Upper Level Research Articles

Evolutionary Bi-level Optimization via Multi-objective Transformation-Based Lower Level Search

Nested evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have been regarded as very promising tools for bi-level optimization. Due to the nested structure, the upper level population evaluation requires a set of complete lower level optimizations, thereby reducing the efficiency and practicability of EA methods. In this paper, a multi-objective transformation-based evolutionary algorithm (MOTEA) is proposed to perform multiple lower level optimizations in a parallel and collaborative manner. Specifically, the corresponding multiple lower level optimizations for each generation of the upper level population evaluation are transformed into locating a set of Pareto optimal solutions of a constructed multi-objective optimization problem. By utilizing the built-in implicit parallelism of evolutionary multi-objective optimization, multiple lower level problems can thus be optimized in parallel. Within one multi-objective search population, the collaboration among the parallel lower level optimization can be realized by exploiting and utilizing the implicit similarities among them for better efficiency. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed MOTEA are verified by comparing it with four state-of-the-art evolutionary bi-level optimization algorithms on two sets of popular bi-level optimization benchmark test problems and three application problems.

Results Regarding the Re-Emergence of Early Blight (Alternaria spp.) and Risk Management in Potato Growing Areas

Early blight caused by Alternaria spp. is a problem in many potato and tomato growing areas. Since some years, more and more countries report an increasing occurrence of early blight in the fields. Attacks of early blight was not see in potato fields from Barsa country, Romania, in the last years. But 2019 was an year with reemergence of early blight attack to different potato varieties. Application of fungicides is commonly used to effectively control the disease, although they are undesirable due to environmental consequences. Use of resistant cultivars would be the most optimal solution, but there are no cultivars with high level of resistance available on the market. Potato trials were carried out between 2019-2020 to the NIRDPSB Brasov on chernozeum soil with a randomised complete block design and four replicates with five Romanian varieties: Brasovia, Cezarina, Asinaria, Sevastia and Castrum. At the time of the disease, observations were made regarding the level of the attack. The determinations were performed on the lower, middle and upper level of the foliage of the tested plants (10 plants x 2 rows x 4 repetitions). Area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated based on visual assessment of foliar disease during the growing season each year. AUDPC ranged from 3143 to 170.5 in 2019 and from 1681.6 to 54 in 2020, respectively. The obtained productions varied between 27.17 t/ha (Castrum variety) and 43.03 t/ha (Cezarina variety) in 2019 and between 37.06 t/ha (Castrum variety) and 61.12 t/ha (Sevastia variety) in 2020.

Information fusion technology helps promote the teaching practice of art design specialty in colleges and universities

Abstract This study explores the application of information fusion technology in teaching art and design majors in colleges and universities, aiming to improve the teaching effect and students’ practical ability. The study adopts the flipped classroom teaching model and combines the multiple linear regression method to analyze the effectiveness of the teaching model. The model includes three stages: teaching preparation, teaching process and teaching reflection. The practice teaching system includes online and offline integration of on-campus practice, humanistic literacy practice, on-site participation practice and other multivariate systems. The study results showed that the students who adopted this teaching model scored 4.237, 4.388, and 4.186 (out of 5) in learning self-efficacy, learning adaptability, and learning engagement, respectively, indicating that the students were in the middle to upper level in these areas. The results of regression analysis showed that learning self-efficacy and learning adaptability had a significant positive effect on learning engagement. The conclusion indicates that the application of information fusion technology can significantly improve the learning self-efficacy, learning adaptability and learning engagement of art and design majors, thus improving the quality of teaching and students’ practical ability. This provides new perspectives and methods for teaching art design majors in colleges and universities.

중학생의 민주적 의사소통 수행 수준별 특성 분석

This study aims to investigate how different levels of student performance are distinctively characterized in a scenario-based democratic communication assessment, applying a series of text-mining analyses. Responses written by 543 middle school students were categorized into higher, middle, and lower levels according to their scores, and the performance characteristics of the groups were compared. The main findings are as follows. First, the keyword frequency analyses showed that words describing the problem situation in the scenario were frequent at the lower level, while words describing methods and procedures for solving the problem were frequent at the upper level. Second, as a result of keyword network analysis, words describing the situation were loosely connected at the lower level, while words describing the principles of problem solving showed higher centrality. Third, the topic modeling analysis showed that at the lower level, the presented problem situation emerged as a latent topic, while at the upper level, mutual respect and problem solving methods emerged as latent topics. Finally, we discuss the usefulness and future challenges of using text mining techniques to scrutinize qualitative differences in student performance in constructed response questions.

