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RNA conformational heterogeneity is important to diverse functions. Here, the authors use AFM to directly visualize individual RNA molecules that are in various conformational states under near physiological solution conditions for the first time.

BACKGROUND: A variety of ultrasound equipment and a lack of generally accepted classifications lead to inefficient equipment of medical organizations, incorrectly selected types of device, sets and probes characteristics, as well as a level of study quality. A systematic approach to equipping similar medical organizations with ultrasound devices will ensure the availability and improve the quality of primary medical care in outpatient centers. AIM: To develop a calculation algorithm and recommendations for the minimum standard for equipping regional outpatient medical facilities of the state healthcare system based on the Moscow example. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In conducting the study, we used software for statistical and comparative analysis based on the data of the Material Support Management System of the Unified Medical Information and Analytical System (MSMS UMIAS), Form No.30 of Federal Statistical Observation, as well as a number of assigned population to the outpatient center (hereinafter referred to as the OC), technical data, and reviews of modern ultrasound diagnostic devices. RESULTS: The developed minimum standard for equipment considers the following factors: 1) need to provide medical care to children and adult populations separately; 2) compliance with modern diagnostic technologies; 3) ensuring the territorial availability of diagnostics under the condition of efficient equipment operation. CONCLUSIONS: Standardization of equipment of outpatient medical facilities with ultrasound diagnostic devices contributes to improving the quality of diagnostics and the availability of providing required examinations to the assigned population, reducing the waiting time for examinations, reducing the shortage of necessary equipment, expanding the range of medical services provided to the city population, and minimizing duplicate studies at subsequent stages of medical care.

Relevance. The construction sector is currently one of the largest consumers of raw materials and a major source of environmental pollution, accounting for about 40 % of energy consumption and about 30 % of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of emissions into the atmosphere of combustion products of coal, oil and gas, irreparable damage is caused to the environment. One of the promising ways to solve this problem is the introduction of «energy efficient building» technology. The key task of designing energy-efficient buildings is the development of a power supply system, which largely determines the level of comfort and technical and economic indicators of the entire facility. The complexity of this task is caused by the fact that installations based on renewable energy sources, characterized by stochastic generation, are mainly used as power sources, and energy-efficient buildings themselves can differ significantly from each other in a number of parameters: purpose, architecture, size and number of storeys, composition of consumers etc. The article proposes an engineering technique for designing such objects and the results of its testing. The aim of study is to develop an engineering methodology for designing power supply systems for autonomous energy-efficient buildings based on renewable energy sources. Methods: methods of statistical processing of time series of data, mathematical and computer modeling using the MatLab/Simulink software environment. Results. The authors have proposed an engineering methodology for designing power supply systems for autonomous objects, focused on the design of «active» buildings with the maximum possible use of renewable energy sources. The paper describes the main design stages, which include calculation and analysis of the energy balance, choice of the main electrical equipment and development of a structural diagram of the electric power system, optimization of the composition and sizes of the main electrical equipment, selection of switching and protective devices, conductor products, development of circuit diagrams. The paper considers the practical example of application of the proposed methodology for designing the power supply system of an autonomous energy-efficient building in the Kursk region.

The review deals with the data on negative health impact of prolonged and inadequate use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Since their advent at the end of 1980s, their worldwide use has been continuously increasing. However, up to 70% of PPI use is not based on clear indications. Inadequate treatment with PPI not complying with clinical guidelines results in a higher risk of adverse events, especially in the elderly. Prolonged (more than 8 weeks) intake of PPI increases the risk of osteoporotic fractures, promotes Clostridioides difficile infection and gut microbiota abnormalities, community-acquired pneumonia, vitamin B12 deficiency, renal disease, dementia, risk of gastric cancer, etc. Most potential side effects of PPI are the results of hypochlorhydria and reflex hypergastrinemia. The main safety principle for PPI is adherence to short duration of treatment and minimally effective doses. Rational strategies for safe and effective PPI treatment are supported by the evidence-based deprescribing in gastroesophageal reflux disease and include dose tapering or therapy as needed after the treatment course for a specific indication has been finished, or stopping the treatment in patients with no adequate indications to PPI administration. Increased awareness of medical personnel and patients on the proper PPI use and their side effects would make it possible to optimize the use of these agents in the real world medical practice.

