Comparing the runoff decompositions of small testbed catchments: end-member mixing analysis against hydrological modelling

This study is focused on the comparison of catchment streamflow composition simulated with three well-known rainfall-runoff (RR) models (ECOMAG, HBV, SWAT) against hydrograph decomposition onto the principal constituents evaluated from End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). There used the data provided by the short-term in-situ observations at two small mountain-taiga experimental catchments located in the south of Pacific Russia. All used RR models demonstrate that two neighboring small catchments disagree significantly in mutual dynamics of the runoff fractions due to geological and landscape structure differences. The geochemical analysis confirmed the differences in runoff generation processes at both studied catchments. The assessment of proximity of the runoff constituents to the hydrograph decomposition with the EMMA that makes a basis for the RR models benchmark analysis. We applied three data aggregation intervals (season, month and pentad) to find a reasonable data generalization period ensuring results clarity. In terms of runoff composition, the most conformable RR model to EMMA is found to be ECOMAG, HBV gets close to reflect specific runoff events well enough, SWAT gives distinctive behavior against other models. The study shows that along with using the standard efficiency criteria reflected proximity of simulated and modelling values of runoff, compliance with the EMMA results might give useful auxiliary information for hydrological modelling results validation.

Effect of Aromatherapy with Lavender on Labor Pain: A Literature Review

Background: Controlling labor pains is now an essential part of midwifery care, and aromatherapy is a well-known medicinal treatment for easing labor pains. The aim of this research was to evaluate and analyze the most recent clinical trial results on the effects of lavender aromatherapy on labor pain management. Methods: Several keywords were searched in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, including lavender, Lavandula, childbirth, labor, pregnancy, labor pain, aromatherapy, and delivery. Two authors extracted the data, and the Cochran quality management tool was used to assess the consistency of each study. Results: In general, 7 studies were reviewed after checking the titles and abstracts of the studies and eliminating obsolete or low-quality studies. Two studies were conducted in Egypt and Indonesia, and five studies were conducted in Iran. There were a wide variety of qualities in the studies, which could render more quantitative synthesis impractical. Massage aromatherapy was employed in three trials, and inhalation was applied in four studies. All findings suggested that lavender aromatherapy in both methods could reduce active phase labor pain. Conclusion: Although the results of this study showed that lavender aromatherapy suppressed labor pain, more detailed randomized clinical trials with higher precision are needed to achieve an accurate outcome for data generalization regarding the use of labor pain management.

Activating the cognitive learning activity through “Dead” case

The authors investigated technologization of educational process in high school and formation of interactive communicative environment for professionally oriented learning. Analysis of the problems of cases use in modern teaching practice was conducted. Methods of questionnaires, empirical data generalization, theoretical analysis of case study, justification of approaches to its technological effectiveness, “dead case”, findings generalization, defining prospects of further problem consideration were used. The authors identified the features of case study technological implementation and developed the “dead” case-based study algorithm for development of future lecturers’ professional skills. The conditions of the effective use of case technology in high school were defined. The authors proved the integral character of the case technology.

Methods for Improving Deep Learning-Based Cardiac Auscultation Accuracy: Data Augmentation and Data Generalization

Cardiac auscultation is a cost-effective and noninvasive technique for cardiovascular disease detection. Recently, various studies have been underway for cardiac auscultation using deep learning, not doctors. When training a deep learning network, it is important to secure large amount of high-quality data. However, medical data are difficult to obtain, and in most cases the number of abnormal classes is insufficient. In this study, data augmentation is used to supplement the insufficient amount of data, and data generalization to generate data suitable for convolutional neural networks (CNN) is proposed. We demonstrate performance improvements by inputting them into the CNN. Our method achieves an overall performance of 96%, 81%, and 90% for sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was improved by 18% compared to when it was not used. Particularly, it showed excellent detection success rate for abnormal heart sounds. The proposed method is expected to be applied to an automatic diagnosis system to detect heart abnormalities and help prevent heart disease through early detection.

ՀՀ քրեակատարողական հիմնարկներում ոչ ֆորմալ կրթության կազմակերպման պրակտիկան

The purpose of this article is to present the practice of non-formal educational programs implemented in the penitentiary institutions of the Republic of Armenia. In particular, to describe the development of educational and pedagogical activities in penitentiaries, presented non-formal education programs implemented by the state and non-governmental organizations, their diversity and scope of coverage. In the course of the research, a study was made of the main international norms related to the realization of the right to education in penitentiary institutions, the documents related to educational programs implemented in the penitentiary institutions of the Republic of Armenia, collection of statistical data, generalization and analysis. Summing up this article, the following conclusion was formed: the programs of non-formal education implemented in the penitentiary institutions of the Republic of Armenia in the chronological context have developed and diversified, the scope of programs has been expanded (in 2 penitentiary institutions in 2000, and in 2020 already in 6 out of 12 penitentiary institutions), created institutional mechanisms and structures to ensure the stability and continuity of the implementation of non-formal education programs.

