Middle Tiers Research Articles

Study of the effect of forced precipitation of working fluid on a vineyard sprayer for weed control

BACKGROUND: A distinctive feature of the sprayer presented is the possibility of more efficient penetration of the working solution into the middle and lower tiers of weeds, as well as on the lower (abaxial) side of the leaf. This is ensured by the use of an air-liquid jet, which significantly increases the effectiveness of the applied chemical method of weed control. AIM: Analysis of the effect of air jets on the deposition of chemicals on the surface of leaves of weeds. The penetration of the drug into the middle and lower tiers of plants, as well as deposition on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaves, is taken into account. METHODS: To combat unwanted vegetation, a special device was applied, which was used in field research both with and without air support. With the help of the developed method, spraying was carried out on indicator cards fixed on the upper, middle and lower tiers of the plant RESULTS: For the first time, an innovative technology based on the use of a flexible air distribution sleeve as part of a herbicide sprayer was proposed to combat weeds in vineyards. This sleeve ensures the precise supply of airflow from the fan to the working fluid spraying area. The result of such an air-liquid flow is improved efficiency and monodispersity of herbicide droplets, which, in turn, ensures uniform coverage of the lower tiers and the abaxial surface of the leaves of weeds. This innovative solution opens up new prospects in the fight against unwanted vegetation in the vineyards. CONCLUSION: The practical value of the proposed weed control technology lies is increasing the quality of the technological operation due to the forced precipitation of the working solution.

Research and Practice on EOR Development Strategy of Water Drive Followed by Gas Drive in Fractured Carbonate Reservoir in Bohai Sea

Abstract Focusing on the issues of high comprehensive water cut and low recovery degree following water flooding in the CFD 2-2 carbonate buried hill reservoir in the Bohai Sea, the productivity variation law, water cut rising characteristics and development effect of horizontal wells were analyzed based on different types of reservoir classification systems. The reservoir numerical simulation model of dual media coupling of matrix and fracture is established, and the analysis is done on the matrix and fracture production state, the distribution pattern of the residual oil, and the primary governing parameters.. The physical simulation experiment of water flooding to gas flooding is carried out. In conjunction with the distribution characteristics of fractures and matrix residual oil in low, middle and upper tiers of the framework, the development strategy of nitrogen injection pressure water cone in low water-flooded area, nitrogen flooding in middle inter-well residual oil enrichment area and nitrogen huff and puff in high well point residual oil enrichment area is put forward. The recovery rate is increased by 5-8 %, which successfully enhances the high water cut stage development effect, and provides reference for similar oilfield development.

Assessing regional disparities and vulnerability in stroke care across Gyeonggi Province: A focus on hospital service areas

BackgroundThis study aims to illuminate regional disparities and identify vulnerable areas in stroke care across Gyeonggi Province's hospital service areas. MethodsUsing data from the Korea National Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Management Commission, we included 4,427 acute stroke patients admitted in 2018 to hospitals within Gyeonggi Province. Our evaluation focused on: 1) stroke care quality indicators, including rates of defect-free care, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), and acute reperfusion therapy (either IVT or EVT); 2) intra-regional treatment rates; and 3) one-year mortality across the province and its 12 hospital service areas. These were compared both with national averages and inter-regionally. Vulnerable areas were pinpointed by evaluating the number of quality indicators falling below the national average and through visual distribution mapping, categorizing each indicator into higher (ranks 1-4), middle (ranks 5-8), and lower (ranks 9-12) tiers. ResultsDespite fewer qualified stroke centers and specialists, Gyeonggi Province exhibited higher defect-free care rates (84.6 % vs. 80.7 %), intra-regional treatment rates (57.8 % vs. 51.0 %), and marginally lower one-year mortality (16.2 % vs. 17.3 %) compared to national averages. Notable regional disparities were observed; the highest-performing areas for defect-free care and acute reperfusion therapy exceeded the lowest by 1.4 and 3.3 times, respectively. Nine out of twelve areas fell below the national average for EVT rates, seven for IVT and reperfusion therapy rates, and five for intra-regional treatment rates. Pyeongtaek, with all stroke care quality indicators below the national average coupled with the highest one-year mortality, emerges as a critical area needing improvement in acute stroke care. ConclusionThis study not only exposes the regional disparities in stroke care within Gyeonggi Province's hospital service areas but also identifies areas most vulnerable. Consequently, a customized support strategy for these areas is imperative.