In this work, we consider the geological settings, mineralogical composition and age of rocks and ores, as well as regularities in the formation of gold mineralization of the Shamansky ore cluster, which is one of the most prospective ore clusters in the Altai-Sayan mineragenic province. It is shown that the cluster has a complex fold-block structure. The rocks are characterized by intense folded and discontinuous dislocations. We identified the area of the reatest deformations, where the known prospective signs of gold mineralization are concentrated. Two morphological types of gold-sulfide-quartz ores have been distinguished: veins and pyrite-quartz-sericite-ankerite metasomatite. We characterized the composition of gold and its morphological features. Sulfur isotope data of sulfides from gold-bearing quartz veins predominantly have values of δ34S from +3.7 to +6.5 ‰ that indicate their hydrothermal-sedimentary origin. 40Ar/39Ar isotope-geochronological data on sericite from gold-bearing quartz shows the age of 359.5 ± 5.5 Ma testifying to the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous stage of the formation of gold-sulfide-quartz veins. A comparison of geological, metallogenic, mineralogical-geochemical and isotope-geochronological data allowed us to conclude that the gold mineralization of the Shamansky cluster belongs to the orogenic type. According to the model of formation, gold mineralization occurred in three stages: ore-preparation islandarc (540–520 Ma), main ore orogenic-1 accretion-collisional (510–450 Ma), and additional ore orogenic-2 transpressional-collisional (380–345 Ma).

The problems of non-equilibrium and nonlinear processes in the evaluation of reinforced concrete structural systems robustness potential in ultimate states are considered. The definition of concept of “robustness exposition” is given for a quantitative assessment of the robustness potential. A calculation model based on the generalization of the well-known classical relationship between the current relative deficit change rate of the reinforced concrete stress-strain state with respect to each fixed time value is proposed to describe in time non-equilibrium processes of structural materials force resistance depending on the mode and level of loading. On the basis of the linear creep theory, aging materials, an algorithm was developed to determine the measure of creep, corrosion-damaged concrete and reinforced concrete and to determine the parameter “robustness exposition” of a reinforced concrete statically indeterminate structural system, taking into account non-equilibrium and nonlinear processes of its deformation in time. An example of a single-span rigidly clamped reinforced concrete beam calculating the robustness potential from the position of a special limiting state criterion is considered.

Extensive bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) data have the potential of health monitoring and the assessment of health risks at the population level. The importance of BIA data lies in their availability and abundance for many countries. In Russia, mass BIA data are generated by the national network of health centers (HCs). Our aim was to describe the structure and capabilities of the updated HCs’ BIA database. Upon several requests between 2012 and 2020, 369 HCs representing all Federal districts of Russia and 60 out of 85 Federal subjects in them, submitted raw bioimpedance data which were obtained using the same type of BIA instrument, namely ABC-01 ‘Medas’ (SRC Medas, Russia). After application of strict selection criteria, 2,429,977 BIA measurement records were selected that formed the updated 2010-2019 HCs’ database. Various slices of the BIA data are described according to spatiotemporal, demographic and other characteristics. Reference curves of the bioimpedance phase angle according to age and sex are presented. Limitations and prospects for further work are outlined. We believe that, after appropriate sampling, the database can be utilized to study biological, geographical, social and other associations of the bioimpedance and body composition parameters, for generating updated national references, international comparisons and data standardization.

Abstract We develop an inflationary model without small parameters on the basis of multidimensional f(R) gravity with a minimally coupled scalar field. The model is described by two stages of space expansion. The first one begins at energy scales about the D-dimensional Planck mass and ends with the de Sitter metric of our space and the maximally symmetric extra dimensions. In the following, the quantum fluctuations produce a wide set of inhomogeneous extra metrics in causally disconnected regions quickly generated in the de Sitter space. We find a specific extra space metric that leads to the effective Starobinsky model that fits the observational data.

The documents of M. Finley in the library of Cambridge University and in the personal fund of V. N. Andreev in the manuscript department of the Russian National Library in Saint Petersburg contain letters from two historians. The correspondence of M. Finley and V. N. Andreev shows that the Soviet scientist was not only a situational Finlean, but also quite consciously followed the principles of M. Finley’s work with sources. Acquaintance with M. Finley’s works and correspondence with him significantly influenced V. N. Andreev: he became a follower of an English scientist, working outside the framework of scientific schools that existed in Soviet scholarship. Correspondence with M. Finley shows a high degree of inclusion of a Soviet scientist in the current agenda of world science about Antiquity in the late 1950s – first half of the 1960s, however, the closeness of the Soviet scientific community, the lack of full-fledged international communication did not contribute to the perception of V. N. Andreev’s ideas by Western scientists. For M. Finley, V. N. Andreev was apparently just one of his many followers scattered around the world. The lack of personal contact did not allow this position to be changed. The very fact that the Soviet scientist in matters of methodology followed and listened to the advice of the scientist of the «bourgeois» testified that the Soviet historiography of Antiquity since the late 1950s could no longer be perceived as a single stream; the Soviet historical narrative of the thaw era ceases to be unified.

