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The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive algorithm for optimizing the interaction of economic entities with counterparties, taking into account the uncertainty of market conditions and the variety of behavioral strategies of participants. The developed algorithm aims to increase the stability and efficiency of the interactions between the economic entity under study and its counterparties, minimizing risks and optimizing cooperative and competitive strategies within the framework of existing market relations. The methodology uses game theory to devise interaction strategies using mutual influence indices, non-cooperative game principles, and payment matrices. The model analyzes various interaction scenarios with counterparties by using payment matrices and considering both competitive and cooperative conditions. The research methodology is supplemented by the calculation of integral estimates based on a set of financial and economic indicators, enabling the assessment of the impact of various interaction strategies on the overall efficiency of an economic entity. After testing the developed models, a set of data was obtained, which can be used to optimize strategic planning and manage the interaction of economic entities with counterparties. The developed algorithm is an effective tool for improving the operational analysis of enterprises, primarily in industrial sectors.

S. salivarius M18 administration has been proven to provide positive effects on periodontal health; however, there is still no consensus on the optimum duration of probiotic administration. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of three months of probiotic supplementation on bleeding on probing, signs of gingival inflammation, and dental biofilm. Sixty-two eligible individuals with gingivitis were enrolled in this placebo-controlled, double-blind trial and randomly allocated to the M18 or control groups. Primary outcomes were changes in gingival condition (gingival index, GI; gingival bleeding index, GBI) after 1, 2, and 3 months of lozenges administration and after a one-month washout. Secondary outcomes included changes in the Quigley–Hein plaque index (modified by Turesky et al.) after 1, 2, and 3 months of lozenges administration and after a washout. In total, 60 individuals completed the study (31 and 29 in the M18 group and the control group, respectively). No severe adverse events were reported. Probiotic supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in gingival bleeding at 1 month (effect size 1.09 [CI95%: 0.55–1.63]), 2 months (effect size 0.78 [CI95%: 0.26–1.30]), and 3 months (effect size 0.67 [CI95%: 0.15–1.18]) and a significant reduction in dental plaque accumulation at 2 months (effect size 0.63 [CI95%: 0.12–1.14]) and 3 months (effect size 0.55 [CI95%: 0.03–1.05]). A three-month supplementation with the probiotic resulted in a significant reduction in gingival bleeding and biofilm accumulation; however, a long-lasting effect is not expected, indicating the need for probiotic intake on a long-term basis.

This work describes a sapphire cryo-applicator with the ability to sense tissue freezing depth during cryosurgery by illumination of tissue and analyzing diffuse optical signals in a steady-state regime. The applicator was manufactured by the crystal growth technique and has several spatially resolved internal channels for accommodating optical fibers. The method of reconstructing freezing depth proposed in this work requires one illumination and two detection channels. The analysis of the detected intensities yields the estimation of the time evolution of the effective attenuation coefficient, which is compared with the theoretically calculated values obtained for a number of combinations of tissue parameters. The experimental test of the proposed applicator and approach for freezing depth reconstruction was performed using gelatin-based tissue phantom and rat liver tissue in vivo. It revealed the ability to estimate depth up to 8 mm. The in vivo study confirmed the feasibility of the applicator to sense the freezing depth of living tissues despite the possible diversity of their optical parameters. The results justify the potential of the described design of a sapphire instrument for cryosurgery.

Terahertz (THz) technology offers novel opportunities in biology and medicine, thanks to the unique features of THz-wave interactions with tissues and cells. Among them, we particularly notice strong sensitivity of THz waves to the tissue water, as a medium for biochemical reactions and a main endogenous marker for THz spectroscopy and imaging. Tissues of the brain have an exceptionally high content of water. This factor, along with the features of the structural organization and biochemistry of neuronal and glial tissues, makes the brain an exciting subject to study in the THz range. In this paper, progress and prospects of THz technology in neurodiagnostics are overviewed, including diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease, myelin deficit, tumors of the central nervous system (with an emphasis on brain gliomas), and traumatic brain injuries. Fundamental and applied challenges in study of the THz-wave – brain tissue interactions and development of the THz biomedical tools and systems for neurodiagnostics are discussed.

