bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multichannel System State Graph of Combine Harvesters Branded Technical Service in Uzbekistan
Authors: Toshboltaev M. T. , Seytimbetova Z. A.
Published: March 2020

The authors showed that the multichannel system state graph of modern tractors, combines and agricultural machinery in Uzbekistan, by the nature of its functioning, was a kind of mass service system. They confirmed that this circumstance was not taken into account when studying the existing system of corporate technical service. They pointed out the relevance of determining the influence of the branded technical service system parameters on its condition using the methods of the mass service theory. (Research purpose) To evaluate the state parameters of a proprietary technical service multichannel system according to the results of the timing of combine harvesters maintenance. (Materials and methods) The authors studied the multi-channel system state graph of a proprietary technical service without a queue. The system included 109 Case-2166 combine harvesters and 7 car-mobile workshops. They used the methods of mass service theory. (Results and discussion) The authors established a linear relationship between the number of occupied car-mobile workshops and the average value of the service time at a constant intensity of requirements. It was revealed that it took 3.33 hours to fix one malfunction of one combine, that is, one workshop would be occupied. If 3.24 demands were received in the service center in one hour, then all 7 auto-moving workshops would be occupied. (Conclusions) The authors revealed that for a single-channel proprietary technical service system the average value of the time for eliminating one malfunction of one combine should not exceed 3.33 hours. They calculated the parameters at which all channels (7 workshops) will be occupied in the 7-channel system of corporate technical service: 3.24 requirements arose in one hour, on average, each workshop took 2.16 hours to fix one malfunction.
Comparative Assessment of Sodium and LED Greenhouse Irradiators Main Characteristics
Authors: Kondratieva N. P. , Filatov D. A. , Terentiev P. V. , Al-Helu A. S.
Published: March 2020

The authors showed that traditional sodium greenhouse irradiators are being replaced by more efficient LED ones. (Research purpose) To conduct a comparative assessment of the main characteristics of sodium and LED greenhouse irradiators with an equal photosynthetic photon flux. (Materials and methods) The authors collected a database of 79 sodium irradiators (34 irradiators with electronic ballasts and 45 – with electromagnetic) and 118 – LED. A comparative assessment was carried out in two stages. At the first stage mathematical models of the power, mass, area and cost of irradiation facilities dependence on the photosynthetic photon flux generated by them were obtained. At the second stage the system of equations of sodium and LED greenhouse irradiators for each characteristic were solved. (Results and discussion) The consumed active power of LED irradiators is on average 33 percent less compared to sodium. The area of LED illuminators is 2.5 times larger than sodium irradiators with electronic ballast and 44 percent more than sodium irradiators with electromagnetic ballast. The LED irradiators mass is 3.5 times more than sodium with electronic ballast and 20 percent more than sodium with electromagnetic ballast. The cost of LED illuminators is 3.5 and 4.3 times higher. (Conclusions) LED irradiators are more energy efficient compared to sodium ones. However, due to the high cost, their implementation requires a feasibility study, including additional evaluation criteria: service life, operating costs, electricity price and others.
IN MEMORY OF HONORED SCIENTIST OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, DOCTOR OF LAW PROF. V.K. PUCHINSKY
Authors: Kuznetsov Mikhail N.
Published: March 2020

This article provides an overview of a number of abstracts and reports made and printed in printed form on the topics of scientists, practitioners, graduate students, undergraduates, students from Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brrmany, Kenya, indicated in the title of the conference, China, Moldova, Panama and Syria. The review is preceded by a brief, but capacious disclosure of the scientific personality of V.K. Puchinsky, as a scientist, thinker and teacher, prepared on the occasion of the Forum by the employees of the Department of Civil Law and Process and International Private Law of the Law Institute of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. Promising research areas were identified by the teachers of the department on relevant topics in the areas of protecting the rights and legitimate interests of financial market participants, introducing digital technologies, developing social entrepreneurship, private law interests in the international arena and traditionally civil legislation of Latin America.
Traditional and innovative content as the basis for project work in teaching Russian as a foreign language
Authors: Korostova Svetlana V. , Nefedov Igor V.
Published: March 2020

The article proves the importance of using complex methods in project work when teaching Russian as a foreign language, including both traditional and innovative content: working with textbooks and video content. The practical use of this method is connected with educational texts about Southern Federal University, accompanied by lexical comments and a system of exercises to train lexical and grammatical skills. The suggested texts and links to corresponding online video content are meant to be used at the first stage of multimedia project work on the history of Southern Federal University and its modern state. Educational texts play an important role both in teaching Russian as a foreign language and in project work. In our opinion, educational texts should make the base of any project, be actively implemented on the stage of motivation and goal-setting. The material of educational texts develops speech skills, reading capacity, audio perception, and text recognition. Foreign students also understand how to plan their work within a chosen project. The students improve their capacity for forming utterances, taking part in discussions and dialogues in Russian, which is doubtlessly important for effective work on individual projects and their presenting. In our opinion, work with the multimedia content is more productive in video format. The article gives not only special educational texts about Southern Federal University, but also links to video clips and video films, as well as the structure of working with them.
The concept of assessing the scientific and technical competencies of project teams, scientific organizations and universities using readiness levels
Authors: Ilyina E. A. , Motkina Yu. V. , Sushkov P. V.
Published: March 2020

The achieved and documented innovative readiness levels of PING/TPRL in implemented or current scientific/innovative projects are proposed to use for the digital assessment of the scientific and technical competencies of the researchers/project teams/organizations with respect to innovative project implementation, along with the traditional scientific indicators of the FSMNO.

