Synthetic Indicator Research Articles

Red cabbage extract-mediated colorimetric sensor for swift, sensitive and economic detection of urease-positive bacteria by naked eye and Smartphone platform

The bacterial pathogens have caused various serious infectious diseases in the human body, and even some threats to human life by leading to deaths. Enterobacteriaceae species especially urease positive ones, Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), show resistance to antibiotics and cause respiratory and urinary tract infections. We have developed natural indicator-incorporated colorimetric urease tests with a naked eye and smartphone readout to rapidly, sensitively and economically detect P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae. We utilized anthocyanin found as a predominant component in red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) extract as a natural pH indicator instead of toxic and synthetic indicators. As a mechanistic explanation for the detection of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae, urease enzymes secreted from the P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae hydrolyze urea to produce ammonia (NH3), which increases the pH value of the reaction environment and leads to deprotonation from anthocyanins. The changes in the molecular structure and electronic structure of anthocyanins are responsible for revealing many different colors. We demonstrated how some reaction parameters including the concentration of the bacteria (colony-forming unit, CFU), the concentration of anthocyanin in the tests, initial color and pH values (pHs) of the tests influence their detection performance. We further developed a 3D-printed smartphone platform with smartphone based digital image processing software to improve the detection limit and shorten the detection time. We claim that natural indicator-incorporated rapid urease tests providing colorimetric readout evaluated by the human eye and smartphone imaging processing has great potential in practical use and they can be implemented in clinics.

The effect of high-speed rail connectivity and accessibility on tourism seasonality

The improvement of regional transport connectivity and accessibility is a key determinant of tourism demand. This paper evaluates whether high-speed rail (HSR) connectivity and accessibility affects tourism seasonality. Using a panel dataset of 50 Spanish provinces in the period 2004–2019, we study the impact of variations in a synthetic indicator of province's connectivity and accessibility to the HSR network on the concentration of both domestic and international tourism demand. Tourism seasonality is measured using Gini and coefficient of variation indicators. Based on two-way panel fixed effects regressions and a dose-response framework, we show that access to HSR mitigates tourism seasonality in both the domestic and international segments. The effect is found to be greater at high levels of connectivity and accessibility. In the advent of forthcoming expansions of the HRS network in Spain, our findings suggest that improvements in regional connectivity and accessibility through HSR are a promising strategy to alleviate the seasonality of tourism arrivals.

The environmental impact of agriculture: An instrument to support public policy

Agriculture is a key activity in guarantying food security, one of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. However, agriculture can be an environmental impacting activity when it is managed without attention towards its environmental efficiency. Thus, the assessment of eco-efficiency in agriculture is a crucial tool to evaluate this economic activity in terms of both natural resources exploitation and revenue generation. To address the complex issues associated with this problematic trade-off, the application of a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been to assess the environmental and economic performance of agriculture in terms of eco-efficiency. DEA has been applied the Italian case study at regional level, to provide policy-makers with a synthetic indicator of agricultural sustainability, when implementing funding policies. In particular, the analysis of the case study has taken into account the implementation of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as implemented through the Rural Development Plans. Our approach is a first step in the direction of assessing the long-lasting issue of developing benchmarking policies between the different Italian regions. This works paves the way to future and more in-depth studies needed to determine the eco-efficiency at local scale and, thus, the possibility to identify specific forms of agriculture as nature-based solutions.

Comparing a Fuzzy Hybrid Approach with Invariant MGCFA to Study National Identity

National identity studies diverge on several issues, such as the number of factors and their respective items’ adscription. Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) is the standard method applied to cross-national datasets. Differences between groups can be the result of measurement artefacts. We argue that these problems can be better addressed by an alternative approach that builds a synthetic indicator named Relative National Identity Synthetic Indicator (RNISI), based on a Fuzzy Hybrid Analysis (FHA). The study aims to shed some light on the study of the latent variable national identity by comparing two methodologies: the classic method most often used (MGCFA) and the Fuzzy-Hybrid Approach, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously applied. This empirical study was based on a dataset from across ten countries using two waves (2003 and 2013) of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). The FHA results were compared with those obtained by two MGCFA models in which national identity was built as a second-order construct that depends on the ethnic, ancestry and civic first-order latent variables. The comparison lets us conclude that FHA can be considered a valid tool to measure the national identity by groups, and to provide additional information in form of elasticity figures. These figures can be employed to analyse the indicator’s sensitivity by group and for each of the items included in the national identity construct.

