Sensitive Parameters Research Articles

Sensitivity and specificity of electrodiagnostic parameters in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.

The sensitivity and specificity of electrodiagnostic parameters in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) have been reported differently, and this study aims to address this gap. This case-control study was conducted on 57 cases with CTS and 58 controls without complaints, such as pain or paresthesia on the median nerve. The main assessed electrodiagnostic parameters were terminal latency index (TLI), residual latency (RL), median ulnar F-wave latency difference (FdifMU), and median sensory latency-ulnar motor latency difference (MSUMLD). The mean age in cases and controls were 50.7 years (SD 9.9) and 47.9 years (SD 12.1), respectively. The CTS severity was mild in 20 patients (34.4%), moderate in 19 patients (32.8%), and severe in 19 patients (32.8%). The sensitivity and specificity of the electrodiagnostic parameters in diagnosing CTS were as follows: TLI 75.4% and 87.8%; RL 85.9% and 82.5%; FdifMU 87.9% and 82.9%; and MSUMLD 94.8% and 60.0%, respectively. Our findings indicated that electrodiagnostic parameters are significantly associated with the clinical manifestation of CTS, and are associated with high diagnostic accuracy in CTS diagnosis. However, further studies are required to highlight the role of electrodiagnostic parameters and their combination in CTS detection.

Frequency of detection of dyssynergic defecation in patients with overlap syndrome of functional disorders of the digestive organs associated with constipation

Introduction. The presence of dyssynergic defecation in a cohort of patients with overlap syndrome of functional disorders is poorly studied.Aim. To assess the motor function and sensitivity parameters of the anorectal zone, to identify dyssynergic defecation and to analyze the frequency of correlation in patients with overlap syndrome of functional gastrointestinal disorders associated with constipation.Materials and methods. A one-stage examination was conducted in four parallel groups. The study included 100 patients aged 30 to 40 years with the following diagnoses: constipation-p redominance irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) (group 1), IBS-C combined with functional dyspepsia (group 2), IBS-C combined with functional biliary disorder (group 3) and healthy volunteers (group 0). All patients underwent a balloon expulsion test and high-resolution anorectal manometry to determine the presence of dyssynergic defecation.Results. Based on the analysis of parameters according to anorectal manometry data, dyssynergic defecation was not detected in group 0, in group 1 dyssynergic defecation was detected in 8 people – 32.0% (95% CI 12.3–51.6), in group 2 – in 14 people – 56.0% (95% CI 35.0–76.9), in group 3 – in 16 people – 64.0% (95% CI 43.7–84.2). A negative evacuation test was detected in 8 (32%) patients in group 1, in 14 (56%) patients in group 2, and in 17 (68%) patients in group 3, which confirmed the presence of dyssynergic defecation.Conclusions. This study demonstrated the presence of dyssynergic defecation in three groups of subjects, more often with a combination of irritable bowel syndrome with predominant constipation with functional dyspepsia, and most often with a functional disorder of the gallbladder.

Electric quadrupole transitions of 98–112Ru atomic nuclei via conformable fractional Bohr Hamiltonian

In this paper, we investigate the energy spectra, wave functions and the [Formula: see text] transition rates for [Formula: see text]Ru atomic nuclei, using the conformable fractional Bohr Hamiltonian model. For the [Formula: see text]-part of the potential, the newly proposed Yukawa plus modified exponential potential is considered and the harmonic oscillator potential in [Formula: see text]-part, with [Formula: see text] fixed around [Formula: see text]. By using the conformable fractional Nikiforov–Uvarov method, energy spectra and wave functions are obtained analytically. The sensitivity of the potential parameters and the spectra with respect to the fractional order parameter is investigated. The normalized fractional energies and fractional electric quadrupole transition rates are compared with the available experimental predictions and those from existing theoretical studies. Comparisons are made at different values of the fractional derivative order. The results are presented across a broader range of values of [Formula: see text], providing a systematic analysis of how variations in this parameter influence the energy spectra, wave functions, and [Formula: see text] transition rates in Ru nuclei. Overall, the comparison of our results with experimental data shows the good accuracy of our model, especially when the fractional parameter goes to lower values. It can be concluded that the order of fractional derivative plays a crucial role in refining theoretical predictions of electric quadrupole transition rates, especially for transitions involving higher multipolarities.

