bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Substantial but spatially heterogeneous progress in male circumcision for HIV prevention in South Africa
Authors: Thomas Matthew L. , Zuma Khangelani , Loykissoonlal Dayanund , Dube Ziphozonke Bridget , Vranken Peter , Porter Sarah E. , Kripke Katharine , Seatlhodi Thapelo , Meyer-Rath Gesine , Johnson Leigh F. , Imai-Eaton Jeffrey W.
Published: January 2024

Background

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) reduces the risk of male HIV acquisition by 60%. Programmes to provide VMMCs for HIV prevention have been introduced in sub-Saharan African countries with high HIV burden. Traditional circumcision is also a long-standing male coming-of-age ritual, but practices vary considerably across populations. Accurate estimates of circumcision coverage by age, type, and time at subnational levels are required for planning and delivering VMMCs to meet targets and evaluating their impacts on HIV incidence.

Methods

We developed a Bayesian competing risks time-to-event model to produce region-age-time-type specific probabilities and coverage of male circumcision with probabilistic uncertainty. The model jointly synthesises data from household surveys and health system data on the number of VMMCs conducted. We demonstrated the model using data from five household surveys and VMMC programme data to produce estimates of circumcision coverage for 52 districts in South Africa between 2008 and 2019.

Results

Nationally, in 2008, 24.1% (95% CI: 23.4–24.8%) of men aged 15–49 were traditionally circumcised and 19.4% (18.9–20.0%) were medically circumcised. Between 2010 and 2019, 4.25 million VMMCs were conducted. Circumcision coverage among men aged 15–49 increased to 64.0% (63.2–64.9%) and medical circumcision coverage to 42% (41.3–43.0%). Circumcision coverage varied widely across districts, ranging from 13.4 to 86.3%. The average age of traditional circumcision ranged between 13 and 19 years, depending on local cultural practices.

Conclusion

South Africa has made substantial, but heterogeneous, progress towards increasing medical circumcision coverage. Detailed subnational information on coverage and practices can guide programmes to identify unmet need to achieve national and international targets.
Computational pathology identifies immune-mediated collagen disruption to predict clinical outcomes in gynecologic malignancies
Authors: Aggarwal Arpit , Khalighi Sirvan , Babu Deepak , Li Haojia , Azarianpour-Esfahani Sepideh , Corredor Germán , Fu Pingfu , Mokhtari Mojgan , Pathak Tilak , Thayer Elizabeth , Modesitt Susan , Mahdi Haider , Avril Stefanie , Madabhushi Anant
Published: January 2024

Background

The role of immune cells in collagen degradation within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is unclear. Immune cells, particularly tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), are known to alter the extracellular matrix, affecting cancer progression and patient survival. However, the quantitative evaluation of the immune modulatory impact on collagen architecture within the TME remains limited.

Methods

We introduce CollaTIL, a computational pathology method that quantitatively characterizes the immune-collagen relationship within the TME of gynecologic cancers, including high-grade serous ovarian (HGSOC), cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), and endometrial carcinomas. CollaTIL aims to investigate immune modulatory impact on collagen architecture within the TME, aiming to uncover the interplay between the immune system and tumor progression.

Results

We observe that an increased immune infiltrate is associated with chaotic collagen architecture and higher entropy, while immune sparse TME exhibits ordered collagen and lower entropy. Importantly, CollaTIL-associated features that stratify disease risk are linked with gene signatures corresponding to TCA-Cycle in CSCC, and amino acid metabolism, and macrophages in HGSOC.

Conclusions

CollaTIL uncovers a relationship between immune infiltration and collagen structure in the TME of gynecologic cancers. Integrating CollaTIL with genomic analysis offers promising opportunities for future therapeutic strategies and enhanced prognostic assessments in gynecologic oncology.
Scaling models of visual working memory to natural images
Authors: Bates Christopher J. , Alvarez George A. , Gershman Samuel J.
Published: January 2024

Over the last few decades, psychologists have developed precise quantitative models of human recall performance in visual working memory (VWM) tasks. However, these models are tailored to a particular class of artificial stimulus displays and simple feature reports from participants (e.g., the color or orientation of a simple object). Our work has two aims. The first is to build models that explain people’s memory errors in continuous report tasks with natural images. Here, we use image generation algorithms to generate continuously varying response alternatives that differ from the stimulus image in natural and complex ways, in order to capture the richness of people’s stored representations. The second aim is to determine whether models that do a good job of explaining memory errors with natural images also explain errors in the more heavily studied domain of artificial displays with simple items. We find that: (i) features taken from state-of-the-art deep encoders predict trial-level difficulty in natural images better than several reasonable baselines; and (ii) the same visual encoders can reproduce set-size effects and response bias curves in the artificial stimulus domains of orientation and color. Moving forward, our approach offers a scalable way to build a more generalized understanding of VWM representations by combining recent advances in both AI and cognitive modeling.
A low-volume LC/MS method for highly sensitive monitoring of phenoxymethylpenicillin, benzylpenicillin, and probenecid in human serum
Authors: Riezk Alaa , Wilson Richard C. , Cass Anthony E. G. , Holmes Alison H. , Rawson Timothy M.
Published: January 2024

