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δ-Bi2O3-based materials have long been a focus of interest as potential solid oxide fuel cell materials due to their high electrical conductivity. Here, extensive studies of thermal stability, polymorphism and conductivity have been carried out for the first time on Bi3.24Ln2W0.76O10.14 (Ln = La, Pr or Nd) compounds in the ternary Bi2O3–Ln2O3–WO3 system, mentioned more than 20 years ago by Watanabe. The obtained single-phase materials were found to be sufficiently dense (more than 94%) and thermally stable (up to 900 °C). Emphasis was placed on studying the nature of the electrical transport of these phases, which was investigated through high-throughput calculations and experimental measurements. Theoretical studies included a crystal chemical evaluation of conductivity channels and migration energy, calculation of ionic conductivities using the kinetic Monte Carlo method, and determination of band gaps using a quantum-chemical approach. Experimental conductivity investigations were carried out over a wide temperature range (up to 900 °C) and at various oxygen partial pressures. For Bi3.24Ln2W0.76O10.14, the anionic type of conductivity is predominant with a share of the electronic component. The total conductivity values reached about 10−2 S cm−1 at 900 °C for all samples, confirmed by both calculation and measurement. These theoretical and experimental findings enhance the understanding of the nature and mechanism of Watanabe's phase conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the environmental challenges associated with high-performance rare-earth magnets, particularly NdFeB, which are essential in green and digital technologies. By employing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with openLCA software, we evaluate the environmental impacts across the life cycles of ferrite, NdFeB, and MnAlC magnets, focusing on extraction, processing, and recycling. Various studies have explored different aspects of the LCA of NdFeB magnets, focusing on production methods, recycling processes, and the environmental impacts of different rare-earth sources. A comparative LCA highlights the significant environmental footprint of rare-earth magnets, underscoring the role of functional unit selection: when assessed per unit of energy density, the environmental impact of NdFeB magnets aligns more closely with alternatives. Methodological issues such as data quality, choice of functional units, and system complexity affect LCA accuracy, as inconsistencies in data or scope led to potential distortions in environmental assessments. This research also explores manganese-based magnets as viable alternatives to reduce reliance on rare-earth materials. Legislative initiatives, including the EU's Ecodesign Directive and Critical Raw Materials Act, support sustainable management practices to ensure reliable material supply while promoting environmental protection. This paper highlights the importance of sustainable magnetic materials, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research to balance technological efficiency and environmental impact, especially as rare-earth magnet demand rises with the transition to renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease with high rates of disability and mortality. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is an effective method of treating patients, increasing life expectancy, but currently, predictors available to determine the best outcome of therapy in this category of patients are unknown. This systematic review aimed to determine the impact of prognostic factors on benefits from NIV application compared with non-NIV tools of treatment (invasive ventilation and standard care) in case of survival of ALS patients. Method: We systematically sought relevant longitudinal cohort and case-control studies published in PubMed, CINAHL/EMBASE, Cochrane library, and Scopus. Results: We included seven prospective studies, published in 2010–2020, in the analysis. According to the evidence base available to date, NIV favors survival compared to non-NIV in patients with bulbar onset ALS. We obtained conflicting data on the significance of spinal onset and bulbar function. Survival depending on patient age, and also for spinal, cervical, and flail limb phenotypes during NIV therapy has not been sufficiently studied and needs further investigation. Conclusions: The studies analyzed in this review allow us to state with confidence that NIV is effective in bulbar onset ALS, taking into account recommendations for duration of ventilation and the use of the full range of symptomatic therapy, including mechanically assisted coughing. The effectiveness of NIV on severe bulbar symptoms requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of facultative-anaerobic lipophilic microorganisms, including representatives of Corynebacterium and Staphylococcaceae, inhabit the necrotic contents of tuberculomas. A strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated from caseum; its genome was fully sequenced and gene-mapped. The coagulase-negative Staphylococcus belonged to the MLST 73 genotype and was resistant to two antituberculosis drugs. The strain phenotypically had urease, gelatinase, and beta-hemolytic activities and possessed the corresponding genes. Similar to S. epidermidis O47, its genome consists of a single chromosome containing approximately 2.4 million base pairs, and oriC has the same orientation. A total of 2333 genes were identified, of which 2206 were coding genes. In contigs of the genome, sequences of plasmid replication genes were found: rep7a, rep13, rep5b, and pSK1. Phylogenetic analysis indicates the closeness of the analyzed genome to a large group of European strains. Considering the biochemical and microbiological properties of the isolated strain, we hypothesize that staphylococci and other facultative-anaerobic satellite microorganisms of tuberculosis foci may play an important role in caseum liquefaction owing to their own proteolytic activity and attraction of neutrophils to the focus of inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally study magnetization reversal curves for MnTe single crystals, which is the altermagnetic candidate. Above 85 K temperature, we confirm the antiferromagnetic behavior of magnetization M, which is known for α-MnTe. Below 85 K, we observe anomalous low-field magnetization behavior, which is accompanied by the sophisticated angle dependence with beating pattern as the interplay between maxima and minima: in low fields, shows ferromagnetic-like 180° periodicity, while at high magnetic fields, the periodicity is changed to the 90° one. This angle dependence is the most striking result of our experiment, while it can not be expected for standard magnetic systems. In contrast, in altermagnets, symmetry allows ferromagnetic behavior only due to the spin–orbit coupling. Thus, we claim that our experiment shows the effect of weak spin–orbit coupling in MnTe, with crossover from relativistic to non-relativistic net magnetization, and, therefore, we experimentally confirm altermagnetism in MnTe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a two-group social conflict under