임진강 유역 후기 구석기에 대한 시론적 연구

In the Imjin River Area, 7 major sites related to the Upper Paleolithic were excavated. The sites are located on the lava plateau, fluvial terrace and on top of the hillslope. The sites related with the lava plateau and fluvial terrace show differences in colluvium after sedimentation of alluvial deposits. And underwent a stable process of soilification towards the upper levels. Many of the Upper Paleolithic artifacts are identified within the upper clay deposits. On the other hand, the site on the hillside was subjected to repeated colluvium, and the artifacts were likely re-deposited.
 Stratum comparisons of sites indicate that Upper Paleolithic artifacts occur in light brown, dark brown, and reddish brown clay layers and brown sandy clay or clay layers. The reddish brown clay and brown sandy clay or clay layers are the last Middle Paleolithic~30,000BP, the dark brown clay layers are primarily of the first half of MIS 2 : before 20,000BP, and the light brown clay layers are the second half of MIS 2 : after 20,000 BP.
 Throughout all time stages, quartz and quartzite lithic raw materials are heavily utilized and small stone tools are common. However, tuff and obsidian are identified in second artifact layer of Samgeo-ri site of the first half of MIS 2, which is related with the emergence of blade and micro-blade techniques. In other sites, these lithic technologies are not identified, suggesting that a variety of technological choices were made in response to the demand for shaped tools and the availability of raw materials. From the seond half of MIS 3 to MIS 2, the size of the flakes becomes smaller, and the types of small stone tools become more diverse and smaller. However, PESQ(pièce esquillée) remains constant in size and is looks like excluded from the miniaturization of stone tools because of its function.

The Role of Digital Technologies in the Project Management Implementation Based on the Intellectual and Innovative Development of the Enterprise

Current trends of post-industrial development lead to the intensification of the use of digital technologies in multi-vector processes of social development. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the role of digital technologies in the project management implementation on the basis of intellectually innovative development of the enterprise using the methodology of an integrated approach. The methodological basis of the research is emphasized, which includes the methodology of an integrated approach and the separation of the principles of the application of digital technologies in the implementation of project management, namely, purposefulness, adequacy, systematicity, effectiveness, efficiency, influence, security, viability and social orientation. The advantages of using digital technologies in the project management of enterprises are highlighted for all levels of project management, which includes the upper levels of enterprise management, covering the strategic level of management, project management, which provides direct management of specific projects and the project team, that is, the level of project implementation. The functional tasks of the use of digital technologies in the project management implementation based on the intellectual and innovative development of the enterprise have been clarified.

Strontium Isotopic, Ostracod fauna, and Paleoenvironmental Features of the Late Miocene Sequence in Mut/Dağpazarı Region (Southern Turkey)

