Expenditure Of Resources Research Articles

Optimization of dynamic characteristics of the hydraulic drive system of the cultivator

Enhancement of technological processes’ efficiency in agriculture can be achieved through the optimization of technological, structural, and performance characteristics of agricultural machinery. Modern machinery should have high productivity rate, ease of operation, high level of standardization and minimal expenditures of energy resources. The paper gives examples of the implementation of flow-dividing valves for the maintenance of the requested level of synchronization in the hydraulic drive of the agricultural equipment using the example of folding cultivator. The improved calculation hydraulic model of the cultivator and scheme of throttling flow-driving valve of non-spool type with plunger setting device are presented. The article gives the numerical scheme of the hydromechanical drive system of the cultivator which gives consideration to the volume coefficient of stiffness. It contributes to the exact accuracy of calculations and analysis.

Общественное здоровье и демографическое развитие Азиатской России

Abstract. Relevance. In the regions of Asian Russia, there are problems and contradictions in the development of the social sphere, differentiation of urban and rural settlements in terms of infrastructure provision and transport accessibility. Achieving social sustainability of the territories of Asian Russia is the most important condition for the long-term crisis-free development of these territories, maintaining national security and ensuring the national interests of the country. Problems of assessing public health, the effectiveness of the health care system, and demographic development are of particular importance and relevance at the present time. The aim and objectives. As a result, the development of methodological tools for assessing public health, the level of health care development, and demographic development in the regions of Asian Russia became the goal of this study.The objectives of the study included a generalization of Russian and foreign practice in assessing public health, as well as the development of tools for multi-criteria assessment of public health and the level of healthcare development in the regions of Russia based on integral indicators of the effectiveness and resource availability of the healthcare system. Materials and methods. In this study, the authors consider public health as an economic category that reflects the expenditures of the country's economic resources allocated to the protection of public health and the effectiveness of the state policy of the state aimed at protecting public health. As the main indicators characterizing public health, the indicators of healthy life expectancy, total fertility rate, infant mortality rate, mortality rate of the working-age population are defined. Results. The results of the public health assessment indicate that 18 regions of Asian Russia, or two thirds, are characterized by a low level of health system performance in terms of healthy lifestyle expectancy, fertility and mortality rates. A low level of resource provision of the healthcare system is observed in half of the territories, or 14 regions of Asian Russia. Conclusion. As recent experience in the fight against COVID-19 has shown, despite the effective work of all medical organizations and the dedicated work of the country’s medical workers, all the problems that have existed for a long time in the development of the infrastructure of both the healthcare system and other sectors of the country’s social sphere have emerged. There is a general understanding that the infrastructural development of any territory of vast Russia must be carried out according to modern standards and requirements, regardless of its geographical location and administrative status.

Healthcare Resource Use and Costs Among Individuals with Vitiligo and Psychosocial Comorbidities: Retrospective Analysis of an Insured US Population.