the corporates' research and development (R&D) business processes. Conflict participants are divided into two groups depending on their attitude to new ideas, technologies, and behavioral style for R&D creative problems—innovators and adapters. We reveal the contradiction that arises between the need to include both types of employees in one project team and their objectively antagonistic positions regarding the methods and approaches to R&D processes. The proposed research methodology is based on a modern post-non-classical paradigm formed on the principles of coherence, interdisciplinarity, openness, and nonlinearity, as well as a sociophysical approach to the social conflicts modeling. We use the general theories of magnetism, paramagnetism, and functions of P. Langevin and L. Brillouin to describe the dynamics of group participants' preferences regarding the style of conflict behavior. The analogy of paramagnetism, consisting in the orienting effect of the magnetic field, is used to describe social groups interactions that have not only their own interests, but are also influenced by the opinions of opposite social groups. A two-dimensional, four-parameter map represents the dynamics of group conflict. Modeling results show that regardless of the initial states and with certain parameters of intra-group and intergroup interactions, the trajectories eventually converge to an attractor (limit cycle) in a two-dimensional space. No non-periodic or chaotic modes are identified in the two-group conflict, which determines the controllability of the described conflict. The results of the simulation experiments are used as decision support and contradictions resolution aimed at forming the required modes of the corporates' research and development business processes and ensuring the group participants' cohesion and depolarization. The results of testing the model at an industrial enterprise are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Identify how the American Headache Society (AHS) membership manages status migrainosus (SM) among outpatients. Background: SM is defined as a debilitating migraine attack lasting more than 72 h. There is no standard of care for SM, including whether a 72‐h duration is required before the attack can be treated as SM. Methods: The Refractory Headache Special Interest Group from AHS developed a four‐question survey distributed to AHS members enquiring (1) whether they treat severe refractory migraine attacks the same as SM regardless of duration, (2) what their first step in SM management is, (3) what the top three medications they use for SM are, and (4) whether they are United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS) certified. The survey was conducted in January 2022. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Results: Responses were received from 196 of 1859 (10.5%) AHS members; 64.3% were UCNS certified in headache management. Respondents treated 69.4% (136/196) of patients with a severe refractory migraine attack as SM before the 72‐h period had elapsed. Most (76.0%, 149/196) chose "treat remotely using outpatient medications at home" as the first step, 11.2% (22/196) preferred procedures, 6.1% (12/196) favored an infusion center, 6.1% (12/196) sent patients to the emergency department (ED) or urgent care, and 0.5% (1/196) preferred direct hospital admission. The top five preferred medications were as follows: (1) corticosteroids (71.4%, 140/196), (2) nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (50.1%, 99/196), (3) neuroleptics (46.9%, 92/196), (4) triptans (30.6%, 60/196), and (5) dihydroergotamine (DHE) (21.4%, 42/196). Conclusions: Healthcare professionals with expertise in headache medicine typically treated severe migraine attacks early and did not wait 72 h to fulfill the diagnostic criteria for SM. Outpatient management with one or more medications for home use was preferred by most respondents; few opted for ED referrals. Finally, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, neuroleptics, triptans, and DHE were the top five preferred treatments for home SM management. Plain Language Summary: In this research study, we asked members of the American Headache Society how they treat status migrainosus, a very severe migraine attack lasting more than 3 days. Out of the 196 people who answered the survey, most used stronger treatments before the headache lasted 72 h, and the majority preferred to use home‐based treatments to avoid the hospital. The five most common treatments they use are corticosteroids (like dexamethasone), nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (like ketorolac), neuroleptics (like prochlorperazine), triptans (like naratriptan), and dihydroergotamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Lefschetz Formula for Nonlocal Elliptic Problems Associated with a Bundle" published in Mathematical Notes discusses the generalization of the classical Lefschetz formula to endomorphisms of elliptic complexes of pseudodifferential operators. The paper presents a Lefschetz formula for nonlocal problems associated with a bundle, focusing on operator complexes, ellipticity conditions, and the Lefschetz number of endomorphisms. The main result of the paper is Theorem 2, which provides a formula for the Lefschetz number under certain conditions. The article was authored by N. R. Orlova and was supported by ongoing institutional funding. [Extracted from the article]

The object of the research in the paper is intellectual property as one of the key resources of startup projects. The research is aimed at providing the understanding of intellectual property role in ensuring the efficiency of startup projects management and overcoming its undervaluing. Current conditions of Ukrainian enterprises functioning demand the search of effective tools for forming competitive advantages and ensuring the recovery of economy, that emphasizes the necessity of innovation activity activation. The study focused on startup projects as one of the forms of activation of innovation activity. The author proposed the definition of a startup as a temporary structure (organized in the form of a business entity and/or project), which has innovative characteristics of the business model, generates an innovative product and is aimed at significant growth and scaling. Startup projects have their peculiarities which influence the respective management system. On the basis of the conducted research the directions of startup projects management were identified, one of which is the management of startup project resources. Intellectual property, in its turn, is one of the key resources of startup projects considering the innovative nature of their business-models. Efficient management of the intellectual property objects is capable of forming significant advantages for the startup project, which will result in its performance indicators. The main directions of intellectual property management in startup projects include development of intellectual property, market analysis, protection of intellectual property rights, commercialization of intellectual property rights. Ensuring the efficiency of the intellectual property management provides for the observance of relevant