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SAMVEL MANUKYAN, SONA BABACKHANYAN. Political culture and protest potential on Goris community. - During the 44-day Karabakh war of 2022, Artsakh (Karabakh) and Armenia suffered serious territorial and human losses, which caused severe negative consequences. The war radically changed public sentiments in Armenia. Besides, after the war, the prices of essential goods in Armenia started to increase rapidly, gradually worsening the social condition of broad population segments. The negative consequences of the war are especially severe in the Syunik region, borders with Azerbaijan and has strategic importance for the national security of Armenia, particularly in the border community of Goris, which is the last town on the only communication road between Armenia and Artsakh. These two influential factors might initiate public protests in Goris – an area of exceptional importance for the national Security of Armenia, worsening social cohesion and destroying the social order. The article represents the evaluation of multidimensional protest potential in Goris in the context of the political culture of the community population and the situation after the war. The political culture of the Goris community is identified in the frame of the theory of S.Almond and S.Verba. The analysis is carried out on the basis of sociological survey data collected in the Goris community in April 2022. The dimensions of the protest potential include lack of loyalty to the authorities, socio-economic conditions of the population, the fact of the 44-day war, the course of the war and its consequences, and future relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The best-allied countries of Armenia in the Artsakh matter were revealed in population attitudes. The perception of public protest probability in Goris is estimated. A mathematical model is built to explain the interactions between protest potential and political culture components and their multidimensional impact on loyalty to the authorities.

The article analyzes alternative dimensions of dissidence and civil protests in Soviet Armenia, which covers the period from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, from the Khrushchev Thaw to Gorbachev’s Perestroika. Comparative study of the dissident paradigm has political and civilizational significance. The dissident paradigm is precisely associated with the entire human rights movement, and human rights activists were those who were called dissidents. Thanks to them, ideas of an alternative development of Soviet society and public authorities emerged. At the present stage, the democratic rights of citizens, for which the intelligentsia and human rights activists fought in the 1960s-1980s, are proclaimed and enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. But this does not mean that the issue of human rights has been resolved in reality, since in reality human rights are often violated, first of all, by the public authorities themselves. The experience of the first generation of human rights defenders continues to be of interest to numerous committees and commissions advocating respect for the constitutional and legal rights of citizens. The relevance of the research topic is due to the fact that the processes of formation of a democratic society and the rule of law in modern Armenia put forward the task of effectively protecting human rights and freedoms. Given the fact that the recognition of human rights as a basic value was the result of a long evolution of society, it is important to see that their prerequisite was the struggle of the most socially active people for the possibility of civilizational development.

Recently, genetically stable novel OPVs (nOPV) were developed by modifying the genomes of Sabin viruses of conventional OPVs to reduce the risk of reversion to neurovirulence and therefore the risk of generating circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses. There is a need for specific and sensitive methods for the identification and quantification of nOPV viruses individually and in mixtures for clinical trials and potentially for manufacturing quality control and environmental surveillance. In this communication, we evaluated and improved the quantitative multiplex one-step reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qmosRT-PCR) assay for the identification and quantification of nOPV viruses in samples with different formulations and virus concentrations and in virus-spiked stool samples. The assay was able to specifically identify at least 1 log10 CCID50/mL of each serotype in the presence of the two other serotypes at high concentrations (6–7 log10 CCID50/mL) in the same sample. In addition, the lowest viral concentration that the assay was able to detect in stool samples was 17 CCID50/mL for nOPV1 and nOPV2 viruses and 6 CCID50/mL for nOPV3. We also found high correlation between the expected and observed (by qmosRT-PCR) concentrations of spiked viruses in stool samples for all three nOPV viruses, with R-squared values above 0.95. The analysis of samples collected from an nOPV2 clinical trial showed that 100% of poliovirus type 2 was detected and few samples showed the presence of type 1 and 3 residuals from previous vaccinations with bOPV (at least 4 weeks prior vaccination with nOPV2), confirming the high sensitivity of the method. The qmosRT-PCR was specific and sensitive for the simultaneous identification and quantification of all three nOPV viruses. It can be used as an identity test during the nOPV manufacturing process and in evaluation of virus excretion in nOPV clinical trials.

