bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy Efficiency in Production of Swiftlet Edible Bird’s Nest
Authors: Alpandi Rabiatul Munirah , Kamarudin Fakarudin , Wanke Peter , Muhammad Salam Muhammad Syafiq , Iqbal Hussain Hafezali
Published: May 2022

The swiftlet edible bird’s nest (EBN) is a ranching industry in which the ranchers do not have to own the birds and are not required to prepare the food as the birds will find their own. However, the ranchers need to provide the ranches and attract the birds for nesting. This study examined a two-stage analysis on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in the swiftlet EBN production in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. In the first stage, non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to measure the efficiency score. The results revealed that out of 150 ranches, 7.33% and 40.67% of the ranches were efficient under the Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) and Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (BCC) models, respectively. The average of technical, pure technical, and scale efficiencies are 0.35361, 0.93071, and 0.37199, respectively. Analysis on optimum energy requirement and energy savings showed the total energy input that could be saved by the inefficient ranches was 0.89391 MJ/sqft−1 (63.87%). In addition, the inefficient ranches could reduce emissions by 63.86% (0.04497 kg Co2eq/sqft−1). In the second stage of analysis using the Tobit model, the results reported that a nesting plank was the factor with the most significantly positive effect on the ranch efficiency to improve their efficiency in energy consumption savings and emissions reduction in the EBN production.
Harnessing Offshore Wind Energy along the Mexican Coastline in the Gulf of Mexico—An Exploratory Study including Sustainability Criteria
Authors: Hernández Galvez Geovanni , Chuck Liévano Daniel , Sarracino Martínez Omar , Lastres Danguillecourt Orlando , Dorrego Portela José Rafael , Narcía Antonio Trujillo , Saldaña Flores Ricardo , Pampillón González Liliana , Perea-Moreno Alberto-Jesus , Hernandez-Escobedo Quetzalcoatl
Published: May 2022

Mexico has more than 40 years of researching, investing, and obtaining electric power through wind energy. Within the country, there are highly windy areas, such as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec or the state of Tamaulipas, and there are about 2500 MW installed and 70,000 MW tested, all onshore. There are still no offshore wind farms in Mexico, despite having two main coasts, the East and the West, with the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, respectively. Although the Mexican coastal states of the Gulf of Mexico are Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán, this work focuses on the study and feasibility of offshore wind energy use on the coasts of the states of Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán. This is because of the availability of data in that region; however, sustainability criteria that can be used in other regions are also presented. MERRA-2 and ERA5 data were used employing WAsP and Windographer software. It was found that the capacity factor in the area of Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán is 32%, 37%, and 46%. It can be noted that, in the WF100% scenario, each of the wind farms could contribute more than 35% of the region’s electricity consumption; those of Campeche and Yucatán stand out with contributions of more than 70%.
An Evaluation of the Petroleum Investment Environment in African Oil-Producing Countries Based on Combination Weighting and Uncertainty Measure Theory
Authors: He Hujun , Li Wei , Xing Rui , Zhao Yichen
Published: May 2022

Recognizing that the evaluation of the overseas petroleum investment environment is affected by many uncertain factors and that there are problems with current evaluation methods, this paper proposes a mathematical evaluation model of an overseas oil resources investment environment, based on a combination of the weighting and uncertainty measure theory. Combining international investment environment theory with the characteristics of the petroleum industry, this paper establishes an evaluation index system for the overseas petroleum investment environment and the linear uncertainty measure function of each index. Using the subjective weight obtained using an analytic hierarchy process together with the objective weight obtained using the entropy weight method, the optimal weight of each evaluation index was obtained using minimum relative information entropy. A multi-index evaluation matrix of the top 12 oil-producing countries in Africa was calculated. Finally, the credible degree recognition criterion was used to judge the order and level of the oil investment environment. This model provides an effective method for the evaluation of the overseas petroleum investment environment. The results show that Nigeria and Angola have the best investment climate, followed by Algeria, Egypt, and Libya. In general, Africa is an important strategic partner of China and is rich in oil resources. Although Africa’s oil industry is fraught with complex challenges and headwinds, challenges also present opportunities.
Surface Decontamination and Shelf-Life Extension of Gilthead Sea Bream by Alternative Washing Treatments
Authors: Ntzimani Athina , Semenoglou Ioanna , Dermesonlouoglou Efimia , Tsironi Theofania , Taoukis Petros
Published: May 2022