principles, the main of which include the principles of systematicity, reasonableness, efficiency, alternativeness, ensuring development, adaptability, social responsibility. The obtained research results will contribute to increasing the awareness of startup founders regarding the role and peculiarities of management of intellectual property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The first bifunctional materials for simultaneous catalysis and temperature measurements were obtained based on europium and ytterbium complexes with (4,7-dichloro-1,10- phenanthroline-2,9-diyl)bis(pyrrolidin-1-ylmethanone). The complexes demonstrated intense visible and NIR luminescence, the ability to homogeneously catalyze the Henry reaction, and high luminescence sensitivity to temperature (S r = 1.7% K−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] A novel material based on europium and terbium complexes with a bispidine-substituted benzoate anion for luminescent thermometry in the physiological temperature range was obtained. The obtained complexes demonstrated intense visible luminescence with quantum yields up to 75%, high water solubility, and high luminescence sensitivity toward temperature (S r = 2.1% K–1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sm2MoO6 compounds, also known as oxymolybdates, were synthesized in air using a solid-phase method. A series of techniques were employed to characterize the undoped and, for the first time, lead-doped samples. It has been demonstrated that lead-containing samples form a wide range of solid solutions, which are isostructural (sp. gr. C2/c) to the pure monoclinic Sm2MoO6 compound. The thermal stability, polymorphism, and conductive properties of the obtained samples were studied in detail. Doping Sm2MoO6 ceramics with lead results in a notable increase in conductivity compared to the pure sample, with conductivity reaching 10−3 S cm−1 at 900 °C. This improvement is due to the formation of oxygen vacancies through the heterovalent substitution of cation sublattice. In contrast to undoped samarium oxymolybdates, Pb-containing Sm2MoO6 ceramics demonstrate the capacity to transfer protons, resulting in an overall increase in conductivity in a wet environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth in the number of people suffering from eye diseases determines the relevance of research in the field of diagnosing retinal pathologies. Artificial intelligence models and algorithms based on measurements obtained via electrophysiological methods can significantly improve and speed up the analysis of results and diagnostics. We propose an approach to designing an artificial intelligent diagnosis system (AI diagnosis system) which includes an electrophysiological complex to collect objective information and an intelligent decision support system to justify the diagnosis. The task of diagnosing retinal diseases based on a set of heterogeneous data is considered as a multi-class classification on unbalanced data. The decision support system includes two classifiers—one classifier is based on a fuzzy model and a fuzzy rule base (RB-classifier) and one uses the stochastic gradient boosting algorithm (SGB-classifier). The efficiency of algorithms in a multi-class classification on unbalanced data is assessed based on two indicators—MAUC (multi-class area under curve) and MMCC (multi-class Matthews correlation coefficient). Combining two algorithms in a decision support system provides more accurate and reliable pathology identification. The accuracy of diagnostics using the proposed AI diagnosis system is 5–8% higher than the accuracy of a system using only diagnostics based on electrophysical indicators. The AI diagnosis system differs from other systems of this class in that it is based on the processing of objective electrophysiological data and socio-demographic data about patients, as well as subjective information from the anamnesis, which ensures increased efficiency of medical decision-making. The system is tested using actual data about retinal diseases from the Russian Institute of Eye Diseases and its high efficiency is proven. Simulation experiments conducted in various scenario conditions with different combinations of factors ensured the identification of the main determinants (markers) for each diagnosis of retinal pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of the development of the concept of urban soil services, their current list, anthropocentric and pedocentric approaches to their assessment, and experience of application in various cities are considered. At present, the concept of ecosystem services is a comprehensive tool that allows, by analogy, to translate soil information into the sphere of management decision-making, as well as to maintain the sustainability of urban ecosystems by introducing measures to preserve urban soil services. Despite the accumulated experience in methods for assessing ecosystem services and examples of their application in urban planning in individual cities, there is no unified approach to assessing the services of urban soils. The widespread application of this concept is often hampered by insufficient knowledge of the properties of urban soils with their high spatiotemporal variability, as well as by the insufficient development of the approach itself for assessing soil services. However, the active development of theoretical and practical approaches to integrating information about soil characteristics into management is a prerequisite for optimizing the system of soil resource management in cities and towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture supplies the world food market with a significant amount of valuable protein. Highly productive aquaculture fishes can be derived by utilizing genome-editing methods, and the main problem is to choose a target gene to obtain the desirable phenotype. This paper presents a review of the studies of genome editing for genes controlling body development, growth, pigmentation and sex determination in five key aquaculture Salmonidae and Cyprinidae species, such as rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), goldfish (Carassius auratus), Gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) and the model fish zebrafish (Danio rerio). Among the genes studied, the most applicable for aquaculture are mstnba, pomc, and acvr2, the knockout of which leads to enhanced muscle growth; runx2b, mutants of which do not form bones in myoseptae; lepr, whose lack of function makes fish fast-growing; fads2, Δ6abc/5Mt, and Δ6bcMt, affecting the composition of fatty acids in fish meat; dnd mettl3, and wnt4a, mutants of which are sterile; and disease-susceptibility genes prmt7, gab3, gcJAM-A, and cxcr3.2. Schemes for obtaining common carp populations consisting of only large females are promising for use in aquaculture. The immobilized and uncolored zebrafish line is of interest for laboratory use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of lung microbiota in tuberculosis remains poorly understood. Sequencing of variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene from surgically excised tuberculosis foci and biopsy specimens of normal lung tissue allowed characterization