Search

This article addresses the role of small states in addressing security issues in Central Europe. Through an examination of the development of the Rapacki Plan, the authors trace the distinctive features of the national interests of small states in both Western and Eastern Europe. These interests were oriented towards the advancement of European integration, the resolution of the German question, and the mitigation of political and economic dependence on the USSR. Special attention is given to the Federal Republic of Germany’s (FRG) membership in NATO and the roles played by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other alliance members in attempts to address European security issues at the level of small states. Although the Rapacki Plan was never fully realized, its objectives were partially achieved. First, the arming of the FRG with American nuclear weapons and the deployment of American intermediate-range missiles on its territory were prevented; second, economic cooperation expanded, initiating the erosion of the “Iron Curtain”; third, a “universal idea of nuclear-free zones” emerged; and fourth, concrete steps were taken to prevent nuclear war.

Abstract Entanglement and coherence are fundamental properties of quantum systems, promising to power near-future quantum technologies, such as quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum metrology. Yet, their quantification, rather than mere detection, generally requires reconstructing the spectrum of quantum states, i.e., experimentally challenging measurement sets that increase exponentially with the system size. Here, we demonstrate quantitative bounds to operationally useful entanglement and coherence that are universally valid, analytically computable, and experimentally friendly. Specifically, our main theoretical results are lower and upper bounds to the coherent information and the relative entropy of coherence in terms of local and global purities of quantum states. To validate our proposal, we experimentally implement two purity detection methods in an optical system: shadow estimation with random measurements and collective measurements on pairs of state copies. The experiment shows that both the coherent information and the relative entropy of coherence of pure and mixed unknown quantum states can be bounded by purity functions. Our research offers an efficient means of verifying large-scale quantum information processing.

The fulfillment of the key function of criminal proceedings – the resolution of the case on the merits – is impossible without criminal procedural knowledge of all the circumstances of the crime committed. The foundation of this activity is criminal procedure and evidence, which is a very complex, multi-level system. The foundation of such a system is evidence. At present, there are serious contradictions in how the sources of evidentiary information, evidence of practice, and proof are interrelated. Collection, verification, evaluation and presentation of evidence, both in theory and in practice, often give rise to non-legal, unfair and unjustified criminal procedural decisions in pre-trial proceedings and in court. Despite the plethora if views on the theory of evidence, the lack of consistency in investigative and judicial practice with regard to the evidence suggests that at present there are a large number of unresolved problems in this field as well as on the legislative level. In this regard, it seems necessary to conduct a study on the historical and legal aspects of the institute of evidence and proof in domestic legislation in order to identify the prerequisites of its origin and patterns of development. The conducted research has theoretical and practical significance. First, it contributes to the development of the topic under discussion. Second, the identified regularities allow us to use them to develop recommendations on improving the current criminal procedural legislation. The author concludes that with lapse of time, the concept of evidence has changed: from a means of substantiating guilt in “evidence-argument” terms to an element of the system of evidence including source, content and procedural form. In addition, the criteria for analyzing the development of evidence law have been formulated.

With the rapid expansion of the vehicular cybersecurity (VCS) market and the increasing sophistication of cyberthreats, developing an adaptive intra-vehicular intrusion detection system (IDS) is crucial. This paper introduces GenCoder, a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-based IDS that uniquely addresses the dynamic and evolving nature of vehicular cyberthreats. GenCoder combines a five-layer deep neural network (DNN) with a variational autoencoder (VAE), overseen by a novel communication layer known as the GenCoder layer. This system dynamically adapts to new intrusion patterns by generating and utilizing new training data when deviations from known patterns are detected. The generated samples have a Shannon entropy (SE) value of 1.65 bits for four classes, indicating standard variety among the synthetic data. GenCoder demonstrates exceptional adaptability, pushing the accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score from 84.79%, 83.58%, 83.70%, and 83.64% to 92.19%, 90.12%, 90.44%, and 90.28%, respectively, after introducing 50% feature deformation to testing data. The novel concept of an adaptive intra-vehicular IDS, the innovative GenCoder layer that establishes seamless communication among the DNN, the VAE, and the dataset, as well as the unique assessment strategies of adaptability make this research exceptional with the potential to create a new dimension in automotive IDS research.