This study aimed to describe healthcare resource utilization and costs among individuals with vitiligo who were diagnosed with ≥1 psychosocial comorbidity, using data from US claims databases. A retrospective, observational cohort analysis of the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare supplemental claims databases for US individuals with vitiligo aged ≥12 years and a first vitiligo claim between January 1 and December 31, 2018, was undertaken to assess psychosocial burden, including mental and behavioral health comorbidities. Of the 12,427 individuals included in the analysis, nearly 1 in 4 (23.5%) who had vitiligo were also diagnosed with ≥1 psychosocial comorbidity. A greater percentage of these individuals versus those who were not diagnosed with a psychosocial comorbidity had a vitiligo-related prescription claim (50.2% vs 45.4%; P<0.0001), especially for oral corticosteroids (25.4% vs 16.6%; P<0.0001) and low-potency topical corticosteroids (9.0% vs 7.6%; P<0.05). Total vitiligo-related healthcare resource utilization and costs were consistent among individuals with and without psychosocial comorbidity despite significantly (P<0.05) higher vitiligo-related ER visit utilization and expenditure among those with psychosocial comorbidity. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with vitiligo and ≥1 psychosocial comorbidity had significantly (P<0.0001) greater utilization of all-cause mean prescription claims (25.0 vs 12.8), outpatient services (other than physician and ER visits: 19.5 vs 11.3), outpatient physician visits (10.1 vs 6.4), inpatient stays (0.6 vs 0.1), and ER visits (0.4 vs 0.2) and incurred significantly higher mean (SD) direct medical expenditures ($18,804 [$46,621] vs $9833 [$29,094] per patient per year; P<0.0001). Individuals with vitiligo who were diagnosed with ≥1 psychosocial comorbidity incurred greater total all-cause but not vitiligo-related healthcare resource utilization and expenditures than those without diagnosis of psychosocial comorbidities. Identification of psychosocial comorbidities in individuals with vitiligo may be important for multidisciplinary management of vitiligo to reduce overall burden for individuals with vitiligo.

Value-driven industry transformation: Leveraging open-source to establish new standards

Traditional industries face growing pressure to digitally transform. In particular, established organizations must adopt new mindsets and act to remain competitive. To counter the challenges posed by monopolies and new entrants in a diverse and fiercely competitive landscape like Logistics, the Open Logistics Foundation (OLF) plays a pivotal role. It aims at fostering the development of logistics-specific open-source-software (OSS) to establish new digital services setting industry standards and ensuring enhanced connectivity and compatibility. The OLF represents an expanding core-community of dedicated logistics organizations. This core-community collaboratively identifies, selects, and develops relevant OSS for upcoming value-serving digital services and solutions. What sets this approach apart is its departure from the traditional solution-oriented open-source model. Instead of concluding with an OSS community, it starts with a dedicated core-community aiming at setting new widely adopted standards. However, even with this standard-driven approach, designing the right solution can be as challenging as finding a unicorn. To enhance the likelihood of success, this paper designed and evaluated the Minimum Viable core-Community driven Open-Source method (MV-COS). The MV-COS offers a comprehensive and standardized support allowing to holistically craft the vision, stakeholder-specific value propositions, and the corresponding implementation strategy of OSS projects. It prioritizes the early design and assessment of its likelihood to attract and align a critical mass of users which is the fundamental requirement for establishing new de-facto standards. The MV-COS enables to fail fast and iterate early, avoiding the unnecessary expenditure of resources.

Analysis of approaches to creating a «Smart Greenhouse» system based on a neural network

The study addresses the crucial topic of designing and implementing smart systems in agricultural production, focusing on the development of a "Smart Greenhouse" utilizing neural networks. It thoroughly examines key technological innovations and their role in sustainable agriculture, emphasizing the collection, processing, and analysis of data to enhance plant growth conditions. The research highlights the efficiency of resource use, management of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and lighting, as well as the automation of irrigation and fertilization. Special attention is given to developing adaptive algorithms for predicting optimal conditions that increase crop yield and quality while reducing environmental impact and costs. This opens new avenues for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector, promoting more efficient and environmentally friendly farming practices. Utilizing a literature review, comparative analysis of existing solutions, and neural network simulations for predicting optimal growing conditions, the study makes a significant contribution to applying artificial intelligence for greenhouse microclimate management. It explores the potential of AI in predicting and optimizing growing conditions, potentially leading to revolutionary changes in agriculture. The research identifies scientific innovations, including the development and testing of predictive algorithms that adapt to changing external conditions, maximizing productivity with minimal resource expenditure. The findings emphasize the importance of further studying and implementing smart systems in agriculture, highlighting their potential to increase yield and improve product quality while reducing environmental impact. In conclusion, the article assesses the prospects of neural networks in the agricultural sector and explores possible directions for the further development of "Smart Greenhouses".

