bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative prognostic value of different definitions of prediabetes in patients with angiographic coronary intermediate lesions: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Song Chenxi , Yuan Sheng , Cui Kongyong , Cai Zhongxing , Zhang Rui , He Jining , Qiao Zheng , Bian Xiaohui , Wu Shaoyu , Wang Haoyu , Shi Boqun , Lin Zhangyu , Fu Rui , Wang Chunyue , Liu Qianqian , Jia Lei , Dou Kefei
Published: October 2022

Background
Prediabetes is common and associated with poor prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome and those undergoing revascularization. However, the impact of prediabetes on prognosis in patients with coronary intermediate lesions remains unclear. The objective of the current study is to explore the impact of prediabetes and compare the prognostic value of the different definitions of prediabetes in patients with coronary intermediate lesions.
Methods
A total of 1532 patients with intermediate coronary lesions on coronary angiography and not undergoing revascularization were enrolled in the current study. Patients were classified as normal glucose tolerance (NGT), prediabetes and diabetes according to various definitions based on HbA1c or admission fasting glucose. The primary endpoint was defined as major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), the composite endpoint of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and repeated revascularization therapy. Multivariate cox regression model was used to explore the association between categories of abnormal glucose category and MACE risk.
Results
The proportion of patients defined as prediabetes ranged from 3.92–47.06% depending on the definition used. A total of 197 MACE occurred during a median follow-up time of 6.1 years. Multivariate cox analysis showed that prediabetes according to the International Expert Committee (IEC) guideline (6.0 ≤ HbA1c < 6.5%) was associated with increased risk of MACE compared with NGT (hazard ratio[HR]: 1.705, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.143–2.543) and after confounding adjustment (HR: 1.513, 95%CI: 1.005–2.277). Consistently, the best cut-off point of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) identified based on the Youden’s index was also 6%. Restricted cubic spline analysis delineated a linear positive relationship between baseline HbA1c and MACE risk.
Conclusions
In this cohort of patients with intermediate coronary lesions not undergoing revascularization therapy, prediabetes based on the IEC-HbA1c definition was associated with increased MACE risk compared with NGT, and may assist in identifying high-risk patients who can benefit from early lifestyle intervention.
Effects of Dl-3-n-butylphthalide on Cognitive Functions and Blood-brain Barrier in Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion Rats
Authors: Ma Yang , Chen Shiling , Li Yuanwei , Wang Jiahui , Yang Jingfei , Jing Jie , Liu Xia , Li Yunjie , Wang Jingyi , Zhang Ping , Tang Zhouping
Published: October 2022

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) have been one of the main type of cognitive impairment. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is the main cause of VCI. Blood-brain barrier damage plays an essential part in the pathogenesis of CCH induced cognitive impairment. At present, the treatment to VCI mainly focused on prevention, there is no drug clinically approved for the treatment of VCI. This study investigated the effects of DL-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) on cognitive function and blood-brain barrier in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rats. A modified bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (mBCCAO) model was applied to imitate chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. The feasibility of the model was verified by laser Doppler, 13N-Ammonia-Positron Emission Computed Tomography (PET) and Morris Water Maze. Subsequently, Morris water maze experiment to evaluate the effect of different doses of NBP (40mg/kg, 80mg/kg) on the improvement of cognitive impairment induced by mBCCAO. Evans blue staining and western blot of tight junction protein were conducted to explore the effect of NBP on the blood-brain barrier protection. At the same time, the changes of pericyte coverage in mBCCAO model and the effect of NBP on pericyte coverage were preliminarily explored. We found that, mBCCAO surgery led to obvious cognitive impairment and decreased whole cerebral blood flow in rats, among which the blood flow in cortex, hippocampus and thalamus brain regions decreased more significantly. High-dose NBP (80 mg/kg) improved long-term cognitive function in mBCCAO rats, alleviates Evans blue leakage and reduces the loss of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Claudin-5) in the early course of the disease, thereby exerting a protective effect on the blood-brain barrier. No significant changes in pericyte coverage were observed after mBCCAO.
Production of a biopolymer for leather. A life cycle assessment perspective
Authors: Ballús Olga , Guix Meritxell , Micó Ricardo , Bacardit Anna
Published: October 2022

The aim of this paper was to develop a biopolymer based on raw materials not originating from petroleum chemistry to reduce the environmental impact. To this end, an acrylic-based retanning product was designed where part of the fossil-based raw materials was replaced with biomass-derived polysaccharides. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of both the new biopolymer and a standard product was conducted to determine the environmental impact caused by each product. The biodegradability of both products was determined by BOD5/COD ratio measurement. Both products were characterized by IR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and Carbon-14 content. The new product was experimented as compared to standard fossil-based product, and the main properties of leathers and effluents were assessed. The results showed that fossil-based raw materials can be partially replaced with biomass derivatives while providing the leather with similar organoleptic characteristics. The new biopolymer showed higher biodegradability and better exhaustion (lower COD). LCA allowed concluding that the new biopolymer reduces the environmental impact of 4 of the 19 impact categories analyzed; in particular, the carbon footprint was reduced by 9% vs. the standard acrylic resin. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed where the polysaccharide derivative was replaced with a protein derivative. The analysis concluded that the protein-based biopolymer clearly reduced the environmental impact in 16 of the 19 categories studied. In this case, the carbon footprint was reduced by 47%. Therefore, the choice of the biopolymer is critical in this type of products, which may or may not reduce the environmental impact.
Design of Multistage Class-AB/J Power Amplifier for 5G Smart grid’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure Applications
Authors: Nagisetty Sridhar , Chinnaiyan Senthilpari , R Mardeni , Yong Wong Hin , T Nandha Kumar
Published: October 2022

