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Due to improvements in the medical techniques used, virtual reality technologies are increasingly used to treat various diseases. Simultaneously, various ethical issues emerged. Knowing exactly what problems the treating physician and the patient may be facing is important to increase the effectiveness of therapy. This will help minimize or at least prevent negative consequences. A qualitative secondary study was conducted on the ethical issues arising from the application of virtual reality technologies in treatment. Papers suitable for analysis were searched using the keywords virtual reality, ethical issues, and medicine. The works of the last 10 years were selected, most of the sources being at most 5 years old. After analyzing papers and studies which describe the experience of applying virtual reality technologies in medicine, the range of ethical problems that are currently relevant was determined most accurately. Firstly, the vulnerability of patients is evident, which arises from the realism of the avatars and the deep immersion in the virtual world. Without the physicians supervision, the patient may experience a high degree of psychological pressure, which has a negative effect. Secondly, strong emotional involvement is possible, which may develop attachment to the artificial intelligence and cause derealization, depersonalization, and other mental disorders. Thirdly, active interaction with the virtual world may be accompanied by long-lasting effects, such as gaming disorder. Finally, patients may have difficulties in distinguishing between reality and simulation, which affects autonomous choice and compromises informed consent. Virtual reality technologies may potentially change the lives of trauma patients and improve their quality of life. However, these changes are accompanied by ethical issues that must be addressed with respect to the vulnerability and nature of trauma.

This article describes the effectiveness of an unmanned underwater vehicle (underwater drone) in searching for drowned people in reservoirs and the impact of an underwater drone on the production of forensic medical examination in drowning. The article considers the norms of legislation that regulate the procedure for using an underwater drone in the criminalistic support of crime investigations. This study considered the norms of legislation that regulate the use of scientific and technical means in criminology and scientific publications of researchers in the field of forensic medical examination. A SWOT analysis of the use of an underwater drone to improve the quality of crime investigation was performed. The results of the study revealed the positive and negative aspects of the use of an underwater drone in investigations. Based on the results of generalization of scientific papers and analysis of the use of scientific and technical means in the activities of law enforcement agencies in foreign countries, the use of an underwater drone for examining corpses in water was proposed. An underwater drone can reach places inaccessible to humans and help identify key details of the crime. During investigation of drowning crimes, underwater drones enables the analysis of the condition of the victim’s body without bringing it to the surface, which facilitates further investigation.

BACKGROUND: In Bulgaria, procedural protocols following a citizen’s death are governed by an intricate network of normative documents. Despite the presumed alignment between international and national guidelines, practical experiences reveal shortcomings in the proficiency of healthcare providers, particularly in cases involving prior medical interventions or systemic vulnerabilities. AIM: This study aimed to assess the readiness of final-year medical students and early-career physicians in navigating death certification intricacies, including their responses, documentation precision, and postmortem procedures for bereaved families, with implications for national health statistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By employing a mixed-methods approach, this study distributed questionnaires to sixth-year medical students and practicing physicians, including those in emergency medicine centers and general practice. Data collection included paper-based and digital questionnaires, ensuring anonymity and ethical compliance. Statistical analysis, employing parametric (t-test) and nonparametric (Chi-square) tests, forms the basis for actionable recommendations and educational material development. RESULTS: This study included 143 participants, of which 41% expressed apprehension about managing out-of-hospital deaths. Approximately 44% claimed familiarity with death certification regulations, with students displaying higher theoretical confidence but lacking practical knowledge. Remarkably, 74% of physicians never received formal training in death certification. Discrepancies in issuing death certificates, timing, and notification procedures were identified. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal varying practices among physicians according to their specialties. Issues related to documentation, timing, and notification were prevalent. The study emphasizes the need for improved training, particularly for medical students. Emergency medicine doctors exhibited higher preparedness levels. Medical students and early-career physicians urgently require enhanced education in death certification preparedness. Incorporating these topics into medical curricula, offering specialized courses, and disseminating instructional materials can significantly enhance effectiveness. Future studies should assess the quality and accuracy of recorded causes of death, which affect healthcare statistics, public service, and legal procedures, underscoring the societal and administrative significance of death certification practices.