Оценка перспектив рождаемости в России при условии государственного стимулирования прародительского труда

The study develops and implements a methodology for assessing the prospects for increasing the birth rate, subject to state incentives for grandparental labor. This is understood as the activity of grandparents, during which the care and development of grandchildren are carried out and which is accompanied by the time costs of the grandparents, which, in turn, reduce the corres­ponding costs of parents for the implementation of parental labor. Grandparental labor has a certain content, it is associated with the expenditure of time and other resources of the progenitors, its activation implies a set of social, economic, demographic effects, one of which may be an increase&#x0D; in the birth rate. We have developed a methodology for assessing such an effect under the condition of state stimulation of grandparental labor. Data collected during surveys of two categories of the population – parents and grandparents with children and grandchildren under the age of 12, respectively, were used as sources of information. The surveys were conducted in the Sverdlovsk Region in the summer of 2021. The main results of the analysis are as follows: a methodology has been developed that allows us to obtain quantitative estimates of the prospects for the growth of the Russian birth rate, subject to state incentives for the parental work of grandparents; partial testing of the developed methodology has allowed us to obtain estimates that allow us to positively assess the prospects for the growth of the Russian birth rate in the first approximation, subject to state incentives for the parental work of grandparents in relation to their grandchildren. The results of the study provide an opportunity to get a more complete picture of the effects of activating and introducing incentives for grandparental labor, create a basis for improving the indicators and measures of the federal project «Older Generation» of the national project «Demography».

From Scientific Research to Practical Implementations: Applications to Improve Data Quality in Child Welfare.

Child welfare decisions have life-impacting consequences which, often times, are underpinned by limited or inadequate data and poor quality. Though research of data quality has gained popularity and made advancements in various practical areas, it has not made significant inroads for child welfare fields or data systems. Poor data quality can hinder service decision-making, impacting child behavioral health and well-being as well as increasing unnecessary expenditure of time and resources. Poor data quality can also undermine the validity of research and slow policymaking processes. The purpose of this commentary is to summarize the data quality research base in other fields, describe obstacles and uniqueness to improve data quality in child welfare, and propose necessary steps to scientific research and practical implementation that enables researchers and practitioners to improve the quality of child welfare services based on the enhanced quality of data.

АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ВОПРОСЫ РАЗВИТИЯ АРКТИЧЕСКОЙ ЗОНЫ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

The article examines the current issues of uneven socio-economic development of the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and proposes a number of measures aimed at solving them, in particular, the creation of Arctic interindustry balances, strengthening control over the expenditure of financial resources as a factor in the accelerated development of the Arctic region, establishing the procedure for the functioning of non-residents in the Russian Arctic, uniting companies into ecosystems.

Resuscitative Thoracotomy for Traumatic Cardiac Arrest: Potential Impact of Resource Constraint on Outcomes and Blood Product Utilization

IntroductionResuscitative thoracotomy (RT) in the setting of traumatic arrest serves as a vital but resource-intensive intervention. The COVID-19 pandemic has created critical shortages, sharpening the focus on efficient resource utilization. This study aims to compare RT performance and blood product utilization before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for patients in traumatic cardiac arrest. MethodsAll patients undergoing RT for traumatic cardiac arrest in the emergency department at our American College of Surgeons–verified Level 1 trauma center (August 01, 2017-July 31, 2022) were included in this retrospective observational study. Study groups were dichotomized into pre-COVID (before October 03, 2020) versus COVID (from October 03, 2020 on) based on patient arrival date demographics, clinical/injury data, and outcomes were collected. The primary outcome was blood product transfusion <4 h after presentation. Results445 RTs (2% of 23,488 trauma encounters) were performed over the study period: Pre-COVID, n = 209 (2%) versus COVID, n = 236 (2%) (P = 0.697). Survival to discharge was equivalent Pre-COVID versus COVID (n = 22, 11% versus n = 21, 9%, P = 0.562). RT patients during COVID consumed a median of 1 unit less packed red blood cells at the 4 h measurement (3.0 [1.8-7.0] versus 3.9 [2.0-10.0] units, P = 0.012) and 1 unit less of platelets at the 4 h measurement (4.3 [2.6-10.0] versus 5.7 [2.9-14.4] units, P = 0.012) compared to Pre-COVID. These findings were persistent after performing multivariable negative binomial regression. ConclusionsRates of RT and survival after RT remained consistent during the pandemic. Despite comparable RT frequency, packed red blood cells and platelet transfusions were reduced, likely reflecting resource expenditure minimization during the severe blood shortages that occurred during the pandemic. RT performance for patients in traumatic arrest may, therefore, be feasible during global pandemics at prepandemic frequencies as long as particular attention is paid to resource expenditure.

