bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classification of anomalous diffusion in animal movement data using power spectral analysis
Authors: Vilk Ohad , Aghion Erez , Nathan Ran , Toledo Sivan , Metzler Ralf , Assaf Michael
Published: July 2022

The field of movement ecology has seen a rapid increase in high-resolution data in recent years, leading to the development of numerous statistical and numerical methods to analyse relocation trajectories. Data are often collected at the level of the individual and for long periods that may encompass a range of behaviours. Here, we use the power spectral density (PSD) to characterise the random movement patterns of a black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus) and a white stork (Ciconia ciconia). The tracks are first segmented and clustered into different behaviours (movement modes), and for each mode we measure the PSD and the ageing properties of the process. For the foraging kite we find 1/f noise, previously reported in ecological systems mainly in the context of population dynamics, but not for movement data. We further suggest plausible models for each of the behavioural modes by comparing both the measured PSD exponents and the distribution of the single-trajectory PSD to known theoretical results and simulations.
First-passage times of multiple diffusing particles with reversible target-binding kinetics
Authors: Grebenkov Denis S , Kumar Aanjaneya
Published: July 2022

We investigate a class of diffusion-controlled reactions that are initiated at the time instance when a prescribed number K among N particles independently diffusing in a solvent are simultaneously bound to a target region. In the irreversible target-binding setting, the particles that bind to the target stay there forever, and the reaction time is the Kth fastest first-passage time to the target, whose distribution is well-known. In turn, reversible binding, which is common for most applications, renders theoretical analysis much more challenging and drastically changes the distribution of reaction times. We develop a renewal-based approach to derive an approximate solution for the probability density of the reaction time. This approximation turns out to be remarkably accurate for a broad range of parameters. We also analyze the dependence of the mean reaction time or, equivalently, the inverse reaction rate, on the main parameters such as K, N, and binding/unbinding constants. Some biophysical applications and further perspectives are briefly discussed.
Iron ore underground mining under the internal overburden dump at the PJSC “Northern GZK”
Authors: Pysmennyi S , Chukharev S , Kyelgyenbai K , Mutambo V , Matsui A
Published: July 2022

Deterioration of mining conditions at mining deposits by open pit methods (increased mining depths, reduced ore deposit thickness) leads to an increase in mining costs. In Ukraine, to reduce open pit mining costs, overburden is disposed in temporary internal dumps located directly in the open pit over the ore reserves. Reactivation of pit areas with the temporary internal overburden dump located on them results in a surge of mining operations and deterioration of technical and economic indicators. Increased energy consumption, a decrease in working site parameters, an increase in angles of open pit slopes and stripping lags lead to unprofitability of open pit mining. One of the solutions to the mentioned scientific and engineering problem involves combined mining of deposits by integrated open pit and underground mining operations. The combined open pit-underground mining method enables reducing mining costs and enhancing technical and economic indicators. The suggested schemes for opening reserves located under the internal overburden dump enhance technical and economic indicators of deposit mining through making the internal dump a permanent one. This allows further disposal of overburden into internal dumps. Implementation of scientific recommendations and technological solutions resulted from the research performed (exemplified by the deposit Hannivske, Ukraine) reduces the cost of ore by 1.33 USD/t. At the same time, the total cost of building an underground mine makes 16.4 M USD, which is 30% less than when applying traditional opening vertical shaft schemes.
Modern technical and software-analytical tools for solving problems of radiation and technogenic-ecological safety of Ukraine
Authors: Zabulonov Yu L , Popov O O , Iatsyshyn Andrii V , Iatsyshyn Anna V , Puhach O V , Stokolos M O
Published: July 2022

Nuclear energy in Ukraine is provided by the operation of four operating nuclear power plants (15 reactors). For the next decades it is planned only to increase the capacity of this according to the “Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2035” industry. Nuclear power plants are objects of increased danger. So, conditions should be provided to maintain environmental balance in Ukraine, innovative developments for radioactive waste management should be implemented, methods of wastewater treatment must be developed/improved, prevention and elimination of natural and emergency emergencies should be provided. It is important to create variety of scientific, technical and innovative developments to solve these problems. Their development is carried out by institutions and organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The study analyzes and summarizes activities of the State Institution “The Institute of Environmental Geochemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine” on innovative developments to improve nuclear, radiation and technogenic environmental safety. The developments of the Institute are defined, described and systematized. The performed research was aimed to solve problems of sustainable development of nuclear energy, environmental problems of nuclear fuel cycle, handling of radioactive materials at all stages of their life cycle.
Research of amber extraction technology by vibroclassifier
Authors: Ya Korniyenko V , Yu Vasylchuk O , Zaiets V V , Semeniuk V V , Khrystyuk A O , Malanchuk Ye Z
Published: July 2022

