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The article aims at identifying and evaluating culture’s effects to predict bilateral trade flows by constructing cultural distance measures with data derived from the large-scale empirical cross-cultural study. The application of values-tied and practices-tied data across 57 countries at different points in time in international trade gravity models reveals positive predictors, but only the former is statistically significant. The country-level results display variance in cultural distance effects in trade and also show that cultural differences might contribute more to bilateral trade for less developed countries but impede it for more developed countries. By challenging the “polarity” interpretation of cultural distance, the article contributes to the scholarly discussion surrounding culture’s role in international trade by offering a more balanced view of cultural distance effects that may serve as both an inhibitor and facilitator, and by suggesting a “duality” explanation, one that has been largely overlooked.

Treatment of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is a complex challenge, and it is based on response to certain elements of therapy. The development and introduction of new treatment approaches, such as GD2-targeted immunotherapy (IT), leads to improved survival in this cohort of patients. The aim of the study was to retrospectively assess the effectiveness of therapy in patients with high-risk NB before the introduction of IT into clinical practice. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 151 NB patients stratified into a high-risk group who had received treatment in accordance with the modified NB2004 protocol of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH) at the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology from 01.2012 to 12.2017. This study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee and the Academic Council of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology. All the study subjects (or their legal representatives) signed a voluntary informed consent form indicating their agreement to treatment and use of their data for research purposes. Overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and risk factors were analyzed in the patients with high-risk NB including those who had completed multimodal therapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and post-consolidation therapy with isotretinoin and had achieved a satisfactory response to induction therapy (complete response (CR), very good partial response (VGPR), partial response (PR)) (population of special interest). The main unfavorable prognostic clinical and molecular genetic factors affecting survival in the high-risk NB patients were older age, MYCN gene amplification, and stage 4 of the disease. The use of the modified GPOH NB2004 protocol resulted in a satisfactory response (CR/VGPR/PR) to the induction therapy in most patients: 124/151 (82.1 %). Surgery (other than primary tumor biopsy) led to improved survival, with no statistical difference between macroscopic radical surgery and macroscopic residual tumor. At the same time, radiation therapy (RT), as the second element of local control, had a significant impact on EFS in the group of the patients with stage 4 disease: the 3-year EFS was 39.4 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 23.1–55.4) in the patients with RT versus 25.7 % (95 % CI 17.5–34.7) in the patients without RT (p = 0.0295). The introduction of a new high-dose TreoMel chemotherapy regimen did not result in worse survival rates but led to a decrease in transplant-related toxicity. The 5-year OS and 5-year EFS were 49.4 % (95 % CI 40.9–57.3 %) and 33.3 % (95 % CI 25.9–40.9) respectively for all the study subjects, and 81.6 % (95 % CI 70.3–88.9) and 55.1 % (95 % CI 43.1–65.5) respectively for the patients from the population of special interest. The analysis of the results of therapy in the high-risk NB patients who had received treatment at the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, yielded results comparable to those of the original GPOH NB2004 protocol. The patients with CR/VGPR/PR to the induction therapy who had completed the protocol treatment with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and isotretinoin post-consolidation therapy demonstrated higher 5-year EFS rates. However, there remains a need to develop more effective treatment regimens for high-risk NB.

The conditions for sample preparation and determination of total arsenic in fish and seafoods by atomic absorption spectroscopy with electrothermal atomization have been optimized. When using a standard sample preparation procedure (GOST R 53100), a complete decomposition of the organic arsenic compound, arsenobetaine, appeared impossible which leads to underestimated results. A novel sample preparation procedure for the determination of total arsenic, including the addition of concentrated sulfuric acid for complete decomposition of the organic forms of arsenic to inorganic ones is proposed. During the atomization of the sample, an additional stage of drying was introduced with smooth heating from 200 to 250°C, which contributed to a complete removal of sulfuric acid residues from the injected sample volume. The correctness of the proposed methodology was verified using the ICP-MS method and in the analysis of reference samples of fish and seafoods.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lipoteichoic acids (LTA) are the major inducers of the inflammatory response of blood cells caused by Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria. CD14 is a common receptor for LPS and LTA that transfers the ligands to TLR4 and TLR2, respectively. In this work, we have demonstrated that the non-toxic LPS from Rhodobacter capsulatus PG blocks the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines during the activation of blood cells by Streptococcus pyogenes LTA through binding to the CD14 receptor, resulting in the signal transduction to TLR2/TLR6 being blocked. The LPS from Rhodobacter capsulatus PG can be considered a prototype for developing preparations to protect blood cells against the LTA of gram-positive bacteria.