Кинетические характеристики процесса регенерационной утилизации отработанного раствора химического никелирования

Galvanic production in terms of the degree of negative impact on the environment occupies a leading position in the global industrial production; therefore, the introduction of regenerative recycling technology is receiving increasing attention. The aim of the present work is to determine the kinetic characteristics of the precipitation reaction in a solution of nickel sulfate with sodium hydroxide to develop a technology for the regeneration utilization of spent solutions of chemical nickel plating (SCNPS). The object of the study was the spent solution of chemical nickel plating of one of the industrial enterprises of Izhevsk. The experiment was carried out in the temperature range 293–333 K at various concentrations of sodium hydroxide (1.25–2.60 M) and nickel sulfate (0.037–0.06 M). To determine the order of the reaction, we plot graphs in the coordinates lg w – lg C(Ni) using the experimental data, where w is the reaction rate. The tangent of the slope of the obtained linear dependences with a high degree of approximation (R2 = 0.98) is close to 2, therefore, the order of the reaction of the deposition of SCNPS with sodium hydroxide is second. With a graphical method for determining the rate constant of a second-order reaction for the dependence 1/С = f(t), the tangent of the slope of the straight line corresponds to the calculated parameter. In the investigated temperature range the rate constant takes values from 5·10-4 to 9·10-4 dm3·mol-1·s-1. The activation energy of the precipitation reaction, determined by the Arrhenius equation by graphic and calculation methods, is 16.57 kJ·mol-1 and 16.44 kJ·mol-1, respectively. The low values of Ea indicate a weak dependence of the reaction rate on temperature. Consequently, the introduction of the technology for the regeneration utilization of SCNPS will not entail large expenditures of energy resources for heating the reaction masses.

Application of ventilator-associated events (VAE) in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) notified in Brazil (IMPACTO MR-PAV): a protocol for a cohort study

IntroductionCertain criteria for ventilator-associated events (VAE) definition might influence the type of an event, its detection rate and consequently the resource expenditure in intensive care unit. The Impact of Infections...

Low-Molecular Thiols as a Factor Improving the Sensitivity of Escherichia coli Mutants with Impaired ADP–Heptose Synthesis to Antibiotics

—Low molecular-weight thiols as glutathione and cysteine are an important part of the cell’s redox regulation system. Previously, we have shown that inactivation of ADP-heptose synthesis in Escherichiacoli with a gmhA deletion induces the oxidative stress. It is accompanied by rearrangement of thiol homeostasis and increased sensitivity to antibiotics. In our study, we found that restriction of cysteine metabolism (∆cysB and ∆cysE) and inhibition of glutathione synthesis (∆gshAB) lead to a decrease in the sensitivity of the ∆gmhA mutant to antibiotics but not to its expected increase. At the same time, blocking of the export of cysteine (∆eamA) or increasing import (Ptet-tcyP) into cells of the oxidized form of cysteine–cystine leads to an even greater increase in the sensitivity of gmhA-deleted cells to antibiotics. In addition, there is no correlation between the cytotoxic effect of antibiotics and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the total pool of thiols, or the viability of the initial cell population. However, a correlation between the sensitivity to antibiotics and the level of oxidized glutathione in cells was found in our study. Apparently, a decrease in the content of low-molecular-weight thiols saves NADPH equivalents and limits the processes of protein redox modification. This leads to increasing of resistance of the ∆gmhA strain to antibiotics. An increase in low-molecular-weight thiols levels requires a greater expenditure of cell resources, leads to an increase in oxidized glutathione and induces to greater increase in sensitivity of the ∆gmhA strain to antibiotics.

