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PurposeTumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome of abnormal phosphate and vitamin D metabolism caused by typically small endocrine tumors that secrete fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). TIO is characterized clinically by progressive musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, proximal muscle weakness, and multiple fractures, leading to long-term disability. Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis are common because of the nonspecific symptoms, and several years may elapse before patients receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Thus, it is vital that awareness of the appropriate recognition and management of TIO is increased among healthcare professionals who may encounter patients with suspected TIO.MethodsA roundtable meeting was held on 10 January 2020 in Dallas, TX, USA, to gather perspectives on the diagnosis and treatment of TIO. The following topics were considered: clinical presentation, patient history, differential diagnosis, laboratory assessment, imaging, venous sampling, and treatment.ResultsThis report provides a summary of our collective experiences in the management of TIO.Main conclusionsLaboratory tests are mandatory to expedite TIO diagnosis and should include measurement of fasting serum phosphorus, renal phosphate reabsorption, serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and serum FGF23 levels. Functional and anatomical imaging are essential to locate the FGF23-secreting tumor(s) causing TIO. Surgical resection is often a curative treatment when the tumor can be localized; however, better management of patients who cannot be operated on with targeted therapies is needed. Further efforts to increase awareness of TIO within the medical community, and education on recommended diagnostic and treatment pathways are required to improve the management of this debilitating disease.

The authors of the article analyze Stendhal’s novel “The Red and the Black” from the standpoint of intertextuality. The main attention is focused on the paratextuality of the work, that is, on the relationship of the text with the titles, epigraphs, preface and afterword – its frame. The novel has all the elements of a framework: a title complex, a framework text, a division into chapters, parts. The text is structurally divided into two parts and chapters (2 and 75 respectively). The element of the framework is the content at the end of the text (both in the original and in various translations). The authors of the article note that the content is used by Stendhal with a traditional purpose. The elements of the framework text in the novel are "Preface" – "To the reader" (explanation about the time of publication and writing of the work) and "Afterword" – section L, the author's notes related to artistic fiction. It is the "Afterword" that is connected with the genre subtitle of the novel and the main Epigraph, they form the additional frame of the text. The authors pay special attention to the headings – to the main one and to each chapter (71 of 75 chapters are titled). The names of the chapters in Stendhal's novel "The Red and the Black" are diverse in terms of substantive and factual information: they indicate the characters of the work, convey chronotopic information, name the theme, concentrate the main idea of the work, present the plot of the work or name one culminating event, express the author's assessment of the work and its characters, etc. The headingss analyzed, the writer is noted to use various artistic means to nominate the chapters of the novel, which activates the reader's perception, creating a certain obstacle for understanding, and arouses interest: titles-symbols, titles-metaphors, titles-epithets. In such headings, the meaning is reinterpreted, expanded. Besides, extratextual information is used, when the essence of the heading is not only the content of the novel, but its associative connection with other aesthetic objects. In general terms, the authors analyze the epigraphs to both parts of the novel, 71 chapters, and explain the writer's use of "own" and "other people's" quotations in the inscriptions before the text, their linguistic design and functions.

Geoheritage requires proper conservation and has significant importance for geoscience education at universities. Furthermore, its related potential needs to be evaluated. This study focuses on two textbook localities (these are parts of larger geosites) from the Cenozoic orogenic belts, namely the Zagros and the Greater Caucasus. The novel, tentatively proposed approach aims at general geological characteristics of the localities, identification of the principal teaching topics and teaching opportunities, and semi-quantitative evaluation of the educational potential on the basis of several objective criteria. The Abmorghan anticline (Zagros, Iran) is suitable for learning about the regional Paleogene stratigraphy, carbonate platform evolution, and karst. The locality of the Skala monocline (Greater Caucasus, Russia) allows the deposition in past tropical conditions and monocline structures to be explained. Both localities can be used for training student skills and challenging their geological thinking. The semi-quantitative evaluation shows that the geoeducational potential of the Abmorghan anticline is advanced and that of the Skala monocline is moderate. The established potential can be exploited by universities, although this requires focusing attention on the other geoheritage sites and special marketing efforts.

Reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in healthcare settings is key to improving health outcomes. Using a one-group pre- and post-test design, we tested the efficacy of a theory-informed, multi-level pilot intervention (“Harmony”) among 98 healthcare workers (HCWs) to reduce sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)-related stigma and discrimination faced by MSM and TGW in two public hospitals. The intervention contained group-level (a half-day workshop) and individual-level (four videos) components. Using multi-level modelling, we compared knowledge, attitudes, and comfort level among HCWs across three timepoints: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up (2 months after the intervention). Client surveys were conducted among 400 MSM/TGW (two independent samples of 200 MSM/TGW) attending the intervention hospitals, before the intervention among HCWs and three months after the intervention. Generalised estimating equations assessed service users’ satisfaction with hospital services, discrimination experiences, and positive interactions with HCWs. Significant changes were observed in primary outcomes: 30% increase in positive attitude scores (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.30, 95% CI 1.13–1.49) and 23% increase in the proportion of HCWs reporting being comfortable in providing care to MSM/TGW (IRR = 1.23, 95% CI 0.03–1.68). Similarly, there was a significant improvement in secondary outcomes (scores): support for non-discriminatory hospital policies (IRR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.004–1.15), the importance of asking SOGI questions in clinical history (IRR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.06–1.29), and perceived self-efficacy in providing clinical care (IRR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.01–1.27). Service users’ data provided corroborative evidence for intervention efficacy: e.g., 14% increase in the proportion of MSM reporting overall satisfaction with hospital services and 6% and 15% increase in the scores of positive interactions with HCWs in the combined sample of MSM/TGW and TGW, respectively. The Harmony intervention showed preliminary evidence for improving positive attitudes, comfort level, and understanding of the healthcare issues of MSM/TGW among HCWs, warranting large-scale implementation research.

The article emphasizes the need for the formation of intellectual property competence of future specialists in the field of local history and tourism. Innovative thinking, knowledge of intellectual property objects, intellectual property legislation, effective use of intellectual property rights without infringing the rights of other authors, management and commercialization of innovative ideas are of great importance in the tourism business. The article also examines the role of intellectual property as a catalyst for the innovative development of the country and the growth of competition, especially in the perspective of foreign tourists' interest in visiting Ukraine in post-war times. The reasons due to which intellectual property affects the development of tourist work are highlighted. Examples of the use of intellectual property objects in the local history and tourism sector are given and the possibilities of using them to create new tourist products and improve the quality of services in this field, which will be used to obtain additional monetary income from tourist activity, turning it into a stimulus for economic development, are highlighted. social and cultural prosperity of the regions of Ukraine. The authors also emphasize the research of educational institutions, employers and state bodies with requests for the need to develop competence in intellectual property among future specialists in local history and tourism work and emphasize the list of challenges and perspectives related to the educational process in their preparation, which need to be solved. The need to deepen knowledge in the field of intellectual property among teachers of higher education institutions in order to teach students of various specialties, including future specialists in local history and tourism work, needs attention.

Abstract We present the study of the decay J/ψ → ρπ. The results are based on of 5.2 million J/ψ events collected by the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M collider. The branching fractions are measured to be B $$ \mathcal{B} $$ (J/ψ → ρπ) = (2.072 ± 0.017 ± 0.062) ∙ 10 −2 and B $$ \mathcal{B} $$ (J/ψ → π + π − π 0) = (1.878 ± 0.013 ± 0.051) ∙ 10 −2, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Our results are more precise than the previous relative measurements.