The wireless communication networks for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) / smart metering applications of a smart grid are in need of emerging 5G technology for providing a significant enhancement in bandwidth (BW) to support a large amount of data transmission between the Meter data management system (MDMS) of operation centre and smart meters efficiently. The entire wireless communication network’s BW and efficiency mainly depend on its Power Amplifier (PA). The design of PA that can provide high efficiency with linearity over a wide BW is essential to meet the 5G wireless communication network requirements of AMI / smart metering applications. This paper presents the design methodology of a two-stage PA that operates at a 3.5 GHz centre frequency by utilizing the CGH40010F model GaN transistor. This PA employs a Class-J mode for the power stage that will be driven by a Class-AB mode to achieve high efficiency with improved power gain over desired BW. The matching Networks(M.Ns) of the proposed two-stage PA are designed with the idea to replace its passive lumped inductors with active inductors, based on the desired optimum impedance values obtained from the load-pull techniques utilizing the ADS EDA tool. The proposed two-stage PA delivers a power output of 41dBm with 21 dB of power gain over a BW around 400 MHz, a maximum Power Added Efficiency (PAE ) of 53% and maximum drain efficiency (D.E) of 54% with a small signal gain of 27dB at 3.5GHz using 28V power supply into 50 Ω load.
Problems in Observation and Identification of Torsional Waves in the Lower Solar Atmosphere
Authors: Chelpanov Andrei , Kobanov Nikolai
Published: October 2022

Registering periodic variations of spectral line widths serves as the main method for observing torsional Alfvén waves. Theoretically, the method seems valid, yet it entails a number of caveats when applied to data. For instance, the amplitudes of these observations should vary with changes of the location on the disk, and they should be associated with no intensity oscillations. We analyze extensive observational material of periodic non-thermal variations of line widths in coronal holes and facular regions in a number of spectral lines: Hα, He I 10830 Å, Ca II 8542 Å, Ba II 4554 Å. In most cases, we detected affiliated intensity oscillations at similar frequencies. Besides, we observed no centre-to-limb dependency. This calls for a discussion on the practical validity of the method and on the alternative explanations for the nature of non-thermal variations of spectral line widths. Based on our observations, we consider registering line profile broadening necessary but not sufficient means for unambiguous identification of torsional Alfvén waves in the lower solar atmosphere.
Combined Developmental Toxicity Of Cyhalofop-butyl And Quizalofop-p-ethyl On The Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Dongmei , Li Ping , Zhao Huan
Published: October 2022

Aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicides have the characteristics of high efficiency, low toxicity, and safety to subsequent crops, and occupy an important position in the world herbicide market. Cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl are two representative herbicides, which are widely used in weed control. However, there is limited information on their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms. In this study, the developmental toxicity of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl exposure in combination on zebrafish embryos was valuated to better understand the interaction between the that. The 96 h-LC50 (50% lethal concentration) of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl on zebrafish embryos were 0.637 mg·L− 1 and 0.248 mg·L− 1, respectively. The combined effect of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl was an antagonistic effect, and the 96 h-LC50 of zebrafish embryos was 1.043 mg·L− 1. Morphologically distinct pericardial edema and yolk cysts were observed after combined exposure, with significant effects on body length and heart rate in zebrafish embryos. At the same time, the mRNA levels of gene related to apoptosis and cardiac development also changed significantly. Therefore, we speculate that changes in genes related to apoptosis and cardiac development should be responsible for the abnormal development during embryonic development following co-exposure of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl.
Chimney effect in karst vadose zone
Authors: Gabrovšek Franci
Published: October 2022

