on face detection with glasses is tested. Results proved the ability of neural network approach application. The article describes possible options of using neural networks with Viola-Jones algorithm to improve performance on the solution.
Célország-preferenciák az elvándorlást tervező magyar orvosok körében
Authors: Golovics József
Published: March 2022

Jelen tanulmány az elvándorlást tervező magyar állampolgárságú orvosok célország-preferenciáit vizsgálja 2010 és 2019 közötti időszakra vonatkozóan az Állami Egészségügyi Ellátó Központ által kiadott, külföldi munkavállaláshoz szükséges hatósági bizonyítványok adatai alapján. A statisztikák áttekintése mellett kereszttáblás elemzésekben, függetlenségvizsgálat és asszociációs kapcsolat mérése révén azt kívánjuk feltárni, hogy beazonosítható-e valamilyen mintázat a külföldi munkavállalást tervező orvosok célország-választása, valamint neme, kora, lakhelye és szakvizsga-típusa között. Mindezek során az egyes célországok kereslet oldali vonzó hatásait is figyelembe vesszük. A statisztikai vizsgálatok eredményei rendre gyenge kapcsolatokra utalnak, azonban több jellemző motívum kiemelhető a fő célországok tekintetében. Németország iránt erőteljes érdeklődés mutatkozik a fiatal orvosok körében, míg az Egyesült Királyságot inkább a tapasztaltabbak célozzák meg. Akik az utóbbin szándékoznak munkát vállalni, azok nagy valószínűséggel meg is valósítják e terveiket. Ausztria potenciális ingázási célpont a nyugati határhoz közeli megyék orvosai számára, míg a svédországi desztinációt a patológusok választják leginkább.
COVID-19 PANDEMİSİNDE ÖZEL GEREKSİNİMLİ ÇOCUKLAR VE ANNELERİNİN DENEYİMLERİ: NİTEL BİR ARAŞTIRMA
Authors: KUNDAKCI Yunus Emre , GÜL İsa , YEŞİLTAŞ Aysun , KUNDAKCI Rabia
Published: March 2022

Özel gereksinimli çocuklar, akranlarına göre birçok yönden dezavantajlı bireylerdir. Çalışmamızda özel gereksinimli bireylerin annelerinin gözünden pandeminin oluşturduğu etkilerin ve ailelerin beklentilerinin nitel araştırma yöntemi ile ortaya koyulması amaçlanmıştır. Bu doğrultuda 259 öğrencinin eğitim aldığı bir Özel Eğitim ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi’ne devam eden öğrencilerden 13’ünün anneleri ile yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniği kullanılarak bireysel görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler betimsel analiz yoluyla analiz edilmiştir. Pandemi öncesi dönemde aileler bu merkezlerde anlaşıldıklarını ve sosyalleştiklerini düşünmektedir. Ailelerin bu merkezlere gelmedikleri saatlerde de çocukları için egzersiz yapmak, oyun oynamak, parka gitmek, yürüyüş yapmak, okula gitmek, fizik tedaviye gitmek, ödev yapmak gibi temel görev ve sorumluluklara sahip oldukları görülmüştür. Pandemi sürecinde okulların kapalı olduğu 3 aylık dönemde katılımcıların pandemi, ruhsal ve fiziksel durum ve okul kategorileri altında değerlendirme yaptıkları görülmüştür. Kontrollü sosyal hayata geçildiği dönemde, ailelerin çoğunluğunun koruyucu sağlık önlemlerini alarak bu merkezlere çocuklarını getirdikleri görülmüştür. Çocukların sağlık ve eğitim gibi iki temel ihtiyacının karşılanması, ailelerin ise özellikle sosyal yönden desteklenmesi için bu merkezlerin varlığı önemlidir.
Multi-objective structural optimization of honeycomb cells
Authors: Zhang Xu , Su Zhaoming , Li Wei , Niu Xuejuan , Wang Zituo
Published: March 2022

This paper develops an optimum cell structure design method considering the in-plane tensile/compression and shear properties to improve the stiffness and strength of the honeycomb core. The equivalent elastic modulus in the X or Y direction and shear modulus in the XY plane are derived using Energy Method for hexagonal, quadrilateral and concave hexagonal cells, and are compared with the results in the related literatures. The multi-objective optimization model in which the vertical wall length, wall thickness and inner angle of the cell are taken as design variables is solved by Genetic Algorithm to maximize the equivalent elastic moduli. The static and dynamic characteristics of the honeycomb cores with original and optimized cells are studied using Finite Element Method. The results show that after the cell optimization, the maximum displacement, stress and strain obviously decrease, thus improving the structural performance of the honeycomb core. The research provides significant guidance for the design of the cell structure.
The contribution of V. V. Kovalev in the development of theory and practice of accounting, financial management and statistics in Russia
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Pyatov Mihail , Kovalev Vitaly ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: March 2022