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Healthcare administrators had to make quick and effective decisions to ensure high quality of medical care standards in new conditions. The need to form a reserve bed fund during the pandemic was due to the high load on city hospitals in Moscow. Due to this fact, temporary reserved hospitals for COVID-19 patients were organized in non-core facilities, such as ice arenas, shopping malls, and exhibition pavilions. This urgency prompted a search for solutions that could provide the necessary level of diagnosis and treatment appropriate to specialized medical facility. Given the technical and time constraints associated with the installation of a fixed computer tomographic scanner, the deployment of mobile computer tomographic scanners emerged as a viable option. The study aims to share insights gained from using a mobile computer tomographic scanner within a temporary backup hospital setting to treating patients with COVID-19 coronavirus infection. The paper discusses the features, advantages, and disadvantages of mobile computer tomography. It also presents hardware and control room layouts, along with the placement options for the computer tomography device. The research includes the results of dosimetry studies and provides a clinical assessment of the applicability of this type of diagnostic devices.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of articles using the term “dosiomics”. However, there are no literature reviews on this topic in the Russian language. AIM: This study aims to describe the basic principles of dosiomics as a derivative of radiomics and to analyze studies devoted to assessing the possibilities of its application in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed database using the search query “dosiomics OR dosiomic”, and in the eLibrary database using the search query “dosiomics”. By April 2023, 43 foreign articles and 1 Russian article had been published. RESULTS: The analysis encompassed 43 foreign studies investigating the use of dosiomics in clinical practice, alongside one Russian article that provided a definition of the term “dosiomics”. The analyzed papers were divided into three groups according to their subject matter, and two tables describing the results of 27 studies on the prediction of clinical outcomes were created. CONCLUSION: Currently, dosiomics is a new and promising derivative of radiomics used in the textural analysis of medical images associated with radiation treatment of cancer patients. Dosiomics can contribute to the development of a more personalized approach to the planning of radiotherapy, the prediction of radiation damage of normal tissues, and the diagnosis of recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Currently, no systematic data are available on fetal radiation exposure as a result of radiographic studies during pregnancy. Consequently, there are no approved methods of its calculation that can be used in clinical practice. It is especially relevant for computed tomography scans as it is a widely used and highly informative method of diagnostic imaging associated with high exposure levels. AIM: to systematize currently available data on radiation dose absorbed by the fetus from computed tomography scans in pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The search for publications in Russian and English was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar and еLibrary. The final analysis included 12 papers including 8 studies using human body phantoms, 3 retrospective studies and one prospective clinical study. RESULTS: Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scans as well as whole-body scans were found to be associated with the highest fetal radiation exposure. However, in none of the publications the fetal exposure limit was exceeded. CONCLUSION: Clinically indicated non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans in pregnant women are not likely to be associated with the fetal absorbed doses that exceed the limit of 100 mGy regardless of the scanned area. However, this limit might be exceeded in case of performing multiple studies or if multiphase abdominal or pelvic computed tomography scans, or whole-body computed tomography scans are performed in patients with multiple trauma. In these cases, a decision regarding the need for these investigations should be made by a multi-disciplinary team (including radiation safety specialists, diagnostic radiologists and clinicians) based on the results of additional risk assessment.

