Terms Of Changes Research Articles

Two-Dimensional Radiographs and Cone-beam Computed Tomography Assessment of Concentrated Growth Factor and Platelet-Rich Fibrin Scaffolds in Regenerative Endodontic Treatment of Immature Incisors with Periapical Radiolucency: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IntroductionThe primary aim of this study was to compare the radiographic changes of immature incisors with periapical radiolucency after treatment with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and concentrated growth factor (CGF) platelet concentrate scaffolds as well as assessment of the clinical success rate over 12 months. The secondary aim was to monitor the radiographic changes in terms of reduction of periapical lesion diameter (PALD), root dentine thickness (RDT), root length (RL), and apical foramen width (AFW). The tertiary aim was to assess and pulp responses, after 12 months. MethodsFifty six children with seventy necrotic, single-rooted maxillary incisors with periapical radiolucency were treated with either CGF or PRF scaffolds (35 teeth per group). Two patients with 4 teeth (2 teeth in each group) failed to attain the follow-up recalls. Radiographic changes in terms of reduction of PALD, RDT, RL, and AFW were monitored using a 2-dimensional (2D) radiograph and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan. The clinical performance of teeth receiving both scaffolds was assessed after 6 and 12 months. Categorical and continuous data were analyzed using the chi-square test and the t test, respectively. The time and group effects on the means of different radiographic dimensions were tested using the general linear model. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the level of agreement between the 2D radiographs and CBCT. The level of significance was defined at 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval. ResultsThe means of PALD and RL showed significant enhancement in the CGF group compared to the PRF group (P < .05). While the difference between the 2 scaffolds in terms of RDT and AFW was not significant (P > .05). The findings of the 2D radiograph and CBCT were consistent. Clinically, both scaffold success rates were similar (93.9%) over the follow-up intervals. The influence of study independent variables had no significant effect on the success of the regenerative endodontic procedures outcome (P > .05). There was no significant difference in the positive pulp responses to the thermal and electric pulp tests after one year of treatment (P > .05). ConclusionsAccording to the short-term follow-up, PRF and CGF were successful in treating immature teeth with periapical radiolucency by regenerative endodontics. Both scaffold systems induced periapical healing and root lengthening with significant superiority of CGF.

COVID-19-related retinal microvasculopathy and systemic implications in patients with severe disease: results from the Methuselah study.

To assess the reversibility of retinal microvascular changes in the long term and to investigate the potential links with other vascular diseases of COVID-19. We designed a prospective multicenter observational study. Patients were enrolled from the Methuselah study cohort. Retinal vascular function was studied in these patients using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA); aortic stiffness was measured using aortic pulse wave velocity. These examinations were performed 1 (Visit 1) and 12 (Visit 2) months after the hospital discharge for severe COVID-19. A control subject group matched for age and sex was included to define normal values. A total of 28 control subjects (56 eyes) and 25 patients (50 eyes) completed the scheduled OCTA assessment; 18 patients (36 eyes) also completed the macrovascular examination. Compared to controls, the vessel density of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) was reduced, whereas the foveal avascular zone area was enlarged at Visit 1 (p = 0.016 and < 0.001, respectively) and was not modified after the 12-month follow-up in COVID-19 patients (p = 0.011 and 0.001, respectively). Higher inflammation and lower renal function during hospitalization were linked to higher aortic stiffness and reduced vessel density of the SCP 1 month after the acute phase of COVID-19. A slower recovery of aortic dysfunction was linked to worse retinal vascular outcomes at Visit 2. Retinal vascular alterations were not reversible 12 months after COVID-19 and were linked to inflammation and renal dysfunction during hospitalization as well as to aortic stiffness measured during follow-up.