Behavioral Responses of Chironomus aprilinus Larvae as Proxies for Cyanobacterial Metabolite Interactions: Insights from Ternary Combinations.

This study aimed to assess the behavioral responses (immobilization, horizontal and vertical motility, and response to light) of Chironomus aprilinus larvae exposed to individual cyanobacterial metabolites aeruginosin 98B (AER-B), anabaenopeptin-B (ANA-B), and cylindrospermopsin (CYL), and their binary and ternary mixtures. The investigation revealed that single metabolites ANA-B and CYL exhibited the highest potency in immobilizing the larvae. Notably, the binary mixture AER-B+CYL induced a remarkably strong synergistic interaction, while other tested binary and ternary mixtures demonstrated antagonistic effects. Both individual metabolites and their mixtures led to a decrease in larval movement speed, with the AER-B+CYL combination showing a very synergistic effect, and strong antagonistic interactions between the oligopeptides in the ternary mixture. Conversely, while AER-B and the binary mixture ANA-B+CYL stimulated vertical movement, other single metabolites and binary and ternary mixtures decreased this parameter. Antagonistic interactions were observed in all mixtures. ANA-B emerged as the most potent inhibitor, yet all tested metabolites and their mixtures decreased larval response to light, displaying synergistic interactions, except for the AER-B+ANA-B mixture at 250 μg L-1 + 250 μg L-1. These findings underscore the sensitivity of Chironomus larvae behavioral parameters as indicators of environmental stressors and mixtures. Consequently, they are recommended for assessing toxic effects induced by cyanobacterial products and other bioactive chemicals.

First step toward designing effective real-time control systems in laser directed energy deposition

In-process monitoring and control are essential for quality assurance and consistency of laser-based directed energy deposition processes. Detection of irregularities during deposition in terms of defects or flaws is based on in situ monitoring of output process parameters such as temperature, melt-pool geometry, or deposition height. The real-time feedback of these output parameters allows the development of control strategies for real-time adjustment of input process parameters, such as laser power or scanning speed, to correct detected deviations from the desired output process parameters. Therefore, criteria such as sensitivity, stability, correlation, trends, and interactions of the input-output process parameters have a direct impact on controller design, establishing, for example, control limits or tolerance ranges of the output parameters. This paper focuses on the study of the characteristics of output process parameters to input process parameters. This research involves analyzing and comparing the deposition of single tracks under various input process parameters, including laser power and scanning speed. Melt-pool geometry and temperature are estimated from a visual camera and a hyperspectral line camera, whereas the final deposition geometry is obtained from a laser triangulation scanner. The results show the linearity between input and output process parameters, the steadiness of the output process parameters, the relation between melt-pool and final deposition, and offer insights to design effective in-process control systems.

A contemporary study: Molecular approach to histological analysis of meat products by reverse-transcriptase PCR

Meat and meat products constitute an important part of human diet. Yet, in order to meet consumers' increasing demand for meat products and manufacturers’ demand to lower the expenses, usage of offal tissues in meat products are prevalent as food adulteration. Industrial food processing techniques enable producers hide the tissue texture; therefore, histological analysis methodology often fails to detect the fraud. Here, we present a contemporary and unbiased, molecular approach to traditional histological analysis of meat products by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Our study includes the bioinformatic approach to select relevant transcripts that are expressed only in offal tissues but not in muscle and adipose tissues. The selected transcripts were particularly paid attention to have high expression levels for a higher possibility of being detected in processed meat products. The developed qualitative RT-PCR method was also validated by specificity, sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility parameters.

Improving case-detection of severe wasting among under-five-year-old children in Timor Leste: A secondary analysis of data from the 2020 national cross-sectional food and nutrition survey.