The efficacy of washing and the investigation of alternative sanitizing treatments for the reduction of microbial population are major issues for fresh fish and seafood. Limited work on the effect of alternative washing media on fish, particularly gilthead sea bream, one of the important popular fish species, has been published and no industrial scaling-up has been reported. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the effect of surface decontamination treatments on the microbial load of fish and the quality and shelf life during subsequent chilled storage. Citric acid (200 ppm for 0–10 min), lactic acid (200 ppm for 0–10 min), and peracetic acid (0–200 ppm for 0–4 min) were tested as alternative washing media by immersion of gutted gilthead sea bream by evaluating their effect on microbial growth and physicochemical and organoleptic degradation of fish. The results of the study indicated that washing with citric (200 ppm, 10 min) and peracetic acid (200 ppm, 4 min) significantly delayed the growth of spoilage microorganisms (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae spp., and H2S-producting bacteria) in gutted fish and extended the shelf life to 18 days at 0 °C, compared to 11 days without washing treatment. Appropriate handling and processing of fish and shelf-life extension may enable longer transportation and thus open new distant markets, as well as contribute to reduce food waste during transportation and storage.
Modeling HDV and CAV Mixed Traffic Flow on a Foggy Two-Lane Highway with Cellular Automata and Game Theory Model
Authors: Gong Bowen , Wang Fanting , Lin Ciyun , Wu Dayong
Published: May 2022

Mixed traffic composed of human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and CAVs will exist for an extended period before connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are fully employed on the road. There is a consensus that dense fog can cause serious traffic accidents and reduce traffic efficiency. In order to enhance the safety, mobility, and efficiency of highway networks in adverse weather conditions, it is necessary to explore the characteristics of mixed traffic. Therefore, we develop a novel cellular automata model for mixed traffic considering the limited visual distance and exploring the influence of visibility levels and CAV market penetration on traffic efficiency. We design acceleration, deceleration, and randomization rules for different car-following scenes. For lane-changing, considering the interaction of CAVs and surrounding vehicles, we introduce game theory (GT) to lane-changing policies for CAVs. This paper presents the following main findings. In reduced visibility conditions, the introduction of CAVs is beneficial to improve mixed traffic efficiency on metrics such as free-flow speed and traffic capacity (e.g., 100% CAVs could increase the traffic capacity up to around 182% in environments of dense fog). In addition, the critical density increases as the proportion of CAVs increases, which is more pronounced in conditions of dense fog according to the simulation results. In addition, we compared the proposed GT-based lane-changing strategy to the traditional STCA lane-changing strategy. The results showed that the average speed is significantly improved under the proposed lane-changing strategy. The model presented in this paper can evaluate the overall performance and provide a reference for future management and control of mixed traffic flow in fog conditions.
Cog Threads for Transvaginal Prolapse Repair: Ex-Vivo Studies of a Novel Concept
Authors: Soares Catarina , Martins Pedro , Silva Elisabete , Hympanova Lucie , Rynkevic Rita
Published: May 2022

The diagnosis and treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) remain a relevant and scientifically challenging topic. The number of cases of genital prolapse increases each year, one in ten women need at least one surgical procedure and one in four women in midlife have asymptomatic prolapse. Using mesh implants to correct POP presents unsatisfactory clinical outcomes, requiring hospital readmission and further surgery. We hypothesize using an alternative surgical intervention technique, applying injectable biodegradable cog threads, currently used for face lifting procedures, to reinforce and correct vaginal wall defects. The threads used in this investigation are commercially available 360° 4D barb threads (PCL-19G-100), made of polycaprolactone (PCL), supplied in sterile packs (Yastrid, Shanghai, China). Eleven sows’ vaginal walls were used to analyze the immediate reinforcement effect of the threads. Uniaxial tensile testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed for the initial characterization of the threads. Threads were inserted into the vaginal wall (control n = 5, cog n = 5) and were characterized by ball burst testing; a pull-out test was performed (n = 6). With SEM images, dimensions, such as thread diameter (≈630 µm), cut angle (≈135°), cut depth (≈200 µm) and cog distance (≈1600 µm) were measured. The mechanical behavior during uniaxial tensile testing was nonlinear. Threads could sustain 17–18 N at 18–22% of deformation. During the ball burst test, vaginal tissue reinforced with threads could support 68 N more load than normal tissue (p < 0.05), indicating its strengthening effect. Comfort and stress zones were significantly stiffer in the tissues reinforced with threads (p < 0.05; p < 0.05). Both groups showed identical deformation (elongation); no significant differences in the comfort zone length were observed, showing that threads do not affect tissue compliance. The pull-out test showed that the threads could sustain 3.827 ± 0.1891 N force when the first cog slip occurs, at 11.93 ± 0.8291 mm. This preliminary research on using PCL cog threads for POP treatment showed promising results in increased vaginal wall resistance to pressure load and, at the same time, not affecting its compliance. Nevertheless, to obtain long term host response in vivo, further investigation will be carried out.
The Study of the Dynamic Behavior for a Tamping Rammer
Authors: Morariu-Gligor Radu Mircea
Published: May 2022