Money in Electoral Campaigns: The Relationship between Money and Politics as a Cause of the Judicialization of Electoral Processes in Brazil

The electoral court is a specialized branch of the Brazilian judiciary that not only organizes and regulates elections in the country but also resolves conflicts between political actors involved in the electoral process. The (mis)use of money in electoral campaigns is one of the causes of the judicialization of electoral processes in Brazil. In fact, among many other reasons, such judicialization can occur when actors in the electoral process (candidates, parties, and party coalitions) are accused, either by their opponents and/or by the Electoral Public Prosecutor’s Office, of irregularities such as abuse of economic power, illegal fundraising or expenditure of electoral resources, electoral corruption, or falsification of the campaign’s accounting records. Through the study of electoral lawsuits filed between 2008 and 2016 against mayoral candidates, this work has two objectives: (i) to dimension the importance of the relationship between money and politics as a cause of the judicialization of electoral processes in Brazilian local elections and (ii) to characterize the candidates that appear as defendants in electoral lawsuits filed by that cause.

Harnessing redox proteomics to study metabolic regulation and stress response in lignin-fed Rhodococci

BackgroundRhodococci are studied for their bacterial ligninolytic capabilities and proclivity to accumulate lipids. Lignin utilization is a resource intensive process requiring a variety of redox active enzymes and cofactors for degradation as well as defense against the resulting toxic byproducts and oxidative conditions. Studying enzyme expression and regulation between carbon sources will help decode the metabolic rewiring that stymies lignin to lipid conversion in these bacteria. Herein, a redox proteomics approach was applied to investigate a fundamental driver of carbon catabolism and lipid anabolism: redox balance.ResultsA consortium of Rhodococcus strains was employed in this study given its higher capacity for lignin degradation compared to monocultures. This consortium was grown on glucose vs. lignin under nitrogen limitation to study the importance of redox balance as it relates to nutrient availability. A modified bottom–up proteomics workflow was harnessed to acquire a general relationship between protein abundance and protein redox states. Global proteomics results affirm differential expression of enzymes involved in sugar metabolism vs. those involved in lignin degradation and aromatics metabolism. As reported previously, several enzymes in the lipid biosynthetic pathways were downregulated, whereas many involved in β-oxidation were upregulated. Interestingly, proteins involved in oxidative stress response were also upregulated perhaps in response to lignin degradation and aromatics catabolism, which require oxygen and reactive oxygen species and generate toxic byproducts. Enzymes displaying little-to-no change in abundance but differences in redox state were observed in various pathways for carbon utilization (e.g., β‑ketoadipate pathway), lipid metabolism, as well as nitrogen metabolism (e.g., purine scavenging/synthesis), suggesting potential mechanisms of redox-dependent regulation of metabolism.ConclusionsEfficient lipid production requires a steady carbon and energy flux while balancing fundamental requirements for enzyme production and cell maintenance. For lignin, we theorize that this balance is difficult to establish due to resource expenditure for enzyme production and stress response. This is supported by significant changes to protein abundances and protein cysteine oxidation in various metabolic pathways and redox processes.