The normal system of ordinary differential equations, whose right-hand sides are the ratios of linear and nonlinear positive functions, is considered. A feature of these ratios is that some of their denominators can take on arbitrarily small nonzero values. (Thus, the modules of the corresponding derivatives can take arbitrarily large value.) In the sequel, the constructed system of differential equations is used to model strongly oscillating processes (for example, processes determined by the rhythms of electroencephalograms measured at certain points in the cerebral cortex). The obtained results can be used to diagnose human brain diseases.

The purpose of this study is to explain the impact of fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Russian currency on the inflow of FDI from the European Union to the Russian Federation in the period 2014–2020 in order to provide practical recommendations for the development of investment policy and FDI attraction. The author used a threestage methodology, including theoretical, statistical and empirical analyses. The theoretical positions of the influence of the value of the currency on the inflow of various types of FDI into the national economy are determined. It has been established that the increase in the value of the currency has a positive effect on the inflow of FDI and on industries focused on the domestic market of the country. The weakening of the real exchange rate of the ruble generally had a negative impact on FDI inflows into the Russian market. With the fall in the exchange rate, foreign firms targeting the Russian market have reduced their investments. At the same time, export-oriented firms have increased their presence in the form of fixed investment in Russia. Empirical confirmation of theoretical provisions allows using the obtained results when making decisions regarding investment policy and attracting FDI to the national economy.

The paper discusses the features of the acute respiratory virus infections’ (ARVIs) etiology, clinical manifestations and therapy, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature analysis has revealed typical trends in the ARVI etiology during the period of SARS-CoV-2 circulation. It has been shown that the rate of major respiratory pathogens decreased sharply during the period of high SARS-CoV-2 activity, while circulation of rhinovirus remained unchanged. This was due to the anti-epidemic measures introduced and the features of interactions between the viruses at the time of the new pandemic strain emergence. The end of the pandemic and the decrease in the SARS-CoV-2 rate during the 2022/2023 epidemic season were associated with the increase in both incidence rate and severity of ARVIs and influenza. Currently, the main reasons for this situation are discussed. These include removal of anti-epidemic restrictions, the decrease in population immunity during the isolation period, and the phenomenon of viral interference between the main pathogens causing ARVIs (rhinovirus, RSV, influenza virus). The article discusses the main directions of the ARVI therapy under current conditions.

Background. First-line therapy does not always provide a high level of Helicobacter pylori eradication due to the increase of H. pylori resistance to antibiotics; therefore, it remains necessary to identify the most effective rescue treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of empirical H. pylori furazolidone-containing regimens. Materials and methods. Adult H. pylori infected patients empirically treated with furazolidone-containing eradication regimens were registered in an international, prospective, multicenter non-intervention European registry on H. pylori management (Hp-EuReg). Data were collected at AEG-REDCap e-CRF from 2013 to 2021 and the quality was reviewed. Modified intention-to-treat (mITT) effectiveness analyses were performed. Results. Overall 106 patients received empirical furazolidone-containing therapy in Russia. Furazolidone was prescribed in a sequential scheme along with amoxicillin, clarithromycin and a proton pump inhibitor in 68 (64%) cases, triple regimens were prescribed in 28 (26%) patients and quadruple regimens in 10 (9.4%). Treatment duration of 7 days was assigned to 2 (1.9%) patients, 10-day eradication therapy in case of 80 (75%) and 14 days in 24 (23%) patients. Furazolidone was mainly used in first- (79%) and second-line (21%) regimens. The methods used to diagnose H. pylori infection were: histology (81%), stool antigen test (64%), 13C-urea breath test (6.6%), and rapid urease test (1.9%). The mITT effectiveness of sequential therapy was 100%; 93% with the triple therapy and 75.5% with quadruple therapy. Compliance was reported in 98% of cases. Adverse events were revealed in 5.7% of patients, mostly nausea (3.8%). No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion. Furazolidone containing eradication regimens appear to be an effective and safe empirical therapy in Russia.

The spread of digital technologies in the everyday life of citizens (social networks, streaming video, messengers) and in the socio-political sphere («smart city», e-government) has led to an increase in the power of transnational corporations specializing in the development and launch of these products and services on the market - digital TNCs. Thanks to the increase in financial power, such firms became actors that were able to influence the political sphere, for example, by influencing the views and attitudes of voters during electoral campaigns or mass protests, collecting confidential user data and providing it to intelligence agencies, etc. The purpose of the article is to characterize digital TNCs as actors with political power. To analyze the activities of digital TNCs at the present stage, the author applied the approach of Marius Busemeyer and Kathleen Thelen, who proposed to consider business representatives as actors with instrumental, structural and institutional sources of power. It is concluded that at the present stage, digital TNCs implement an instrumental and structural type of power, and also have the potential to implement institutional power, which involves the replacement of a number of government functions.