A significant amount of information on scientific and technical competencies in Russian corporations and companies assumes the use of appropriate digital platforms based on artificial intelligence technology for searching and verifying information.
Synthesis and characterization of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers
Authors: Urosevic Maja , Nikolic Ljubisa , Ilic-Stojanovic Snezana , Zdravkovic Aleksandar , Nikolic Vesna
Published: March 2020

Copolymeric hydrogels of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-N-isopropylacrylamide), p(NIPMAM/NIPAM), are synthesized by radical polymerization of N-isopropylmethacryl-amide (NIPMAM) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) monomers by using the cross-linker ethylen glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM). The synthesized copolymeric p(NIPMAM/NIPAM) hydrogels, starting monomers and the cross-linker were structurally characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The amounts of residual reactants in the synthesized hydrogels were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Swelling of p(NIPMAM/NIPAM) hydrogels was investigated in relation to the temperature and pH value of the solution. The obtained values of residual monomer quantities are within acceptable limits and in the range from 2.69 to 5.25 mg g-1 for NIPMAM and 14.55 to 30.80 mg g-1 for NIPAM. The synthesized p(NIPMAM/NIPAM) hydrogels are negatively thermosensitive. The most common mechanisms of transport of a swelling solution in p(NIPMAM/NIPAM) hydrogels are polymer chain relaxation, (Case III), and the anomalous type of diffusion (non-Fickian diffusion). The maximal equilibrium swelling degree of 51.19 was reached by the p(NIPMAM/NIPAM) hydrogel with 1.5 mol% of EGDM at the temperature of 25?C and pH 4, whereas the lowest one of 0.98 was exhibited by the hydrogel with 3 mol% of EGDM at the temperature of 80?C and pH 7. Due to their low content of residual reactants and a satisfactory degree of swelling at various pH values, synthesized p(NIPMAM/NIPAM) hydrogels can be applied as carriers for the controlled release of pharmaceutically active substances.
Chemical structure and antifungal activity of mint essential oil components
Authors: Plavsic Dragana , Skrinjar Marija , Psodorov Djordje , Pezo Lato , Milovanovic Ivan , Psodorov Dragan , Kojic Predrag , Kocic-Tanackov Suncica
Published: March 2020

The objective of this research was to determine chemical composition and to evaluate the antifungal activity of essential oil of Mentha piperita. By the application of GC/MS analysis of essential mint oil, 27 components were identified. The major components were menthol (39.9 %), menton (23.51 %), menthyl acetate (7.29 %), 1.8-cineol (5.96 %), isomenton (5.24 %), isomenthol (3.17 %), trans-caryophyllene (2.88 %), limonene (2.14 %), pulegon (1.38 %), beta-pinene (1.14 %) and piperiton (1.03 %). The quantitative structure? retention relationship (QSRR) was employed to predict the retention time (RT) of Mentha piperita essential oil compounds obtained in GC/MS analysis, using twelve molecular descriptors selected by genetic algorithm. The selected descriptors were used, as inputs of an artificial neural network, to build an RT predictive QSRR model. The coefficient of determination was 0.983, during training cycle, indicating that this model could be used for prediction of RT values for essential oil compounds in Mentha piperita essential oil extracts. Essential oil of Mentha piperita showed antifungal activity on all tested isolates in the minimal inhibitory concentration range of 0.2?1.7 ?l/ml and a minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) range of 1.7?454.5 ?l/ml. The most powerful antifungal activity of mint was observed in C. cladosporioides of MFC value 1.7 ?l/ml. P. aurantiogriseum showed the lowest sensitivity of MFC value 454.5 ?l/ml.
Thermal Comfort Analysis for Office Room Using Computational Fluid Dynamics: A Review
Authors: Gautam Rajnish Kumar , Mohan Ravindra
Published: March 2020

Thermal comfort in the room is achieved by maintaining temperatures between 20 °C to 25 °C, as a result of air temperature. The main objective of the present work to study the thermal comfort in office room by changing the design of inlet and outlet duct position using computational fluid dynamics analysis. The present review includes various factors related with thermal comfort of office room, like temperature and air flow inside the office room, that affect the thermal comfort for the occupants. Areas in which additional information is required are identified and comments are made regarding future research directions. From the above literature study, it has been observed that in the field of thermal comfort for the office room lot of work have been seen in worldwide and still going on so there is a scope to work on this field.
Performance Analysis of Centrifugal Pump at Different Operating Mode
Authors: Lal Bhanwar , Deshmukh Dr. T. S.
Published: March 2020