A supercapacitor is an energy storage device that has the advantage of rapidly storing and releasing energy compared to traditional batteries. One powerful method for creating a wide range of materials is combustion synthesis, which relies on self-sustained chemical reactions. Specifically, solution combustion synthesis involves mixing reagents at the molecular level in an aqueous solution. This method allows for the fabrication of various nanostructured materials, such as binary and complex oxides, sulfides, and carbon-based nanocomposites, which are commonly used for creating electrodes in supercapacitors. The solution combustion synthesis offers flexibility in tuning the properties of the materials by adjusting the composition of the reactive solution, the type of fuel, and the combustion conditions. The process takes advantage of high temperatures, short processing times, and significant gas release to produce well crystalline nanostructured materials with a large specific surface area. This specific surface area is essential for enhancing the performance of electrodes in supercapacitors. Our review focuses on recent publications in this field, specifically examining the relationship between the microstructure of materials and their electrochemical properties. We discuss the findings and suggest potential improvements in the properties and stability of the fabricated composites based on the results.

BACKGROUND: It is expected that a steady increase in the incidence of diabetes and resistant hypertension (RHTN), along with an increase in life expectancy, will lead to a noticeable increase in the proportion of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). At the same time, data on the frequency of HFpEF in a selective group of patients with RHTN in combination with diabetes are still lacking, and the pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms of its formation have not been yet studied sufficiently.AIM: To assess the features of the development HFpEF in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with RHTN, as well as to determine the factors associated with HFpEF.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study were included 36 patients with RHTN and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (mean age 61.4 ± 6.4 years, 14 men) and 33 patients with RHTN without diabetes, matched by sex, age and level of systolic blood pressure (BP). All patients underwent baseline office and 24-hour BP measurement, echocardiography with assess diastolic function, lab tests (basal glycemia, HbA1c, creatinine, aldosterone, TNF-alpha, hsCRP, brain naturetic peptide, metalloproteinases of types 2, 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of MMP type 1 (TIMP-1)). HFpEF was diagnosed according to the 2019 AHA/ESC guidelines.RESULTS: The frequency of HFpEF was significantly higher in patients with RHTN with DM than those without DM (89% and 70%, respectively, p=0.045). This difference was due to a higher frequency of such major functional criterion of HFpEF as E/e’≥15 (p=0.042), as well as a tendency towards a higher frequency of an increase in left atrial volumes (p=0.081) and an increase in BNP (p=0.110). Despite the comparable frequency of diastolic dysfunction in patients with and without diabetes (100% and 97%, respectively), disturbance of the transmitral blood flow in patients with DM were more pronounced than in those without diabetes. Deterioration of transmitral blood flow and pseudo-normalization of diastolic function in diabetic patients with RHTN have relationship not only with signs of carbohydrate metabolism disturbance, but also with level of pulse blood pressure, TNF-alfa, TIMP-1 and TIMP-1 / MMP-2 ratio, which, along with the incidence of atherosclerosis, were higher in patients with DM than in those without diabetes.CONCLUSIONS: Thus, HFpEF occurs in the majority of diabetic patients with RHTN. The frequency of HFpEF in patients with DN is significantly higher than in patients without it, which is associated with more pronounced impairments of diastolic function. The progressive development of diastolic dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus is associated not only with metabolic disorders, but also with increased activity of chronic subclinical inflammation, profibrotic state and high severity of vascular changes.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) benefits only a small subset of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and the mechanisms driving benefit are poorly understood. Here, the authors show that elevated Notch signaling predicts clinical benefit in ICB in relapsed SCLC.

Spontaneous crystallization of metals under extreme conditions is a unique phenomenon occurring under far-from-equilibrium conditions that could enable the development of revolutionary and disruptive metastable metals with unusual properties. In this work, the formation of the hexagonal close-packed nickel (hcp-Ni) metastable phase during spontaneous crystallization is studied using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, with the goal of maximizing the fraction of this metastable phase in the final state. We employ Bayesian optimization (BO) with the Gaussian processes (GPs) regression as the surrogate model to maximize the hcp-Ni phase fraction, where temperature and pressure are control variables. MD simulations provide data for training the GP model, which is then used with BO to predict the next simulation condition. Such BO-guided active learning leads to a maximum hcp-Ni fraction of 43.38% in the final crystallized phase within 40 iterations when a face-centered cubic crystallite serves as the seed for crystallization from the amorphous phase. When an hcp seed is used, the maximum hcp-Ni fraction in the final crystal increases to 58.25% with 13 iterations. This study shows the promise of using BO to identify the process conditions that can maximize the rare phases. This method can also be generally applicable to process optimization to achieve target material properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustion synthesis is a green, energy-saving approach that permits an easy scale-up and continuous technologies. This process allows for synthesizing various nanoscale materials, including oxides, nitrides, sulfides, metals, and alloys. In this work, we critically review the reported results on the combustion synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles, focusing on their properties related to different bio-applications. We also analyze challenges and suggest specific directions of research, which lead to the improvement of the properties and stability of fabricated materials.

