Environmental degradation and agriculture: an approach in countries by middle of indexes

ABSTRACT: Society evolution is commonly followed by changes; however, some of them bring negative implications for the community. One of these consequences refers to environmental degradation, which has agricultural activity as one of its influencing agents, which is essentially characterized by man’s predatory actions. Accordingly, this research analyzed the environmental degradation in 167 pattern in the agricultural world. Therefore, the Agricultural Environmental Degradation Index (IDAA) was used as a proxy for agricultural environmental degradation and the factor analysis technique. Results indicated that the most degraded country was Russia, which belongs to the European continent; however, the other positions were occupied predominantly by Africa, followed by North America and Oceania. Issues such as rural poverty and primitive natural settings can leverage this phenomenon. The lowest rates of degradation were concentrated on Central America and Europe, where agricultural activity was most incipient. In this sense, a directly proportional relationship between environmental degradation and agricultural practice was reported considering that countries dependent on this phenomenon had the most worrying results. Thereby, there is an emerging need for public policies that integrate economic and environmental dimensions that reduce negative impacts in the regions most degraded.

Students evaluation of interaction with the components of the educational environment of the university in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods

The forced transition to distance learning due to the pandemic led to a qualitative change in the components of the educational environment of the university The purpose of article is a comparative analysis of students' evaluation of the educational environment (spatial-subject, communicative and technological components) in regular education before the pandemic and during the transition to distance forms of education during the pandemic. Based on this, a hypothesis was put forward about the correlation between the stage of a student’s subjecthood and the eco-psychological type of his interactions with each of the components of the educational environment in the regular (traditional) and distance (virtual) learning modes. The test subjects were students of the second and fifth years of engineering specialties (N = 159; M = 20.3; SD = 1.5; 68 per cent of girls). To diagnose the evaluation of the interaction of the components of the educational environment, we used the questionnaire, which allows us to evaluate the correlation of each component of the environment with the Eco-psychological types of subject-environmental interactions on an interval scale (from object-object to subject-subject). To assess the stages of the formation of a student’s subjecthood in educational activity, the author modified G. Kelly’s grid, with the help of which the ideographic research method was implemented. The influence of the components of the educational environment on students was determined by stepwise regression analysis. The study identified the stages of the formation of a student’s subjecthood "journeyman" (subject-object and object-subject type), "student" (subject-joint type), "critic" and "creator" (generative subject type) of traditional and digital educational environments. In particular, the increased frequency of the “apprentice” stage of a student’s subjecthood testifies to the dominance of reproductive technologies in teaching both in the traditional (33%) and in the “digital” (22%) environment. In the technological component of the traditional educational environment in the pre-pandemic period, a correlation was revealed with a number of stages of the formation of a student’s subjecthood "observer" (0,20), "journeyman" (0,21), "student" (0,20), "master" (0,17) and "creator" (0,22). Whereas in regard to the “digital” environment, only one inversely proportional relationship with the severity of the “creator” stage (-0,19) in the object-object type of interaction was revealed.

Development of Fannia pusio (Diptera: Fanniidae) Under Controlled Temperature Conditions and its Enforcement in the Estimate of the Post-mortem Interval (PMI)

Fannia pusio (Wiedemann, 1830) is a species belonging to the family Fanniidae, which is of great forensic, sanitary, and veterinary interest. The behavioral peculiarities of this species, depending on the temperature at which it is found, may provide additional information for future research. The application of entomology in the forensic field has focused especially on the early colonizing taxa of corpses that are in the initial stage of decomposition. However, species occurring at more advanced stages can contribute to further knowledge, as is the case with F. pusio. In addition, the species has the ability to colonize buried corpses that are inaccessible to larger dipterans. On the other hand, the sanitary and veterinary interest of this species is due to the performance of females as phoretic hosts of Dermatobia hominis eggs that cause myiasis in both animals and humans. In the current study, the behavior of F. pusio was observed at a temperature range of 5°C to 40°C. We found that its viability range is limited between 15°C and 35°C; above and below these temperatures, adults survive but oviposition does not take place. Data collected by statistical analysis were subsequently applied to calculate the post-mortem interval (PMI) using isomorphen and isomegalen diagrams. The results show a directly proportional relationship between growth rate and temperature increase. However, a slowdown in the growth of individuals was observed at extreme temperatures (5°C and 35°C). The results shown in this manuscript, together with the existing bibliography of other species, help to broaden the knowledge of F. pusio, which has not been studied in such depth until now.