Analysis of European competitiveness based on its innovative capacity and digitalization level

The competitiveness of countries can be measured through their innovative capacity and the level of digitalization they have achieved. Technological advances have proven to be an engine of economic growth, promoting employment and sustainable development. In Europe, policies are being focused on investments to make this the “Digital Decade”. Against this backdrop, the aim of the study is to analyse the competitiveness of the 27 countries of the European Union by producing a synthetic indicator that includes factors relating to innovation (measured by the Global Innovation Index) and to digitalization (based on the Digital Economy and Society Index), which in turn yields an annual ranking of the analysed economies between 2017 and 2021. Furthermore, in a second stage of the analysis, three panel data models are estimated to determine how factors relating to economic, social and environmental development foster advances in technology and innovation. The multicriteria decision-making method Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is applied to establish a ranking of EU members according to their level of digitalization and innovation, while the Prais-Winsten regression with Panel Corrected Standard Errors is used to obtain robust estimators. The results of the ranking indicate that the countries hold similar positions in the five years analysed, with Sweden leading the way throughout, which reflects its stable development in terms of digitalization and innovation. A digital and innovation gap can be seen between the top and bottom positions of the ranking, that is, between north-central and south-eastern Europe. Finally, the estimated models suggest that governments should promote wealth, employment, research and infrastructure investments in order to improve innovative and technological development in their countries.

A robust approach for the infrastructural classification of railway stations in Tripura, India

Infrastructural classification is a Decision-Making Unit (DMU) for the service providers to deliver better infrastructure. This paper intends to classify the infrastructural facilities of the railway stations offer to the passengers in Tripura through an alternative synthetic indicator. The study is based on both primary and secondary data. The existing synthetic indicator is also applied to it and generalisation of the indicator called generalised synthetic indicator is framed according to the nature of the observed data sets. The study reveals that stations are categorised into four different (very good, good, poor and very poor) infrastructural classifications due to frequency of passenger mobility, proximity of urban centers, location of industrial units, land use of hinterland and undulating topography of the site. The causal interference has been represented through geo-spatial technique. A policy recommendation is proposed to provide better railway infrastructure for the passengers.

Analiza demografskih resursa Beogradskog regiona na početku XXI veka

The intensive reduction of the labor contingent and the continuous process of demographic ageing of the labor force raises the issue of human capital development and the need to increase the level of demographic resources. For decades, Serbia has been facing negative demographic tendencies, such as long-time negative natural increase, population emigration and disruptions in demographic structures, which has caused the creation of divergent poles of development. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and more accurately analyze spatial differences in the value of the indicators of demographic development of the municipalities of Belgrade region during the period 2011 - 2022. The methodological framework of the paper is a synthetic indicator, index of demographic resources, that considers the interdependence of natural components of demographic development, age structure of the population and educational characteristics as a demographic element of human resource development. The interdependence of these components indicates the vitality of the studied space in the present time and the demographic potential in the future. The results showed significant polarization between the central and peri-urban municipalities of Belgrade. The higher values of the studied index central municipalities owe to the high shares of the educated population and students, while the values of the demographic index among municipalities are quite uniform.