Herein we describe the synthesis and rearrangement of 1,3-diamino-2,7-naphthyridines and 1-amino-3-oxo-2,7-naphthyridines. In the case of 1,3-diamino-2,7-naphthyridines, it was found that the rearrangement reaction was influenced by both the substituent at the 7th position of the 2,7-naphthyridine ring and by the nature of the cyclic amine at the 1st position. The influence was mainly steric. The reaction of 1-amino-3-oxo-2,7-naphthyridines with amines was studied for the first time. It was revealed that for these substrates, the rearrangement occurs faster and without any influence of the alkyl and cyclic amine groups. We also observed the nucleophilic addition of the amine to the carbonyl group of the rearranged product with the formation of a Schiff base. The calculation of the ESP charges on these substrates indicates a considerable increase in the positive charge on the cyano group that suffers the nucleophilic attack during the rearrangement process, possibly explaining its increased tendency to react and to have a higher reaction velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to study various factors of Russia's foreign policy in the South Caucasus during the 44-Day Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) war of 2020 and in the post-war period. Russia's mediation efforts to end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and establish peace are considered. Particular attention is paid to the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and the military-political significance of this initiative and the consequences, as well as the main reasons for the failure of this peacekeeping mission. The article also analyzes the multi-vector foreign policy pursued by regional states in the South Caucasus, in particular Türkiye and Iran. In this context, the prospects for Russian-Turkish cooperation in the South Caucasus, in particular, in the process of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are highlighted. This also makes a comparative analysis of the foreign policies of the United States, European Union (EU) and France in the region significant. The article examines Russia's ability to maintain its military and political influence and expand its economic presence in the South Caucasus. Issues that have hindered the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the existing software applications for electronic circuit prototyping that can help evaluate the operation of the entire circuit based on specified parameters and find the best options. Using the TAC application and the Arduino library components, projects and instructions for creating and testing electronic circuits were developed. The resulting application was tested for capabilities and efficiency. The interface design and settings were also assessed to determine whether they simulate real conditions. The functionality of TAC application made it possible to generate alternate circuits. The results of software testing showed that using the application speeds up the learning process significantly when compared to traditional methods and helps eliminate problems that may emerge when designing and assembling circuits. The application may be useful in designing complex electronic circuits and developing teaching aids for students in technical fields.

The article presents the results of long-term studies of physiological processes, oxidative stress in wheat plants under the influence of phytopathogens, mineral fertilizers and fungicides. The criteria for the damaging effect of oxidative stress are the activity of the enzyme nitrate reductase and the concentration of TBA-active products. Normally, a mobile balance is maintained between the processes of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the antioxidant (AO) defense system of the cell. However, under stressful conditions, the ROS content in cells rapidly increases and oxidative stress develops. Plant resistance to many environmental factors is determined by the plant's ability to maintain the coordinated course of physiological processes without causing their significant disruption under conditions stress. The relationship between LPO processes and nitrate reductase activity was observed in all wheat varieties. It was found that varieties reacted differently to fertilizer doses. A high negative correlation dependence r = -83 was found between LPO and NDA processes. Many pesticides, in addition to their main target effect, have additional effects on plants. Fungicides from the triazole class (Bayleton, Tilt, Fundazol) were studied. They all showed antioxidant properties. The strongest antioxidant effect was observed for the fungicide Tilt (propiconazole). Our results, regarding the close relationship between LPO and HPA processes, make it possible to use fungicides from the triazole class for increasing plant resistance to various stress factors, activating the antioxidant system in plant cells, increasing productivity. They areas chemical immunizers, they are capable of simultaneously restraining the development of diseases and affecting physiological and biochemical mechanisms that increase the resistance of plant organisms to phytopathogens and other stress factors.

Aim: to summarize up-to-date world data on current opportunities of drug therapy in treatment of symptomatic myoma accompanied with heavy menstrual bleeding and anemia.Materials and Methods. A search of publications was carried out in the main international databases published in Russian and English: PubMed/MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Embase, and eLibrary. The analysis included studies published over the last 10 years examining the clinical efficacy and safety of various groups of pharmacological agents used for treatment of uterine myoma combined with heavy menstrual bleeding in women of reproductive age.Results. Currently, treatment of uterine fibroids consists of the three major approaches: surgical, minimally invasive organpreserving methods, and pharmacotherapy. Until now, surgical intervention remains the main method of treatment, unfortunately being often performed in a foem of hysterectomy. However, today it is important to apply a personalized approach to the management of a female patient with symptomatic uterine myoma, taking into account her wish to preserve reproductive function. Advances in drug therapy greatly contributed to optimizing management of such patients.Conclusion. Treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids globally tends to lowering the number of radical interventions, as well as develop and improve new therapeutic approaches for. Currently, pharmacotherapy of leiomyoma can substantially improve the quality of patients' life, lower number of radical surgical interventions, optimize surgical treatment, and even fully negate, in some cases, a need for surgery.

