bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptable and Robust EEG Bad Channel Detection Using Local Outlier Factor (LOF)
Authors: Kumaravel Velu Prabhakar , Buiatti Marco , Parise Eugenio , Farella Elisabetta
Published: September 2022

Electroencephalogram (EEG) data are typically affected by artifacts. The detection and removal of bad channels (i.e., with poor signal-to-noise ratio) is a crucial initial step. EEG data acquired from different populations require different cleaning strategies due to the inherent differences in the data quality, the artifacts’ nature, and the employed experimental paradigm. To deal with such differences, we propose a robust EEG bad channel detection method based on the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) algorithm. Unlike most existing bad channel detection algorithms that look for the global distribution of channels, LOF identifies bad channels relative to the local cluster of channels, which makes it adaptable to any kind of EEG. To test the performance and versatility of the proposed algorithm, we validated it on EEG acquired from three populations (newborns, infants, and adults) and using two experimental paradigms (event-related and frequency-tagging). We found that LOF can be applied to all kinds of EEG data after calibrating its main hyperparameter: the LOF threshold. We benchmarked the performance of our approach with the existing state-of-the-art (SoA) bad channel detection methods. We found that LOF outperforms all of them by improving the F1 Score, our chosen performance metric, by about 40% for newborns and infants and 87.5% for adults.
Physical and Digital Infrastructure Readiness Index for Connected and Automated Vehicles
Authors: Cucor Boris , Petrov Tibor , Kamencay Patrik , Pourhashem Ghadir , Dado Milan
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we present an assessment framework that can be used to score segments of physical and digital infrastructure based on their features and readiness to expedite the deployment of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs). We discuss the equipment and methodology applied for the collection and analysis of required data to score the infrastructure segments in an automated way. Moreover, we demonstrate how the proposed framework can be applied using data collected on a public transport route in the city of Zilina, Slovakia. We use two types of data to demonstrate the methodology of the assessment-connectivity and positioning data to assess the connectivity and localization performance provided by the infrastructure and image data for road signage detection using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The core of the research is a dataset that can be used for further research work. We collected and analyzed data in two settings—an urban and suburban area. Despite the fact that the connectivity and positioning data were collected in different days and times, we found highly underserved areas along the investigated route. The main problem from the point of view of communication in the investigated area is the latency, which is an issue associated with infrastructure segments mainly located at intersections with heavy traffic or near various points of interest. The low accuracy of localization has been observed mainly in dense areas with large buildings and trees, which decrease the number of visible localization satellites. To address the problem of automated assessment of the traffic sign recognition precision, we proposed a CNN that achieved 99.7% precision.
Material Translation Based on Neural Style Transfer with Ideal Style Image Retrieval
Authors: Benitez-Garcia Gibran , Takahashi Hiroki , Yanai Keiji
Published: September 2022

The field of Neural Style Transfer (NST) has led to interesting applications that enable us to transform reality as human beings perceive it. Particularly, NST for material translation aims to transform the material of an object into that of a target material from a reference image. Since the target material (style) usually comes from a different object, the quality of the synthesized result totally depends on the reference image. In this paper, we propose a material translation method based on NST with automatic style image retrieval. The proposed CNN-feature-based image retrieval aims to find the ideal reference image that best translates the material of an object. An ideal reference image must share semantic information with the original object while containing distinctive characteristics of the desired material (style). Thus, we refine the search by selecting the most-discriminative images from the target material, while focusing on object semantics by removing its style information. To translate materials to object regions, we combine a real-time material segmentation method with NST. In this way, the material of the retrieved style image is transferred to the segmented areas only. We evaluate our proposal with different state-of-the-art NST methods, including conventional and recently proposed approaches. Furthermore, with a human perceptual study applied to 100 participants, we demonstrate that synthesized images of stone, wood, and metal can be perceived as real and even chosen over legitimate photographs of such materials.
Improving Hybrid CTC/Attention Architecture for Agglutinative Language Speech Recognition
Authors: Ren Zeyu , Yolwas Nurmemet , Slamu Wushour , Cao Ronghe , Wang Huiru
Published: September 2022