The paper considers the photometric characteristics of LED retrofit lamps produced by the Russian-Chinese company Uniel: Uniel LED-G45-6W/4000K, Uniel LED-A60-8W/6500K, and Uniel LED-A60-9W/4000K, designed to replace traditional incandescent bulbs. During the research, comprehensive measurements of photometric parameters (luminous flux, power consumption, color temperature, color rendering index, ripple factor, power factor) have been carried out and the luminous efficacy has been calculated. The results of the measurements have been presented in relation to the supply voltage. Based on the data obtained, an analysis is carried out of the compliance of the initial measured characteristics of the lamps with the values declared by the manufacturer. The analysis of the emission spectra leads to the conclusion that the Uniel LED-A60-8W/6500K lamps are equipped with white light-emitting diodes, the spectrum of which consists of a blue emission band from the semiconductor crystal with a maximum at ~450 nm and a phosphor band with a maximum at ~560 nm, which converts some of the blue emission from the crystal into long-wavelength spectrum. The emission spectra of the Uniel LED-G45-6W/4000K and Uniel LED-A60-9W/4000K lamps, in addition to the blue emission band from the semiconductor crystal with a maximum at ~450 nm, contain emissions from two phosphors, the bands of which have maxima at ~560 nm (green) and ~630 nm (red), which results in a lower color temperature of the LEDs. The paper also provides a detailed analysis of the light power distribution curves, thermal operating conditions, and structural features of the lamps. The research results lead to the conclusion that it is advisable to recommend Uniel LED-G45-6W/4000K and Uniel LED-A60-9W/4000K lamps for use as light sources to replace traditional incandescent lamps because their photometric characteristics comply with the declared parameters and permissible deviations specified in the regulatory standards.

Sustainable and rational use of forest resources in the context of the transition of the forest industry of Ukraine to European standards and market principles of management requires the systematic development of appropriate regulatory and information support for the assessment of wood resources of the country's main forest-forming species. At the same time, the information about the size and quality structure of the stock of stands to be felled is, perhaps, of the utmost importance in the planning of forestry production activities. The implementation of this task requires an up-to-date assessment of the stocks of timber stands according to the main mensurational characteristics, which was carried out within the scope of the presented work. The analysis of the structure of the main mensurational indicators of stands of black alder in the Ukrainian Polissia is given according to the data of the database of the PU "Ukrderzhlisproekt" as of 1 January2011. One of the valuable tree species that occupies a specific ecological niche in the forests of Ukraine is the sticky (black) alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth). It is the main forest-forming tree species in humid and wet places, because its stands perform an important water protection function - water-regulating and landscape-forming function. This species is widespread almost throughout the entire territory of Ukraine, especially in the northern Polissia of Ukraine. Due to its biological and ecological properties (fast growth, intensive synthesis of organic matter, oxygen productivity), the alder is an extremely valuable tree species in the implementation of solutions to a number of environmental problems of the region. The areas of black alder stands are localized in the western and northwestern part of Ukrainian Polissia (78.0%), with the greatest distribution in Volyn region (36.1%), which is due to the soil and climatic conditions of the area. The resource potential of exploitable stands and its components within the forest fund of the administrative regions of the study zone were analyzed. At the same time, it was found that the age structure of the stands is in the range of 43-50 years, which indicates a sufficient potential for marketable wood of black alder with an average wood supply from 152 m3·ha-1 in Rivne region to 189 m3·ha-1 in Kyiv region. The studied category of stands is characterized by average relative densities (0.70) and fairly high site indices (I.8). The age structure of the region's forests is uneven with a significant predominance of mid-aged stands. More than 80.0% of the stands are of vegetative origin. The seed origin of black alder stands in the study region, both natural and artificial, does not exceed 20.0% in total. The largest numbers of black alder crops were created in Chernihiv region (15.7%), and the smallest - in Kyiv region (3.7%). Black alder stands grow in almost all types of forest growth conditions of the Ukrainian Polissia, dominating, however, in fairly fertile hornbeam site type (87.6%), of which 77.6% are in wet hygrotops. The researched category of plantations makes up a significant share of the forest resource potential of the forest fund of Ukraine and requires the development of modern normative and informational support for the assessment of quantitative and qualitative parameters of trees and stands.