Looking Beyond the Numbers: A Comparison of Operative Self-Efficacy, Supervision, and Case Volume in General Surgery Residency.

Background A national survey of general surgery residents revealed significant self-assessed deficits in preparation for independent practice, with only 7.7% of graduating postgraduate year 5 residents (n=1145) reporting self-efficacy for all 10 commonly performed operations surveyed. Objective We sought to understand why this phenomenon occurs. We hypothesized that self-efficacy would be positively correlated with both operative independence and case volume. Methods We compared 3 independent datasets: case information for the same 10 previously surveyed operations for residents graduating in 2020 (dataset 1), operative independence data obtained through the SIMPL OR app, an operative self-assessment tool (dataset 2), and case volume data obtained through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education National Data Report (dataset 3). Operations were categorized into high, middle (mid), and low self-efficacy tiers; analysis of variance was used to compare operative independence and case volume per tier. Results There were significant differences in self-efficacy between high (87.7%), mid (68.3%), and low (25.4%) tiers (P=.008 [95% CI 6.2, 32.7] for high vs mid, P<.001 for high vs low [49.1, 75.6], and P<.001 for mid vs low [28.7, 57.1]). The percentage of cases completed with operative independence followed similar trends (high 32.7%, mid 13.8%, low 4.9%, P=.006 [6.4, 31.4] for high vs mid, P<.001 [15.3, 40.3] for high vs low, P=.23 [-4.5, 22.3] for mid vs low). The total volume of cases decreased from high to mid to low self-efficacy tiers (average 91.8 to 20.8 to 11.1) but did not reach statistical significance on post-hoc analysis. Conclusions In this analysis of US surgical residents, operative independence was strongly correlated with self-efficacy.

The engineering legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM: Al Thumama Stadium

The structures of the Al Thumama Stadium, built for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, can be categorised into four main building components. The permanent bowl structure with lower and middle tiers is mainly cast-in-place reinforced concrete with precast seating units. Structural steel was used for the upper tier stands, to be dismantled for legacy conversion after the tournament. The roof and façade system use steel and cable systems with a unique membrane cladding design derived from the cultural gahfiya symbol. The roof is a self-anchored tension–compression ring system based on the principle of a horizontal spoked wheel, with one compression ring along the outer perimeter and two tension rings along the oculus. The façade consists of lightweight double-layered and prestressed cable nets spanning between curved vertical beams. A translucent polytetrafluoroethylene-coated glass fibre membrane with highly transparent mesh inserts form the cladding of the stadium, providing its unique architectural design. This article gives an overview of the stadium's design and construction methodology.

Comparison of mistakes on multiple-choice question and fill-in-the-blank examinations: A retrospective analysis.

The objective was to compare the average number of mistakes made on multiple-choice (MCQ) and fill-in-the-blank (FIB) questions in anatomy lab exams. The study was conducted retrospectively; every exam had both MCQs and FIBs. The study cohorts were divided into 3 tiers based on the number and percentage of mistakes in answering sheets: low (21-32, >40%), middle (11-20, 40%-20%), and high (1-9, <20%) tiers. The study used an independent 2-sample t test to compare the number of mistakes between MCQs and FIBs overall and per tier and a 1-way analysis of variance to compare the number of mistakes in both formats across the 3 tiers. The results show that there was a significant difference in the number of mistakes between the 2 formats overall with more mistakes found on FIBs (p < .001). The number of mistakes made in the high and middle tiers had a statistical difference, being higher on MCQs (p < .001). There was no significant difference in the number of mistakes made in the low tier between formats (p > .05). Furthermore, the study found significant differences in the number of mistakes made on MCQs and FIBs across the 3 tiers, being highest in the low-tier group (p < .001). There were fewer mistakes on the MCQ than the FIB format in exams. It also suggests that, in the low tier answering sheets, both formats could be used to identify students at academic risk who need more attention.

