Tool For Control Research Articles

Spectral changes in motor thalamus field potentials during movement.

The motor thalamus plays a crucial role in integrating and modulating sensorimotor information. Although voltage power spectral changes in the motor cortex with movement are well-characterized, corresponding activity in the motor thalamus, particularly broadband power change, remains unclear. The present study aims to characterize spectral changes in the motor thalamus during hand movements of 15 subjects undergoing awake deep brain stimulation surgery targeting the ventral intermediate (Vim) nucleus of the thalamus for disabling tremor. We analyzed power changes in subject-specific low-frequency oscillations (<30 Hz) and broadband power (captured in 65-115 Hz band) of serial field potential recordings. Consistent with previous studies, we found widespread decreases in low-frequency oscillations with movement. Importantly, in most subjects, we observed that sites with significant increases in broadband power were more spatially discrete, primarily involving the inferior recording sites within the ventral thalamus. One subject also performed an imagined movement task during which low-frequency oscillatory power was suppressed. These electrophysiological changes may be leveraged as biomarkers for thalamic functional mapping, DBS targeting, and closed-loop applications.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied movement-associated spectral changes in human motor thalamus and observed focal increases in broadband power with movement. This biomarker may be used as a tool for intraoperative functional mapping, DBS targeting, and closed-loop device control.

Optimizing extrusion processes and understanding conformational changes in itraconazole amorphous solid dispersions using in-line UV–Vis spectroscopy and QbD principles

This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the manufacturing of itraconazole (ITZ) amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) with Kolllidon® VA64 (KVA64) using hot-melt extrusion (HME) and in-line process monitoring, employing a Quality by Design (QbD) approach. A sequential Design of Experiments (DoE) strategy was utilized to optimize the manufacturing process, with in-line UV–Vis spectroscopy providing real-time monitoring. The first DoE used a fractional factorial screening design to evaluate critical process parameters (CPPs), revealing that ITZ concentration had the most significant impact on the product quality attributes. The second DoE, employing a central composite design, explored the interactions between feed rate and screw speed, using torque and absorbance at 370 nm as responses to develop a design space. Validation studies confirmed process robustness across multiple days, with stable in-line UV–Vis spectra and consistent product quality using 30 % ITZ, 300 rpm, 150 °C and 7 g/min as the optimized process conditions. Theoretical and experimental analyses indicated that shifts in UV–Vis spectra at different ITZ concentrations were due to conformational changes in ITZ, which were confirmed through density functional theory (DFT) calculations and infrared spectroscopy. This work offers novel insights into the production and monitoring of ITZ-KVA64-ASDs, demonstrating that in-line UV–Vis spectroscopy is a powerful tool for real-time process monitoring and/or control.

Challenging the role of resilience and vulnerability in narratives of well-being

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was significant emphasis on building resilience to address the vulnerability felt at both individual and collective levels. This focus on resilience was critiqued by scholars who saw the discourse as stemming from neoliberal governance. In this paper, we critique the political roots of neoliberalism, particularly the ideal liberal state citizen, the autonomous individual who views reliance on others as vulnerability. We use the concept of relational autonomy, which has influenced fields like bioethics and health studies, to explore how vulnerability relates to interpersonal, social, and political dimensions of autonomy. We propose a typology where vulnerability can emerge as positive or self-affirming, or negative, as self-undermining, circumstantial, and/or pathogenic. The latter forms require significant political engagement to address the conditions that foster it. We apply this typology to two related case studies: Australia’s National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan and the Victorian State Government’s lockdown of public housing towers in inner Melbourne. These case studies reveal how vulnerability can be used as a tool of governmental control within resilience discourse, risking circumstantial and pathogenic vulnerability due to state securitization of protection. We conclude by proposing a reframing of vulnerability within a relational autonomy framework of well-being, emphasizing care for interpersonal relationships and care as a public practice to enhance democratic participation in pursuing health and social good.