Background. The use of rating scales and questionnaires is essential in an evaluation of disease course, treatment response, the disability level and quality of life in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. The Medical Research Council (MRC) scale and its modification Medical Research Council sum score (MRCss) are widely used for measurement of motor deficit in patients with neuromuscular disorders. However, its usage is limited by the absence of the validated version for Russian-speaking patients.Aim. To validate MRCss scale in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with development of a Russian version.Materials and methods. We enrolled 50 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (25 with typical chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and 25 with Lewis–Sumner syndrome). At the first step we conducted linguocultural ratification according to the standard protocol. At the second step the psychometric parameters were evaluated, such as reliability, validity and sensitivity.Results. The developed Russian version of MRCss scale demonstrated the high level of reliability, validity and sensitivity.Conclusion. As a result, we developed a validated Russian version of MRCss scale, recommended for clinical practice and research.

In 2022, the incidence of swine (A/H1N1) influenza markedly increased. It causes acute lung injury similar to that caused by SARS-CoV-2. These practice guidelines focus on the management of patients with severe influenza: from the diagnostic algorithm to the specifics of therapy and the use of respiratory support techniques. The guidelines provide recommendations on the rational pharmacotherapy principles: antiviral, antibacterial, mucoactive, anticoagulant, and symptomatic. The need to avoid prescribing drugs that may worsen the condition of patients with A/H1N1 influenza that are effective in other viral lung diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, has been pointed out. A detailed review of the criteria for initiation and principles of respiratory support is given.

The article presents the results of student sports development monitoring in the Russian Federation. The main trends that determine the vector of development of this direction, including those within the framework of the implementation of the disciplines of the module “Physical culture and sports”, extracurricular work in the field of student sports, and the activities of student sports leagues are identified.

The study considers variational aspects of physical and mechanical properties of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood depending on conditions and growth areas in the boreal zone of the European Northeast. Anatomical traits of xylem and its strength properties were analyzed. Based on the data received, statistical processing of the material was carried out using correlation and multivariate analysis. The impact of hazardous air emissions on variation of linear dimensions in structural elements of the annual height increment in the trunk diameter was estimated. A varying nature of the influence of environmental factors on the formation of strength properties of P. sylvestris wood in growth areas was attested. The variation value of basic wood density decreases as soil and hydrological conditions of growth improve. A significant negative correlation between basic wood density and distance to sources of hazardous air emissions in the areas of concentration of industrial enterprises was established. The results of multivariate analysis make it possible to reveal the weight of the influence of environmental factors and biometric characteristics of wood on volumetric and strength properties of pine wood. Growth in the impact zone of air emissions from large industrial enterprises in the study area does not produce a significant effect on the dynamics of wood strength properties, taking into account various growth conditions. For Scots pine growing in the European Northeast, the study determined a significant impact of the size and structure of the annual height increment of the trunk in terms of diameter, as well as the position of the wood sample in terms of trunk volume, on strength properties of pine wood.

Introduction Shoulder dislocation is one of the most common shoulder injuries and occurs in all age groups. Methods for diagnosing and treatment of the middle and older age groups patients with acute injury currently remain open. Surgical treatment is usually applied only in cases of chronic instability. However, conservative treatment in cases with a missed rotator cuff tear leads to a dysfunction of the shoulder joint and can lead to the development of chronic pain and recurrent shoulder instability. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an algorithm for diagnosing the rotator cuff tear and to find the most optimal methods for its surgical correction. The purpose of the study was to compare the results of conservative and surgical treatment in patients of the middle and older age groups after traumatic dislocation of the shoulder, accompanied by rotator cuff tear. Materials and methods The study is based on a prospective analysis of examination and treatment of 114 patients with shoulder dislocation aged 18 to 89 years. Among all patients with rotator cuff tear, 19 patients were selected for conservative treatment and 24 patients for surgical refixation of the rotator cuff tendons. Results The result of treatment was assessed 12 months after the surgical operation or the injury using ULCA shoulder score, DASH and ASES. It was found the scores of patients who underwent surgery for rotator cuff tear were significantly better than in the patients treated conservatively. Conclusion Therefore, all patients of middle and older age groups with dislocation of the shoulder should be examined for the presence of rotator cuff tear. In case the rotator cuff is torn, surgical treatment is preferred over conservative treatment.