The   aim of this research is to perform numerical simulation of centrifugal pump and PATs mode to analyse its cavitation characteristics and NPSHr at different operating conditions. It was found that maximum efficiency at design discharge for the PAT is about 2 % less than the efficiency in pump mode. It is observed that the efficiencies increase steadily on increasing the discharge from 8.88 kg/s to 14.8 kg/s. in both pump and turbine mode. Thereafter the rate of increase in efficiency becomes very less when increase in discharge to 17.76 kg/s.  Maximum efficiency of 59.49 % being achieved at 14.8 kg/s.
‘The Oceans are Rising and So Are We’: Exploring Utopian Discourses in the School Strike For Climate Movement
Authors: McKnght Heather
Published: March 2020

This article presents some provisional analysis of discourses presented by school students under the banner of the movements: Fridays for Future, Youth for Climate and School Strike 4 Climate.  It contends that these movements go beyond just presenting a vision of an inescapable future, or a simplistic request for adults to listen to science.  Instead, their vision is constructive of a better world as they challenge the failures of politicians, and arguably the adult public, demanding to play an active role in policy making when it comes to climate crisis. The article argues that this movement is constructed of a critical utopian discourse expressed through complex temporalities, which define the role of resistance as anticipation.  It considers how the anxiety in the Student Strike movement creates a militant optimism, and the narratives of cathedral thinking are demonstrative of an open-ended utopian process.
Development of the concept of state responsibility in succession situations in the light of draft articles of the UN international law commission
Authors: Keshner M. V.
Published: March 2020

INTRODUCTION. The article considers the concept of a succession of states with regard to the responsibility of states, which has become the subject of discussion by the UN International Law Commission and the preparation of the relevant draft articles. The author studies the methodology of considering the topic with a view to substantiating the idea of transferability of rights and obligations in the context of the responsibility of states, which is to a certain extent contradictory, due to the limited practice of states in this area. In this regard, questions are raised as to whether the new project can solve the problem of fill ing the gap between the regimes of state succession and state responsibility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. The author made a theoretical and empirical analysis of the main sources of international law, the materials of the work of the UN International Law Commission: reports of the special reporter on the succession of states regarding state responsibility, comments and observations of states, state practice, and the practice of international courts on the subject matter. Methodological foundation of research is composed by general scientific (analysis method, synthesis method, systems approach) and private-law methods of obtaining knowledge (formal legal, comparative legal).

RESEARCH RESULTS. Based on the study, it is argued that the key ILC approach – the general rule of the lack of succession in respect of international responsibility is not absolute in nature, also contains potentially conflicting aspects. The author comes to the conclusion that the concept of transferability of rights and obligations in the context of state responsibility is to a certain extent contradictory, due to the limited practice of states in this area.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. This article highlights a number of problematic aspects of the draft articles provisionally adopted by the Drafting Committee of the United Nations International Law Commission, as well as the proposed new draft articles in the regulation of specific categories of succession of States in respect of the obligations arising from responsibility. The author concludes that the norms formulated under the theme should take into account the complex legal regime of state responsibility for internationally wrongful acts, which differs from other regimes of succession.
Keeping international law international, a reflection on Anthea Roberts’ “is international law international?”
Authors: Labin D. K. , Potier T.
Published: March 2020

INTRODUCTION. Occasionally a book appears which has a significant impact on the scholarly community. A fine example of this is the work considered here by the Australian international lawyer, Anthea Roberts. Until very recently, comparative studies on international law were rare. However, as international law further develops and widens, so special attention will need to be paid to ensure that international law students are, to a greater extent, taught the same material and in the same way. As municipal systems of law became more mature, so doctrine and jurisprudence began to diverge. International law has now entered such a phase in its development and, in this excellent book, Dr. Roberts asks a series of very important questions: exactly what is taking place, what are the factors that are driving these processes, is such to be welcomed, is it unstoppable and where do we go from here?

MATERIALS AND METHODS. The article reflects on Anthea Roberts’ book “Is International Law International?” (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017). The authors of the article consider the contribution of the monograph to legal science, particularly with its interest in a revived Comparative International Law.

RESEARCH RESULTS. The view of the authors of the article is that Anthea Roberts’ book is a work of profound significance, which will, hopefully, inspire additional research in the field of Comparative International Law in years to come.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. Comparative International Law is a relatively neglected field in International Law. Without question, the international legal academy (from the elite law schools of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council) emphasises different things both in its scholarly writings and pedagogy. This needs to be given greater attention, even if, at least for now, it cannot be entirely arrested; so that the much-feared fragmentation of international law into not only separate fields and standards, but also in terms of agreeing on its content and application, is minimised.
Counterterrorism meassures: application of international law and the law of the Russian Federation
Authors: Aleshin V. V.
Published: March 2020

INTRODUCTION. Effective implementation of antiterrorist interstate cooperation is impossible without the creation of an appropriate legal framework. By concluding international treaties, States agree to accept obligations that define the scope of their activities in the areas of cooperation. Moreover, sometimes the necessity arises for emergency antiterrorist response which brings about the application of other than treaty mechanisms like bilateral and multilateral commitments. It seems necessary to pay attention to certain legal mechanisms provided by the UN anti-terrorist treaties, in particular, in the context of the situation in Syria, and some conceptual changes in Russian counter-terrorism legislation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. The article uses treaties, national legislation and doctrinal research. The authors rely on various methods to reach their conclusions, among which treaty interpretation is most frequently used.