Effect of Organogelator Concentration on Gelation Kinetics and Drug Release Behaviour of Paracetamol-Loaded Soybean Oleogels

Organogelators induce 3-D networked structures in apolar solvent molecules via cross-linking of non-covalent self-assembled aggregates below the gelation temperature. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of different Span 40 concentrations on gelation kinetics and drug release behaviour of topical soybean oleogels. An inversely proportional relationship was observed between gelation time, melt flow index and concentration of Span 40 in soybean oleogels. Gompertz model was employed on gelation kinetics data to determine organogelator and oil parameters which are assumed to be associated with thermal stability and gel flexibility respectively. Formulation OGS2 (18% W/V Span 40) formed less viscous, thermally stable and presumably more flexible oleogel compared to other formulations. Nearly ideal zero-order release of paracetamol was achieved from OGS*2 following Fickian diffusion. However, slow drug release profiles, higher t50 values were observed with oleogels having 20-24% w/v Span 40 which followed Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetics with non-Fickian diffusion.

Study on Parameters of Two Widely Used Cohesive Soils Erosion Models

The erosion rate of cohesive soils was typically modeled with the excess shear stress model and the Wilson model. Several kinds of research have been conducted to determine the erodibility parameters of the two models, but few attempts have been made hitherto to investigate the general trends and range of the erodibility parameter values obtained by the commonly used Erosion Function apparatus. This paper collected a database of 177 erosion function apparatus tests to indicate the variability of all erodibility parameters; the range of erodibility parameters is determined by data statistics and parameter theoretical value derivation. The critical shear stress (τc) and erodibility coefficient (Z0) in the over-shear stress model have a positive proportional relationship when the data samples are sufficient. However, there is no such relationship between the erodibility coefficient (b0) and erodibility coefficient (b1) in the Wilson model. It is necessary to express the soil erosion resistance by considering all erosion parameters in the erosion model. Equations relating erodibility parameters to water content, plasticity index, and median particle size were developed by regression analysis.

THEORETICAL FUNDAMENTALS ON FORMING COMPETITIVENESS OF RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF ENTERPRISES IN UKRAINE

Current functioning of an enterprise in terms of the limited resources require their efficient and rational use. The concept of economic entities' activity is a necessary factor in ensuring successful development and stable functioning. Introducing scientific methods for managing the competitiveness of the resource potential of the enterprise is essential for sustaining economic prosperity. The existing theoretical principles of forming the competitiveness of the resource potential of enterprises still need some improvement and adaptation to modern conditions of doing business. The paper covers the concept of the competitiveness of resource potential by assessing the resource use in the economic activity of Ukraine's enterprises, the dynamics of gross domestic product, the profitability and unprofitability of Ukrainian businesses. Focus on a directly proportional relationship between efficiency of the enterprises and gross domestic product. Comparability of statistical data for different years, analysis and calculations of the use of the enterprise resources are presented in US dollars. Analyzing scientific approaches to the definition of competition, competitiveness, and competitive potential, the author's definitions of competitive resource potential and competitiveness of resource potential are proposed.

Model of Ploughing Cortical Bone with Single-Point Diamond Tool

Generating topological microstructures on the surface of cortical bone to establish a suitable microenvironment can guide bone cells to achieve bone repair. Single-point diamond tools (SPDTs) have advantages in efficiency and flexibility to fabricate surface microstructures. However, the cutting force during ploughing cannot be predicted and controlled due to the special properties of cortical bone. In this paper, a novel cutting model for ploughing cortical bone using an SPDT was established, and we comprehensively considered the shear stress anisotropy of the bone material and the proportional relationship between the normal force and the tangential force. Then, the orthogonal cutting experiment was used to verify the model. The results show that the error of calculated value and the experimental data is less than 5%. The proposed model can be used to assist the fabrication of microstructures on cortical bone surface using an SPDT.

INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS ON THE EFFICIENCY OF REMOVAL OF SCALE FROM FLATS FOR HOLLOW BALLS

Рассматриваются результаты проведения экспериментальных исследований способа удаления окалины с поверхности стального листового проката. Предложен новый способ и устройство для очистки поверхности листового проката от окалины режущими пластинами, вращающимися вокруг оси, перемещающейся поступательно вдоль обрабатываемой поверхности. Пластины наклонены в направлении вектора вращения на угол до 10 градусов и упруго поджимаются к обрабатываемой поверхности. Это обеспечивает возможность в процессе очистки поверхности воспроизводить макронеровности листового проката. Приведены результаты экспериментальных исследований, построены математические и графические зависимости, описывающие влияние факторов процесса на эффективность очистки поверхности проката. Показано, что наиболее значимое влияние на параметр оптимизации оказывает сила воздействия инструмента на поверхность заготовки. Причем это влияние реализуется в прямо пропорциональной зависимости. Другие исследованные факторы, а именно: угол наклона пластины, скорость ее вращения и подача, оказывают значительно меньшее влияние на степень очистки проката. Эти исследования были необходимы с точки зрения определения конструктивных параметров силовых элементов как технологической оснастки, реализующей указанный способ, так и технологической установки в целом. План эксперимента был принят, исходя из реальных производственных возможностей индустриального партнера, и соответствовал классическим представлениям теории резания. Описанные результаты дают возможность планировать дальнейшие эксперименты по изучению направлений использования данного способа Here we consider the results of experimental studies of the method of removing scale from the surface of steel sheet products. We propose a new method and device for cleaning the surface of rolled sheets from scale by cutting plates rotating around an axis moving translationally along the treated surface. The plates are tilted in the direction of the rotation vector at an angle of up to 10 degrees and are elastically pressed to the treated surface. This makes it possible to reproduce the macro-dimensions of sheet metal during the surface cleaning process. We present the results of experimental studies. We constructed mathematical and graphical dependences describing the influence of process factors on the efficiency of cleaning the rolled surface. We show that the most significant influence on the optimization parameter is exerted by the force of the tool's impact on the surface of the workpiece. Moreover, this influence is realized in a directly proportional relationship. Other factors studied, namely the angle of inclination of the plate, its rotation speed and feed, have a much smaller impact on the degree of cleaning of rolled products. These studies were necessary from the point of view of determining the design parameters of the power elements of both the technological equipment implementing this method and the technological installation as a whole. We adopted the experimental plan based on the real production capabilities of the industrial partner and corresponded to the classical concepts of the cutting theory. The described results make it possible to plan further experiments to study the directions of using the method

Conventional measures of intrinsic excitability are poor estimators of neuronal activity under realistic synaptic inputs

Activity-dependent regulation of intrinsic excitability has been shown to greatly contribute to the overall plasticity of neuronal circuits. Such neuroadaptations are commonly investigated in patch clamp experiments using current step stimulation and the resulting input-output functions are analyzed to quantify alterations in intrinsic excitability. However, it is rarely addressed, how such changes translate to the function of neurons when they operate under natural synaptic inputs. Still, it is reasonable to expect that a strong correlation and near proportional relationship exist between static firing responses and those evoked by synaptic drive. We challenge this view by performing a high-yield electrophysiological analysis of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons using both standard protocols and simulated synaptic inputs via dynamic clamp. We find that under these conditions the neurons exhibit vastly different firing responses with surprisingly weak correlation between static and dynamic firing intensities. These contrasting responses are regulated by two intrinsic K-currents mediated by Kv1 and Kir channels, respectively. Pharmacological manipulation of the K-currents produces differential regulation of the firing output of neurons. Static firing responses are greatly increased in stuttering type neurons under blocking their Kv1 channels, while the synaptic responses of the same neurons are less affected. Pharmacological blocking of Kir-channels in delayed firing type neurons, on the other hand, exhibit the opposite effects. Our subsequent computational model simulations confirm the findings in the electrophysiological experiments and also show that adaptive changes in the kinetic properties of such currents can even produce paradoxical regulation of the firing output.

Concerns About own Security Among Police Officers in Relation to Some Demographic Factors

The research demonstrates that working in the field of civil security is a stressful and dangerous occupation which determinates negative impact on police officers’ experienced level of own security, which grows into concerns about own security. The examination of concerns about own security included 264 police officers (Mean=36.11). Women have higher values of concerns about their own security (Mean=38.86), than men (Mean=34.67). Police officers who lived in the capital have higher concerns about own security (MR=149.10). The correlation analysis shows a weak proportional relationship between age and concerns about own security among police officers (r=0.146; p=0.018).