Assessment of practical quantum information processing (QIP) remains partial without understanding limits imposed by noise. Unfortunately, mere description of noise grows exponentially with system size, becoming cumbersome even for modest sized systems of imminent practical interest. We fulfill the need for estimates on performing noisy quantum state preparation, verification, and observation. To do the estimation we propose fast numerical algorithms to maximize the expectation value of any $d$-dimensional observable over states of bounded purity. This bound on purity factors in noise in a measurable way. Our fastest algorithm takes $O(d)$ steps if the eigendecomposition of the observable is known, otherwise takes $O(d^3)$ steps at worst. The algorithms also solve maximum likelihood estimation for quantum state tomography with convex and even non-convex purity constraints. Numerics show performance of our key sub-routine (it finds in linear time a probability vector with bounded norm that most overlaps with a fixed vector) can be several orders of magnitude faster than a common state-of-the-art convex optimization solver. Our work fosters a practical way forward to asses limitations on QIP imposed by quantum noise. Along the way, we also give a simple but fundamental insight, noisy systems (equivalently noisy Hamiltonians) always give higher ground-state energy than their noiseless counterparts.

Carl Schmitt’s well-known declaration that “all significant” modern political concepts are “secularized theological concepts” has sometimes been treated as hyperbole: a metaphorical axe aimed at the frozen sea of legal positivism, a provocation rather than a thesis. In this article, I demonstrate the fecundity of this thesis by applying it to secularism, a concept undeniably central to the Liberal state; crucially, however, I do so in the context of early modern South Asian history and ongoing debates over the secularism of premodern Mughal polity. As I argue, Jalāl ud-Dīn Akbar (1542–1605 CE) – a monarch of the Mughal dynasty often cast by South Asian secularists as a precocious emblem of the neutral state – was, in fact, an ideal type of Schmittian sovereign, who nonetheless stands equidistant from both Schmitt and his Liberal opponents in his stance toward religious pluralism. The theological correlate to Akbar’s “secularism” was an Islamicate theology of religions, which provided a contentful religious justification for religious pluralism, very different from contemporary “post-metaphysical” arguments. The final section of the article takes a critical turn, as I examine Akbar’s legendary reputation in the present, my intervention into his “secular” mythos, and the special difficulties involved in applying Schmittian concepts to an early modern, non-Western sacred king.

Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a significant decrease in the activity or absence of the enzyme α-galactosidase A. The diagnostics of Fabry disease during newborn screening are reasonable, due to the availability of enzyme replacement therapy. This paper presents an electrochemical method using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible ion-sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) with hafnium oxide-sensitive surfaces for the detection of α-galactosidase A activity in dried blood spot extracts. The capability of ISFETs to detect the reaction catalyzed by α-galactosidase A was demonstrated. The buffer composition was optimized to provide suitable conditions for both enzyme and ISFET performance. The use of ISFET structures as sensor elements allowed for the label-free detection of enzymatic reactions with melibiose, a natural substrate of α-galactosidase A, instead of a synthetic fluorogenic one. ISFET chips were packaged with printed circuit boards and microfluidic reaction chambers to enable long-term signal measurement using a custom device. The packaged sensors were demonstrated to discriminate between normal and inhibited GLA activity in dried blood spots extracts. The described method offers a promising solution for increasing the widespread distribution of newborn screening of Fabry disease.

The paper considers the efficiency and possibility of implementing into the operational practice of VVER-1000 power units the campaign extension mode at the sliding pressure of the second circuit. The history of research of Russian nuclear scientists in terms of extending the campaign of VVER reactors is considered. It is shown that reducing the pressure of fresh steam within the permissible limits will release additional reactivity due to the release of the temperature effect and generate additional energy during the operation of the unit on the power effect. A mathematical model of changes in the main parameters of the reactor plant has been compiled, including the reactivity balance equations, the Stodola-Flugel equation for the turbine, the equations of thermal balance and heat transfer in the steam generator. The calculation of the expected increase in electricity generation for modern fuel loads of VVER-1000 reactors has been performed. The degree of compliance of the proposed regime with the current technological limitations of the VVER-1000 «large series» power unit is analyzed. The results of the analysis were confirmed by numerical experiment on a multifunctional mode analyzer of the VVER-1000 reactor unit developed by the MEPhI Research Institute, built on the basis of the ENIKAD medium and the certified diffusion neutron-physical code PROSTOR. Conclusions are drawn about the possibility of introducing the proposed regime into the operational practice of modern VVER-1000 power units.