The origin and evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in our universe have sparked controversy. In this study, we explore the hypothesis that some of these black holes may have seeded from the direct collapse of dark energy domains with density significantly higher than the surrounding regions. The mechanism of the origin of such domains relies on the inflationary evolution of a scalar field acting in D dimensions, which is associated with the cosmological constant in our four-dimensional spacetime manifold. Inner space quantum fluctuations of the field during inflation are responsible for the spatial variations of the dark energy density in our space. This finding holds particular significance, especially considering recent evidence from pulsar timing array observations, which supports the existence of a stochastic gravitational wave background consisting of SMBH mergers.

In the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of discovered viruses that are transmitted by arthropods. Some of them are pathogenic for humans and mammals, and the pathogenic potential of others is unknown. The genus Orthoflavivirus belongs to the family Flaviviridae and includes arboviruses that cause severe human diseases with damage to the central nervous system and hemorrhagic fevers, as well as viruses with unknown vectors and viruses specific only to insects. The latter group includes Lammi virus, first isolated from a mosquito pool in Finland. It is known that Lammi virus successfully replicates in mosquito cell lines but not in mammalian cell cultures or mice. Lammi virus reduces the reproduction of West Nile virus during superinfection and thus has the potential to reduce the spread of West Nile virus in areas where Lammi virus is already circulating. In this work, we isolated Lammi virus from a pool of adult Aedes cinereus mosquitoes that hatched from larvae/pupae collected in Saint Petersburg, Russia. This fact may indicate transovarial transmission and trans-stadial survival of the virus.

Appearance of a large number of modern, technological solutions in the field of agrarian complex of the Russian Federation, as well as the possibility of constant and rapid development of the potential of science in this area shall help the country in the development of this area as a whole. Of course, some unique features, signs of the challenges of the present shall be pointed out. They, as practice shows, have a significant impact on the entire system as a whole. Today it is important and necessary to be especially attentive to various trends and modern solutions. All this affects the development of the agrarian complex, which is important for Russia. Now it is required to point out some problems, as well as solutions in the field of technical, and most importantly, economic, scientific and professional development. If timely attention is not paid to key points, concepts and processes, then a completely unpleasant situation with all the negative consequences and phenomena may arise in the country in terms of studied direction.

The article explores the possibility of use of a separate two-phase technology in agriculture to restore the flowability of caked mineral fertilizers. Flowability is one of the most important properties of fertilizers that determine their quality during storage and transportation. Flowability is understood as the property of a mineral fertilizer to flow freely under the influence of gravitational forces. Under certain environmental conditions, fertilizers may cake. To solve this problem in the preparation of fertilizers at agricultural enterprises, a new design of a preliminary grinder is proposed as a part of a two-phase technology. Based on the results of the experimental studies, the most rational design and operating parameters of the grinder have been determined. Practical recommendations on the possible use of the developed drum-type grinder for the destruction of other brittle materials in preparation for their introduction into the soil at agricultural enterprises are formulated.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus syndrome caused the recent outbreak of COVID-19 disease, the most significant challenge to public health for decades. Despite the successful development of vaccines and promising therapies, the development of novel drugs is still in the interests of scientific society. SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro is one of the key proteins for the lifecycle of the virus and is considered an intriguing target. We used a structure-based drug design approach as a part of the search of new inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and hence new potential drugs for treating COVID-19. Four structures of potential inhibitors of (4S)-2-(2-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)ethyl)-4-amino-2-(1,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-hydroxy-5-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)pentanal (L1), (2R,4S)-2-((1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl)-4-chloro-8-hydroxy-7-(hydroxymethyl)octanoic acid (L2), 1,9-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-6-(((1S)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo [2.2.1]heptan-2-yl)amino)nonan-4-one (L3), and 2,4,6-tris((4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)amino)benzonitrile (L4) were modeled. Three-dimensional structures of ligand–protein complexes were modeled and their potential binding efficiency proved. Docking and molecular dynamic simulations were performed for these compounds. Detailed trajectory analysis of the ligands’ binding conformation was carried out. Binding free energies were estimated by the MM/PBSA approach. Results suggest a high potential efficiency of the studied inhibitors.