The World Health Organization recommends using weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) <-3 or Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) <115 mm as independent criteria for diagnosing severe wasting. However, there are several challenges in using the WHZ criterion. As a result, the MUAC (and edema)-only approach for identifying children needing treatment for severe wasting has been developed and is being rapidly scaled-up globally, including in Timor-Leste. But previous studies reported that MUAC<115 mm has poor diagnostic accuracy for detecting children with WHZ<-3. The two options being explored globally for improving the identification of these children in MUAC (and edema)-only programming contexts include expanding MUAC cut-off and the combination of the indicators MUAC and Weight-for-Age Z-score (WAZ). This study explored the accuracy for diagnosing severe wasting (WHZ<-3) of these two options in Timor-Leste. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2020 national Timor-Leste Food and Nutrition Survey. We tested the accuracy of various MUAC cut-offs, and predefined case definitions in five age groups (0-5 months, 6-23 months, 24-59 months, 6-59 months, and 0-59 months). We calculated the standard diagnostic test parameters (sensitivity, specificity, Youden Index, and others) and used the Youden Index as the principal criterion for rating the overall level of accuracy. The sample analyzed comprised 11,056 children with complete information on our key variables (anthropometric data, age, and sex), of whom 52.2% were boys. The age groups 0 to 5 months, 6 to 23 months, and 24 to 59 months represented 9.0%, 33.7%, and 57.3% of the sample, respectively. We found that the optimal diagnostic MUAC cut-off varied across the age groups between 117 mm and 142 mm, with the Youden Index remaining < 55% in all the age groups considered. The use of case definitions combing MUAC and WAZ optimized the identification of children with WHZ<-3. The case definition MUAC<130 mm or WAZ<-3 Z-score had the best diagnostic accuracy in all the age groups except for the 0 to 5 months age group for which the case definition MUAC<110 mm or WAZ<-2 Z-score had the highest Youden Index. Our findings show that it is challenging to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy for identifying children with WHZ<-3 by only expanding the MUAC cut-off in under five Timorese children. However, In settings facing challenges in using WHZ, the combination of MUAC and WAZ indicators offers a promising approach. Further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed combination of MUAC and WAZ indicators case definitions in a programmatic context in Timor-Leste, and other similar contexts.

Comparison of different diagnostic methods in infants for differentiating idiopathic neonatal hepatitis from biliary atresia

Background: Biliary atresia (BA) and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) are two most common etiologies of neonatal cholestatic jaundice. It is important to distinguish INH from BA biliary atresia in an infant. The study was conducted to compare of different diagnostic methods in infants in differentiating INH and BA. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology &amp; Nutrition, BSMMU during the period from July 2018 to June 2019 among infants with neonatal cholestasis. Total 50 cholestatitic cases were selected through purposive sampling. A thorough history and physical examination were done and liver enzymes were studied. Abdominal ultrasonography, hepatobiliary scintigraphy and liver biopsy were done in all cases. Clinical parameter and investigational sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic precision were calculated. To diagnose BA and INH, liver biopsy was considered the gold standard. Results: Among the participants, 72% were diagnosed as BA and 28% were INH. More than half of patients were male. There exists significant difference of birth weight and term baby between BA and INH. Presence of persistent pale coloured stool was more commonly seen in patients with BA. Diagnostic accuracy of persistent pale coloured stool, birth weight (normal) and term baby were 94%, 92% &amp; 88% respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of Gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in differentiating cases with BA and INH with cut point of ≥430.0 U/L were 86.1% and 85.7%, respectively. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy is found to have a better sensitivity than ultrasonography. GGT had diagnostic accuracy 86%, hepatobiliary scintigraphy had diagnostic accuracy 88% &amp; USG had diagnostic accuracy 80% for BA and INH. Conclusion: Among the studied clinical parameters persistent pale coloured stool was most accurate to suggest the presence of BA. Serum level of GGT at cut-off value ≥ 430 U/L may be used as a reliable laboratory parameter to differentiate INH and BA. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy found to have a good sensitivity for BA. Positive result of hepatobiliary scintigraphy may be used as BA in infants with cholestasis. JOPSOM 2023; 42(1):14-20

Pore-Scale Simulation of Deep Shale Gas Flow Considering the Dual-Site Langmuir Adsorption Model Based on the Pore Network Model.