The paper presents a mechanical and a mathematical model, developed by the author for the study of the dynamical behavior of a tamping rammer. At first, some aspects related to the compaction of soil for construction works are presented. In this study, the soil was modeled using the Kelvin–Voigt model. To validate the mathematical model, a program written in C language, that allows to analyze the parameters that influence the operation of the tamping rammer, was developed. Three constructive variants of tamping rammers, following the variation of the displacements of the frame and the sole and the variation of the impact force were analyzed. In the final part, the variation of the studied parameters is illustrated by means of graphical representations. The variation of the studied parameters becomes symmetrical, related to an equilibrium position. Using the application, developed by the author, the variation of the sole and frame displacements, and the variation of the impact force can be traced. The numerical results obtained by running the application, (using three sets of input data), demonstrate the accuracy and the correctness of the proposed mathematical model by analogy with the values provided by the manufacturers. Finally, further research in this field is presented.
TOPSIS-Based Algorithm for Resilience Indices Construction and the Evaluation of an Electrical Power Transmission Network
Authors: Gu Jiting , Liu Zhibo
Published: May 2022

In the context of energy transformation, new energy technologies are developing rapidly, the penetration rate of new energy is increasing, and the energy structure tends to be low-carbon, which leads to the asymmetry between traditional energy and new energy. At present, the smart power grid can be conceived as a complex cyber-physical system, and its resilience assessment in the face of extreme disasters needs more holistic consideration. Therefore, considering the impact of massive access to new energy on the resilience of the power grid main network, the resilience evaluation index system of the power grid main network under the background of the energy transition is established. It is proposed to use the priority comparison method and CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) to determine the subjective weight and subjective and objective weight of the index, respectively, and combine the influence of the two weights to obtain the comprehensive weight. Then, TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) is used to evaluate the regional power grid restoring force. The results of an example show that the proposed method can effectively evaluate the resilience level of the power grid under the background of the energy transition, which has a certain guiding significance for improving the power grid’s resilience under the environment of energy transformation.
Mapping Topology of Skyrmions and Fractional Quantum Hall Droplets to Nuclear EFT for Ultra-Dense Baryonic Matter
Authors: Rho Mannque
Published: May 2022

We describe the mapping at high density of topological structure of baryonic matter to a nuclear effective field theory that implements hidden symmetries emergent from strong nuclear correlations. The theory constructed is found to be consistent with no conflicts with the presently available observations in both normal nuclear matter and compact-star matter. The hidden symmetries involved are “local flavor symmetry” of the vector mesons identified to be (Seiberg-)dual to the gluons of QCD and hidden “quantum scale symmetry” with an IR fixed point with a “genuine dilaton (GD)” characterized by non-vanishing pion and dilaton decay constants. Both the skyrmion topology for Nf≥2 baryons and the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) droplet topology for Nf=1 baryons are unified in the “homogeneous/hidden” Wess–Zumino term in the hidden local symmetry (HLS) Lagrangian. The possible indispensable role of the FQH droplets in going beyond the density regime of compact stars approaching scale-chiral restoration is explored by moving toward the limit where both the dilaton and the pion go massless.
Phloretin Protects Bovine Rumen Epithelial Cells from LPS-Induced Injury
Authors: Wang Kexin , Lei Qian , Ma Huimin , Jiang Maocheng , Yang Tianyu , Ma Qianbo , Datsomor Osmond , Zhan Kang , Zhao Guoqi
Published: May 2022

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an endotoxin that induces immune and inflammatory responses in the rumen epithelium of dairy cows. It is well-known that flavonoid phloretin (PT) exhibits anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity. The aim of this research was to explore whether PT could decrease LPS-induced damage to bovine rumen epithelial cells (BRECs) and its molecular mechanisms of potential protective efficacy. BRECs were pretreated with PT for 2 h and then stimulated with LPS for the assessment of various response indicators. The results showed that 100 µM PT had no significant effect on the viability of 10 µg/mL LPS-induced BRECs, and this dose was used in follow-up studies. The results showed that PT pre-relieved the decline in LPS-induced antioxidant indicators (T-AOC and GSH-PX). PT pretreatment resulted in decreased interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and chemokines (CCL2, CCL5, CCL20) expression. The underlying mechanisms explored reveal that PT may contribute to inflammatory responses by regulating Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear transcription factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65), and ERK1/2 (p42/44) signaling pathways. Moreover, further studies found that LPS-induced BRECs showed decreased expression of claudin-related genes (ZO-1, Occludin); these were attenuated by pretreatment with PT. These results suggest that PT enhances the antioxidant properties of BRECs during inflammation, reduces gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and enhances barrier function. Overall, the results suggest that PT (at least in vitro) offers some protective effect against LPS-induced ruminal epithelial inflammation. Further in vivo studies should be conducted to identify strategies for the prevention and amelioration of short acute rumen acidosis (SARA) in dairy cows using PT.
Unique Aggregation of Retroviral Particles Pseudotyped with the Delta Variant SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
Authors: Petersen Jennifer D. , Lu Jianming , Fitzgerald Wendy , Zhou Fei , Blank Paul S. , Matthies Doreen , Zimmerberg Joshua
Published: May 2022

Individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, lineage B.1.617.2, exhibit faster initial infection with a higher viral load than prior variants, and pseudotyped viral particles bearing the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spike protein induce a faster initial infection rate of target cells compared to those bearing other SARS-CoV-2 variant spikes. Here, we show that pseudotyped viral particles bearing the Delta variant spike form unique aggregates, as evidenced by negative stain and cryogenic electron microscopy (EM), flow cytometry, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Viral particles pseudotyped with other SARS-CoV-2 spike variants do not show aggregation by any of these criteria. The contribution to infection kinetics of the Delta spike’s unique property to aggregate is discussed with respect to recent evidence for collective infection by other viruses. Irrespective of this intriguing possibility, spike-dependent aggregation is a new functional parameter of spike-expressing viral particles to evaluate in future spike protein variants.
Insights into HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Inhibition and Drug Resistance from Thirty Years of Structural Studies
Authors: Singh Abhimanyu K. , Das Kalyan
Published: May 2022

The enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT) plays a central role in the life cycle of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and RT has been an important drug target. Elucidations of the RT structures trapping and detailing the enzyme at various functional and conformational states by X-ray crystallography have been instrumental for understanding RT activities, inhibition, and drug resistance. The structures have contributed to anti-HIV drug development. Currently, two classes of RT inhibitors are in clinical use. These are nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). However, the error-prone viral replication generates variants that frequently develop resistance to the available drugs, thus warranting a continued effort to seek more effective treatment options. RT also provides multiple additional potential druggable sites. Recently, the use of single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) enabled obtaining structures of NNRTI-inhibited HIV-1 RT/dsRNA initiation and RT/dsDNA elongation complexes that were unsuccessful by X-ray crystallography. The cryo-EM platform for the structural study of RT has been established to aid drug design. In this article, we review the roles of structural biology in understanding and targeting HIV RT in the past three decades and the recent structural insights of RT, using cryo-EM.
Biomonitoring of Soil Contaminated with Herbicides
Authors: Wołejko Elżbieta , Wydro Urszula , Odziejewicz Joanna Irena , Koronkiewicz Agata , Jabłońska-Trypuć Agata
Published: May 2022

The state of environmental pollution is of random character, and it depends on climatic conditions, landforms, development and industrialization. It is estimated that in the last decade as many pollutants have been released into the environment as in the previous 70 years, and the pollution rate still increases. Many scientific reports indicate that, in addition to metals, pesticides are the most commonly detected compounds in the environment. This situation is mainly due to the irrational use of these chemicals by humans. Mostly, soil environment changes caused by the influence of pesticides can be determined by various chemical analyses, which require the use of sophisticated and expensive equipment. However, biological methods, such as those using microbiological activity and an abundance of microorganisms, e.g., organisms responsible for the cycle of organic matter and nutrients, tend to be neglected. For this reason, the aim of the present study is not only to assess the validity of other research studies that were performed based on the available literature but to compile methods and compare them, which allows for an in depth understanding of the complexity of soil processes following herbicide application by conducting comprehensive soil biomonitoring.
Improvement of the Electrical Regulation of a Microhydropower System using a Water Management Tool
Authors: Espinal Melvin Alfonso García , Conejos Pilar , López-Jiménez Petra Amparo , Pérez-Sánchez Modesto
Published: May 2022

The constant growth of the population and the increase in the need for resources create challenges, and it is necessary to seek more sustainable solutions to manage them more adequately and efficiently. In recent years, the use of renewable energy systems has increased, in which water distribution networks are no exception. Pumps operating as turbines (PATs) are an innovative solution with enormous potential to achieve these sustainable development goals. As a means of improving sustainability, in this research, an optimized regulation tool is developed to maximize the recovered energy in the system using PATs in water distribution networks (WDNs). This is possible due to the use of empirical methods for the estimation of the characteristic curves. The tool was developed in Simulink MATLAB, in which the optimization and iterative steps were carried out. It is based on the intended methodology and applied to a real case study. When implementing the tool, the results given are the hydraulic–electrical regulation strategies, where the number of machines working, the frequency inverter setpoint, and the degree of opening of the pressure-reducing valves (PRV) is defined for any given time. After the analysis in the case study, the tool recovered 28% of the supplied energy in the system. This daily recovered energy was above 7160 kWh, and it contributed to an increase in efficiency and sustainability.
Bacterial Community Composition and Function in a Tropical Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
Authors: Gu Yaqiong , Li Beiying , Zhong Xiang , Liu Conghe , Ma Bin
Published: May 2022