Fast and highly sensitive analysis of phenoxymethylpenicillin, benzylpenicillin and probenecid in human serum using a triple quadrupole LC/MS method for therapeutic drug monitoring.
Efficient extraction based on a polydimethylsiloxane/bimetallic ZnCo-MOF carbonization sponge coupled with GC-MS for the rapid analysis of volatile compounds in cumin
Authors: Li Dandan , Fu Jihong , Ren Shuxian , Jiang Xinxing
Published: January 2024

A novel porous material of a polydimethylsiloxane/bimetallic ZnCo-MOF carbonization (PDMS/ZnCo-MOF@C) sponge was successfully fabricated followed by GC-MS for the high efficiency extraction and determination of volatile compounds in cumin.
A hydrogel optical fibre sensor for rapid on-site ethanol determination
Authors: Hong Simin , Yan Mingming , Feng Yuan , Chen Huifang , Xu Ben , Zhao Chunliu , Kang Juan
Published: January 2024

The proposed sensor has the advantages of being single-ended, having low LOD, cost-effectiveness, easy preparation, rapid detection, and small sample quantity. It has great potential for on-site ethanol detection applications.
Aggregation-induced emission photosensitizer microneedles for enhanced melanoma photodynamic therapy
Authors: Liang Ling , Peng Tuokai , Geng Xin Yao , Zhu Wenping , Liu Chaoyong , Peng Hui-Qing , Chen Bo Zhi , Guo Xin Dong
Published: January 2024

The AIE photosensitiser TPE-EPy@CB[7] was prepared by supramolecular self-assembly, which effectively enhanced the type-I ROS generation capacity. MNs facilitated precise drug delivery and enhanced light penetration into deeper layers of the tumor.
10th anniversary of Environmental Science: Nano
Authors: Vikesland Peter J.
Published: January 2024

Editor-in-Chief Peter Vikesland reflects on 10 years of Environmental Science: Nano.
Integrated microbiome, metabolome and transcriptome profiling reveals the beneficial effects of fish oil and Bacillus subtilis jzxj-7 on mouse gut ecosystem
Authors: Wang Rundong , Deng Yijia , Zhang Yuhao , Li Xuepeng , Gooneratne Ravi , Li Jianrong
Published: January 2024

Co-supplementation of fish oil and Bacillus subtilis jzxj-7 markedly improved gut ecosystem by modulating gut microbiota structure, microbial metabolites, and altering intestinal gene expression profiles.
Carbopol 940-based hydrogels loading synergistic combination of quercetin and luteolin from the herbEuphorbia humifusato promoteStaphylococcus aureusinfected wound healing
Authors: Wu Xiying , Chen Hao-Wei , Zhao Ze-Yu , Li Lisha , Song Chi , Xiong Juan , Yang Guo-Xun , Zhu Quangang , Hu Jin-Feng
Published: January 2024

An optimized QU–LU Carbopol 940-based hydrogel significantly promotedS. aureus-infected wound healing through anti-infection, anti-inflammation, collagen deposition and angiogenesis, revealing it as a promising alternative for infected wound repair.
Are topological insulators promising thermoelectrics?
Authors: Toriyama Michael Y. , Snyder G. Jeffrey
Published: January 2024

Simply put, yes. Band inversion-driven warping makes topological insulators fascinating prospects for thermoelectric applications.
Correction: Hot off the Press
Authors: Hill Robert A. , Sutherland Andrew
Published: January 2024

Correction for ‘Hot off the Press’ by Robert A. Hill et al., Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023, 40, 1816–1821, https://doi.org/10.1039/d3np90052e.
A novel bifunctional multilayered nanofibrous membrane combining polycaprolactone and poly (vinyl alcohol) enriched with platelet lysate for skin wound healing
Authors: Blanquer Andreu , Kostakova Eva Kuzelova , Filova Elena , Lisnenko Maxim , Broz Antonin , Mullerova Jana , Novotny Vit , Havlickova Kristyna , Jakubkova Sarka , Hauzerova Sarka , Heczkova Bohdana , Prochazkova Renata , Bacakova Lucie , Jencova Vera
Published: January 2024

A membrane composed of PCL and PVA layers enriched with platelet lysate was produced to allow cell adhesion and growth and to serve as a drug delivery system that release bioactive compounds in effective concentrations.
One-step regeneration and upgrading of spent LiFePO4 cathodes with phytic acid
Authors: Zhu Xuhui , Ren Xueqi , Chen Junting , Gong Mengqi , Mo Ran , Luo Siyuan , Yang Shun
Published: January 2024

The regeneration and upgrading of spent LiFePO4 cathodes were achieved via a one-step hydrothermal treatment.
Allotropic Ga2Se3/GaSe nanostructures grown by van der Waals epitaxy: narrow exciton lines and single-photon emission
Authors: Rakhlin Maxim , Sorokin Sergey , Galimov Aidar , Eliseyev Ilya , Davydov Valery , Kirilenko Demid , Toropov Alexey , Shubina Tatiana
Published: January 2024

Allotropic Ga2Se3/GaSe nanostructures grown by van der Waals epitaxy can be proposed as a source of narrow polarized exciton lines. Such nanostructures exhibit single-photon emission with second-order correlation function g(2)(0) ∼ 0.1 at 10 K.
Removal of bromophenol blue from polluted water using a novel azo-functionalized magnetic nano-adsorbent
Authors: Saad Hadeel , Nour El-Dien F. A. , El-Gamel Nadia E. A. , Abo Dena Ahmed S.
Published: January 2024