Climate change content in Colombian schoolbooks

Education plays a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis, with textbooks serving as influential vehicles for shaping societal perspectives and students’ competencies. However, in Colombia as in many countries worldwide, no prior research has delved into the portrayal of climate change in school textbooks. In this study, we analyze 41 natural science textbooks, examining their treatment of climate change in terms of quantity, related topics, scientific validity (i.e. in line with the state-of-the-art knowledge in climate sciences), uncertainty (i.e. introduction of more substantial doubts or controversies than the ones exposed by climate sciences) and the use of iconography and activities. The results indicate that textbooks inadequately cover the topic, allocating on average less than one page of text to it, with simplistic and sometimes misguided approaches that overlook complexities and contextual variables. Although we observed correct scientific validity and low uncertainty levels in general, 10% of the books have low validity scores and close to 30% contain worrisome uncertainty. The iconography utilized fails to bridge the subject matter with national students’ experiences and activities predominantly focus on rudimentary cognitive skills. In summary, despite certain positive aspects (e.g. low levels of climate denial), Colombian textbooks still require more climate change content with growing complexity, to move beyond their function as mere information sources on climate change and to transform into effective tools for facilitating interaction between knowledge and students’ real-world experiences.

Tree community dynamics in the cerradão (2002-2016): A case of biome shift

The cerradão is the result of profound structural changes from open Cerrado vegetation, associated with the absence of certain disturbances, such as wild fires. Little is known about these changes in the long term, both in species composition and structure after canopy closure, hindering predictions regarding the community trajectory. Cerradão is positioned along the higher biomass extreme in the Cerrado phytophysionomic gradient. This study is based on the changes recorded over a 14 yr period, in 256 plots totaling 10.24 ha of sampling area, in a cerradão located inside a conservation unit, protected from fire for at least 60 years in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The changes in the community structure and species composition were assessed. We investigated if the changes are related to tree community structure or to biological attributes of the species, especially by their habitat preference (savanna specialists vs. generalists of forest species). Despite the long period without disturbance and the dystrophic soils, we found tree basal area still increasing and the largest trees still growing. On the other hand, tree density is decreasing over time, and 54% of trees recorded in the first survey had died 14 years later. Community diversity had only a slight increase over time, due to a small gain in species richness. Forest and generalist species presented higher increments in basal area and faster growth compared to the rare savanna specialists still alive in the community. We also verified that larger trees grow slightly faster than smaller trees. Although these changes point to an increase in competition, mortality was not correlated with tree basal area, and seemed to happen more randomly at community level. However, mortality and recruitment were not random at species level. We detected increase in abundance of forest and generalist species, which are shade tolerant. The lowest recruitment rates and highest mortality rates were associated with typical open Cerrado species (savanna specialists), that tend to disappear over time, consolidating the biome shift from savanna to forest. The contribution of cerradão to the conservation of Cerrado endemic tree species, therefore, is poor and tends to decrease over time.

White matter volume and treatment with selective progesterone receptor modulator in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a mood disorder for which selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) treatment has been demonstrated to be beneficial. The neural signatures of this treatment have been so far identified as greater fronto-cingulate reactivity during aggressive response to provocation, but no changes in terms of gray matter structure. White matter has recently been found to differ between patients with PMDD and healthy controls. The present study thus sought to investigate the relationship between white matter volume and SPRM treatment in patients with PMDD. A pharmaco-neuroimaging study was conducted on patients with PMDD participating in a randomized controlled trial. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and after treatment randomization to ulipristal acetate (an SPRM), or placebo, for three months. The interaction effect of treatment by time on white matter volume (WMV) was assessed. Voxel based morphometry analyses were performed on both a whole brain exploratory level and on regions of interest. No treatment effect was observed on WMV in any region, including the anterior thalamic radiations, cingulum, forceps minor, fornix, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior cerebellar peduncle, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. This is the first finding to indicate that no white matter volume alterations follow three-month progesterone antagonism, suggesting that white matter volume does not participate in symptom relief upon SPRM treatment for PMDD.

ARIMA Model, Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, and Dividend Discount Model for Five Technology Stocks' Pricing and Trading Strategy

This study examines the ability of three widely used financial and econometric models-the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), and the Dividend Discount Model (DDM), to accurately forecast the stock prices of five well-known technological companies. Every theoretical framework offers a unique point of view. DDM places an emphasis on the value of expected future dividends. Collecting historical information on each stock and then applying that information to the relevant models in order to make projections about future stock values was an integral part of the process. In order to evaluate the accuracy, dependability, and applicability of each model in regard to the technology equity, a head-to-head comparison was carried out. Based on the preliminary findings, it appears that while ARIMA can provide valuable insights for price changes in the short term, DCF and DDM can provide a more comprehensive view of the long-term intrinsic worth of a company's stock. However, the effectiveness of each model differed among the several technological stocks that were considered, underscoring the relevance of selecting a model that is adapted to the particular qualities and dynamics of a specific stock as well as the industry in which it operates.