The article presents basic information about the method of hydromechanical extraction of amber from amber-containing rocks, water-sludge scheme and classification scheme. The constructive scheme of the vibroclassifier is also presented, which is based on the principle of using the influence – vibration and bubbling of the suspension by air bubbles. Studies of the separation process and distribution of fractions in multidisperse liquid on a vibroclassifier of complex action were performed. The obtained theoretical and graphical dependences allowed to establish changes in the parameters of the velocity of sand and amber particles in the bath of the vibroclassifier on the size of fractions and density of the suspension, focusing on the size of amber up to 5mm. At the same time, the problem of determining the dependence of the transition coefficient from the rate of free to the rate of compressed deposition on the density of the suspension and the size of the fractions was solved. Dependencies have been established that have a theoretical justification for the physical process and that describe the experimental data on the Rayleigh curve.
Kryvyi Rih regional landscape technical system: history of knowledge and specifics of economic development
Authors: Yarkov S V , Nazarenko T H , Panteleeva N B , Bondarenko O V , Varfolomyeyeva I M
Published: July 2022

The article is devoted to the study of Kryvbas – a unique landfill for understanding the structure of landscapes. In the history of studying the nature and landscapes of Kryvbas, the authors have identified two main stages: initial knowledge (ancient times – the first half of the XIX century) the second half of the XIX – beginning of the XXI century), which gave the opportunity for 130 years to form one of the largest not only in Ukraine but also in the world landscape and technical system. The formation of this original landscape-technical system is due to three factors: a) detailed studies of the nature and landscapes of Kryvyi Rih region, b) the richness and diversity of natural resources of the region, c) intensive development. The authors paid special attention to the functional-genetic classification of anthropogenic landscapes of Kryvbas, their characteristics and mapping. The authors note that among the industrial ones, special attention should be paid to mining and industrial landscapes, in particular dumps, which are the most suitable landscape complexes not only for reclamation works, but also for cultivating the entire landscape and technical system of Kryvbas.
Drainage reconstruction in the zone of excessive moisture during the cultivation of blueberries on poorly water-permeable clay soils
Authors: Klimov S V , Klimova A V
Published: July 2022

To ensure efficient agricultural production in the humid regions of Ukraine, drainage of wetlands is one of the first places. The area of drained lands is make up to 9.7% of the total arable lands in Ukraine. In 1990, 1,976.500 hectares were used in active agricultural production, and the share of arable land on drained lands was 70.7%. Of the more than 1130 drainage systems with an area of more than 2.2 million hectares only 37% were built between 1980 and 1990, i.e. younger than 35 years. The remaining 63% of systems have been built and operated for more than 35 years. Since the 1990s, the construction of new and modernization of existing drainage systems in Ukraine has been almost non-existent. Maintenance of the systems was significantly reduced, which led to a significant deterioration in their technical condition, a change in the water regime of soils and the development of degradation processes. Traditionally, in Ukraine, a significant (1.4 million hectares) area is drained with ceramic drainage. We show the experience of reconstruction of the drainage system, which is located in the Pre-Carpathian Upland region of the Ukrainian Carpathians, the Middle Carpathian terrace plain, where a Drainage of Clay Pipes was built more than 35 years ago. The results of the analysis of the reasons of unsatisfactory drainage operation, identification of the most critical zones with the use of field research and earth remote sensing data are presented. To eliminate local wetlands, plastic drainage with a diameter of 50 mm is proposed. To increase the efficiency of its work on heavy clay soils with a filtration coefficient less than 0.01, the backfilling of the trench with local material – gravel with a fraction of 5 ... 25 mm with geotextile protection. During the construction of the new drainage, ceramic drains of the previously constructed drainage were found. They were cleaned mechanically and connected through a filter backfill to the newly built drains.
Methods for statistical analysis of the results of monitoring the avifauna on the territory of wind farms
Authors: Osadchyi V V , Yeremieiev V S
Published: July 2022

An algorithm for processing the results of monitoring the dynamics of ornithocomplexes on the territory of wind farms using statistical methods is proposed. The solution of the most frequently encountered problems in the analysis of bird migration in the wind farm zone is considered: 1) An algorithm for the primary statistical processing of information on the number of birds of various species, flight altitude and the time of their stay in the zone of interaction with turbines during monitoring has been developed in two ways: a method of route census and observations in accordance with the recommendations of the Scottish Natural Heritage Foundation. 2) The features of the application of correlation and regression analysis have been considered, which allow determining the dependence of the number of birds on a number of factors using the Student, Pearson and Fisher criteria in the presence of strong noise interference. 3) An algorithm of statistical analysis is proposed using a trend approach based on the Student, Irwin, Durbin - Watson, Pearson and Fisher criteria. The considered statistical methods were tested on the results of migratory bird census on the territory of the Prymorsk-1 wind farm located on the coast of the Sea of Azov, which were obtained by a group of researchers led by V Siokhin and P Gorlov.
Retrospective and geographical features of forestry use of lands in Podilski Tovtry
Authors: Havryshok B , Lisova N , Syvyj M , Sztangret I , Volik O
Published: July 2022