Introduction. Bat cell cultures are a popular model both for the isolation of vector-borne disease viruses and for assessing the possible role of these mammalian species in forming the natural reservoirs of arbovirus infection vectors. The goal of the research was to obtain and characterize strains of diploid lung cells of the bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and evaluate their permissivity to bluetongue, African horse sickness (AHS), and epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer (EHD) viruses. Materials and methods. Cell cultures of the dwarf bats lung were obtained by standard enzymatic disaggregation of donor tissue and selection of cells for adhesive properties. The permissivity of cell cultures was determined to bluetongue, AHL, and EHD orbiviruses. Results. Diploid cell strains (epithelium-like and fibroblast-like types) retaining cytomorphological characteristics and karyotype stability were obtained from tissue of the bats lung. Their permissivity to viruses of the genus Orbivirus of the Reoviridae family, pathogens of transmissible animal diseases, has been established. Discussion. The permissivity of the obtained strains of bats lung cells to bluetongue, AHL, and EHD viruses is consistent with the isolation of orbiviruses in bats of the species Pteropus poliocephalus, Pteropus hypomelanus, Rousettus aegyptiacus leachii, Syconycteris crassa, Myotis macrodactylus, and Eidolon helvum. Conclusion. Strains of diploid lung cells of the dwarf bat are permissive to orbiviruses of bluetongue, AHS, and EHD, which allows us to recommend them for the isolation of these viruses, and the species Pipistrellus pipistrellus to be considered as a potential natural reservoir and carrier of pathogens of these vector-borne diseases.

In recent years new digital technologies have become an integral part of daily life of civilians, including their interaction with government. Trust in innovation in the government sector became the most important feature of the relations between government and civilians. The main purpose of this research is to explore how the factor of civil trust influences the implementation of digital technologies in government. We studied new phenomenon - “digital trust” and made content analysis of the main programmatic and analytical documents on the realization of the digital government concept. Based on the research results, we described the impact of the trust on the digital government effectiveness, and defined the basic principles of trust building, such as openness of the digital government system for citizens, security and reliability of electronic services, two-way communication with citizens. However, Russia lacks a clear strategy on how to build “digital trust” to government services. This circumstance could become a barrier for government’s digitalization in the future.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) triggers the development of numerous pathologies and infection-linked complications and exacerbates existing pathologies in nearly all body systems. Aside from the primarily targeted respiratory organs, adverse SARS-CoV-2 effects were observed in nervous, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal/metabolic, immune, and other systems in COVID-19 survivors. Long-term effects of this viral infection have been recently observed and represent distressing sequelae recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a distinct clinical entity defined as post-COVID-19 condition. Considering the pandemic is still ongoing, more time is required to confirm post COVID-19 condition diagnosis in the COVID-19 infected cohorts, although many reported post COVID-19 symptoms overlap with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Aims of Review: In this study, COVID-19 clinical presentation and associated post-infection sequelae (post-COVID-19 condition) were reviewed and compared with ME/CFS symptomatology. Key Scientific Concepts of Review: The onset, progression, and symptom profile of post COVID-19 condition patients have considerable overlap with ME/CFS. Considering the large scope and range of pro-inflammatory effects of this virus, it is reasonable to expect development of post COVID-19 clinical complications in a proportion of the affected population. There are reports of a later debilitating syndrome onset three months post COVID-19 infection (often described as long-COVID-19), marked by the presence of fatigue, headache, cognitive dysfunction, post-exertional malaise, orthostatic intolerance, and dyspnoea. Acute inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), have been reported in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Longitudinal monitoring of post COVID-19 patients is warranted to understand the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the pathomechanism of post COVID-19 condition.

The conversion from the development of large deposits to unconventional, small and Arctic deposits of hydrocarbon raw materials in the Russian requires oil and gas companies improving the quality of the economic justification of projects, including cost-effectively recoverable reserves. For this reason, the development of the discounted cash flow (DCF) method for economic evaluation of oil and gas projects is required. The purpose of the study was to develop a methodological approach to the economic evaluation of oil and gas projects. The disadvantages of the DCF model in the economic evaluation of oil and gas field development projects are analyzed, a comparative analysis of project evaluation methods through the use of binary and reverting discounting models is performed. The authors justified the choice of a risk-free discount rate for project outflows and dynamically changing values of discount rates for project cash inflows for the evaluation of oil and gas projects, taking into account their identified features. The application of the developed methodological approach, both at the pre-project phase and during the operation of the field, will allow oil and gas companies to justify the magnitude of commercially exploitable reserves and indicators of the economic efficiency of the project due to more correct risk accounting. The developed methodological approach has been approved on the example of the Novoportovskoye field development project.