of the diversity and predictive potential of bacterial communities. Taxonomic diversity indices attested to differences in the structure of microbial communities between "healthy" lungs and tuberculomas. The microbial composition of "healthy" lungs varied in taxonomic diversity and was presented by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria with sufficiently similar metabolic potential. The microbiota of the examined tuberculomas consisted of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 99.9% of cases. A significant part of the metabolic pathways predicted by PICRUSt2 included cholesterol catabolism, sulfate assimilation, and various pathways for the biosynthesis of cell wall components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally investigate magnetization reversal curves for a GeTe topological semimetal. In addition to the known lattice diamagnetic response, we observe narrow magnetization loop in low fields, which should not be expected for non-magnetic material. The diamagnetic hysteresis loop is unusual, so the saturation level is negative in positive fields, and the loop is passed clockwise, in contrast to standard ferromagnetic behavior. We show, that the experimental hysteresis curves cannot be obtained from standard ferromagnetic ones by adding/subtracting of any linear dependence, or even by considering several interacting magnetic phases. The latter possibility is also eliminated by the remanence plots technique (Henkel or plots). We explain our results as a direct consequence of the correlation between ferroelectricity and spin-polarized surface states in GeTe, similarly to magnetoelectric structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare-earth molybdenum-containing oxides of the nominal composition LixNd Mo3O (x = 0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25) with a fluorite-related structure have been obtained for the first time as single crystals grown from flux and by solid-phase synthesis in air in the form of polycrystalline samples. The new phases are characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis, simultaneous thermal analysis, and impedance spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that lithium atoms are localized near the positions of rare-earth cations. The chemical formula of the investigated single crystal is Li0.216Nd4.784Mo3O . The low lithium content did not affect significantly the ability of the studied phases to dissociative absorption of water but led to a decrease in the total conductivity of LixNd Mo3O lithium ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, attention to the realization of a distributed fiber-optic microphone for the detection and recognition of the human voice has increased, whereby the most popular schemes are based on φ-OTDR. Many issues related to the selection of optimal system parameters and the recognition of registered signals, however, are still unresolved. In this research, we conducted theoretical studies of these issues based on the φ-OTDR mathematical model and verified them with experiments. We designed an algorithm for fiber sensor signal processing, applied a testing kit, and designed a method for the quantitative evaluation of our obtained results. We also proposed a new setup model for lab tests of φ-OTDR single coordinate sensors, which allows for the quick variation of their parameters. As a result, it was possible to define requirements for the best quality of speech recognition; estimation using the percentage of recognized words yielded a value of 96.3%, and estimation with Levenshtein distance provided a value of 15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the macrolocalization of plastic strain due to uniaxial loading of low carbon/austenitic stainless steel produced by electron-beam additive manufacturing followed by annealing at different temperatures. The stress-strain curve of the bimetallic composite is described by the parabolic law. Due to annealing in the range of 350 to 650°C, the yield strength reduces, while strain-to-failure grows as compared to the as-built composite. Localized plastic strain follows the stress-strain curve in all composite states and layers. At the parabolic hardening stage, the formation of a stationary dissipative system of localized plasticity occurs at strain hardening of 0.5. When strain hardening is ≤0.5, a high-amplitude deformation zone appears in the transition layer, which coincides with the site of eventual fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of the influence of primary and secondary aging on the manifestation of molecular and cellular hallmarks of aging is a challenging and currently unresolved issue. Our study represents the first demonstration of the distinct role of primary aging and chronic inflammation/physical inactivity – the most important drivers of secondary aging, in the regulation of transcriptomic and proteomic profiles in human skeletal muscle. To achieve this purpose, young healthy people (n = 15), young (n = 8) and older (n = 37) patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis, a model to study the effect of long‐term inactivity and chronic inflammation on the vastus lateralis muscle, were included in the study. It was revealed that widespread and substantial age‐related changes in gene expression in older patients relative to young healthy people (~4000 genes regulating mitochondrial function, proteostasis, cell membrane, secretory and immune response) were related to the long‐term physical inactivity and chronic inflammation rather than primary aging. Primary aging contributed mainly to the regulation of genes (~200) encoding nuclear proteins (regulators of DNA repair, RNA processing, and transcription), mitochondrial proteins (genes encoding respiratory enzymes, mitochondrial complex assembly factors, regulators of cristae formation and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production), as well as regulators of proteostasis. It was found that proteins associated with aging were regulated mainly at the post‐transcriptional level. The set of putative primary aging genes and their potential transcriptional regulators can be used as a resource for further targeted studies investigating the role of individual genes and related transcription factors in the emergence of a senescent cell phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new ytterbium coordination compounds Yb(HPTC)(H2O)2 (Yb1) and Yb(HPTC)(Phen) (Yb2) were obtained using 10-carboxyperylene-3,4,9-tricarboxylate ion (HPTC3−) as a sensitizer. Both coordination compounds exhibited intense NIR-II luminescence upon excitation in the visible range and formed stable suspensions with nanoparticles of 50–70 nm in size in an aqueous solution of sodium alginate. Both complexes demonstrated non-toxicity up to at least 25 mg L−1 in two cell cultures: cancer cells MCF7 and embryonic cells HEK293T – making them suitable for bioimaging. For both complexes, the accumulation in cells was directly measured and it was shown that the accumulation of Yb2 was the same for both cell types (0.51–0.52 πg per cell), while Yb1 demonstrated selective accumulation in cancer cells (0.04 πg per cell for HEK293T and 7.00 πg per cell