Forest cover is an important component of the landscape and is responsible for the conservation of other components. Forests of the Podolian Upland are distinguished by a high natural resource potential and a significant risk of manifestation of unfavorable natural processes. The aim of our research is to study the forest cover of Podilski Tovtry and analyze the dynamics of its changes for the period from 1880 to the present. Forestry nature management in Tovtry is second only to agriculture in terms of the area of occupied land. Forests of the reef zone and adjacent territories within the Ternopil oblast are part of the Ternopil forestry enterprise and the Medobory Nature Reserve. Within the study area, forests of a relatively large area are confined to the summit surface and slopes of the main ridge. Our research has established that in the period from 1880 to 1930, there was a significant decrease in forest cover practically throughout the entire study area, which is associated with both the need for firewood and agrarian overpopulation and the desire to expand the arable land. A direct relationship was found between the decrease in forest cover and the approach to villages and hamlets. After the Second World War and until the present, there have been no significant changes in forest cover. In some areas, even an increase in forested areas was found. Active forest expansion was observed at the beginning of the two thousandth years amid a decline in agricultural production.
Conceptual foundations of the mechanism of management of enterprise interaction with environment
Authors: Ostapchuk T P , Lehenchuk S F , Denysiuk O H , Ye Orlova K , Yu Biriuchenko S
Published: July 2022

The environment plays an important role in shaping the living conditions of local communities, and the state of the environment determines the opportunities for achieving the goals of sustainable development. The purpose of the article is to provide further development of the conceptual foundations of the mechanism of management of enterprise interaction with environment. The authors formed an approach to structuring the mechanism of management of enterprise interaction with environment, considering economic, environmental, and adaptive components. For practical approbation of individual components of the proposed mechanism in a part of the instrumental block the ways of decreasing the negative impact of the enterprise on level of pollution of the atmosphere as of a component of environment were considered. The constructed correlation and regression model for determining the impact of individual pollutant emissions on the overall state of air pollution formed a basis for identification of two most significant types of emissions (carbon monoxide emissions and emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds). Based on the analysis of ME “Zhytomyrvodokanal” data, whose activities are related to the waste generation and management and which, at the same time, provides environmental services, the measures were proposed to decrease the corresponding emissions from the enterprise activities.
The use of bischofite in the gas industry as an inhibitor of hydrate formation
Authors: Dmytrenko V I , Zezekalo I G , Vynnykov Yu L
Published: July 2022

The article considers the possibility of using natural, environmentally friendly, cheap raw materials as the basis of a complex inhibitor of hydration and corrosion. It is proposed to use bischofite solutions with mass fraction of 24% MgCl2 as a carrier of a complex inhibitor. A set of laboratory studies was carried out in order to eliminate the main shortcomings of bischofite solution. Such disadvantages are that highly concentrated solutions of bischofite, untreated from sulfate ions and iron compounds, without a corrosion inhibitor cause corrosion of equipment and salt deposits. According to the results of laboratory studies, the composition of a complex inhibitor of hydroformation and corrosion based on bischofite was proposed. Based on the results of laboratory studies, suitable reagents were selected for preparing a bischofite solution for use in the processes of production and preparation of gas for transport, and the mechanisms of reagents action were proposed. The results of industrial tests show the effectiveness of a new complex inhibitor. The achieved properties of the complex inhibitor have led to the improvement of technical, economic and environmental performance of gas production enterprises of Ukraine.
Statistical evaluation of fuel values
Authors: Walter A , Kubica S , Rocco V
Published: July 2022

Aviation emissions, domestic and international, account for approximately 2 % of total global CO2 emissions. Fuel consumption for a given route, excluding other factors such as wind, depends largely on the weight of the aircraft. To minimise fuel consumption, it is often most economical to carry only the minimum weight required for the sector. Within the framework of a dissertation, possibilities to reduce the final reserve fuel and thus the amount of fuel required are being researched and evaluated. This paper shows part of the results, as reliability and accuracy of flight planning and actual operations are a necessary basis for a possible reduction. The level of safety in aviation must always be taken into account. To prove this, fuel values are recorded and statistically evaluated, based on real flight and fuel data provided. Analysis, systematization and generalization were used to conduct the study. As a statistical background, extensive fuel data of an airline from a period of about five years were examined. The focus of this paper is on the results for taxi and trip fuel. The result shows that the current requirements for flight planning and the subsequent execution of flights are very reliable and highly accurate today. The results of the study can be used as a basis for a performance-based approach to reduce the final reserve fuel while maintaining the necessary safety level. Reducing the final reserve has a significant impact on reducing overall fuel consumption and emissions. Further research and studies are needed to determine performance indicators.
Modified three-stage model for forecasting the demand for energy resources at various hierarchy levels of the economy
Authors: Horskyi V V , Maliarenko O Ye , Maistrenko N Yu , Teslenko O I , Kuts H O
Published: July 2022

