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The article proposes a genetic geological model of diamond deposit formation associated with kimberlites and lamproites. It is based on the synthesis of published data on diamond-bearing kimberlite systems and an original study of the ontogenetic features of diamond crystals. Deep diamond crystallization, its upward transportation and subsequent concentration in near-surface kimberlite-lamproite bodies and other rocks, including those brought to the surface by high-amplitude uplifts of crystalline basement rocks, are combined in a single system. An assumption is made about the primary sources of the Anabar placer diamonds. The possibility of hydrocarbon generation at mantle levels corresponding to diamond formation areas and their transportation to the upper crustal zones by a mechanism similar to the mantle-crust migration of diamond-bearing fluidized magmas is shown. The high rate of their upward movement allows transportation to the surface without significant loss as a result of dissolution in melts and sorption on the surface of mineral phases. The significant role of fluid dynamics at all stages of this system is noted.

Abstract p-NiO/n-Ga2O3 heterojunction (HJ) diodes exhibit much larger changes in their properties upon 1.1 MeV proton irradiation than Schottky diodes (SDs) prepared on the same material. In p-NiO/Ga2O3 HJ diodes, the narrow region adjacent to the HJ boundary is found to contain a high density of relatively deep centers with levels near EC-0.17 eV and a depleted region in the immediate vicinity of the HJ boundary. The series resistance of the HJ diodes is slightly higher than for the Schottky diodes and shows a temperature dependence with activation energy ~ 0.12 eV, like the temperature dependence of the NiO film resistivity. Irradiation with 1.1 MeV protons leads to a decrease of the hole concentration in the NiO, with a high carrier removal rate of ~ 1.3 × 105 cm−1 and a strong compensation of the interfacial region where the concentration of the EC-0.17 eV centers decreases with a high rate of ~ 7 × 103 cm−1. The combined action of these two effects gives rise to the much stronger increase of the series resistance of the HJ diodes compared to Schottky diodes. The observed differences between the radiation response of the HJs and SDs cannot be credibly attributed to the changes of the density of any of the deep electron and hole traps detected in our experiments.

Background. Cardiovascular diseases remain a pressing issue associated with great economic burden and loss of earning capacity. Among them, thoracic aortic aneurysms pose a serious threat as they commonly develop asymptomatically. Patients with aneurysms are often diagnosed late, which contributes to higher mortality rates due to complications. For this reason, conducting new epidemiological studies on this problem in our country is relevant.Objective: to study the prevalence of pathological dilatation of the thoracic aorta in Moscow by means of artificial intelligence technologies (AITs) using chest computed tomography (CT) data.Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of chest CT data from 227,149 patients obtained in the period from October 2022 to October 2023 was performed using AITs.Results. The analysis revealed that 13.3% of patients exhibited signs of thoracic aortic dilatation, while 0.8% had aneurysm signs. The prevalence of thoracic aortic aneurysms in Moscow was 12.4 cases per 100,000 individuals. Males were more susceptible than females; aneurysms of the descending aorta were more typical for them, while aneurysms of the ascending aorta were more common in females. The incidence of thoracic aortic dilatation increased with age. Potential causes and strategies to minimize AIT errors were discussed.Conclusion. The results highlight the importance of opportunistic screening for thoracic aortic aneurysms to ensure timely detection and prevention of complications. It would be especially beneficial to men and elderly population. The effectiveness of AITs to support decision-making by radiologists analyzing chest CT results was confirmed. The study provides an important update to the data on the prevalence of thoracic aortic aneurysms in asymptomatic patients in Russia. The identified features make it possible to direct the diagnostic and prevention efforts more effectively.