The article describes the main stages of the creative path of the professor of St. Petersburg State University Valery Viktorovich Kovalev (1948–2020), who made a significant contribution to the revival in the 1990s of the Russian school of balance sheet science and financial analysis, considering the balance sheet as the most optimal financial model of a company. The features of the traditional Soviet school of analysis of the economic activity of enterprises, formed by the beginning of perestroika in the USSR and, to a certain extent, unable to satisfy the information needs of interested persons in the new economic conditions, are characterized. Demonstrates and reveals the range of methodological tasks posed to accountants — theorists by new conditions of management during the formation and further development of the post-Soviet economy in Russia. The content of the basis proposed by V. V. Kovalev methods of analysis of accounting (financial) statements of a legally independent business entity in modern conditions of a market economy as a synthesis of the developments of domestic balance sheets of the early 20th century and the conceptual foundations of the Anglo-American school of corporate finance at the end of the 20th century. The article characterizes the connection between the content of Professor Kovalev’s works and the provisions of the works of the famous Russian theorist in the field of accounting A. P. Rudanovsky (1863–1931). The development of the works of V. V. Kovalev from a set of indicators for the dynamic analysis of accounting (financial) statements to a new national school of financial management, which for the first time combined the concepts of continental European and Anglo-American accounting traditions and practices. The educational activities of V. V. Kovalev in the 1990s, the content of his works in the field of the history of financial science in Russia, including those created at the St. Petersburg State University, is revealed.
From the Poet of Stagnation to the Prophet of Revolution: Metamorphoses of Anton Chekhov’s reception
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Stepanov Andrei D.
Published: March 2022

The article traces the reception of Chekhov’s image and works from 1880–1900s, and its continuation in Stalinist culture. The transitional (from realism to modernism) nature of Chekhov’s works initially forced 19th century critics to negatively assess the “lack of ideology” and the “accidentality” of his poetics, and later to present Chekhov as an exponent of “longing for a common idea” and “a fighter against vulgarity”. The claims that Chekhov was outdated or, conversely, becoming relevant, were strictly correlated with the periods of stagnation/revolutionary activity. Similar patterns can be observed in Soviet criticism. In the 1920s, anti-Chekhovian moods were fairly characteristic for avant-garde artists, as well as representatives of the vulgar sociological method who criticized him harshly. After WWII, critics tried to present the “pessimistic” and sophisticated author as a bearer of Soviet dogmas and a predecessor of Soviet literature. For example, Vladimir Ermilov’s works used rhetorical strategies based on the opposition of “intuitive striving for freedom” vs “suppressive social reality”, which led Chekhov to the conclusion about the need for radical social changes. With the help of such rhetorical devices, the mournful “singer of stagnation” was transformed into a “prophet of revolution”. The task of connecting Chekhov to the humanistic tradition was solved by ascribing to him sympathy for the “little man” and “working man”. All such substitutions were done by equating the author’s and his heroes’ evaluative position. Many features of the “Soviet” Chekhov image can be traced back to Chekhov’s lifetime criticism, and therefore the outdated works of Soviet scholars can serve a clear example of cultural recycling, in which seemingly abandoned old ideas are reworked anew.
Metaphors with the sphere sources game and school in the discourse of politics (on the example of Valentina Matvienko’s interviews from 2017 to 2020)
Authors:   Institute of Foreign Languages, Pimenova Marina V. , Rodicheva Anna A. ,   Russian State Hydrometeorological University
Published: March 2022

The purpose of the article is to describe metaphors with the sphere sources “game” and “school” in the individual language picture of a politician’s world. The political discourse of the famous Russian politician Valentina Matvienko serves as the research material. Her political discourse is represented by nine interviews, which were given to various publications from 2017 to 2020. The article turns to the study of the language portrait of a politician in the aspect of using two types conceptual metaphors. The object of research selected is not accidental — these metaphors are frequent in Matvienko’s discourse during this period. The article presents such types of conceptual metaphors as game and school. The analysis conducted illustrated that the type of game metaphors is realized in four variants: 1) “politics is a sports game”; 2) “politics is a computer game”; 3) “Media is a card game”; 4) “education is a sports game” based on the relevant cognitive signs. Another conceptual metaphor “politics is a school” is realized by means of numerous signs: ‘task’, ‘solution’, ‘formula’, ‘plus’, ‘minus’, ‘context’, ‘topic’, etc. There are 3.5 times more school metaphors in Russian politician’s discourse than game metaphors (77.2% versus 22.8%, respectively). The traits of a mentor, a teacher who, along with students (representatives of regional authorities), goes through a political school of education is dominated in Matvienko’s speech portrait. School images are most often chosen by Matvienko to express the realities of political life.
Institutional discourse of the modern Spanish monarchy: Communicative strategies and tactics in Felipe VI’s speeches
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Raevskaya Marina M. , Selivanova Irina V. ,   HSE University
Published: March 2022