Unlike the traditional model, the end-to-end (E2E) ASR model does not require speech information such as a pronunciation dictionary, and its system is built through a single neural network and obtains performance comparable to that of traditional methods. However, the model requires massive amounts of training data. Recently, hybrid CTC/attention ASR systems have become more popular and have achieved good performance even under low-resource conditions, but they are rarely used in Central Asian languages such as Turkish and Uzbek. We extend the dataset by adding noise to the original audio and using speed perturbation. To develop the performance of an E2E agglutinative language speech recognition system, we propose a new feature extractor, MSPC, which uses different sizes of convolution kernels to extract and fuse features of different scales. The experimental results show that this structure is superior to VGGnet. In addition to this, the attention module is improved. By using the CTC objective function in training and the BERT model to initialize the language model in the decoding stage, the proposed method accelerates the convergence of the model and improves the accuracy of speech recognition. Compared with the baseline model, the character error rate (CER) and word error rate (WER) on the LibriSpeech test-other dataset increases by 2.42% and 2.96%, respectively. We apply the model structure to the Common Voice—Turkish (35 h) and Uzbek (78 h) datasets, and the WER is reduced by 7.07% and 7.08%, respectively. The results show that our method is close to the advanced E2E systems.
Float like a Butterfly: Comparison between Off and On-Ice Torso Kinematics during the Butterfly Stance in Ice Hockey Goalkeepers
Authors: Evans Stuart A , Bini Rodrigo , Davis Gregory , Lee James
Published: September 2022

In ice hockey, the butterfly style/stance is a technique distinguished by the goalkeepers (goalie) dropping to their knees to block attempts to score. Although this goalie style has been around for many years, comparisons between on and off-ice attire has not been undertaken. Therefore, this preliminary study compared differences in torso acceleration and energy expenditure by way of the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) during off-ice and on-ice butterfly stances/saves. Seven participants each performed 8 on-ice butterfly saves/stances whilst wearing full hockey attire followed by 8 off-ice butterfly stances without wearing full hockey attire whilst torso acceleration was collected. The off-ice movement significantly increased vertical torso acceleration (p < 0.01, d > 0.90) with increased MET, compared to on-ice motion. Despite no significant difference in anteroposterior and mediolateral torso kinematics, vector magnitudes were significantly greater (p < 0.01, d > 0.90) when the stance was performed off-ice. The increased vertical acceleration observed when goalies performed the movement off-ice could be due to a failure to maintain adequate posture without the support of the external load. The results of this study may help inform off-ice training interventions for ice hockey goalkeeping.
Objective Signal Analysis for Investigating Feasibility of Active Noise Cancellation in Hearing Screening
Authors: Cheng Hsiu-Lien , Han Ji-Yan , Zheng Wei-Zhong , Cheng Yen-Fu , Chu Yuan-Chia , Lin Chia-Mei , Chiang Ming-Chang , Liao Wen-Huei , Lai Ying-Hui
Published: September 2022

With the development of active noise cancellation (ANC) technology, ANC has been used to mitigate the effects of environmental noise on audiometric results. However, objective evaluation methods supporting the accuracy of audiometry for ANC exposure to different levels of noise have not been reported. Accordingly, the audio characteristics of three different ANC headphone models were quantified under different noise conditions and the feasibility of ANC in noisy environments was investigated. Steady (pink noise) and non-steady noise (cafeteria babble noise) were used to simulate noisy environments. We compared the integrity of pure-tone signals obtained from three different ANC headphone models after processing under different noise scenarios and analyzed the degree of ANC signal correlation based on the Pearson correlation coefficient compared to pure-tone signals in quiet. The objective signal correlation results were compared with audiometric screening results to confirm the correspondence. Results revealed that ANC helped mitigate the effects of environmental noise on the measured signal and the combined ANC headset model retained the highest signal integrity. The degree of signal correlation was used as a confidence indicator for the accuracy of hearing screening in noise results. It was found that the ANC technique can be further improved for more complex noisy environments.
Data Analysis and Modelling of Billets Features in Steel Industry
Authors: Zanoli Silvia Maria , Pepe Crescenzo , Moscoloni Elena , Astolfi Giacomo
Published: September 2022

This study proposes a data analysis and modelization method for the rolling mill process of billets in steel plants. By exploiting rolling mill signals and advanced data processing algorithms, a reliable billet tracking system is designed, which tracks each workpiece from the furnace entrance to the rolling mill stands’ exit area. Based on the stored information, two problems are addressed: the data analysis of the temperature sensors (a thermal imaging camera and pyrometers) and the current that is related to the rolling mill stands’ absorption, and subsequently, a mathematical modelization of the billets’ temperature along their path in the rolling mill is produced. The data analysis suggested that we should perform hardware modifications: the thermal imaging camera was repositioned to avoid the effect of scale formation on the temperature measurements. The modelization phase provided the basis for future control and/or diagnosis applications that will exploit a temperature decay model.
Tactile Routing for Location Privacy Preservation in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Game Theoretic Approach
Authors: Syed Mujahid N. , Baroudi Uthman
Published: September 2022