Measurements made in the Columbia River basin (Oregon) in an area of irregular terrain during the second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2) field campaign are used to develop an optimized hybrid bulk algorithm to predict the surface turbulent fluxes from readily measured or modeled quantities over dry and wet bare or lightly vegetated soil surfaces. The hybrid (synthetic) algorithm combines (i) an aerodynamic method for turbulent flow, which is based on the transfer coefficients (drag coefficient and Stanton number), roughness lengths, and Monin–Obukhov similarity; and (ii) a modified Priestley–Taylor (P-T) algorithm with physically based ecophysiological constraints, which is essentially based on the surface energy budget (SEB) equation. Soil heat flux in the latter case was estimated from measurements of soil temperature and soil moisture. In the framework of the hybrid algorithm, bulk estimates of the momentum flux and the sensible heat flux are derived from a traditional aerodynamic approach, whereas the latent heat flux (or moisture flux) is evaluated from a modified P-T model. Direct measurements of the surface fluxes (turbulent and radiative) and other ancillary atmospheric/soil parameters made during WFIP2 for different soil conditions (dry and wet) are used to optimize and tune the hybrid bulk algorithm. The bulk flux estimates are validated against the measured eddy-covariance fluxes. We also discuss the SEB closure over dry and wet surfaces at various time scales based on the modeled and measured fluxes. Although this bulk flux algorithm is optimized for the data collected during the WFIP2, a hybrid approach can be used for similar flux-tower sites and field campaigns.

The process of localization of oil reserves of low permeable highly heterogeneous clastic reservoirs with ordered layered structure of the X-8 reservoir X-8 of the Y field was studied. As a result of the study of depositional environments and facies of the sandstones of the reservoir, regional stress, current state of the field development and the analysis of the operation process of injection and production wells, undeveloped reserve zones for infill drilling of new wells and sidetracks between rows of injection wells were identified. The authors justify the accounting of this set of factors in the construction of the hydrodynamic model of a highly heterogeneous reservoir and in the control of its development.

Purpose: To develop methodology for determining the actual resistance of traction electric drive (TED) circuits of a locomotive with electric power transmission and with refined calculation of voltage losses of a collector-brush apparatus according to microprocessor control system data. These data are necessary for calculating actual traction characteristics of a locomotive as well as its braking characteristics in electric braking modes. Methods: Methods of electric machine theory, statistical processing and regression analysis of experimental data were used. Results: Based on the statistical analysis of registration data of on-board diagnostics subsystem of 20 sections of 2TE116U and TEP70BS diesel locomotives, methods for determining resistance factual value for traction electric drive circuit as well as methods of refined calculation for voltage losses in a collector-brush apparatus are proposed and justified. The hypothesis on distribution normal law for the value of resistance and the possibility to use its mathematical expectation as an estimated value is confirmed. The limits of resistance possible changes for TED circuits of diesel locomotives 2TE116U and TEP70BS have been established. Practical significance: The results obtained allow us to clarify energy loss amounts in a locomotive traction drive when calculating its traction and braking characteristics. Data on the limits, allowed in exploitation, of active resistance change for TED serviceable chains may be used for operative diagnostics of locomotive power circuit.

Neoplasms of the pineal region include an extensive list of pathological formations, which represent one of the most difficult areas for surgical treatment. The resolution of hydrocephalus in pineal tumors is one of the most important tasks in the treatment of tumors of this localization. In the presented work, we report on an alternative surgical strategy for the management of certain patients with pineal neoplasms, which allows treating the symptomatic manifestation of hydrocephalus by endoscopic third ventriculostomy and further conducting specific therapy or observing pathological formation in the pineal region and the posterior parts of the third ventricle.

Aim. To analyze the results of liver resection for neoplasms of hepatico-caval confluence without hepatic vein reconstruction in children.Materials and methods. From June 2017 to April 2022, surgical treatment was performed in 5 patients with tumors in hepatico-caval confluence requiring resection of the right hepatic vein and/or median hepatic vein.Results. Two children underwent VII, VIII bisegmentectomy, one of them – laparoscopically. One child underwent laparoscopically assisted IVa, VIII subsegmentectomy. Two children underwent I, IVa, VIII trisegmentectomy with atypical SII, III resection, as well as IVa, VIII, VII trisegmentectomy with I segmentectomy. The median duration of5surgery was 445 min. (315–785), the median blood loss was 400 ml (150–3000). In the postoperative period, complications developed in 2 patients (IIIa and IIIb according to Clavien-Dindo classification), no disturbance of venous outflow from the lower segments of the liver was detected. Vascular margin of R1 resection was obtained in case 1.Conclusion. In the majority of cases of hepatico-caval confluence tumors in children, liver resection, when carefully planned, does not require prosthetics of the right hepatic vein and/or middle hepatic vein and is not accompanied by venous outflow disturbance from the lower liver segments by means of the collaterals to the preserved hepatic veins.