In the article, Felipe VI’s public speeches (from 2014 to 2020) are considered an example of institutional status-oriented discourse. In the framework of the critical discourse analysis, the speeches are thought to be a communicative practice aimed at establishing a set of traditional values and patterns, to maintain social order and expand certain political ideas. The monarch uses communicative strategies and tactics differently depending on the addressee. The speeches delivered in the country employ a wider range of instruments of speech influence and a greater variety of means of linguistic expression, which are related to the role of the monarch as a guarantor of sustainable development of the state and preservation of national identity, as well as the need to establish the authority of the monarch in the eyes of citizens and unite Spanish society on the basis of national values. The monarch’s speeches are primarily characterized by the use of a self-presentation strategy (identification and solidarization tactics), an emotional attitude strategy (tactics of unity, tactics of appealing to the addressee’s emotions, and tactics of value orientation), an argumentative strategy (tactics of pointing to the future, reasonable assessments) and an agitation strategy (tactics of promise and appeal). His speeches delivered abroad are less emotional, which can be explained by his status as the Head of state on the international arena. The strategy of a country’s presentation (tactics of creating a country’s image) is actively employed, as well as the interpretative (tactics of recognizing the existence of a problem and indicating a solution) and declarative strategies (tactics of demonstrating an official position).
Draco’s Constitution and Political Ideas of Athenian Oligarchs
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Verlinsky Alexander
Published: March 2022

In the article which serves as a sequel to an earlier one the author argues that Draco’s constitution (DC) in Arist. AP 4 does not derive from an oligarchic political pamphlet in which it served as a prototype of a constitution to be implemented in Athens as the majority of scholars believe. The preponderance of scholars believe, relying on the alleged similarity of DC to the project of the ‘Constitution of Five Thousands’ (AP 30) in 411 BC, that DC emerged in the same ‘moderate’ oligarchic circles as a project of the same kind. Others propose later dates for its appearance but almost unanimously ascribe to oligarchic moderates who pleaded for a ‘hoplite constitution.’ The author argues contra that although DC is not reliable as a historical document, it differs considerably from the known political projects of oligarchs. Its distinguishing features make it anachronistic for conditions of 5th–4th centuries BC, but they are much more at home in the last decades of 7th BC. It is likely that Aristotle found this fictional account in one of the historical sources he used in the AP in which it was fabricated to fill a gap in the lacunose history of the early Athenian constitution and it may have been meant to diminish tendentiously Solon’s contribution, representing the latter as modifying the already existing state order.
The “belarusian maidan” thesaurus as media speech reaction to the political context of events manifestation
Authors: Kоniushkevich Maryia I.
Published: March 2022

New linguistic formations in the media’s description and evaluation of the protest events in Belarus (“belmaidan”) on 09.08.2020 are considered as a thesaurus. The study is based on descriptions of the sociolinguistic and historical context of Belarusian realities, on the provisions of the reference theory (which manifests itself only in speech and represents not reality itself, but its image) and the theory of the thesaurus as a system of knowledge about the world, presented in texts and expressed in verbal signs. In the development of these theories, the main parameters of the “belmaidan” thesaurus are highlighted: subjects of speech, media texts and the thesaurus itself as a bicentric structure in the polarization of the centers we and they. New linguistic formations of the they-thesaurus are characterized in lexical-thematic, derivational and grammatical terms, as well as in their correlation with objects of reality: several synonymous variants of names that are isofunctional to a proper name correspond to the same referent, as a result these units form a structure of synonymous series different from the one in the dictionary. As a holistic mental-speech formation, the they-thesaurus, due to its communicative nature, referential orientation and attachment to reality, represents objective knowledge about a fragment of the real world and reveals its pejorative intentionality at the intertextual level. Two conclusions are drawn: the event thesaurus is a specific system with its own social time and space coordinate, having the structure and forms of expression, internal and external connections as well as capability to expand; the thesaurus analysis of media speech has explanatory power in the presentation of objective knowledge, on the one hand, and the expressive capabilities of language, on the other.
Vasily Vassilievich Struve and the Egyptian collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, in the early 1920s
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Ladynin Ivan A. ,   HSE University, Vasilyeva Olga A. ,   A. S. Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
Published: March 2022