European standards of judicial control at the stage of pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings

The article examines the European standards for the judicial control at the stage of pretrial investigation in criminal proceedings, with an emphasis on the compliance of the provisions of Article 303 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine with the standards of the European Court of Human Rights. In the conditions of reforming the Ukrainian legal system with the aim of integration into the European community, the problem of ensuring effective judicial control is extremely urgent. It is proposed under the European standards of judicial control at the stage of pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings to consider a set of legal norms, principles and guarantees enshrined in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and precedent practice of the European Court of Human Rights, which ensure an effective, fair and legal judicial review and control over the actions, decisions or inaction of pre-trial investigation bodies for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of a person. Groups of European standards in criminal proceedings are highlighted: firstly, standards relating to the legality of detention and detention, secondly, standards relating to the reasonableness of suspicion, thirdly, standards of effectiveness of pre-trial investigation, fourthly, standards of access to justice in criminal proceedings. It has been established that part of the standard of access to justice is the standard of effectiveness of judicial control. It has been proven that the standard of effectiveness of judicial control at the stage of pre-trial investigation is, in our opinion, an important element of access to justice, as it ensures: protection of the rights of individuals at the stage of pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings, transparency and accountability of the process, prevention of human rights violations, appeal of procedural decisions. It was concluded that although Article 303 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine provides tools for judicial control, the existing mechanisms do not always meet European standards due to problems of access to justice and speed of trial. The need to implement international standards is to ensure effective protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens and to strengthen trust in the judicial system of Ukraine. The work emphasizes that further adaptation of national legislation to European requirements will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of judicial control at the pre-trial investigation stage.

Towards Green Development: Exploring the Impact of Housing Price Bubbles on Regional Green Innovation Efficiency Based on Chinese Provincial Panel Data Analysis

Innovation is an eternal theme of human development, and green innovation efficiency serves as the basis for achieving innovation-driven development in a country or region, as well as an important aspect of ecological civilization construction. In this context, based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces during 2003–2020, this study explores the effect of housing price bubbles on green innovation efficiency by using a global SBM-DEA model with unexpected outputs and a two-way fixed effects model. The results show that housing price bubbles considerably reduced green innovation efficiency, which is also verified by a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. Heterogeneity tests show that housing price bubbles in eastern and high human capital regions have a significantly higher inhibitory effect on green innovation efficiency than that in the central and western regions and low human capital regions. The mechanism test shows that housing price bubbles have reduced green innovation efficiency by intensifying the mismatch of labor and capital between regions. Moreover, high housing prices will further deepen the negative impact of housing price bubbles on green innovation efficiency, while expanding economic openness will help alleviate the negative impact. Therefore, to effectively enhance regional green innovation efficiency, we put forward a series of policy measures in terms of strengthening the adjustment of housing policies, optimizing the resource allocation structure, and implementing differentiated environmental control tools.

Prediction of Temporal Liking from Temporal Dominance of Sensations by Using Reservoir Computing and Its Sensitivity Analysis.

The temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) method has received particular attention in the food science industry due to its ability to capture the time-series evolution of multiple sensations during food tasting. Similarly, the temporal liking method is used to record changes in consumer preferences over time. The conjunctive use of these methods provides an effective framework for analyzing food taste and preference, making them valuable tools for product development, quality control, and consumer research. We employed the TDS and temporal liking data of strawberries that were recorded in our earlier study to estimate the temporal liking values from sensory changes. For this purpose, we used a reservoir network, a type of recurrent neural network suitable for time-series data. The trained models exhibited prediction accuracy of the determination coefficient as high as 0.676-0.993, with the median being 0.951. Further, we proposed two types of sensitivities of each sensory attribute toward the change in the temporal liking value. Elemental sensitivity indicates the degree that each sensory attribute influences the temporal liking. In the case of strawberries, the sweet attribute was the greatest contributor, followed by the attribute of fruity. The two least-contributing attributes were light and green. Interactive sensitivity indicates how each attribute affects the temporal liking in conjunction with other attributes. This sensitivity analysis revealed that the sweet attribute positively influenced the liking, whereas the green and light attributes impacted it negatively. The proposed methods offer a new approach to comprehensively analyze how the results of TDS are linked to those of the temporal liking method, serving as a step toward developing an alternative system to human panels.