Способы выражения сравнения в тазовском диалекте селькупского языка

The Taz Selkups are the most significant single-dialect speaking group. Being isolated from the Russian population, they did not know Russian until the second half of the 20th century. The documented texts of the traditional Taz Selkup folklore were analyzed to identify the diachronically early ways of expressing comparative relations. It was found that the equivalent comparison prevails in diachronically early mythological texts and is realized by syntactic constructions denoting similarity. The comparative relation of similarity of the object and the standard of comparison according to a certain characteristic is expressed mainly by postpositions. The postpositions tarД (tar) ‘like’, ‘like someone else’, car ‘how’, saqyn ‘respectively’, ‘similarly’, ‘just like’, and kəpy ‘with value’ are combined with pronouns and nouns in the possessive and non-possessive form of the genitive. The postpositional construction functioning rule is to place the word preceding the postposition in the genitive form. All the postpositions mentioned (except car) are commonly used in non-metaphorical comparisons. The postposition car functions in metaphorical comparisons, requiring the preceding word in the locative adjectival form. A synthetic indicator, the special “coordinate” case affix šaŋ, is sometimes used to express an equivalent comparison mainly in diachronically early constructions of complicated sentences, with verbal nouns and adverbial participles predominating. A non-equivalent comparison reflecting the differences between the object and the standard is realized by constructions including the object of comparison (noun or pronoun in the main case), the standard of comparison (a noun or a pronoun in the form of an ablative), and the sign underlying the comparison (an adjective or an adverb).

Comparative Study on the Acid-Base Indicator Properties of Natural Dye, Turmeric Rhizome (<i>Curcuma longa</i>) and Synthetic Dyes

Acid-Base Indicator, Turmeric Rhizome (Curcuma longa) was extracted from the root of a turmeric plant. The turmeric was peeled, washed and dried in an oven at 60°C. It was ground into powder and soaked in hot and cold ethanol for the extraction. The extract was filtered and part of it was concentrated to yield a reasonable quantity of turmeric indicator. On standardization of acid with a base, 0.05 M base respectively of Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and Disodium borate (B4Na2O7) were used. Hot and cold extracts of turmeric were used as indicators and were compared with methyl orange and phenolphthalein. On the preliminary test carried out, hot and cold turmeric indicator showed yellow colour in acid medium and orange colour in the base. Methyl orange showed red colour in acid but yellow in the base, phenolphthalein was colourless in acid but pink in the base. During titration there were colour changes at the end points in the entire test carried out. The average volumes at ends points were calculated, the molar concentrations and mass concentrations of the acids used were also determined. The results showed that there was no difference between the natural indicators used and the existing synthetic indicators which are toxic to our environment.

МЕТОДИЧНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО КОМПЛЕКСНОЇ ОЦІНКИ РОЗВИТКУ ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ ІНДУСТРІЇ ТУРИЗМУ

The relevance of the topic lies in the existence of an urgent need for scientific improvements and taking into account the conditions of conflict and post-conflict recovery of the tourism economy based on the analysis of investment potential. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the introduction of a methodical approach to the comprehensive assessment of the development of the investment potential of the tourism industry on the basis of the sustainable and purposeful application of budget stimulation tools. Research methods: descriptive, analytical, weighted assessments, rating ranking, forecasting, integral indices, scenarios, generalization. The functional structure of the tourism industry is presented. The system of synthetic indicators of the development of the investment potential of the tourism industry by the level of targeted use of budgetary stimulation tools is summarized. It is proposed to carry out an assessment of the development of the investment potential of the tourism industry by stages, taking into account the peculiarities of business in the regions of the country. A methodical approach to the assessment of the development of the investment potential of the country's tourism industry based on the level of targeted use of budget incentives has been developed, which is based on basic methodological principles that are extended from the approach of individual assessment of synthetic indicators and have a significant impact on the level of development of the investment potential of the tourism industry in the regions of the country. The calculation apparatus for the application of the methodical approach is grouped. The distribution of tourist sub-complexes in the regions of Ukraine in different geographically located territories according to the quantitative value of budgetary stimulation of investments in the material and technical support of the subjects of the tourism industry is presented. Hierarchical clustering of tourism sub-complexes of Ukraine was visualized and the ranking of the parameters of development of the investment potential of the tourism industry of Ukraine according to the quantitative criteria of budgetary stimulation of investments in the material and technical support of tourist sub-complexes in different territories of their geographical location was carried out.