Materials on geochemistry and ore Fe-Ti-Cr mineralization of rocks composing layered (stratified) bodies of the western slope of the Southern Urals are presented. A detailed analysis showed similarity in the redistribution of REE, noble metals, and Fe-Ti-Cr mineralization of practically all parameters in rocks of the Misaelga and Kusin-Kopan complexes. It has been established that the parameters of metamorphism, which influenced components redistribution in Fe-Ti-Cr minerals of the layered complexes, correspond to Misaelga – T =

A study of the trace element composition of beryl varieties (469 SIMS analyses) was carried out. Red beryls are distinguished by a higher content of Ni, Sc, Mn, Fe, Ti, Cs, Rb, K, and B and lower content of Na and water. Pink beryls are characterized by a higher content of Cs, Rb, Na, Li, Cl, and water with lower content of Mg and Fe. Green beryls are defined by the increased content of Cr, V, Mg, Na, and water with reduced Cs. A feature of yellow beryls is the reduced content of Mg, Cs, Rb, K, Na, Li, and Cl. Beryls of various shades of blue and dark blue (aquamarines) are characterized by higher Fe content and lower Cs and Rb content. For white beryls, increased content of Na and Li has been established. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for the CLR-transformed dataset showed that the first component separates green beryls from other varieties. The second component divides pink and red beryls. The stochastic neighborhood embedding method with t-distribution (t-SNE) with CLR-transformed data demonstrated the contrasting compositions of green beryls relative to other varieties. Red and pink beryls form the most compact clusters.

Abstract An experimental study of a cavitating NACA0012 hydrofoil with aspect ratio 0.02 in a slit channel was carried out using a high-speed visualization at sampling rate more than 100 kHz. The features of the formation and development of cavities in a quasi-two-dimensional turbulent flow were studied. The most energetic modes of unsteady cavitation flow around the hydrofoil were obtained using dynamic mode decomposition. The presence of the second and third modes in the cavitation flow is shown here for the first time. It was shown that each of these modes corresponds to a certain period of development of the unsteady cavity. Experimental data on the reverse motion of the vapor–gas mixture into the inner region of supercavitation are presented.

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. From the viewpoint of factors critical to contain the virus, the neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 garner most of the attention, however, it is essential to acknowledge that it is the level of the virus-specific T cell and B cell response that forms a basis for an effective neutralizing antibody response. T cell responses develop early and correlate with the protection, but they are relatively attenuated in the severe disease, in part due to lymphopenia. Understanding the role of different T cell subpopulations in the protection or the COVID-19 pathogenesis is critical to the prevention and treatment. The expression profile of different T cell subpopulations varies with the COVID-19 severity and is associated with the degree of T cell responses and the disease outcome. The structural changes in the genome, transcriptome, and proteome of SARS-CoV-2 promote the emergence of new variants of the virus and can reduce its interaction with antibodies and result in avoiding the neutralization. There is a strong correlation between the number of virus-specific CD4 T cells and neutralizing IgG antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2. During the primary viral infection, there is a wide variation in the cellular and humoral immune responses, patients with severe and prolonged symptoms showing highly imbalanced cellular and humoral immune responses. This review focuses on the generation and clinical significance of cellular immunity in the protection against severe acute infection and reinfection, as well as the potential involvement of seasonal coronavirus-specific cross-reactive T cells in response to SARS-CoV-2.

The relevance of the research is caused by the need to improve the quality factors of output voltage and current of voltage inverters in electric submersible pumps, used in oil production. The main aspects, which allow improving these quality factors are: usage of perspective topologies of power part and modern power semiconductor keys, implementation of new control algorithms. In electric drives, where frequency converters are used, there are negative factors, affecting oil-submersible cable and submersible induction motor functioning. Non-sinusoidal voltages at the frequency converter output lead to increased wear and tear of the supply cable insulation, and also negatively affect the insulation of induction motor windings and reduce the quality indicators of electric drive control systems. Consequently, the search for ways to improve the quality of the output voltage and current of the voltage inverters in electric submersible pumps is a critical task. The main aim of the research is to develop the algorithms to improve the reliability indicators of multilevel converters and upgrade the quality of harmonic composition of the output voltage and current of voltage inverters as part of the electric drive of a submersible oil-producing pump. Object: voltage inverters as a part of electric drive of submersible oil producing pump. Methods and tools: reliability theory, harmonic analysis, functional diagrams, switching functions, topology of electric circuits of power converters, numerical methods for solving differential equations, fast Fourier transform, Matlab Simulink. Results. Significant improvement of current and voltage quality factors in multilevel converters as a part of electric drive of submersible oil-producing pump has been demonstrated. Possible ways to improve reliability indicators by changing the layout option of the circuit topology have been considered, with the probability of no-failure operation increasing from 23,70 to 66,10 % as compared to the classical layout. It is established that regulation of switching frequency depending on operating modes in multilevel inverters will allow controlling rationally dynamic losses and loads on power keys.