Percolation Investigation of Polymer-Based Battery Electrodes and Its Influence on Capacity Utilization

Our oral presentation will offer a comprehensive exploration of the intricate dynamics governing organic radical battery electrodes, focusing on the percolation phenomena and its consequential influence on capacity utilization. Our latest investigations center around quantifying the role of conducting additives, notably the widely employed spherical SuperP® (SP), within a composite electrode based on poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperinidyl-N-oxylmethacrylate) (PTMA). We recently reported a comprehensive study on the percolation investigation of SP in such composite electrodes in the Chemical Engineering Journal 2023, 477, 146882.This quantitative analysis of the conducting additive in organic battery electrodes emphasizes the critical balance required for optimal electrode composition in industrial applications. Based on the percolation theory we experimentally investigate various electrode compositions and identify a pivotal phase transition at 8 wt.% SP, which is effectively transforming the electrode's behavior from dielectric to conducting.To provide a comprehensive understanding, we incorporated a series of experimental analyses. The investigation begins with a detailed exploration of permittivities, shedding light on the dielectric properties of the composite electrode. Dielectric losses are scrutinized, providing insights into energy dissipation mechanisms within the electrode. Moreover, the characterization shows that the electrode exhibits so called epsilon-negative properties, which is commonly reported in literature for polymer/nanomaterial composites. However, a resonance type behavior of the permittivity measured at a relatively low frequency could not be assigned to any literature findings yet.Furthermore, morphological assessments through scanning electron microscopy offer a visual, qualitative validation of the established conducting percolation paths within the PTMA-based composite electrode.To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to apply distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis to organic radical battery electrodes, validating the hopping-type conduction mechanism for the dielectric electrodes below percolation threshold as well as assigning the conduction above percolation threshold to the SP phase.The electrochemical characterization of the percolation phase transition's impact on the electrode’s capacity utilization was investigated in both coin cells (two-electrode setup) and Swagelok cells (three-electrode setup) via galvanostatic cycling experiments. These electrochemical analyses not only validate the percolation-induced shift in behavior but also provide insights into the charge storage capabilities of several electrode compositions, which provides a basis for electrode optimization. Furthermore, the cycling experiments elucidate the electrochemical performance variations when employing two-electrode setups as opposed to three-electrode setups.Key findings underscore a direct correlation between the optimal electrode composition for enhanced capacity utilization and the observed percolation phase transition. Electrodes falling below the percolation threshold exhibit charge storage characteristics close to zero, primarily due to elevated ohmic overpotentials. In contrast, electrodes exceeding the threshold demonstrate a rapid saturation in capacity utilization, signifying the intricate interplay between conducting paths and efficient accessibility of redox centers within battery electrodes.Additionally, our findings introduce the possible application of impedance spectroscopy (IS) measurements as a preliminary electrode characterization step. This new approach not only offers valuable insights into the charge-discharge dynamics of organic radical battery electrodes but also enables general electrode composition optimization prior to laborious cell assembly and time-consuming battery cycling experiments.Furthermore, this work may be used as basis for a potential pre-quality control tool for electrodes in a high-throughput production in an industrial setting. Considering the graphical abstract, concentration changes could be identified before cell assembly. Additionally, the impact on cell performance due to the concentration changes may be estimated. By integrating IS into the production process, we envision real-time monitoring and adjustment during large-scale manufacturing processes, ensuring consistent electrodes with optimized performance. Figure 1

General aspects, host interaction, and application of Metarhizium sp. in arthropod pest and vector control.