Water pollution from organic dyes poses a serious danger to the environment.
Positron scattering from structurally related biomolecules
Authors: Mahla Sapna , Antony Bobby
Published: January 2024

We report the integral elastic, momentum transfer, and inelastic (positronium formation and ionisation) cross sections for positron scattering from structurally related molecules.
Synthesis of triazole bridged N-glycosides of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidinones as anticancer agents and their in silico docking studies
Authors: Tiwari Ghanshyam , Mishra Vinay Kumar , Kumari Priti , Khanna Ashish , Sharma Sunil , Sagar Ram
Published: January 2024

An efficient microwave assisted synthesis of diverse triazole bridged N-glycosides of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidinones as new glycohybrids has been developed. The anti-cancer property of these glycohybrids was evaluated against MCF-7, MDA-MB231 and MDA-MB453 cell lines.
Improving the stability of perovskite nanocrystals via SiO2 coating and their applications
Authors: Li Qing-Feng , Wang Jin-Tao , Wang Zhenling
Published: January 2024

This review summarizes recent developments in SiO2-coated lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP NCs), and the preparation methods and applications of SiO2-coated LHP NCs are discussed.
Ferrocenylselenoether and its cuprous cluster modified TiO2 as visible-light photocatalyst for the synergistic transformation of N-cyclic organics and Cr(vi)
Authors: Yang Zhuo , Wang Jinshan , Li Aimin , Wang Chao , Ji Wei , Pires Elísabet , Yang Wenzhong , Jing Su
Published: January 2024

Synergistic transformation of N-cyclic organics and Cr(vi) under neutral condition. Fenton chemistry and photogenerated charge separation promote mutually. Se provides acidic surface microenvironment for high photocatalytic adaptability.
Ce4+-Substituted Ni–Al mixed oxide: fluoride adsorption performance and reusability
Authors: Wagassa Ararso Nagari , Bansiwal Amit , Shifa Tofik Ahmed , Zereffa Enyew Amare
Published: January 2024

In this study, Ce4+-doped Ni–Al mixed oxides (NACO) were synthesized and comprehensively characterized for their potential application in fluoride adsorption.
Tetracycline degradation in the Fe3O4@HKUST-1/persulfate system: properties, activation mechanism, and degradation pathways
Authors: Wu Tongtong , Gao Weili , Zhang Jiehe , Hao Mingxu , Zhang Shiyu , Tao Haisheng
Published: January 2024

A magnetic copper-based metal–organic framework was successfully synthesised for the efficient removal of tetracycline in aqueous environments, and its catalytic tetracycline degradation was mainly driven by non-radical pathways.
Particle dispersion through porous media with heterogeneous attractions
Authors: Darko Wilfred Kwabena , Mangal Deepak , Conrad Jacinta C. , Palmer Jeremy C.
Published: January 2024

Spatial heterogeneity in the local strength of attraction with a porous medium influences particle transport under quiescent and flow conditions.
Finite-size effect on the percolation and electromechanical behaviors of liquid metal particulate composites
Authors: Madadi Mohammad , Zhang Pu
Published: January 2024

We explore the effects of sample size and shape on the percolation and electromechanical behaviors of liquid metal composites.
Zincophilic Sn sites induced the local ion enrichment for compact and homogenous growth of Zn biscuits in long-life Zn metal batteries
Authors: Liu Tiancun , Xu Yi , Fang Haoyan , Chen Ling , Ying Jiadi , Guo Min , Wang Yeqing , Shen Qi , Wang Xusheng , Wang Yong , Yu Zhixin
Published: January 2024

A self-supporting substrate (reduced copper foam with thin Sn decoration layer, R-CF@Sn) is prepared by a pre-oxidation and electroless plating process to achieve uniform Zn deposition and suppress dendrite formation.
Two-dimensional oxygen-deficient ZnO1−x nanosheet as a highly selective and sensitive fluorescence probe for ferritin detection: the electron transfer biosensor (ETBS)
Authors: Rana Priyanka , Musuvadhi Babulal Sivakumar , Wu Hui-Fen
Published: January 2024

The development of electron transfer biosensors (ETBS) based on fluorescent oxygen-deficient zinc oxide nanosheets for the detection of ferritin due to electron transfer reactions.
Laser processing of Li-doped mesoporous TiO2 for ambient-processed mesoscopic perovskite solar cells
Authors: Mo Hongbo , Chen Qian , Wang Dong , Guo Wei , Cheng Dongxu , Sha Yang , Mokhtar Muhamad Z. , Jia Zhenyu , Jacobs Janet , Thomas Andrew G. , Li Lin , Liu Zhu , Curry Richard J.
Published: January 2024

A rapid and scalable laser-assisted process to manufacture Li-doped mesoporous TiO2 films for ambient-processed perovskite solar cells.
Theoretical investigation of width effects in the electronic and transport properties of carbon nanoribbons with 5-8-5 carbon rings: a first-principles study
Authors: Mota Elder Augusto Viana , da Silva Carlos Alberto Brito , Del Nero Jordan
Published: January 2024