Аналіз динаміки синтетичних індикаторів якості життя з огляду впливу на детермінант економічної політики держави

Introduction. The effectiveness of a country’s economic policy can be measured using economic or social criteria that are interconnected and interdependent. Therefore, it is desirable to have a relatively small number of generalizing criteria-indicators (or even better – a single synthetic criterion-indicator) with the help of which it would be possible to measure the effectiveness of state economic policy, but the search for such criteria-indicators continues. The analysis of approaches to solving this problem shows that the priority direction is the use of the concept of quality of life. Purpose. In this work, we aim to analyze the dynamics of Ukrainian synthetic indicators of quality of life and a defined set of key explanatory variables-determinants of the state’s economic policy in order to identify problem areas in the socio-economic development of Ukraine. That is, consider approaches to solving the fourth task of our research based on the application of regression analysis. Results. Approaches to the study of the dynamics of synthetic indicators of the quality of life (QOL) and their determinants, which are determined on the basis of regression analysis from the a priori data set of the state’s economic policy, are considered. An analysis of the results of the dynamics of these SIAs and their determinants during 2010-2019 is presented. The obtained results indicate that on the basis of the analysis of the dynamics of Ukrainian synthetic indicators of the quality of life and their determinants, it is possible to ensure the identification of problem areas in the socio-economic development of Ukraine, which should be influenced by means of the state’s economic policy. Conclusion. As a result, we found a positive answer to the main question of our research: how, based on the analysis of the dynamics of synthetic indicators of the quality of life and their determinants, can we ensure the identification of problem areas in the socio-economic development of Ukraine, which should primarily be influenced by the means of state economic policy?

Qualidade da atenção a crianças menores de dois anos na rede básica do Brasil em 2018: indicadores e fatores associados

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the quality of care for children under two years of age in the primary health care network with data from the external evaluation of the Program for the Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care in 2018. Methods Users who had children under two years of age who were in the unit at the time of data collection were eligible for the study. The quality of care was evaluated using a synthetic indicator built with questions from the users’ module. The exposure variables were: region, structure of basic health units, and staff process. A univariate analysis was performed and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated. Results The sample was composed of 15.745 users who had children under the age of two years. Only 36.8% (95%CI 36,0–37,6) of users were classified as having received good quality care for their children, with a downward trend in prevalence as the child’s age increased. Better results were observed in the Northeast region, in units that presented all the inputs and vaccines and for teams that used protocols and materials, kept records, performed active search and healthy eating actions. Conclusion The prevalence of good quality of care for children under two years of age was low. These data can be useful for managers’ decision-making and for the implementation of actions aimed at professionals, that encourage a higher quality of care to children, mainly the child leaving a consultation with the next appointment scheduled and a first consultation being carried out until their seventh day of life.

Quality of care for children under two years of age in Brazil’s basic network in 2018: indicators and associated factors

To evaluate the quality of care for children under two years of age in the primary health care network with data from the external evaluation of the Program for the Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care in 2018. Users who had children under two years of age who were in the unit at the time of data collection were eligible for the study. The quality of care was evaluated using a synthetic indicator built with questions from the users' module. The exposure variables were: region, structure of basic health units, and staff process. A univariate analysis was performed and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated. The sample was composed of 15.745 users who had children under the age of two years. Only 36.8% (95%CI 36,0-37,6) of users were classified as having received good quality care for their children, with a downward trend in prevalence as the child's age increased. Better results were observed in the Northeast region, in units that presented all the inputs and vaccines and for teams that used protocols and materials, kept records, performed active search and healthy eating actions. The prevalence of good quality of care for children under two years of age was low. These data can be useful for managers' decision-making and for the implementation of actions aimed at professionals, that encourage a higher quality of care to children, mainly the child leaving a consultation with the next appointment scheduled and a first consultation being carried out until their seventh day of life.