As a key resource in the oil and gas sector, shale gas development profoundly influences the advancement of the global energy industry. Deep shale gas reservoirs, typically found at depths exceeding 3500 m, represent a significant portion of total shale gas reserves. Currently, pore network models primarily simulate middle and shallow shale gas, insufficiently addressing the unique challenges posed by high-temperature and high-pressure conditions in deep shale gas formations. There is an urgent need to explore the microscale flow dynamics of deep shale gas. In this work, we use the pore network model to simulate the flow dynamics of deep shale gas, particularly under nanoconfinement conditions. The simulation integrates adsorption, slip flow, Knudsen diffusion, and bulk flow phenomena. Utilizing the dual-site Langmuir adsorption model tailored for high-temperature and high-pressure conditions enhances the accuracy of gas conductivity calculations for the adsorbed phase, thereby reflecting the specific characteristics of deep shale gas reservoirs. Moreover, this research investigates the flow characteristics of deep shale gas under varying sensitivity parameters, such as water saturation, temperature, and pressure. It explores methane flow dynamics, focusing on effective diffusion coefficients and permeability. The modified approach to calculating adsorption phase conductivity using the dual-site Langmuir adsorption model accurately captures the adsorption behaviors and characteristics of deep shale gas reservoirs.

A computational model reveals an early transient decrease in fiber cross-linking that unlocks adult regeneration

The decline in regeneration efficiency after birth in mammals is a significant roadblock for regenerative medicine in tissue repair. We previously developed a computational agent based-model (ABM) that recapitulates mechanical interactions between cells and the extracellular-matrix (ECM), to investigate key drivers of tissue repair in adults. Time calibration alongside a parameter sensitivity analysis of the model suggested that an early and transient decrease in ECM cross-linking guides tissue repair toward regeneration. Consistent with the computational model, transient inhibition or stimulation of fiber cross-linking for the first six days after subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) resection in adult mice led to regenerative or scar healing, respectively. Therefore, this work positions the computational model as a predictive tool for tissue regeneration that with further development will behave as a digital twin of our in vivo model. In addition, it opens new therapeutic approaches targeting ECM cross-linking to induce tissue regeneration in adult mammals.

A petrophysically driven seismic inversion method for the total organic carbon content of source rocks

Organic carbon content is the main index for evaluating organic matter abundance of source rocks, and it is still difficult to quantitatively predict total organic carbon (TOC) in source rocks based on seismic data. The study of seismic fluid identification driven by petrophysics can help to understand the fluid characteristics and distribution patterns of subsurface oil and gas reservoirs. First, this paper clarifies the sweet spot parameters (parameters characterizing hydrocarbon enrichment) and sensitive elastic parameters (a parameter characterizing the nature of an ideal elastic body) of source rocks through theoretical petrophysical modeling. Next, the paper establishes the relationship between sensitive elastic parameters and sweet spot parameters TOC and constructs a statistical petrophysical model that can characterize the relationship between the two on this basis. And then we construct the joint distribution of TOC and elastic impedance through the Bayesian theoretical framework to obtain the maximum posterior probability estimate as the final TOC inversion results of source rocks. Our method successfully predicts the spreading of high-quality source rocks in the Wen4 Section of Lufeng 13 Subsag, and the inversion results are within an uncertainty range of ±14 m for well data, which proves the reliability of the method. The prediction results show that the organic matter abundance of source rocks in the Wen4 Section is high, and the organic carbon content is generally higher than 2%, which provides a reliable basis for the further implementation of the resource scale of the depression and the clarification of the hydrocarbon-rich area, which provides technical support for the evaluation of the source rocks of the new depression in the new area.

Uncertain data density peak clustering algorithm based on JS divergence

Aiming at the defects of traditional density-based uncertainty clustering algorithms, such as parameter sensitivity and poor clustering results for complex manifold uncertain data sets, a new uncertainty data density peak clustering algorithm based on JS divergence (UDPC-JS) is proposed. The algorithm first removes noise points by using the uncertain natural neighbor density factor defined by the uncertain natural neighbor. Secondly, the local density of uncertain data objects is calculated by combining the uncertain natural neighbor and JS divergence. The initial clustering center of the uncertain data set is found by combining the idea of representative points, and the distance between the initial clustering centers is defined based on JS divergence and graph. Then, the decision graph is constructed on the initial clustering center using the local density calculated based on the uncertain natural neighbor and JS divergence and the newly defined distance between the initial clustering centers based on JS divergence and graph, and the final clustering center is selected according to the decision graph. Finally, the unassigned uncertain data objects are assigned to the cluster where their initial clustering center is located. Experimental results show that the algorithm has better clustering effect and accuracy than the comparison algorithm, and has a greater advantage in processing complex manifold uncertain data sets.