An increase in width enhances stability and acts like uniaxial tensile strain. Sub-bandgap regions trigger optoelectronic device applications and negative differential resistance. Nanodevice behavior depends on the width.
Broadband short-wave infrared Mg4Nb2O9:Cr3+,Li+ phosphor for nondestructive safety detection and biomedical imaging
Authors: Ding Qingyang , Wu Jincheng , Yu Dechao , Han Xinxin , Zhou Yayun , Shen Tiantian , Ma Yunfeng , Zhuang Songlin , Zhang Dawei
Published: January 2024

Blue-excitable broadband short-wave infrared Mg4Nb2O9: 3%Cr3+,Li+ phosphors with high crystallinity and enhanced emission were innovatively developed for pc-LED applications in nondestructive safety detection, biomedical imaging, and other fields.
Preparation of PVA/cellulose composite hydrogel electrolytes based on zinc chloride-dissolved cellulose for flexible solid-state capacitors
Authors: Zhang Ru , Wu Chengfeng , Liao Xuyan , Luo Axi , Jing Yidan , Yu Ningya , Su Shengpei , Zhang Xiaomin , Zhu Jin , Deng Guobo
Published: January 2024

A multifunctional PVA/cellulose hydrogel electrolyte prepared using a simple method is used in flexible supercapacitors.
Realizing a broad-scope and high-sensitivity optical thermometer based on dual-emission centers with structure confinement effect-related energy transfer
Authors: Huang Shixiang , Yi Liuhan , Zhang Feng , Liu Xiansheng , Li Chao , Long Mengzhu , Wang Yuhua
Published: January 2024

Based on dual-emission centers with a compact distance, a broad-scope optical thermometer with high sensitivity and temperature resolution is designed.
Whale optimization‐based PTS scheme for PAPR reduction in UFMC systems
Authors: Tuli Esmot Ara , Akter Rubina , Lee Jae Min , Kim Dong‐Seong
Published: January 2024

This paper proposes a whale optimization algorithm (WOA)‐based partial transmit sequence (PTS) scheme called WOA‐PTS to reduce the high peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) for universal filtered multi‐carrier (UFMC) systems. High PAPR is a prevalent challenge encountered in multi‐carrier systems. In the conventional PTS technique, the optimization of phase rotation factors is achieved through multiplication with the sub‐blocks. In this undertaking, WOA optimization is integrated as a phase optimizer in the PTS‐based PAPR reduction scheme. The experimental results show that, when compared with PTS‐based UFMC signal, the UFMC signal with WOA‐PTS can achieve 4.15 dB PAPR reduction at the complementary cumulative distribution function value of 10−3, additionally power spectral density performance and bit error rate also improved.
A deep learning framework for multi‐object tracking in team sports videos
Authors: Cao Wei , Wang Xiaoyong , Liu Xianxiang , Xu Yishuai
Published: January 2024

In response to the challenges of Multi‐Object Tracking (MOT) in sports scenes, such as severe occlusions, similar appearances, drastic pose changes, and complex motion patterns, a deep‐learning framework CTGMOT (CNN‐Transformer‐GNN‐based MOT) specifically for multiple athlete tracking in sports videos that performs joint modelling of detection, appearance and motion features is proposed. Firstly, a detection network that combines Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Transformers is constructed to extract both local and global features from images. The fusion of appearance and motion features is achieved through a design of parallel dual‐branch decoders. Secondly, graph models are built using Graph Neural Networks (GNN) to accurately capture the spatio‐temporal correlations between object and trajectory features from inter‐frame and intra‐frame associations. Experimental results on the public sports tracking dataset SportsMOT show that the proposed framework outperforms other state‐of‐the‐art methods for MOT in complex sport scenes. In addition, the proposed framework shows excellent generality on benchmark datasets MOT17 and MOT20.
A new air gap flux‐based technique to detect loss of field in synchronous generators
Authors: Haseli Mohammad Reza , Haghjoo Farhad , Hasani Abbas
Published: January 2024

A new technique is proposed for loss of field (LOF) detection in synchronous generators (SGs). The proposed scheme employs the variations of SG angular velocity ∆ωφ and load angle ∆δφ to reach this goal, while the mentioned parameters are estimated through air gap flux estimation. The proposed scheme performance is evaluated using realistic simulation case studies based on IEEE C. 37. 102 standard compared to the conventional impedance‐based one. The obtained results show that the presented scheme excels the conventional scheme from speed and security viewpoints. Moreover, the estimation procedure of ∆ωφ and ∆δφ is experimentally validated by using a 10 kVA SG and the results demonstrate that the proposed technique can be easily set and implemented.
Dynamic estimator selection for double‐bit‐range estimation in VVC CABAC entropy coding
Authors: Im Sio‐Kei , Chan Ka‐Hou
Published: January 2024

CABAC is the only entropy coding used in Versatile Video Coding (VVC). This is achieved through multiple estimators approach that provide more accurate predictions by considering different estimated probability results, but CABAC coding requires higher complexity and bit‐range accuracy than other approaches. Therefore, there is more potential to refine the performance from the perspective of bit allocation and architecture design. In this paper, a selection method is proposed to determine which estimator is recommended to dynamically perform the current entropy coding. Taking advantage of the double‐bit‐range architecture, the bits contained in the different estimators are also rearranged based on Most Probable Symbol () determination and Least Probable Symbol () considerations. Experimental reports in the work report that the coding time can be reduced using the proposed method and there is a slight gain in Peak Signal‐to‐Noise Ratio (PSNR) while saving some Rate‐distortion (RD) performance in bitrate.
Cross‐modal fusion encoder via graph neural network for referring image segmentation
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Zhang Yong , Piao Xinglin , Yuan Peng , Hu Yongli , Yin Baocai
Published: January 2024