In the article "Volumetry versus linear diameter lung nodule measurement: an ultra-low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening study" published in Digital Diagnostics journal Volume 4 Issue 1 in 2023 (doi: 10.17816/DD117481) contained an error in the paragraph with data of funding sources for the study. At the request of the authors team, the error was eliminated, the original version of the published article and the information on the journals site was replaced with the corrected one. Correct text of the changed: This paper was prepared by a group of authors as part of the research work (USIS No. 123031400009-1) in accordance with the Order issued by the Moscow Health Care Department No. 1196 dated December 21, 2022. The authors and the publisher apologize to readers for the published error and express their confidence that this mistake could not significantly affect the perception and interpretation of the results of the study described in the text of the article.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus poses a serious threat to the health of people worldwide. Despite active detection and stringent measures to control and treat diabetes, the condition leads to a variety of complications, including autonomic neuropathy, resulting in autonomic cardiac denervation associated with an increased risk of painless myocardial ischemia and sudden cardiac death. However, digital verification by finding electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns of autonomic dysfunction is possible. The available literature on ECG patterns of myocardial electrical instability, which reflect autonomous myocardial dysfunction, was summarized. A literature review of scientific papers on ECG diagnosis of autonomic myocardial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus over the past 5 years was performed using PubMed and eLIBRARY data. Among different ECG patterns that reflect autonomic dysfunction, the most common is the investigation of heart rhythm variability, which is based on the mathematical analysis of respiration rate intervals. The simplest variables are used to obtain a series of statistical indicators such as SDANN, RMSSD, NN50, and pNN50. A new and understudied ECG pattern of autonomic dysfunction is heart rate turbulence (HRT), which is a short-term rhythm change that develops in response to a ventricular extrasystole. The extrasystole is followed by a short episode of sinus tachycardia lasting several cardiac cycles, which is followed by a longer episode of bradycardia. These heart rate fluctuations are based on baroreflex compensation of intracardiac hemodynamic changes. Two parameters are estimated to characterize the HRT: turbulence onset and turbulence slope. A specific marker of autonomic dysfunction is the rate of cardiac rhythm recovery after controlled exercise. A recovery rate of 12 beats per first minute was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, whereas a reduction in recovery rate of 40 beats per 2 min was found to be a strong independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. An imbalance in the tone of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems underlies all the described indicators. Therefore, a risk-stratifying significance of autonomic dysfunction markers in a wide range of pathologies, including peptic ulcer disease, gallstone disease, hypertension, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, thyreopathies, and anemias apart from type 2 diabetes mellitus, exists. This explains the high sensitivity of tests, while having a low positive predictive value and specificity. The ease of performing tests dictates the need for further study of the features of autonomic dysfunction markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, since these markers are associated with a high risk of painless myocardial ischemia and sudden cardiac death. Currently, several ECG patterns (heart rate variability, HRT, and heart rate recovery rate) reflect autonomous myocardial dysfunction. The patterns enable early detection of autonomous neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which will allow timely diagnosis and adequate therapy. However, further study is required due to their low specificity to identify the peculiarities in specific nosological forms.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) represent a group of nosologies including Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases lead both to the deterioration of the patients physical condition and to a pronounced decrease in the quality of life. Currently, healthcare costs of managing patients with IBDs are steadily increasing and are commonly associated with the need for examinations and therapy with expensive drugs and unplanned expenses of healthcare resources for unscheduled consultations, emergency hospitalizations, and surgical interventions. Deterioration of patients condition may be associated with self-cancellation of therapy after normalization of the state of health. The use of telemedical technologies (TMTs) is promising for maintaining remission of IBDs, improving adherence to therapy, and reducing the frequency of unscheduled visits to the clinic and the cost of treating IBD complications (including surgery). The efficiency and benefits of TMTs in patients with IBDs were assessed in comparison with standard face-to-face follow-up. A literature search relevant to the review was conducted in the PubMed database. Papers were selected that assessed the efficiency of telemedical interventions among patients with IBDs as compared to the standard face-to-face follow-up group. The evaluation criteria included the degree of the disease activity, risks of IBD recurrence, quality of life of patients, adherence to therapy, healthcare costs, and frequency of visits to healthcare facilities. Telemedical interventions were conducted using the Internet, mobile applications, various telemedical platforms, SMS messages, and phone calls. The telemedical follow-up groups received access to educational materials and online consultations with a specialist upon request and completed questionnaires to assess disease activity, adherence to therapy, and quality of life. The degree of IBD activity and risk of recurrence and the level of adherence to therapy did not differ significantly between the telemedical intervention and standard face-to-face follow-up groups. The study by L. Pang et al. showed that the patients quality of life in the group of telemedical intervention was significantly higher (p=0.03) [8]. Another advantage of using TMTs is the provision of access to educational materials about IBDs and the possibility of remote contact with the treating physician. The patients ability to obtain necessary information reduces the need for unplanned visits to medical facilities and the cost of organizing medical care for patients with IBDs. The use of TMTs allows to monitor IBD activity as effectively as face-to-face follow-up, improve the patients quality of life with IBDs, and reduce costs for organizing care for patients with these diseases by decreasing the frequency of unscheduled visits to the doctor and conducting unnecessary additional examinations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are highly efficient. However, their implementation in medical practice is accompanied by a range of ethical issues. The black box problem is basic to the AI philosophy, although having its own specificity in relation to medicine. A selection of relevant papers for the last three years by citations and their analysis through PubMed and Google Scholar search engines was conducted to study the problems of the AI implementation in medicine. One of the central problems is that the algorithms to justify decisions are still unclear to doctors and patients. The lack of clear and reasonable principles of AI operation is called the black box problem. How can doctors rely on AI findings without enough data to explain a particular decision? Who will be responsible for the final decision in case of an adverse outcome (death or serious injury)? In routine practice, medical decisions are based on an integrative approach (understanding of pathophysiology and biochemistry and interpretation of past findings), clinical trials and cohort studies. AI may be used to build a plan for disease diagnosis and treatment, while not providing a convincing justification for specific decisions. This creates a black box, since the information that the AI considers important for making a conclusion is not always clear, nor is it clear how or why the AI reaches that conclusion. Thus, Juan M. Durn writes, Even if we claim to understand the principles underlying AI annotation and training, it is still difficult and often even impossible to understand the inner workings of such systems. The doctor can interpret or verify the results of these algorithms, but cannot explain how the algorithm arrived at its recommendations or diagnosis. Currently, AI models are trained to recognize microscopic adenomas and polyps in the colon. However, doctors still have insufficient understanding of how AI differentiates between different types of polyps despite the high accuracy, and the signs that are key to making an AI diagnosis remain unclear to experienced endoscopists. Another example is the biomarkers of colorectal cancer recognized by AI. The doctor does not know how algorithms determine the quantitative and qualitative criteria of detectable biomarkers to formulate a final diagnosis in each individual case, i.e., a black box of process pathology emerges. For the trust of doctors and patients to be earned, the processes underlying the work of AI must be deciphered and explained, describing how it is done sequentially, step by step, and a specific result is to be formulated. Although the black box algorithms cannot be called transparent, the possibility of applying these technologies in practical medicine is worth considering. Despite the above problems, the accuracy and efficiency of solutions does not allow to neglect the use of AI. On the contrary, this use is necessary. Emerging problems should serve as a basis for training and educating doctors to work with AI, expanding the scope of application and developing new diagnostic techniques.