The article publishes a document from the Archives of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg (fund 1, dossier 17, unit 6/9, pp. 1–6), a memorandum presenting arguments to transfer to the Hermitage the famous collection of Egyptian antiquities, which was gathered by Vladimir Golenischeff and placed upon its purchase by the state in 1909 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. The handwriting in the manuscript makes it possible to identify the compiler of the document as Vasily Struve (1889–1965), a prominent researcher of the ancient Orient in the early Soviet period and the keeper of the Hermitage Egyptian collection since the mid-1910s. A comparison with a document from the archives of the A. S. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, which mentions and quotes the memorandum, allows dating it to the middle of 1923. The context of Struve’s initiative was the mobility of academic and cultural institutions in the post-revolutionary years and, probably, more specifically, the attempts to reorganize the collections of Egyptian antiquities in Moscow (to centralize them in the so-called Museum-Institute of the Classical Orient launched by Vladimir Vikentiev). As expected, this initiative was met with harsh objections from the Museum of Fine Arts, most likely backed by Tatiana Borozdina-Kozmina who was Boris Turaev’s successor as the keeper of the museum’s Egyptian collection. In the end, this initiative was never implemented. The episode reflected in this document is an interesting illustration of the degree of mobility even in the life of the leading and best-established museum collections in post-revolutionary Russia.
“Appointees” — directors of the Museum of A. M. Gorky in Kazan: The Soviet model of cultural management
Authors:   Museum of A. M. Gorky and F. I. Chaliapin (branch of the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan), Gavrilova Marianna F.
Published: March 2022

In the presented article, the author analyzes the historical stages of development of one of the oldest literary museums in the Republic of Tatarstan, the “Kazan Museum of A. M. Gorky” (now “Museum of A. M. Gorky and F. I. Chaliapin”), in the context of the institution’s directors who were appointed by higher party bodies. Many appointees lacked experience in the museum sphere and did not have the corresponding educational background. This format of selecting candidates for key positions was characteristic of the Soviet period and was a kind of model for managing culture. However, the activities of the leaders of the museum — “appointees”, the intensive development of areas of work and dedication to the chosen profession influenced the formation of a special museum space in the republic, which united representatives of science, art, and outstanding writers of the region. The article emphasizes the special role of one of the first directors of the museum, Maria Nikolaevna Elizarova, who was not only a principled communist, but also a writer who led the museum for almost four decades and laid the foundations for its development strategy for many years. Elizarova’s cultural initiatives, as well as her predecessors’ and followers’, were significant in preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the region. Given the lack of existing facts on the history of the “Kazan Museum of A. M. Gorky”, and the activities of its employees, the material presented in the article is able to fill historical gaps and form a general idea in regard to the outstanding personalities who stood at the helm of the museum.
Evolution of Kazakhstan’s still life based on examples from the collection of the Kasteyev State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Authors:   Kasteyev State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Reznikova Yekaterina I.
Published: March 2022

The article explores the phenomenon of Kazakhstan’s still life as exemplified by selected paintings from the collection of the Kasteyev State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It reviews works by several generations of painters, from the inception of the professional school of painting in Kazakhstan to date. Without claiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the painters who consistently developed still life, the article attempts to identify key philosophical and stylistic tendencies in this specific genre from a historical perspective. Studying the evolution of still life in Kazakhstan’s art based on the nation’s largest art collection is an opportunity to outline the main milestones in the development of the national school of painting and discover its greatest painters. The article reviews works by Kazakhstan’s most prominent artists, including the founder of the national school of painting Abylkhan Kasteyev whose name was given to the museum in 1984; national artists from the 1950s Aisha Galimbayeva and Gulfairus Ismailova; the 1960s’ Togbolat Togysbayev, Ivan Bondarenko, and Aria Shkolny; the 1970s’ Kenzhebay Duisenbayev; and some contemporaries. It also touches upon the development of the museum’s collection based on the example of one of its largest sections. The number of works included in the collection and its high artistic value makes the Kasteyev State Museum of Arts the country’s largest and oldest collection, with a history of more than 85 years.
Investigating the effects of climate change, drought, and agricultural sector policies on the trend of the water poverty index in Iran
Authors: Yazdi Nabeallah , Mousavi Seyed Nematollah , Zarei Abdol Rassoul , Shirvanian Abdoulrasool
Published: March 2022

Since climate change, intermittent droughts with various severities, poor management and uncontrolled abstraction of water resources, and inattention to the balance of these resources have caused the water crisis in recent decades, it is vitally important to study the water scarcity, its changes in the future, and the effect of climate change and drought on the scarcity through appropriate management policies in the agricultural sector. To achieve this goal, the present study selected the Fasa plain in Iran and calculated its water poverty index (WPI) from 2008 to 2018 using parametric and non-parametric statistical tests. Also, the study calculated the correlation coefficient between the WPI and climate change and drought in the study area. It then evaluated the effects of water resources management policies in the agricultural sector on the poverty index. The results showed that water consumption had the greatest weight in calculating the WPI. The WPI has fluctuated between 0.297 and 0.678 in the Fasa plain, and the worst situation of water poverty was experienced in 2014. Despite its insignificance, the downward trend in the WPI showed that water resources management has become more unfavorable over time. Finally, it was concluded that the WPI in the Fasa plain was more dependent on drought than on climate change in the short term. Therefore, managing water resource consumption in this plain is vitally important, especially in drought conditions. The results also showed that reducing water consumption in the agricultural sector can significantly improve the WPI. Therefore, solving the water crisis in this plain, given the drought conditions and its future trend, requires policies improving water-use efficiency in the agricultural sector.
A lab-scale study on the influence of the compost-dewatering process on moisture removal and pathogen inactivation in pre-sanitized fecal sludge
Authors: Odey Emmanuel Alepu , Odey John Adinya , Li Zifu , Zhou Xiaoqin
Published: March 2022