Introduction Cardiogenic shock (CS) complicates 5%–15% of cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with inpatient mortality greater than 40%. The implementation of standardised protocols may improve clinical outcomes in patients with AMI-CS.Methods and analysis The Durango model is a prospective single-centre registry designed to enable early identification of patients with STEMI-CS to facilitate primary reperfusion therapy with a shock team management algorithm in a rural level II heart attack centre. This prospective registry includes all patients >18 years of age presenting with STEMI with or without CS beginning on 1 February 2023. The primary outcome measures are adherence to model-based documentation of SCAI shock Classification prehospital and in the ED with appropriate STEMI shock alert for AMI and stages C, D, E shock; use of mechanical circulatory support Pre-PCI and door to support time

Introduction. The article considers some aspects of the national-state building of the Finno-Ugric peoples in the USSR. It highlights the ways of realization of the policy of the Soviet power in this matter. Its positive achievements, as well as contradictions and omissions in the implementation process are represented. The research aims at giving the complex analysis and the objective assessment of the national-state building processes of the Finno-Ugric peoples in the USSR. Materials and Methods. The article summarized legislative documents and materials contained in the works of Soviet and contemporary authors on this problem. Such methods of research as comparative, historical, genetic, legal, descriptive, logical were used to achieve the goal. It also employed the method of actualization which allowed to connect the development of modern processes with the historical experience of the past. Results and Discussion. The research traced the dynamics and certain tendencies of the realization of the national policy towards the Finno-Ugric peoples in the USSR. The analysis of the national-state building processes among them allowed concluding about the significance of the Soviet stage in their development, despite some contradictions, mistakes and omissions in the actions of the Soviet leadership. Underestimation of the national problems of the ethnic groups within the USSR, along with many other unsolved problems in the economy, politics, spiritual and social spheres, accumulated in the State, eventually led to its collapse, which led to problems in geopolitics. Conclusion. Considering all aspects of nation-state building in the USSR made it possible to conclude on the significance and value of creating national administrative-territorial formations among Finno-Ugric peoples, whose continuations are the present-day national subjects of the Russian Federation. The conclusion was made that the established foundations of the nation-state structure of the Russian Federation should be preserved as an important factor in the preservation and development of Finno-Ugric peoples.

Degenerative diseases significantly reduce the quality of human life. Non-invasive treatments are used in the initial stages of osteoarthritis (OA). Total knee arthroplasty is used in the late stages of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Non-invasive methods based on mechanical action are also used for the rehabilitation of a patient after arthroplasty. This paper presents numerical models of the knee joint with degenerative OA changes and arthroplasty. Using these models, a computational study was made of the influence of the intensity of shock-wave exposure on the conditioning for the regeneration of bone and cartilage tissues. Based on the modeling results, it was found that in the knee joint with degenerative OA changes, conditions for the regeneration of cartilage and meniscus tissues were fulfilled under medium and high-intensity loading. Under high-intensity loading (up to 0.9 mJ/mm2), the stress level was significantly below the ultimate value required for fracture. At knee arthroplasty, the conditions for bone tissue regeneration around the tibia component are fulfilled only under high-intensity loading.

A new quantification method is proposed for the determination of serum estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3) based on high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with differential ion mobility separation (SelexION Technology). This approach allows determining analytes with limits of detection of 4.5, 18 and 45 fg on column for E1, E2, and E3, respectively. The lowest limits of quantification are 0.1, 0.5, and 0.5 pg mL.sup.-1 in serum for E1, E2, and E3, respectively. The suitability of proposed method for diagnostic purposes is demonstrated in an analysis of serum from 114 patients of different genders and ages., Author(s): V. A. Ioutsi [sup.1] , Yu. M. Panov [sup.1] , L. O. Usol'tseva [sup.1] , E. S. Smolin [sup.1] , M. A. Antsupova [sup.1] , P. Yu. Volchkov [sup.1] [...]

Y-box-binding proteins (YB proteins) are multifunctional DNA- and RNA-binding proteins that play an important role in the regulation of gene expression. The high homology of their cold shock domains and the similarity between their long, unstructured C-terminal domains suggest that Y-box-binding proteins may have similar functions in a cell. Here, we consider the functional interchangeability of the somatic YB proteins YB-1 and YB-3. RNA-seq and Ribo-seq are used to track changes in the mRNA abundance or mRNA translation in HEK293T cells solely expressing YB-1, YB-3, or neither of them. We show that YB proteins have a dual effect on translation. Although the expression of YB proteins stimulates global translation, YB-1 and YB-3 inhibit the translation of their direct CLIP-identified mRNA targets. The impact of YB-1 and YB-3 on the translation of their mRNA targets is similar, which suggests that they can substitute each other in inhibiting the translation of their mRNA targets in HEK293T cells.