The application of microorganisms as bio-control agents against arthropod populations is a need in many countries, especially in tropical, subtropical, and neotropical endemic areas. Several arthropod species became agricultural pests of paramount economic significance, and many methods have been developed for field and urban applications to prevent their, the most common being the application of chemical insecticides. However, the indiscriminate treatment based upon those substances acted as a selective pressure for upcoming resistant phenotype populations. As alternative tools, microorganisms have been prospected as complementary tools for pest and vectorial control, once they act in a more specific pattern against target organisms than chemicals. They are considered environmentally friendly since they have considerably less off-target effects. Entomopathogenic fungi are organisms capable of exerting pathogenesis in many vector species, thus becoming potential tools for biological management. The entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium sp. have been investigated as a microbiological agent for the control of populations of insects in tropical regions. However, the development of entomopathogenic fungi as control tools depends on physiological studies regarding aspects such as mechanisms of pathogenicity, secreted enzymes, viability, and host-pathogen aspects. The following review briefly narrates current aspects of entomopathogenic fungi, such as physiology, cellular characteristics, host-pathogen interactions, and its previous applications against different insect orders with medical and economic importance. Approaches integrating new isolation, prospection, characterization, delivery strategies, formulations, and molecular and genetic tools will be decisive to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of EPFs and to develop more sustainable alternative pesticides.

New chemometrics-assisted spectrophotometric methods for simultaneous determination of co-formulated drugs montelukast, rupatadine, and desloratadine in their different dosage combinations

Two accurate, precise and robust multivariate chemometric methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of montelukast sodium (MON), rupatadine fumarate (RUP) and desloratadine (DES). These methods provide a cost-effective alternative to chromatographic techniques by utilizing spectrophotometry in pharmaceutical quality control. The proposed approaches, partial least squares-1 (PLS-1) and artificial neural network (ANN), were optimized using genetic algorithm (GA) to select the most influential wavelengths, enhancing model performance. A five-level, three-factor design was employed to construct a calibration set with 25 mixtures, utilizing concentration ranges of 3–19, 5–25, and 4–20 µg.mL−1 for MON, RUP, and DES, respectively. An independent validation set was employed to assess the performance of the models. GA significantly improved the PLS-1 and ANN models for RUP and DES, though minimal enhancement was observed for MON. These methods were successfully applied to the simultaneous quantification of the compounds in pharmaceutical formulations and proved useful as stability-indicating assays for RUP, given that DES is a known degradation product. The developed methods offer a valuable tool for impurity profiling and quality control in pharmaceutical analysis.

Field Testing of 2‐Pentylfuran as a Behavioural Control Tool for Spotted‐Wing Drosophila in Raspberries

ABSTRACTSpotted‐wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, is a major pest of various soft‐skinned fruit crops worldwide. We investigated an alternative approach to traditional insecticides to manage SWD. Previously, we have shown that 2‐pentylfuran (2pf) reduced oviposition in raspberries in laboratory and small‐scale field studies. Here, we further investigated the potential of 2pf as a management tool for SWD under more realistic field conditions. We tested the efficacy of 2pf under open field conditions in 2019 and 2020 using isolated plots of raspberries. For the two 2019 field trials, we used single raspberry fruiting inflorescences and deployed 2pf using a sachet for 48 h and 6 days, respectively, and assessed SWD infestation. We did not find any significant differences in SWD infestation in the 48 h trial but found noticeable reductions when 2pf was deployed for 6 days. In 2020, we randomly assigned treatments to an entire small, research planting of raspberries with different doses of 2pf (low, medium, and high) for both the summer and fall crops and recorded infestations. The low and medium doses of 2pf resulted in significant reductions in SWD infestation in field plantings when SWD densities were low (summer crop), but only the high dose reduced infestations when SWD pressure was high in the fall crop. Our study shows that 2pf has potential as a management tool for SWD under field conditions using a highly susceptible crop, but its effectiveness may vary depending on 2pf release rates and SWD abundance. Future studies are needed to test 2pf in combination with other repellents or with targeted insecticides.

Phage therapy candidates from Sphae: An automated toolkit for predicting sequencing data.