In many developing cities, fecal sludge management has become a serious environmental issue. As the increasing urban settlement results in the generation of fecal matter that causes environmental problems, recovering and recycling fecal waste for soil amendment could be beneficial. In this study, pre-sanitized fecal sludge (FS) was collected from the ongoing FS treatment process at the University of Science and Technology Beijing and subjected to a compost-dewatering process to mitigate pathogen and moisture content (MC). Biochar and dry leaves were added to reactors 1, 2, and 3 (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1) at 10% to facilitate the degradation process. The result shows that the final MC from the 45-day experiment has values of 35.1, 37.3, 38.9, and 65% in reactors 1, 2, 3, and the control, respectively. The indicator organism (fecal coliform) was completely mitigated in reactors 1 and 2. However, fecal coliform was merely reduced from 7.2 to 5.7 log10 CFU/100 mL in reactor 3 and remained available in the control reactor. This phenomenon of pathogen inactivation and MC removal from FS was attributed to the concentration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the pre-sanitized FS. The addition of LAB to the treatment process enhanced the acidification process and resulted in pathogen inactivation. Biochar and dry leaves also played an important role in mitigating moisture and enhancing the fast composting process. Given the hygienic condition of the compost, it is suitable for soil amendment in agriculture.
Supporting evidence-based decision-making: Capacity Building through Research
Authors: Conallin John , Van Cauwenbergh Nora , Duncan Nicolette , Zin Win Win , Lunn Zau , Htike Htike , Martin Greg , Bogaard Thom , Franca Mário J.
Published: March 2022

Lack of data inhibits informed decision-making and is a critical challenge in developing countries, many of which are under-resourced in financial, technical and institutional capacity to collect and analyse the required data. This limits the countries’ ability to achieve development goals and keeps them dependent on the provision of external resources. Development initiatives often treat capacity building and research as two separate tracks of development. While efforts have been made in the health sector to combine these through project-based learning, this approach is relatively unexplored in the water sector which by its inter-sectoral nature stands to benefit significantly from a more collaborative and solution-oriented development strategy. Capacity Building through Research (CBtR) facilitates data collection and analysis by local researchers, mentored by international experts, strengthening local capacity to produce credible evidence able to inform sustainability-related decision-making. Five case studies piloting CBtR are discussed here and evaluated through criteria of the Dutch Strategy Evaluation Protocol framework. CBtR is shown to be a long-term strategy that requires the strengthening of cross-disciplinary networks to enhance the capacity of water management institutions, which likely contributes to more efficient evidence collection and analysis suitable for decision-makers, leading to greater national resilience and reduced need for external support.
Analysis of rainfall and temperature characteristics and its correlation with Southern Oscillation Index in Beijing, China
Authors: Xu Chengcheng , Sun Qingyan , Lu Chuiyu
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the urban area has continued to develop, and the demand for water resources is increasing. Rainfall, as an important source of water resources, is gaining more and more attention. Under this background, it is very necessary to analyse the changes in rainfall in Beijing, the capital of China. This study analysed the daily average temperature, rainfall data from 20 stations in the Beijing area in the past 50 years (1960–2012). Linear regression, mean variance, M-K method and ArcGIS spatial analysis are used to analyse Beijing's temperature and rainfall characteristics. These methods are applied to analyse the mutual relations between Beijing's rainfall, temperature changes and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). The results show that in the past 50 years in Beijing, the precipitation has shown a downward trend, the temperature has generally shown an upward trend, and the evaporation has generally shown a downward trend. The interrelation between regional climate change and the SOI is not significant. In the past 50 years, urban development has been closely related to the reduction of rainfall and increase in temperature. This study responds to the urgent need for research on the rainfall and temperature.
People's participation in using treated wastewater as an approach for sustainability of ecosystem services, green spaces, and farmlands in peri-urban areas: the case study of Kalak-e Bala, Karaj, Iran
Authors: Kordani H. , Chaplot Barkha , Dehkharghani P. Rasouli , Azamathulla H. M.
Published: March 2022