Forecasting of the demand for energy resources is a very important scientific area when determining adequacy of energy resources in the country, compiling the country’s energy balance, determining need for import of some energy resources for the country’s economy for types of economic activity (TEA) and regions. The pace of development and proportions in the country’s and the region’s economy may affect their levels of energy consumption, and the latter determine the extent of energy industry’s impact on the environment, i.e. these indicators are interdependent. The relevance of the work is related to creation of a mathematical model and tools for forecasting the demand for energy resources and determining the amount of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere as a result of fossil fuels combustion. The methods and tools for forecasting the demand for energy resources for various types of economic activity or regions take into account the following factors: impact of changes in the structure of the economy on fuel and energy consumption as well as on technological re-equipment of industries that together form the overall energy saving capacity and structures of electricity production sources and heat energy supply sources to ensure their production. The authors propose a three-level model for forecasting the demand for energy resources (electricity, heat, fuel in total and its types: coal, natural gas and other fuels). This model uses a double agreement of forecasts: between the third (types of economic activity in regions), the second (regions) levels, and the subsequent agreement with the top (country) level. The calculations performed using this model demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. This model was tested on retrospective data with an error of less than 5%. Calculations under this model show a forecast of savings of 8.7 million tons of coal by 2040 due to structural and technological changes (2.272 million tons and 6.428 million tons, respectively). Reduction of coal consumption will reduce emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere (thousand tons): nitrogen oxides – 19.671; sulfur oxides – 295.06; carbon monoxide – 393.414; solid dispersed particles – 104.255; carbon dioxide – 5271.75.
Influence of organic and inorganic precipitators on the efficiency of surfactants extraction from wastewater by flotation
Authors: Khromysheva O O , Yakoviichuk O V
Published: July 2022

The chemical structure of surfactants causes their accumulation on the surface of water sources and leads to the formation of stable foam, which prevents the access of oxygen to the water and leads to the death of hydrobionts and deterioration in water quality. Therefore, the extraction of surfactants from wastewater is an urgent task. Increase the efficiency of flotation extraction of cationic surfactants, namely hexadecyl pyridinium chloride [C
16
H
33
NC
5
H
5]Cl (CHDP) and surfactants based on it - cetazol, by introducing organic – (sodium alkyl sulfate (SAS), CnH
2n+1
OSO
3
Na, n=10-16), and inorganic - potassium hexacyanoferrate (II, III) precipitators. The solubility of the products of interaction of cationic surfactants with SAS (sublates) was determined, which are extracted from solutions at different temperatures and impurities of electrolytes. The Gibbs free energy (

Δ

G

a
d
s

0

), enthalpy (

Δ

H

d
i
s

0

), and entropy (

Δ

S

d
i
s

0

), which take place in the process of dissolution, are calculated. The low value of the heat of dissolution (2.1-16.6 kJ/mol) indicates a small effect of temperature on the solubility of sublates. The thermodynamic analysis of the process of formation of sublates allows determining the optimal length of the hydrocarbon radical of the precipitator. It is established that the extraction of the studied cationic surfactants should be extracted from water solutions and wastewater by the method of precipitation flotation using organic and inorganic precipitators. The presence of electrolytes and an increase in temperature leads to an increase in the degree of extraction hexadecyl pyridinium alkyl sulphonates sublates.
Response of earthworms to changes in the aggregate structure of floodplain soils
Authors: Tutova G F , Zhukov O V , Kunakh O M , Zhukova Y O
Published: July 2022

Earthworms are actively involved in the transformation of organic matter and in the formation of water-resistant soil aggregate structure. In the short time perspective earthworms are a factor that affects soil properties. However, other factors also influence soil properties and it is these factors that determine the total level of earthworm abundance and patterns of their spatial distribution. In urban park environments, the recreation load is an additional factor. The recreational load significantly affects the physical properties of the soil. An aggregate soil structure regulates the ratio of solid, liquid, and gaseous soil fractions and thus determines the living conditions of soil animals. Purpose/objective. The study tested the hypothesis about the influence of the aggregate structure of soil on the spatial distribution of earthworms under recreational load conditions. Methodology. Geostatistical methods and evaluation of animal response models to environmental factors. Results/findings. The aggregate structure of the soil is an important factor that affects the spatial patterns of earthworms under recreational load conditions. Earthworms prefer sites with a predominance of meso-aggregates. A recreational load leads to an increase in the proportion of macro- and micro-aggregates, which negatively affects the living conditions of earthworms. Conclusions. The processes of mutual influence of earthworms and soil aggregate structure have different temporal scales: earthworms influence soil structure in the time range of a few days or weeks, and aggregate structure influences in the time range of a few months or years.
Possible impact of different scenarios of climate change on the formation of some ecosystem services in the Azov-Black Sea region
Authors: Chernichko J I , Demchenko V A , Podorozhny S N , Zhmud M Y , Suchkov S I
Published: July 2022

