A Simple Approach to Isolate Slow and Fast Cycling Organic Carbon Fractions in Central European Soils—Importance of Dispersion Method

Numerous approaches have been developed to isolate fast and slow cycling soil organic carbon (SOC) pools using physical and chemical fractionation. Most of these methods are complex, expensive, and time consuming and unsuited for high-throughput application, such as for regional scale assessments. For simpler and faster fractionation via particle size the key issue is the dispersion of soil. It is unclear how the initial dispersion of soil affects the turnover rates of isolated fractions. We investigated five commonly used dispersion methods using different intensities: shaking in water, shaking in water with glass beads, ultrasonication at 100 and 450 J ml−1 and sodium hexametaphosphate (Na-HMP). We used soils from long-term field experiments that included a change from C3 to C4 vegetation and adjacent control sites using δ13C isotope ratio mass spectrometry. We evaluated the degree of C3/C4 moieties of the fractions, mass and carbon recovery and reproducibility as well as the time expenditures of the dispersions, sieving and drying techniques to develop an efficient and cheap fractionation method. Our results indicate that ultrasonication as well as H2O treatment with and without glass beads resulted in fractions with different turnover. Moreover, isolation performances depended on soil texture. While the isolation of the fractions using water with and without glass beads was equivalent to ultrasonication in soils with low clay contents, these methods had limited potential for soils with high clay contents. Furthermore, treatment with water alone had less reproducible results than other tested methods. The SOC recovery was comparable and satisfactory amongst non-chemical dispersion methods and reached over 95% for each of these methods. The use of Na-HMP was unsuccessful due to high time expenditures and strong SOC leaching. We propose particle size fractionation combined with ultrasonic dispersion as a fast and highly reliable method to quantify slow and fast cycling SOC pools for a wide range of soil types and textures from agricultural sites in central Europe.

Balanced Energy/Time Optimal Defibrillation

The synthesis of a cardiac defibrillating pulse is cast as a standard optimal feedback control problem that minimizes a weighted measure of consumed energy and elapsed time to reach a nominal defibrillated state. The solution is developed for a general first-order system that includes the widely used parallel resistor/capacitor circuit and energy source as a special case. The novel optimal pulse comprises an exponentially ascending and a rectangular component; it is agile and energy conscious; and it therefore outperforms the waveforms developed thus far that minimize energy or time expenditures alone. Explicit time-domain expressions are derived which may be used for comparing against other commonly studied defibrillating functions. The analytic formulas and computer simulations may be useful to implement performance improvements in defibrillating devices.

TIME SPENT ON PERFORMING DIAGNOSTIC STUDIES FOR PCR AND ELISA

Timing observations are carried out to determine the time spent on performing veterinary work by their types and elements. We compiled tables on the names of state veterinary services based on the study of one sample of pathological material by PCR, time and ELISA. The resulting time expenditures for the elements of work in several measurement indicators are compiled into statistical series. The arithmetic mean of the statistical series is determined. Indicators are used to establish scientifically based norms of time for performing various veterinary work. The time limit for one performer is usually set in minutes, when the work is performed by a group of performers - per person - in minutes. The annual rate of time spent on preparatory and final work is determined by multiplying the daily rate of time spent on the number of working days per year, i.e. for 279 days.

SUBSTANTIATION OF INFORMATION COMPONENTS OF THE REGULATORY REFERENCE DATABASE OF THE AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM OF ARMAMENT AND MLITARY EQUIPMENT TEST SUPPORT

The creation of an information system to support the testing of armament and military (special) equipment is aimed at improving the efficiency of the test organization. This is possible due to the operational information support of all test processes, establishing information communication between departments of the organization, improving the quality of test estimations, reducing time for manual work and, accordingly, increasing the capacity of the test organization, automation of organizational management processes. The authors cover the approaches to the design and practical implementation of the information system for supporting the testing of armament and military (special) equipment. The issue of detailed description of the information content of the regulatory-reference database of the information system is considered. Based on the analysis of the processes that take place at different stages of testing specimens of armament and military equipment, the needs for thematic information are determined. The authors propose structural and functional schemes of information interaction of the components of the regulatory-reference database and the main software modules, which are offered for use in the information system to support tests. As a result of aggregation of the developed structural and functional schemes the generalized information structure of regulatory-reference database is offered. Possible ways to fill the database are determined. Based on the defined components of the database it is possible to perform further information-logical designing of the information system to support the testing, development of the components structure of the regulatory- reference database and their normalization. It is expected that the proposed information content of the regulatory- reference database will help increase the efficiency of the planning and testing of specimens of armament and military equipment, improve the quality of test results and reduce time expenditures.