Numerical simulation of anti-shatter films (ASF) for mechanical post-breakage analysis of retrofitted glass

Post-breakage strength and residual mechanical capacity improvements are important tasks for load-bearing structural components in general, and even more for glass elements, in order to protect people from injury in case of breakage. For this reason, among others, the design of glass components and structures is based on key concepts that are generally summarized in structural safety, robustness and redundancy. With regard to the last fundamental requirement, nowadays the use of laminated glass (LG) sections is spread for many applications and new projects, such as automotive or aircraft windshields, but especially curtain walls and many other load-bearing applications in buildings. This strategy derives from the intrinsic safety and security levels of LG sections after possible glass breakage. When LGs are not available (i.e., existing components), anti-shatter safety films (ASF) for the retrofit of monolithic glass elements are expected to provide very similar post-breakage structural performances against bending and impact actions, by reducing the possible spread of glass shards. Besides, the residual load-bearing capacity of glass components retrofitted by ASF is still challenging to quantify. In this paper, the Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) theory is considered to investigate, with the support of experiments and Finite Element (FE) numerical models, the performance of small-scale monolithic glass specimens retrofitted by ASF under bending loads. Different ageing procedures and imposed displacement-rates are considered to evaluate the influence of basic operational parameters, such as temperature and humidity, on the mechanical efficiency of common ASF layers. In doing so, the sensitivity of fundamental input parameters (i.e., maximum tensile strength of glass and fracture energy of the ASF adhesive) on the mechanical performance at pre- and post-breakage stages of retrofitted monolithic glass elements is explored.

Potentiometric Electronic Tongue for the Evaluation of Multiple-Unit Pellet Sprinkle Formulations of Rosuvastatin Calcium.

Sprinkle formulations represent an interesting genre of medicinal products. A frequent problem, however, is the need to mask the unpleasant taste of these drug substances. In the present work, we propose the use of a novel sensor array based on solid-state ion-selective electrodes to evaluate the taste-masking efficiency of rosuvastatin (ROS) sprinkle formulations. Eight Multiple Unit Pellet Systems (MUPSs) were analyzed at two different doses (API_50) and (API_10), as well as pure Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) as a bitter standard. Calcium phosphate-based starter pellets were coated with the mixture containing rosuvastatin. Some of them were additionally coated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, which was intended to separate the bitter substance and prevent it from coming into contact with the taste buds. The sensor array consisted of 16 prepared sensors with a polymer membrane that had a different selectivity towards rosuvastatin calcium. The main analytical parameters (sensitivity, selectivity, response time, pH dependence of potential, drift of potential, lifetime) of the constructed ion-selective electrodes sensitive for rosuvastatin were determined. The signals from the sensors array recorded during the experiments were processed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results obtained, i.e., the chemical images of the pharmaceutical samples, indicated that the electronic tongue composed of the developed solid-state electrodes provided respective attributes as sensor signals, enabling both of various kinds of ROS pellets to be distinguished and their similarity to ROS bitterness standards to be tested.

Prognostic Role of Temperature Oxygenation Perfusion Sugar (TOPS) score in Outborn Transported Neonates in a Tertiary Care Center—A Prospective Cohort Study

Background Neonatal outcomes are affected by the acute physiologic derangements of neonatal vitals, such as temperature, blood sugar (GRBS), perfusion, and oxygenation. The aim was to correlate the temperature oxygenation perfusion sugar (TOPS) score of outborn neonates transported with the morbidity and mortality during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods Five hundred transported neonates were enrolled in this prospective cohort study by scoring TOPS vitals within an hour of NICU admission, and the outcomes were assessed after 72 hours of hospitalization. Results Among 500 neonates, hypoglycemia, hypoperfusion, hypoxemia, and hypothermia were found in 13%, 32%, 30%, and 37%, respectively. One hundred five (21%) neonates did not survive. Hypoxemia (82%) was the most common parameter, followed by hypoperfusion (78%) among the nonsurvivor neonates. Neonates with a TOPS score of zero survived, whereas neonates with a TOPS score of four had 100% mortality. TOPS SCORE’s overall sensitivity and specificity were reported at 87% and 84%, respectively, with 59% positive and 96% negative predictive values. TOPS score ≥2 had a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve at 0.91. Hypoxemia (82%) was the most sensitive parameter to predict mortality, followed by poor perfusion (77%). Conclusion The prognostication of mortality in transported neonates can be assessed by the TOPS score, as mortality notably increases with an increase in the TOPS score. A TOPS score of ≥2 was a good predictor of morbidity and mortality in transported neonates.