To estimate possible changes for some economical branches in South Ukraine which use the nature resources, three scenarios of climate changes were reviewed: increase of temperature and increase of precipitation; increase of temperature and decrease of precipitation; decrease of temperature and increase of precipitation. Impact on the Azov Sea ecosystems under these three scenarios was considered in respect of changes in salinity and temperature of water that consequently effects on ichthyofauna and fish industry. Trends of fish suffocation are also described. Agricultural risks induced by pests (on an example of the locust) under extreme high temperatures in a spring-summer season were discussed, with identification of possible distribution sites of the pest. The research carried out in the framework of the project “Building Capacity for a Black Sea Catchment Observation and Assessment System supporting Sustainable Development” (2009-2013) of the 7
th
Framework Programme
Factor analysis of the Zaporizhzhia wind park impact on bats based on the index of their activity and dynamics of species diversity
Authors: Gorlov P I , Siokhin V D , Polishchuk I K , Volokh A M , Gorlova A P
Published: July 2022

Based on the studies in the period of 2010-2021, there was obtained some information on the behavior of bats and their species composition at the Zaporizhia wind park in the Zaporizhia Region, Ukraine. In the study area, there was established the presence of 10 species of bats belonging to 7 genera. The most complete results were obtained in 2019, when 4 field research methods were used, 28 expedition trips were carried out and 4177 bat signals were recorded. In total, the information on 43938 bat signals was collected in 2010-2021. The total operating time of the ultrasonic detectors was 4565 hours. There were calculated indices of the voice activity of bats for three research methods by seasons, different functional zones and phases of the annual cycle of animals. Surveys on transects with the geo-position of each recorded signal made it possible to characterize the distribution of bats over the territory of the wind farm, and the use of the Kernel Density tool allowed to differentiate the wind farm site of the Zaporizhia wind park into the zones that are conditionally safe for bats and high-risk zones. There have been determined the periods of the year and time periods of night activity, in which it is advisable to use measures to minimize the negative impact. Using international and own experience, there have been proposed methods for repelling bats away from the wind turbines.
Lake Biwa Canal at Kyoto Japan: sustainable development and revitalization
Authors: Shevtsova G V , Parkhomchuk M S
Published: July 2022

Lake Biwa Canal (engineer Tanabe Sakuro) connects Lake Biwa and Kyoto. It was built in the end of the 19th c. in order to revive Kyoto, which decayed after the transfer of the capital to Edo (Tokyo) in 1868 and served to supply Kyoto with drinking and industrial water, as well as for cargo transportation. The aim of the work is to determine the historical periods of Lake Biwa Canal’s existence and to highlight its significance for ensuring the sustainable development of Kyoto. The research was conducted at Kyoto mainly with field studies and interview methods. As a result, three historical periods of the Lake Biwa Canal existence were identified. In the first period (1885-1951), the canal combined water supply, transportation and landscape-shaping functions and was fundamental to the sustainable development of Kyoto. In the second period (1951-1990th), the transport role of the canal became unclaimed, and its role in sustainable development of the city significantly decreased. In the third period (since 1990th), the canal was designated as National Historic Site, and a campaign of its revitalization began. The Canal acquired touristic and educational functions and increased its role in the sustainable development of Kyoto. Thus, at the time of its construction, the Lake Biwa Canal was the main driving force that saved Kyoto from decline. Now, we can talk about the opposite process, when Kyoto City supports the sustainable development of the Canal.
Reconsidering the concept of sustainability: personal adaptability dynamics as predictor of positive change
Authors: Lushyn P V , Sukhenko Y V
Published: July 2022

The article deals with the attempt to reconstruct the concept of sustainable development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature review supported the idea that the studies devoted to the features of sustainability in social systems are extremely fragmentary. The authors provided a holistic vision of the process of sustainable development in terms of a dialectical self-organization of open living systems. To accomplish this goal, a number of studies have been conducted at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings confirmed a strong relationship between the psychological and social level of adaptation (as a manifestation of the adaptability/sustainability of the individual) to the conditions of the pandemic. This helps considering indicators of psychological stability as a predictor of social sustainability. The prospect of the further research consists in the reinterpretation of the current world in terms of a rhythmic, emergent, hybrid and innovative (REHI-world) self-organization of open living systems.
Numerical simulation and verification of hot isostatic pressing densification process of W-Cu powder
Authors: Wang Yuanjun , Wang Fazhan , Wang Yixuan
Published: July 2022