for MCF7). Thus, Yb1 can also be proposed as a selective vis-excited NIR emitting bioprobe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells change significantly throughout pregnancy, which is mainly due to the inhibition of their cytotoxicity. Although the functional activity of NK cells is directly related to their metabolic status, these changes during physiological pregnancy have not been studied. The aim of this work was to study the expression of Glut-1, CD94, and CD107a molecules characterizing metabolic and cytotoxic activity, as well as the mitochondrial mass, in different peripheral blood NK cell subpopulations of healthy women during first and third trimesters of physiological pregnancy. The control group comprised healthy non-pregnant women in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The expression of Glut-1, CD94, CD107a molecules and the mitochondrial mass were analyzed by flow cytometry in regulatory (CD16–CD56bright), cytotoxic (CD16+CD56dim), and minor cytotoxic (CD16hiCD56–) NK cells. It was found that in non-pregnant women, minor cytotoxic CD16hiCD56– NK cells had the highest expression of Glut-1 and CD107a and the lowest expression of CD94 compared to other NK cell subpopulations. In regulatory CD16–CD56bright and cytotoxic CD16+CD56dim NK cells, the expression of these molecules was similar, as was the mitochondrial mass in all subpopulations studied. In the first trimester, Glut-1 expression increased on regulatory CD16–CD56bright NK cells, while mitochondrial mass and the expression of CD94 and CD107a on all NK cells did not differ from those in non-pregnant women. In the third trimester, mitochondrial mass increased, but CD94 expression decreased, in cytotoxic CD16+CD56dim NK cells compared to non-pregnant women, while CD94 expression on regulatory CD16–CD56bright NK cells was higher than in the first trimester. CD107a expression on minor cytotoxic CD16hiCD56– NK cells decreased, while remaining unchanged in other subpopulations compared to non-pregnant women. Glut-1 expression did not change in all subpopulations. Thus, different subpopulations of peripheral blood NK cells are heterogeneous in the expression of Glut-1, CD107a, and CD94. The expression of these molecules during physiological pregnancy varies by trimesters. The obtained results are important for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of NK cell functioning during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the key components of the migration policy makes it possible not only to develop and implement an efficient and effective model of the domestic migration policy, but also to assess the impact of each of its components on various spheres of the state's life. In this context, migration policy is a complex structured system that contains agreed ideas, goals, strategies, as well as measures, resources, mechanisms, and tools that interact with them, which together enable the state to regulate migration processes. Migration processes should be considered as an integral object of the state administration system, which requires the creation of certain conditions for maintaining migration within socially acceptable frameworks, in particular, ensuring both social protection of migrants and representatives of the society receiving migrants. It was established that the development of migration policy should take into account economic trends, demographic changes, political and social attitudes in society, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, the quality of medical care and health care measures is considered the main target function of the health care system and at the same time the determining criterion for its activities. Objective: The article examines state regulation of medical care quality post-COVID and during martial law, identifying improvement areas. It emphasizes state roles in healthcare standardization, continuous feedback monitoring, and studying patient satisfaction. Interrelationships among Ukraine's state regulation mechanisms are determined, highlighting the need to enhance tools such as criteria and quality indicators for medical care assurance. Methods: The authors of this article utilize various scientific methods, including analysis, synthesis, induction, and deduction, as well as historical and legal, formal legal, and comparative legal methods to examine the state regulation of ensuring the quality of medical care during martial law in Ukraine. Results: The article considered the interrelationships of mechanisms and instruments of state regulation of quality assurance of medical care in Ukraine. Conclusions: The state should enhance medical care quality regulation, drawing on international experiences from the EU and the USA and adapting best practices to national circumstances. The resilience of the healthcare system depends on effective quality assurance, ensuring preparedness, stability, and ongoing improvement prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils play an important role in maintaining sustainability of the biosphere, and they provide food, clothing, and the basis for human life on the Earth. Irrational land use often results in soil degradation and, sometimes, to its complete destruction. However, an inventory of destroyed soils has not yet been conducted systematically in any country of the world. In Russia, the traditional soil maps do not show destroyed soils either. We have made an attempt to create the first map of Russia to show soils destroyed as a result of a directed anthropogenic impact. It maps the areas where the soil cover was destroyed due to construction of buildings, facilities, motor and rail roads, mining quarries, and embankments. The OpenStreetMap crowdsourcing database has been used as the main information source. In addition, the results of the visual interpretation obtained for disturbed soils from the GoogleEarthTM satellite data were applied. The disturbed soil data were aggregated into soil–geographic units of the Unified State Register of Soil Resources of Russia (scale 1 : 2 500 000) (USRSR). The map is presented in the GIS format (shapefile). It specifies the area and the proportion of disturbed soils, as well as the type of impact resulting in such a disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noonan syndrome is a group of diseases with a similar clinical picture, consisting of 16 diseases caused by mutations in 15 genes. According to the literature, approximately half of all cases are attributed to Noonan syndrome type 1, NSML, caused by mutations in the PTPN11 gene. We analyzed 456 unrelated probands using a gene panel NGS, and in 206 cases, the cause of the disease was identified. Approximately half of the cases (107) were caused by variants in the PTPN11 gene, including three previously undescribed variants, one of which was classified as VOUS, and the other two as LP causative complex alleles. Frequent variants of the PTPN11 gene characteristics for Russian patients were identified, accounting for more than 38% (c.922A>G p.Asn308Asp, c.417G>C p.Glu139Asp, c.1403C>T p.Thr468Met) of all cases with mutations in the PTPN11 gene. A comparative characterization of frequent variants of the PTPN11 gene in different populations