BACKGROUND: Radiomics is the newest and most promising direction in modern radiographic diagnostics. The number of head and neck cancer studies employing radiomics is increasing annually. A systematic review of recent publications (2021–2023) on computed tomography (CT) of head and neck malignancies was performed. AIM: To present systematized data on parameters for radiomic analysis for head and neck malignancies identified by CT data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature search was carried out in PubMed. The basic characteristics of the selected articles were extracted, and their quality was assessed using RQS 2.0 and the modified QUADAS-CAD questionnaire. The reproducibility level of radiomic parameters selected for predictive models in different studies was assessed. Eleven articles were selected for the review. In most cases, a high risk of systematic error associated with data imbalance in terms of demographic parameters and level of pathologies was noted. RESULTS: The range of RQS 2.0 scores for the included articles varied from 19.44% to 50.00% of the maximum possible score. The decreasing research quality was mainly caused by the lack of external result validation (73% of the analyzed articles) and data accessibility and transparency (82%). Inter-study reproducibility of radiomic parameters was low owing to the wide variety of techniques used for image acquisition, image post-processing, extraction, and statistical processing of radiomic parameters. CONCLUSION: A set of stable radiomic parameters must be successfully introduced into clinical practice. The standardization of radiomics method and creation of an open radiomics database are necessary for this purpose.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the leading imaging modalities of the musculoskeletal system. However, when imaging the hand, major problems in magnetic resonance imaging include the lack of specialized coils and reliable fixation devices for the hand, uncomfortable patient posture, motion artifacts, and small anatomical structures in the wrist. These factors inevitably lead to incorrect interpretation. AIM: To improve the quality of magnetic resonance imaging of the hand by developing an approach to coil selection, scanning protocol, and hand positioning and fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A positioning device was developed to prevent hand movements. Two types of coils were evaluated. Magnetic resonance images were evaluated comparatively, as well as by a musculoskeletal radiologist. RESULTS: А head coil is more appropriate when scanning the entire hand, for example, in rheumatic diseases. A knee coil is more appropriate when studying smaller anatomical structures (including the wrist) owing to a smaller field of view and higher resolution. Based on the obtained data, guidelines for the selection of scanning parameters, sequences, and coils for magnetic resonance imaging of the hand were formulated. To prevent motion artifacts, a special fixation device of the patient’s hand was introduced. CONCLUSION: Certain factors directly affect the qualitative magnetic resonance imaging study of the hand, such as safety protocols, scanning parameters, and hand fixation. The guidelines presented in this study and the use of the developed specialized fixation device may improve the quality of magnetic resonance imaging of the hand.

ABSTRACT. The paper presents a geotechnical investigation of the structural integrity of the Ellatzite open-pit mine and considers the achieved bench face angle, while looking at the final geometry shaping of the bench face. The study shows that the influence of the lithology, rock mass structure, mining technology and water saturation of the bench faces is of crucial importance for achieving a long-term sustainability of the mine benches. Therefore, some efforts need to be made to optimise the technological processes in the mine, as well as to drain precipitated and groundwater away from the slopes, by maintaining an effective and appropriate drainage and dewatering system.

Purpose: Children progress from making grapheme-phoneme connections to making grapho-syllabic connections before whole-word connections during reading development (Ehri, 2005a). More is known about the development of grapheme--phoneme connections than is known about grapho-syllabic connections. Therefore, we explored the trajectory of syllable use in English developing readers during oral reading. Method: Fifty-one English-speaking children (mean age: 8.9 years, 55% females, 88% monolinguals) in year groups three, four, and five read aloud sentences with an embedded target word, while their eye movements and voices were recorded. The targets contained six letters and were either one or two syllables. Result: Children in grade five had shorter gaze duration, shorter articulation duration, and larger spatial eye-voice span (EVS) than children in grade four. Children in grades three and four did not significantly differ on these measures. A syllable number effect was found for gaze duration but not for articulation duration and spatial EVS. Interestingly, one-syllable words took longer to process compared to two-syllable words, suggesting that more syllables may not always signify greater processing difficulty. Conclusion: Overall, children are sensitive to sublexical reading units; however, due to sample and stimuli limitations, these findings should be interpreted with caution and further research conducted.

Moyamoya disease is a cerebrovascular pathology characterized by progressive stenosis of the internal carotid arteries and their branches, leading to ischemic and/or hemorrhagic disorders of the cerebral circulation, primarily affecting children and young adults. We present a case of a 23-year-old woman with a history of recurrent cerebrovascular accidents since childhood. Despite experiencing focal motor seizures and transient ischemic attacks, her condition remained undiagnosed until 2006, when, at the age of 7, a digital subtraction angiography revealed characteristic bilateral internal carotid artery occlusions. Subsequent diagnostic challenges and treatments preceded a worsening of symptoms in adulthood, including generalized tonic–clonic seizures. Upon presentation to our clinic, the patient exhibited upper motor neuron syndrome and occipital lobe syndrome, consistent with the disease’s pathophysiology, neuroimaging, and clinical manifestations. Imaging studies confirmed multiple ischemic lesions throughout the cerebral vasculature. Treatment adjustments were made due to the increased incidence of seizures, and the dose of her anti-seizure medication—divalproex sodium—was increased. This case underscores the diagnostic complexities and challenges in managing moyamoya disease, emphasizing the importance of early recognition and prompt intervention.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the possible influence of personal and reactive anxiety on personality characteristics, cognitive abilities and performance of basketball actions of basketball players. An empirical study is conducted with basketball players (which are also students at University of Economics – Varna - UEV) in 2016, playing basketball at the Sports Club at the UEV. To establish the level of effectiveness of the students’ game actions, their performances in 9 meetings (10 units of observation) are recorded. ANOVA is used to determine differences in basketball performance measures for individuals with relatively high levels of anxiety and for individuals with relatively low levels of anxiety. One of the indicators is “personal anxiety” (Q6). Another indicator is available. It is “reactive anxiety” (Q7). PSPP is used to analyze the dataset. The ANOVA test shows that there is a statistically significant difference (p