Bacterial diversity and community composition are of great importance in wastewater treatment; however, little is known about the diversity and community structure of bacteria in tropical municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Therefore, in this study, activated sludge samples were collected from the return sludge, anaerobic sludge, anoxic sludge, and aerobic sludge of an A2O WWTP in Haikou, China. Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing was used to examine the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of bacteria in the samples. The microbial community diversity in this tropical WWTP was higher than in temperate, subtropical, and plateau WWTPs. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Patescibacteria, and Chloroflexi were the dominant phyla. Nitrification bacteria Nitrosomonas, and Nitrospira were also detected. Tetrasphaera, instead of Candidatus Accumulibacter, were the dominant polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs), while, glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs), such as Candidatus Competibacter and Defluviicoccus were also detected. The bacterial community functions predicted by PICRUSt2 were related to metabolism, genetic information processing, and environmental information processing. This study provides a reference for the optimization of tropical municipal WWTPs.
Algorithm Implementation of Equivalent Expansive Force in Strength Reduction FEM and Its Application in the Stability of Expansive Soil Slope
Authors: Yang Qiang , Li Rongjian , Zhang Shibin , Li Rongjin , Bai Weishi , Xiao Huiping
Published: May 2022

Loss of matric suction during rain has an important effect on the instability of expansive soil slope. A new device was designed for testing the expansive force in order to propose and determine the equivalent expansive force corresponding to the matric suction. First, the internal relation between the matric suction and the corresponding equivalent expansive force of unsaturated expansive soil was analyzed. Then, numerical algorithm implementation of the equivalent expansive force was discussed, and the equivalent expansive force was introduced into the strength reduction finite element method (FEM). Finally, the equivalent effects of the matric suction and the equivalent expansive force were compared and analyzed by evaluating the stability of an unsaturated expansive soil slope. The results show that the new testing device significantly improves the accuracy of the expansive force test and shortens the testing time. The relation between the matric suction and the equivalent expansive force with the change in initial water content is obvious. The equivalent expansive force can reflect the macro contribution of matric suction to unsaturated expansive soil, and the developed strength reduction FEM based on the equivalent expansive force can be used to evaluate the rainfall-induced instability of an expansive soil slope caused by the decrease in matric suction resulting from the rainfall infiltration.
Conjunctive Water Management under Multiple Uncertainties: A Case Study of the Amu Darya River Basin, Central Asia
Authors: Zhai Xiaobo , Li Yongping , Ma Yuan , Huang Guohe , Li Yanfeng
Published: May 2022

With population growth, climate volatility, and economic expansion, the conjunctive management of surface–groundwater (SGW) faces great challenges. In this study, a hybrid factorial optimization programming (HFOP) method is developed through integrating factorial analysis, interval linear programming, flexible fuzzy programming, and two-stage stochastic programming into a general framework. HFOP can effectively reflect the multiple uncertainties and quantitatively identify the effects of multiple factors. Then, a HFOP-SGW model is formulated for the middle reaches of the Amu Darya River Basin, where 125 scenarios are analyzed. Some of the major findings are: (i) the improvement of surface-water transport efficiency and the proper use of groundwater can effectively alleviate regional water shortage; (ii) agricultural users have a high risk of water scarcity for all states, especially under a low-flow level; (iii) uncertainties of water-flow levels and risk-reverse attitudes of decision makers have significant impacts on the system’s benefits and water-allocation scheme; and (iv) the surface-water-transmission loss rate and risk perceptions of decision makers are the main factors affecting the system’s benefit’s and water-allocation scheme. These findings can help decision makers obtain desired water-allocation strategies to respond to the variations in water availability.
Visible Light Photocatalyst and Antibacterial Activity of BFO (Bismuth Ferrite) Nanoparticles from Honey
Authors: Sharmila M. , Mani R. Jothi , Parvathiraja C. , Kader S. M. Abdul , Siddiqui Masoom Raza , Wabaidur Saikh Mohammad , Islam Md Ataul , Lai Wen-Cheng
Published: May 2022