The primary focus of this study was the Dağpazarı village in the Mut region of Mersin, southern Turkey. In this research area, two stratigraphic sections were meticulously measured. The study conducted a comprehensive examination of the Middle-Late Miocene period in the Dağpazarı, Ballı, and Mut Formations by analyzing the ostracod fauna and utilizing strontium isotope chemostratigraphic dating. This research determined that the upper levels of the Mut/Köselerli formations, specifically from the Burdigalian to Serravallian, signify the commencement of the Miocene succession in the study area.The Dağpazarı Formation, characterized by abundant silty-clay, Ostrea fossils, and lignite layers, is deposited unconformably just above these levels.This formation contains the following ostracod taxa; Bairdia subdeltoidea, C. glypta, Cytheridea acuminata acuminata, Acanthocythereis hystrix, Krithe monosteracensis, Neomonoceratina mouliana, Hemicyprideis sp., Cistacythereis caelatura, Cyherella terguemi, T. prava, K. langhiana, A. ulicznyi, Pokornyella deformis minor, Loxoconcha alata, Tenedocythere salebrosa. Furthermore, the planktonic foraminifera species are; O. universa, Globigerinoides trilobus, Glb. ruber, Orbulina bilobata, Glb. sacculifer, O. suturalis, and the formation includes abundant bryozoa, echinoid spines, gastropods such as Terebralia at distinct levels, and fish otolith. The formation, dating from the late Serravallian to the early Tortonian, exhibits the shallow reef characteristics that continued to develop in the late Miocene.The formation consists of dark green, bulbous weathered claystone, Bairdia subdeltoidea and Ostrea which are reduced in size at the levels that pass into hard clayey sandstone, abundant benthic foraminifera with abundant echinoid spines. The formation consists of benthic foraminifera, hard clayey sandstone, and weathered dark green claystone, which contains numerous echinoid spines.Ostrea and Bairdia subdeltoidea are also present. The upper section of the analyzed succession concludes with silty, compact, clayey limestone layers and light-colored limestone bands. The Tırtar Ballı Formation, which conformably overlays the Dağpazarı Formation, signifies the culmination of a relatively recent reef formation during the Tortonian period.Ostracod species such as Aurila pigadiana, Thalmannia hodgii, Buntonia sublatissima dertonensis, Bairdia subdeltoidea, Aurila sp. Bassiouni have been defined. The limestones also contain abundant benthic foraminifera and echinoid spines. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio analyzed from the carbonate sample obtained from the Dağpazarı formation is 0.708920. Based on these isotope data, the age of the Dağpazarı formation was calculated to be 8.7 million years (Ma).

Key of Customer’s Satisfaction and Loyalty: E-Service Quality, Price, and Trust

Some companies do not reach sustainability because of the lack of innovation in products, services, and marketing, With the aim of growing the customer count as well as to maintain existing customers. Currently, competition in the telecommunications industry is very tight due to the increasing number of internet providers, such as Indihome, Biznet, Iconnet, and other official and unofficial local ISPs. Internet provider companies must be able to enhance the quality of services and products that are capable of reaching various economic levels, including upper, middle, and lower levels, as the demand for internet continues to grow, even in rural areas. This research endeavors to analyze e-service quality, web design, price, and trust affect the level of satisfaction and loyalty of Indihome customers. The quantitative research design is being utilized. The type of research used is descriptive. New Indihome users in the Datel Situbondo area were the focus of the study who started subscribing since the first semester period of 2022, which totalled 1059 people. Researchers used purposive sampling technique to collect sample of 290 respondents. This research covers Situbondo Representative Office area which is divided into 4 regions, consisting of Situbondo, Mlandingan, Besuki, and Asembagus. Drawing from the research results, e-service quality, price, and trust each have a positively effect on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Customer satisfaction is related to customer loyalty. As customer satisfaction rises, so does customer loyalty.

ADVANCED AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR REMOTE CONTROL IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

The purpose of this work is to design and implement a cascade control system of the level with the flow rate, with remote supervision, in an industrial type installation, located in the Laboratory of Measurement Techniques, Department of Automation, Computers and Electronics, within the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. The operating parameters of the installation are as follows: suction pressure: 0 – 2 bar; discharge pressure: 0 -10 bar; water flow: 0-30 m3/h; transported liquid: water. The automation system is structured on three hierarchical levels: level 1: the instrumentation mounted on the installation (transducers, signaling devices, etc.); level 2: includes the TGA System; level 3: constitutes the upper hierarchical level and includes the HMI (Human Machine Interface). The TGA system is a computerized system that ensures the monitoring, command and control functions of all the stand's component elements. It contains a programmable logic controller PLC 1214 – Siemens, which communicates via an Ethernet IP network with an operator interface and with the network of the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, which allows remote control of the installation. It also includes the protection system in case of failure, which involves stopping the rotating equipment, isolating the pipes by closing the control valve and alarming the operators. The HMI (Human Machine Interface) interface presents 3 options on the start page, from where the operator can select which application he wants to test: flow control loop application; level adjustment loop application; cascade adjustment loop application. The HMI equipment integrates SCADA functions, database update, evolution curves of analog quantities, sound and monitor alarm system, keyboard command, periodic records, event records, alarm records and technological schemes at the human-machine interface. The entire software is made in an open architecture, recommended by ISO norms. The PLC communicates in the network by adopting the protocol TCP/IP. An executable program used for the real-time application program was developed.