Referring image segmentation identifies the object masks from images with the guidance of input natural language expressions. Nowadays, many remarkable cross‐modal decoder are devoted to this task. But there are mainly two key challenges in these models. One is that these models usually lack to extract fine‐grained boundary information and gradient information of images. The other is that these models usually lack to explore language associations among image pixels. In this work, a Multi‐scale Gradient balanced Central Difference Convolution (MG‐CDC) and a Graph convolutional network‐based Language and Image Fusion (GLIF) for cross‐modal encoder, called Graph‐RefSeg, are designed. Specifically, in the shallow layer of the encoder, the MG‐CDC captures comprehensive fine‐grained image features. It could enhance the perception of target boundaries and provide effective guidance for deeper encoding layers. In each encoder layer, the GLIF is used for cross‐modal fusion. It could explore the correlation of every pixel and its corresponding language vectors by a graph neural network. Since the encoder achieves robust cross‐modal alignment and context mining, a light‐weight decoder could be used for segmentation prediction. Extensive experiments show that the proposed Graph‐RefSeg outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art methods on three public datasets. Code and models will be made publicly available at https://github.com/ZYQ111/Graph_refseg.
Robust image watermarking using ant colony optimization and fast generic radial harmonic Fourier moment calculation
Authors: Wang Wenbing , Feng Liu
Published: January 2024

In open networks, the geometric deformation and common image processing are common image manipulation modes, which pose a great challenge in robust watermarking. To improve the robustness of GRHFM‐based watermarking, a watermarking algorithm based on the fast GRHFM calculation method and ant colony optimization (ACO) based fractional parameter selection method is proposed. With the similarity between the discrete Fourier transform and GRHFM moment calculation, the algorithm utilizes fast Fourier transform to improve the GRHFM calculation accuracy and speed. To select the optimal GRHFM fractional parameter for watermarking algorithm, ACO is introduced to the fractional parameter adaptive selection method. Here, the fast Fourier transform‐based calculation method is combined with the adaptive parameter selection method to maximize the invisibility and robustness of watermarking. The experimental results indicate that the algorithm achieves higher robustness with the same payload and invisibility compared with other existing watermarking methods.
Application of DSS in agroecological assessment of the potential of use of chernozem soils in the conditions of the Penza region
Authors: Tikhonova M.V. , Buzylev A.V.
Published: January 2024

The paper discusses the use of a decision support system (DSS) for the purpose of automated agroecological assessment of chernozem soils of the Penza region in comparison with the agroecological classification of soil cover based on standard agrochemical characteristics. The results show the rationality of using DSS, as well as the increased agroecological potential of the analyzed old arable field. Calculations made it possible to identify limiting soil-ecological parameters, such as insufficient content of mobile forms of phosphorus and the density of the arable soil horizon, as well as to calculate the soil-ecological quality rating both for the entire field and for a regular hectare grid.
Biologically active substances of new marjoram varieties and prospects for their use
Authors: Bakova Nadezhda , Paliy Anfisa , Shevchuk Oksana , Suslova Anna
Published: January 2024

Biologically active substances, essential oils, and plant extracts were studied obtained from new high-yield varieties of Origanum vulgare L. (Raduga, Belaya Ptitsa, Krymchanka) and Origanum tyttanthum Contsch. (Alcina) of the GSBSI “NBG – NSC RAS” breeding. It was found that the O. vulgare variety Belaya Ptitsa was distinguished by the content of essential oil, the main component of which was carvacrol. The maximum total content of phenolic substances and flavonoids was distinguished by an alcoholic extract from the O. tyttanthum variety. Neochlorogenic and rosemary acids, apigenin-6,8-di-C-glucoside, carvacrol, and thymol were identified in extracts of all the studied marjoram varieties. It is shown that the vegetable raw material O. vulgare cv “Belaya Ptica” is promising for the production of essential oil with a high content of carvacrol, and O. tyttanthum cv “ can serve as a raw source of rosemary acid.
Effect of short peptides on seed germination and morphometric parameters of flax seedlings
Authors: Zharkikh Olga A. , Nechaeva Evgenia M. , Zhevnerov Alexey V.
Published: January 2024

The use of peptide preparations is one of the current trends in modern agriculture. These preparations can be used to increase the efficiency of sowing treatment of agricultural crops seeds. The article presents the results of a laboratory experiment aimed at studying the effect of a complex of short peptides AC-3 (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine) on seed germination and morphometric parameters of flax seedlings (Linum usitatissimum L.) - Tverskoy variety. The maximum germination energy (68, 68 and 74%, 50% at the control) and seed germination values (95, 95 and 100%, 75% at the control) were obtained in variants with seed treatment with a complex of short peptides at concentrations of 1*10-12, 1*10-13, and 1*10-15 g/l, respectively. According to the totality of the maximum values of seed quality indicators and morphometric characteristics of flax seedlings, the Tverskoy variety (the length of roots and sprouts, the yield of raw and dry biomass of seedlings), the optimal concentration of a complex of short peptides for pre-sowing seed treatment is 1*10-15 g/l.
Biostimulants of growth in the production process of grain crops
Authors: Seregina Inga I. , Anka Maya , Golovin Maxim S. , Levchenko Anastasia V. , Islamgulova Regina R.
Published: January 2024