Phage therapy is a viable alternative for treating bacterial infections amidst the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance. However, the therapeutic success of phage therapy depends on selecting safe and effective phage candidates. While experimental methods focus on isolating phages and determining their lifecycle and host range, comprehensive genomic screening is critical to identify markers that indicate potential risks, such as toxins, antimicrobial resistance, or temperate lifecycle traits. These analyses are often labor-intensive and time-consuming, limiting the rapid deployment of phage in clinical settings. We developed Sphae, an automated bioinformatics pipeline designed to streamline therapeutic potential of a phage in under ten minutes. Using Snakemake workflow manager, Sphae integrates tools for quality control, assembly, genome assessment, and annotation tailored specifically for phage biology. Sphae automates the detection of key genomic markers, including virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes, and lysogeny indicators like integrase, recombinase, and transposase, which could preclude therapeutic use. Benchmarked on 65 phage sequences, 28 phage samples showed therapeutic potential, 8 failed during assembly due to low sequencing depth, 22 samples included prophage or virulent markers, and the remaining 23 samples included multiple phage genomes per sample. This workflow outputs a comprehensive report, enabling rapid assessment of phage safety and suitability for phage therapy under these criteria. Sphae is scalable, portable, facilitating efficient deployment across most high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud platforms, expediting the genomic evaluation process. Sphae is source code and freely available at https://github.com/linsalrob/sphae, with installation supported on Conda, PyPi, Docker containers.

Management of Fusarium Wilt of Lettuce

Abstract In recent years, Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, has become the most important lettuce disease throughout the world. Since the pathogen is seed-transmitted, the disease spreads through infected seeds, favoured by the global commerce. We describe the biology and epidemiology of the pathogen, as well as the differentiation of four physiological races, with their distribution in different geographical areas. The reaction of the lettuce types and varieties to the pathogen are also described, as well as the diagnostic tools available for an appropriate detection of the pathogen, including the races. Like other soil-borne diseases, Fusarium wilt of lettuce is difficult to manage with a single product and/or with a single approach. At present, minimizing crop losses due to Fusarium wilt on lettuce entails the deployment of all available existing disease control tools within an integrated management programme. The first preventative strategy is the use of healthy seeds. Stock seeds should be produced in the areas associated with the lowest disease risk and subjected to standardized health analysis. Furthermore, seeds should be treated with chemical/physical or biological treatments. Among chemical tools, soil disinfestation is becoming very difficult due to the loss of registered fumigants. A careful monitoring of the race situation in the field would be useful for efficient use of genetic means of control. The seed industry is investing in the search of new varieties resistant to Fusarium wilt. Looking forward, the development of commercially acceptable cultivars of desired types of lettuce with high levels of resistance to Fusarium wilt as well as refinement of existing or development of new cultural, chemical and biofungicide tools should lead to more efficient and effective disease management. Information © The Authors 2024

Alternative archives: Researching politics with chunks of reality

The challenges and opportunities of accessing empirical material present a puzzle insofar as they index simultaneously the politics of research archives and the positionality of researchers. Today, amid increasing authoritarianism, disinformation, and the obstacles created by the securitisation and privatisation of data, access to reliable information is frequently blocked or complicated by the interests of political management, corporate monopoly, and surveillance capitalism, as well as by institutional and personal constraints on researchers. At the same time, digital archives, social media, blogs, diverse global communications, and even the information management tools of authoritarian and corporate control, create innumerable alternative access points for research. In this article, we describe all of these other access points as ‘alternative archives’, and, in doing so, we also seek to highlight three overlapping definitions of their alternative status in terms of (1) empirical, (2) counter-hegemonic, and (3) epistemic meanings. We next provide five state-of-the-art examples of overcoming research obstacles due to state-of-the-world developments in surveillance capitalism, securitisation, authoritarianism, information control, and human insecurity, suggesting that we can learn from obstacles to research as well as the alternatives.

Field surveys in rural Tanzania reveal key opportunities for targeted larval source management and species sanitation to control malaria in areas dominated by Anopheles funestus