Awareness of Spontaneous Urban Vegetation: Significance of Social Media-Based Public Psychogeography in Promoting Community Climate-Resilient Construction: A Technical Note

Traditional urban green spaces offer numerous benefits to the environment and residents, but their high social resource expenditure on exploitation and maintenance makes them insufficient to face the threats of global climate change and the rapid pace of urbanization, further raising numerous other socio-environmental issues. Spontaneous urban plants have a superior ability to mitigate urban environmental crises due to their ability to maintain urban biodiversity and provide ecological benefits with minor cost and effort of maintenance. However, these values are often overshadowed by their stigmatized image and aesthetic characteristics that are not widely appreciated by the general public. To promote the future utilization of spontaneous plants at the community level, this study explores how, from the perspective of individual psychology, aesthetic appreciation of spontaneous plants can serve as a pivotal element in motivating environmental participation, thereby fostering urban resilience. Public psychogeography, with its focus on the emotional and behavioral interactions between individuals and their urban environments, can be instrumental in promoting community climate resilience by enhancing place attachment and inspiring collective action towards sustainable urban living. Through study, the project conducted by Future Green Studio, based in New York City, raised public interest and awareness based on psychogeography theory and presented a way of using social media posts, not only as a reflection of the public’s aesthetic appreciation of spontaneous urban plants but also as a data collection instrument of their geo-location and ecological properties. The result of the social media engagement activities enabled the establishment of a growing interactive digital open database, covering all of New York City. This database succeeded due to its efficient data collection methods, which resulted in more robust stakeholder engagement as compared to conventional community engagement efforts. The research argues that when residents are empowered to document and learn about their environment, they can become active agents in the creation of sustainable, resilient, and aesthetically enriched urban ecosystems. The success of this initiative offers a replicable model for other cities and demonstrates the potential for collaborative efforts in environmental restoration and education.

Features of creating an interactive mapping web application for the analysis of space images

In the era of the high level of technological achievements of remote sensing of the Earth and the high level of development of web cartography, interactive web applications for the analysis of data of remote sensing of the Earth are gaining more and more popularity. Considering the large amount of space image data, and the complexity and heterogeneity of the analysis tools that need to be developed, the question arises of quickly and efficiently creating an interactive web application for the analysis of space images that will help scientists monitor and study changes in the Earth's surface and predict optimal ways of territory development with minimal expenditure of time and resources. In solving such a question, the specialized web platform Google Earth Engine (GEE) can help. The purpose of the article is to highlight the characteristics and advantages of the GEE platform by creating an interactive web application using the example of analyzing changes in the NDVI index. Analyzing GEE allows us to conclude that this web-platform provides a comprehensive solution for creating interactive cartographic web applications for the analysis of space images with a built-in IDE. It will help to significantly reduce development time and costs, allowing for quick and efficient analysis of Earth remote sensing data.

Impact of the new European medical device regulation: a two-year comparison.

In recent years, the European Union has revised its regulatory framework for medical devices, primarily to improve patient safety and public health. The Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is fully applicable since May 2021, strengthening the requirements for all stakeholders. As a result, many companies are facing enormous challenges. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the MDR on the orthopaedic aids industry. Two surveys were conducted: one shortly before the MDR became applicable (146 respondents) and a second survey almost two years later (233 respondents). Both surveys revealed that all businesses in the orthopaedic aids sector, regardless of size, have difficulty implementing the MDR. Key challenges include additional workload for technical documentation, increased resource expenditure and cost, and lack of clarity regarding the new requirements. Many companies are downsizing their product portfolio, resulting in potential supply shortages and a loss of competitive advantage and innovation for the medical device industry in Europe. The full extent of the MDR's impact on clinical practice is still unclear. However, many companies lack the necessary resources. The MDR can potentially be a bottleneck in the availability of medical devices.