Water scarcity is the most significant challenge facing semi-arid and arid areas because fresh water is often transferred from other areas to these regions, and then discharged as wastewater. Irrigating agricultural lands and green spaces with treated wastewater (TWW) can be thus regarded as a way to reduce pressure on fresh water resources and lead to the utilization of ecosystem services, such as regulating and cultural ones. The most important factor affecting the expansion and sustainability of these areas is people's participation. Therefore, this study reflected on the weight of locals' willingness and attitudes as one of the most effective factors in the development of irrigation with TWW in peri-urban areas and ecological buffer zones. The main indicators were accordingly extracted from previous research and examined through a survey questionnaire, and then analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) in the AMOS and LISREL software packages. The indicators were related to individuals' health in product consumption (health), people's activities in farmlands and green spaces (assurance), and users' distance from farmlands (accessibility). The study results revealed that accessibility was the most important factor, and then health and assurance were effective in people's participation in agricultural activities in farmlands irrigated with TWW in peri-urban areas and increasing green-space buffer zones.
Illegal connection detection in a viscoelastic pipeline using inverse transient analysis in the time domain
Authors: Ebrahimi Ehsan , Shafai Bejestan Mahmood , Aminnejad Babak
Published: March 2022

Illegal connection (IC) in water supply systems and water network wastes water as well as energy and reduces water quality, which has negative technical and economic effects on water management. Transient-based defect detection is a powerful method applied in water pipelines. This paper investigates the efficiency of the transient-based inverse transient analysis (ITA) method in estimating the characteristics of ICs in the viscoelastic water supply system in the time domain. To better evaluate this method, an experimental transient model was developed using polyethylene pipelines (with a length of 158 meters and a nominal diameter of 2 inches). In the first step, the hydraulic transient solver was calibrated in the calibration approach of dynamic parameters of pressure wave speed and pipe wall viscoelasticity. Then, the sensitivity of the ITA method to the spatial step of the method of characteristics and signal sample size was assessed. Finally, the efficiency of the ITA method was evaluated for several experiments with different transient intensities and a noisy signal. The results indicated that the accuracy for locating the IC was higher than the accuracy for the IC's length.
Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water by sludge-based biochar modified by montmorillonite coupled with nano zero-valent iron
Authors: Xu Dezhi , Fan Xiulei , Chen Qing , Qiao Shuyun , Zhang Jiankun , Yang Yangyang , Wang Hong , Zhang Linjun , Hou Jun
Published: March 2022

Biochar prepared by thermal decomposition of sewage sludge is a new adsorbent for sludge resource utilization and aquatic environmental treatment. In this study, sewage sludge was used as raw material for the preparation of pyrolysis sludge-based biochar. In addition, montmorillonite (Mt) and nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) were used to modify sludge-based biochar in different combinations to improve its adsorption capacity of nitrogen and phosphorus in water, and the best modification scheme was selected. The physicochemical properties of the biochar were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that Mt and nZVI could improve the specific surface area and enrich the surface functional groups. The results on kinetics and equilibrium isotherms showed that sludge-based biochar modified by Mt coupled with nZVI (nZVI@MBC) had the best adsorption effect on NH4+ and PO43−. And its theoretical maximum saturation adsorption capacity for NH4+ and PO43− was 34.84 mg·g−1 and 294.12 mg·g−1, respectively. Our results were in the forefront of existing literature on modified sludge-based biochar. The adsorption mechanisms of nZVI@MBC for NH4+ and PO43− mainly include ligand exchange, electrostatic attraction and ionic bond. In addition, nZVI@MBC can also remove PO43− by chemical precipitation and coprecipitation of iron corrosion products.
Apoptotic and Antiproliferative Potential of GAPDH from Mallotus
philippensis Seed on Human Lung Carcinoma: In Vitro and In Vivo
Approach
Authors: Sakthidhasan Periasamy , Kumar Perumal Sathish , Viswanathan Madepalli Byrappa Gowdu
Published: March 2022

Aim:

The anticancer potential of a purified seed protein from Mallotus philippensis is
scientifically evaluated and reported here.

Background:

Seeds of Mallotus philippensis are used to treat various diseases in the indigenous
systems of medicine in India.

Objectives:

The present study deals with the isolation, purification, identification, and screening of
protein of interest that exhibit maximum activity against lung cancer cells from the seed crude
protein of Mallotus philippensis.

Methods:

Size-exclusion with HPLC was used to purify crude protein (15 mg) from M. philippensis
seeds. Protein of interest was identified using the LC-MS/MS method and analyzed by in vitro
(A549 cell lines) in vivo (B16-F10 cells from melanoma cancer-induced Wistar rats) to estimate
anticancer activity.

Results:

SDS-PAGE was applied to isolate and purify elution III (480 μg/ml). Elution III LCMS/
MS data were used to search the UniProt database and were eventually matched with
glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). MTT assay of GAPDH-treated A549 cells
exhibited an IC50 of 3.03 ± 0.39 μg (24 h) and 1.93 ± 0.19 μg (48 h). AO/EtBr staining showed
early and late apoptotic characteristics such as cell membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation,
and the formation of apoptotic bodies. Hoechst staining confirmed the death of cells by exhibiting
bright blue fluorescent, condensed, and fragmented nuclei. GAPDH-treated rats by 10 and 20 mg/kg
bw significantly increased body weight by 29.50 ± 3.06 and 31.33 ± 2.69, respectively, and
decreased melanoma metastasis in the lungs by 66.79% and 86.57%, respectively. Further, GAPDH
treatment significantly increased the levels of SOD, CAT, and GPx and reduced GST and GSH.
Histopathological analysis confirmed nuclear alteration in the lung tissue of the treated groups only.