STAT3 N-terminal domain is a promising molecular target for cancer treatment and modulation of immune responses. However, STAT3 is localized in the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and nuclei, and thus, is inaccessible to therapeutic antibodies. Its N-terminal domain lacks deep pockets on the surface and represents a typical “non-druggable” protein. In order to successfully identify potent and selective inhibitors of the domain, we have used virtual screening of billion structure-sized virtual libraries of make-on-demand screening samples. The results suggest that the expansion of accessible chemical space by cutting-edge ultra-large virtual compound databases can lead to successful development of small molecule drugs for hard-to-target intracellular proteins.

February Russian revolution attracted much attention in 2017, and during its discussion was revealed the unexpected similarity of its doctrine to the structure, goals, means, logic and organisation of "perestroika" approaches in 1985-1991. Comparison of the programmes of these two revolutions makes perestroika seem like a remake of 70 year old film. Reformers of the end of XX century repeated the steps and claims of liberals and mensheviks, bourgeois and corrupted officials, westerners and nationalists. And in the end —terrorism. The same gestures and pathetic, promises and lies, provocations and support from the West. And the same illusions and theatrical fail. And if the February revolution was the sincere attempt to follow the bourgeois revolution of early capitalism, but operation "perestroika" looks more like well-developed technology — the prototype of "colour revolutions" in greater scale. This technology of massive destruction requires research. Social sciences are far beyond, state and society are not ready for such attacks.

The paper considers the key characteristics of the small nuclear power plant (SNPP) modular design, demonstrates the possibility for reducing the construction cost and time for this class of plants due to factory fabrication, the effect of series manufacturing, and less redundant safety systems. It has been shown that it is possible to extend considerably the fields of application for nuclear technologies thanks to modularity and the possibility of ensuring high safety indicators. Potential applications for SNPPs have been analyzed, including power supply to remote (Arctic) territories, switchover from (renovation of) coal-based electricity generation, high-potential heat and hydrogen production for commercial consumers, and other applications. Rationale has been provided for most typical consumer requirements that define the greatest efficiency of the SNPP application in the given field. The need has been shown for developing and introducing a new technology platform for the SNPP-based nuclear power to decarbonize globally the world economy thanks to expanding greatly the application of nuclear power technologies in addition to the technology platform currently developed for the CNFC with fast reactors (addressing the objective of fuel supply and waste recycling) and the controlled nuclear fusion technology platform (addressing the objective of long-term global energy supply). The new platform needs to be based on an extensive international cooperation involving the formation of international consortiums. It has been proposed that a test site be set up to elaborate hydrogen (heat) production technologies for an individual commercial consumer (captive production) and other technologies for the practical use of SNPPs based on a pilot demonstration nuclear power plant.

Introduction. An urgent interdisciplinary problem is the identification of factors that determine the processes of constructing social identity, which is the socio-cultural foundation of the existence of any community. The aim of the work is to identify the actual role and potential of artistic and aesthetic components of social space in the process of forming the regional identity of the youth. Materials and Methods. The empirical basis of the study was the data of a questionnaire survey of the youth of Moscow and the Moscow region, Penza and Saratov regions (n = 1000) and interviews with representatives of the student youth of Saratov and Penza (n = 30), devoted to the analysis of the identification hierarchy of the youth and the influence of aesthetic components of the social space of the region on the formation of its regional identity. These methods revealed the important role of artistic and aesthetic components of the regional social space in the construction of regional identity and regional patriotism of the youth of the region. Results. Based on the results of the research, a conclusion has been made about the connection between “local” patriotism and specific social attitudes focused on the development of the territorial community and the improvement of its image, as well as about the partial determinism of the regional components of the respondents’ social identity by figurative and aesthetic factors. It is shown that at the theoretical level, taking into account the aesthetic factors of the construction of social identity implies a transition from deterministic models of interaction in the system “social environment – emerging personality” to stochastic ones. Discussion and Conclusion. The authors point out when modeling the process of forming the social identity of young people, theoretical models based on the concepts of social constructivism should take into account the unique, intimate-personal interactions of a particular individual with separate socio-cultural phenomena symbolizing collective identity. The results of the study can be used by all agents of socialization in the practice of applying aesthetic components of regional social space in the process of forming regional patriotism.