Based on finite element method (FEM) and the plasticity theory, a numerical model is built to simulate the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process of W-Cu powders, and the densification law of the compact in the process is analysed. The cross-experiment method is used to formulate an orthogonal optimization plan for the insulation temperature, the holding pressure and the insulation holding time. The contour map diagram of the relative density in the temperature and pressure plane is established, and the optimal parameter scheme is proposed by simulation results. Experiments are carried out under the best HIP scheme. Comparison of experimental results with simulation results indicates that the numerical model is accurate. The results indicate that the densification process of the compact is from the edge to the centre. The optimal hot isostatic pressing parameter scheme obtained by simulation is 950 °C/110 MPa/2 h, and the overall relative density of the compact can reach more than 96% under this scheme. Under optimal scheme, the maximum error between the simulation results and the test results of the relative density is 1.28%, whereas the average error is about 0.3%.
On the choice of relativistic wave equation for the particle having spin s = 3/2
Authors: Simulik V M , Vyikon I I
Published: July 2022

Relativistic wave equation of motion without redundant components for the particle having spin 3/2 has been considered. In order to show the newness a comparison with the known equations for the spin s = 3/2 field is given. Therefore, the brief review of the relativistic wave equations for the particle with spin s = 3/2 is suggested. In our equation the wave function for the particle-antiparticle doublet contains only 8 components. The consideration is carried out both at the level of relativistic quantum mechanics and at the level of local field theory. The extended Foldy–Wouthuysen transformation, which gives the operator link between these two levels is suggested.
Artificial neural network-based path integral simulations of hydrogen isotope diffusion in palladium
Authors: Kimizuka Hajime , Thomsen Bo , Shiga Motoyuki
Published: July 2022

The contribution of nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) to the kinetics and dynamics of interstitial H isotopes in face-centered cubic Pd was intensively investigated using several path-integral techniques, along with a newly developed machine-learning interatomic potential based on artificial neural networks for Pd–H alloys. The diffusion coefficients (D) of protium, deuterium, and tritium in Pd were predicted over a wide temperature range (50–1500 K) based on quantum transition-state theory (QTST) combined with path-integral molecular-dynamics simulations. The importance of NQEs even at high temperatures was illustrated in terms of the characteristic temperature dependence of the activation free energies for H-isotope migration in Pd. This illuminates the overall picture of anomalous D crossovers among the three H isotopes in Pd. In addition, the D of protium in Pd was directly computed using two approximate quantum-dynamics methods based on Feynman’s path-integral theory, i.e. centroid molecular dynamics (CMD) and ring-polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD), in the temperature range 370–1500 K. The D values obtained from the CMD and RPMD simulations were very similar and agreed better with the reported experimental values than the QTST results in this temperature range. Our machine learning-based path-integral calculations elucidate the underlying quantum nature of the ‘reversed S’-type nonlinear behavior of D for the three H isotopes in Pd on the Arrhenius plots.
Mitigating cold-start problems in drug-target affinity prediction with interaction knowledge transferring
Authors: Nguyen Tri Minh , Nguyen Thin , Tran Truyen
Published: July 2022

Predicting the drug-target interaction is crucial for drug discovery as well as drug repurposing. Machine learning is commonly used in drug-target affinity (DTA) problem. However, the machine learning model faces the cold-start problem where the model performance drops when predicting the interaction of a novel drug or target. Previous works try to solve the cold start problem by learning the drug or target representation using unsupervised learning. While the drug or target representation can be learned in an unsupervised manner, it still lacks the interaction information, which is critical in drug-target interaction. To incorporate the interaction information into the drug and protein interaction, we proposed using transfer learning from chemical–chemical interaction (CCI) and protein–protein interaction (PPI) task to drug-target interaction task. The representation learned by CCI and PPI tasks can be transferred smoothly to the DTA task due to the similar nature of the tasks. The result on the DTA datasets shows that our proposed method has advantages compared to other pre-training methods in the DTA task.
Transitioning women to first-line preferred TLD regimen is lagging in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Shah Neha , Esber Allahna , Sean Cavanaugh J , Agaba Patricia , Dear Nicole , Iroezindu Michael , Bahemana Emmanuel , Kibuuka Hannah , Owuoth John , Maswai Jonah , Singoei Valentine , Crowell Trevor A , Polyak Christina S , Ake Julie A
Published: July 2022

Introduction

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-lamivudine-dolutegravir (TLD) as the preferred first line regimen for adults and adolescents regardless of childbearing status. Nevertheless, final eligibility is determined by local policies which may vary from WHO recommendations. We examined TLD transition by gender across five PEPFAR-supported HIV care programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

The African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) enrolls people living with HIV (PLWH) engaged in care in Uganda, Kenya (South Rift Valley and Kisumu West), Tanzania and Nigeria. PLWH with at least one study visit after the country introduced TLD were included. We generated Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves to compare TLD transition by gender from 1) time countries’ introduction of TLD and 2) time of TLD eligibility according to local policies.