Caves and their surrounding fracture systems in the vadose zone of karst regions host a unique atmospheric environment. Understanding airflow in these systems is critical to understanding the properties of the subsurface atmosphere and the chemical interactions between air, water, and rock. In caves with entrances at different altitudes, airflow is driven primarily by the density difference between the subsurface and the outside air, known as the chimney effect. In this work, I present and use a numerical model of a circular passage embedded and thermally coupled in a rock mass to discuss the relationship between airflow and changes in external temperature and passage geometry. As the outside air enters the subsurface, it approaches thermal equilibrium with the rock mass along a characteristic relaxation length. This determines the temperature and density contrast between the inside and outside air and the resulting driving pressure. In passages with non-uniform outlines and/or cross-sections, the relaxation length may depend on the flow direction, resulting in different airflow velocities in cold and warm periods for the same absolute temperature difference between the massif and the external temperature. In a passage with a V-shaped longitudinal profile, the airflow is driven solely by the nonzero relaxation length: during the cold season, even a small intrusion of outside air triggers feedback between the density imbalance between the two legs and the airflow. In the warm season, the system is at rest. The airflow pattern can also be altered by snow and ice. Heat transfer in the rock and the thermal inertia of the rock also change the relaxation lengths and cause hysteresis in the curve presenting the airflow velocity vs. temperature difference. Finally, an analytical approximation for driving pressure in a double-slope passage is derived, which gives more general relationships between the fundamental parameters and the airflow pattern.
Elevated blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for microglial activation and blood- brain barrier disruption in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis
Authors: Chang Haoxiao , Ma Jia , Feng Kai , Feng Ning , Wang Xinxin , Sun Jiali , Guo Tianshu , Wei Yuzhen , Xu Yun , Wang Huabing , Yin Linlin , Zhang Xinghu
Published: October 2022

Background
Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is an autoimmune disease characterized by complex neuropsychiatric syndrome and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NMDAR antibodies. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) has been reported to be associated with inflammation of the CNS. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and the cluster of differentiation (CD44) were measured to evaluate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The roles of the microglia activation and disruption of BBB in anti-NMDAR encephalitis are not well known.
Findings:
In this work, we detected the increased expression level of CSF sTREM2, CSF and serum CD44, and serum MMP9 in anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients, compared with control groups. CSF sTREM2 levels were positively related to both the CSF CD44 levels (r = 0.702, p < 0.0001) and serum MMP9 levels (r = 0.428, p = 0.021). In addition, CSF sTREM2 levels were related to the clinical parameters (mRS scale, r = 0.422, p = 0.023, and GCS scores, r=-0.401, p = 0.031).
Conclusion
The increased CSF sTREM2 levels and CD44, and MMP9 in serum or CSF showed evidence of the activated microglia and the disruption of BBB in anti-NMDAR encephalitis, expanding the understanding of the neuroinflammation in this disease. These factors mentioned above may be considered novel targets for intervention or novel potential diagnostic biomarkers.
Unsupervised domain adaptive semantic segmentation of road scenes based on positional adversarial learning
Authors: Shen Eric Z.
Published: October 2022

In the unsupervised domain adaptive semantic segmentation task of urban road scene images, the existing adversarial learning-based cross-domain semantic segmentation methods tend to ignore the spatial location relationship in the image and perform adversarial at the level of the image as a whole, which leads to the convolutional neural network biased to extract the features of the main categories between two domains. The top, middle, and bottom parts of the road scene images have different categories and large differences in category shares, but the previous methods do not take full advantage of the spatial location structure of the images, nor do they consider the imbalance in the number of category shares in the dataset. In order to solve this problem, we propose the horizontal position blockwise and vertical position blockwise adversarial methods. By doing the adversarial loss within the chunk, the category closeness between domains can be made more detailed, and the imbalance in the number of categories in the dataset can be solved to some extent. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by experiments on the datasets GTA5 to Cityscapes and SYNTHIA to Cityscapes.
The Importance of Representing Economic Inequality Saliently and to Scale
Authors: Elbaek Christian T. , Mitkidis Panagiotis
Published: October 2022

Economic inequality is detrimental to modern societies, but support for redistributive policies tends to be low. Recent research has suggested that drawing individuals’ attention towards a group of wealthy individuals (vs. a single wealthy individual) can increase support for redistribution. However, a central prerequisite of such an argument is that individuals can actively comprehend the abstract size and difference in wealth between themselves and the wealthiest ones. Here, we propose that visualizing extreme wealth differences saliently can alter this effect, such that people increase support for redistribution, irrespective of whether this concerns a wealthy individual or a group of wealthy individuals. In a preregistered, nationally representative study across the U.S. (n = 1462), we find that representing economic inequality saliently and to scale, make individuals equally as likely to support redistributive policies irrespective of whether this concerns an individual or a group. Our findings provide clear suggestions for policy-making.
Land surface temperature variation in response to land use modes changes: a case of Mefou river sub‑basin (Southern Cameroon)
Authors: Ebode Valentin Brice
Published: October 2022