Abstract Background 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is the most common chromosomal interstitial-deletion disorder, occurring in approximately 1 in 2000 to 6000 live births. Affected individuals exhibit variable clinical phenotypes that can include velopharyngeal anomalies, heart defects, T-cell-related immune deficits, dysmorphic facial features, neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, early cognitive decline, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders. Developing comprehensive treatments for 22q11.2DS requires an understanding of both the psychophysiological and neural mechanisms driving clinical outcomes. Our project probes the core psychophysiological abnormalities of 22q11.2DS in parallel with molecular studies of stem cell-derived neurons to unravel the basic mechanisms and pathophysiology of 22q11.2-related psychiatric disorders, with a primary focus on psychotic disorders. Our study is guided by the central hypothesis that abnormal neural processing associates with psychophysiological processing and underlies clinical diagnosis and symptomatology. Here, we present the scientific background and justification for our study, sharing details of our study design and human data collection protocol. Methods Our study is recruiting individuals with 22q11.2DS and healthy comparison subjects between the ages of 16 and 60 years. We are employing an extensive psychophysiological assessment battery (e.g., EEG, evoked potential measures, and acoustic startle) to assess fundamental sensory detection, attention, and reactivity. To complement these unbiased measures of cognitive processing, we will develop stem-cell derived neurons and examine neuronal phenotypes relevant to neurotransmission. Clinical characterization of our 22q11.2DS and control participants relies on diagnostic and research domain criteria assessments, including standard Axis-I diagnostic and neurocognitive measures, following from the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) and the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) batteries. We are also collecting measures of autism spectrum (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms. Discussion Studying 22q11.2DS in adolescence and adulthood via deep phenotyping across multiple clinical and biological domains may significantly increase our knowledge of its core disease processes. Our manuscript describes our ongoing study’s protocol in detail. These paradigms could be adapted by clinical researchers studying 22q11.2DS, other CNV/single gene disorders, or idiopathic psychiatric syndromes, as well as by basic researchers who plan to incorporate biobehavioral outcome measures into their studies of 22q11.2DS.

Environmental sustainability encompasses various problems, including clean air, renewable energy, climate change, safe environments, and the capacity to live in a healthy community. One possible strategy for addressing these global problems is the circular bio-economy. Cleaner and lower-carbon environments may be fostered via the production of bioenergy and biomaterials, which can also help to maintain the energy-environment connection. To improve sustainability and the state of the planet, scientists are looking at renewable energy sources like ethanol. Compared to gasoline, ethanol has a reduced carbon footprint and a greater energy density, making it a viable alternative fuel. This study gives an overview of ethanol as a possible alternative fuel for flex-powered power generators in India to meet the goals of the circular bio-economy. This paper details the results of flex-fuel testing conducted on a light-duty power generator using an ethanol-gasoline mix. The findings reveal improved thermal efficiency and lower fuel consumption rates than basic fuel. The emissions of both carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons were shown to be reduced.

IntroductionIndia has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world. Despite successes in epidemic control at the population level, a concentrated epidemic persists among gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM). However, India lags in implementation of biomedical prevention technologies, such as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In order to inform scale-up of new HIV prevention technologies, including those in the development pipeline, we assessed willingness to use oral PrEP, rectal microbicides, and HIV vaccines, and choices among product characteristics, among MSM in two major Indian cities.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted with a discrete choice experiment (DCE), an established methodology for quantitively estimating end-user preferences in healthcare. Survey participants were randomly assigned to one of three questionnaire versions, each of which included a DCE for one prevention technology. Participants were recruited using chain-referral sampling by peer outreach workers, beginning with seeds in community-based organizations and public sex environments, in Chennai and Mumbai. DCE data were analyzed using random-parameters (mixed) logit (RPL) models.ResultsAmong participants (n = 600), median age was 25 years, with median monthly income of INR 9,000 (~US$125). Nearly one-third (32%) had completed a college degree and 82% were single/never married. A majority of participants (63%) reported condomless anal sex in the past month. The acceptability of all three products was universally high (≥90%). Across all three products, four attributes were significant predictors of acceptability-with efficacy consistently the most important attribute, and in decreasing order of preference, side-effects, dosing schedule, and venue. MSM varied in their preferences for product attributes in relation to their levels of education and income, and engagement in sex work and HIV risk behavior.ConclusionThis study provides empirical evidence to facilitate the integration of end users' preferences throughout design, testing, and dissemination phases of HIV prevention technologies. The findings also suggest action points and targets for interventions for diverse subgroups to support the effectiveness of combination HIV prevention among MSM in India.

In this paper, a novel method is introduced for the acquisition and transmission of critical parameters from valves used in industrial refrigeration. The parameter sensing provides local intelligence to the valve, which can be later used as a feedback signal for the controller. The hardware design includes ICS (Industrial Control Servo) valve with modifications to connect a Linear Variable Transformer (LVT) position sensor, pressure and temperature sensors. Also, a circuit board carrying the phase shift oscillator, Root Mean Square (RMS) to Direct Current (DC) converter, power supply and a dedicated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module for transmitting the collected data is designed. The transmitted data can be received in a mobile phone android application and used for a secondary data calculation, alarm notification and alerting service technician. The sensor integration along with BLE connectivity creates a novel platform for data acquisition in Industrial Refrigeration (IR). The proposed method tested in real time to regulate the Helium gas flow rate and measured valve parameters is monitored by the dedicated mobile application.