is shown. The most common features of Noonan syndrome in the studied sample were facial dysmorphisms and cardiovascular system abnormalities. A lower representation of patients with growth delay was observed compared to previously described samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus has been confirmed by molecular analysis in the Caucasus region for the first time. The virus obtained from a tick Ixodes ricinus ex Caspian green lizard belongs to the Zausaev strain of the Siberian subtype (not to a strain of the European subtype highly distributed in the territories adjacent to the Caucasus). This unusual record indicates the need to study the role of lizards in the circulation of natural focal infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The media can cause concern in the context of national security: they are described as potential tools and targets of attack that can be "weaponised", and as a space where "information war" is waged. Governments may try to block media that are deemed a security threat, but the rationale for taking such an action deserves careful consideration, given the tension between media restrictions and the democratic principle of free speech. This article scrutinises the security rationale for restrictions imposed by Ukraine on Russian and "pro-Russian" media from 2014. When justifying restrictions, Ukrainian officials highlighted the threat of media content both distorting perceptions of reality and weakening the foundations of Ukrainian nationhood. We, therefore, analyse survey data to investigate whether the use of the banned media was associated with variation in Ukrainian citizens' perceptions of truth and national values. We find that the use of the banned media was linked to mistaken beliefs about the veracity of news headlines, both true and false; it was also associated with lower support for democracy in Ukraine (a key national constitutional value). This evidence from the Ukrainian case informs our discussion about the media's impact on national (in)security and rationales for media restrictions in democratic contexts more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slagging and fouling of boilers are typical technological problems in the combustion of solid fuels (especially coal and biomass). This study proposes a novel approach based on laser texturing of the near-surface layer of steel used to make heating surfaces of coal-fired boilers. This approach is aimed at improving the resistance of metal surfaces to slagging. The formation of slag deposits on the surfaces of AISI 310 S steel modified by laser radiation has been experimentally studied. The formation of slag melt was analyzed on the surface of modified and polished steel plates during heating to 1400 °C. High-temperature heating and interaction with slag led to a change in the chemical composition of the steel. A significant increase in the chromium content (up to 47%) of the steel surface and the transformation of its texture with the formation of grains up to 2.5 µm in size were established. Laser surface treatment significantly increased the resistance of the steel to such changes and also reduced the grain size to 1.5 µm. As a result of laser modification of surfaces, the temperature of slag formation shifts to higher values (higher by 60–75 °C compared to the unmodified polished surface). The anisotropic texture (cauliflower type) contributed to a decrease in the size of the slag spreading front, and also had by self-cleaning properties from the mineral melt. The latter allows to increase the reliability and energy efficiency of boiler equipment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant residues are the main source of humus and some nutrients in soils. The composting of organic waste using modifiers is a promising way to obtain high-quality organic fertilizers. Here, the effect of biochar and calcium carbonate on the abundance and taxonomic composition of bacteria and fungi in mature plant compost has been studied using metagenomic analysis. Plant materials with different initial C:N ratios—low (22, clover), medium (38, rye) and high (68, oats)—served as composting materials in the pot experiment. The plant material mixed with sterile sand was modified by the addition of biochar or calcium carbonate. Both ameliorants increased pH values and humic acid content in composts irrespective of plant material composition. Representatives of the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes dominated among bacteria and representatives of the division Ascomycota dominated among fungi in the mature composts, as in the initial plant samples. The abundances of bacteria and fungi in the cereal composts were higher than in the composts with clover. The effect of biochar and calcium carbonate on the number and taxonomic composition of bacteria and fungi in composts from the same plant material was similar, while the effect of reagents in composts from different raw materials was ambiguous. No one dominant group of bacteria was found to develop in response to biochar or calcium carbonate application in any of the types of composts studied. However, the structure of the fungal community both at the phylum and genus levels changed significantly under the influence of these additives. The addition of calcium carbonate and biochar led to an increase in the abundance of the same groups of fungi, but this increase was different for composts made from different plant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new styryl type thiacarbocyanine dyes containing iodine atoms in the donor and/or acceptor moiety have been synthesized, and their electronic absorption spectra in the regions of singlet–singlet (S0–S1) and singlet–triplet (S0–T1) transitions have been studied. Introduction of iodine atoms into the dye molecules leads to a red shift of the absorption maximum, regardless of the iodine position. The electronic absorption spectra of dyes containing two and more iodine atoms showed a weak shoulder in the range from λ 650 to 1000 nm, which corresponds to the singlet–triplet transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatness and fat people are pervasively stigmatized in Western cultures, with significant negative implications for fat people’s well-being. Negative evaluations of those in sexual and romantic relationships with fat people (i.e. associative stigma) may have harmful implications for shared relational well-being. Here, we examined whether non-fat (i.e. thin) sexual and romantic relationship partners of fat people experience associative stigma. First, we conducted a mixed-methods study with thin partners of fat people to elucidate their experiences of associative stigmatization and impacts on relational and sexual well-being. Many participants reported experiencing associative stigma, which, in tandem with relationship stigma, predicted lower relationship satisfaction but not sexual satisfaction. The most commonly reported experiences of associative stigma included others’ assumptions that the fat partner is inferior, weight-based microaggressions, and negative attention in public. In a second, experimental study, we randomly assigned a second sample of participants to read one of 