Conclusion:

Apoptotic potential of GAPDH against lung carcinoma has been confirmed in the
present investigation.
Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors: Current Status
Authors: Morphy J.R. , Millican T.A. , Porter J.R.
Published: March 2022

Due to the increasing evidence for the involvement of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in a variety of tissue degenerative disorders, such as arthritis and cancer, there is considerable interest in designing agents which inhibit their action, either collectively or selectively. Historically, MMP inhibitors have been designed using knowledge of the substrate cleavage sites of the enzymes, early collagenase inhibitors bearing similarity to the cleavage site of type-1 collagen. This review will describe the recent design of specific inhibitors of stromelysin and gelatinase based upon their
own substrate preferences. The structure of these inhibitors will be rationalised in terms of the
recently published crystal structures of the MMPs. The development of a new generation of peptide-based, yet orally active, inhibitors will be reviewed and their progress towards the clinic assessed. Recent advances in the discovery of non-peptide MMP inhibitors will also be described.
Modern Drug Design and Lead Discovery: An Overview
Authors: Setti E.L. , Micetich R.
Published: March 2022

The design of novel therapeutic agents to treat specific diseases has always been the aim of the medicinal chemist. Today, using the three­ dimensional structure of the target-ligand complex as the main tool, it is possible to design novel therapeutic compounds with a specific mode of action. Knowledge of the molecular basis of the disease, the structure of the
biological target (enzyme or receptor) and the mechanism of drug action are
essential to succeed in this challenging task.

In addition, the recent explosion of combinatorial chemistry techniques, along with the development of high throughput and automated techniques that permit screening of thousands of compounds per month against a given target, offer an unparallel opportunity for medicinal chemists to increase significantly the prospect of finding new bioactive molecules, in a relatively short period of time.
Recent Advances at the Interface of Medicinal and Combinatorial Chemistry. Views on Methodologies for the Generation and Evaluation of Diversity and Application to Molecular Recognition and Catalysis
Authors: Fenniri Hicham
Published: March 2022

Over the past two decades, medicinal chemistry has witnessed a fundamental renaissance with regards to the methodologies and approaches to drug design and discovery. Rational design based on compu­ tational chemistry and solid state structure of receptors and enzymes is still an important approach in this field. Unfortunately, bacterial, viral, and cell re­ sistance to drugs as well as the appearance of previously unknown diseases
have dramatically increased the demand for new and more potent drugs. On the other hand, the
random screening of chemical compounds from natural sources has not only become limited in terms of diversity but also in terms of general methodologies for the rapid identification of the potent molecule. For these reasons, combinatorial chemistry, the science of diversity and "rational screening", appears to be the natural direction in order to overcome these limitations. Combinatorial chemistry has attracted researchers from areas as remote as materials science and catalysis and will surely bring more advances in the future. In this review we will discuss the methods for the generation of diversity along with screening processes associated with these, some applications in medicinal chemistry, and molecular recognition and catalysis.
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Signaling as a Protective Mechanism against Endogenous and Exogenous Neurotoxicants
Authors: Aschner Michael , Skalny Anatoly V. , Ke Tao , da Rocha Joao BT , Paoliello Monica MB , Santamaria Abel , Bornhorst Julia , Rongzhu Lu , Svistunov Andrey A. , Djordevic Aleksandra B. , Tinkov Alexey A.
Published: March 2022

In view of the significant role of H2S in brain functioning, it is proposed that H2S may also possess protective effects against adverse effects of neurotoxicants. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to discuss the neuroprotective effects of H2S against toxicity of a wide spectrum of endogenous and exogenous agents involved in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases as etiological factors or key players in disease pathogenesis. Generally, the existing data demonstrate that H2S possesses neuroprotective effects upon exposure to endogenous (amyloid β, glucose, and advanced-glycation end-products, homocysteine, lipopolysaccharide, and ammonia) and exogenous (alcohol, formaldehyde, acrylonitrile, metals, 6-hydroxydopamine, as well as 1-methyl-4-phenyl- 1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and its metabolite 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridine ion (MPP)) neurotoxicants. On the one hand, neuroprotective effects are mediated by S-sulfhydration of key regulators of antioxidant (Sirt1, Nrf2) and inflammatory response (NF-κB), resulting in the modulation of the downstream signaling, such as SIRT1/TORC1/CREB/BDNF-TrkB, Nrf2/ARE/HO-1, or other pathways. On the other hand, H2S appears to possess a direct detoxicative effect by binding endogenous (ROS, AGEs, Aβ) and exogenous (MeHg) neurotoxicants, thus reducing their toxicity. Moreover, the alteration of H2S metabolism through the inhibition of H2S-synthetizing enzymes in the brain (CBS, 3-MST) may be considered a significant mechanism of neurotoxicity. Taken together, the existing data indicate that the modulation of cerebral H2S metabolism may be used as a neuroprotective strategy to counteract neurotoxicity of a wide spectrum of endogenous and exogenous neurotoxicants associated with neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease), fetal alcohol syndrome, hepatic encephalopathy, environmental neurotoxicant exposure, etc. In this particular case, modulation of H2S-synthetizing enzymes or the use of H2S-releasing drugs should be considered as the potential tools, although the particular efficiency and safety of such interventions are to be addressed in further studies.
Differing Prevalence and Correlates of Metabolic Syndromes Between
Chlorpromazine and Clozapine: A 10-year Retrospective Study of a Male
Chinese Cohort
Authors: Cui Donghong , Li Zezhi , Xing Mengjuan , Sheng Jialing , Cui Mengxin , Su Yousong , Zhang Chengfang , Chen Xi , Fang Yu
Published: March 2022