The article presents the results of studies of the resistance of the breeding material of winter soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to the phytophagous beetle, cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus Z.). The research was conducted in 2019-2021 at the FSBI SCNIIGPSH VNC RAS. The objects of research were 128 varieties of winter soft wheat from the VIR collection, of various ecological and geographical origin. The purpose of the research is to study the gene pool of winter soft wheat and create a new source material for breeding for resistance to cereal leaf beetle. There are 31.3% of varieties that are resistant. They are Torrild, Mereke 70, Zhadyra, Kobra, Soraja, Fenezia, Dorota, Olivin, Zaritsa, Muza, Areal, Teslo, Kredo, Bizel, Frontana, Renan, Zysk, Biggar, AK biday, Alacris, Cina 7, Solara, Chornobrova, Batko, Zvytyaga, Astella, Lilit, Verita, Batum, Khmel'nychanka, Vatazbok, Markola, Zolotoy bezosty, Omskaya 5, Pionerskaya 32, Nebokrai, Lasuma, Blago, Kamyshlanka 4, Jadvisia. The correlation coefficient between the degree of leaf damage and an ear length is -0.56 (negative, average), between the degree of leaf damage and the number of grains in an ear is -0.68 (negative, strong), between the degree of leaf damage and the weight of the grain from an ear and the plant productivity index (PPI) is negative and very high -0.93 and -0.86, respectively. All productivity elements had significant correlation coefficients, but the highest are r = -0.93 (with the weight of grain from an ear) and r = -0.86 (plant productivity index). The source material for use in breeding programs for resistance to cereal leaf beetle has been isolated.

The article presents the results of immunological studies of varieties of winter wheat. We considered the issues of resistance to brown rust, intrapopulation diversity of Puccinia tritici f. sp. tritici Eriks, and methods of evaluation and selection of initial selection material with a wide genetic basis of resistance to the pathogen. The research was carried out at the field of the FSBRI of North-Caucasian research institute of Hill and Foot-hill Agriculture of Russian national research centre RAS (RSO-Alania), located in the foothill zone of the Central Caucasus in 2019-2021. Twenty-five samples of soft winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L) from the collection of Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry and forty-seven isogenic lines (Thatcher) with Lr. genes were used as objects of research. Evaluation for non-specific resistance was carried out according to five criteria: the type of reaction (in points) and the degree of damage (in percentage points), the increase rate of the area under the curve (AUDPC), the stability and plant productivity indexes (SI and PPI, respectively). Studies of the racial composition of the pathogen populations were carried out using a universal set of wheat lines and varieties of differentiators with known resistance genes. We revealed that the effective genes of resistance to the local brown rust population included Lr9, Lr19, Lr24, Lr25, Lr30, Lr32, Lr34, Lr36, Lr39, Lr41, Lr42, Lr45, Lr47, Lr51, Lr53, Lr67. When analysing the phenotypic composition, six phenotypic groups were identified: MHTT, PGTT, RHTT, NHKP, ТQТР, QHKP. Phenotypes of the T-group, which are virulent to Lr9, Lr16, with an occurrence frequency of 40.0%, are characteristic of all grain-sowing regions of Russia and the world. They are dominant in the studied population of P. triticina. Phenotypes RHTT, QHKP, MHTT, which are avirulent to the Lr9, Lr24 genes, occur in the population with a frequency of 13.3, 3.3, 10.0%, respectively. The occurrence frequency of the phenotypic group PGTT and NHKP with an avirulence to the genes, Lr9, Lr24, Lr26, Lr2a, Lr3, is 33.3%. Genetic diversity according to Shannon's diversity index within the population is high, H = 2.51. According to the screening results, we identified winter wheat varieties, which are resistant to brown rust. They are ranked as follows: resistant – 11 samples, medium–resistant – 9, susceptible – 5. The following varieties of soft winter wheat of foreign selection – Dorota (France), Genoveva (Slovakia), Areal (Ukraine), Eltan (the USA), Verita (Slovakia), Muza (Poland), Alauda (Germany), Fenezja (Poland), Vatazbok (Ukraine), and Russian varieties Prima and Omskaya 5 – are proposed to use in breeding work as sources of non-specific resistance to Puccinia triticina. The selected sources of resistance are recommended for inclusion in wheat breeding programs for resistance to brown rust.