ABSTRACTCarbon nitrides, a distinguished class of metal-free catalytic materials, have presented a good potential for chemical transformations and are expected to become prominent materials for organocatalysis. This is largely possible due to their low cost, exceptional thermal and chemical stability, non-toxicity, ease of functionalization, porosity development, etc. Especially, the carbon nitrides with increased porosity and nitrogen contents are more versatile than their bulk counterparts for catalysis. These N-rich carbon nitrides are discussed in the earlier parts of the review. Later, the review highlights the role of such carbon nitride materials for the various organic catalytic reactions including Knoevenagel condensation, oxidation, hydrogenation, esterification, transesterification, cycloaddition, and hydrolysis. The recently emerging concepts in carbon nitride-based organocatalysis have been given special attention. In each of the sections, the structure–property relationship of the materials was discussed and related to their catalysis action. Relevant comparisons with other catalytic materials are also discussed to realize their real potential value. The perspective, challenges, and future directions are also discussed. The overall objective of this review is to provide up-to-date information on new developments in carbon nitride-based organic catalysis reactions that could see them rising as prominent catalytic materials in the future.

Byline: Ang. Li, Christina. Stanislaus, Daniel. Steffens, Kate. McBride, Scott. Leslie, Ruban. Thanigasalam, Michelle. Cunich Introduction: Despite recent evidence on the surgical outcomes of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), other patient centre [...]

Мета - встановити частоту та поширеність риногенних орбітальних ускладнень (РОУ) у дітей із гострим риносинуситом (ГРС) залежно від статі та віку з аналізом проведеного лікування в умовах дитячого ЛОР-відділення. Матеріали та методи. Проведено ретроспективний аналіз 61 пацієнта з РОУ при ГРС у дітей, які проходили лікування в оториноларингологічному відділенні міської дитячої лікарні № 1 м. Києва за період 2016-2020 рр. Діагноз встановлено на основі даних анамнезу, загальноклінічного обстеження, ендоскопічного дослідження та променевих методів діагностики (рентгенографії або комп’ютерної томографії придаткових пазух носа). Усім пацієнтам призначено комплексне лікування з антибіотиком парентерально та обстежено суміжними спеціалістами: офтальмологом, педіатром, неврологом або нейрохіругом, за потреби. Результати. Середній вік пацієнтів становив 5 років 2 місяці. Хлопчиків було 34 (55,7%), дівчат - 27 (44,3%). У 38 (62,3%) хворих дітей встановлено реактивний набряк повік правого ока, у 22 (36,1%) - реактивний набряк повік лівого ока, в 1 (1,6%) випадку діагностовано періостит орбіти cправа. Усім пацієнтам з РОУ на тлі ГРС призначено парентерально антибактеріальну терапію одним або двома препаратами, серед яких цефтріаксон - у 98,3% випадків, метрогіл - у 41%, макролід - у 21,3%, амоксицилін - в 1,6% випадків. Серед досліджених 3 (5%) пацієнтам виконано оперативне лікування - пункцію та дренування верхньощелепного синусу, 2 (3,7%) хворим - фронтотомію з дренуванням синусів. У 56 (91,3%) пацієнтів ефективним було комплексне консервативне лікування без хірургічного втручання. Середня тривалість перебування в стаціонарі становила 7,7 доби. Висновки. У дітей з ГРС найчастіше РОУ зустрічаються у віці від 3 до 7 років (49,2%) та проявляється у вигляді реактивного набряку повік правого ока в 62,3%, лівого - у 36,3%. Своєчасна антибіотикотерапія у хворих на ГРС дітей із РОУ дає змогу досягти ефективного результату лікування цієї патології без застосування хірургічних методів. Дослідження виконано відповідно до принципів Гельсінської декларації. Протокол дослідження ухвалено Локальним етичним комітетом зазначеної в роботі установи. На проведення досліджень отримано інформовану згоду батьків дітей. Автори заявляють про відсутність конфлікту інтересів.