Location Privacy Preservation (LPP) in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) during the era of the Internet of things and smart systems is a critical element in the success of WSNs. LPP in WSN can be stated as: given a WSN with an adversary aiming to unravel the location of critical nodes of a WSN, the goal of the WSN manager is to enshroud the location of the critical nodes via routing and/or encryption mechanisms. Typical research in the LPP of WSN routing involves developing and/or estimating the performance of a fixed routing protocol under a given attack mechanism. Motivated by advancements in network softwarization, in this work, we propose an approach where the WSN manager as well as the WSN adversary can deploy multiple routing and attack mechanisms, respectively. Initially, the proposed approach is formulated as a repeated two-player zero-sum game. The formulation is further extended to handle multiple objectives and incomplete information in the game matrix. In this work, the multiple objectives are handled via the epsilon constraint method. The presence of incomplete information in the formulation is modeled as interval based uncertainty. To sum, the proposed formulation ultimately boils down to linear programming problems, which can be efficiently solved. Numerical case studies to showcase the applicability of the proposed approach are illustrated in this work. Finally, discussion on obtaining the required data from any given WSN, discussion and interpretation of the formulation’s results, and future research direction of the current work is presented.
Design of Plasmonic Yagi–Uda Nanoantennas for Chip-Scale Optical Wireless Communications
Authors: Damasceno Gabriel H. B. , Carvalho William O. F. , Mejía-Salazar Jorge Ricardo
Published: September 2022

Optical wireless transmission has recently become a major cutting-edge alternative for on-chip/inter-chip communications with higher transmission speeds and improved power efficiency. Plasmonic nanoantennas, the building blocks of this new nanoscale communication paradigm, require precise design to have directional radiation and improved communication ranges. Particular interest has been paid to plasmonic Yagi–Uda, i.e., the optical analog of the conventional Radio Frequency (RF) Yagi–Uda design, which may allow directional radiation of plasmonic fields. However, in contrast to the RF model, an overall design strategy for the directional and optimized front-to-back ratio of the radiated far-field patterns is lacking. In this work, a guide for the optimized design of Yagi–Uda plasmonic nanoantennas is shown. In particular, five different design conditions are used to study the effects of sizes and spacing between the constituent parts (made of Au). Importantly, it is numerically demonstrated (using the scattered fields) that closely spaced nanoantenna elements are not appropriated for directional light-to-plasmon conversion/radiation. In contrast, if the elements of the nanoantenna are widely spaced, the structure behaves like a one-dimensional array of nanodipoles, producing a funnel-like radiation pattern (not suitable for on-chip wireless optical transmission). Therefore, based on the results here, it can be concluded that the constituent metallic rib lengths must be optimized to exhibit the resonance at the working wavelength, whilst their separations should follow the relation λeff/π, where λeff indicates the effective wavelength scaling for plasmonic nanostructures.
A Method of Deep Learning Model Optimization for Image Classification on Edge Device
Authors: Lee Hyungkeuk , Lee NamKyung , Lee Sungjin
Published: September 2022

Due to the recent increasing utilization of deep learning models on edge devices, the industry demand for Deep Learning Model Optimization (DLMO) is also increasing. This paper derives a usage strategy of DLMO based on the performance evaluation through light convolution, quantization, pruning techniques and knowledge distillation, known to be excellent in reducing memory size and operation delay with a minimal accuracy drop. Through experiments regarding image classification, we derive possible and optimal strategies to apply deep learning into Internet of Things (IoT) or tiny embedded devices. In particular, strategies for DLMO technology most suitable for each on-device Artificial Intelligence (AI) service are proposed in terms of performance factors. In this paper, we suggest a possible solution of the most rational algorithm under very limited resource environments by utilizing mature deep learning methodologies.
An Improved Frequency Domain Guided Thermal Imager Strips Removal Algorithm Based on LRSID
Authors: Li Junchen , Zhong Li , Hu Zhuoyue , Chen Fansheng
Published: September 2022

The thermal imaging image of the Sustainable Development Science Satellite (SDGSAT-1) is mainly used for high-resolution observations of the ground width, due to the influence of blind elements and non-uniformity of the detector, and the system is a pendulum sweep imaging mode, resulting in fringed noise in the image. In this paper, a Fringing algorithm based on LRSID (low-rank-based single-image decomposition) algorithm is proposed, which can effectively remove the lateral and vertical fringe noise of the thermal imager and maintain the detail and clarity of the image. First, pretreatment of the obvious light and dark stripes then, based on LLSID algorithm, the vertical direction pinstripes and horizontal stripes are processed; finally, the fringed frequency band of the original image is replaced in the frequency domain with the image frequency domain processed by the LRSID algorithm, and then the Fourier inverse transformation is performed to obtain the final image. Using the method proposed in this paper, the simulated and actual SDGSAT-1 thermal imaging camera remote sensing stripes images are removed, and the visual and quantitative indicators are compared with the processing results of other algorithms, and the results show that the proposed algorithm has the best performance to remove the stripes, which can effectively remove horizontal and vertical fringes at the same time, and retain the detail and clarity of the image.
Model and Data-Driven Combination: A Fault Diagnosis and Localization Method for Unknown Fault Size of Quadrotor UAV Actuator Based on Extended State Observer and Deep Forest
Authors: Song Jia , Shang Weize , Ai Shaojie , Zhao Kai
Published: September 2022