Results

Among 2.476 participants enrolled through September 2021 at 4 sites in sub-Saharan Africa and eligible to transition to TLD, fewer women (68%) compared to men (80%, p < 0.001) were taking TLD. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed time to transition varied by site, with women in Tanzania transitioning at the same rate as men. In Nigeria, women initially had a slower transition but caught up to men. After adjusting for local policies, women[1] in Kisumu West transitioned at the same rate as men. In South Rift Valley and Uganda, women were less likely to be transitioned.

Conclusions

Despite TLD being the WHO’s preferred regimen since 2019, transition of women to potentially lifesaving TLD has been slower than men at certain clinical sites even after accounting for local eligibility criteria.
LBD: a manually curated database of experimentally validated lymphoma biomarkers
Authors: Tan Bin , Xin Saige , Hu Yanshi , Feng Cong , Chen Ming
Published: July 2022

Lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease caused by malignant proliferation of lymphocytes, resulting in significant mortality worldwide. While more and more lymphoma biomarkers have been identified with the advent and development of precision medicine, there are currently no databases dedicated to systematically gathering these scattered treasures. Therefore, we developed a lymphoma biomarker database (LBD) to curate experimentally validated lymphoma biomarkers in this study. LBD consists of 793 biomarkers extracted from 978 articles covering diverse subtypes of lymphomas, including 715 single and 78 combined biomarkers. These biomarkers can be categorized into molecular, cellular, image, histopathological, physiological and other biomarkers with various functions such as prognosis, diagnosis and treatment. As a manually curated database that provides comprehensive information about lymphoma biomarkers, LBD is helpful for personalized diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma.

Database URL

http://bis.zju.edu.cn/LBD
European epidemiological patterns of cannabis- and substance-related congenital cardiovascular anomalies: geospatiotemporal and causal inferential study
Authors: Reece Albert Stuart , Hulse Gary Kenneth
Published: July 2022

As prenatal and community cannabis exposures have recently been linked with congenital heart disease (CHD), it was of interest to explore these associations in Europe in a causal framework and space-time context. Congenital anomaly data from Eurocat, drug-use data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and income from the World Bank. Countries with rising daily cannabis use had in general higher congenital anomaly rates over time than those without (time: status interaction: β-Est. = 0.0267, P = 0.0059). At inverse probability-weighted panel regression, cannabis terms were positive and significant for CHD, severe CHD, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tetralogy of Fallot, vascular disruptions, double outlet right ventricle, transposition of the great vessels, hypoplastic right heart, and mitral valve anomalies from 1.75 × 10−19, 4.20 × 10−11, <2.2 × 10−16, <2.2 × 10−16, 1.58 × 10−12, 4.30 × 10−9, 4.36 × 10−16, 3.50 × 10−8, 5.35 × 10−12, <2.2 × 10−16, 5.65 × 10−5 and 6.06 × 10−10. At spatial regression, terms including cannabis were positive and significant for this same list of anomalies from 0.0038, 1.05 × 10−10, 0.0215, 8.94 × 10−6, 1.23 × 10−5, 2.05 × 10−5, 1.07 × 10−6, 8.77 × 10−5, 9.11 × 10−6, 0.0001, 3.10 × 10−7 and 2.17 × 10−7. 92.6% and 75.2% of 149 E-value estimates and minimum E-values were in high zone >9; 100.0% and 98.7% >1.25. Data show many congenital cardiac anomalies exhibit strong bivariate relationships with metrics of cannabis exposure. Causal inferential modelling for the twelve anomalies selected demonstrated convincing evidence of robust relationships to cannabis which survived adjustment and fulfilled epidemiological criteria for causal relationships. Space-time regression was similarly confirmatory. Epigenomic pathways constitute viable potential mechanisms. Given exponential genotoxic dose-response effects, careful and astute control of cannabinoid penetration is indicated.
Combining echo-derived haemodynamic phenotypes and myocardial strain for risk stratification of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Dini Frank Lloyd , Pestelli Gabriele , Pugliese Nicola Riccardo , D’Agostino Andreina , Pedrinelli Roberto , Mele Donato
Published: July 2022

Aims

Echocardiography has shown to categorize heart failure (HF) patients according to haemodynamic profiles. Whether left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) could integrate echo-derived haemodynamic profiles to risk stratify chronic HF patients is still unknown.