Background: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a great influence on the sustainability of company development, so it can be considered a business model for business effectiveness. Objective: The objective of the research is to determine the mutual influence of real-estate companies’ activities and CSR effectiveness in different countries. This study examines indicators for assessing companies’ financial stability, CSR, and working capital management's influence on the activity effectiveness of real-estate companies. Methods/Analysis: Questionnaires, the principal component method, the Sobel test, and linear regression analysis are used to evaluate the relationship between CSR and the business performance of autocratic management-style companies. The authors’ algorithm for assessing a company’s financial stability, CSR, and capital management, which affect the efficiency of companies, is proposed. Findings: Empirical analysis has shown that management has no mediating effect on CSR and enterprise performance relationships for companies with high financial stability and working capital, though it has a stimulating effect for low financial stability companies. CSR and business performance have positive relationships in companies, but despite financial stability growing, the autocratic leadership style reduces interest in CSR development. This paper conceptualizes the impacts of CSR on the effectiveness of companies. Novelty: The novelty of this study is to create theoretical and practical provisions aimed at laws and regulations. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-03-08 Full Text: PDF

The subject matter of study in the scientific article is cases of state terrorism (ST) that were committed against civil aviation aircraft. The goal is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of acts of unlawful interference related to ST. The tasks to be solved are: to analyze cases of ST against civil aviation objects, determine patterns and factors that contribute to ST, determine potential methods of implementation of acts of ST against civil aviation in the future, and propose recommendations for countering acts of unlawful interference and promising directions for future research. The methods used are: analysis, comparison, and generalization. The following results were obtained. Because of the conducted research, we have determined a list of ST acts committed against civil aviation facilities. The main methods and means of ST were determined during the analysis of the specified cases. By comparing the ways of performing these acts of unlawful interference and the existing means and measures to prevent terrorist attacks in civil aviation, a hypothesis was put forward that potential acts of ST against civil aviation in the future will have a hybrid nature. We have considered potential sources of danger. Among such threats are some countries that, pursuing their political goals, can use some methods: recruitment of employees of airport complexes; use of portable anti-aircraft missile systems; use of weapons and other devices manufactured using technologies that will prevent their detection. Among the measures that require constant control are also: inspections regarding possible connections of employees of civil aviation facilities with terrorist states or their representatives and constant maintenance of effective communication between airline management and the department of civil aviation in order to exchange information on possible cases of terrorist attacks. Conclusions. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is as follows: cases of ST committed against civil aviation facilities were analyzed; the main danger of committing acts of ST came from dictatorial regimes trying to achieve their political goals; we have proposed a list of hybrid threats that may become the main methods of conducting acts of terrorism in the coming years; we have identified areas of research, the results of which will help to increase the level of protection of terrorist acts related to ST.

Some previous studies have already highlighted the importance of Quaternary sediments as geoheritage, although the related knowledge remains incomplete and geographically biased. Unique Quaternary features are often overlooked in areas famous for their pre-Quaternary geoheritage. Moreover, the already established high-value linked to pre-Quaternary phenomena require comprehensive descriptions; therefore, it is reasonable to analyze the related Quaternary features (even if these are only locally unique). For the purposes of the present study, three localities that form parts of larger geosites, and which represent Quaternary sediments of Mountainous Adygeya in the Western Caucasus, are characterized. They are assessed qualitatively, with a general description of sediments and attention paid to their origin, potential scientific importance, and accessibility. The Rufabgo Canyon hosts colluvial megaclast sediments. The Dakh–Sakhray Confluence exhibits typical alluvial sediment where detrital clasts are mixed with rather numerous Fe-rich concretions washed out from the parent rocks. The Stonesea Range exhibits mixed eluvial–deluvial sediment formed as a result of the karstification of carbonates and the erosion of overlaying red siliciclastics. All these sediments are of interest to scientists because they can be employed for promising research projects, revealing the peculiarities of the local patterns of Quaternary sedimentation. The localities under consideration are geoheritage points within the larger geosites and are perfectly accessible. Aside from their use by scientists, these localities can potentially be used by geosciences educators to train university students in sedimentology. In two cases, the sediments are also aesthetically important for attracting tourists. Generally, Quaternary sediments should be considered together with the other unique features represented in the geosites of Mountainous Adygeya.