Impact of Exchange Rate Fluctuation on Import and Export Enterprises in China and Japan and Countermeasures

Exchange rate fluctuations have a broad impact on the economy. Generally speaking, exchange rate fluctuations can lead to changes in international trade terms. As two economies, China and Japan, their international trade relations have received much attention. This article aims to discuss the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the import and export enterprises of China and Japan. Through the analysis of exchange rate fluctuations, we will focus on the impact of the two countries' enterprises on profits, competitiveness, costs and demand, and then discuss the relative responses. Strategies, so as to help enterprises continue to develop in the environment of exchange rate fluctuations.

The Ideal Concept of Dispute Resolution of Regional Head Election Results in the Constitutional Court

Direct Regional Head Elections can be understood more closely to the meaning of democracy. Pilkada underwent a change in term to Pemilukada, when Pilkada was categorized as part of the election, because it was followed by the transfer of authority to adjudicate disputes over election results from the Supreme Court (MA) to the Constitutional Court (MK).The purpose of this study is to find the ideal concept of dispute resolution of regional head election results. Elections are general elections to elect regional heads and deputy regional heads. In its development, the problem of the implementation of elections often occurs disputes, especially the results of the implementation of the election itself. In the Regional Head General Election Dispute is very complicated, many factors influence it both in terms of legal material violations and formal violations. Based on the results of the research found, there is a Comparison of the Periodization of Judicial Disputes of Pemilukada. With the above problems, it shows that problems in law enforcement are related to solving problems that are fair and have legal certainty in resolving election disputes. The conclusion in this study is the ideal concept of dispute resolution of future election results related to the scope of authority, legal position of the parties, object of dispute, grace period, content of application, case examination, evidence and decision.

Evaluating corn production under different plant spacings through integrated modeling approach and simulating its future response under climate change scenarios

The use of advanced resource conservation techniques is the need of time for higher crop production under the challenges of water scarcity and climate change. The present study was planned (1) to evaluate different plant spacing of corn, sown under raised bed planting (RBP) for higher productivity, (2) calibrate APSIM model for experimental treatments and (3) simulate future (2022–2100) crop response under different scenarios of climate change. The two-year research experiments were conducted on corn with four different plant spacings (S1:15 cm, S2:17.5 cm, S3:20 cm and S4:22.5 cm) under RBP. The crop response was evaluated in terms of leaf area index (LAI), plant height, flowering date, grains per cob, grain yield, biomass yield, harvest index (HI) and water productivity. The S1 treatment produced the highest productivity in terms of grain yield (7.16 Mg/hm2), biomass yield (16.57 Mg/hm2), HI (0.44) and water productivity (1.33 kg/m3). APSIM model was calibrated and its ability to simulate crop response during validation was confirmed from the values of RMSE, NRMSE, R2, CRM and NSE as 0.4, 0.21, 0.83, 0.04 and 0.68 for grain yield. The RMSE and NRMSE were 0.79 and 0.14 for biomass yield. The value of R2 ranged from 0.69 to 0.85, CRM from –0.03 to 0.005, NSE from 0.69 to 0.86 for biomass yield, plant height and LAI. During scenario simulations, the model run was performed against different plant spacing for optimization and results revealed that 10 cm plant spacing produced highest corn yield and growth parameters. Further simulations (2022–2100) were performed using climatic data, acquired from different general circulation model (GCMs) for two rcps (4.5 and 8.5) and results revealed the reduction in grain and biomass yields by 8–14 % and 10–28 %, respectively against different data sources (GCMs). Optimized plant spacing (10 cm) under RBP produced 35.5 % more grain yield and 29.3 % more biomass yield than that under control treatment (ridge-furrow system). Based on the research findings, it is recommended that conservation technique like RBP needs to be adopted in semi-arid regions to mitigate the impact of climate change in terms of future temperature rise for better corn production.