Does innovation facilitate meeting the CO2 emission reduction targets of China: A non-linear approach

China has been implementing energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction schemes at the provincial level that have been embedded in the National Five Year Plans of the country. We set out to investigate the relationship between R&D expenditures and CO2 emissions in China at the province level in the context of the planned emissions reduction targets. We explore the possibility of the existence of a non-linear relationship between R&D expenditures and CO2 emissions with a non-parametric methodology, a fixed effect panel data quantile (FEQR) regression estimator applied to a panel of 30 provinces. We stratify the sample according to the five emissions reduction target tiers of the 12th Five-Year National Plan of China and we investigate the role of R&D expenditures in emissions reduction within each of the tiers. We find an inverse U relationship with different turning points for the three middle tiers and a U-shaped relationship for the tier under the most stringent environmental regulation. We find no effect in the tier with the least stringent emissions reduction targets. A further investigation shows that the above results are attributed to sectors with relatively low energy intensity and not to the sectors of heavy industry. The results allow us to draw broad conclusions about the effectiveness of investment in new technologies as a means of meeting the CO2 targets in China.

Analysis of the evolution characteristics of international ICT services trade based on complex network

Digital technology has brought profound changes in the services trade, particularly accelerating the growth of the international Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services trade. Understanding the evolving characteristics of the ICT services trade is pivotal for trade participants to formulate effective policies and enhance their competitive advantages. This study used the data from UN COMTRADE to construct ICT services trade networks spanning from 2004 to 2020. Using complex network analysis methods, it delved into several aspects of ICT services trade, including trade patterns, trade relationships, and participating countries. The findings revealed that central countries in ICT services trade are progressively dominating trade relationships. Moreover, many countries in the middle and lower tiers of the ICT services trade system tend to engage in bilateral trade with major economies or form trade alliances with a select few nations. Examining the evolution of trade participants, early adopter countries such as the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom have solidified stable competitive advantages in ICT services trade. Building upon these findings, the study puts forth several recommendations to enhance the competitiveness of the ICT services trade. This study not only enriches the existing knowledge base on ICT services trade networks but also provides valuable insights for shaping policies in this domain. The outcomes offer crucial guidance for interpreting cooperation and conflicts within the realm of ICT services trade.

Effect of Performance Planning on Employee Productivity in Broadcast Media Outlets in Bungoma and Busia Counties, Kenya

Numerous worldwide institutions have encountered challenges in achieving their intended objectives. These difficulties have even caused some organizations to collapse, resulting in more significant and costly issues. Performance management systems in organizations have been considered the most significant. Therefore, effective performance management systems have numerous benefits for any organization, and performance management stands as a primary responsibility of HR. The performance management system within media organizations aims to boost employee effectiveness by aligning individual goals with the overall objectives of the company. It entails performance planning, performance appraisals and reviews, ongoing feedback, performance improvement plans, and rewards. Despite the media houses having PMS, performance remains relatively poor. The objective of the research, therefore, was to analyze the effectiveness of performance management on employee productivity in media houses in Busia and Bungoma counties found in the Kenyan western region. The study’s specific objective was to determine the effect of performance planning on employee job productivity in media outlets in Bungoma and Busia counties. The descriptive research design was utilized. A total of 153 participants were selected based on the calculation from Slovin's formula, and stratified sampling was employed to classify management into top, middle, and low tiers. Questionnaires were utilized to gather data, and the credibility and consistency of the tool were verified. The outcomes indicated that performance planning (t = 2.858; p&lt;0.05) had a statistically positive and significant effect on employee productivity in broadcast media outlets.

E-diagnostic assessment of collaborative and individual oral tiered task performance in differentiated second language instruction framework

Differentiated second/foreign language (L2) instruction (DI) has received growing attention in pedagogical research. Yet, as a cornerstone of inclusive education, the DI is still under-documented. In this study, we integrated diagnostic assessment (DIA) and collaborative language learning in a differentiated (tiered) oral tasks intervention and mediated them in a Google Meet cyber classroom. To do so, an intact group of 64 non-English major university students was selected, pretested, and randomly assigned to collaborative (CG) and individual (IG) groups. Each group was partitioned into higher, middle, and lower language ability tiers. The objectives were to examine (1) how differently mixed-ability English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners could improve their collaborative and individual oral tiered task performances on which they received e-DIA for 10 weeks, and (2) how differently e-DIA could affect their postintervention learning achievement in oral skills. The statistical analysis indicated the positive and equal impact of e-DIA on CG-tiers, but a positive and divisive impact on IG-tiers. Responded to e-DIA, both groups had significant pretest-to-postest learning achievement in oral skills, but CG-tiers’ collaboration resonated with the impact of e-DIA to outperform the IG-tiers on the posttest. The findings implied the integration of e-DIA and collaborative learning in the DI framework to mitigate L2 learners’ diversity in inclusive L2 education.

THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ON ACCUMULATION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COM-POUNDS IN KOENIGIA WEYRICHII

Koenigia Weyrichii (F. Schmidt) T.M. Schust. et Reveal is a herbaceous perennial plant introduced to the Murmansk and Tomsk regions in the mid–twentieth century. This plant accumulates a sufficiently large amount of flavonoids, which makes it a promising source of biologically active compounds. The purpose of this study was to determine how different location and climatic conditions affect the content of total phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant and antiradical activity of K. Weyrichii ethanol extracts obtained from different plant organs in different phases of vegetation. Inflorescences, leaves of the upper and middle tiers of K. Weyrichii were collected in three places – in the districts of Apatity, Kirovsk (Kola Peninsula, Murmansk region) and Tomsk (Western Siberia, Tomsk region) during flowering and fruiting periods. For ethanol extracts, the total content of polyphenolic components in reaction with Folin-Chokalteu reagent, flavonoids in reaction with aluminum chloride, total antioxidant and antiradical activity determined by phosphomolybdate and DPPH methods, respectively, were determined. The results of ANOVA factor analysis showed that these parameters depend on the place of growth, the period of collection and the type of plant tissue. The higher average value of the accumulation of total polyphenols was observed in Kirovsk – 106.2 мг GAE/г (GAE is the equivalent of gallic acid), the lowest – in Tomsk: 86.1 мг GAE/г. The average value of flavonoid accumulation was higher in Apatity – 4.39 мг,RE/г (RE – equivalent of rutin), less in Tomsk – 3.12 мг RE/г. Lower temperatures, less precipitation, and longer daylight hours in Apatity and Kirovsk contributed to a greater accumulation of flavonoids compared to Tomsk. In the inflorescences during the mass flowering period, there was a greater accumulation of flavonoids and a greater antioxidant activity of extracts at all three sites. The obtained data can be used as a theoretical basis for the rational use of K. Weyrichii as a promising source of flavonoids.

Distribution Areas and Biomorphological Characteristics of the Gooseberry in the Western Areas of Azerbaijan

The article provides materials on the study of the economic efficiency of new and non-traditional berry crops for cultivation in the Western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The results of the research have established that the cultivation of non-traditional (gooseberry) species both in mountainous and lowland areas are economically profitable crops. In the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus, there are a lot of species and varieties of the main berry species such as raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, strawberries, which are widely used by the local population. Along with them, there are in nature in natural growth such non-traditional breeds in culture as gooseberries, as well as new ones for local culture, blueberries and bilberries. The local population harvests from wild plants and cultivates them by planting them in household plots. Expeditionary studies have established that gooseberries are common in various regions of the Lesser Caucasus, mainly in the lower and middle tiers of the forest, at an altitude of 1164 ... 1175 m above sea level, and blueberries and bilberries are relatively higher, at an altitude of 1181 ... 1845 m above sea level. It has been established that all the studied wild berry plants have a high (80 ... 100%) index of vitality.

Toward (More) Valid Comparison of Residency Applicants' Grades: Cluster Analysis of Clerkship Grade Distributions Across 135 U.S. MD-granting Medical Schools.