Low-Molecular Thiols as a Factor Improving the Sensitivity of &lt;i&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/i&gt; Mutants with Impaired Synthesis ADP-Heptose to Antibiotics

Low molecular weight thiols as glutathione and cysteine are an important part of the cell’s redox regulation system. Previously, we have shown that inactivation of ADP-heptose synthesis in Escherichia coli during gmhA deletion induces the oxidative stress. It is accompanied by rearrangement of thiol homeostasis and increased sensitivity to antibiotics. In our study, we found that restriction of cysteine metabolism (∆cysB and ∆cysE) and inhibition of glutathione synthesis (∆gshAB) lead to a decrease in the sensitivity of the ∆gmhA mutant to antibiotics but not to its expected increase. At the same time, blocking of the export of cysteine (∆eamA) or increasing the of the import (Ptet-tcyP) into cells of oxidized form of cysteine -cystine leads to an even greater increase in the sensitivity of gmhA-deleted cells to antibiotics. In addition, there is no correlation between the cytotoxic effect of antibiotics and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the total pool of thiols or the viability of the initial cell population. However, a correlation between the sensitivity to antibiotics and the level of oxidized glutathione in cells was found in our study. Apparently, a decrease in the content of low molecular weight thiols saves NADPH equivalents and limits the processes of protein redox modification. It leads to increasing of resistance of the ∆gmhA strain to antibiotics. On the contrary, an increase in low molecular weight thiols levels requires a greater expenditure of cell resources, leads to an increase in oxidized glutathione and induces to greater increase in sensitivity of the ∆gmhA strain to antibiotics.

Improving the scientific and methodological apparatus for determining the optimum strategy when selecting a grouping element for performing the task

The object of this study is the process of determining the optimal strategy for choosing a certain element of the grouping to perform a certain task. The problem solved was the contradiction between the need to take into account various types of adverse conditions when determining the optimal strategy for assigning a certain type of forces and means for a certain task to the existing approach to maximizing the result. The improved scientific and methodical apparatus includes optimal selection criteria and an improved procedure for optimal selection of a certain grouping element. Existing approaches to the selection of optimal strategies for assigning forces and means to perform tasks were analyzed, in particular the criteria of Wald, Hurwitz, and Savage. The peculiarity of this analysis is the examination of the criteria in view of the types of adverse conditions they take into account. The application of these criteria will make it possible to take into account the conditions of uncertainty of the input data and minimize the influence of adverse conditions during distribution. The field of practical use of the analysis results is management processes during preparation for the operation. A procedure of optimal selection of a certain element of the grouping for the performance of a certain task has been improved by using several criteria for choosing the optimal strategy and harmonizing the results of this selection in accordance with the conditions. The proposed procedure guarantees the performance of tasks, and the increase in the value of the objective function can reach 40 %. A feature of the proposed procedure is that the result of choosing the optimal strategy is determined according to the conditions of a certain operation and takes into account various types of adverse conditions. This makes it possible to take into account the factors that significantly affect the uncertainty and minimize the expenditure of resources when performing a certain set of combat tasks. The scope of practical use of the methodology is the process of planning and allocation of forces and means among tasks in the operation.

Predicting Superficial Surgical Site Infections: A Study of the Risk Factors and an Assessment Scale From Western India.

Introduction Superficial surgical site infections (SSSIs) are very common nosocomial infections that can complicate a range of surgeries, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, and an overall decreased benefit of surgical interventions, along with exorbitant expenditure of healthcare resources. An assessment scale could help in the segregation of the high-risk patient population, and appropriate resources could be directed toward them. Methods A prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Western India with 200 participants. Certain probable preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors for SSSIs were assessed for significance of association, and each patient was given a score according to the assessment scale. The predictive power of the scale was calculated. Results Body mass index (BMI), preoperative laboratory investigations, and preoperative hospital stay showed a significant association with the complication. Clean-contaminated wounds had a higher incidence of postoperative SSSIs as compared to clean wounds. Postoperatively, fever and the presence of open drains predisposed the patient to complications. The assessment scale was found to have a positive predictive value of 40.94% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 86.30%. Conclusion The factors that could significantly prevent the development of SSSIs are normal preoperative laboratory investigations, less than three days of preoperative hospital stay, and avoiding the use of open drains. The high NPV of the assessment scale means that it can be used as a screening tool to segregate high-risk patients.