The rotor is an essential actuator of quadrotor UAV, and is prone to failure due to high speed rotation and environmental disturbances. It is difficult to diagnose rotor faults and identify the fault localization simultaneously. In this paper, we propose a fault diagnosis and localization scheme based on the Extended State Observer (ESO) and Deep Forest (DF). This scheme can accurately complete the fault diagnosis and localization for the quadrotor UAV actuator without knowing the fault size by combining the model-based and the data-driven methods. First, we obtain the angular acceleration residual signal of the quadrotor UAV by using ESO. The residual signal is the difference between the observed state of ESO and the true fault state. Then, we design the residual feature analysis method by considering the position distribution of the quadrotor UAV actuator. This method can embed the actuator fault localization information into the fault data by simultaneously considering pitch and roll of the quadrotor UAV. Finally, we complete the fault diagnosis and localization of the quadrotor UAV actuator by processing the fault data by using DF. This scheme has the advantages of straightforward observer modeling, strong generalization ability, adaptability to small sample data, and few hyperparameters. Our simulation results indicate that the accuracy of the proposed scheme reaches more than 99% for the unknown size of the quadrotor UAV actuator fault.
An Intelligent IoT Based Traffic Light Management System: Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Damadam Shima , Zourbakhsh Mojtaba , Javidan Reza , Faroughi Azadeh
Published: September 2022

Traffic is one of the indispensable problems of modern societies, which leads to undesirable consequences such as time wasting and greater possibility of accidents. Adaptive Traffic Signal Control (ATSC), as a key part of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), plays a key role in reducing traffic congestion by real-time adaptation to dynamic traffic conditions. Moreover, these systems are integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) devices. IoT can lead to easy implementation of traffic management systems. Recently, the combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the IoT has attracted the attention of many researchers and can process large amounts of data that are suitable for solving complex real-world problems about traffic control. In this paper, we worked on the real-world scenario of Shiraz City, which currently does not use any intelligent method and works based on fixed-time traffic signal scheduling. We applied IoT approaches and AI techniques to control traffic lights more efficiently, which is an essential part of the ITS. Specifically, sensors such as surveillance cameras were used to capture real-time traffic information for the intelligent traffic signal control system. In fact, an intelligent traffic signal control system is provided by utilizing distributed Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) and applying the traffic data of adjacent intersections along with local information. By using MARL, our goal was to improve the overall traffic of six signalized junctions of Shiraz City in Iran. We conducted numerical simulations for two synthetic intersections by simulated data and for a real-world map of Shiraz City with real-world traffic data received from the transportation and municipality traffic organization and compared it with the traditional system running in Shiraz. The simulation results show that our proposed approach performs more efficiently than the fixed-time traffic signal control scheduling implemented in Shiraz in terms of average vehicle queue lengths and waiting times at intersections.
Cases of mucormycosis in the Kazan Republican Clinical Hospital
Authors:   SAHI Republican Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan, Kulagina L. Yu. ,   Kazan State Medical Academy, FSBEI HPE RMACPE of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Kurbanov A. R. ,   Kazan State Medical Academy, FSBEI HPE RMACPE of the Ministry of Health of Russia
Published: September 2022

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Eight cases of mucormycosis were detected in the Kazan Republican Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan: 5 men and 3 women, aged 22 to 70. Given the presence of patient risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus, recent novel coronavirus infection, and systemic glucocorticosteroid therapy, one can assume their influence on the development of mucormycosis in these patients.
Review of the efficacy and safety of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction without diabetes mellitus
Authors:   Medical Institute, FSBEI HE Penza State University, Penza, Lomakin E. V.
Published: September 2022

Heart failure (HF) with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a disease with an unfavorable prognosis, for the treatment of which there is a need to search for drugs that improve patients’ quality of life. Such a group of drugs is inhibitors of sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 (iSGLT-2). Purpose of the study: to assess the efficacy and safety of the new class of antihyperglycemic drugs — iSGLT-2.
Evaluation of the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer in the Oncological Dispensary of the Voronezh Region
Authors:   FSBEI HE Voronezh State Medical University named after N. N. Burdenko of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Voronezh, Luneva E. A.
Published: September 2022