The role of biostimulants of growth of various natures in the production process of spring wheat variety Zlata was studied, depending on nitrogen nutrition conditions, and was carried out under field conditions.The experiments assessed the activity of the plant assimilation apparatus and the formation of the yield of wheat plants using biostimulants of various natures by spraying vegetative plants. The studies found that the greatest effectiveness of the studied drugs was observed under conditions of optimal provision of nitrogen nutrition to wheat plants. It has been established that the preparations Epin-Extra, Emistim and Hardy increase the efficiency of the assimilation apparatus of spring wheat plants, which led to the receipt of large increases in grain weight under conditions of optimal provision of wheat plants with nitrogen nutrition.
Estimating ETO and scheduling crop irrigation using Blaney–Criddle equation when only air-temperature data are available and solving the issue of missing meteorological data in Egypt
Authors: Abdelraouf R.E. , El-Shawadfy M.A. , Bakry A.B. , Abdelaal H.K. , El-Shirbeny M.A. , Ragab R. , Belopukhov S.L.
Published: January 2024

Accurate assessment of evapotranspiration is essential for crop irrigation planning. In developing countries and given the cost of evaluating evapotranspiration based on the Penman-Monteith equation, this research is an attempt to provide a simple equation that depends only on temperature to estimate evapotranspiration and serve as an alternative method to FAO56-PM when only air temperature data are available and the problem of missing meteorological data is solved. Four reference methods for evapotranspiration (ET) were compared under the local climatic conditions of the El-Nobaria region in northern Egypt. The Blaney–Criddle method was found to have the highest correlation with the FAO56-PM method. Using the simple equations to calculate ETo for irrigation scheduling of peanuts had a positive effect on the yield and yield components of peanuts. The highest productivity value was obtained when the Blaney–Criddle equation was used to estimate peanut irrigation scheduling, while equation resulted in lower productivity. When the equation was used, the differences in productivity between the equations were highly significant. It is worth noting that when the Blaney–Criddle and Thorthwaite equations were used, followed by the FAO56-PM equation, the superiority of the water productivity value became evident, as the increase in nutrient concentration in the root zone led to increased nutrient uptake, resulting in an increase in the productivity of peanut yield, oil and protein.
Modern aspects of the livestock industry development, considering the analysis of consumer preferences for meat and meat products
Authors: Biryukova Tatiana V. , Enkina Catherine V. , Ashmarina Tatyana I.
Published: January 2024

In the modern conditions of the development of economic relations, consumer behavior in relation to the choice, purchase and consumption of food has been significantly transformed. This state of affairs encourages market participants to seriously change their approaches to working with consumers, the basis of which should be a multifactorial study of consumer preferences. At the moment, this transformation is of particular interest in the main markets, which include the meat and meat products market. This article attempts to study the transformation of consumer preferences for meat and meat products in modern conditions. Special attention is focused on such a parameter as the product quality. In the course of the study, a model was proposed for evaluating the decision-making process on the purchase of meat and meat products by the consumer, considering the essential factors of choice, the results of the marketing research were presented, the main conclusions regarding the transformation of consumer preferences were formulated, the importance of such criteria as product safety, animal husbandry, environmental impact was assessed. On the part of consumer organizations, the interrelation of such criteria forming the quality of the product as freshness, compliance with microbiological indicators, compliance with temperature control, which are currently a priority when choosing a supplier, is evaluated. The main conclusions are presented, which allow to consider the main promising areas of development of organizations engaged in meat production. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility for organizations operating in this market to create successful marketing strategies and will significantly make the manufactured products of the quality necessary for the consumer.
Issues of improving financing of agricultural clusters
Authors: Ochilov Ilhom
Published: January 2024

Agricultural clusters play a pivotal role in the economic development of Uzbekistan, acting as key contributors to the nation’s agricultural output. This research delves into the critical issue of enhancing the financial mechanisms that support these agricultural clusters. The period from 2018 to 2023 witnessed notable growth rates in agricultural production across various regions of Uzbekistan. In the Republic of Uzbekistan, the overall growth rate remained consistently positive, reaching 104.1% in the third quarter of 2023. The Republic of Karakalpakstan, Andijan, and Bukhara demonstrated robust growth, showcasing the effectiveness of agricultural clusters in these regions.
Application of whey protein hydrolysate as a technological additive in the sour cream production
Authors: Nikolina Anna , Neverova Olga , Rogozinnikova Irina , Pavlova Yana , Shamilov Rustam
Published: January 2024