The synthesis of MAX phase Ti2AlN from several mixtures of Ti, Al, TiN, and AlN powders by vacuum sintering of greensamples in the form of dense compacts, bulk powder in silica tubes, and plain layer in a closed rectangular molybdenum boat was studied upon variation in charge composition and sintering temperature Ts. The sintering of 2 : 1 Ti–AlN mixture was carried out at 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, and 1500 °С with exposure time of 60 min. The largest MAX phase content (94 wt.%) was reached at Ts = 1400 °С. The sintering of 1 : 1 TiAl : TiN composition at the same temperature gave 93 wt.% Ti2AlN. The best result (singlephase Ti2AlN in a 100-% yield) was achieved upon the sintering of 1 : 1 : 1 Ti–Al–TiN composition at Ts = 1400 °С. The scalability of our process was checked by the fabrication of a large (0.5 kg) and uniform cake of single-phase Ti2AlN. In experiments we used green samples with shielded lateral surface (bulk powder in silica tubes, plain layer in a closed molybdenum boat) and without shield (dense compacts). It has been shown that shielding of Ti–Al–TiN samples restricts the escape of Al vapor from a sintered mixture, thus providing more favorable conditions for the synthesis of single-phase Ti2AlN. Our process can be readily recommended for practical implementation.

This research focuses on the professional development of teachers in rural areas based on digital literacy. It aims to measure the existing digital literacy and competence of rural teachers in Indonesia, Russia, and the Middle East and to assess the extent of digital literacy training provided to rural teachers for their professional development in these regions. In pursuit of this objective, a quantitative research method was incorporated into the study. The survey was conducted specifically for the research, and SPSS was used for statistical analysis. The report reflected the challenges that digitalization faces in rural areas and the differences in the provision of digital literacy training in Indonesia, Russia, and the Middle East. Various limitations are identified as hampering the integration of digital literacy in underdeveloped areas, such as the lack of proper digital infrastructure. However, the situation was found to be somewhat better in the case of Russia, with the teachers reporting the provision of adequate hardware and infrastructure, which were lacking in the cases of Indonesia and the Middle East. The same pattern was found in the case of the provision of digital literacy training opportunities in Indonesia and the Middle East, which lag behind Russia. All in all, it is imperative to develop introductory courses for using the internet and their general application for teachers in rural areas. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-06-019 Full Text: PDF

The paper considers the effect of dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) on the processes of free radical lipid peroxidation, which make a significant contribution to the development of many pathological conditions. These processes damage lipids and other macromolecules, and, in addition, the end products of lipid peroxidation are mutagens and carcinogens. The search for new antioxidant compounds capable of inhibiting lipid peroxidation has a fairly long history, but there are still many questions, including those related to potential clinical applications. In the framework of this work, data were obtained that allow expanding and supplementing the idea of DNIC as significant antioxidant agents. With the use of EPR spectroscopy and spectrophotometry, it was shown that dinitrosyl iron complexes are able to inhibit lipid peroxidation in model systems with tert-butyl hydroperoxide and cytochrome C, as well as in experiments with low-density lipoproteins during their oxidation with copper ions. Presumably, DNIC can be used as a therapeutic agent that prevents or reduces lipid damage and the accumulation of toxic end products of lipid peroxidation.

Dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) are important metabolites of nitric oxide (NO) with a wide range of biological activity. The properties of these complexes are determined not only by NO-ligands, but also by other components included in their composition. Using EPR spectroscopy, it was shown that iron in the DNICs can be bound to carnosine, L-ergothioneine and ADP. New variants of DNICs are formed with the participation of a nitroxyl anion, which is a product of one-electron reduction of NO. In model systems, DNICs associated with carnosine and ergothioneine reduce the level of various free radicals. These DNICs intercept the superoxide anion radical, which is a precursor to other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. At the same time, carnosine-bound DNICs reduce the concentration of organic free radicals in a system containing a nitroxyl anion, iron ions and tert-butyl hydroperoxide. On the other hand, DNICs associated with ergothioneine and ADP may play an important role in the protection of mitochondria. It has been suggested that the new DNICs may be components of antioxidant systems localized in various tissues of the body, as well as redox triggers regulating the cellular response to oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of applying active thermal protection by diving specialists based on electric heating to ensure thermal comfort as a part of a series of measures to prevent occupational diseases while performing underwater works under low ambient temperature.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The test evaluated the time spent by divers in the water maintaining thermal comfort without active heating and using the system of electric heating. The diver’s thermal comfort was estimated according to subjective sensations. The test was held using the diving equipment SLVI-71, SSP-М, SN-21, GVS ХС1200, SVG-200, SVC «Amphora», SVU-5/1, SVU-3 with АВМ-12к, at depth from 2 m to120 m, at a water temperature from +1° С to +16° С.RESULTS: The test determined the compatibility of the electric heating developed system for divers with components of special diving equipment of the above types; showed the necessity of applying the elements of hands and feet’s warming as a part of the heating system; proved the positive impact of the heating system on divers in the period of maintaining thermal comfort while performing diving works, including different levels of heating power.DISCUSSION: Diver’s hypothermia predisposes to oxygen starvation, contributes to the emergence of decompression sickness, oxygen and carbon dioxide poisoning. The average time of providing divers thermal comfort by using FEC at a water temperature from +1° С to +4° С exceeds 3,5–4,6 times the period of the diver’s staying in the water without using active heating. Using elements of hands and feet’s warming in the electric heating suit provides decrease in appearance of primary hypothermia signs of the extremities, contributing to the maintenance of the diver’s optimum heat sensation for a long time. Applying electric heating system significantly reduces the risk of hypothermia while performing diving works under low ambient temperatures and helps to prevent occupational diseases, directly or indirectly related to the impact of low ambient temperatures on the body.CONCLUSION: The application of electric heating system for divers significantly reduces the risk of hypothermia while performing diving works under low ambient temperatures, enables to increase allowable time in water in the diving suit 3,5–4,6 times and helps to prevent occupational diseases, directly or indirectly related to the impact of low ambient temperatures on the body.

Highlights. Mechanical thrombectomy is the “gold standard” treatment of patients with large-vessel occlusions. Five randomized trials conducted in 2015 made a significant contribution to the development and introduction of mechanical thrombectomy into clinical practice. The DAWN and DEFUSE-3 trials have provided new insights into the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke and ensured the advancement in the therapeutic field.Abstract. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. The general strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke is aimed at restoring blood flow to the ischemic regions of the brain. Intravenous thrombolysis has been the treatment for acute ischemic stroke since 1996. However, since 2015, as a result of 5 randomized trials, endovascular mechanical thrombectomy has become the gold standard for the treatment of patients with large cerebral artery occlusion. The DAWN and DEFUSE 3 trials have provided new insights into the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke, shifting the paradigm from “time = brain” to “collaterals = brain”. In this article, the authors will consider development of endovascular devices, modern mechanical thrombectomy techniques, and directions for further research of endovascular treatment for ischemic stroke.

Previously, burials at Ryabchikov Klyuch-1 on the Kan River near Kansk were dated to the Late Middle Ages (pre-Russian period) and attributed to an autochthonous group. In 2015, two burials were discovered at the cemetery, with the remains of an adolescent girl and a child. A comprehensive analysis of the burial rite and grave goods suggests that the burials date to the 12th century. Numerous archaeological and ethnographic parallels were found. Morphologically, the girl’s cranium reveals generally eastern traits, specifically those common in Western Siberian (Uralic and Ob-Irtysh) populations. The cranium was restored, and a graphical reconstruction of the face was made. Burial practices of the 17th–19th century Middle Kan populations are described. They were Ket-speaking Kotts, Turkic-speaking Karagas, and Samoyed-speaking Kamasins. The analysis of sources suggests that the buried people were likely ancestors of the Kotts.

Economic entities of the shadow sector of the economy are considered as objects of the impact of threats to economic security. The author presented a system of threats to economic security inherent in the subjects of the shadow economy. A comprehensive classification of these threats has been carried out. The threats considered in the article should act as objects of managerial influence on the part of the subjects of ensuring the economic security of the state, whose objective function should strive to maximize the risks of economic entities in the shadow sector.