The atmospheric oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) represents a major natural source of atmospheric sulfate aerosols. However, there remain large uncertainties in our understanding of the underlying chemistry that governs the product distribution and sulfate yield from DMS oxidation. Here, chamber experiments were conducted to simulate gas-phase OH-initiated oxidation of DMS under a range of reaction conditions. Most importantly, the bimolecular lifetime (τbi) of the peroxy radical CH3SCH2OO was varied over several orders of magnitude, enabling the examination of the role of peroxy radical isomerization reactions on product formation. An array of analytical instruments was used to measure nearly all sulfur-containing species in the reaction mixture, and results were compared with a near-explicit chemical mechanism. When relative humidity was low, “sulfur closure” was achieved under both high-NO (τbi<0.1 s) and low-NO (τbi>10 s) conditions, though product distributions were substantially different in the two cases. Under high-NO conditions, approximately half the product sulfur was in the particle phase, as methane sulfonic acid (MSA) and sulfate, with most of the remainder as SO2 (which in the atmosphere would eventually oxidize to sulfate or be lost to deposition). Under low-NO conditions, hydroperoxymethyl thioformate (HPMTF, HOOCH2SCHO), formed from CH3SCH2OO isomerization, dominates the sulfur budget over the course of the experiment, suppressing or delaying the formation of SO2 and particulate matter. The isomerization rate constant of CH3SCH2OO at 295 K is found to be 0.13±0.03 s−1, in broad agreement with other recent laboratory measurements. The rate constants for the OH oxidation of key first-generation oxidation products (HPMTF and methyl thioformate, MTF) were also determined (kOH+HPMTF=2.1×10-11 cm3 molec.−1 s−1, kOH+MTF=1.35×10-11 cm3 molec.−1 s−1). Product measurements agree reasonably well with mechanistic predictions in terms of total sulfur distribution and concentrations of most individual species, though the mechanism overpredicts sulfate and underpredicts MSA under high-NO conditions. Lastly, results from high-relative-humidity conditions suggest efficient heterogenous loss of at least some gas-phase products.

The problem of antimicrobial therapy (AMT) for the new coronavirus infection has been the cornerstone of practical healthcare since its emergence to the present day. The article summarizes a number of problems concerning the unjustified prescription of AMT based on the data of foreign and domestic studies, as well as actual clinical practice. On the one hand, viral damage to the lung tissue during COVID-19 is difficult to distinguish from community-acquired or secondary bacterial pneumonia; it prompts clinicians to prevent possible bacterial complications in the lungs by prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics starting from the first day. On the other hand, the presence of clear clinical and biological markers of bacterial pneumonia; and COVID-19 makes it possible not to use antibiotics in routine practice, at least in the early stages of treatment. The introduction of procalcitonin as a biomarker of bacterial infection in COVID-19 into everyday clinical practice has a reasonable, methodical, and scientific approach to prescribing antibiotics.

Hydrodynamic discontinuities in an external potential and incompressible flow are investigated. Using the reaction front as an example in a 2D stream, an overdetermined system of equations is obtained that describes its motion in terms of the surface itself. Assuming that the harmonic flux approaching discontinuity is additional smooth, these equations can be used to determine the motion of this discontinuity without taking into account the influence of the flow behind the front, as well as the entire external flow. It is well known that for vanishingly low viscosity, the tangential and the integral relation on the boundary (Dirichlet, Neumann problems) connects normal component of the velocity. Knowing one of them along the boundary of the discontinuity, one can determine the entire external flow. However, assuming the external flow is smooth, this will also be the case for all derivatives of velocity with respect to coordinates and time. Then a paradox arises, knowing the position of the discontinuity and the velocity data at a point on its surface, it is possible to determine the motion of this discontinuity without taking into account the influence of the flow behind the front, as well as the entire external flow. There is no physical explanation for this mechanism. It is possible that a boundary layer is formed in front of the front, where viscosity plays a significant role and Euler equations are violated. It is argued that the classical idea of the motion of hydrodynamic discontinuities in the potential and incompressible flow in the external region should be corrected.