In the context of economic sanctions, the problem of supplying food additives, including stabilizers and thickeners, which are important in the production of fermented milk products, remains relevant for many enterprises; the development of a fermented milk product – sour cream, using whey protein hydrolysate as a technological additive is relevant. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of whey protein hydrolysate on the technological process of manufacturing a fermented milk product, sour cream, and the quality indicators of the final product. The results of the acidity study showed that in the experimental samples, the ripening process occurred faster than in the control sample. Based on the results of the research, it can be concluded that whey protein hydrolysate can be used as a technological additive in the production of fermented milk products to improve quality indicators.
The effect of protein hydrolysate on the functional and technological indicators of pate
Authors: Balandina Viktoria , Neverova Olga , Rogozinnikova Irina , Galushina Polina , Sharaviev Pavel
Published: January 2024

It is advisable to study the effect of new protein additives on the functional and technological properties of food systems, taking into account a wide range of food and technological additives used in the production of meat products. The purpose of the research is to determine the effect of protein hydrolysate on the functional and technological indicators of pate. Optipep protein hydrolysate was used. Research methods. The functional and technological indicators of the protein hydrolysate were determined; the physico-chemical indicators of the pate samples were determined, and the obtained values were compared with the requirements of the state standard. The yield of the product after heat treatment was also determined. Results. It has been established that protein hydrolysate has high functional and technological indicators, which affect the increase in the yield of the product, as well as the increase in moisture, which contributes to a more spreadable consistency of the product. Samples of pate with the introduction of protein hydrolysate have a higher nutritional value. Based on the results, concluded that it is advisable to use protein hydrolysate in the pate recipe to improve its quality indicators.
Empirical analysis of renewable and non-renewable energy resources consumption impact on economic development in Uzbekistan
Authors: Ibadullaev Ergash , Rajabov Alibek , Matyakubova Dilfuza , Yakubov Azizbek , Yusubov Inomjon
Published: January 2024

In this paper the association among renewable, non-renewable energy consumption and GDP growth is analyzed by using the secondary date of The World Bank and International Energy Agency for the period 1990-2021 of Uzbekistan. The paper employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) model to estimate the long-run and short-run dynamic multipliers of energy consumption variables. Empirical results show that hydropower energy consumption (renewable energy) has a positive effect on GDP growth in the long term. Also, consumption of non-renewable energy resources (coal, natural gas, oil) has a positive effect on GDP growth in the short and long term. In addition, the increase in the consumption of non-renewable energy resources has a positive effect on CO2 emissions, which in turn means that the government should take measures to increase the share of renewable energy resources.
Production and use of biologically active substances: Economic, social and legal aspects
Authors: Begishev Ildar , Denisovich Veronika , Majorov Vladimir , Kokanov Nikolay , Sergeev Andrey
Published: January 2024

The article analyzes the opinions of researchers on the need to produce and use biologically active substances. The authors of this publication consider not only legal issues, but also socio-economic ones. Due to the integral approach and the use of several basic methods of scientific cognition, a number of progressive conclusions are formulated. It is noted that the quality of biologically active substances and their generics depends not only on the consumer’s demand, but also on the substance nature and its legal regulation. Not only advantages of modern approaches to drug production are noted, but also defects, namely high cost and insufficiently effective use of digital technologies.
The current state and directions of fertility provision for agricultural lands based on biologically active substances
Authors: Trukhachev V.I. , Stepantsevich M.N. , Khudyakova E.V. , Gorbachev M.I.
Published: January 2024

The paper examines the current state of the land fund, farmlands and agricultural lands in the context of federal districts and individual subjects of the Russian Federation to ensure the increase in production of products obtained by traditional agricultural technologies and organic farming. Qualitative indicators of farmlands and agricultural lands, including indicators of unfavorability, are analyzed. Separately, the problems of fertility regulation (maintenance of humus-forming processes) of farmlands are considered in the conditions of their intensive use on the basis of modern methods of soil fertility reproduction - the introduction of balanced complex fertilizers, reclamation, the use of energy-saving agricultural technologies of tillage, rotation of crop rotations, the introduction of special biologically active substances into the soil, the cultivation of siderates, etc.
Empowering Sustainable Agriculture: An Enhanced Deep Learning Model for PD Detection in Agricultural Operation System
Authors: Chopra Taruna , Pathrotkar Nikita
Published: January 2024

A country’s financial growth is prejudiced by its rate of agricultural output. Nevertheless, Plant Diseases (PD) pose a substantial obstacle to the cultivation and value of foodstuff. The timely detection of PDs is paramount for public wellness and Sustainable Agriculture (SA) promotion. The conventional diagnostic procedure entails a pathologist’s visual evaluation of a particular plant through in-person visits. Nevertheless, the manual inspection of crop diseases is limited due to its low level of accuracy and the limited availability of skilled workers. To address these concerns, there is a need to develop automated methodologies capable of effectively identifying and classifying a wide range of PDs. The precise detection and categorization of PDs pose a challenging task due to various factors. These include the presence of low-intensity data in both the image’s backdrop and the forefront, the significant similarity in color between normal and diseased plant regions, the presence of noise in the specimens, and the variations in the location, chrominance, framework, and dimensions of plant leaves. This paper presents a novel approach for identifying and categorizing PDs using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network - Transfer Learning (DCNN-TL) technique in the Agricultural Operation System (AOS). The proposed method aims to enhance the capabilities of SA in accurately identifying and categorizing PDs. The improved Deep Learning (DL) methodology incorporates a TL technique based on fine-tuned Visual Geometry Group 19 (VGG19) architecture. The revised system accurately detects and diagnoses five distinct PD categories. Among the evaluated methods, the proposed DCNN-TL in this study shows outstanding precision, recall, and accuracy values of 0.996, 0.9994, and 0.9998, respectively.
Implementation of a food traceability system utilizing the Internet of Things and blockchain technology to enhance safety measures within the food supply chain
Authors: Chopra Taruna , Pathrotkar Nikita
Published: January 2024