9/11 and branding the Gulf States’ foreign aid

In many ways, 9/11 and the subsequent ‘Global War on Terror’ came to represent defining factors for the evolution of the Gulf States’ development and humanitarian assistance. In this context, this article explains how the Gulf States responded to these accusations. It argues that Gulf aid has undergone profound changes in terms of transparency, allocation patterns, sources of aid provision, and coordination with multilateral organisations. This ‘branding’ aims to thwart accusations of supporting extremist groups and to create a new image for the Gulf States as big donors, transparent, humanitarian actors with efficient funding mechanisms. Reflecting on the ‘new’ image that the Gulf States are seeking to propagate as donors, this article explains the loopholes in this narrative. Specifically, it reveals, inter alia, that a small fraction of aid is channelled through multilateral organisations, that humanitarian assistance is allocated mostly to regions where the Gulf States are involved in conflicts, and that transparency in foreign aid is merely based on the Gulf States’ reports.

Evaluating the Impact of the WEI4S Instructional Approach on Middle School Students’ Algebraic Problem-Solving Skills

This study investigates the effectiveness of an instructional approach called “Worked-out Examples Involving 4 Stages” (WEI4S) for enhancing middle school students’ algebraic problem-solving skills and reducing CL. Based on cognitive load theory (CLT), WEI4S combines four stages (analyse, explain, investigate, and apply) to facilitate deep comprehension. This study involved 36 novice seventh-grade students identified as having challenges solving algebraic word problems. Participants were randomly assigned to different groups, including the experimental group that received the WEI4S intervention and a control group that participated in problem-solving activities. Pre- and post-tests, as well as a transfer test, were administered to measure algebra performance and CL, and students’ opinions about the intervention were collected. The findings revealed that students exposed to WEI4S showed significant improvements in algebra performance, decreased intrinsic CL, and no negative changes in terms of extrinsic and germane load compared to the control group. Overall, the WEI4S approach offers a promising avenue for effective mathematics instruction by providing a structured framework that encourages active engagement and problem-solving skills.

Simple and Effective Patterning Method of Liquid‐Metal‐Infused Sponge Electrode for Fabricating 3D Stretchable Electronics

AbstractStretchable electrodes have emerged as a promising technology for soft robotics and wearable devices. One fabrication method that guarantees sustained elasticity and high conductivity is directly filling or printing an elastic substrate with liquid metal (LM). However, it is difficult to create patterns with complex or 3D shapes, such as hole patterning, integration electrodes, and flexible breadboards. Therefore, a simple and effective patterning method for fabricating 3D stretchable electronics using LM electrodes is proposed in this study. The LM‐infused sponge electrode is fabricated by loading LM onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponge, which is fabricated using the salt‐leaching method in PDMS patterned by replica molding. The LM‐infused sponge electrode exhibits a minimal change in terms of resistivity under strain, bending, and twisting (∆R &lt; 0.01 Ω cm−1). This enables various devices to be driven by the production of flexible breadboards, which makes it possible to integrate the proposed model into commercial electronics. Finally, a stretchable tactile sensor (self‐capacitive and self‐powered) is fabricated by integrating stretchable electrodes using only the LM‐infused sponges. In the future, stretchable electrodes fabricated in this manner can be used in various applications, such as soft robots and wearable devices.

Effects of alkali equivalent and polypropylene fibres on performance of alkali-activated municipal waste incineration bottom ash-slag mortar