Methods and results

Chronic HF outpatients with LV ejection fraction (LV-EF) <50% (n = 351) and LV-GLS assessment were evaluated and divided according to four haemodynamic phenotypes based on LV stroke volume index (SVI), LV filling pressure (LVFP), and right ventricular (RV) function: normal output-normal LVFP (NO-NP), normal output-high LVFP (NO-HP), low output-no RV dysfunction (LO-NRVD), and low output-RV dysfunction (LO-RVD). RV function was defined using the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and RV free-wall longitudinal strain. The median follow-up duration was 3.3 years. The combination of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalization was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. The prevalence of NO-NP, NO-HP, LO-NRVD, and LO-RVD were 38%, 22%, 30%, and 10%, respectively. The haemodynamic model independently predicted primary and secondary outcomes, with incremental prognostic information over LV-EF (all P-values <0.001 for C-statistics). When univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the prognostic stratification capability of LV-GLS in different haemodynamic subgroups, we observed a reduction in LV-GLS hazard ratios from the NO-NP to the LO-RVD for every endpoint.

Conclusion

There was a continuum in LV-GLS impairment across the spectrum of haemodynamic phenotypes and its prognostic value resulted variable depending on the types of chronic HF patients. The highest prognostic information added by LV-GLS was in patients with normal SVI.
China and Zambia: creating a sovereign debt crisis
Authors: Brautigam Deborah
Published: July 2022

Does Zambia's exceptionally high level of Chinese loan commitments provide insights into China's financial statecraft? Some have argued that Chinese lending to Zambia reflects China's purposeful use of loans to build leverage and perhaps acquire strategic assets. This article uses new data on Chinese loans, lenders and contractors and process-tracing to argue instead that Zambia is an extreme case of coordination problems in Chinese lending. Among all African countries with Chinese loans, Zambia has had the largest number of distinct Chinese lenders since 2000 (18) and the second largest number of different Chinese contractors winning Chinese loan-financed projects (29). This multiplication of stakeholders has created fierce and unregulated competition for infrastructure contracts in Zambia. In Beijing, ‘fragmented authoritarianism’ has meant an absence of top-down coordination of firms' and lenders' activities and thus few restraints. At the same time, Zambia's political leaders disregarded their own restraints on over-borrowing. Distinctive Chinese ideas about debt sustainability likely created additional disincentives for close Chinese monitoring. Finally, Zambia's history of frequent debt cancellations from China and other lenders likely exacerbated moral hazard risks.
The Imagination and International Relations
Authors: Sparks Caitlin , Brincat Shannon , Aistrope Tim
Published: July 2022

The imagination is at the heart of what it means to be human. For this reason, it has been the subject of close examination across time and locale. Yet, while international relations (IR) researchers often mobilize the term rhetorically, its character and operations remain underconceptualized in the discipline and disconnected from the rich literatures that explore this vital faculty. This article identifies a commonsense account of the imagination in IR's most pervasive discourse on order and anarchy. Taking its cues from the Hobbesian tradition, here a distinctly monological imagination is fearful and pessimistic, rooted in the overriding dread of a sudden and violent death. We draw out its underlying assumptions by foregrounding the deliberate, systematic, and sustained construction of the imagination in Hobbes’ Leviathan, where it acts as a crucial and animating impetus for the Hobbesian subject, including in the oft-analogized “state of nature” scenario. We argue that this Hobbesian imagination has been superseded by a multidisciplinary contemporary scholarship that presents a markedly different view. Anyone thinking seriously about the imagination today should disagree with the Hobbesian account, reconsider theories of international relations predicated on it, and explore the political possibilities entailed in other approaches.
We Can Do Better at Protecting Our Service Members From Skin Cancer
Authors: Rosenberg Alexandra , Cho Sunghun
Published: July 2022

Skin cancer rates have been steadily increasing among the American public for decades, but multiple studies have demonstrated that the U.S. military suffers from higher rates of skin cancer than the general public. As with so many aspects of health, simple preventive measures made early on can dramatically improve long-term health outcomes. Ample research has demonstrated that ultraviolet protection reduces skin damage and cancer rates. Although further research is needed to fully understand current barriers to soldiers’ use of sun protection, we recommend a variety of simple measures the U.S. military can implement to reduce skin cancer risk for our soldiers. Early education and intervention to reduce skin cancer risk and promote sun-protective strategies is critical. These include improving sun protection offered by uniform items, such as increasing the availability of the sun hat, using eye protection with tinted inserts, and testing and publicizing the ultraviolet protection level of uniform items. We also recommend increasing sunscreen access for soldiers. Options to do so include issuing soldiers small portable packets or bottles of sunscreen to carry on their person, incorporating small packets of sunscreen in MREs, and issuing sunscreen to commands to distribute before field exercises. Unit and medical leadership should encourage the use of sunscreen and sun-protective strategies when possible; leadership engagement is critical to overcoming current behavioral barriers to change. Finally, we recommend that units attempt to reduce sun exposure during training by encouraging soldiers to seek shade and avoiding outdoor training in the middle of the day.