bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial analysis, temporal trend, and local risk of congenital syphilis new cases in Sergipe, Brazil
Authors: Da Silveira Kirlly Bezerra , Silva José Rodrigo Santos , Reis Francisco Prado , Dos Santos Allan Dantas , De Araújo Karina Conceição Gomes Machado , De Melo Ítalo Fernando Lisboa , Dos Santos Tarcísio Góis , Feitosa Vera Lúcia Corrêa
Published: April 2021

The present study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution and its temporal trend, and to identify areas of risk for the occurrence of congenital syphilis in Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil. An ecological study of time series and spatial analysis techniques was performed, with municipalities as units of analysis. Data were obtained from the Notifiable Diseases Information System and included all cases of congenital syphilis reported from 2007 to 2015 in Sergipe. The local empirical Bayesian method used to minimize the rate variance. Spatial autocorrelation was used to analyze spatial patterns. 2,381 new cases of congenital syphilis were recorded in the studied period. A unique trend was found to increase the incidence, ranging from 2.7 (2007) to 11 (2015) per 1,000 live births. The average incidence in the period was 7.63 cases per 1,000 live births. Moran's global index was I = 0.64 (p<0.01), indicating the existence of spatial dependence; the Moran map identified 20 municipalities as priority areas of attention in Sergipe. There was a tendency to increase the incidence of congenital syphilis during the study period (2007-2010). As of 2010, the disease continued to grow, but with less growth than in previous years. As of 2011, there was stabilization with a remaining incidence of around 11 cases per 1,000 live births until 2015. The geographical distribution of the risk areas was heterogeneous, both due to the breadth of the territory and the concentration of cases in some regions.
Lodo gerado em Estação de Tratamento de Água: Avaliação preliminar da toxicidade em plantas de milho
Authors: Bitencourt Gislayne de Araujo , Apolari João Paulo , Souza Gleison de , Monteiro Regina Teresa Rosim
Published: April 2021

O lodo é o principal resíduo gerado em Estação de Tratamento de Água (ETA), é oriundo do processo de potabilização da água, apresenta grande concentração de sólidos e, elementos químicos como o alumínio e ferro. Por esse motivo, o mesmo não pode ser descartado nos mananciais, necessitando de alternativas ambientalmente seguras para uma destinação adequada. O objetivo com esta pesquisa foi avaliar a toxicidade do lodo gerado em ETA associado ao bagaço e vinhaça de cana-de-açúcar na germinação e crescimento inicial de Zea mays L. A compostagem do lodo foi realizada por 60 dias, com uma mistura de bagaço e vinhaça inoculado com Pleurotus sajor-caju. O composto foi incorporado ao solo nas doses de 0; 1; 10 e 100 de composto/solo (g kg-1). Foram semeadas 10 sementes de Z. mays híbrido 2B433Hx da Dow Agrosciences, após sete dias foi realizado o desbaste deixando cinco plântulas em cada vaso. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. Após 21 dias de cultivo foram avaliadas: porcentagem de emergência; índice de velocidade de emergência; comprimento e massa seca de raízes e parte aérea. A dose de 100 g kg-1 promoveu reduções no comprimento de parte aérea e sintomas de deficiência nutricional ocasionados pelo excesso de alumínio, ferro e sódio no lodo. Para o uso seguro, recomendamos a dose de 10 g kg-1 do composto de lodo de ETA.
Resposta germinativa de sementes de cactáceas colunares sob diferentes regimes de temperatura e de potencial hídrico
Authors: Silva João Henrique Constantino Sales , Azerêdo Gilvaneide Alves de , Targino Vitor Araujo
Published: April 2021

O mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC. subsp. jamacaru) e o facheiro (Pilosocereus pachycladus F.Ritter subsp. pernambucoensis (F.Ritter) Zappi) são duas cactáceas colunares endêmicas do semiárido brasileiro, região caracterizada por apresentar áreas em que ocorre déficit hídrico. Assim sendo, este estudo objetivou avaliar o efeito do estresse hídrico sobre a germinação e o vigor de sementes dessas duas espécies sob diferentes temperaturas e potenciais hídricos. Para simular o estresse hídrico foram utilizadas soluções de polietilenoglicol (PEG 6000) nos seguintes potenciais hídricos: 0,0 (controle); -0,2; -0,4; -0,6 e -0,8 MPa. As sementes foram distribuídas em caixas tipo “gerbox” entre papel “mata borrão”, sob as temperaturas de 25 e 30 °C. A contagem do número de sementes germinadas foi realizada diariamente durante 21 dias após a protrusão radicular. As variáveis analisadas foram: teor de água (%), germinação (%), índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG) e tempo médio de germinação (TMG). O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado seguindo o esquema fatorial de 2 × 5 (temperatura × potencial hídrico) para cada espécie. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo sugerem que o C. jamacaru subsp. jamacaru e o P. pachycladus subsp. pernambucoensis são capazes de germinar em solos com baixa disponibilidade hídrica e que a redução dos níveis osmóticos das soluções de PEG 6000 no meio germinativo provoca decréscimos na viabilidade e vigor das sementes de mandacaru e facheiro. A 30 °C há menor tolerância das sementes ao estresse hídrico.
Improvement of nutritional quality of ruminant feed composed of soybean straw and ryegrass hay
Authors: Zen Cindiele Karen , Sartor Kátia Bitencourt , Silva Raíssa Vieira , Colla Luciane Maria , Reinehr Christian Oliveira
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study was to increase the nutritional value of two raw materials (soybean straw and ryegrass hay), in order to propose the use as feed for ruminants. Different technologies were used to develop the animal feed: addition of proteins, addition of Spirulina platensis biomass, solid state fermentation by Aspergillus niger, encapsulation of microalgae biomass (capsules with xanthan gum and chitosan), as well as the control tests. The chemical composition (moisture, crude protein, lipids, ash, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber) of the different treatments was determined. Although the solid state fermentation using the fungus Aspergillus niger did not decrease the fiber content, the addition of microalgae biomass in soybean straw and ryegrass hay improved the quality of bulky feed, increasing until 87% and 80% protein content of soybean straw and ryegrass hay, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of Spirulina biomass in soy straw, with gelatin or encapsulated, decreased the content of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. The bypass protein obtained using the encapsulated biomass allows the use of agro-industrial waste, adding nutritional value to bulky feed, which may increase the milk production by lactating cows.
Adsorbents obtained from black liquor residues: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation in the removal of textile dyes
Authors: Oliveira Mayara , Santos Vinícius Gonçalves , Carvalho Luciene Santos , Ruiz Doris , Silva Barbosa Igor Antunes , Das Virgens Cesário Francisco , Martins André Rosa
Published: April 2021