Stationary High-Energy Pulse Generation in Er-Based Fiber Lasers via Quasi-Synchronous Gain Modulation

We demonstrate the feasibility of triggering stationary high-energy pulse generation in Er-doped fiber lasers at ~1.5 µm via quasi-synchronous gain modulation. This simple method relies upon the sine-wave modulation of pump power at a frequency slightly surpassing the intrinsic frequency spacing of longitudinal modes in the laser cavity. This was previously implemented only in Yb-doped fiber lasers at ~1.1 µm. Here, for the first time, we experimentally validate the pulse shaping capabilities of this method also in Er fiber lasers, which, unlike Yb fiber lasers, have a three-level laser energy diagram (when pumped at 0.98 µm) with a very long-lived (10 ms) upper laser level. The feasibility of the method was validated both for normal and anomalous intracavity dispersion, which was not available in previous implementations in Yb fiber lasers at ~1.1 µm. Thus, the stable generation of a regular train of discrete nanosecond pulses with an energy of up to 180 nJ was achieved in our test-bed Er fiber laser upon the quasi-synchronous sine-wave modulation of the pump power at 0.98 µm. The results of our study testify to the general applicability of this affordable and reliable method for high-energy pulse generation in various rare-earth-doped fiber lasers.

A trilevel programming model for the coordination of wholesale and local distribution markets considering GENCOs and proactive customers

Implementing local distribution markets has been pointed out to simultaneously deal with proactive customer bids and coordinate their power dispatch. However, the impacts of such coordination in the transmission system are usually disregarded. Additionally, proposals that aim to coordinate the operation of distribution and transmission systems usually regard the distribution system operator as a strategic price-maker in the wholesale market, while other wholesale market agents with similar market power are not. In this paper, we propose a trilevel programming framework in which the wholesale market is modeled in the upper level, the wholesale market agents, namely generation and distribution companies, are characterized in the middle level, and the distribution-connected proactive customers are considered in the lower level. The resulting formulation allows the incorporation of multiple agents in any of the markets without the need to change the solving technique. Furthermore, the energy market clearing processes regard every agent participating in the same market at the same hierarchy. A formulation to enforce uniform energy prices is proposed to overcome the inaccessibility to marginal prices under the proposed framework. Numerical results are presented for a power system composed of distribution and transmission networks with multiple independent agents to validate the proposed approach.

Differential molecular mechanisms of substrate recognition by selenium methyltransferases, INMT and TPMT, in selenium detoxification and excretion

It is known that the recommended dietary allowance of selenium (Se) is dangerously close to its tolerable upper intake level. Se is detoxified and excreted in urine as trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) when the amount ingested exceeds the nutritional level. Recently, we demonstrated that the production of TMSe requires two methyltransferases: thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) and indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT). In this study, we investigated the substrate recognition mechanisms of INMT and TPMT in the Se-methylation reaction. Examination of the Se-methyltransferase activities of two paralogs of INMT, namely, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), revealed that only INMT exhibited Se-methyltransferase activity. Consistently, molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that dimethylselenide (DMSe) was preferentially associated with the active center of INMT. Using the fragment molecular orbital method, we identified hydrophobic residues involved in the binding of DMSe to the active center of INMT. The INMT-L164R mutation resulted in a deficiency in Se- and N-methyltransferase activities. Similarly, TPMT-R152, which occupies the same position as INMT-L164, played a crucial role in the Se-methyltransferase activity of TPMT. Our findings suggest that TPMT recognizes negatively charged substrates, whereas INMT recognizes electrically neutral substrates in the hydrophobic active center embedded within the protein. These observations explain the sequential requirement of the two methyltransferases in producing TMSe.

Lateral Decubitus Dynamic CT Myelography with Real-Time Bolus Tracking (dCTM-BT) for Evaluation of CSF-Venous Fistulas: Diagnostic Yield Stratified by Brain Imaging Findings.