RESEARCH RESULTS. In the article the author shows different mechanisms and spheres of modern cooperation in counter-terrorism and their ineffectiveness owing to political interests of some states. Special attention is paid to legality of actions of the USA and allies in Syria and criminal liability of members of international terrorist organizations.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. In this article the authors draw attention to disadvantages of international legal regulation of anti-terrorist cooperation. The article concludes that refusal of compliance with international law in the sphere of counter-terrorism brings about negative consequences for maintenance of international peace and security.
Soberana juventud: Memorias II
Authors: Maples Arce Manuel
Published: March 2020

Este segundo volumen de memorias de Maples Arce se ocupa de los fértiles años de la vanguardia. Cabeza y corazón del estridentismo, el poeta narra la emocionante aventura de la renovación estética que lideró en el México de la década de los veinte.
Sensory Semantic Component as the Basis for Synaesthesia Formation in Language: a Case Study of Arthur Rimbaud’s Poem "Le Bateau ivre" ("The Drunken Boat") and its Russian Translations
Authors: Iaroshenko Polina V.
Published: March 2020

The current article considers the phenomenon of synaesthesia in a literary text on the material of the Russian and French languages. Our study proposes a new approach to a linguistic analysis of synaesthesia at the levels of words and word combinations. It introduces a systemic model describing groups of words related to sensory perception which serve as a basis for synaesthetic word combinations’ formation. The units of analysis were selected from a manually prepared author’s corpus of parallel texts including Arthur Rimbaud’s poem “Le Bateau ivre” and its 15 Russian translations. In order to classify the types of words related to sensory perception the notion of sensory semantic component (SSC) was introduced. The words were classified according to a number of criteria: the component criterion (number of SSCs within a word); the modal criterion (correlation with a sensory modality); the structural criterion (morphological structure of a word); and the criterion of semantic representation (the place of an SSC within a word’s semantics). At for the component criterion, all the words were classified by the number of SSCs as monocomponent (90 %) or multicomponent (10 %). If a word is classified as multicomponent, its SSCs can either belong to the same modality (and so, it is characterized as monosensory), or refer to different modalities (multisensory). The words from our corpus are generally monocomponent, i.e. they contain no more than one SSC. However, 10 % of the preselected words contain more than one SSC and are characterized by a complex morphological structure, representing, in fact, compounds. Multicomponent and complex words are typical only of the Russian part of the corpus. As far as the modal criterion is concerned, the French and Russian parts of the corpus provide similar results: sight appears to be the dominant modality for all the texts analyzed, whereas the sense of smell is the least common. As for the semantic representation of SSCs within a word’s meaning, this component is essential and determinant for 90 % of the units analyzed. The words containing SSCs belong to different parts of speech. In the French part of the corpus, the most common are adjectives (55 %), followed by nouns (27 %), verbs (9 %), participles I and II (9 %). As for the Russian texts, adjectives are also the most common (43 %), followed by nouns (35 %), verbs (14 %), participles I and II (5 %), gerunds (2 %), and adverbs (1 %).
THE CHALLENGES OF BANK LENDING OF SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES: MODERN RUSSIAN SPECIFICITY
Authors: Travkina E. V. , Gushina T. S.
Published: March 2020

The role of lending to small and medium-sized businesses in the development of the modern Russian economy has been considered. Bank lending in this particular segment of the economy has been analyzed with highlighting the main trends and problems. The most important role of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation in solving the problems of lending to small and medium businesses through the monetary policy and the improvement of the regulatory framework has been determined. The main ways to solve the existing problems in the bank credit market of small and medium businesses have been identified. The state support for lending to small and medium business entities through partial subsidizing of interest rates has been considered thoroughly, models of partial government subsidizing of interest rates at the stage of obtaining a loan and at the stage of loan repayment have been presented.
THE STUDY OF EMOTIONAL BURNOUT IN CONNECTION WITH LIFE MEANING AND CAREER ORIENTATIONS AMONG REPRESENTATIVES OF SOCIONOMIC PROFESSIONS
Authors: Cherniakevich E. Yu. , Pogodina E. V.
Published: March 2020