Land surface temperatures (LST) estimation at the river sub-basin level is crucial for developing land use planning at the basin scale and beyond. The main goal of this study is to analyze the LST variations in response to land use modes (LUM) changes in the Mefou river sub-basin (Southern Cameroon), using geospatial techniques. To achieve this goal, We used Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (2000 and 2010) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI)/Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data for 2020. We also used the air surface temperatures data from Climate Research Unit (CRU) to validate the LST. Our results reveal that between 2000 and 2020, the Mefou watershed recorded significant changes in land use modes, which are mainly manifested by an increase in impervious areas (IA) (buildings and roads (+ 10%); bare soils and farmlands (+ 204.9%)) and forest reduction (-31.2). This decrease in the forest is also reflected in a reduction in the NDVI values, whose maximum values went from 0.47 in 2000 to 0.39 in 2020. Contrary to the forest area and the NDVI values, the LST of the investigated basin increased over the period studied. There is a strong negative correlation between LST and NDVI. In general, high LST correspond to low NDVI. For the years 2000, 2010 and 2020, the links between these two variables are materialized by respective correlation coefficients of -0.66, -0.74 and − 0.85. This study could contribute to the understanding of the impact of LUM changes on the local climate and would further provide assistance to the policymakers in regard to land use planning and climate change mitigation strategies.
Correlation Study of Science Process Skill and Critical Thinking Ability in Physics Education for Middle Adolescent
Authors: koswojo jane
Published: October 2022

This study investigates the correlation between Science Process Skills (SPS) and Critical Thinking Ability (CTA). The research method used is associative quantitative research with a correlational research design. The research instrument used was the SPS observation sheet which consisted of 13 statements, and the CTA test, which consisted of 5 statements. Respondents consisted of 53 students of class X in a high school in Surabaya. SPS observations are made when students do practical activities. CTA observations were obtained from the pre-test and post-test scores. SPS and CTA data were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The correlation between SPS and CTA shows a Pearson correlation of 0.741 and a significance of 0.000. This value indicates a strong correlation between SPS and CTA. Therefore, students with high SPS tend to have high CTA. The results of this study can be used as a guide for future scientific process skills research on CTA.
A novel self-adaptive nonlinear discrete grey model based on non-homogeneous index sequence and its application
Authors: Tang Xiaozhong , Xie Naiming
Published: October 2022

while NGBM(1,1) model has been successfully used in various fields,there are still some limitations in NGBM(1,1) model: First, the existing NGBM(1,1) model family is all based on the assumption that some adjustable parameters are known, which reduced the prediction performance of the NGBM(1,1) model family. Then, the leap error from the differential to difference still exists in many NGBM(1,1) models.Moreover, most of the existing NGBM(1,1) models were constructed on the hypothesis that the raw data obey the homogeneous exponential trend. To address these problem, this paper aims to construct a novel self-adaptive nonlinear discrete grey model based on nonhomogeneous index sequence by combining nonhomogeneous discrete grey model with NGBM(1,1) model (abbreviated as SNNDGM(1,1)). Improvements in the proposed model have the following features: Firstly, the new proposed model can effectively eliminate the discretization error of NGBM(1,1) model.Secondly, The new proposed model effectively improves the prediction accuracy of the NGBM(1,1) model by removing the aforementioned modeling assumptions. Thirdly, a new multi-parameter simultaneous optimization scheme based on the firefly algorithm is designed to improve the parameter estimation accuracy. Last but not least, Sobol’s method is used to investigate the mechanism of the adjustable parameters in the SNNDGM(1,1) model, which provides an important basis for model parameter calibration.Two classic numerical cases are introduced to confirm the effectiveness of the new proposed model. Comparisons show that SNNDGM(1,1) model has the highest prediction accuracy. Based on industrial electricity consumption from 2010 to 2019, SNNDGM(1,1) model is constructed to predict the industrial electricity consumption of Anhui Province in China from 2020 to 2024. The results show that industry electricity consumption in Anhui Province maintains a continuous increase, reaching 165.25568 billion kwh in 2024, while the annual growth rate decreases to 3.45%, which provides important information for the decision-making of Anhui electric power department.
Development of measures to reduce grid energy losses in the Namangan Region of Uzbekistan
Authors: Tiguntsev S. G. , Akhmedov S. B. , Usmonov S. B.
Published: October 2022

The paper is aimed at developing technical and organizational measures to reduce the losses of electrical energy during its transmission via main and distribution electrical grids, in power transformers and electric power trans-mission lines. The focus of the study was on electrical grid modes in the Namangan Region of Uzbekistan (voltages of 220/110/35/10/6 kV), which were analyzed via technological calculation-based research methods using an equivalent circuit representing the linear circuit currently employed in the regional electric energy system. In addition, electrical grids were simulated using the software package “Program for calculating electrical grid modes” followed by the processing of calculation results by means of the Microsoft Excel package. The paper calculates electrical modes for the equivalent circuit of the regional electric energy system, as well as offering technical measures (installation of reactive power compensation devices; adjustment of transformation ratios in power transformers) aimed at adjusting voltage to improve electric power quality in terms of voltage deviations and lower power losses. Voltage deviations in most grid nodes were found to be inconsistent with GOST 32144-2013. Thus, in 35 kV, 10 kV, and 6 kV nodes, the largest underdeviation amounted to 12.45 kV, 3.26 kV, and 2.09 kV, respectively. For the placement of reactive power compensating devices having a total power of 67.82 MV∙Ar, 35 kV nodes were used; in addition, the values of transformer ratios at transformer substations (35–110 kV) were determined. Calculations indicate that the conducted activities can normalize voltage in the 35 kV, 10 kV, and 6 kV nodes while reducing power losses in the electrical grid by 9.35 MW. It is estimated that the proposed measures will be paid back in approximately three years. By means of compensating reactive power and adjusting transformer ratios, these measures can reduce electrical energy losses during transmission in the considered objects and maintain a given voltage level.
Mathematical model of the thermal mode of overhead power lines considering temperature variations along the line length
Authors: Trotsenko V. M. , Girshin S. S. , Petrova E. V. , Sidorov O. A. , Rumyantseva E. V. , Zhilenko E. P. , Goryunov V. N.
Published: October 2022