Adaptive neural network backstepping control for the magnetorheological semi-active air suspension system with uncertain mass and time-varying input delay

Aiming at rejecting external disturbance induced by the random road profile, this paper proposes an adaptive robust control strategy to address the control problem of semi-active air suspension system installed with magnetorheological dampers (MRD) for enhancing ride comfort and handling performance. To effectively depict the inherent nonlinear dynamics of the adjustable air spring, a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) model is trained by the experimental data offline, and an adaptive learning algorithm is introduced to maintain the modeling accuracy. Moreover, to handle the prevalent sensitive parameter variation (such as sprung mass), a nonlinear estimator is designed to estimate the uncertain sprung mass. Furthermore, a delay compensator is integrated into the control law to mitigate the impact of the time-varying input delay caused by the actuator of MRD to restrain the chattering phenomena. Additionally, the stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously proven by employing a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, guaranteeing the boundedness of both tracking error and estimation error. Simulation results are displayed and analyzed, illustrating the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed control strategy in depressing the sprung mass acceleration and tire deflection, showing its significance in both control performance enhancement and chattering elimination.

Quantitative Analysis about the Spatial Heterogeneity of Water Conservation Services Function Using a Space–Time Cube Constructed Based on Ecosystem and Soil Types

Precisely delineating the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of water conservation services function (WCF) holds paramount importance for watershed management. However, the existing assessment techniques exhibit common limitations, such as utilizing only multi-year average values for spatial changes and relying solely on the spatial average values for temporal changes. Moreover, traditional research does not encompass all WCF values at each time step and spatial grid, hindering quantitative analysis of spatial heterogeneity in WCF. This study addresses these limitations by utilizing an improved water balance model based on ecosystem type and soil type (ESM-WBM) and employing the EFAST and Sobol’ method for parameter sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, a space–time cube of WCF, constructed using remote-sensing data, is further explored by Emerging Hot Spot Analysis for the expression of WCF spatial heterogeneity. Additionally, this study investigates the impact of two core parameters: neighborhood distance and spatial relationship conceptualization type. The results reveal that (1) the ESM-WBM model demonstrates high sensitivity toward ecosystem types and soil data, facilitating the accurate assessment of the impacts of ecosystem and soil pattern alterations on WCF; (2) the EHSA categorizes WCF into 17 patterns, which in turn allows for adjustments to ecological compensation policies in related areas based on each pattern; and (3) neighborhood distance and the type of spatial relationships conceptualization significantly impacts the results of EHSA. In conclusion, this study offers references for analyzing the spatial heterogeneity of WCF, providing a theoretical foundation for regional water resource management and ecological restoration policies with tailored strategies.

The influence of changes in the economy structure on social sustainability in developing countries—A spatial approach

AbstractThis research presents an analysis of the influence of changes in the economy structure on social sustainability in developing countries. In this paper, this relationship is considered on a macroeconomic scale. The research utilises data from 98 selected developing countries located in Europe, Asia, Americas, and Africa from 2013 to 2020. The social conditions in developing countries, particularly located in Africa (due to health and hunger problems), are extensively discussed. The main goal of the study is to compare whether the economy servitisation in Africa affects same on the social sustainability as in the countries situated on other continents. This study describes social sustainability using selected determinants outlined in the first, second, and third goals of sustainable development (SD) formulated by the United Nations—SDG1 (no poverty), SDG2 (zero hunger), and SDG3 (good health and well‐being). The level of social sustainability is evaluated using a synthetic measure by Perkal. Moreover, spatio‐temporal sensitivity models are estimated and verified. The sensitivity parameter in these models demonstrates the impact of progress in the servitisation process on social sustainability. Furthermore, this connection is considered within separate groups of countries that are divided into four clusters depending on the continent on which they are located. The analysis presents that in the African countries the social conditions are the worst, but focus on the economy servitisation there can rapidly improve this situation. This results from the most sensitive social sustainability in the African countries caused by the economy servitisation.