The study results of life meaning, career orientations and emotional burnout syndrome among representatives of socionomic (helping) professions have been described. The purpose of the work was to identify the characteristics of emotional burnout, career and life meaning orientations of the personality and their relationships. To achieve the goal of the study, V. V. Boyko’s “Method for diagnosing the level of emotional burnout”, D. A. Leontiev’s test of “Life Sense Orientations” (LSO), and E. Shein’s “Career Anchors test” have been used. It has been established, that the “Resistance” phase is in the formation stage, the “Stress” and “Depletion” phases were not formed. The leading career orientation of specialists is “professional competence”. As a result of the study, the interrelation of indicators of emotional burnout, career and life meaning orientations, has been identified. High scores on the scales of the LSO: “goals in life”, “life process”, “locus of control – life”, “locus of control – I” have been found. It has been established that career-oriented industrial professionals are more susceptible to emotional burnout. The article is a contribution to the study of various aspects of helping a person experiencing emotional burnout syndrome.
IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITY AREAS OF FOREIGN POLICIES OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF BILATERAL COOPERATION
Authors: Efimova N. A.
Published: March 2020

The article is devoted to identifying priority areas of foreign policy of the Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter – EAEU) member states in the framework of bilateral cooperation, reflected in national legal and other acts and documents, determining the main vector of the implemented foreign policy of each of the EAEU member states. As a result of the study, it has been concluded, that foreign policy issues are solved by each member of the EAEU independently. The lack of coordinated approaches to the implementation of the foreign policy activities of the EAEU member states, including in the framework of bilateral cooperation, cannot but affect the development of all economic integration. This mediates the need to model a coordinated approach to the implementation of the foreign policy of the EAEU member states as an integration unity, within the framework of which the interests of each EAEU member will be taken into account, together with the interests of the organization. This will contribute to enhancing the economic interaction of the national economies of the EAEU members and to strengthening the integration potential of the EAEU, which in the context of increasing geopolitical tension is especially relevant.
INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES: TRENDS AND PROSPECTS
Authors: Platonova A. V. , Pustynnikova E. V.
Published: March 2020

The author’s method of evaluating the innovative development of manufacturing enterprises has been presented. Three key stages of evaluation activities have been highlighted. At the first stage, the leading group of manufacturing enterprises in terms of innovative development was identified – high-tech enterprises. At the second stage attention was paid to the rating innovative development of high-tech enterprises based on the authorial structural grouping of innovation indicators. At the third stage high-tech enterprises allocation to positions of innovative development (innovative leader, developed or developing innovator) and sectors of innovative development (balanced, result- or potential- oriented) has been proposed.
REGIONAL FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL PROJECTS IMPLEMENTATION AND THE ROLE OF CONTROL AND ACCOUNTING BODIES OF OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION SUBJECTS IN THE TRANSITION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Authors: Kara-Sal M. R. , Khomushku V. K.
Published: March 2020

The features of the implementation of project management in the executive authorities of the Republic of Tuva have been considered and the essence of the regional project management system has been revealed. Problems during the implementation of national projects in the Republic of Tuva, as well as during monitoring of their implementation, including the problem of access to relevant information on the development, implementation, reporting on the implementation of regional projects have been studied. Based on the study, it has been concluded that it is necessary to manage state programs and projects from the perspectives of a systematic approach. It is necessary to organize a system of access to relevant information on the development, implementation, reporting on the implementation of regional projects, amending the law of the Republic of Tuva “On the Accounting Chamber of the Republic of Tuva”, providing for access to information systems and resources, as well as developing a standard for external state financial control “Monitoring regional projects”.
FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF ESTABLISHING THE INSTITUTION OF THE SELF-EMPLOYMENT
Authors: Poliakova V. V. , Sumbatyan S. L. , Basalaev V. A.
Published: March 2020

The concept of self-employment as a form of individual entrepreneurship has been considered. A detailed analysis of the experience of foreign countries in establishing the institution of the self-employment,common and distinctive features of the applied models of the development of self-employment in European countries, Australia and the USA, has been presented. Much attention has been paid both the characteristic of the category “self-employed citizens” and the review of their areas of activity in Russia today. Available mechanisms and tools for the development of self-employment have been analyzed. Particular attention has been paid to the analysis of the concept of self-employment and its forms, presented in legislative acts, which serve as the basis for effective regulation by the government. Conclusions and recommendations of the authors on the application of the new special tax treatment on the income of self-employed citizens, implemented as part of a pilot project in several regions of the Russian Federation, have been presented.
A Pyridinic Fe-N4 Macrocycle Effectively Models the Active Sites in Fe/N-Doped Carbon Electrocatalysts
Authors: Marshall-Roth Travis , Libretto Nicole J. , Wrobel Alexandra T. , Anderton Kevin , Ricke Nathan D. , Van Voorhis Troy , Miller Jeffrey T. , Surendranath Yogesh
Published: March 2020

