Model Characteristics as a Means of Knowledge in Humanitarian Field

Some features of modelling in the humanitarian field are considered, which can be used for pedagogical modelling. Universality of modelling as a research method for different areas of knowledge is emphasised. The questions are raised about the relationship between the categories of model, prototype and image in the process of reflection of reality. The relationship between a model and material and non-material types of prototype are examined. Special attention is paid to the prototype as a mental model containing key and peripheral characteristics of displayed object and being an important link in the realization of subject-object relationships in the modelling process. Traditional definitions of the term “model” are given, that emphasize its characteristic properties. A review of the methodological provisions of the modelling related to the theory of knowledge and the theory of similarity is made. The author dwells on the concepts of analogy, emphasizing the importance of the degree of analogy for modelling, isomorphism and homomorphism, generalization and abstraction. As a result, the author proposes a revised definition of model, based on the notion of mental prototypical model. Attention is paid to the stages of model building to reveal the algorithm. The work summarizes and formulates characteristics of a model as a means of scientific cognition: imagery, abstraction, simplification, having parameters, consistency, subject-object relationship, informativeness

Complexification methods of interval forecast estimates in the problems on short-term prediction

Вирішено завдання удосконалення методичної бази системи підтримки прийняття рішень у процесi короткострокового прогнозування показникiв організаційно-технічних систем шляхом розробки нових i адаптації існуючих методiв комплексування, здатних врахувати інтервальну невизначеність прогнозних оцінок. Актуальнiсть даного завдання обумовлена необхідністю врахування невизначеності первинної інформації, викликаної проявом НI-чинникiв. Проведений аналіз передумов i особливостей формалiзації невизначеності первинних даних в інтервальнiй формi, виявлені переваги iнтервального аналiзу для вирішення задачi комплексування інтервальних прогнозних оцінок. Викладено короткі відомості про базовий математичний апарат: iнтервальну арифметику та інтервальний аналiз. Вдосконалено методи комплексування прогнозних оцінок шляхом синтезу iнтервальних розширень, отриманих вiдповiдно до парадигми інтервального аналізу. В результатi досліджень встановлено, що введення аналiтичної функцiї переваг дозволило синтезувати модель комплексування в досить загальному виглядi, шляхом об'єднання в єдинiй формi класiв гiбридних i селективних моделей для генерації консолідованих прогнозiв на основi інтервальних прогнозних оцiнок. Це дозволяє отримувати комплексовані прогнози на основi інтервальних прогнозних оцінок, тим самим забезпечувати точність консолідованого короткострокового прогнозу. Проведено критичний аналіз запропонованих методiв i розроблено рекомендацiї щодо їх практичного використання. Сформульовано рекомендації щодо параметричного налаштування аналітичної функції переваг. На прикладi показано адаптивні властивості інтервальної моделі комплексування

Recent Advances in Miscanthus Macromolecule Conversion: A Brief Overview

Miscanthus is a valuable renewable feedstock and has a significant potential for the manufacture of diverse biotechnology products based on macromolecules such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Herein, we overviewed the state-of-the art of research on the conversion of miscanthus polymers into biotechnology products comprising low-molecular compounds and macromolecules: bioethanol, biogas, bacterial cellulose, enzymes (cellulases, laccases), lactic acid, lipids, fumaric acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates. The present review aims to assess the potential of converting miscanthus polymers in order to develop sustainable technologies

Static Culture Combined with Aeration in Biosynthesis of Bacterial Cellulose

One of the ways to enhance the yield of bacterial cellulose (BC) is by using dynamic aeration and different-type bioreactors because the microbial producers are strict aerobes. But in this case, the BC quality tends to worsen. Here we have combined static culture with aeration in the biosynthesis of BC by symbiotic Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 for the first time. A new aeration method by feeding the air onto the growth medium surface is proposed herein. The culture was performed in a Binder-400 climate chamber. The study found that the air feed at a rate of 6.3 L/min allows a 25% increase in the BC yield. Moreover, this aeration mode resulted in BC samples of stable quality. The thermogravimetric and X-ray structural characteristics were retained: the crystallinity index in reflection and transmission geometries were 89% and 92%, respectively, and the allomorph Iα content was 94%. Slight decreases in the degree of polymerization (by 12.0% compared to the control―no aeration) and elastic modulus (by 12.6%) are not critical. Thus, the simple aeration by feeding the air onto the culture medium surface has turned out to be an excellent alternative to dynamic aeration. Usually, when the cultivation conditions, including the aeration ones, are changed, characteristics of the resultant BC are altered either, due to the sensitivity of individual microbial strains. In our case, the stable parameters of BC samples under variable aeration conditions are explained by the concomitant factors: the new efficient aeration method and the highly adaptive microbial producer―symbiotic Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12

Properties and Hydrolysis Behavior of Celluloses of Different Origin

The present paper is a fundamental study on the physicochemical properties and hydrolysis behavior of cellulose samples differing in origin: bacterial, synthetic, and vegetal. Bacterial cellulose was produced by Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 in an enzymatic hydrolyzate derived from oat-hull pulp. Synthetic cellulose was obtained from an aqueous glucose solution by electropolymerization. Plant-based cellulose was isolated by treatment of Miscanthus sacchariflorus with dilute NaOH and HNO3 solutions. We explored different properties of cellulose samples, such as chemical composition, degree of polymerization (DP), degree of crystallinity (DC), porosity, and reported infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy results. The hydrolysis behavior was most notable dependent on the origin of cellulose. For the bacterial cellulose sample (2010 DP, 90% DC, 89.4% RS yield), the major property affecting the hydrolysis behavior was its unique nanoscale reticulate structure promoting fast penetration of cellulases into the substrate structure. The study on enzymatic hydrolysis showed that the hydrolysis behavior of synthetic and Miscanthus celluloses was most influenced by the substrate properties such as DP, DC and morphological structure. The yield of reducing sugars (RS) by hydrolysis of synthetic cellulose exhibiting a 3140 DP, 80% DC, and highly depolymerization-resistant fibers was 27%. In contrast, the hydrolysis of Miscanthus-derived cellulose with a 1030 DP, 68% DC, and enzyme-accessible fibers provided the highest RS yield of 90%. The other properties examined herein (absence/presence of non-cellulosic impurities, specific surface, pore volume) had no considerable effect on the bioconversion of the cellulosic substrates

Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Miscanthus × giganteus Raised in Different Climate Regions in Russia

Lignocellulosic biomass is of great interest as an alternative energy resource because it offers a range of merits. Miscanthus × giganteus is a lignocellulosic feedstock of special interest, as it combines a high biomass productivity with a low environmental impact, including CO2 emission control. The chemical composition of lignocellulose determines the application potential for efficient industrial processing. Here, we compiled a sample collection of Miscanthus × giganteus that had been cultivated in different climate regions between 2019 and 2021. The chemical composition was quantified by the conventional wet methods. The findings were compared with each other and with the known data. Starting as soon as the first vegetation year, Miscanthus was shown to feature the following chemical composition: 43.2–55.5% cellulose content, 17.1–25.1% acid-insoluble lignin content, 17.9–22.9% pentosan content, 0.90–2.95% ash content, and 0.3–1.2% extractives. The habitat and the surrounding environment were discovered herein to affect the chemical composition of Miscanthus. The stem part of Miscanthus was found to be richer in cellulose than the leaf (48.4–54.9% vs. 47.2–48.9%, respectively), regardless of the planation age and habitat. The obtained findings broaden the investigative geography of the chemical composition of Miscanthus and corroborate the high value of Miscanthus for industrial conversion thereof into cellulosic products worldwide