Food safety is a global concern, and a reliable Food Traceability System (FTS) is essential to address this issue. This paper introduces a novel FTS, FTS-IoT-BT, which uses IoT and Blockchain Technology to enhance safety protocols in the Food Supply Chain (FSC). The framework aims to document the condition of food items, verify data reliability, and restrict access to unsafe food. The FTS-IoT-BT provides a comprehensive overview of the highest and lowest durations associated with different operations, with a superior throughput of 96.7% when using ten IoT devices..
An Integrated Approach to Dairy Farming: AI and IoT-Enabled Monitoring of Cows and Crops via a Mobile Application
Authors: Pandey Dev Ras , Mishra Nidhi
Published: January 2024

The globalized and fiercely competitive nature of the international market has expanded the range of demands across all sectors of the agri-food business. The dairy business needs to adjust to the prevailing market conditions by enhancing resource efficiency, adopting environmentally sustainable practices, promoting transparency, and ensuring security. The Internet of Things (IoT), Edge Computing (EC), and deep learning play pivotal roles in facilitating these advancements as they enable the digitization of various components within the value chain. Solutions that depend on human observation via visual inspections are susceptible to delayed detection and potential human mistakes and need more scalability. The growing herd numbers raise a significant worry due to the potential negative impact on cow health and welfare, particularly about extended or undiscovered lameness. This condition has severe consequences for cows, eventually leading to a decline in milk output on the farm. To address this issue, an Integrated Approach to Dairy Farming (IA-DF) has been developed, which utilizes sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics methodologies using mobile applications to continuously monitor livestock and promptly detect instances of lameness in cattle. Initially, the VGG16 model, pre-trained on the ImageNet dataset, was used as the underlying architecture to extract the sequence of feature vectors associated with each video. This approach was adopted to circumvent the limitations of conventional feature engineering methods, which tend to be both time-consuming and labor-intensive with deep learning-based classification algorithms. IA-DF can extract semantic details from historical data in both forward and backward directions, hence enabling precise identification of fundamental behaviors shown by dairy cows.
Innovative and technological development of the regions during the period of economic instability
Authors: Kravchenko D.P. , Chovgan N.I. , Akupiyan O.S. , Bobrysheva N.V. , Breslavets A.P.
Published: January 2024

Currently, the world economy has entered a period of unsteady development, characterized by the aggravation of problems that cannot be solved within the framework of existing equipment, technologies, management methods, etc. These problems are caused by the completion of the 5th technological order and the birth of the 6th, as well as the beginning of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The existing world experience convincingly proves that during periods of economic transformations caused by changes in technological structures, innovative development in the direction of innovative advance is a priority. The countries that have embarked on the path of advanced innovative development are the leaders of economic growth, ensuring the economic well-being and high quality of life of their peoples. For the enterprises of the domestic industry, which retains a significant innovative potential, the strategy of advanced innovation is virtually no alternative. The article examines the state of innovation and technological development of Russian regions during the period of economic instability. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of innovative growth of regions. Based on statistical data, the analysis of the main indicators reflecting the innovative activity of enterprises in the country’s industry is carried out. The main regional problems hindering innovative development are identified and a number of priority measures necessary for decision-making in the field of innovation promotion are proposed.
Spectral analysis of various types of wood as the basis of low-temperature drying technology in vacuum conditions
Authors: Levinskiy V.N.
Published: January 2024

The research was carried out at the expense of the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 23-76-01090, https://rscf.ru/project/23-76-01090 /. The characteristics of various types of wood (oak, aspen, pine) were obtained in the laboratory on the basis of the South Ural State Agrarian University using the infrared Fourier spectrometer FSM 2201. For these rocks, the wavelengths at which the maximum absorption of radiation occurs are determined, which is consistent with the operating modes of the film electric heater. The obtained result will become the basis for further research aimed at developing and creating a prototype of an infrared vacuum drying plant and an automatic control system for regulating and investigating the process in a discharged environment.
Remote clustering of pastures
Authors: Oleinik S.A. , Lesnyak T.S. , Skripkin V.S. , Litvin D.B.
Published: January 2024

This article discusses the problem of pasture clustering, where the objective is to separate the territory into groups with similar characteristics of vegetation cover and conditions of use. The authors propose to perform multi-time clustering of pastures using the k-means technique in SNAP software. The latter was applied to the remote sensing data of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for March-October 2023 based on the images obtained from the Sentinel-2 satellite group. The number of clusters that were discovered changed from three to five as a consequence of data processing. The authors decided to investigate the option with three clusters after comparing the collected data with the results of ground study. Planning resource management, vegetation assessment, yield forecasting, and controlling soil degradation can all be optimized with the help of clustering results. This important ecosystem can be managed and protected more effectively with the help of the suggested clustering technique, which divides the region into homogeneous pasture sections in a stable and informative manner. The suggested approach may be applied to different climate zones, and the authors intend to investigate this potential further in their future research.