Iron- and nitrogen-doped carbon (Fe-N-C) materials are leading candidates to replace platinum in fuel cells, but their active site structures are poorly understood. A leading postulate is that iron active sites in this class of materials exist in an Fe-N4 pyridinic ligation environment. Yet, molecular Fe-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) generally feature pyrrolic coordination and pyridinic Fe-N4 catalysts are, to the best of our knowledge, non-existent. We report the synthesis and characterization of a molecular pyridinic hexaazacyclophane macrocycle, (phen2N2)Fe, and compare its spectroscopic, electrochemical, and catalytic properties for oxygen reduction to a prototypical Fe-N-C material, as well as iron phthalocyanine, (Pc)Fe, and iron octaethylporphyrin, (OEP)Fe, prototypical pyrrolic iron macrocycles. N 1s XPS signatures for coordinated N atoms in (phen2N2)Fe are positively shifted relative to (Pc)Fe and (OEP)Fe, and overlay with those of Fe-N-C. Likewise, spectroscopic XAS signatures of (phen2N2)Fe are distinct from those of both (Pc)Fe and (OEP)Fe, and are remarkably similar to those of Fe-N-C with compressed Fe–N bond lengths of 1.97 Å in (phen2N2)Fe that are close to the average 1.94 Å length in Fe-N-C. Electrochemical studies establish that both (Pc)Fe and (phen2N2)Fe have relatively high Fe(III/II) potentials at ~0.6 V, ~300 mV positive of (OEP)Fe. The ORR onset potential is found to directly correlate with the Fe(III/II) potential leading to a ~300 mV positive shift in the onset of ORR for (Pc)Fe and (phen2N2)Fe relative to (OEP)Fe. Consequently, the ORR onset for (phen2N2)Fe and (Pc)Fe is within 150 mV of Fe-N-C. Unlike (OEP)Fe and (Pc)Fe, (phen2N2)Fe displays excellent selectivity for 4-electron ORR with <4% maximum H2O2 production, comparable to Fe-N-C materials. The aggregate spectroscopic and electrochemical data establish (phen2N2)Fe as a pyridinic iron macrocycle that effectively models Fe-N-C active sites, thereby providing a rich molecular platform for understanding this important class of catalytic materials.
Parallel Implementation of Density Functional Theory Methods in the Quantum Interaction Computational Kernel Program
Authors: Manathunga Madushanka , Miao Yipu , Mu Dawei , Goetz Andreas , Merz Jr. Kenneth M.
Published: March 2020

We present the details of a GPU capable exchange correlation (XC) scheme integrated into the open source QUantum Interaction Computational Kernel (QUICK) program. Our implementation features an octree based numerical grid point partitioning scheme, GPU enabled grid pruning and basis/primitive function prescreening and fully GPU capable XC energy and gradient algorithms. Benchmarking against the CPU version demonstrated that the GPU implementation is capable of delivering an impres- sive performance while retaining excellent accuracy. For small to medium size protein/organic molecular systems, the realized speedups in double precision XC energy and gradient computation on a NVIDIA V100 GPU were 60 to 80-fold and 140 to 780- fold respectively as compared to the serial CPU implementation. The acceleration gained in density functional theory calculations from a single V100 GPU significantly exceeds that of a modern CPU with 40 cores running in parallel.
Knowledge-Based Structural Models of SARS-CoV-2 Proteins and Their Complex with Potential Drugs
Authors: Hijikata Atsushi , Shionyu-Mitsuyama Clara , Nakae Setsu , Shionyu Masafumi , Ota Motonori , Kanaya Shigehiko , Shirai Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a pandemic of the 2019 novel cornavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). There is, however, no confirmed anti-COVID-19 therapeutic currently. In order to assist structure-based discovery of repurposing drugs against this disease, knowledge-based models of SARS-CoV-2 proteins were constructed using MODELLER software, and their models were refined by PHENIX and COOT. The model quality was assessed with MolProbity. The ligand molecules in the template structures were compared with approved/experimental drugs and components of natural medicines from the KEGG and KNApSAcK databases. The models suggested several drugs, such as carfilzomib, sinefungin, tecadenoson, and trabodenoson, as potential drugs for COVID-19.
KOMPARASI TIGA MODEL INFILTRASI PADA LAHAN PERTANIAN DAN AGROFORESTRI DI DAS MERAWU – BANJARNEGARA
Authors: Ngadisih Ngadisih , Suryatmojo Hatma , Satriagasa M. Chrisna , Annisa Maya , Kumolo Cahyo
Published: March 2020