Small-cell lung cancer occupies a leading position in terms of incidence among all types of cancer, and the prevalence of this oncology worldwide increases by 0.5 % every year. These tumors grow rapidly and metastasize early. Therefore, effective pharmacotherapy of this pathology is relevant today. Purpose of the study: to analyze case histories of patients with small-cell lung cancer and compare treatment regimens to evaluate their ef ficacy and toxicit y.
Antioxidant vitamins in oncological practice
Authors:   FSAEI HE Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Abakumova T. R. , Aleksandrova E. G. ,   FSAEI HE Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Titarenko A. F. ,   FSAEI HE Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan
Published: September 2022

Vitamins are a group of low-molecular-weight organic compounds that have a pronounced biological activity. They regulate the physiological processes that form the basis of physical performance, and functions associated with energy exchange.
Organization of work to ensure the requirements when carrying out water treatment procedures in the sanatorium-preventorium of SSTU
Authors:   Sanatorium-preventorium of Samara State Technical University, Veselova O.Yu. , Nesterovа I.A. ,   Sanatorium-preventorium of Samara State Technical University
Published: September 2022

Measures have been developed for the safe conduct of hydrotherapy procedures in order to ensure a sanitary and anti-epidemic regime and ensure the requirements for conducting hydrotherapy procedures.
Unraveling the Novel Bacterial Assisted Biodegradation Pathway of Morpholine
Authors: Kumar Rupak , Kapur Suman , Rao Vulichi Srinivasa
Published: September 2022

Most xenobiotics are biodegradable, persistent or recalcitrant in nature. Morpholine, a typical xenobiotic, was initially regarded as recalcitrant, however, later proved to be biodegradable by bacterial species like Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas in particular. However, establishing the metabolic pathways involved for the successful biodegradation of morpholine is challenging because of its extreme level of water solubility that affects various analytical procedures. In addition, to date, no suitable analytical methods have been reported to directly estimate the activity of morpholine and its degradable products or intermediates. Nevertheless, methods, especially optical density, gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometric analysis, could indirectly estimate the degradation product(s) of morpholine formed as a result of its biotransformation. In this present study, the degradation pathway of morpholine was  scertained by selected bacterial isolates by measuring their capacity to degrade morpholine. Based on this analysis of culture filtrates, it was determined that the novel isolate is the genus Halobacillus blutaparonensis which utilizes the diglycolic acid route from the metabolic degradation pathway of morpholine to induce one of two branches of the morpholine biodegradation pathway in the presence of morpholine while the other branch is inhibited. Whatever the branches with regard to the degradation pathway of morpholine exhibited by bacteria are, ammonia is the final end product of degradation which might be biochemically utilized by the isolate.
Enzyme Reaction Engineering as a Tool to Investigate the Potential Application of Enzyme Reaction Systems
Authors: Miličić Nevena , Ćevid Ivana , Çakar Mehmet Mervan , Sudar Martina , Blažević Zvjezdana Findrik
Published: September 2022

It is widely recognized and accepted that although biocatalysis is an exquisite tool to synthesize natural and unnatural compounds under mild process conditions, much can be done to better understand these processes as well as detect resulting bottlenecks and help to resolve them. This is the precise purpose of enzyme reaction engineering, a scientific discipline that focuses on investigating enzyme reactions with the goal of facilitating their implementation on an industrial scale. Even though reaction schemes of enzyme reactions often seem simple, in practice, the interdependence of differentvariables is unknown, very complex and may prevent further applications. Therefore, in this work, important aspects of the implementation of enzyme reactions are discussed using simple and complex examples, along with principles of mathematical modelling that provide explanations for why some reactions do not proceed as planned.
ACUTE PHASE OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: EFFECT OF If-CURRENT BLOCKADE ON ISOLATED RAT HEART
Authors: Kuptsova Anna Mikhaylovna , Bugrov Roman Kutdusovich , Ziyatdinova Nafisa Il'gizovna , Zefirov Timur L'vovich
Published: September 2022