Determination of Reserves for Reducing Delays and Increasing the Capacity of the Street-Road Network in Gomel as a Factor of Reducing Losses in Traffic

Purpose. Often, the existing level of traffic capacity of road network facilities in large cities is insufficient. This is often due to the fact that urban growth is significantly ahead of the reconstruction and renovation of the corresponding infrastructure. As a result, traffic delays of various kinds occur on city roads, accompanied, first of all, by economic losses. Therefore, the search for reserves to reduce various types of losses associated with insufficient traffic capacity of the road network when organizing urban traffic is the purpose of this work. Methodology To determine the reserves for increasing the traffic capacity of the road network and reducing various kinds of delays, the method of deterministic analysis was used, the method for calculating the cycle according to F. Webster, based on the use of phase coefficients and time lost in the cycle (as the sum of transient intervals), the method for measuring the intensity of car traffic in the traffic flow, as well as the methodology for calculating economic losses arising from delays in the movement of vehicles. Findings. A study of delays and time expenditures and the corresponding economic losses that occur at typical objects of the city's street-road network (regulated intersections) has been carried out. The reserves of their reduction, and as a consequence, the increase in the capacity of both individual sections and the city's road network as a whole, have been determined. Originality. The use of this method on real objects of the road network allows developing the scientific interpretation of the methods used and expanding the scope of their application. Practical value. Assessment of emerging problems of traffic capacity and associated losses (including economic ones) makes it possible to determine the most promising ways to determine the traffic capacity reserves and, as a result, reduce economic losses.

General Practitioners' experiences with introduction and use of e-prescribing for multidose dispensed drugs: A qualitative Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Increased use of pharmaceuticals challenges both capacity and safety related to 1) medication management for patients and 2) changes in how General Practitioners and other health personnel interact with and follow-up of patients. E-prescribing of multidose dispensed drugs (eMDD) is one of the national measures that are being tested in Norway. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to reveal GPs´ experiences with the challenges and benefits of implementing eMDD in Norway. METHODS Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 25 GPs between 2018 and 2020. We used NVivo to conduct a step-by-step content analysis of audio files and transcribed text. RESULTS The study revealed that e-prescribing of MDD offers many benefits. At the same time, there are a number of challenges related to information, training and initiation, as well as to the responsibility for the medication, interactions and the risk of incorrect medication. An important activity in the start-up phase was an information meeting with pharmacies and technology suppliers, as well exchanging information and instructions with pharmacies on how to get started. The results are presented in four emergent analytic themes: 1) expectations, information and start-up with eMDD, 2) experiences with and need for training, 3) interaction—coordination of lists, security and efficiency, and 4) the working day with eMDD. CONCLUSIONS There is a variety in different GPs needs regarding training and information and considerable variation in competence and motivation related to the use of digital tools. There were also different degrees of understanding concerning the everyday work of the other actors in the medication chain. Especially the harmonization of medication lists related to both use of time, expenditures and challenges with technological solutions the introduction phase was emphasized as a challenge.

DATA ANALYSIS USING FRACTAL GEOMETRY AND SELF-SIMILARITY METHODS

At the moment, the researchers of the market and economic indicators (cycles) scarcely use (due to the utter skepticism) for their calculations mathematical techniques to find fractal patterns (self-similarities) determining the movement of the studied indicators trend (or some state of the studied sector of the agricultural economy). These tools showed their efficiency in predicting the macroeconomic time series of performance indicators of some regional participants in the sugar sub-complex of the agro-industrial complex. Some elements of such patterns have proven themselves well in the construction of indicators of advanced development. They belong to the class of express methods of trend identification. In terms of efficiency and time expenditures, they are significantly superior to mathematical tools such as artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic methods, etc. The paper implements the search for stable price patterns in the history of price quotations similar to the current values. The idea is that any price pattern has taken place in the past: having this pattern properly identified, it is possible to predict to a high precision the behavior of any segment of the agro-industrial market. The author considered the forecasting methods belonging to the class of phase-fractal analysis and self-similarity methods. Besides, the author emphasizes the adaptation of such techniques when predicting the indicators of regional participants in the sugar sub-complex of the agro-industrial complex. Within the practical part of the work, the author applied the elements of phase-fractal analysis for the spurious response rejection. It allowed significantly decreasing the information noise in one dimension spectra. The results of applied calculations and practical implementation confirmed the possibility of using the tool in predicting the economic performance of large industrial enterprises of the sugar sub-complex. The results obtained for the described models allow performing multivariate calculations for the same indicators. The results of using phase-fractal analysis and self-similarity methods in forecasting tasks demonstrated the possibility of solving them and confirmed their practical significance.

OPTIMIZATION OF WORKING TIME PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF PROCUREMENT OF GOODS, WORKS AND SERVICES FOR STATE AND MUNICIPAL NEEDS

The question of rationing the working time of a procurement specialist in the modern history of Russia is open. The share of purchases in the state segment of a huge amount of resources.127 ТРУД И СОЦИАЛЬНАЯ СФЕРА Development of regulations, recommendations for accounting and standardization of labor for specialists in the provision of services to optimize labor resources in the procurement sector. The article analyzes the costs of working time of procurement specialists, contract managers. It was revealed that the contractual system in the field of procurement is based on a significant number of labor functions. It has been established that labor standards depend on the level of training of procurement specialists. The main goal of a procurement specialist is the efficient use of funds allocated to meet state, municipal and corporate needs. The article calculates the composition of working time by cost elements. The structure of time expenditures of procurement specialists, contract managers by parameters is proposed: name of work; time spent, in minutes; concretization of work. In the course of the study, the time intervals of specific actions were recorded during the procurement procedures according to the following parameters: the indicator of the time spent by the respondent for one operation; number of respondents; average time for each position in one operation. Using the presented work flow chart of labor efficiency can vary the number of procedures and any other indicator of the work process. The conducted research will allow the managers of customers to balance the workforce and avoid negative consequences.