Daerah Aliran Sungai (DAS) Merawu di Banjarnegara terancam kelestarian lingkungannya karena erosi dan longsor. Tanah di DAS ini merupakan tanah vulkanik yang tebal dan subur. Ancaman erosi dan longsor muncul karena tanah berada pada lahan miring, intensitas hujan tinggi, dan penutupan lahan yang rendah. Erosi dan longsor sangat berkaitan dengan proses masuknya air ke dalam tanah (infiltrasi). Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah membandingkan tiga model infiltrasi (Horton, Philip, Kostiakov) dalam memprediksi kecepatan proses masuknya air ke dalam tanah pada dua penggunaan lahan yang berbeda di DAS Merawu. Sampel tanah dan pengukuran laju infiltrasi dilakukan pada demplot: i) lahan pertanian dan ii) agrofotesri dengan masing-masing luas 0,1 Ha. Titik pengambilan sampel tanah dan pengukuran infiltrasi ditetapkan berdasarkan metode purposive sampling yang mewakili lereng bagian atas, tengah dan bawah, masing-masing sejumlah 3 titik, sehingga total ada 18 titik sampel. Pengukuran laju infiltrasi dilakukan dengan menggunakan alat Double Ring Infiltrometer. Evaluasi model menggunakan parameter statistik MAE, Bias, dan RMSE. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tanah pada demplot pertanian dan agroforestri adalah jenis Latosol dengan kelas tekstur Sandy Loam, struktur granuler, berat jenis 1,74 – 1,92 g.cm-3, berat volume 0,48 – 0,60 g.cm-3, porositas 69 – 72%, dan kandungan bahan organik 3,6-7,5%. Laju infiltrasi pada lahan pertanian dengan model Horton, Phillip, dan Kostiakov secara berturut-turut, yaitu 340 mm.jam-1, 385 mm.jam-1 dan 390 mm.jam-1. Sedangkan pada agroforestri, dengan urutan yang sama: 254 mm.jam-1, 337 mm.jam-1, dan 435 mm.jam-1. Berdasarkan nilai MAE dan RMSE, model infiltrasi Horton lebih baik dalam memprediksi laju infiltrasi pada lahan pertanian dan agroforestri.
ANALISIS KESESUAIAN LAHAN TANAMAN PADI YANG BERKELANJUTAN DI KABUPATEN INDRAMAYU
Authors: Muttaqien Khaerul , Haji Alexander Tunggul Sutan , Sulianto Akhmad Adi
Published: March 2020

Kabupaten Indramayu memiliki luas lahan 209.942 ha yang terdiri atas 115.897 ha lahan sawah, 56.937 ha lahan bukan sawah, dan 37.108 ha lahan bukan pertanian. Namun dalam pemanfaatan lahan pertanian petani di Kabupaten Indramayu masih memerlukan arahan dalam penggunaan lahan yang tepat karena perilaku petani yang belum memperhatikan kesesuaian lahan dan kebijakan pemerintah tentang intensifikasi pertanian terhadap lahan sawah. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif kuantitatif dan menggunakan proses pencocokan (matching) data kondisi wilayah dengan kriteria kelas kesesuaian lahan yang disusun dengan Arc GIS 10.3. Adapun parameter yang diamati adalah karakteristik wilayah (iklim, kesuburan tanah dan topografi) dan kriteria pertanian berlanjutan (ketersediaan air) untuk tanaman padi. Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kesesuaian lahan dan keberlanjutan pertanian tanaman padi di Kabupaten Indramayu. Hasil analisis kelas kesesuaian lahan tanaman padi yang berkelanjutan di Kabupaten Indramayu dengan kriteria-kriteria yang telah ditentukan, didapatkan hasil dengan luas lahan yang sangat sesuai (S1) sebesar 92.419 ha, cukup sesuai (S2) 7.654 ha, sesuai marginal (S3) 15.824 ha dan tidak sesuai (N) seluas 0.
Amarillamiento en hoja y tallo de Alstroemeria cv. ‘Olga’ en invernadero y poscosecha
Authors: Calderón José Pizano , Rodríguez López Carmen , Alcántar González E. Gabriel , Rodríguez Mendoza María De Las Nieves , Gaytan Acuña Elda Araceli , Limón Ortega Agustín
Published: March 2020

La presente investigación se llevó a cabo en invernadero, con rizomas de Alstroemeria cultivar ‘Olga’, bajo sistema hidropónico, con solución universal de Steiner hasta la cosecha. Consistió en dos etapas: fase de invernadero y vida de florero. En invernadero se aplicó fertilización foliar al cultivo bajo un diseño experimental completamente al azar con cinco repeticiones. Se evaluaron ocho dosis de fertilización Ca(NO3)2, MgSO4- y FeEDTA. Las variables evaluadas fueron: clorofila, longitud de hoja, diámetro del tallo, número de hojas por tallo y longitud de tallos. En vida de florero se realizó en septiembre de 2013. Como solución preservativa se evaluaron dos concentraciones de la solución universal Steiner. Como testigo se usó agua de llave, solución preservativa comercial Chrysal Clear®. La unidad experimental fue un tallo floral. Las variables evaluadas fueron: clorofila, biomasa fresca, transpiración indirecta, clorofila total por el método AOAC, días en florero y apertura floral. A 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 y 10 días después del corte. En la fase de invernadero, la longitud de tallos, número de hojas por tallo y longitud de hojas, fue independiente de la dosis y frecuencia de aplicación de fertilizantes foliares. Las lecturas SPAD, el tratamiento que mostró efecto desde la primera evaluación fue el 5 con aplicación foliar de Ca(NO3)2 2 g L-1, siendo diferente al resto de los tratamientos. El diámetro del tallo aumentó con la aplicación, cada 15 días de Ca(NO3)2 1 g L-1 vía foliar. En la vida de florero las lecturas SPAD y clorofila total de los tratamientos cinco y seis mostraron valores mayores. Es posible mantener los tallos florales con una fertilización foliar de Ca(NO3)2 2 g L-1 cuyo efecto en postcosecha fue diferente a los demás tratamientos en relación a la clorofila. Esta dosis aplicada en precosecha más la adición de un producto preservativo en postcosecha es importante en la conservación del color verde de las hojas.
Resistencia a Fusarium causante de pudriciones en trigo: actualidad y perspectivas para su uso en México
Authors: Suaste Franco María del Pilar , Iturriaga de la Fuente Gabriel , Solís Moya Ernesto , Raya Pérez Juan Carlos , Ramírez Pimentel Juan Gabriel , Mariscal Amaro Luis Antonio
Published: March 2020