University life during pandemic COVID-19: Attitudes of staff and students towards distance education

Research background: The analysis of the problem was carried out according to the standard scheme: collection of information - description of the received data - generalization of data - recommendations. All the information available on this subject was obtained by questioning teachers, administrative staff and students. Purpose of the article: This case study is aimed at studying social objects and relationships in the process of transition from traditional to remote education methods to obtain new information and identify relevant patterns that depend on gender and position at the university. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 1792 people from March 15 to April 15, 2020 through an electronic questionnaire. The sample included academic and administrative staff, and UNEC’s students. Using the SPSS statistical software package, the Chi Square test is calculated. Findings & Value added: The advantage of this study is the creation of a model that can be used not only to interpret the results of a sociological survey in real time, but also to make decisions and develop strategies for future developments.

Methods of analysis of glycoluril and its derivatives

The present work provides the literature data generalization concerning analysis of glycoluril, its derivatives and related compounds that allows obtaining information about the structure and properties of these com-pounds. Basic methods for analysis of glycoluril and substances on the basis thereof are considered, ad-vantages and disadvantages of these methods are described. The generalized results of the methods of analy-sis of glycoluril and its derivatives show that the majority of carried studies are focused on the revealing of purity and identification of related impurities for compounds that found practical application (drugs, mono-mers and polymers on the basis thereof). Consistent trend to active search of new methods to analyze macrocyclic and supramolecular systems synthesized on the basis of glycoluril is observed. The aim of the present review is to take attention of chemists to the most advanced methods of analysis of glycoluril and its derivatives with reference to promotion of further research. The literature analysis will be useful for research-ers dealing with designing of new molecules based on glycoluril with given properties where the methods of process control and analysis of target compounds has a decisive importance.

Comparative analysis of the cost of pharmacotherapy schemes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an unpredictable and progressive inflammatory disease of the joints of an immune nature, which in general for various reasons reduces the life expectancy of patients by 5 to 10 years. Pharmacotherapy of RA is based on long-term use of a large number of drugs of different pharmacotherapeutic groups, the cost of which varies significantly. The above makes the study of economic parameters of RA treatment an urgent problem. The aim of the study was to analyse the cost characteristics of pharmacotherapy of inpatients with RA in a hospital in order to optimize the cost of medication for these patients. The data of medical cards and medical records of 89 and 108 inpatients with RA, which were treated in the rheumatology department of the 4th Lviv City Clinical Hospital in 2009 and 2019, respectively, were selected as objects of the study. The methods of information retrieval, mathematical statistics, frequency, comparative, content analysis, data generalization, cost analysis were used. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), glucocorticosteroids (GCs), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were grouped into six schemes for the RA pharmacotherapy in 2009 and 2019. An increase in the number of appointments of those schemes in which DMARDs were used has been established. The maximum share in both analysed periods was occupied by the triple pharmacotherapy scheme, which included all the above-mentioned drugs. This scheme was also the most expensive and its value at average retail prices (ARP) increased the most (9.4 times) from 2009 till 2019. During the analysed period, the average salary in Lviv region increased in 5.4 times, while the cost change indices (Ic) of different pharmacotherapy schemes, calculated on the basis of ARP, ranged from 6.9 for the two-component scheme with DMARDs and NSAIDs to 9.4 for the three-component scheme with DMARDs, GCs and NSAIDs. The analysis of affordability indices (Ia) showed that the most accessible was a two-component scheme, which included DMARDs and NSAIDs (Ia = 0.78). The study of the influence of the cost of the treatment schemes on the frequency of their prescribing using correlation analysis showed a very high dependence of these indices (R = 0.97). Pairwise correlations of pharmacotherapy appointment change indices (Iap) from Ic based on minimum (RPmin), maximum (RPmax) or average retail prices in Lviv pharmacies made it possible to establish a very high pair dependence of Iap from Ic calculated only on the basis of RPmax or ARP (R = 0.90). Thus, the analysis of patients' consumption of drugs for pharmacotherapy RA in the hospital allowed us to establish that in 2019 the treatment of RA became less available in comparison to 2009.