Purpose: Clerkship grades are a core element of medical school assessment and are used by residency program directors to select residency applicants, despite substantial variation in grading systems and distributions across institutions. 1–4 Despite calls to abandon the practice, 5 program directors are likely to continue comparing applicants across programs using clerkship grades, especially as the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 goes pass/fail. Here, we sought to identify groups of medical schools for which the internal medicine clerkship grading patterns were similar, permitting reasonable interinstitutional comparisons of individuals. Method: Medical Student Performance Evaluations from applicants in the 2019 and 2020 residency application cycles from each of the 155 Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited U.S. MD-granting medical schools were examined. Twenty institutions were excluded: 9 recently established institutions and 1 military institution had no residency applicants; 6 institutions did not provide a grade distribution; and 4 institutions used pass/fail grading. The grading system and percent of students falling into each grading tier were tabulated for the internal medicine core clerkship (inpatient portion) at each institution. K-means cluster analysis was used to cluster institutions by their grade distribution. The number of clusters was selected using the scree plot elbow, within sum of squares, and proportional reduction of error. Results: In total, 135 medical schools reported 59 distinct internal medicine clerkship grading systems, including 2-tier (n = 2), 3-tier (n = 11), 4-tier (n = 19), 5-tier (n = 20), and 6+-tier (n = 7) systems. The percent of students receiving the top tier grade ranged from 2% to 66% between institutions. K-means clustering segmented the 135 grade distributions into 4 clusters: cluster 1 (45% top tier–45% next tier–10% lowest tier, n = 64 schools), cluster 2 (25%–30%–45%, n = 40), cluster 3 (20%–75%–5%, n = 25), and cluster 4 (15%–25%–25%–25%–10%, n = 6). Discussion: We identified substantial variation between institutions’ internal medicine clerkship grading systems and distributions, consistent with prior work. 2–5 Others have noted that not all “honors” grades are the same 4; similarly, not all “pass” grades are the same, with even more variation in the middle and bottom tiers. However, using cluster analysis, these seemingly incomparable grading systems were reduced to 4 clusters. The grading distributions within these groups of institutions range from roughly normally distributed (cluster 4) to highly skewed (cluster 1), laying bare differences in medical school grade inflation. Despite schools employing 46 different grading systems with 4 or more grading tiers, 129 of 135 schools (96%) effectively use only 3 grading tiers. We suspect institutions use lower grading tiers on only rare occasions. Significance: While we advocate against comparing students’ clerkship grades between institutions, residency program directors are likely to continue this practice. Given this reality, we recommend only comparing residency applicants between institutions within the same cluster. Implementing standards for internal medicine clerkship grading terminology (e.g., tier 1, tier 2) and distributions (i.e., embrace the 4 observed clusters) would make secondary use for resident selection more defensible.

Evaluation of Septoria leaf spot (Septoria helianthi) alone and in combination with other foliar fungal spots on sunflower

Abstract In recent years, Septoria leaf spot has taken a strong place in the list of economically important diseases of sunflower. It may be a favorable factor for the development of other diseases on sunflower plants too. The aim of the research was to evaluate the frequency and degree of infection of sunflower plants with Septoria helianthi as well as possibility of simultaneous infection with this pathogen and other fungi which cause foliar spots, such as downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot and Phoma black stem under conditions of stationary infectious nursery. The year 2021 turned out to be extremely favorable for the development of fungal leaf spots on sunflower. Assessment of fungal diseases of sunflower plants was performed in F2 families obtained after crossing ZL22A, ZL58A, ZL70A, ZL78A, and ZL169A lines of Zaporozhye breeding (Ukraine) with HAR7 line (originating from the USA). Each F2 family (sample) was obtained from self-pollination of one F1 plant with varying severity of Septoria disease. It was found that in the conditions of 2021, sunflower was quite affected by Septoria disease. The percentage of injured plants in F2 samples ranged from 41.0 to 100.0%. The severity of disease was different. Less resistant genotypes included plants with lesions on sunflower leaves of lower, middle, and upper tiers in approximately equal numbers, while more resistant genotypes had almost no plants with injured leaves of upper tiers. It was established that the development of Phoma disease occurred both on plants with Septoria leaf spot and on healthy plants. On average, among the plants infected with Phoma macdonaldii, the proportion of plants jointly affected by Phoma and Septoria diseases was 2/3. However, the frequency of simultaneous infection of plants with S. helianthi and P. macdonaldii in genotypes with different resistance to Septoria leaf spot differed significantly and ranged from 80% in less resistant to 40% in more resistant accessions. Most plants (about 90%) infected with Plasmopara halstedii were simultaneously infected with S. helianthi. That is, both of these pathogens can simultaneously develop on the same plant and lead to a decline in its basic physiological functions. The rate of simultaneous damage of sunflower by Alternaria and Septoria was quite low compared to plant damage by Alternaria alone and was less than 30%. This may mean that the pathogen of Alternaria leaf spot avoids plants with existing S. helianthi fungus.

Financial Vulnerability of American College of Surgeons-Verified Trauma Centers: A Statewide Analysis.