BACKGROUND: The understanding of the dynamics of the trajectory is important in ballistics to estimate the values of various flight variables accurately. The paper deals with the study of the fundamental principles of external ballistics, which allows to delve into the trajectory characteristics of the free flight trajectory of seven. 308 caliber bullets by numerically solving the point-mass equations of motion. Numerical solutions were performed by writing scripts in the Python programming language and using the Matplotlib library to plot simulated trajectories. AIM: the three aims of the study were to observe the variation of CD with Mach number (Ma) of flight and calculate an average CD for each bullet under consideration. Further, solving the 3-DoF (Degrees-of-Freedom) Point-Mass trajectory equations of motion for the given bullets (along side observing the effects of range winds on the trajectory behaviour as a variable). And finally, solving the flat-fire approximation with analysis of the effects of a crosswind. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Simulations of free-flight trajectories of seven different 7.62 mm/.308 rifle bullets (designated B0B6) have been carried out by the numerical solution of the equations of motion. The average drag force coefficients (CD) for B0B6 have been calculated by scaling the variation of CD with the Mach number of flight with reference to the G7 standard projectile. The Point-Mass trajectory model and its Flat-Fire approximation have been studied with and without the effect of range winds. The solutions of the systems of equations have been carried out by writing scripts in the Python programming language. RESULTS: It is observed that an increase in the bullet weight and consequently the sectional density lowers the CD. As expected, it is seen that the bullet with the highest drag (B0) has the shortest range and lowest apogee, while lower drag bullets fly further and higher. The crossover of trajectories is observed at ~30 angle of gun elevation, which implies that the maximum range is not achieved when fired at 45, as is the case with vacuum trajectories. Flat-fire approximation of the point-mass model was also solved to observe trajectories and crosswind deflections of the bullets when fired at 5 angles of elevation. CONCLUSION: This project presents the numerical solution of equations of motion of the Point-Mass model for a bullet fired from a gun to computationally simulate its trajectory. A group of seven 7.62 mm/.308 rifle bullets were chosen as samples to simulate free-flight trajectories. The programming language Python is well-equipped to carry out numerical solutions of systems of differential equations owing to its library of in-built functions which assists in writing an efficient script and reduces computational load. This method of solution can be applied with suitable modifications in the field of forensic ballistics for the reconstruction of bullet trajectories and to form a conclusion based on the available evidence from a crime scene.