If-current density in cardiomyocytes changes not only with age, but also with pathophysiological hypertrophy. Thus, studies of pathological conditions in experimental animal models allow us to study If-current role in pathophysiological processes occurring in the heart after myocardial infarction (MI).
The objective of the study is to examine the effect of If-currents blockade on the isolated heart of rats with modelled acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and sham-operated (SO) rats.
Materials and Methods. MI was reproduced by the left coronary artery ligation. The study was conducted on a Langendorff-isolated heart (ADInstruments). During AMI, the authors studied chronotropy, inotropy and its temporal characteristics, and blood supply of the rat heart.
Results. It was found that the initial values of contractile force and coronary flow were significantly lower in the group with an experimental AMI model. There were no differences in heart rate and temporal characteristics of contractile force. If-current blockade (ZD7288, 10-9 M, 10-5 M) reduced the contractile force and coronary flow of the isolated heart in both experimental groups, the changes were more pronounced in the SO group. If-current blockade (10-9 M) in the SO group led to tachycardia, and in the AMI group - to bradycardia. ZD7288 (10-5 M) reduced heart rate in both groups, but in the AMI group, bradycardia was more pronounced. It is possible that the obtained dynamics is associated with a change in the if-current density in the dyscrasic myocardium. Thus, it is obvious that If-currents are not only involved in the regulation of various MI heart functions, but their role changes at different stages of experimental myocardial infarction.
AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN RAT LIVER HYDRATION AND HISTOSTRUCTURE
Authors: Vinogradov Aleksandr Anatol'evich , Simakova Evgeniya Sergeevna
Published: September 2022

One of the aging hypotheses is based on the fact that the percentage of water in the human body decreases with age. To a greater extent, the loss of water affects the most energy-dependent organs, such as liver, which undergoes a number of structural compensatory-adaptive changes. The parameters of age-related changes are currently understudied. However, they should be taken into account when determining the actual organ transformations in experiments.
The purpose of the study was to examine the change in the level of total water and liver histostructure in rats during a 75-day observation.
Materials and Methods. The changes in the level of total water in the liver parenchyma were assessed in young outbred intact rats during 75-day observation. The authors examined liver histostructure on sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin and picrofuchsin (Van Gieson's stain).
Results. A decrease in the level of total water in the rat liver parenchyma by 0.54±0.042 % was observed during a 75-day observation. At the same time, no visible changes were detected in the liver histostructure.
Conclusion. During the trial a decrease in the level of total water in the liver of intact animals was observed. It did not affect the change in liver histostructure.
ULTIMATE COMPOSITION OF NATURAL WORMWOOD IN VORONEZH REGION
Authors: D'yakova Nina Alekseevna
Published: September 2022

Studies of the ultimate composition of wild-growing raw material are relevant due to the high efficacy and bioavailability of organometallic forms contained in plants. The available information on the abundance of elements in the medicinal plant raw material (Voronezh region) showed that studies were carried out mainly on several elements. It prevented from determining the complete chemical composition of plants and describing the accumulation of the entire mineral elements complex. The purpose of the paper is to study how macro and trace elements are accumulated in natural wormwood in Voronezh region. Materials and Methods. Raw material procurement was carried out during the blooming in the Voronezh State Nature Biosphere Reserve. The method of mass spectrometry was used to study the trace element composition of the samples, ELAN-DRC mass spectrometer. Results. The authors revealed that the trace element content was 4.4 %, 59 elements were determined. Macro elements made up 96.03 % of the total elemental composition of wormwood. Potassium (>25 mg/g) and calcium (>10 mg/g) were the main macro elements. Essential trace elements made up 3.49 % of the total wormwood complex. Among them, silicon (>1.2 mg/g) and iron (>0.1 mg/g) ranked the largest. The content of normalized heavy metals and arsenic in wormwood satisfied the regulatory requirements. Lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic accounted for 0.0017 % of the total raw material mineral complex. The proportion of toxic and understudied elements in the total mineral wormwood complex was 0.48 %. The highest content was noted for aluminum (135.6 µg/g), rubidium (27.66 µg/g), strontium (24.95 µg/g), barium (11.98 µg/g), and titanium (9.52 µg/g). It was noted that wormwood also accumulated phosphorus, potassium, copper, zinc, cadmium, molybdenum, calcium, magnesium, nickel, arsenic, rubidium, tin and strontium from the soil.
An ILP-Assisted Two-Stage Layout Optimization Method for Satellite Payload Placement
Authors: Chen Xiaoqian , Chen Xianqi , Xia Yufeng , Zhou Weien , Yao Wen
Published: September 2022