One of the main factors in the capacity of passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs) is its productivity or the hydrogen removal rate. In this work it was demonstrated that regardless of the type of a recombiner, the hydrogen removal rate is mostly determined by the catalytic surface area and the molar density of hydrogen at the inlet. It means that the performance of a recombiner should obey geometric and physical scalability. Geometric scalability is characterized by the retention of the specific (per unit area of the catalytic surface) hydrogen removal rate with increasing the size of the recombiner by increasing the inlet section while maintaining the height and design of the catalytic unit. Physical scalability is characterized by maintaining the hydrogen removal rate of the recombiner at a constant input molar density of hydrogen in an air-hydrogen environment while simultaneously changing the input temperature and pressure. For a numerical demonstration of scalability, several calculations were performed with different initial hydrogen concentrations, external conditions and amounts of catalytic elements. It was shown that, regardless of the number of catalytic plates in the recombiner, the specific removal rate of hydrogen will remain unchanged and that under different external conditions (temperature, pressure), in case they correspond to the same inlet hydrogen density, the hydrogen removal rate does not change.

Autophagy plays a dual role in oncogenesis processes. On one hand, autophagy enhances the cell resistance to oncogenic factors, and on the other hand, it participates in the tumor progression. The aim of the study was to find the associations between the effectiveness of the FLOT regimen in resectable gastric cancers (GCs) with the key autophagy-related proteins. Materials and Methods: The study included 34 patients with morphologically verified gastric cancer. All patients had FLOT neoadjunvant chemotherapy (NACT) (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) followed by gastrectomy. The studied tissue material was the non-transformed and tumor tissues obtained during diagnostic video gastroscopy in patients before the start of the combined treatment and after surgical treatment, frozen after collection. The LC3B, mTOR, and AMPK expression was determined by real-time PCR. The content of the LC3B protein was determined by Western blotting analysis. Results: The mRNA level and the content of the LC3B protein were associated with the tumor stage and the presence of signet ring cells. The AMPK mRNA level was increased in patients with the T4N0-2M0 stage by 37.7 and 7.33 times, which was consequently compared with patients with the T2N0M0 and T3N0-1M0 stages. The opposite changes in the mTOR and AMPK in the GCs before anti-cancer therapy were noted. The tumor size and regional lymph node affections were associated with a decrease in the mTOR mRNA level. A decrease in the mTOR expression was accompanied by an increase in the AMPK expression in the GCs. The mTOR expression was reduced in patients with a cancer spreading; in contrast, AMPK grew with the tumor size. There was an increase in the LC3B expression, which can probably determine the response to therapy. An increase in LC3B mRNA before the start of treatment and the protein content in cancers after NACT with a decrease in therapy effectiveness was recorded. There was an increase in the protein level in patients with partial regression and stabilization by 3.65 and 5.78 times, respectively, when compared with patients with complete tumor regression was noted. Conclusions: The anticancer effectiveness in GCS is down to the LC3B, mTOR, and AMPK expression. These were found to be entire molecular targets affecting the cancer progression and metastasis as well as the NACT effectiveness.

Abstract Despite the presence of body composition studies in Russia, there are no current reviews on this topic, and the results are relatively rarely published abroad. Our aim was to describe the history and current state of this research work, to list unresolved problems, and to outline possible developmental trends. For completeness, in the initial part of the review, traditional research areas indirectly related to body composition studies are considered, namely, the analysis of biological variation of anthropometric parameters and somatotyping. It can be seen that anthropometry and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) are mainly used to assess body composition in Russia. Other methods, such as double-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), are utilized less often. The achievements include the common use of comprehensive anthropometry in anthropological studies, some advancements in clinical studies, approbation of potentially important methods such as the deuterium dilution method and three-dimensional laser-based photonic scanning, and ongoing mass population BIA measurements in health centers. Various bioimpedance instruments are manufactured, the local reference BIA body composition data are available, and a large updated BIA database is ready for international comparisons. Among major limitations of body composition research in Russia, one can note the lack of validation studies using reference methods, so that foreign regression formulas are used with the double indirect methods, such as anthropometry and BIA, despite the fact that their accuracy has not yet been checked in our population. Conventional reference body composition assessment methods, such as three- or four-component molecular-level models and whole-body in vivo neutron activation analysis, were not applied yet, despite the technical feasibility. In general, it can be argued that the body composition research in Russia follows the observed global trends. Along with the achievements, there are a number of unresolved methodological and organizational issues. Prospects for further research include validation studies, updating reference population body composition data, and establishing local cut-offs for malnutrition and disease risks. In our view, further development could be facilitated with the establishment of well-equipped Human Body Composition Units in major Russian research centers, such as Moscow State University, which could be assigned a coordinating and methodical role.