16 vignettes about mixed-weight (one fat and one thin partner; experimental condition) or same-weight (both thin; control) couples. Stimulus couples varied by target (thin partner) gender (male vs. female), relationship orientation (same-gender vs. other-gender), and relationship type (sexual vs. romantic). We found mixed support for our hypotheses that thin partners of fat people, relative to thin people in same-weight relationships, would be stigmatized. We conclude by calling for greater attention to the potential for associative stigma to influence sexual and romantic relationship outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses a turbine flow meter in the context of a hydrogen compressor system. Basic concepts of turbine flow meter, accuracy and linearity, as well as calibration are described. Physical experimental testing scheme is presented in the paper. The viscosity of the fluid is one of the major factors that affects the performance of turbine flow meters. Numerical modelling experiments for different fluids with different viscosities are performed. Performed numerical modelling experiments give a possibility to continue research into the hydrogen compression system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological state of filled urbanozems (Urbiс Technosols) of the Vasileostrovskii district of St. Petersburg belonging to three (residential, recreational, and transport) urban ecosystems was studied. The integral indicator of the ecological and biological soil state was used to assess these soils. The parameters of phytotesting (seed respiration, seed germination, root length, shoot length), actual and potential soil respiration, medium regulation activity, total organic carbon and water-soluble carbon contents, nitrate and ammonium nitrogen contents, the enrichment of organic matter with nitrogen, the composition of humus, optical density of humic acids, and the numbers of bacteria and fungi were determined. It was shown that the studied soils have virtually no features of zonal soddy-podzolic soils. They were characterized by a low degree of degradation and relatively favorable ecological condition. The least favorable ecological and biological conditions were found in the soils of the transport urban ecosystem, which was associated with high transport load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) develops as a result of damage to the endothelium of microvasculature vessels by Shiga toxin produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (STEC-HUS). STEC-HUS remains the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children aged 6 months to 5 years. The pathomorphological essence of the disease is the development of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). One of the key causes of TMA is an imbalance in the ADAMTS13–von Willebrand factor (vWF)–platelet system. The goal of the work was to clarify the role of a moderate decrease in ADAMTS13 activity in the pathogenesis of STEC-HUS. The activity of ADAMTS13 was determined in 138 children (4 months–14.7 years) in the acute period of STEC-HUS and the features of the course of the disease in these patients were analyzed. The study revealed a decrease in the activity and concentration of ADAMTS13 in 79.8% and 90.6% of patients, respectively. Measurements of von Willebrand factor antigen content and the activity of von Willebrand factor in the blood plasma of part of these patients were carried out. In 48.6% and 34.4% of cases, there was an increase in the antigen concentration and the activity of the Willebrand factor, respectively. Thrombocytopenia was diagnosed in 97.8% of children. We have demonstrated that moderately reduced ADAMTS13 activity correlates with the risk of severe manifestations of STEC-HUS in children; the rate of developing multiple organ failure, cerebral disorders, pulmonary edema, and acute kidney injury with the need for dialysis increases. It is assumed that reduction in ADAMTS13 activity may serve as a predictor of disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic band structure and features of the charge density distribution in lead oxide phosphate Pb10Cu(PO4)6O and the copper-doped compound Pb9Cu(PO4)6O have been studied by the density functional theory. Despite the differences in chemical compositions and crystal structures, the type of chemical bonding in the Pb10Cu(PO4)6O and Pb9Cu(PO4)6O compounds was found to be similar to the type of chemical bonding that we previously revealed in high-temperature superconductors and in parent compounds for their production—monoclinic α-Bi2O3 and orthorhombic La2CuO4. Although the lack of experimental data on the electronic band structure and physical properties of the Pb10Cu(PO4)6O and Pb10−xCux(PO4)6O compounds does not currently allow us to conclude that superconductivity could exist at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in the Pb10−xCux(PO4)6O compound, further studies of the properties of lead oxide phosphate and other minerals of the apatite supergroup might be useful for identifying new types of promising materials for the production of high-temperature superconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorine-containing rare earth compounds of the LiLn4Mo3O15F (Ln = Eu, Gd, or Dy) composition have been obtained using solid-phase synthesis in vacuum-sealed quartz ampoules. It was found that only LiEu4Mo3O15F samples are isostructural to cubic Ln5Mo3O16 (Ln = La–Gd) molybdates with a fluorite-like structure. Luminescence, hygroscopic, and electrophysical characteristics of the LiEu4Mo3O15F phase were studied for the first time. The double replacement of europium with lithium and oxygen with fluorine leads to the appearance of a reversible phase transition accompanied by a jump in conductivity by 2 orders of magnitude. The conductivity of the LiEu4Mo3O15F compound exceeds the value of 10−2 S cm−1 at 700 °C. A relationship between the size of the Ln cation and the hygroscopic and conductive properties of LiLn4Mo3O15F compounds has been established: as the lanthanide radius decreases, the compounds lose their ability to absorb water and transfer protons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidative dehydropolycondensation of aniline production waste with up to 30 wt % free aniline with ammonium persulfate or potassium bichromate has been studied. The effects of the component ratio and synthesis conditions on the product yield were examined. The product composition was analyzed by IR spectroscopy. The polymers obtained from potassium bichromate were shown to be characterized by electric conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the optimal parameters of a distributed fiber microphone circuit based on a laboratory setup of a phase-sensitive optical reflectometer (φ-OTDR), which reproduces the work of φ-OTDR at one point, has been carried out. Various schemes for constructing a microphone based on φ-OTDR and various sampling rates of the analog-to-digital converter are investigated. The optimal configuration of the φ-OTDR circuit is substantiated, which made it possible to ensure high quality of human speech recognition during voice recording by the proposed method with a sampling frequency of 40 