BackgroundLarval source management (LSM) is re-emerging as a critical malaria intervention to address challenges associated with core vector control tools, such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and to accelerate progress towards elimination. Presently, LSM is not widely used in rural settings and is instead more commonly applied in urban and arid settings. A systematic entomological assessment was conducted in rural communities of southeastern Tanzania, where insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are widely used, to explore opportunities for deploying LSM to improve malaria control.MethodsAquatic habitat surveys were conducted in 2022 and 2023 to understand habitat usage by different mosquito vectors, covering five villages during the rainy season and seven villages during the dry season. Additionally, samples of adult mosquitoes were collected to assess the role of various Anopheles species in malaria transmission in the area, and to explore opportunities for species sanitation using targeted LSM.ResultsAdult mosquito surveys showed that in this area, the total entomological inoculation rates (EIR) for indoor collections were 20.1 and 6.5 infectious bites per person per year for outdoors. Anopheles funestus and Anopheles arabiensis were the only Anopheles vectors identified. Anopheles funestus was responsible for over 97.6% of the malaria transmission indoors and 95.4% outdoors. The concurrent larval surveys found that habitats with late instar An. arabiensis and An. funestus comprised only a small subset of 11.2%–16.5% of all water bodies in the rainy season, and 9.7%–15.2% in the dry season. In terms of size, these habitats covered 66.4%–68.2% of the total habitat areas in the wet season, reducing to 33.9%–40.6% in the dry season. From the rainy season to the dry season, the surface area of habitats occupied by An. arabiensis and An. funestus decreased by 92.0% to 97.5%, while the number of habitats occupied by An. arabiensis and An. funestus decreased by 38.0% to 57.3%. Anopheles funestus preferred large, permanent habitats with clear water and vegetation year-round, while An. arabiensis showed contrasting seasonal preferences, favouring sunlit still waters in the rainy season and larger, opaque habitats in the dry season.ConclusionThese findings suggest that An. funestus, which is the dominant malaria vector in the area, mediating over 95% of malaria transmission, preferentially occupies only a small subset of uniquely identifiable aquatic habitats in both wet and dry seasons. This presents an opportunity to expand LSM in rural settings by carefully targeting An. funestus habitats, which might be effective and logistically feasible as a complementary approach alongside existing interventions. Further research should assess the impact of targeted LSM for species sanitation compared to blanket LSM.

The Lithuanian Soviet Nomenclature as an Object and Subject of Control

The topic of nomenclature in the context of research on the Soviet period is usually associated with the power and influence exerted by a single group in society. While assessing the evolution of the post-Stalin system, the role of a separate ruling stratum rather than that of an individual leader becomes more apparent. Many studies hesitate to call the post-Stalin system totalitarian and secretary-generals of the Communist Party as unilateral leaders. In individual studies, nomenclature, particularly top ranking, is clearly perceived as an acting and influencing subject, capable of subjecting system resources to its articulated aims. However, the discussion of the role of Lithuanian nomenclature as a certain peripheral elite and its relationship with the system shows that it is impossible to treat it only as an acting subject. The interests and management style of the central government determined greater or lesser control of the Soviet republics. So it is interesting to consider which situations would define the Lithuanian Soviet nomenclature itself as an object of control, and in which areas it could express its own interests and be activity. The Soviet institutional environment was saturated with control. Control measures were designed not only to control processes in society; they were also applied to the system of nomenclature itself by applying hierarchical control principles both to the governing political party and lower executive ranks. Information was collected about ideological compliance and participation in the execution of plans. Transgressions recognised to be ideological were assessed most strictly. The tools of control were diverse: in addition to control bodies (people’s control, GLAVLIT, KGB) Communist party structures and ministries had their own divisions responsible for control of the activities of a particular area and even the suitability of people. In addition to routine planned activity, individual influential officials carried out controlling functions and exposed ad hoc cases. It can be stated that the system was essentially saturated with control activities – the same area was controlled by at least 3-4 levels different levels of officials and this obviously stifled the dynamics of any activity. In the late Soviet period, locality as a factor of social environment can be clearly distinguished whereby local representatives of the nomenclature would often reduce the effect of control by replacing the object ‘what and how to control’ with the consensus of higher ranking officials of the nomenclature regarding the areas and leaders to be controlled and possible consequences of control (including penalties for members of the Communist Party). This model complemented institutional regulation and was applied not only to ensure control inside a republic but also in relation to the supervision carried out by the centre. The government of the republic frequently faced hostility from some leaders controlling the manufacturing industry, but except for one incident, it managed to ‘localise’ both local and arriving leaders, thereby creating a certain closed social network of members of the nomenclature of the republic and simultaneously opening more opportunities for higher ranking officials of Lithuanian nomenclature to express their personal interests, assess the situation subjectively, and act in the area of control as a subject rather than an object. The social network of members of the nomenclature of the republic rather actively and using various measures sought to isolate their own circle therefore ensuring not only the integrity of the circle, but also control of the space subordinate to it, while at the same time maintaining good relations with the centre. The top ranking officials of the republic were very keen to maintain the stability of this network and their primary goal was to preserve the routine of governing, given that this status quo was in line with Brezhnev’s governing style.