Although trauma centers represent an integral part of healthcare in the US, characterization of their financial vulnerability has not been reported. We sought to characterize the financial health and vulnerability among California trauma centers and identify factors associated with high and low vulnerability. The RAND Hospital Data financial dataset was used to evaluate all American College of Surgeons (ACS)-verified trauma centers in California. Financial vulnerability of each center was calculated using 6 metrics to calculate a composite Financial Vulnerability Score (FVS). Tertiles of the FVS were generated to classify trauma centers as high, medium, or low financial vulnerability. Hospital characteristics were also analyzed and compared. Forty-seven ACS trauma centers were identified. Nine were Level I, 27 were Level II, and 8 were Level III. Level I centers encompassed the greatest proportion of the high FVS tier (44%), whereas Level II and III centers were the most likely to be in the middle and lower tiers, respectively (44%; 63%). Lower FVS centers had greater asset:liability ratios, operating margins, and days cash on hand compared with the 2 higher tiers, whereas high FVS centers showed a greater proportion of uncompensated care, outpatient share rates, outpatient surgeries, and longer days in net accounts. Lower FVS centers were more likely to be teaching hospitals and members of a larger corporate entity. Many ACS trauma centers are at moderate/high risk for financial vulnerability and disparate impacts of stressor events, and the FVS may represent a novel metric that could be used at the local or statewide level.

ВЛИЯНИЕ АГРОМЕТЕОРОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ УСЛОВИЙ НА СОРНЫЙ КОМПОНЕНТ В АГРОЦЕНОЗЕ ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ В ПРЕДГОРНОЙ ЗОНЕ РСО – АЛАНИЯ

Weeds are an ecological group of plants that has developed as a result of their growth together with cultivated plants in the process of continuous struggle with them. In order to successfully fight weeds, it is necessary to know their biological characteristics, classification, distribution and reproduction of weeds. The number of weeds does not always reflect the degree of their harmfulness, since it is largely determined by the power of development of the above-ground mass of weeds. Different types of weeds react differently to changes in the level of fertilizer, the method of basic tillage, the structure of crops and the rotation of crops in crop rotation. The advantage is given to those species for which all these changes are favorable and contribute to their growth, development and distribution in phytocenoses. In addition to them, weed species that have endurance and resistance to adverse environmental factors survive and maintain their population density. According to many scientists, the mass and number of weeds reflect different aspects of relationships in the community. The number shows the interaction in the surface layer of the soil, at a low altitude, as well as in the initial phases of development, and the mass of the weed component characterizes the coenotic relationships in the middle and upper tiers at later stages of development. The purpose of our research was the influence of agrometeorological conditions on the species composition, abundance, dry biomass and the ratio of biological and ecological groups of weeds in the winter wheat agrocenosis. Our research was carried out in 2017–2021. on the experimental experimental field of the SKNIIGPSh VSC RAS in the forest-steppe zone of the North Ossetia - Alania. The object of research was winter wheat variety Trio. The plot area is 100 m², repeated three times. This crop was part of a five-field soil-protective crop rotation. We have found that in the forest-steppe zone of North Ossetia - Alania, agrometeorological conditions largely affect the species composition, abundance and biomass of harmful weeds.

ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ РЕГУЛЯТОРА РОСТА НА ПОСЕВАХ ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ ЛЕСОСТЕПНОЙ ЗОНЫ РЕСПУБЛИКИ СЕВЕРНАЯ ОСЕТИЯ – АЛАНИЯ

Weeds are an ecological group of plants that has developed as a result of their growth together with cultivated plants in the process of continuous struggle with them. In order to successfully fight weeds, it is necessary to know their biological characteristics, classification, distribution and reproduction of weeds. The number of weeds does not always reflect the degree of their harmfulness, since it is largely determined by the power of development of the above-ground mass of weeds. Different types of weeds react differently to changes in the level of fertilizer, the method of basic tillage, the structure of crops and the rotation of crops in crop rotation. The advantage is given to those species for which all these changes are favorable and contribute to their growth, development and distribution in phytocenoses. In addition to them, weed species that have endurance and resistance to adverse environmental factors survive and maintain their population density. According to many scientists, the mass and number of weeds reflect different aspects of relationships in the community. The number shows the interaction in the surface layer of the soil, at a low altitude, as well as in the initial phases of development, and the mass of the weed component characterizes the coenotic relationships in the middle and upper tiers at later stages of development. The purpose of our research was the influence of agrometeorological conditions on the species composition, abundance, dry biomass and the ratio of biological and ecological groups of weeds in the winter wheat agrocenosis. Our research was carried out in 2017–2021. on the experimental experimental field of the SKNIIGPSh VSC RAS in the forest-steppe zone of North Ossetia - Alania The object of research was winter wheat variety Trio. The plot area is 100 m², repeated three times. This crop was part of a five-field soil-protective crop rotation. We have found that in the forest-steppe zone of North Ossetia - Alania, agrometeorological conditions largely affect the species composition, abundance and biomass of harmful weeds.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF ENERGY LOSSES OF A BIOGAS REACTOR IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOR MESOPHILIC MODE OF FERMENTATION