Background:

Antipsychotics are known to be associated with metabolic syndromes
(MetS). Chlorpromazine (CPZ) and Clozapine (CLZ) are currently the most commonly used antipsychotics
in low-income districts of China. However, potential differences in the long-term effects
of CPZ and CLZ on MetS in schizophrenia inpatients are not well understood. Here, we aimed to
identify any MetS profile differences between long-term schizophrenia patients who were prescribed
either CPZ or CLZ at a primary psychiatric hospital.

Methods:

We recruited a total of 204 male schizophrenia patients who received either CPZ or CLZ.
We measured their weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), diastolic
blood pressure (DBP), and systolic blood pressure (SBP), as well as their biochemical indicators,
including fasting blood glucose (FBS), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-c) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c).

Results:

The MetS prevalence in the CPZ and CLZ groups was 31% and 37.5%, respectively. The
CLZ group had significantly higher DBP levels and a higher incidence of dyslipidemia (HDL-c) but
lower HDL-c and TC levels than the CPZ group. We also determined that smoking history, BMI,
and duration of hospitalisation were risk factors for the development of MetS. Moreover, we found
that CPZ and CLZ were correlated with the same risk for developing MetS and that BMI was a vital
risk factor of MetS for both the CPZ and CLZ groups.

Conclusion:

Long-term CPZ and CLZ prescriptions were associated with similar profiles for developing
MetS of schizophrenia patients.
Molecular Descriptors and QSSR Models in Asymmetric Catalysis
Authors: Yu Xinliang
Published: March 2022

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to small molecule asymmetric organocatalysis.
Quantitative structure−selectivity relationships (QSSR) based on linear free energy relationships
are crucial to predicting enantioselectivity in asymmetric catalytic reactions and to gaining insight
into the catalytic mechanism. Molecular descriptors describing steric effects and/or electronic
effects are described in this review. Subsequently, QSSR models in enantioselective catalysis are analyzed
and prospected.
Antipsychotic Medication Risk of Dementia and Death: A Propensity Matched Cohort Study
Authors: Lowe Xiu R. , Merchant Maqdooda , Whitmer Rachel A.
Published: March 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to compare the incidence of dementia and all-cause mortality
up to 20 years post-treatment in an index non-demented cohort between antipsychotic (AP)
medication treatment and non-AP treatment groups.

Method:

All patients in Kaiser Permanente Northern California with a major psychiatric diagnosis
between 01/01/1996 and 12/31/2000, age ≥ 50 years, and without dementia diagnosis were
included. The study cohort was divided into a “user group”, patients treated with AP for ≥ 365
days (n = 1,829), and a “non-user group”, propensity score-matched on age, sex, and race (n =
9,145). The association between AP exposure and dementia or mortality during the follow-up period
(01/01/2001–12/31/2015) was evaluated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for
psychiatric diagnosis, comorbidities, and other medications.

Result:

The user group had a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.2 (CI 1.8–2.7) for dementia and 1.3 (CI 1.2-
1.5) for death. The onset of dementia in the user group was significantly higher in patients aged ≤
65 years (p < 0.001). The user group was sub-grouped into atypical, typical, and both; HR for
dementia was 1.7 (CI 1.2-2.4), 2.5 (CI 1.9-3.1), and 1.8 (CI 1.4–2.4), respectively. Dementia and
mortality were significantly higher in patients concurrently treated with benzodiazepine (HR 1.3;
CI 1.2-1.5 and HR 1.4; CI 1.3–1.5) or tricyclic antidepressants (HR 1.2; CI 1.1–1.4 and HR 1.1; CI
1.0-1.2), respectively.

Conclusion:

Our preliminary results reveal an association between AP treatment and increased
rates of both dementia and mortality. Future research is needed to substantiate our current findings.