Aim. To evaluate the level of serum I-FABP (Fatty-Acid-Binding Protein a protein that binds fatty acids) and fecal zonulin as markers of the permeability of the mucous membrane of the small intestine in celiac patients. Materials and methods. A total of 151 celiac patients (25 men and 126 women) were examined. The median age was 42 years. Group I included 58 patients with newly diagnosed celiac disease; in group 2 38 patients, knowingly or unknowingly violating the gluten-free diet; group 3 consisted of 55 patients strictly observing gluten-free diet. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers: 4 men and 16 women. All patients underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy by biopsy of the mucous membrane of the small intestine and assessment of duodenobioptates according to Marsh. In the blood serum, the level of antibodies to tissue transglutaminase IgA and IgG was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using kits manufactured by Orgentec Diagnostics GmbH (Germany), the concentration of I-FABP in blood serum was determined using Hycult Biotech kits (Netherlands). The content of zonulin in feces was investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using kits from Immundiagnostik AG (Germany). Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 13.3 software (StatSoft Inc., USA). Results. There was a significant increase in the level of antibodies to tissue transglutaminase IgA [120.0 (41.1200)] IU/ml and IgG [31.4 (5.578.9)] IU/ml in patients of group 1 compared with group 2 [IgA 9.1 (2.987.6)] and IgG [3.8 (2.219.7)] IU/ml and group 3 [IgA 1.6 (1.03.2)] and IgG [2.2 (1.152.53)] (p0.01). The level of I-FABP in blood serum in patients of group 1 averaged 2045 pg/ml, in patients in group 2 1406 pg/ml, in patients in group 3 1000 pg/ml. All patients showed a significant increase in the mean I-FABP values compared to controls (1, 2 and control p0.01, 3 and control p=0.016). In patients with Marsh grade III AC atrophy, the I-FABP level depended on the degree of damage to the mucosa and significantly differed from the control: March IIIA (median: 1310 pg/ml, interquartile range: 12121461 pg/ml), March IIIB (median: 2090 pg/ml, interquartile range: 18122322 pg/ml) as well as Marsh IIIC (median: 2058 pg/ml, interquartile range 18582678 pg/ml). The concentration of zonulin in feces in patients of group 1 averaged 111.6 pg/mg, in patients of group 2 90.5 pg/mg. In patients of group 3 50 IU/ml. The concentration of zonulin in feces increased as the degree of mucosa atrophy increased (r=0.585, p0.01). However, despite the fact that both of these markers may indicate impaired permeability, each of them indicates damage to a certain level of the intestinal barrier, which is not always associated with the degree of mucosa atrophy. Conclusion. Determination of serum I-FABP and fecal zonulin levels in celiac patients allows for the assessment of intestinal permeability and can serve as non-invasive markers for monitoring ongoing structural changes in the mucosa without the need for endoscopy.

The paper deals with comparative analys is of international university rankings methodology and a complex of measures for Russian higher education development suggested by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. It is revealed that the “roadmap” for higher education development does not allow predicting improvement of national university ranking in international surveys. Some important directions for Russian university recognition by international educational society are suggested in the paper.

In the article the authors examine ways of improving the quality and effectiveness of scientific qualification works of undergraduates and postgraduates. Develop training of undergraduates and graduate students in the methodology and presentation of thesis proposed by the introduction of appropriate discipline in the educational programs of graduate and postgraduate studies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire healthcare system, from emergency care, intensive care units, internal medicine wards, outpatient care to home care. The pandemic continues and brings a large number of patients with COVID-19-associated postintensive care syndrome suffering from physical, mental and cognitive impairments that threaten their return to normal life. The complexity and severity of illness in patients recovering from severe COVID-19 requires a coordinated and systematic approach to be applied as early as possible during the recovery phase. Considering the multiorgan dysfunction, debility, pulmonary, neurological, neuromuscular and cognitive complications, rehabilitation professionals can play an important role in the recovery process for individuals with COVID-19. Complications of COVID-19 can be reduced by (1) multidisciplinary rehabilitation, which begins early and continues throughout the hospital stay; (2) providing patient/family education for self-care after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, and (3) continuing rehabilitation care in the outpatient setting, and at home either in person or with the help of telerehabilitation.