A mathematical model representing the temperature mode of an overhead power line wire and taking into account the axial heat transfer was developed. Processes in overhead power lines were analyzed using analytical and numerical methods for solving differential equations, including the finite difference method. The equation of thermal conductivity for AS-240/32 and SIP-2 3х95+1х95 wires was solved for the case of current variations along the line length. An analytical solution to the equation of thermal conductivity was proposed for the steady-state operation of an overhead wire under the same current in all sections of the line, taking into account the temperature dependence of active resistance. The results obtained by the analytical method agree well with those obtained by the method of finite differences. The boundary conditions at the beginning and at the end of the line were established to affect the line temperature only within a few meters. At the same time, despite the slight increase in the degree of this effect at an increase in the current due to the temperature dependence of heat emission, it remains small up to emergency level currents. Therefore, the calculations of the line thermal mode require no high accuracy in setting boundary conditions. A line with a uniformly distributed load demonstrates differing results at large current variations along the wire length. Thus, the absolute error of the analytical solution (compared to the finite difference method) for the maximum temperature equals 77.9°C, while the relative error for losses equals 10%. The same errors in temperature calculations for an infinitely long wire in terms of the length function comprise 2.5°C and 0.1%, respectively. Therefore, despite the high thermal conductivity of a metal, a model with a zero thermal conductivity along the wire axis gives more accurate results as compared to a model with an infinitely high thermal conductivity. The obtained results are applicable when clarifying the total loss of active power, as well as for estimating the line capacity according to the maximum permissible temperature, which depends on the type of wires and comprises 70 and 90°C for uninsulated steel-aluminum and self-supporting insulated wires, respectively.
Prospects for chemical and biotechnological processing of miscanthus
Authors: Shavyrkina N. A. , Gismatulina Yu. A. , Budaeva V. V.
Published: October 2022

The processing of plant biomass into demanded and economically viable products is currently a recognized global trend. Among alternative energy directions, biomass conversion is the most predictable and sustainable carbon resource that can replace fossil fuels. Already today, plant biomass provides almost 25% of the world’s energy supply. This review provides information on the most promising areas of chemical and biotechnological processing of the biomass of such an energy plant as miscanthus. The choice of miscanthus is due to its high yield (up to 40 t/ha of sown area) and high energy yield (140–560 GJ/ha) compared to other plant materials. In addition, miscanthus is able to grow on marginal lands and does not require special agronomic measures, while in the process of its cultivation, the soil is enriched with organic substances and it is cleaned from pollutants. The review reflects the directions of processing of native biomass and pretreated biomass. Miscanthus biomass, in addition to processing into energy resources, can be fractionated and transformed into many high-value products - cellulose, cellulose nitrates, ethylene, hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, phenols, ethylene glycol, cooking solutions after nitric acid pretreatment of miscanthus biomass can act as lignohumic fertilizers. In addition, on the basis of miscanthus cellulose hydrolysates, it is possible to obtain benign nutrient media for biotechnological transformation into bacterial nanocellulose, for the accumulation and isolation of various microbial enzymes.
Influence of endophytic and epiphytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the content of negative allelopathic compounds in root exudates of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings
Authors: Makarova L. E. , Petrova I. G. , Sokolova N. A. , Makarov S. S. , Pionkevich V. A.
Published: October 2022

Substances that have a harmful effect on living organisms include N-phenyl-2-naphthalamine and phthalates, which are synthesized and widely used in the chemical industry. At the same time, N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine was found in the aerial parts and in the roots of some plant species, phthalates were found in many plant species and in bacteria. The aim of this research was to study the protective (antimicrobial) reaction of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings of the Torsdag variety to the inoculation with bacteria Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viceae (endosymbiont) and Azotobacter chroococcum (ectosymbiont) introduced into the aqueous medium of root growth were studied. Changes in the content of negative allelopathic compounds (pisatin, N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine, phthalates) in root exudates were the reaction indicators. After the inoculation, the seedlings grew for 24 h in the BINDER KBW-240 chamber at 21 °C, with lighting of 81 μM.m-2 . sec-1 and a 16/8 h day/night photoperiod. In ethyl acetate extracts from the aqueous medium where the seedling roots were immersed, the content of the compounds was determined by HPLC, while changes in the composition and ratio of phthalates were determined by GC-MS. Data indicating the different ability of both bacterial species to degrade N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine to phthalates and the dependence of this process activity in the bacteria studied on its concentration in the medium were presented. N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine differently but negatively affected the viability and growth of the bacteria used in the experiments. A different effect of rhizobia and azotobacter on the content of the above named compounds and on the ratio of types of phthalates in root exudates was elicited.
Preparation of polyhydroxyalkanoates using Pseudomonas helmanticensis in non-sterile media containing glycerol and sodium dodecyl sulfate
Authors: Zubkov I. N. , Bukin Yu. S. , Sorokoumov P. N. , Shishlyannikov S. M.
Published: October 2022