The aim of the work is an experimental study of energy losses to the environment for the mesophilic mode of fermentation in order to increase the duration of substrate cooling and reduce energy costs for the process of biogas formation. To achieve the goals set, the following tasks have been solved: a methodological approach has been developed for conducting experimental studies; an experimental plant for a biogas reactor with an electrothermal-mechanical system with automatic control for mixing and heating the substrate was made; experimentally investigated energy losses to the environment for the mesophilic mode of fermentation; processing, analysis and comparison of the obtained experimental data were carried out. The working hypothesis of the research was that the use of an heating cable built into the stirrer paddles would provide a longer process of cooling the substrate to the heating switch-on temperature, which would reduce energy costs for the biogas formation intensification process. The most significant result of the study is to obtain the dependences of the change in the temperature of the heating cable, the substrate in the lower, middle and upper tiers of the reactor and the duration of the substrate cooling to the heating switch-on temperature in the operating biogas plant. The significance of the results of experimental studies lies in the fact that when placing a heating cable built into the stirrer paddles, the process of cooling the substrate to the heating switch-on temperature occurs later, on average, by 35 minutes, when the substrate is fermented in a biogas reactor with a volume of 40 liters. The implementation of the data obtained will increase the energy efficiency of the processes of intensification of biogas production and the profitability of further processing of biogas into heat and electricity.

Transfer of Laser Pulses through the Atmosphere into Space in the Presence of Clouds of the Upper and Middle Tiers

Transfer of Laser Pulses through the Atmosphere into Space in the Presence of Clouds of the Upper and Middle Tiers

Ichnofabric analysis of bathyal chalks: the Miocene Inglis Formation of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

In the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands represent part of the Burma–Sunda–Java subduction complex. The Islands are composed of sediments ranging in age from Jurassic to Recent, represented by ophiolites, flysch sediments, along with deep marine sediments scraped off from the subducting plate. The stratigraphic succession that overlies meta-sedimentary and ophiolite suites consists of turbidite and non-turbidite sequences, along with thick-bedded nannofossil chalks. The present study describes ichnofabrics of chalks from the Inglis Formation (Early to Middle Miocene). These chalks are highly to moderately bioturbated and comprise several levels of ferruginised layers as weak discontinuity surfaces. The studied section shows the recurring occurrence of ichnotaxa belonging to Asterosoma, Chondrites, Cladichnus, Ophiomorpha, Palaeophycus, Planolites, Taenidium, Thalassinoides, and Zoophycus. Sediments are represented by Bioturbation indices varying between BI-2 to BI-5, represented by (a) light coloured trace fossils in dark sediment (LID ichnofabric) and (b) dark coloured trace fossils in light sediment (DIL ichnofabric). Ichnofabric analysis suggests multiple colonization, complex tiering, and multilayer tiering. The LID ichnofabric exposed at Kalapathar reveals three tiers, a diverse shallow tier and a moderately low diverse middle and deep tiers. At the Lacam Point Section, in contrast, the LID ichnofabric is represented by condensation of the tiers and the absence of shallow tiers. The DIL ichnofabric at the Kalapathar Section seems to be more expanded and is represented by four tiers with extensive bioturbation. Ichnofabric analysis supports deposition of the chalk sediments in a lower bathyal paleoenvironment and suggests that organic matter, pore water, and bottom-water oxygenation were the main controlling factors. Thus, the ichnofabric analysis of the Early-Middle Miocene Inglis Formation gives first-hand information regarding the poorly known chalk facies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands pre-Bengal fan stage of the Indian plate.