CSF-venous fistulas (CVFs) associated with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) may have a transient appearance, relative to contrast arrival, which may influence the diagnostic performance of lateral decubitus CT myelography (CTM). We developed a dynamic CTM protocol using real-time bolus-tracking (dCTM-BT) to improve the temporal resolution and standardize the timing of CTM acquisitions post-intrathecal contrast administration. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of the dCTM-BT technique and evaluate its diagnostic yield for CVF detection, stratified by brain MRI SIH findings. Patients with suspected SIH without extradural fluid collection on spine MRI who underwent dCTM-BT were retrospectively reviewed. CT bolus monitoring was performed at the upper thoracic level. Following the visualization of dense intrathecal contrast, at least 3 CTM acquisitions of the spine were obtained and reviewed by 2 neuroradiologists. The Bern SIH score was calculated on the brain MRI. The diagnostic yield for CVF detection was evaluated, stratified by Bern score categories and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Out of 48 patients, 23 (48%) had a CVF on dCTM-BT, located at T1-5 (n = 4), T6-12 (n = 18), L1 (n = 1), with 70% on the right. CVF was identified in 22/22 (100%) of patients who had a high Bern score, 1/7 (14%) of those who had an intermediate score, and 0/19 (0%) of those who had a low score. The area under the ROC curve was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-1.00). The optimal cutoff was a Bern score of ≥5 (96% sensitivity, 100% specificity). dCTM-BT is feasible and has excellent diagnostic performance for CVF identification/localization. The Bern score is strongly associated with CVF detection and may help inform who will benefit from dCTM-BT.

Selenium - a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.

Selenium is an essential trace element in humans, critical to the normal physiology in all animal species. The main form of selenium in food is selenomethionine, selenocysteine and a variety of organic compounds, while inorganic salts mainly occur in food supplements. In animals and humans, selenium occurs as selenocysteine in selenoproteins encoded by 25 genes (specific selenium pool). Several selenoproteins are part of the antioxidant enzyme system and serve as oxido-reductases and in thyroid hormone regulation. SelenoproteinP (SELENOP) transports selenium to peripheral tissues, is the main plasma selenoprotein, and has been used as biomarker of selenium status and intake. SELENOP in plasma represents a saturable pool of selenium and is maximised at a selenium concentration in plasma of about 110 µg/L or an intake of selenomethionine at about 1.2 µg/kg body weight in adults. In Finland, with an estimated selenium intake of 88 µg/day in men and 68 µg/day in women, the average selenium concentration in plasma is about 110 µg/L. Imported wheat from selenium rich areas is an important dietary source in Norway. Dietary intakes in the Nordic and Baltic area vary from 39 to 88 µg/day in men and 22 to 68 µg/day in women, the highest levels were from Finland. Most intervention trials on the effect of selenium supplementation on health outcomes have been carried out in 'selenium-replete'-populations and show no beneficial effect, which from a nutritional point of view would rather not be expected. Some intervention studies conducted in populations low in selenium have showed a beneficial effect. Observational studies suggest an inverse relationship between selenium status and risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer and all-cause mortality, and some other outcomes at low levels of intake (<55 µg/day) or in plasma or serum (<100 µg/L). However, a lack of quantitative data and inconsistencies between studies precludes these studies to be used to derive dietary reference values. At high intakes above 330 to 450 µg/day selenium may cause toxic effects affecting liver, peripheral nerves, skin, nails, and hair. An upper tolerable level (UL) of 255 µg selenium/day in adults was established by EFSA.

Classification of synoptic processes in the territory of Ukraine using a modified Jenkinson and Collison method

During the year, the territory of Ukraine is under the influence of various synoptic processes, which have a certain evolution in the surface conditions of the region and sometimes lead to the formation of unfavorable and dangerous weather conditions. The classification of synoptic processes makes it possible to create a set of daily synoptic situations taking into account the characteristics of a certain region, both for their use in weather forecasting and for studying the dynamics of regional synoptic processes under climate change. In this study, the modified version of Jenkinson and Collison method is used to classify synoptic processes on the territory of Ukraine, which is based on pressure data at the sea surface level and the geopotential heights at the level 500 hPa. The analysis of the obtained set of daily types of atmospheric circulation for the period 1948-2021 and the composite pressure fields built for each circulation type showed that all synoptic situations are clearly defined according to the classification and have seasonal features of frequency. During the year, advective processes of the western circulation group prevail, eastern advection is also often observed, and this type of circulation dominates in the spring months. The processes of the southern group are most relevant on the cold period of the year. Anticyclones occur more often over the region in winter and autumn, and cyclones are observed in summer and spring. The inclusion of 500 hPa level data in the classification makes it possible to take into account the three-dimensional structure of synoptic objects and distinguish such types of circulation as low cyclones and cold anticyclones, as well as troughs and cut-off lows at heights. It was found that low (thermal) cyclones and anticyclones make up a small proportionof synoptic situations, so the feasibility of their further inclusion in the typification for the territory of Ukraine is being discussed. The processes associated with the cut-off lows at the upper levels turned out to quite rare, but due to the possibility of the formation of dangerous weather conditions, this type of circulation is necessary in the classification of regional synoptic processes.