АКТУАЛЬНОСТЬ: Осложнения, возникающие при поддержании проходимости дыхательных путей, в практике анестезиолога-реаниматолога остаются наиболее опасными для жизни и здоровья пациента. Проблема прогнозирования трудных дыхательных путей (ТДП) изучается не одно десятилетие, однако до сих пор не решена. ЦЕЛЬ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ: Провести анализ литературы по теме диагностики ТДП. МАТЕРИАЛЫ И МЕТОДЫ: Литературный поиск по базам данных PubMed (MEDLINE), eLibrary, Google Scholar проводился за период с января 1985 г. по январь 2022 г. по ключевым словам: difficult airways prediction, difficult airways, difficult intubation, mask ventilation, endoscopy intubation, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), трудные дыхательные пути, трудная интубация, трудная ларингоскопия, масочная вентиляция, ультразвуковая диагностика, компьютерная томография (КТ), магнитно-резонансная томография (МРТ). Критерии включения: оригинальные, обзорные статьи, рандомизированные и нерандомизированные клинические исследования, метаанализы и систематические обзоры, посвященные диагностике ТДП. Критерии исключения: клинические случаи, комментарии к статьям, авторефераты диссертационных работ. РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ: Анализ литературы показал, что на сегодняшний день в практике врача анестезиолога-реаниматолога не существует убедительных тестов и симптомов диагностики ТДП. Инструментальные методы исследования позволяют с большей уверенностью диагностировать трудные дыхательные пути при различных клинических ситуациях и у различных категорий пациентов. Толщина языка, расстояние от кожи до надгортанника или голосовых складок, длинный надгортанник могут достаточно точно предсказывать трудности на различных этапах поддержания проходимости дыхательных путей от вентиляции лицевой маской до ларингоскопии и интубации трахеи. Наиболее оптимальным методом диагностики ТДП следует считать ультразвуковое исследование, которое в отличие от рентгенологических и магнитно-резонансных методов могут проводиться практически в любых условиях. ВЫВОДЫ: Инструментальные методы диагностики ТДП более эффективны по сравнению с физикальными.

Magnetic pulse welding (MPW) employs a strong pulsed magnetic field to accelerate parts against each other, thus forming an impact joint. Single-turn tool coils and field-shapers (FSs) used in MPW operate under the most demanding conditions, such as magnetic fields of 40–50 T with periods lasting tens of microseconds. With the use of conventional copper and bronze coils, intense thermo-mechanical stresses lead to the rapid degradation of the working bore. This work aimed to improve the efficiency of field-shapers and focused on the development of two- and four-slit FSs with a nanocomposite Cu 18Nb brazed wire acting as an inner current-carrying layer. The measured ratios of the magnetic field to the discharge current were 56.3 and 50.6 T/MA for the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. FEM calculations of the magnetic field generated showed variations of 6–9% and 3% for the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. The ovality percentages following copper tube compression were 27% and 7% for the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. The measured deviations in the weld-joining length were 11% and 1.4% in the two- and four-slit FSs, respectively. Compared to the previous experiments on an entirely steel inductor, the novel FS showed significantly better results in terms of its efficiency and the homogeneity of its magnetic field.

Consideration of sapphire shaped crystals as the material for manufacturing of medical instruments expands the opportunities of various approaches for diagnostics, exposure and treatment. Due to physical, mechanical and chemical properties of sapphire, as well as to its complex shape, such instruments are capable to demonstrate better performance for medical applications comparing to common tools. However, the manufacturing of high quality sapphire crystal with such geometry is still a complex issue, that usually requires application of various crystal growth techniques assisted with the automated weight control system. In this work, we consider one of such cases, that is the growth of a sapphire crystal, which can be applied for cryosurgery as an applicator due to a hollow-monolithic shape transition. Its hollow part can be filled with coolant in order to enable fast freezing of biological tissue during application. For this aim, it is of high importance to exclude the appearance of inclusions during the shape transition. To overcome this problem, we suggest using of noncapillary shaping (NCS) technique of crystal growth and study the weight signal measured during the manufacturing. We obtain the analytical description of the weight signal alteration that can be used as the program equation to control the crystal shape. We experimentally demonstrate the advantage of using such crystal for cryosurgery and obtaining faster ice-ball formation inside the model gelatin-based medium in comparison with the usage of the monolithic sapphire applicator of the same diameter. The demonstrated ability can be applied for future development of cryosurgical tools, while the analytical description of the weight signal could find its application for NCS manufacturing of sapphire crystals for other purposes.