Biosynthetically-produced Pseudomonas poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a promising substitute for conventional plastics. Costs involved with the production of PHAs can be reduced by optimizing power consumption, which can be achieved using nutrient media without preliminary steam sterilization. Cultivation of Pseudomonas bacteria resistant to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on SDS-containing non-sterile media yields a biomass consisting predominantly of a PHA producer. SDS plays the role of an antimicrobial agent that inhibits the growth of foreign microorganisms. In this work, an SDS-resistant culture of Pseudomonas helmanticensis and media containing glycerol and SDS were used. The concentrations of carbon (glycerol) and nitrogen sources were optimized using an experiment performed according to a central composite rotatable design. The concentration of substrate C and the C/N ratio between the glycerol and nitrogen content were varied. The dependence of the degree of substrate conversion in PHA on C and C/N was derived in the R programming environment. The constructed model adequately describes the experimental data at a significance level of 0.05 (adequacy variance of the regression equation 4.1×10-2; R2 =0.98). According to the constructed model, the conversion of glycerol to PHA equals 6.9±0.4%. Under optimized conditions (0.61 g/L nitrogen source; 8.4 g/L glycerol; 96 h), P. helmanticensis converts 7.0% of the substrate to PHA with an average monomer unit length. Using a 16S rRNA metagenomic assay, the proportion of foreign bacteria in P. helmanticensis cultures on non-sterile media containing 0.5 g/L SDS was shown to be 2%.
Defrosted products with preserved micro- and macrostructure
Authors: Gurskiy I. A. , Landikhovskaya A. V. , Tvorogova A. A.
Published: October 2022

In the modern world, due to the consumers’ pace of life and lifestyle, there is a need for production of frozen food products that are ready-to-eat after defrosting or heating. An important task, therewith, is preservation of the micro- and macrostructure of flour products and aerated desserts. The paper presents an analysis of studies of aspects of production and realization of frozen finished products with the preserved micro- and macrostructure. A possibility of positioning aerated fermented dairy desserts as functional products is substantiated. In investigation of this product category, particular emphasis is placed on the role of the nutrient composition (proteins, fats, stabilizers and emulsifiers) and an importance of technological operations (freezing and fermentation). Attention is given to the state of the structural elements in the frozen and defrosted states. Despite the absence of crystals in defrosted desserts, it is necessary to take into account their influence on dispersity of the air phase in a frozen product. It was found that frozen noodles are a common product type in Asian countries and consumption of this product is growing every year. Other flour products (macaroni, bakery and confectionery products) are in demand as fast-food products. A promising direction in production of finished food products is a search for solutions and components for preservation of the product macrostructure. Among important tasks are maintenance of the marketable appearance of a defrosted product, prevention of the ice crystal growth in the frozen state and preservation of the protein structure. An important place in production of macaroni and bakery products is occupied by selection of cryoprotectants — components having an ability to inhibit the ice crystal growth and facilitating preservation of the product macrostructure. An important aspect of frozen product quality is its safety upon defrostation. In particular, the control of microbiological indicators and the related water activity value is necessary.
In vitro study of biologically active properties of complexes isolated from biomass of microscopic algae
Authors: Dolganyuk V. F. , Babich O. O. , Sukhikh S. A. , Ulrikh E. V. , Kashirskikh E. V. , Andreeva A. P.
Published: October 2022

Microalgae are rich in biologically active substances: proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, pigments, phycobiliproteins, enzymes, which are able to provide antioxidant, immunostimulating, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, antihypertensive, regenerative and neuroprotective effects on a body. The aim of this study is to run in vitro study of the antioxidant, antibacterial, fungicidal, antihypertensive and prebiotic properties of protein concentrate (PC), lipid-pigment complex (LPC) and carbohydrate-mineral complexes (CMC) obtained from the biomass of microscopic algae. To determine in vitro the antioxidant, antibacterial, fungicidal, antihypertensive and prebiotic properties of protein concentrates, lipid-pigment complexes and carbohydratemineral complexes obtained from the biomass of microscopic algae, the following methods were used: method of diffusion (on a solid nutritional medium); optical density method (in a liquid nutritional medium); the method for determining the antioxidant activity of the researched samples by their ability to restore free radicals; the method of inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme. It was shown in this study that among the studied samples the carbohydrate-mineral complex provided the most pronounced antioxidant effect. It was found that both protein concentrates, and lipid-pigment complexes and carbohydrate-mineral complexes feature antibacterial and fungicidal properties. It was proven that among the studied samples the carbohydrate-mineral complex provided the least pronounced antihypertensive effect. It was found that the lipid-pigment complexes and carbohydrate-mineral complexes practically have no prebiotic properties. The biological activity (antimicrobial, fungicidal, antioxidant and prebiotic activities), as well as the antihypertensive properties, were confirmed in the protein concentrates, lipid-pigment complexes and carbohydrate-mineral complexes obtained from the biomass of microscopic algae (Chlorella vulgaris, Arthrospira platensis, Nostoc sp., Dunaliella salina, Pleurochrysis carterae). All these factors open up promising prospects for the practical application of protein concentrates, as well as lipid-pigment complexes and carbohydrate-mineral complexes.
Study of the composition and properties of extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra grown in the Kaliningrad region and prospects of its use
Authors: Babich O. O. , Ulrikh E. V. , Larina V. V. , Bakhtiyarova A. K.
Published: October 2022