Slag demonstrate significant potential as an important cementitious material for alkali-activated systems; however, the increase in alkali-activated materials has resulted in a short supply of slag. Therefore, other industrial wastes must be identified urgently to replace slag as an alkali-activated material while considering the alkali equivalent (AE) as an important factor affecting alkali-activated materials and the modification of polypropylene fibre (PPF). Effect. In this study, the effects of the AE and PPF length on the fluidity, consistency, compressive strength, and flexural strength of municipal waste incineration bottom ash-slag mortar are investigated by partially replacing slag with bottom ash (BA) derived from waste incineration as an alkali-activated material. The mechanism is elucidated via X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Finally, studies were conducted on the freeze-thaw resistance and dry shrinkage of alkali-activated bottom ash-slag mortar (AABA-SM). The results show that the performance of an AABA-SM can be modified and enhanced by controlling the AE size and the PPF length. Consistency of AABA-SM increased with the AE. The fluidity and mechanical strength of the AABA-SM enhanced significantly when the AE is 6.5%. PPF length of 12 mm were more significant in increasing the flexural strength of AABA-SM. This is attributed to the denser microstructure formed by the appropriate AE and the superior reinforcing effect of the well-coated 12 mm PPFs.In particular, at an AE of 6.5% and a PPF length of 12 mm, the AABA-SM shows a similar change in terms of dry shrinkage as natural mortar and is better resistant to freezing and thawing. This research provides theoretical support to improve the performance of AABA-SM, enhance the utilization of BA, and reduce environmental pollution.

Abstract C001: A pilot study of palliadelic treatment with psilocybin to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background: Psychological distress is a common reaction to a cancer diagnosis and its treatment. Distress impacts quality of life, adherence to treatment, decision making and survival. Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) experience exceptionally high rates of psychological distress, most commonly depression, anxiety and suicidality. Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic which is the active component in “magic mushrooms,” is a promising treatment for several mental health disorders. Prior studies in patients with cancer have combined a single dose of psilocybin with preparation and integration counseling and have shown significant, rapid and sustained improvement in depression, anxiety and quality of life. These studies have primarily been conducted in psychiatry or neuroscience clinics in heterogenous groups of patients, many of whom had completed cancer treatment. This study will evaluate the feasibility and safety of psilocybin-assisted therapy delivered in the outpatient palliative care clinic in patients with advanced PDAC who are receiving chemotherapy. Methods: This is a single center, open label pilot study of a psilocybin-assisted therapy integrated with palliative care in patients with advanced PDAC. The primary endpoints are the feasibility and safety of this strategy when integrated into routine palliative care. Secondary endpoints include short term changes in depression, anxiety and demoralization and changes in neuronal activity by functional MRI (fMRI). After 2-4 outpatient preparation sessions with a palliative medicine physician (PMP), the subject will take psilocybin (25mg capsule) at an individual session supported by a PMP and a trained mental health professional. Up to 3 integration sessions with a PMP will follow. Patient-reported measures of psychological distress and quality of life will be assessed at baseline, after the psilocybin dose and periodically during follow-up. Neuronal changes will be measured using fMRI before and after the psilocybin dose. Eligible patients are adults (ECOG 0-3) with advanced PDAC with adequate organ function. Patients with psychiatric conditions which preclude safe cessation of psychotropic drugs or requires hospitalization, a personal or family history of schizophrenia, psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, who have a high risk of suicide or have serious or uncontrolled hypertension or cardiovascular disease are ineligible. Given the exploratory nature of the study, a formal statistical assessment of the sample size was not conducted. Twelve evaluable subjects will provide sufficient power to detect large effect sizes (Cohen’s d1.0) in the secondary endpoints. Wilcoxon signed rank test will determine the reduction in distress scores before and after the psilocybin session. Enrollment began in June 2023; two subjects have enrolled. The study is funded by the Jim Young Pancreatic Cancer Research Memorial Fund. Psilocybin is provided by Usona. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05220046 Citation Format: Kelsey A. Klute, Lou Lukas, Soonjo Hwang, Yeongjin Gwon, Mridula Krishnan, Jean Grem, Sunil Hingorani, Jody Koenig Kellas. A pilot study of palliadelic treatment with psilocybin to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Pancreatic Cancer; 2023 Sep 27-30; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C001.