Purpose: Labor intensity reduction and equalization accuracy improvement of cylinder powers of a multi-cylinder diesel locomotive on account of application as a diagnostic parameter, characterizing cylinder power unevenness, — the energy of low-frequency band of spectrum for crankshaft instantaneous angular velocity (CIAV) signal. Methods: Methods of mathematical modeling of diesel crankshaft instantaneous angular velocity, mathematical modeling of diesel engine working process, digital signal processing, spectral analysis, differential calculus and multidimensional non-differentiable function optimization are used in the work. Results: Method for equalization of cylinder powers of a multi-cylinder diesel locomotive that’s based on a continuous monitoring of the spectrum of crankshaft instantaneous angular velocity signal is proposed and justified. Energy of low-frequency band of the signal spectrum of CIAV can be used as a diagnostic parameter, characterizing cylinder load unevenness. The parameter value minimization by means of sequential correction of cyclic fuel supply and fuel advance angle ensures the decrease in the pointed unevenness. Practical importance: The proposed method can be used when adjusting fuel equipment after the repair of a diesel engine as with electronic fuel supply control systems as well as with hydromechanical fuel equipment. The use of the given method excludes the necessity of temperature measurement for exhaust gases and flash pressure measurement in cylinders for fuel equipment adjustment that’s especially important for high-speed diesel engines which cylinder heads’ construction doesn’t provide for indicator cocks. In the engines equipped with electronic fuel control systems, the use of IAV signal spectrum low-frequency band energy as a diagnostic parameter makes it possible to automate fully the equalization process for cylinder load. The result of the proposed method application will be the reduction in the duration and labor intensity of diesel locomotives rheostat tests as well as the rise in diesel locomotives reliability and efficiency at the expense of uniform loading of diesel cylinders.

The relevance of the hygienic assessment of the pollution of the territory of residence is determined by the influence of air pollution on human health. The considered method of generalized assessment allows not only to quantify the pollution of the territory, but also to calculate the share values of the analyzed pollutants, which is important for the formation of priorities for decisions to reduce the pollution of the territory. The proposed method is considered on the example of a specific calculation of the proportion of samples of priority pollutants in excess of the maximum allowable values in the atmospheric air.

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and laboratory data of 101 patients (61 boys, 40 girls) diagnosed with PFAPA syndrome. The age of onset of PFAPA syndrome ranged from 8 to 36 months (the median age of onset was 18 months). The study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee and the Scientific Council of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology of Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation. In most cases, clinical manifestations included recurrent fevers, acute tonsillitis (in 84% of cases, the tonsils were covered with a whitish coating), and cervical lymphadenitis. More rarely, the patients had diarrhea, vomiting, myalgia, arthralgia, and rash. All of the patients met the criteria proposed by G.S. Marshall. Our management strategies for patients with PFAPA syndrome include symptomatic treatment with antipyretics, short-term glucocorticosteroid therapy, and tonsillectomy. The majority of patients have complete resolution of PFAPA symptoms by the age of 7 regardless of the type of therapy.

This paper aims to explore the contributions of research that include gender perspective in analysing the sexual experiences of women diagnosed with serious mental illness and to identify any barriers and systems that impede sexual fulfilment. We have developed a qualitative literature review using the PRISMA statement. The databases SCOPUS, WOS and PsychINFO were used in this review. Studies were included if they were published up to March 15, 2022, and only studies in English were included. An initial database search was preformed; upon screening for eligibility, there remained 16 studies that explored the sexual experiences of women with diagnoses of serious mental illness. The studies were analysed by a thematic synthesis. Data was coded line-by-line which generated descriptive themes, resulting in four synthesised findings. The four synthesised findings that derived from the reviewed studies were stigma and subjectivity, the experience of interpersonal relationships, the socialisation of women and the effects of psychiatric hegemony. A feminist perspective highlights the interrelationship between gender and stigma as it relates to serious mental illness and sexuality. A feminist perspective and an intersectional approach should be adopted at the intersubjective and structural level to account for the complexity of human experience and to subvert the heteropatriarchal system.

The purpose of this work is an attempt to determine the role of the Eurasian factor in the civilizational choice of Russia. This scientific problem is considered by the author in two sections: philosophical-historical, involving an appeal to the ideological heritage of the Eurasians, and philosophical-political, allowing to assess the significance and prospects of the Eurasian vector as one of the key directions of Russia's foreign policy. The article defines the relevance of Eurasian integration for Russia, provides the provisions of the Eurasians that support the integration process. The prospects of Russia's Eurasian civilizational choice are examined both from a cultural and historical point of view and from the perspective of current geopolitical realities. The collapse of the Soviet Union is assessed as a natural stage of historical development necessary for liberation from the borrowed communist idea and for the formation of a pyramidal identity structure that requires the actualization of the national identity of peoples. One of the elements of this structure is a "supranational" identity, the formation of which is possible within the framework of the implementation of the Eurasian project. The consequence of the implementation of such a project may be the satisfaction of the public need for a new consolidating national idea, as well as the satisfaction of the demand for great power inherent in Eurasian psychology. In conclusion, it is concluded that the formation of the Eurasian Union is necessary from the point of view of national security in conditions of shifting the line of the civilizational fault to the borders of Russia.