In the satellite overall design phase, it is a crucial step to perform satellite layout design to guarantee that the aggregation of electronic components can operate normally and stably in an appropriate temperature environment. In order to handle the satellite payload placement problem of the DongFangHong 4 (DFH-4) platform, the heat pipe-constrained component layout optimization (HCLO) problem is proposed with the HCLO model formulated. Through careful investigation, it can be divided into two optimization subproblems that can be solved subsequently. Based on the divide-and-conquer strategy, an integer linear programming- (ILP-) assisted two-stage layout optimization method is proposed. In stage one, component-heat pipe distribution optimization is performed using the ILP technique so that specific heat pipes occupied by each component can be determined and the horizontal movement range of components can be reduced. In stage two, the detailed component layout optimization is investigated to obtain the final positions of components. First, the sequence layout sampling (SeqLS) method is used to generate one nonoverlap initial layout. Next, swap operation between components is incorporated to reduce the centroid deviation. Finally, sequential quadratic programming (SQP) search is conducted based on the generated promising initial layout solutions. Therefore, the SeqLS-based heuristic layout search algorithm is proposed in the second stage. Two layout test cases, including 15 components and 90 components, respectively, are investigated to demonstrate the validity and efficacy of the proposed layout design method. Experimental results show that it is promising to apply such a two-stage approach for satellite payload placement in engineering.
PARENTHETIC CONSTRUCTIONS IN SERGEI DOVLATOV’S WORKS
Authors: Пушкар О. П.
Published: September 2022

Parenthetic constructions is an important syntactic mechanism of creation the language game in Sergei Dovlatov’s works. The purpose of the analysis is to determine the specific features of parenthetic constructions, used in creation the comic effect in Sergei Dovlatov’s literary works in terms of the formal, structural and functional aspects. In terms of the formal and structural features of parenthetic constructions, the dominating ones in the writer’s works are the parenthetic constructions, expressed by the sentence, and the interphrasal parenthetic constructions, respectively. In terms of the functional aspect of using this mechanism, the typical functions of the parenthetic constructions in Sergei Dovlatov’s works are the ironic function, the function of destroying the reality, characterizing, attitudinal-comparative and punning ones.
What enables elite athletes to maintain vigour during a pandemic? The importance of personal resources in coping with stress
Authors: Samełko Aleksandra , Szczypińska Marta , Guszkowska Monika
Published: September 2022

The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship between the level of vigour during the first wave of  the COVID -19 pandemic and selected personal resources for coping with stress : sense of coherence, hope for sucess and coping strategies. Participants of research were 57 individual sports players have been preparing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, including 29 women and 28 men (aged 18 to 39 (M = 26.61, SD = 5.562). Methods: in the study conducted in April 2020, the following questionnaires were used: Profile of Mood State (POMS), The Hope for Success Questionnaire (HSQ), The Life Orientation Questionnaire (SOC- 29), The Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress (Mini COPE).

Results: Significant relationshipp between vigour and two components of the sense of coherence were established: the sense of meaningfullness (r=0.566; p<0.001) and the sense of manageability (r=0.478; p<0,001), both dimensions of hope for success: willpower (r=0.485; p<0.001) and the ability to find sulutions (r=0.49; p = 0.001), helplessness strategy (r = -0.456; p <0.001).)

Conclusions: Strong relationships between vigour and the components of the sense of coherence confirm its important role in coping with stress by athletes during a pandemic, especially in maintaining a positive mood. Maintaining vigour by the athletes of the elite is fostered by hope for success, understood as a personality disposition. Active stress management strategies can be an effective way to maintain positive effect during the stressful period of a pandemic. Helplessness, in turn, can lower its level.
Catholic Church and a ministry of spiritual assistance in the dimension of sexuality development
Authors: Sorkowicz Anastazja
Published: September 2022

In view of the omnipresent contemporary crisis of truth, it seems a purposeful and valuable activity to approximate, clarify, as well as correct or recify the vision of the Catholic Church's teaching regarding treatment of man as a sexual being. The purpose of the article is to attempt to present selected elements of the teachings of the Catholic Church on sexuality, considering the ways in which sexual education is understood and identifying persons who are most acccountable for that dimesion of education. The inquiry is conducted from the point of view of an educator. The source literature of this study consists of selected documents of the Catholic Church. Other studies on the topic were also analysed. Based on the analysis of the documents, it may be conculded, that the Catholic Church attaches great importance to the issues connected with sexuality  and sexual education.  Such education should be based on integral vision of man. It is emphasized that this sphere should be considered in the context of the development of the whole human being, whose fundamental taks in life is love understood as the gift of self. Sexual education is therefore tantamount to education for love. It involves assisting children and youth in their search for the answer to the most important questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life, as well as the ideas and values  which determine the trajectory of human existence on Earth. An element of the analysed dimension of upbringing is both the introduction of young people to issues related in a strict sense to the biological functioning of man as a being endowed with sex, and the formation of views and attitudes towards himself and other people. Given the strength and primordiality of the natural family bonds, this responsible task should be delegated mainly to parents. It is parents who are to the greatest degree responsible for the formation of children to whom they have passed on their lives. All other educational instituations should conform to the principle of  subsidiarity and respect the precedence of parental rights and obligations. The ministry of spiritual assistance in the delicate sphere of the development of sexuality is the task of parents, who are the most important educators. All parents are obliged to undertake that difficult task, which requires creation of the climate of trust, closeness and mutual respect in the family, as well as   gentleness and respect for the intimate shpere of children. It is essential, that all information be conveyd in a clear way and reach children in proper time.
Attitudes of spouses towards abortion and the quality of their mutual relations
Authors: Rawicka Iwona
Published: September 2022