Changes in the pattern of sleep disturbances in healthy subjects under 21-day antiorthostatic hypokinesia

Background. Antiorthostatic hypokinesia (ANOH) reproduces some of the effects of weightlessness on the human body and is used to study adaptation to space flight conditions. It is known that ANOH affects nighttime sleep, but there is no information in the literature on the sequence of occurrence of sleep disorders in ANOH.The aim of the research was to study the dynamics of subjective changes in assessing sleep quality under conditions of antiorthostatic hypokinesia.Materials and methods. Six healthy male volunteers (age from 26 to 34 years) participated in the experiment with 21-day ANOH. They were on a medical bed with a body inclination angle relative to the horizon of –6° for 21 days. To assess sleep quality, a structured questionnaire was used that assessed sleep duration, rate of falling asleep, night awakenings, the presence of daytime sleepiness, and daytime falling asleep.Results. Based on the assessment of the dynamics of the sleep efficiency index (SEI), three stages of adaptation were identified. At the stage of acute adaptation (the first 3 days), there is a decrease in SEI from 96.4 to 91.3 (p &lt; 0.01), a statistically significant prolongation of falling asleep from 17.6 to 33.6 minutes (p &lt; 0.01), an increase duration of night awakenings up to 17.4 minutes, increase in daytime sleepiness by 11 %. In the next 3 days (the “recovery” stage), there is a statistically significant increase in SEI compared to the 1st stage to 94.7 (p &lt; 0.01), but it remains statistically significantly lower than the background values (p &lt; 0.004). The number of complaints about daytime sleepiness increases (up to 42 %), evening bedtime shifts later by 26 minutes. At the 3rd stage (the remaining nights) there is a relative stabilization of the sleep-wake cycle.Conclusion. Under conditions of 21-day ANOH, a gradual change in the pattern of sleep disturbances occurs. The most negative changes in terms of subjective assessment were noted in the first three days. Then there is an improvement in falling asleep, a decrease in night awakenings, combined with an increase in daytime sleepiness and the formation of a schedule with a later bedtime.

Analisis Dimensi Berpikir Kritikal dalam Program Membaca Ekstensif

This research aims to analyze critical thinking dimensions in an extensive reading program. The research qualitative research approach, with a case study design. The participants consist of students at the university who take part in extensive reading programs. Data were collected through reading reading logs and tests that measured students' critical thinking. The data collected from the critical thinking test was then analyzed statistically, while the log reading data was processed using a qualitative analysis approach. The results showed that there were differences in students' critical thinking test results before and after participating in the extensive reading program. This result was supported by the participants’ reading logs. The extensive reading program implemented by the researchers may not directly create significant changes in terms of average grades, but the results indicate that the program effectively improves students' overall understanding and critical thinking abilities. Therefore, although the results of the significance test are able to provide an idea of whether the changes that occur between the Pre-Test and Post-Test are random or not, the results of the Ho analysis highlight the substantial impact achieved through the treatment that the researcher provided.

Amplitude and phase changes in TESS photometry of five short period weak-lined T Tauri stars

ABSTRACT The statistical technique ‘Complex Demodulation’ (CDM) is used to track the amplitude and phase changes of periodicities in five naked T Tauri stars. The periodicities are most likely caused by dark spots on the stellar surfaces, which are rotated into and out of view. Two of the stars (CD-56 1438, CD-72 248) show two independent periodicities, probably due to being binary weak-lined T Tauri stars. Two different low-pass filters, operating, respectively, in the frequency and time domains, are used as part of the CDM methodology. Statistical aspects of the estimated amplitudes and phases are investigated in some detail: in particular, expressions are derived for standard errors and for possible biases. A large variety of different types of amplitude and phase changes are found, including approximately linear or quadratic, abrupt level shifts, pulses, and oscillatory. Long term changes in amplitudes are aperiodic, but mimic long-term cycles.

A computer vision approach to monitor activity in commercial broiler chickens using trajectory-based clustering analysis

To monitor changes in broiler behaviour related to animal health and welfare, farmers typically observe their flocks using manual observation. However, due to the labour intensive and continuous aspect of this task, the analysis of broiler behaviour could be automated using camera technology. This paper proposes a proof-of-concept camera surveillance system based on the automated detection and tracking of broilers to monitor activity bouts using unsupervised 2D trajectory clustering. Firstly, a convolutional neural network-based detector was trained and tested on our labelled dataset which resulted in a precision, recall and f score of 0.98, 0.90 and 0.94, respectively. Using a tracking-by-detection approach, the proposed system was able to track chickens across video frames with a multi-object tracking accuracy of 74.7%. A component-based feature saliency Gaussian mixture model (CFSGMM) was subsequently generated and applied to objectively cluster the trajectories based on their spatiotemporal information. Nineteen features were extracted from the trajectories, representing both static and dynamic characteristics of broiler movement, and three activity classes were identified: ‘least active/resting,’ ‘active’ and ‘highly-active.’ The proposed method was validated on one-minute monocular video sequences. CFSGMM was applied to cluster 2D trajectories relating to broiler activity bouts within the commercial rearing environment with an agreement ranging from 6.0 to 99.7% when compared to human observation. We demonstrate the potential of the computer vision system to monitor overt, short-term changes in broiler activity associated with on-farm events and discuss the opportunities of leveraging the technology to monitor longer term changes in welfare state. It is anticipated that further development of the detection and tracking systems will improve the performance of the trajectory clustering method.