Las pudriciones de raíz, corona y tallo en trigo se consideran una amenaza seria para este cereal en diversas partes del mundo ya que las pérdidas que ocasionan en el rendimiento y calidad de grano llegan hasta 89% y pueden ser comparables con las causadas por las royas, además de que los hongos asociados a estas pudriciones sintetizan micotoxinas que pueden contaminar productos alimenticios. Esta problemática en México ha sido poco estudiada; sin embargo, en los últimos años, estas enfermedades en trigos de riego y temporal han sido más incidentes lo que está causando preocupación en los productores de este cereal en el país. Esta revisión resume aspectos actuales de la enfermedad, las fuentes de resistencia disponibles a nivel mundial, así como la forma de cómo opera dicha resistencia en el patosistema Fusarium-trigo. Las bases genéticas de la resistencia a pudriciones de raíz, tallo y corona de los trigos hexaploides se ha examinado; a través, del mapeo de Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL). Hasta la fecha, 44 QTL han sido identificados en 14 cromosomas con alelos que inducen la resistencia a esta enfermedad y que derivan de trigos hexaploides y de parientes cercanos. El mejoramiento genético para esta enfermedad mediante la introgresión de los alelos con estos QTL es la estrategia más factible y la piramidación de estos QTL parece ser la estrategia más viable en los programas de mejoramiento genético. Paso importante para el manejo de la problemática en las zonas productores de trigo en México.
Improving the impact of menstrual health innovations in low- and middle-income countries: a theory of change and measurement framework
Authors: Sommer Marni , Zulaika Garazi , Schmitt Margaret L , Khandakji Samantha , Neudorf Kristin , Gellis Leeat , Phillips-Howard Penelope A
Published: March 2020

There exists growing global attention focused on tackling the menstrual management related challenges facing adolescent girls and women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This includes a surge of growth in new and locally produced menstrual products, often accompanied by innovative distribution approaches aimed at enhancing accessibility, along with the provision of menstruation-related education. Increasing global investments support the development of such products by local and international menstrual innovators, with the aim of shifting from product development towards achieving scale. Parallel to such efforts, there is a need for rigorous monitoring to evaluate the process and impact of implementation, to ensure resources are effectively utilized. In response, a new measurement model was developed that includes a Theory of Change (ToC) and measurement framework, to enable improved measurement of the impact and growth of menstrual product innovations. These tools aim to help investors to more effectively monitor and assess the impact of investments. They will also support social entrepreneurs, innovators, and non-governmental organizations to adopt approaches that are most effective for impacting the lives of menstruating adolescent girls and women across LMIC. This paper seeks to introduce the ToC and monitoring and evaluation framework as supportive resources that provide a common framework for the global community to utilize as both investors and social entrepreneurs seek to develop more scalable menstrual solutions globally.
Dalits and mental health: investigating perceptions, stigma and barriers to support in Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: French Amber N
Published: March 2020

Background

In Nepal, caste-based disparities have been identified in mental health. The lowest caste, the Dalits, face the greatest discrimination and have a greater prevalence of depression and anxiety when compared with high castes. Therefore, it is important to understand the Dalit communities’ perceptions of mental health, the barriers faced when accessing support and to identify the causes of stigma. Investigating this should provide insight to help inform anti-stigma policies and develop interventions to better support mental health within the community.

Methods

Ethical approval was granted by the University of Leeds to conduct this study. Participants were recruited through a Dalit community leader gatekeeper identified by the project host. Purposive and snowballing sampling methods were used. 12 participants gave informed consent and took part in semi-structured interviews. Data was transcribed and thematically analysed by the researcher.

Results

Perceptions of mental health included mad, incurable, not a real disease, and a strong association with substance abuse. The stigma attached to mental health results in Dalits being outcast from their families and subsequently homeless. This is especially problematic for vulnerable women. Barriers identified that prevent Dalits from obtaining mental health support include financial burdens and a lack of awareness and services. Ways of overcoming these barriers were discussed such as raising awareness and education on mental health. Causes of stigma were identified to be supernatural, religious, cultural, the caste-hierarchy and a lack of education.

Conclusions

There is a need for official mental health education among Dalits in Kathmandu to help prevent stigma and raise awareness of services. An increase in the training of mental health specialists and the implementation of mental health safe houses is required in Kathmandu to increase the availability of support. Further research into the relationship between caste-hierarchy and mental health is also recommended.