BACKGROUND: Well-written and transparent case reports (1) reveal early signals of potential benefits, harms, and information on the use of resources; (2) provide information for clinical research and clinical practice guidelines, and (3) inform medical education. High-quality case reports are more likely when authors follow reporting guidelines. During 20112012, a group of clinicians, researchers, and journal editors developed recommendations for the accurate reporting of information in case reports that resulted in the CARE (CAse REport) Statement and Checklist. They were presented at the 2013 International Congress on Peer Review and Biomedical Publication, have been endorsed by multiple medical journals, and translated into nine languages. OBJECTIVES: This explanation and elaboration document has the objective to increase the use and dissemination of the CARE Checklist in writing and publishing case reports. ARTICLE DESIGN AND SETTING: Each item from the CARE Checklist is explained and accompanied by published examples. The explanations and examples in this document are designed to support the writing of high-quality case reports by authors and their critical appraisal by editors, peer reviewers, and readers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This article and the 2013 CARE Statement and Checklist, available from the CARE website [www.care-statement.org] and the EQUATOR Network [www.equator-network.org], are resources for improving the completeness and transparency of case reports. SOURCE: This article is a translation of the original paper CARE guidelines for case reports: explanation and elaboration document in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.04.026), prepared under the permission of the copyright holder (Elsevier Inc.), with supervision from the Scientific Editor by Professor E.G. Starostina, MD, PhD (translator) (Moscow, Russia).

BACKGROUND: Since 2020, staging accuracy improvements in cervical cancer (CC) revealed that major errors occur due to missed metastases to regional lymph nodes. The presence or absence of metastases seriously affects the staging of cancer and, consequently, its treatment methods, since metastases make cancer inoperable. AIM: To develop an application to help the doctor in predicting metastases to regional lymph nodes in CC, with the ability of installing on any personal computer regardless of the operating system (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS) and saving data about the patients. METHODS: The development was performed on the .NET platform (framework v4.7.2), by means of C# language, based on a proprietary prognostic model using seven blood parameters such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and platelet aggregation with adenosine diphosphate and soluble fibrin monomer complexes. RESULTS: A window application was developed that automatically calculates the probability of metastases to regional lymph nodes in СС and provides the ability to save the data from the input form and the predicted value into TXT and/or CSV files. TXT and CSV formats are supported in various operating systems. The .txt file allows each individual patients prognosis results to be saved in a separate file for easy printing and attachment to the patients electronic or paper medical record. The CSV file format enables the aggregation of data of all patients by adding line-by-line data from the input form to the end of the file. CONCLUSIONS: The developed application facilitates the process of using the patented formula to diagnose metastases to regional lymph nodes in СС at the early stages of examination, which allows choosing the optimal tactics and, consequently, improving the prognosis of the disease.

The article analyzes ethical issues inherent to different life-cycle stages of artificial intelligence systems and provides up-to-date information about global and domestic trends in this area. The international and national experience concerning ethical issues of artificial intelligence systems use in healthcare is described. In addition, the international and national strategies for the development of artificial intelligence in healthcare are analyzed focusing on the national development; and the main trends, similarities, and differences between strategies are identified. Furthermore, ethical components of the process of clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of artificial intelligence systems in Russia are described. Domestic state-of-the-art and globally unique experience in technical regulation of artificial intelligence systems are shown on unification papers and standardization of requirements for the development, testing, and operation of artificial intelligence systems in healthcare are presented, and unparalleled Russian experience in terms of certification requirements for artificial intelligence-based medical devices is demonstrated. The article also summarizes the main conclusions and emphasizes the importance of a strong successful healthcare system based on artificial intelligence technologies that build trust and compliance with ethical standards.

Background: The Henssge method is still the main thermometric method to determine postmortem interval. However, its existing software implementations are characterized by several disadvantages associated with copying simplified nomographic variants of the original mathematical models without any optimization attempts, as well as procedural imperfection in finding the roots of implicit functions. In this paper, methods are proposed for optimizing solutions to the Henssge mathematical models and determine their errors, as well as software application implementation. Aim: Optimization of the Henssge algorithm and development of a series of applications based on the obtained data, designed to determine postmortem interval. Material and methods: Methods for solving double exponential Henssge models and determining their errors based on computational mathematics and regression modeling using the least-squares method with subsequent implementation in the format of computer programs in C# language optimized. Results: The discrete nature of residual variance changes of the double exponential Henssge models intended to determine the postmortem interval according to rectal and cranioencephalic thermometry data under constant external temperature conditions is eliminated. The interval estimate determination of postmortem interval at any confidence probability is possible. The application program Warm Bodies HR was developed, which implements applied optimization methods. The application program Warm Bodies AHBG, designed to determine postmortem interval by the Henssge method in a single discrete decrease or increase conditions in the constant temperature of the external environment, including a change in the cooling conditions of the corpse, was developed. The search for the roots of implicit functions in programs is carried out using the Newton tangent method, which ensures continuous source data nature and eliminates errors associated with the need to round directly measured physical quantities. Conclusions: The developed programs are recommended for forensic medical expert practice to determine postmortem interval.