Monitoring environmental sustainability in Japan: an ESGAP assessment

AbstractThis paper assesses the environmental sustainability of Japan by applying the environmental sustainability gap (ESGAP) framework, which builds on the concepts of strong sustainability, critical natural capital, environmental functions, and science-based reference values. The assessment is carried out using two indices of environmental sustainability (Strong Environmental Sustainability Index (SESI) and Strong Environmental Sustainability Progress Index (SESPI)) that provide a snapshot and a trend perspective on environmental sustainability performance and on progress toward it. The results reveal that Japan has not experienced significant changes in terms of aggregate environmental sustainability throughout the 2011–2017 period, but this is primarily a consequence of the mutually offsetting movements of different indicators. The country performs best for the human health and other welfare indicators, but worst for the sink function indicators such as the per-capita CO2 emissions and the eutrophication of fresh water. The indices also expose the main policy areas that Japan needs to strengthen to improve its environmental performance. They include issues such as tropospheric ozone pollution, which has long been discussed in scientific literature but never been a primal policy focus of the government until very recently.

Волонтерська діяльність як фактор резильєнтності та нарощування соціального капіталу в громадах (на прикладі однієї з громад Київської області)

The relevance of the article is due to the definition of aspects of community resilience during the war period. Since the full-scale invasion of Russian troops, volunteer activities in Ukrainian communities have increased. The growth of people’s resistance was one of the reasons for the creation of new volunteer groups, strengthening the activities of charitable structures of the informal sector. The change in motivational features of the active part of the population of communities in de-occupied territories contributed to the mass volunteering and the initiative to create and provide various volunteer services. The purpose of this article is to explore the peculiarities of the formation of social cohesion, resilience and the increase in social capital in the context of community volunteer group’s activities. Novelty is the presentation and analysis of the results of a questionnaire survey of a volunteer group of one of the communities in the Kyiv region. The results of the survey were analyzed, which became the basis for determining the resiliency and opportunities for increasing social capital in the Nemishayeve settlement territorial community. The survey was conducted in late January and early February 2023, with 63 respondents. The article uses the authors’ own experience in volunteering in this volunteer group. The reasons for the creation of the group are substantiated, and the study determines its importance for rallying the population, the formation of trust in volunteer entities through the systematic submission of transparent report filings and the presence of constant feedback from individual units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which are directly assisted by the volunteers of the group. This includes, in particular, weaving camouflage nets, making instant food kits, sewing camouflage suits, making dugout candles and mini-stoves, collecting donations for the purchase of off-road vehicles, medicines and hygiene products, etc. The features of the group’s activities since its inception in June 2022 until today have been determined. Attention is focused on the use of existing and formation of new resources of community’s social capital, the importance of logistics chains, social ties between the existing entities of the informal sector both within the community and beyond. The probable reasons for the decrease in volunteer activity in the grouping have been determined and the directions for improving the activity of the volunteer group have been proposed, which will contribute to strengthening its resilience, increasing volunteer activity. Conclusions on the effectiveness of the group are drawn, new approaches and opportunities are proposed to improve the organizational component by improving the professional level of volunteer management and transition to institutional form. The intensification of volunteer activities in the community is influenced by transformational changes in terms of greater involvement of young people, which at the same time contributes to strengthening the process of their social integration. In turn, the presence of stress-resistant entities of the informal sector in communities with their powerful social capital is one of the weighty priorities in increasing the capacity of territorial communities, forming the space of public trust and rapid reconstruction of Ukraine in the post-war period.