The bidirectional communication network between the gut and the brain, known as the gut–brain axis, plays a crucial role in health and disease. This review explores the mechanisms underlying gut–brain interaction disorders and highlights translational therapies bridging neurology and gastroenterology. Mechanisms encompass anatomical, endocrine, humoral, metabolic, and immune pathways, with the gut microbiota exerting profound influence. Clinical evidence links gut microbiota fluctuations to mood disorders, GI disruptions, and neurodevelopmental conditions, emphasizing the microbiome’s pivotal role in shaping brain–gut interactions. Pharmacological therapies such as amitriptyline and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors modulate neurotransmitter activity, offering relief in functional gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Non-pharmacological interventions like cognitive–behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy address maladaptive thoughts and induce relaxation, alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms exacerbated by stress. Emerging therapies include gut microbiota modulation, dietary interventions, vagus nerve stimulation, and intestinal barrier modulation, offering novel approaches to manage neurological disorders via the gastrointestinal tract. Understanding and harnessing the gut–brain axis holds promise for personalized therapeutic strategies in neurogastroenterology.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune, immune complex-mediated disease affecting mainly females at a young age. The disease etiology is still unknown, and different genetic and epigenetic factors related to disease onset and manifestations are being explored. The standard treatment regimen for SLE includes the long-term use of corticosteroids and non-specific immunosuppressive agents, often limited by co-morbidities or related side effects. However, recent advances in disease pathogenesis clarifying the role of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, immune cells, and co-stimulation molecules have made a more practical, targeted approach possible, leading to personalized treatment strategies. This review summarizes current knowledge about SLE-targeted therapies in clinical practice.

Cushing's Syndrome (CS) is the consequence of the exposure of tissues to extremely high levels of glucocorticoids. Early diagnosis and treatment are the mainstay of optimizing patient outcomes and improving their quality of life. In the recent years steroid profiling by LC-MS sheds more light on the diagnosis of CS.

SCCs represents 20-30% of the non-melanocytic skin cancers. It is the second most common skin cancer in the U.S. The main risk factors for SCCs development are: skin phototype l-ll, excessive UV-exposure, chronic inflammatory skin diseases, radiation exposure and drug usage. Hydroxyurea is a drug used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. The therapy is associated with development of actinic keratoses, Bowen's disease, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.

Currently, special attention is paid to the development of digital technologies. In the context of the pandemic, the remote, distance, digital format of work has become top requested. Those events coincided with the general trend towards total digitalization of all spheres of life, including education. New concepts have emerged and taken hold - digital education and digital university. However, a mechanism for the development of a digital university has not yet been proposed. In the present study, an institutional approach was used to analyze the problems of the development of a digital university. The research scheme was used: institutions - motivation - control. The results of the empirical study (questionnaire and survey of university entries and its partners) made it possible to identify the existing contradictions between the participants in university activities and the external environment in terms of assessing aspects of the digital development of the university, to highlight the most effective institutions, conditions of positive motivation and control mechanisms for successful digital transformation of a university. The authors propose their own version of the concept for the development of a digital university, introducing as the core of it a new scientific concept - infrastructure logic. They lay a foundation for the principles of infrastructure logic, formation mechanisms and approaches to the use of indicators of digital development based on infrastructure logic, directions for improving the strategy of digital development of the university 4.0. The conclusions and recommendations formulated in this study can be used by other educational systems and universities.