This paper presents two clinical cases of eosinophilic granuloma of bone diagnosed by CT, MRI, and 18F-FDG PET/CT. In both cases the patients were admitted to the clinic with suspected primary malignant bone tumor and the diagnosis of a solitary eosinophilic granuloma was made based on the results of comprehensive radiological diagnostic examination and histological verification. Solitary eosinophilic granuloma of bone is an infrequent condition, occurring in less than 1% of cases of skeletal tumor masses. The most common eosinophilic granuloma is found in the parietal and frontal bones of the skull and is an osteolytic volumetric mass that gradually increases in size. Although most bone tumors can be detected by radiography, computed tomography is preferred, primarily because of its superior ability to detect cortical bone destruction. The diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging may be different. The combined use of radiological and radionuclide methods allows us to narrow the spectrum of differential diagnosis. Unfortunately, relatively low specificity of existing radiological diagnostic studies in most cases does not allow to establish a precise diagnosis, and biopsy with subsequent pathological examination remains the method of choice. These clinical observations demonstrate the need to include eosinophilic granuloma in the differential diagnosis when a solitary osteolytic focus is detected.

This paper presents a clinical case of a 39-year-old pregnant woman with respiratory signs of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 infection. Chest MRI showed bilateral lesions in basal segments. The PCR test was positive. A lung condition was assessed without loss of significant diagnostic information. Besides that, the absence of exposure to ionizing radiation allowed to avoid a high loading dose on the patient and the fetus. This case reveals potential opportunities of MRI in the diagnosis of pulmonary pathology without exposure to ionizing radiation, especially in patient risk groups (children, pregnant women, etc.).

Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Pavel Leonidovich Ivanov celebrated his 65th birthday on July 27, 2020. He is known as an internationally recognized scientist, an outstanding forensic geneticist, renowned both in Russia and in other countries, Deputy Director for High-Tech Research of the Russian Center for Forensic Science of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, an expert of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a member of the International Society of Forensic Genetics and the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI), a full member of the World Academy of Science for Complex Safety, and an author of more than 300 scientific papers.

Background.The paper presents changes and mathematical models of autofluorescence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and their redox ratio (RR) in rat skeletal muscle during the first 24 hours after death.Aim.To establish a pattern of change in the fluorescence intensity of NADH and FAD coenzymes, as well as their relationship in skeletal muscle during the first 24 hours after death using mathematical modeling.Material and methods.The experiment was performed on Sprague Dawley rats. The fluorescence intensity of FAD and NADH coenzymes in skeletal muscle was measured in situ in living rats under general anesthesia, 5 minutes after euthanasia, and at intervals of 1.53 h during the 24-hour postmortem period. To estimate the fluorescence intensity of NADH and FAD coenzymes and to calculate the RR, a Lasma MC-3 fluorescence measuring device with special software was used. The obtained data were analyzed by non-linear regression analysis. The summary, accuracy estimation, and significance of the regression equation coefficients were assessed using SigmaPlot 10.0 software. The significance of the regression model was tested using the Fisher F-criterion.Results.During the first 3 hours of the postmortem period, an increase in the mean values of RR and NADH fluorescence was detected; starting from 4.5 and lasting until 24 hours post mortem, their gradual decrease was observed. The relationship between NADH, RR, and time since death is characterized by the Weibull equation. The statistical significance of the NADH and RR models, based on the obtained equations, was considered high.Conclusion.The analysis of the obtained data allowed us to create mathematical models describing the relationship between RR and NADH fluorescence intensity and time after death, which confirms the non-randomness and regularity of the discovered patterns.

Access, or rather non-access to higher education in India has been prevailing in many forms. The Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) to HE in India has not even reached 15% of the population by 2010. The University Grants Commission of India, which is responsible for the growth or non-growth of Higher education in India, has worked out the measures such as opening 30 more central universities and numerous state, private and deemed universities and colleges, particularly in rural and hazardous backward areas, with a view to increasing the GER in Indian HE. However, there are inherent ‘left-outs’ from Indian HE which the powers have failed to address. These ‘left-outs’are caused by the factors like rural-urban disparities, gender disparities, inter-religious disparities, inter-class disparities, inter-caste disparities, inter-state and regional disparities, age disparities and the disparities facing differently-abled persons, disparities caused by skills or non-skills in English language. In our paper we analyze the lengthy, marshaling facts and figures and the causes generating these disparities. At the end we may also discuss how one particular university had sought to overcome the above-mentioned disparities and handicaps.