Visible light-driven photocatalyst BiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles were synthesised by the auto-combustion method. The honey was used to fuel the auto combustion method to synthesise the BFO nanoparticles. The structural, optical and morphological activities of the bismuth loaded BFO nanoparticles were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, UV, photoluminescence (PL) and SEM analysis, respectively. The bismuth content modifies the lattice parameters of XRD and reduces the bandgap energy. The observed crystallite size varies from 19 to 27 nm and the bandgap region is 2.07 to 2.21 eV. The photo-charge carriers increased upon the BFO nanoparticles and their emission at 587 nm in the visible region of the PL spectrum. The 2% bismuth loaded BFO nanoparticles showed better morphology than 0% and 5% bismuth loaded BFO nanoparticles. The oxidation state of BFO nanoparticles and their binding energies were characterised by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The methylene blue dye (MB) degradation against 2% BFO nanoparticles showed enhanced catalytic activity (81%) than the remaining samples of BFO nanoparticles. The bacterial activity of BFO nanoparticles was assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including S. aureus and E. coli. 2% Excess bismuth BFO nanoparticles exhibit better antibacterial activity. Comparatively, 2% Excess bismuth BFO nanoparticles derived an outstanding crystallinity, charge separation, and reduced bandgap activities. Based on these findings, BFO nanoparticles may be applicable in drug delivery and water remediation applications.
Flood Forecasting via the Ensemble Kalman Filter Method Using Merged Satellite and Measured Soil Moisture Data
Authors: Zhang Chen , Cai Siyu , Tong Juxiu , Liao Weihong , Zhang Pingping
Published: May 2022

Flood monitoring in the Chaohe River Basin is crucial for the timely and accurate forecasting of flood flow. Hydrological models used for the simulation of hydrological processes are affected by soil moisture (SM) data and uncertain model parameters. Hence, in this study, measured satellite-based SM data obtained from different spatial scales were merged, and the model state and parameters were updated in real time via the data assimilation method named ensemble Kalman filter. Four different assimilation settings were used for the forecasting of different floods at three hydrological stations in the Chaohe River Basin: flood forecasting without data assimilation (NA case), assimilation of runoff data (AF case), assimilation of runoff and satellite-based soil moisture data (AFWR case), and assimilation of runoff and merged soil moisture data (AFWM case). Compared with NA, the relative error (RE) of small, medium, and large floods decreased from 0.53 to 0.23, 0.35 to 0.16, and 0.34 to 0.12 in the AF case, respectively, indicating that the runoff prediction was significantly improved by the assimilation of runoff data. In the AFWR and AFWM cases, the REs of the small, medium, and large floods also decreased, indicating that the soil moisture data play important roles in the assimilation of medium and small floods. To study the factors affecting the assimilation, the changes in the parameter mean and variance and the number of set samples were analyzed. Our results have important implications for the prediction of different levels of floods and related assimilation processes.
Assessment of Arsenic in Hair of the Inhabitants of East Croatia—Relationship to Arsenic Concentrations in Drinking Water
Authors: Vidosavljevic Marina , Puntaric Dinko , Gvozdic Vlatka , Vidosavljevic Domagoj , Juric Dragana , Begovic Lidija
Published: May 2022

The problem of elevated arsenic concentrations in water and environment is an increasing public health concern. The aim of the study was to assess the arsenic content in human hair in selected areas of eastern Croatia and to compare them with measured values after installation of a new water supply system. The hair samples were taken in the areas of wider Osijek and Vinkovci area and analyzed using the ICP–MS method. These data were also compared with data for Vinkovci previously published in 2004. Depending on the investigated area, the median concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.9 µg g−1, whereby this last value exceeded the upper range of the reference value (0.319 µg g−1). The arsenic concentrations from the Našice, Osijek and Vinkovci areas were within or slightly above the maximum allowed reference range. The highest median values in hair samples were detected in Čepin, with arsenic-contaminated potable water, while in areas where the water source was changed, the values were significantly lower. The results add to the conclusion that there has been significant reduction in hair arsenic concentrations in the population that was given access to clean, uncontaminated water from other regional sources.
The modern correlation of RAS and IFRS systems of the public and non-public sectors
Authors:   Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod”, Druzhilovskaya Emilia Sergeevna
Published: May 2022