A chewing gum containing ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid (EDTA), methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) and xylitol works comparable to chlorehexidine mouthrinse

Dental plaque provides a proper environment for the growth and activity of bacteria responsible for periodontal diseases and caries. As a result, it should be removed by individuals to prevent periodontal diseases and caries. There are different mechanical and chemical plaque control methods. In one study is shown that dental plaque removal efficacy of dentifrice containing Ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid(EDTA)/Methylsulfonylmethane(MSM) was nearly five times that of commercially available fluoride toothpaste. In another study, authors found that xylitol-containing chewing gums caused a marked reduction in the count of Streptococcus Mutans compared to conventional ones. This difference was highly prominent in individuals with poor oral hygiene. In this study we assessed the synergic effects of Xylitol, EDTA and MSM in a chewing gum in comparison with chlorhexidine mouthwash. This study was a crossover, randomized clinical trial. Twenty-four patients were divided in two groups randomly. At the baseline scaling and root planing was done for each patient. Group1 used chlorhexidine mouthwash twice a day. Group2 used novel chewing gum for 15 min twice a day. After 14 days, for every patient O’leary plaque index, gingival index and sulcus bleeding index were reevaluated and recorded. Professional brushing was done for patients. 14 days were considered as wash-out period. After that, method of plaque control of groups was changed. After 14 days, all patients were reevaluated and recorded and were compared with previous data. Samples in 2 groups had no significant difference in age and sex. Paired sample t test revealed that there were significant differences between first and second period for O’leary plaque index, gingival index and sulcus bleeding index in Group1 (P < 0.05). But in Group2 there were no differences between first and second period for all indexes. Also independent sample t test showed that there were no significant differences between baseline, after first treatment and after second one for all indexes in both groups (P > 0.05). According to regression model results, type of treatment had no effect on mean of all indexes. According to our findings which showed the similar efficiency of novel chewing gum and chlorhexidine mouthwash in improving and reducing plaque and gingival indexes, we can conclude that novel chewing gum can be introduced as an effective, cheap and accessible tool for dental plaque control.

Perlindungan Kepada Warga Negara Melalui PTUN terhadap Penyalahgunaan Wewenang oleh Pejabat Publik

That every decision issued and/or action taken by state administration officials must be based on statutory regulations and General Principles of Good Government (AAUPB). In accordance with Article 9 paragraph (1) of Law no. 30 of 2014 concerning Government Administration, but in practice there are still many government officials who abuse their authority, therefore the existence of PTUN is a tool of control over government actions as well as a medium for the public to seek justice for government actions. Where the Ptun has the authority to resolve TUN disputes, as well as provide legal protection to the community for legal actions taken by the government through the PTUN. This research uses normative research using a conceptual and statutory approach. The legal materials used are: primary legal materials in the form of statutory regulations, secondary legal materials in the form of books, journals, articles and other legal doctrines. The legal material collection technique uses descriptive analysis. It can be concluded that the role of Ptun is in providing legal protection to citizens against detrimental administrative decisions, namely through supervision, giving administrative sanctions to government officials who do not implement court decisions, up to the execution of court decisions in the form of revoking government decisions.

Design and Demonstration of a Novel Interferometric Polarimeter for Quantitative Determination of Sugars in a Solution