Microneedles (MNs) have emerged as a promising transdermal antimicrobial delivery system, providing precise and localized drug delivery while complemented with noninvasiveness and patient compliance. Currently, the topical application of antimicrobials restricts the delivery of drugs to the critical areas of the wound bed, largely due to barriers posed by the necrotic tissue, scab formation, and bacterial biofilms, which severely diminish the bioavailability of the therapeutics. MNs have enabled efficient and targeted delivery to overcome many chronic wound challenges. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made to develop MNs with unique properties tailored for the delivery of vaccines, anticancer, and antimicrobials. As ongoing research continues to refine MN design, material properties, and drug formulations, the potential for revolutionizing antimicrobial drug delivery for efficacy, patient experience, and therapeutic outcomes remains at the forefront of scientific research. In this review, insights are provided into the latest progress, current developments, and the diverse applications of MNs for antimicrobial drug delivery. Herein, the translational potential of MNs is highlighted and a perspective on the current challenges associated with clinical translation is provided. Furthermore, this review aids in identifying research gaps while empowering and contributing to the future implementation of cutting‐edge delivery systems to effectively tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Natural gas hydrates represents a huge source of energy. At the same time substantial leakages of natural gas from hydrates contributes significantly to climate changes. One of the most important reasons for these natural gas fluxes is leakage of seawater in to the hydrates from seafloor, through fracture systems. Hydrate dissociates if surrounding seawater is less than hydrate stability limit. Another interesting aspect of natural gas hydrates is the potential for safe CO2 storage. These different aspects of hydrates in natural sediments put demands on thermodynamic models. In addition to accurate description of pressure temperature hydrate stability there also a need to describe hydrate dissociation in concentration gradients towards surrounding water or surrounding gas as two examples. In this work we present new experimental data and an extensive thermodynamic model for hydrate. In contrast to conventional thermodynamic models for hydrate the model is consistent since all thermodynamic properties are derived from the Gibbs free energy. In this work we examine mixtures of CH4, C2H6, N2, CO2 from the China Sea and some synthetic mixtures, using this model. Maximum CO2 content in these mixtures are 60 mol% and the rest is dominated by CH4. Agreement between experimental data and model calculations are generally good and average deviations are below 5.5% for all the systems and conditions examined. Another aspect of the model is the ability for incorporation of effects of mineral surfaces. Specifically it is illustrated that adsorption of water on rust dominates liquid water drop out from gas as compared to water dew-point. Production of natural gas with such high CO2 content requires a strategy for CO2 separation and storage. It is proposed that the CH4 is separated from the C2H6, CO2 and N2 and cracked to H2 and CO2 using steam. Thermodynamic analysis indicates a significant potential for safe CO2 storage in natural gas hydrate and H2 as the only export product.

This study investigates the application of the maximum Lyapunov exponent in combination with k-means clustering to identify short-term voltage instability in multi-machine power grids. The authors explored the complex regulatory challenges that arise with the integration of renewable energy sources, particularly during short-term voltage instability episodes. The critical role of the maximum Lyapunov exponent in mitigating these risks and bolstering grid resilience was emphasized. This research involved detailed modeling of transient processes within the grid, followed by an in-depth analysis of the resulting data. By integrating maximum Lyapunov exponent with clustering method, this study introduces an automated approach to labeling voltage measurement sets, effectively differentiating between transient regimes, such as short-term voltage instability, normal operational modes, and faults. Extensive numerical experiments conducted using PSCAD simulation software demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in providing a comprehensive monitoring solution for transient regimes and significantly enhancing stability of the power system with renewable energy sources.

Introduction: OCT is a noninvasive, contactless, optical method that uses infrared light to produce images of blood vessel anatomy, tissue microstructure, and stents during cardiac catheterization. Aim: This review aims to present a cost-effectiveness analysis and budget impact analysis of optical coherence tomography for imaging in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary interventions. Methods: An incomplete economic analysis was chosen to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of OCT, in which only direct medical costs were assessed. The time horizon for estimating the costs and health benefi ts of OCT was one year. In addition, a budget impact analysis was conducted. Results: As a result of the incomplete economic analysis of the costs of OCT-guided PCI, it could be seen that the total cost per patient amounted to BGN 4,954.89. These costs include the unit cost of the device (OCT catheters) – BGN 2,000.00 including VAT, and the weighted average cost of the OCT-guided PCI procedure – BGN 2,954.89. Conclusion: The OCT-guided PCI strategy is associated with higher procedural costs but with more favorable clinical benefi ts, making it a cost-effective option for intravascular imaging in the long term.

Endoleak represents the most common complication after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) and is defi ned as persistent perfusion of the aneurysmal sac, which subsequently could lead to its expansion and possibly rupture. There are different types of endoleaks, depending on their infl ow source, regardless of the number and type of other vessels involved in the outfl ow (endoleak type I A/B/С, type II, type III, type IV and type V). The current gold standard for the diagnosis of endoleak is the contrast-enhanced helical computed tomography (CT). Since, there is no generally accepted consensus for the best surveillance and treatment methods for this pathology, in this article we will present the most effective endovascular interventions for the successful management of the different types of endoleaks.

The article examines the main characteristics of white brine cheeses from different manufacturers and changes in their quality indicators. These characteristics include the active acidity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, oxidation–reduction potential, and organoleptic assessment. In this context, the connection to biomimetics lies in the approach of integrating multiple sensory modalities, similar to how biological systems often use multiple senses to perceive and understand their environment. For this purpose, spectral, ultrasonic, and gas characteristics were used, from which informative indices were extracted, united at a later stage in a vector of features. Based on the classification, it was found that the optical characteristics of cheeses from different manufacturers overlap, thus making it possible to predict the main indicators for each type of cheese. The results show that the use of a multimodal approach combining features from different sensors contributes to a better understanding of the variations in cheese properties, while improving the predictive abilities of the created models. The obtained results give a clear idea of the quality of the cheese, thus enabling adequate decisions to be made during the production process.