Currently, the process of reforming the Russian Accounting Standards (RAS) systems for organizations in both the state and nonstate sectors (or organizations in the budget and not budget spheres) is ongoing. At the same time, this process continues to be carried out taking into account the systems of International Financial Reporting and Accounting Standards for organizations of the public and non-public sectors (IFRS, IAS, IPSAS). Therefore, today it is relevant to determine the modern ratio of the RAS and International Standards systems of the state (public) sector, as well as the RAS and International Standards systems of the non-state (non-public) sector. In addition, a comparative analysis of the systems of domestic accounting standards of organizations in the state and non-state sectors makes it possible to identify possible future changes in these systems. Indeed, in general, the accounting methodology for these organizations (including healthcare organizations in these sectors) should be unified. As a result, any innovation in the accounting of one of the above sectors may indicate the feasibility and possibility of making similar adjustments to the accounting of another of these sectors. For similar reasons, it is relevant to determine the current relationship between public and non-public sector International Standards systems. A comparative analysis of all these systems (including for healthcare organizations of the above sectors) is carried out in this article. Grouping method, comparison, analogy method, analysis and synthesis, systematic approach, logical approach were used as research methods. As a result of the research, the article presents proposals for the further development of the RAS and International Standards systems of the state/public and non-state/non-public sectors (including for healthcare organizations).
Reliability of accounting (financial) statements and expression of opinion with a reservation in the audit report
Authors:   Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Sotnikova L.V.
Published: May 2022

The article considers the grounds for modifying the audit reports on the financial statements of Russian public joint-stock companies for the periods from which the financial statements are placed in the State Accounting Information Resource (GIRBO). The grounds for the modified opinion are considered in correspondence with key audit matters presented in the auditor’s reports. Some grounds for modification appear in the auditor’s reports much more frequently than others. Such as understatement of the allowance for doubtful receivables, understatement of the allowance for depreciation of financial investments, evasion of the revaluation of fixed assets, despite the fact that the revaluation is provided for by the accounting policy of the reporting organization.
New special tax regime “Automated Simplified Taxation System”
Authors:   Moscow City University, Moscow, Shinkareva O.V. , Guseynova M.I. ,   Moscow City University, Moscow
Published: May 2022

The article is devoted to the analysis of the draft federal law “An experiment to establish a special tax regime “Automated simplified tax system”. The article considers the relevance of the project, its features and potential, it is shown that only small commercial medical organizations and individual entrepreneurs can apply this regime under a number of conditions. The elements of this taxation system are studied in detail, a table is presented with information on the elements of the automated simplified taxation system. It was noted that the regime under consideration makes it possible to simplify tax accounting and does not require tax reporting, but it is not always profitable for a company to apply this regime, so the decision to switch to it should be made in a balanced manner — practical examples show options when the use of a simplified tax system leads to a lower tax burden.
New procedure for monitoring the correctness of sick leave certificates
Authors:   Moscow City University, Moscow, Shinkareva O.V.
Published: May 2022

Article is devoted to a new order of control of correctness of delivery of leaves of disability by the medical organizations by territorial authorities of Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation according to the Order of the Russian Ministry of Health of 23.11.2021 № 1090n “About the statement of the Procedure Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation of check of observance of an order of delivery, extension and registration of leaves of disability”. It was noted that the audit may affect both private and public organizations. The reasons for conducting such inspections, the peculiarities of notifying medical organizations about their scheduled or unscheduled inspection, the duration and possibility of extending the inspection period, as well as its suspension, were considered. The list of documents that the inspectors may require from the medical organization, as well as the requirements for the act compiled according to the results of the audit, was analyzed.
Features of anti-corruption compliance control in Russian credit institutions
Authors:   Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Esenova A.K. , Sergeeva A.D. ,   Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow
Published: May 2022

In the article, the authors consider topical issues related to the implementation of the compliance function in credit institutions registered in Russia. Special attention is paid to the specifics of the implementation of anti-corruption compliance in commercial banks. At the same time, it is determined that the complexity of building compliance control in order to minimize corruption manifestations lies in the fact that the banking system is a regulated area both on the part of the national regulator and on the part of the associations of the banking community. It is determined that the compliance function is formed as an integral part of the internal control service, the authors reveal in sufficient detail the mechanism of building anti-corruption compliance control in a credit institution. Based on the results of the study, the author put forward recommendations for improving the compliance function in credit institutions.
The development of digitalization in the healthcare sector: a note to the accountant
Authors:   Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Lebedev V.A. , Lebedeva E.I. ,   Non-profit Partnership “Institute of Professional Accountants and Auditors of Russia”, Moscow
Published: May 2022

The issues of the development of the healthcare sector in the digital economy, the provision of medical services in digital form, realizing the possibilities of information and communication technologies, including those related to the development of telemedicine, are considered. Telemedicine entails a significant increase in the number of facilities of technical equipment of medical institutions, which requires solving issues of organizational and legal security of high-tech equipment, computer equipment. The features of the legal regime of property belonging to a medical institution are considered. The analysis of the mechanism of redistribution of responsibility for the safety of such technical means, the specifics of the dismissal of materially responsible workers.
China’s attitude towards the situation in Afghanistan
Authors:   “Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia”, Galimzyanova Albina K.
Published: May 2022