Exhumation mechanisms of the Himalayan metamorphic core in the Bhagirathi Valley, NW India: Insights from an integrated structural and metamorphic analysis

The Himalayan metamorphic core in the Bhagirathi valley (NW India) consists of low-grade rocks belonging to the Lesser Himalayan Sequence to the south, and of high-grade rocks of the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS), to the north. The contact between these two units is a 2–3 km thick high-strain zone known as the Main Central Thrust zone (MCTz). Structural studies in the GHS identify the superposition of foliation (S2) related to tight isoclinal fold (F2) on a pre-existing foliation (S1). S2 was further overprinted by D3 crenulations, and a set of conjugate fractures (D4) overprinted these ductile fabrics. Deformation in the GHS was characterized by top-to-the-SW shearing, which, in its upper structural level, was overprinted by top-to-the-NE extensional shear. Metamorphic analysis shows a moderate T/high P inverted metamorphic sequence with pre-to syn-kinematic, inclusion-rich garnet in the structurally lower part of the GHS and high T-moderate P prograde metamorphism with post-tectonic inclusion-free garnet and evidence of partial melting, in its upper structural level. We envisage that the uppermost part of the GHS and the lower part of the GHS, including the MCTz, are two distinct tectonic slices, separated by a tectono-metamorphic discontinuity.

PROBLEMS OF PRESERVATION AND REVITALIZATION OF THE TERRITORY OF THE NATURAL MONUMENT – HISTORICAL "KADETSKYI HAI"

The article is devoted to the study, preservation and revival of the territory of the historical natural monument – Kadetskyi Hai. This is a unique ecosystem with the river Vershynka, lakes and a large oak grove, which has repeatedly undergone changes. This territory is known from chronicle sources of princely times and is depicted on historical maps, it is described as an important green zone in the suburbs of ancient Kyiv, which played several functions: recreational, economic, residential, military. After 1917, the mass destruction of the green massif of Kadetskyi Hai began, which was intensified by blocks of massive construction in the 1960s. The purpose of the research: to systematize historical information about the Kadetskyi Hai, to identify its features, to identify the problems associated with the process of organizing the remaining green areas today, and to provide proposals for their solution.&#x0D; According to the developed proposals, it is necessary to clean up and arrange the bed of the Vershynka River, setting up a sanitary protection zone around it. As an option, it is proposed to move the channel further from the railway track and turn it into a place of rest. Since the part of the “Sputnyk” park in the part of the White Gazebo (Bila Altanka) and the Vershynka River is unorganized and cluttered, it is proposed to organize it.&#x0D; The disorder of green zones remains a problem, both in Sputnyk Park and landscaping within residential neighborhoods. In fact, the areas of mass construction of the 1960s have turned into “sleeping neighborhoods” over time, where there is a lack of public service facilities, parking lots, organized recreation areas, sports and children's playgrounds.&#x0D; A separate problem is related to the disorganization of green spaces. The authors investigated the greening of the Pershotravnevyi residential area on the territory of the former Kadetskyi Hai. This neighborhood is characterized by a terraced terrain, where medium-story brick houses are located on the upper and lower levels of the natural slope. In the thickness of the slope there is an extensive network of communications, so it remains undeveloped. In recent years, because of the war, slope clearing and removal of self-seeding trees and bushes have not been carried out, so this area has taken on the appearance of a forest park made of deciduous trees. 