Evaluation of Improvised and Eco-Friendly Natural pH-Paper Indicators

A substance that changes color when pH changes is referred to as an indicator. Synthetic indicators, which are expensive and toxic, are currently the best option for estimating acid-base concentrations or hydronium and hydroxide ion concentrations. This study aims to prepare pH paper indicators from natural sources to overcome this problem. Indicator strips of this type are eco-friendly, cheap, durable, non-toxic, biodegradable, and easy to prepare even at home. In this application, we are using natural sources such as turmeric (Curcuma longa), rose (Rosa Indica), beetroot (Beta vulgaris), and red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) for the preparation of pH paper indicator strips. We used 73 acids, bases, and neutrals solutions to conduct comparative studies. These include fifty-nine household chemicals, such as milk, lemon, mango, honey, glycine, etc., and fourteen standard solutions of acids and bases of pH from 1 to 14. By dipping yellow-colored turmeric acidic paper into sodium hydroxide, we transform yellow-colored turmeric acidic paper into red-colored turmeric basic paper. The results are the same in both cases, i.e., turns yellow in acids and red in bases but unaffected in neutrals. Rose paper easily differentiates acids and bases while red cabbage gives almost the same results as pH paper (wide color change from red to dark blue). As these can be easily prepared and give comparable results with commonly used paper indicators, it would be possible to replace synthetic paper indicators.

Analysis of banking sector stability using the taxonomic measure of development

Motivation: The stability of the financial system means that the entire system performs its key functions properly. It is a prerequisite for sustained economic growth. Maintaining stability of the banking sector is of particular importance for the firmness of the financial system, as it plays a key role in financing the economy, transmission of monetary policy impulses, and monetary settlements. Therefore, in the context of financial security, it is extremely important to analyse the banking stability. Aim: Assessment of the stability of banking sectors of the Central and Eastern European EU Member States and a comparative analysis and classification of the CEE countries in terms of selected indicators characterising the stability of their banking sectors using the model method of linear ordering, i.e. the Hellwig’s method. The analysis will verify the thesis whether banks in countries of lower national income (according to the World Bank’s classification) perform worse in terms of stability than banks in countries of higher national income. To illustrate the situation in the field of banking sector stability more clearly, the authors presented the dynamics of all variables considered from the point of view of the analysis (dynamics were presented for 2015 and 2019 in relation to the base year, which was assumed to be 2011). Results: A multivariate analysis was used in the comparative analysis of banking sectors development in Central and Eastern Europe. For this purpose, the development pattern method was used so that a synthetic indicator of the development of the banking sector with regard to its stability was calculated. Based on the proposed measure of development, a ranking of the Central and Eastern European EU Member States was prepared for 2019. It should be emphasized that the thesis outlined in the article was not empirically confirmed, namely, banks from countries of lower national income (according to the World Bank classification) did not have much worse results than banks from countries of higher national income.

Development of the Polish non-life insurance market and macroeconomic stabilization of the Polish economy in 2000-2020

The paper presents the results of research on the relationship between the deve-lopment of the Polish non-life insurance market and macroeconomic stability of the Polish economy in 2000-2020. The research was based on The Method of Zero Unitarization (construction of a synthetic indicator of the Polish non-life insurance market development), the Pentagon of Macroeconomic Stabilization and a cross-correlogram (study of the relationship between the two variables).

Cluster analysis based on multidimensional means based by results of All-Russian Agricultural Census of 2016 using Python

The article describes the stages and results of the multidimensional classification of personal subsidiary plots (PSP) according to the All-Russian Agricultural Census of 2016 (VSHP-2016). This classification was carried out on the basis of four prepared sets of initial data, two of which are synthetic indicators in the form of multidimensional means, and implemented using the Python programming language, including the skit-learn library for clustering and the matplotlib library for graphical visualization of the resulting split of households into homogeneous groups. The original data is normalized using the L2 Normalization method, also known as Spatial Sign Preprocessing. Cluster analysis is carried out using the k-means method based on the Lloyd algorithm, the number of clusters is determined using the Silhouette Coefficient. The results are visualized through bar charts, 2D and 3D scatter plots.