kHz. In a standard phrase based on Harvard sentences containing 80 words, 71 words were recognized, i.e., 88.75% of their total number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the behavior of an argon inductively coupled plasma is investigated. Studies have been carried out by means of high-speed shooting of the process of ignition and combustion of unloaded plasma. The velocity of axial rotation of the plasma torch is estimated and the distribution of the intensity of the glow in the cross-section is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate human capital is a critical driver of sustainable economic growth, which is becoming increasingly important in the changing nature of work. Due to the expansion of various areas of human activity, the employee's profile becomes multifaceted. Therefore, the problem of human capital management based on the individual trajectories of professional development, aimed at increasing the labor efficiency and contributing to the growth of the corporate operational efficiency, is relevant, timely, socially, and economically significant. The paper proposes a methodology for the dynamic regimes for human capital development (DRHC) to design individual trajectories for the employee's professional development, based on reinforcement learning methods. The DRHC develops an optimal management regime as a set of programs aimed at developing an employee in the professional field, taking into account their individual characteristics (health quality, major and interdisciplinary competencies, motivation, and social capital). The DRHC architecture consists of an environment—an employee model—as a Markov decision-making process and an agent—decision-making center of a company. The DRHC uses DDQN, SARSA, and PRO algorithms to maximize the agent's utility function. The implementation of the proposed DRHC policy would improve the quality of corporate human capital, increase labor resource efficiency, and ensure the productivity growth of companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a literature review, as well as on our own data, 14 ixodid tick species belonging to 5 genera were registered for the lizard hosts of the genus Lacerta (L. agilis, L. media, and L. strigata) in the Caucasus and the adjacent territories: Haemaphysalis sulcata, Haem. punctata, Haem. parva, Haem. caucasica, Haem. concinna, Haem. inermis, Ixodes ricinus, I. redikorzevi, Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. rossicum, and Rh. turanicum. Tick species Haem. caucasica were recorded from Armenia for the first time. Our findings of Haem. punctata represent the first record of this species for Chechnya, Ingushetia (Russia), Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Most of the parasite species are associated with L. agilis (13) and L. strigata (12); L. media is a host of 6 tick species. Data on the infestation of Lacerta spp. by four tick species from our material (I. ricinus, Haem. punctata, Haem. caucasica, and Hyal. marginatum) are presented in the article. In addition, our article contains information on the range of infections associated with the above tick species. Castor bean tick I. ricinus (236 specimens), the most represented species in our collection, parasitizes all available terrestrial vertebrates including humans and can be vector of many various pathogens, so our study provides significant epidemiological information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphates isostructural with the mineral monazite—NdPO4, GdPO4, and a La0.3Nd0.5Sm0.1Eu0.1PO4 solid solution modeling the composition of the lanthanide components of radioactive waste—and YbPO4, crystallizing in the xenotime structure, have been prepared via direct precipitation from acid solutions. Under hydrothermal conditions, we have prepared the crystalline hydrate NdPO4·0.67Н2О isostructural with the mineral rhabdophane and the YbPO4 phosphate with the xenotime structure. The powders range in crystallite size from 13 to 65 nm. The particle morphology and size have been shown to depend on the synthesis process. During heating to 1170 K, the phase composition of the powders remained unchanged. Their average 900-K thermal expansion coefficients lie in the range (5.6–9.6) × 10–6 K–1, so these phosphates can be regarded as having medium thermal expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High efficiency of hybrid implants based on calcium-magnesium silicate ceramic, diopside, as a carrier of recombinant BMP-2 and xenogenic demineralized bone matrix (DBM) as a scaffold for bone tissue regeneration was demonstrated previously using the model of critical size cranial defects in mice. In order to investigate the possibility of using these implants for growing autologous bone tissue using in vivo bioreactor principle in the patient's own body, effectiveness of ectopic osteogenesis induced by them in intramuscular implantation in mice was studied. At the dose of 7 μg of BMP-2 per implant, dense agglomeration of cells, probably skeletal muscle satellite precursor cells, was observed one week after implantation with areas of intense chondrogenesis, initial stage of indirect osteogenesis, around the implants. After 12 weeks, a dense bone capsule of trabecular structure was formed covered with periosteum and mature bone marrow located in the spaces between the trabeculae. The capsule volume was about 8-10 times the volume of the original implant. There were practically no signs of inflammation and foreign body reaction. Microcomputed tomography data showed significant increase of the relative bone volume, number of trabeculae, and bone tissue density in the group of mice with BMP-2-containing implant in comparison with the group without BMP-2. Considering that DBM can be obtained in practically unlimited quantities with required size and shape, and that BMP-2 is obtained by synthesis in E. coli cells and is relatively inexpensive, further development of the in vivo bioreactor model based on the hybrid implants constructed from BMP-2, diopside, and xenogenic DBM seems promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—Nucleocytoplasmic exchange in the cell occurs through the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). NPCs are large multiprotein complexes with octagonal symmetry about their axis and imperfect mirror symmetry about a plane parallel with the nuclear envelop (NE). NPC fuses the inner and outer nuclear membranes and opens up a channel between nucleus and cytoplasm. NPC is built of nucleoporins. Each nucleoporin occurs in at least eight copies per NPC. Inside the NPC a permeability barrier forms by which NPCs can provide fast and selectable transport of molecules from one side of the nuclear membrane to the other. NPC architecture is based on hierarchical principle of organization. Nucleoporins are integrated into complexes that oligomerizes into bigger octomeric high-order structures. These structures are the main components of NPCs. In the first part of this work, the main attention is paid to NPC structure and nucleoporin properties. The second part is dedicated to mechanisms of NPC assembly and disassembly at different stages of the cell cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]