The article examines the position and actions of China to resolve the situation in Afghanistan. As soon as the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, other major powers, including China, began to take a number of actions in the region. For China, which borders Afghanistan’s remote Wakhan Corridor, the priority is to ensure stability in that area and strengthen border controls there to prevent separatists from Xinjiang from infiltrating. Afghanistan is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis and economic hardship. China extended a helping hand to the Afghan population and provided Kabul with emergency humanitarian aid in the form of food and medical supplies, including a shipment of coronavirus vaccines. In addition, the Chinese Foreign Minister met with officials of the interim government of Afghanistan during his visit to Qatar and the parties discussed possible ways to stabilize the situation in the region. Countries have resumed the export of Afghan pine nuts to China. This brought Afghanistan income from external foreign exchange transactions, and also provided Afghan farmers with a livelihood. The importance of the contribution of the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road” to the development of the region is also noted. Promoting the export of Afghan agricultural products to China is China’s tangible action for the economic recovery of Afghanistan, and will also contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan. The author comes to the conclusion that the restoration of stability in Afghanistan is an important task facing today not only China, but also the entire world community.
Ukrainian crisis: «Nuclear» aspect
Authors:   Faculty of History, Moscow State University, M. V. Lomonosov, Russia, Grishaeva Lidiya E.
Published: May 2022

In the article, the author conducts a thorough and objective analysis of the Ukrainian crisis, it would seem, from a completely obvious, but rather unexpected side. The author believes that when considering the Ukrainian problem, it is necessary to focus on its "nuclear aspect". According to the author, the acuteness of the Ukrainian crisis after the collapse of the USSR and Ukraine's independence was exacerbated, first of all, because of the desire to acquire its own "nuclear status" to "contain Russia", but to ensure which it did not have the appropriate resources. The author tells about the dramatic situation that developed during the division of the nuclear arsenal of the former USSR after its collapse. The author convincingly substantiates Russia's position regarding the confirmation of its rights to the absolute possession of nuclear weapons, since it was necessary to put them under reliable and unified control. The author rightly believes that after the collapse of the USSR and the formation of four nuclear states instead of one at once, on the territory of which nuclear arsenals were located, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT, 1968) would be violated. The author analyzes in detail the Budapest memorandum of 1994 and proves that its main essence was to convince Ukraine to confirm its "non-nuclear status". The author reveals the role of the US and NATO in providing "guarantees" to Ukraine to confirm its "non-nuclear status". In the current situation, according to the author, it was necessary to preserve international nuclear security as a single system, which also met the interests of Russia. A special place in the article is occupied by the analysis of the "Crimean issue", which is part of the Ukrainian crisis. The author reveals the essence of "nuclear parity" and argues that the "spread" of nuclear weapons breaks the entire existing system of international nuclear security and will not be able to ensure peace. The author comes to the conclusion that the "nuclear aspect" is the main meaning of the Ukrainian crisis, which should be resolved not by unilateral, but by universal efforts.
Recent events in Afghanistan and the national security of African countries
Authors:   Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Relations, Sidorova Galina M.
Published: May 2022

The importance of the arisen topic is connected to the change of government in Afghanistan in 2021. The events in Afghanistan are another example of the fact that in the third decade of the XXI century the number of new threats to national and international security has increased. New areas of instability appear, and they are able to destabilize the situation in countries with fragile social and political regimes. It is feared that these countries could recline from democracy as well. One of the new such areas is Afghanistan, where the Taliban has come into power. As a result, internal contradictions have arisen, which led to the confrontation of ethnical groups. The influence of Afghanistan events upon the political situation in Africa is analyzed. Some African governments became concerned about the possible repetition of the Afghanistan political scenario. In order to strengthen national security Russia should search for allies among its Asian and African partners. African states see in our country a time-verified partner and are ready to cooperate for the sake of peacekeeping on the continent. The military and technical cooperation between Russia and Africa has significantly increased. New agreements are being concluded; meetings of state leaders are being held. Russian and African cooperation rises to a new level.
Financial leasing in providing emergency stations with special vehicles
Authors:   Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, Dukanich L.V. , Valueva T.N. ,   Higher School of Corporate Management, RANEPA
Published: May 2022

The article deals with the problem of providing emergency stations with special vehicles (ambulances) and possible ways to solve it: purchase, outsourcing and financial leasing of ambulances within the framework of the current legislative framework and the existing economic space. The main advantages and problem issues of each of these methods are highlighted. The expediency of more active use of financial leasing to solve this problem is substantiated.