Assessing Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution in a Rapidly Urbanizing River Basin Using a Modified DRASTIC Land Use–Lineament Density Method

ABSTRACTGroundwater quality assessment is crucial for ensuring safe drinking water, protecting public health, and maintaining sustainable water resources for agricultural and industrial uses. The Awash River basin faces significant groundwater quality challenges due to rapid population growth, high urbanization, large‐scale irrigation, and industrial pollution. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the intrinsic vulnerability of aquifers to pollution in the Awash Basin and identify hotspots requiring urgent intervention using a modified DRASTIC overlay analysis method. In addition to the seven parameters considered in the generic DRASTIC overlay analysis (depth to the water table, recharge, aquifer media, slope, soil media, vadose zone, and hydraulic conductivity), we incorporated land use/land‐cover (LULC) and lineament density (LD) distributions (DRASTIC‐LU‐LD). This modification allowed us to produce more realistic groundwater vulnerability maps for the basin. To identify the most influential parameters in the overlay, sensitivity analysis was conducted using Map Removal Sensitivity Analysis (MRSA) and Single Parameter Sensitivity Analysis (SPSA). Initially, the generic DRASTIC index in the area ranges from 69 to 181, categorizing the area into four vulnerability zones: very low (21%), low (51%), medium (27%), and high (1%). After incorporating LU and LD, the index values ranged from 90 to 240. Based on the percentage of the total area studied, the inclusion of LU decreased the very low and low vulnerability zones from 72% to 44% and the inclusion of LD increased the high‐ and very‐high‐vulnerability zones from 14% to 27%. The areas most vulnerable to groundwater pollution are in the western (upper Awash), middle Awash, and northwestern regions, particularly in city centers where groundwater abstraction is significant. These high‐vulnerability zones coincide with municipal, industrial, and agricultural pollution sources. The vadose zone parameter has the highest impact in both MRSA and SPSA, with a variation index value of 3.08% and a mean effective weight of 27.93%, respectively. By identifying areas vulnerable to groundwater pollution, this study provides a valuable basis for informed decision‐making and the development of effective strategies for protecting groundwater from urban, industrial, and agricultural pollution sources.

The efect of low-dose gamma radiation on the development of plants from irradiated Pisum sativum sprouts in laboratory experiments

The problem of radiation exposure to organisms is relevant for areas where nuclear industry enterprises are located. Plant biotests are widely used for biotesting of anthropogenic factors affecting the environment, including radiation. The sensitivity of growth and cytogenetic parameters of the biotest based on Pisum sativum to the action of gamma irradiation n has been shown before, but only at high doses. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of low-dose gamma irradiation on the development of Pisum sativum over 6-10 days after irradiating the sprouts. In the experiments, seeds of the Radomir sowing variety from the collection of the pea breeding laboratory of Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Agriculture - Federal Research Centre Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center SB RAS were used. Pea sprouts were irradiated with a 137Cs source for 24 and 72 hours, with the absorbed dose being 20 and 62 mGy. After irradiation, the sprouts were grown in a climatic chamber on hydroponics for 10 days (240 hours). The control consisted of non-irradiated sprouts grown under identical conditions. The experiments for the first time provided reliable data on the negative effects of gamma irradiation (20 and 62 mGy) on the development of sowing peas 6-10 days after irradiation. A negative effect of gamma irradiation on the growth of the main and lateral roots of young plants was revealed. The experiments with irradiated pea sprouts confirmed the previously known fact that plant roots are more sensitive to irradiation compared to shoots. The pattern of change in the length of the main root of peas over time during germination at a dose of 20 mGy is described by a linear equation, while for a higher dose of irradiation, 62 mGy, the data can be approximated by a logarithmic equation with saturation. The different character of root length dependence on the time of cultivation after irradiation indicates a possible trend in plant growth under various doses of irradiation and cultivation times.