A Network-Level Methodology for Evaluating the Hydraulic Quality Index of Road Pavement Surfaces

Traffic loads and environmental factors cause various forms of distress on road pavements (cracks, depressions, potholes, ruts, etc.). Depressions and ruts produce localized variations of longitudinal and cross slopes, which are very hazardous for drivers, especially during rain. In such conditions, these defects alter the surface water path, creating abnormal water accumulations and significant water film depths to induce aquaplaning risk. In current practice, in preliminary analysis phases and at the network scale, the control of road surfaces is carried out with expeditious techniques and with synthetic indicators, e.g., pavement condition index (PCI), through which a quality judgment related to the detected distresses on the pavement surface, is given. In truth, the detection of specific defects (ruts and depressions) should also include further analyses to evaluate the hydraulic efficiency of the carriageway related to their severity. Therefore, in this paper, a synthetic indicator called Hydraulic Condition Index (HCI) is proposed for evaluating the hydraulic quality of road pavement surfaces. This index is related to the hydrologic conditions of the site, the pavement characteristics, and the defects that can alter the flow of water on the carriageway, determining and increasing the risk of aquaplaning. The methodological framework is discussed by means of some numerical applications developed for different road typologies according to their functional classification. The final aim is to provide road agencies with another solution to evaluate road quality and ensure safer roads for users. The methodological framework for evaluating the HCI may be adopted by the road agencies for the network-scale priority ranking of road segments maintenance needs also involving safety traffic conditions.

UV/visible Spectroscopic Studies and Analytical Evaluation of Dicliptera verticillate Leaves Extracts as Eco-friendly Indicator for Acid-Base Titration

Synthetic indicators usually employed in acid-base titration to determine the end point is expensive and non-biodegradable. Hence there is need to develop an eco-friendly and cost effective acid-base indicator from plant origin to serve as efficient alternative for the synthetic indicators. This research work focused on the development of easily available, cost effective and eco-friendly indicator from Dicliptera verticillate leaves extracts for acid-base titration. UV/visible spectrometer was used to analyzed the ethanol extract (EE), ethanol extract in basic medium (EEB), ethanol extract in acidic medium (EEA), hot water extract (HWE), Hot water extract in basic medium (HWEB) and hot water extract in acidic medium (HWEA) to determine the wavelength of maximum absorption (λmax), and the absorbance of the extracts in different media in order to evaluate the chromophoric properties of the plant extracts phytochemicals before and after titrations. Titrimetric analysis was carried out in the reactions of strong acid/strong base (HCl/NaOH), strong acid/weak base (HCl/NH4OH), weak acid/strong base (CH3COOH /NaOH) and weak acid/weak base (CH3COOH/NH4OH). The results revealed that both extracts exhibit hypsochromic shift (shift to a shorter wavelength) with corresponding hypochromic effect (decreased in the absorption intensity) in both acidic and basic media. The titrimetric results revealed that the plant extracts give the end point comparable to that of the synthetic indicators such as methyl orange and phenolphthalein. Hence ethanol and hot water extracts of Dicliptera Verticillate can be utilized as suitable alternative indicators for acid - based titrations, since it is biodegradable and cost effective.

Does Physio-environmental Determinism Influence the Infrastructural Development of Railway Stations?

The main aim of the article is to understand the role of physiographical aspects and attributes in the infrastructural development of railway stations. Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System techniques have been used for delineating physiographic factors and data of social interfaces like passengers’ mobility collected from the railway stations. A robust Synthetic Indicator has been used to classify railway stations. The ordinal regression model has run between physio-environmental attributes and Robust Synthetic Indicator. Due to its unique valley and ridge topography and newly developed railway infrastructure, Phenomenological evidence is collected from Tripura, North-eastern state of India. Very few studies have been done addressing the development of railway stations with physio-environmental viability. The study reveals that the physical environment is a significant determining factor, but passenger mobility has a more decisive influence on the infrastructural development of railway stations in Tripura. Infrastructure-driven materialistic possibilism has been proposed as a philosophical model of the infrastructural development of railway stations.