The condition of pine stands in Polissia is deteriorating due to an increase in the number of outbreaks of sharp-dentated bark beetle (Ips acuminatus) against the background of climate change, therefore, the relevance of this problem is beyond doubt. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the dynamics of late and early Scots pine wood (Pinus Sylvestris L.) in areas with varying degrees of illumination after continuous cutting in the foci of the sharp-dentated bark beetle (Ips acuminatus) in Polissia. Standard dendrochronological, dendroclimatic, and statistical methods are used. It is established that after continuous logging in 2013 in the adjacent areas, on the one hand, there was an increase in the radial growth of pine trees, because the nutrition areas increased and the lighting conditions of trees improved, and on the other hand, trees growing next to the logging area are weakened and have fragile cores, which indicates a loss of wood quality. After cutting, during 2014-2020, the average values of late pine trees of illuminated time trial areas compared to the corresponding values in the control were 43-45%. For early wood, these values ranged from 38-42%. The growth change indices showed, that after the 2013 logging, violations occurred for trees in illuminated temporary trial areas as opposed to the control. The most sensitive to climatic factors were tree-ring chronologies of late wood in the most illuminated trial area. An increase in the sensitivity of the radial growth of pine trees was found depending on the increase in the degree of illumination. The weakening of plantings in the most illuminated area is indicated by the fact that the greatest number of significant relationships between growth and climate were found for the tree-ring chronology of early and late wood, while there was no critical decrease in trends in late and early wood layers. The findings can be used for planning forest management activities

The objective: choosing the optimal method of epidural analgesia combined with general anesthesia for typical laparoscopic colorectal surgeries by comparing three different options for its implementation.Subjects and Methods. 90 patients aged 60 to 85 years were examined, they all underwent planned laparoscopic interventions for colorectal cancer under combined anesthesia (general + epidural anesthesia). Depending on the method of administration of ropivacaine to achieve an epidural block, they were randomized into three groups. In Group 1, it was administered at a concentration of 0.25% in the form of a continuous infusion at a rate of 8 ml/h during the first hour, then 6 ml/ h until the end of the operation. In Group 2, its concentration was increased to 0.375%, the rate of continuous infusion was 8 ml/ h in the first hour, then 6 ml/h. Patients of Group 3 first received ropivacaine as a bolus before the induction of general anesthesia (0.375% – 8 ml over 5 min), then continued administration continuously but at a concentration of 0.25% at a rate of 6 ml/h. Endpoints for hemodynamic assessment: upon admission to the operating room, after induction of anesthesia, after application of carboxyperitoneum, after 1 hour of laparoscopic stage, after elimination of carboxyperitoneum, after extubation, and 1 hour after transfer to the ICU. The total dose of fentanyl was recorded. The assessment of the sensory block was performed using a cold test, the severity of the pain syndrome ‒ on a visual-analog scale (10 points), the density of the block ‒ on an ordinal scale, its upper and lower levels were noted. The motor block was evaluated using a modified Bromage scale.Results. The doses of fentanyl, rocuronium and the consumption of desflurane during general anesthesia, the values of the BIS index and the time of awakening of patients in all groups did not differ. The average doses of ropivacaine in the groups were different. The total volume of ropivacaine solution was the largest in Group 3, there were no significant differences in the volume of the injected local anesthetic between Group 1 and Group 2. The number of patients who needed vasopressor support with norepinephrine during anesthesia in Group 1 was less versus Groups 2 and 3. The maximum intraoperative dose of norepinephrine and duration of its use were also lower in Group 1. When applying carboxyperitoneum, the most pronounced decrease in hemodynamic parameters was revealed in patients of Group 3. At the 4th stage of the study, after 1 hour of the laparoscopic stage, hemodynamic parameters were higher in patients of Group 1. There were no significant differences in pain intensity between the groups after surgery.At the same time, the level of motor block was significantly higher in patients of Group 2, while in Groups 1 and 3, motor block did not develop in most of the patients.Conclusion: The optimal method of epidural analgesia in typical laparoscopic colorectal operations is the use of 0.25% ropivacaine concentration as a continuous infusion only due to ensuring an acceptable level of analgesia, adequate distribution of the sensory block, the minimum degree of motor block, as well as the least negative effect on hemodynamic parameters which reduces the volume of infusion therapy and doses of vasopressors.