In recent years there have been a lot of social and political discussions concerning legal aspects of abortion in Poland and lessening restrictions in this area. Nevertheless there are few debates on social, psychological and medical effects for women and men who take the decision of abortion both on individual basis and in their mutual relationship. In the article the research has been conducted concerning relation between women’s and men’s attitudes towards abortion and the quality of their marital relationship. It cannot be explicitly stated what results abortion can bring in their common relationship. However, it can be estimated to what extend the cognitive, emotional and motivational aspect of their attitude towards abortion is connected with the quality of their marital bonding, love, communication and the feeling of being well-matched. In the research the method of diagnostic survey was used. To collect data estimating the quality of marriage the following four standardized exploratory tools were applied: Marital Bonding Scale of Józef Szopiński, Love Measure Questionnaire according to Robert Sternberg, adopted by Bogdana Wojciszke, Marital Communication Questionnaire by Maria Kaźmierczak and Mieczysław Plopa, and Marital Match Questionnaire by Jan Rostowski and Mieczysław Plopa. In order to estimate the respondents’ attitude towards abortion the researchers used one of the statements from the scale of attitude towards parenthood by Marta Komorowska-Pudło. On the basis of the data collected in the research it can be diagnosed that the attitudes of a married couple towards abortion have a statistically significant association with their mutual relationship, however not a big one. The higher level of acceptance they expressed  for the abortion in the situation of an unplanned pregnancy ,the lower was the level of the satisfaction in their marital bonding, love, communication and feeling of being well-matched.  At the same time with the increase of their level of satisfaction in their mutual relationship, their negative attitude towards abortion as a birth control tool was also growing. On the basis of comparison of the research results with data presented in the literature regarding the quality of married couples who had abortion, one can conclude that the attitude of married couples towards abortion in reference  to cognitive and emotional-motivational components  are connected in a similar way with the quality of their relationship, as in case of the attitude of married couple towards abortion in behavioral  component aspect. Accepting abortion (pro-choice attitude) is connected with less satisfactory relationships between men and women in marriages. On the other hand the lack of acceptance of abortion (pro-life attitude) results in the higher level of the quality of their relationship.
Analysis of the menstrual chart observation characteristics, meeting the typical cycle criteria among women of procreation age according to the symptom-thermal double-check method
Authors: Piasecka Katarzyna
Published: September 2022

Background: Knowledge concerning  value of menstrual cycle observation and its use to monitor procreative health is underestimated and limited in women's health promotion, education and health care. Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Adolescence and , American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends starting to observe the forming cycle as early as puberty in order to pre-screen girls , from groups at risk of fertility disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome. In view of the numerous reports on the increase in fertility problems, such a simple tool as self-observation of the menstrual cycle becomes particularly useful to learn about the natural rhythm of fertility and in the case of abnormalities, i.e. deviation from the typical course shortens the time to the first medical consultation. In Poland there are several non-governmental non-profit organizations, which through certified teachers of  fertility awareness methods can professionally support the teaching of adolescents, adults and interested people working in the health service in the field of fertility awareness, health education and natural family planning.

Aim of  the presented study was to analyze 105 menstrual cycle observation charts among polish women not using contraception according to the principles of the symptom-thermal double-check method.

Method: The study was performed using the method of documentation analysis, 105 menstrual cycle observation charts using the statistical package SPSS Statistica version 25. The level of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The average age of the women studied was 29 years. The majority of the women , i.e. more than 58%, were unmarried and childless (79.1%). The average length of the menstrual cycle was: 28.6 days. The average duration of the luteal phase was almost 13 days. The average length of days of highly fertile mucus was nearly 4 days. The average length of cycles of women over 35 years of age was: 28.88 days, while for women under 35 years of age. 28.48 days. The age of onset of the first menstrual period of the women studied varied between 10 and 17 years of age.

Conclusions: The studied group of women was homogeneous in terms of the adopted eligibility criteria, i.e. they had typical cycles and did not use contraceptive methods. The examined parameters of the menstrual cycle, i.e.: the average length of the cycle , the course of the luteal phase and the average length of the occurrence of highly fertile mucus met the criteria for a normal cycle according to the symptom-thermal double-check method.