CdZnTe detectors tested at the [formula omitted] collider for future kaonic atoms measurements

The SIDDHARTA-2 collaboration at the INFN Laboratories of Frascati (LNF) aims to perform important measurements on kaonic atoms. In parallel to the groundbreaking kaonic deuterium measurement, presently running on the DAΦNE collider at LNF, we plan to install additional detectors. The aim is to perform further kaonic atoms’ studies, taking advantage of the unique low energy and low momentum spread K− beam delivered by the at-rest decay of the ϕ meson.CdZnTe devices are ideal for detecting transitions toward both the upper and lower levels of intermediate-mass kaonic atoms, like kaonic carbon and aluminium. Measuring these transitions can have an important impact on the strangeness sector of nuclear physics.We present the results obtained in two preliminary tests conducted at DAΦNE in view of measurements foreseen in 2024, with the twofold aim to tune the timing window required to reject the extremely high electromagnetic background, and to quantify the readout saturation effect due to the high rate when placed close to the Interaction Region (IR). In the first test we used a RITEC device and electronics, while for the second one commercial REDLEN detectors were coupled to a frontend electronics customized at the University of Palermo.The results confirmed the possibility of finding and matching a proper timing window to identify the signal events and proved the better performance in terms of energy resolution of the REDLEN technology with a custom frontend electronics. In both cases, strong saturation effects were confirmed, accounting for a loss of almost 90% of the events, which will be overcome by a dedicated shielding structure foreseen for the final experimental setup.

Управление статически неустойчивым шагающим аппаратом при ограниченном трении в опоре

A non-trivial problem in the biped walking is the preservation of stability under external influences without slowing down velocity. A dynamic walking control algorithm with a hierarchical structure is proposed in the article. The lower control level is organized according to the principle of tracking drives and ensures the position of the robot`s body using all given possible coordinates. The problem of traffic stabilization is solved at the upper level. An ideal mechanism — a flat inverted mathematical pendulum is considered in the feedback circuit. Its equations are synchronized by the moment of the step ending. Particular attention is paid to the interaction of the robot foot with the support surface to determine the conditions for the absence of slippage. Proposed control approach makes it possible to control the current position of the robot`s structure in the space in different walking modes without slowing down velocity. Critically assessing the results and prospects of the research, we can conclude about their use-fulness in the development of artificial intelligence cooperation with humans, about possible applications in everyday life, a specific environment and industry. The proposed approach may be applicable to the control of the walking mechanisms of similar mobile robots.

BIOTESTING OF SOIL CONDITIONS AT THE TERRITORIES ADJACENT TO AIRPORTS

The development of civil aviation is accompanied by a constant increase in man-made load on the environment. The application of methods of bioindication and biotesting of anthropogenic and technogenic influences on the ecosystem components is one of the possible options for monitoring the state of the environment at territories subject to technogenic stress due to the activities of environmentally hazardous enterprises. To study the level of man-made impact of airport activities on the state of the soil (namely, phytotoxicity), at the territory adjacent to the airport "Kyiv" named after I. Sikorskyi International Airport from the upper and lower levels at different distances from the airport runway (from 5 m to 2 km) soil samples were taken using the envelope method. As a control (conditionally clean soil), a soil sample collected at the territory of Holosiiv Park (soil type: dark gray forest soils) was used. In total, six soil samples were analyzed. On the third day of germination the growth characteristics of Allium cepa seedlings were determined. Test parameters that were used to determine the phytotoxic effect: the percentage of seed germination, namely the energy of its germination, the length of the root and the length of the stem. The analysis of the obtained data on the germination of Allium cepa seeds showed that the lowest germination was recorded for the soil samples that were taken at a distance of 5 and 1500 m from the runway, which indicates an increased level of phytotoxic impact due to the activities of the airport.&#x0D;  The greatest phytotoxic effect for the stem of Allium cepa seedlings was observed for the soil sample located at a distance of 5 m from the ZPS. For soil samples taken at a distance of 5 m to 1000 m, i.e. with distance from the runway of the airport, a decrease in the level of phytotoxicity of the soil is observed. Only when approaching the highway (at a distance of 1,000 m to 2,000 m) there was observed an increase in phytotoxicity of the soil again.&#x0D; Among the investigated samples of meristem tissues, the presence of mitotic activity of cells was observed in the meristems of root tip samples of onion seedlings germinated on soil samples that were taken at a distance of 5 m, 1500 m and 2000 m from the airport. The determined mitotic indices (MI) for these soil samples are as following: for a soil sample taken at a distance of 5 m, it was 2.9 %; for a soil sample taken at a distance of 1500 m was 2.6 %; for a soil sample taken at a distance of 2000 m was 2.6 %. The research results confirm the need for constant monitoring of the soil condition at these technogenically loaded territories, in order to increase the level of environmental safety of these territories.