Licorice is scientifically known as Glycyrrhiza glabra; it belongs to the legume family. Glycyrrhiza glabra is a medicinal herb found throughout Asia and in some European regions. The aim of the present work was to study the chemical composition and biologically active properties of Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts produced by different methods. It has been established that Glycyrrhiza glabra raw materials (leaves) contain protein, fat, fiber and ash: 9.844±0.29%, 2.284±0.06%, 20.377±0.61% and 4.605±0.13%, respectively. In Glycyrrhiza glabra raw materials, mineral components were found, such as: Fe (289.00±8.67 mg/kg), Sr (165.00±4.95 mg/kg), Ca (89.0±0.6 mg/kg), Mn (18.00 ± 0.54 mg/kg) and Zn (23.00 ± 0.69 mg/kg). It is shown that Glycyrrhiza glabra raw materials contain vitamins: С (121.75 ± 3.62 mg/kg), В2 (49.59 ± 1.48 mg/kg) and В6 (21.99 ± 0.66 mg/kg). The highest yield of the Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (21.31 ± 0.64 mass%) was achieved when using the extraction method by Soxhlet with methanol. In these Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts, the highest amounts of biologically active substances were identified: 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, acacetin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, chicoric acid and hesperetin. When using the maceration method with the mixture of solvents methanol+ NaOH, rosmarinic acid was identified, while in the extract obtained using maceration with the mixture of solvents methanol+ TFA, catechin was found in large quantities. Upon exposure to the Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts obtained by the Soxhlet method with methanol, the growth inhibition zones of test microorganisms were as follows: 13.6 ± 0.41 mm for Escherichia coli, 10.8 ± 0.32 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 16.1 ± 0.48 mm for Bacillus subtilis and 13.2 ± 0.39 mm for Candida albicans. The antioxidant activity of Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts obtained by the Soxhlet method was the highest in the ABTS method (117.62 ± 7.91 μmol Trolox eq/g) and the lowest in the FRAP method (23.91 ± 1.12 μmol Trolox eq/g). The antioxidant activity of the extracts in the DPPH method had the intermediate value: 58.16 ± 3.90 μmol Trolox eq/g. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities were manifested due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids in the Glycyrrhiza glabra methanol extract obtained by the Soxhlet method. Such an extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra can be a natural alternative to the existing therapy to eliminate bacterial diseases and early aging and oxidative stress of the human body emerging because of free radicals.
Interaction-driven phase transition in one dimensional mirror-symmetry protected topological insulator
Authors: Bhakuni Devendra Singh , Ghosh Amrita , Grosfeld Eytan
Published: October 2022

Topological crystalline insulators are phases of matter where the crystalline symmetries solely protect the topology. In this work, we explore the effect of many-body interactions in a subclass of topological crystalline insulators, namely the mirror-symmetry protected topological crystalline insulator. Employing a prototypical mirror-symmetric quasi-one-dimensional model, we demonstrate the emergence of a mirror-symmetry protected topological phase and its robustness in the presence of short-range interactions. When longer-range interactions are introduced, we find an interaction-induced topological phase transition between the mirror-symmetry protected topological order and a trivial charge density wave. The results are obtained using density-matrix renormalization group and quantum Monte Carlo simulations in applicable limits.
Desglobalización y cooperación internacional hacia la tercera década del en el siglo XXI
Authors: Aguilar Estrada Ambar
Published: October 2022