Accurate quantification of sugar in food and pharmaceutical products is important to achieve the desired levels of sweetness, texture, flavor and nutritional content. This article introduces a novel polarization-sensitive interferometric method for measuring the concentration of sugar in solutions. The impact of sugar concentration is investigated by analyzing the visibility of the interference pattern using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with an interference pattern scanning and recording system. The visibility of the interference fringes is determined by cross-sectional scanning of the fringe pattern from its center over the photodetector, followed by cut-profile analysis. As the concentration of sucrose, glucose and fructose increases, a gradual decrease in interference pattern visibility is observed, following a parabolic trend within the broader detection range of 0–14 g/50 ml. The sensor’s performance is divided into two linear regions: region-1 (0–6 g/50 ml) and region-2 (6–14 g/50 ml). In region-1, fructose exhibited the highest sensitivity of 0.0195 (g/50 ml)-1, which is 6.09 times and 1.89 times higher than glucose and sucrose, respectively. Similarly, in region-2, fructose showed a sensitivity of 0.077 (g/50 ml)-1, surpassing glucose by 3.56 times and sucrose by 2.41 times. However, sucrose achieved the lowest limit of detection of 0.0021 g/ml, which is 2.76 times and 1.71 times better than glucose and fructose, respectively. The decreasing trend in interference pattern visibility is further validated through irradiance and optical rotation measurements of the laser beam passing through the sugar solutions relative to the reference laser beam. Results from both optical techniques demonstrated good agreement, with average deviations of 1.75%, 1.72%, and 4.24% for sucrose, glucose and fructose, respectively. The proposed technique is universally applicable for measuring the concentration of transparent, optically active solutions and has the potential to be a valuable tool for quality control and optimization in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Complementary activity of Trifludimoxazin and Saflufenacil when used in combination for postemergence and residual weed control

Abstract Trifludimoxazin is a new herbicide that inhibits protoporphyrinogen oxidase and is targeted for commercial market introduction in North America, South America, and Asia. It will be available both as a standalone product and in a 1:2 mixture with saflufenacil. The herbicide is intended for use in preplant burndown (PPBD) and preemergence applications in cereal, corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and pulse crops to control a variety of annual broadleaf and grass weed species. Additionally, it is planned to be used in tree crops, oil-palm (Elaeis quineensis Jacq.), and non-crop areas. In this study, we meticulously evaluated the performance and effectiveness of both the standalone herbicide and the innovative mixture concept in combating prevalent weeds commonly encountered in corn and soybean fields. Our findings revealed that both products exhibited exceptional efficacy, significantly reducing the presence of these troublesome weeds. Furthermore, the mixture concept not only demonstrated commendable soil mobility but also showcased impressive residual activity, positioning it as a powerful tool for sustainable weed control. These promising effects are further substantiated by our comprehensive ADME (Adsorption-Distribution-Metabolism-Extraction) studies, which provide insight into the behavior and longevity of the herbicides in the agricultural ecosystem.

Impact of Corporate Governance on Firms’ Sustainability Performance: Case Study of BIST 50 Index Companies

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms and attributes influence the sustainability performance of companies included in the BIST 50 Index. Results and contributions: Regression analysis showed that there was a significant positive influence of board tenure on sustainability performance and all its types; board size on environmental performance; and a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated and company size on sustainability, environmental, and social performance. A significant negative impact of director attendance at board meetings on social performance was also revealed. This study contributes to the literature on the role of corporate governance in achieving the SDGs for BIST 50 Index companies, highlighting the significant impact of its individual indicators on the achievement of sustainability performance. Methodology: The authors reviewed 45 sustainability reports of BIST 50 Index companies for 2023. Four indices—Sustainability Performance, Environmental Performance, Social Performance, and Corporate Governance Performance Indexes—were developed to characterize sustainability performance and its types based on a content analysis of sustainability disclosures. To analyze the influence of mechanisms and characteristics of the corporate governance system on sustainability performance, eight independent variables were used: board size, number of board meetings, director attendance at board meetings, board independence, board tenure, a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated, a dummy variable for internal auditors present, and a dummy variable for CEO and Chair functions combined. Two control variables, company size and leverage, were used as well. Gap: Today, the scientific literature has no universal approach and understanding of how the corporate governance system should be developed to improve sustainability performance or its individual components. Relevance: Development of a corporate governance system is one of the ways to increase the level of sustainability performance of companies. Impact: The results of the study made it possible to produce several recommendations (expand the number of board members, develop an effective procedure for regular changes of general directors in company boards, introduce independent external control tools in the corporate governance systems of companies) that will lead to the achievement of SDGs 5, 8, 16.