El complejo escenario internacional del Siglo XXI ha puesto en jaque los procesos de cooperación entre los Estados y ralentiza el motor de la acumulación de capital a escala mundial. La pandemia del COVID-19 ha puesto de relieve una fase descendente del ciclo económico y del proceso de globalización, aunado a un rampante proteccionismo entre los Estados, mismo que ya mostraba su origen desde la crisis de 2008 y que se intensificó a partir de la recesión de principios del 2018, agravada en 2020 por las restricciones a la movilidad y las medidas generales adoptadas para frenar los contagios del letal coronavirus. Todo ello, ha ido reduciendo la interdependencia económica de los países dando pie a un fenómeno que bien puede ser definido como desglobalización. Todas estas cuestiones son tratadas en el libro titulado Desglobalización y Análisis del Sistema de Cooperación Internacional desde una Perspectiva Crítica, coordinado por Giuseppe Lo Brutto y Rafael Domínguez, en el que se discute la idea del avance hacia un régimen de cooperación Sur-Sur que parece ser la oportunidad para dar un giro a la economía política mundial y a las relaciones internacionales, respondiendo a las necesidades sociohistóricas de las regiones menos desarrolladas y buscando el respeto a la soberanía de los Estados del Sur global en su búsqueda de mayor autonomía y beneficio mutuo.
Palabras clave: Cooperación; Estados; Recesión; Desglobalización; Sur.
La interrelación entre innovación, agencias reguladoras de medicamentos y emergencias sanitarias: ¿necesitamos estar preparados para la próxima pandemia?
Authors: Romeu Belkis , Vazquez Javier E.
Published: October 2022

La regulación sanitaria frecuentemente es vista como un proceso unilateral solamente encargado de autorizar si puede comercializarse un medicamento, biológico, equipo o dispositivo médico o no. El actual desarrollo de la innovación, la globalización y las amenazas sanitarias está obligando a los sistemas de regulación a enfrentarse a un ambiente cambiante. La integración a la nueva realidad del mercado de medicamentos se enfoca hacia la necesidad de adaptar metodologías que propicien un aprendizaje continuo y escalonado dentro del proceso regulatorio, así como su capacidad de anticipación estratégica. Este artículo comparte algunas reflexiones sobre la importancia de contar con un mecanismo adaptativo y planificado para emergencias sanitarias, con revisiones periódicas y que se inserte en los procesos regulatorios automáticos desarrollados por cada agencia reguladora nacional. Este aspecto, visto como parte integral del sistema, propicia una mayor inserción de la innovación, la colaboración regulatoria internacional, la convergencia facilitando la respuesta de la agencia reguladora ante una pandemia y el acceso de productos sanitarios seguros de forma inmediata. 
Palabras clave: Regulación Sanitaria; Pandemia; Innovación Científica; Medicamentos; Cooperación Internacional; Emergencia Sanitaria.
The impact of perceived service quality on customers’ repurchase intention: Mediation effect of price perception
Authors: Salem Omar , Kiss Marietta
Published: October 2022

The Internet service sector is characterized as highly competitive, so Internet service providers have to seek ways to offer high-quality services to customers. This study measured the impact of perceived service quality on the repurchase intention of customers with the mediating impact of customers’ price perception. Data were gathered by surveying 405 customers of Internet service providers in Amman (Jordan) using the snowball sampling technique; the questionnaire was shared through social medias. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, regression, path analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that service quality factors represented by perceived service quality significantly affect customers’ repurchase intention and price perception (p-value is less than 0.05). Furthermore, price perception partially mediates the relationship between perceived service quality and customers’ repurchase intention, with an estimated power of 0.136. Thus far, the mediating variable that explains and predicts the relationship between perceived service quality and customers’ repurchase intention has been overlooked in the extant literature. Therefore, this study employs the role of price perception as a mediator variable. In addition, it provided an accurate assessment of customers’ perceptions of service quality of Internet providers in Amman (Jordan).
An Overview of Current Commercial Fashion Photography
Authors: Rafiqi Hindam Basith
Published: October 2022

The presence of smartphones today has an impact on commercial photography, especially fashion photography. The presence of smartphones makes everyone able to become a commercial fashion photographer, which makes the role of a commercial fashion photographer even more questionable. Departing from this phenomenon this research was conducted. This research is a research with descriptive qualitative method. This study was conducted to describe the phenomenon of commercial fashion photography that is currently happening. In addition, this phenomenon can produce an idea for commercial fashion photographers in dealing with the world of commercial fashion photography today. The result of this research is that today's commercial fashion photographers need to have out of the box ideas which are the qualities of ideas and concepts that distinguish them from other commercial fashionphotographers. Although the need for tools in the process of creating photography today can be replaced with smartphones, the quality of ideas and concepts is something that is not necessarily owned by every commercial fashion photographer.
Újabb nekifutás az alternatív pedagógiák hazai világának feltárására
Authors: Trencsényi László
Published: October 2022

Langerné Buchwald Judit: Alternativitás és pluralizmus a magyar közoktatásban és pedagógusképzésben a rendszerváltozástól napjainkig. ELTE PPK – ELTE Eötvös Kiadó 2022. 228.
Deep Reinforcement Learning-based Bitrate Adaptations in Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP
Authors: Luu Long Minh , Nguyen Nghia Trung , Vo Phuong Luu , Le Tuan-Anh
Published: October 2022

Dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) has been a superior video streaming technology in recent years. Bitrate adaptation function at video player plays a vital role in guaranteeing a high quality-of-experience for the users. This work evaluates the performance of several advanced deep reinforcement learning algorithms, i.e., deep Q-learning, actor-critic, and proximal policy optimization, applied in bitrate adaptations and compares them with other rate adaptation methods with real-trace datasets.