In this work, charcoal-type adsorbents were prepared from black liquor, a cellulose and paper industry residue rich in lignin and containing inorganic salts. During the preparation of adsorbent materials, black liquor was dried at 120 °C and then pyrolyzed at different temperatures (600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C) under a nitrogen atmosphere. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), measurement of specific surface area (BET), point of zero charges (PZC) determination, and evaluating of removal capacity of methylene blue dye. DRX results indicated the presence of crystalline phases of different salts, mainly sodium carbonate, on the surface of the produced carbonaceous materials from black liquor waste. Besides, a significant effect of the pyrolysis temperature on the charcoal crystallinity was observed. Materials presented low values of porosity and specific surface area, and similar morphologies. Solids' surface character was predominantly alkaline, according to PZC curves. All solids were efficient in removing 70 to 85% of the methylene blue's color.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae como modelo de ensino de toxicologia a estudantes do ensino médio
Authors: Vitorino Luciana Cristina , Vanin Lígia Gabriela de Sá , Bessa Layara Alexandre , Braghiroli Rodrigo
Published: April 2021

A levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae é comumente utilizada em bioensaios de toxicidade por ser um modelo eucariótico de fácil acesso e cultivo. Assim, este trabalho propõe um protocolo experimental de fácil replicação, utilizando esta levedura e químicos facilmente adquiridos no mercado, para possibilitar que o professor introduza, de forma prática, conceitos de toxicologia para estudantes do ensino médio. Para tanto, foi avaliado o percentual de mortalidade dessa levedura na presença de formulações comerciais de etanol e H2O2 e observado um comportamento linear da mortalidade com o aumento gradual da concentração dos químicos. Foi verificada toxicidade superior do peróxido, possivelmente associada ao estresse oxidativo. Este protocolo permite ao professor, demonstrar que a toxicidade está intimamente relacionada à concentração dos químicos e abre perspectivas para testes com outras amostras, sendo elas biológicas, como extratos vegetais ou químicas como águas residuais, agrotóxicos e outros.
Atividade física na rotina de indivíduos em tratamento para câncer de próstata em Vitória da Conquista e região
Authors: Muniz Yuri Pereira , Almeida Andrei Teixeira , Souza Cláudio Lima , Tomazi Laize
Published: April 2021

O câncer de Próstata (CaP) é uma neoplasia com vários estágios de evolução e frequentemente associada a homens de idade avançada. O presente trabalho teve o objetivo de analisar fatores associados a prática de atividade física em pacientes diagnosticados com (CaP) sob tratamento no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) em Vitória da Conquista (BA). Compuseram esta amostra 150 indivíduos com CaP com mais de 50 anos, atendidos na Unidade de Alta Complexidade em Oncologia (UNACON). Dados foram obtidos através de aplicação de questionário semiestruturado, aferição de medidas antropométricas e coleta de dados em prontuário médico. A análise incluiu estatística descritiva e de associação entre prática de atividade física e CaP considerando significância quando p<0,05. Dos 150 pacientes, 45,3% praticavam atividade física, sendo a caminhada a mais frequente. A subamostra de praticantes de atividade física apresentou 85,3% de indivíduos não brancos com idade média 71 anos ± 7,26. Houve associação entre prática de atividade física e idade inferior a 74 anos (p-value 0,002), e autopercepção de saúde boa/muito boa (p-value 0,001). A prática de atividade física é possível na vigência de doenças como câncer; se associando a melhor autopercepção de saúde e tendo o aumento da idade como fator limitante.
Hydrolysis of sheep's milk whey concentrate by membrane and evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties
Authors: Preci Daiane , Fernandes Ilizandra Aparecida , Valduga Eunice , Cansian Rogério Luis , Steffens Juliana , Steffens Clarice , Brião Vandré Barbosa
Published: April 2021

Sheep´s milk whey is an important source of protein and present functional properties. Studies related to the concentration of sheep´s milk whey proteins are still scarce in the literature. In order to improve not only the chemical, physical and functional properties of foods, but also the absorption characteristics of the proteins, without impairing the nutritional value, enzymatic hydrolysis process can be used. From the hydrolysis of whey proteins are generated bioactive peptides that have antioxidant and microbial activity. The aim of this study was to produce sheep's milk whey concentrate by ultrafiltration/diafiltration process and to perform the enzymatic hydrolysis using corolase H-pH in different times (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h) and evaluate the degree of hydrolysis, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential and protein fractions. The protein value found for diafiltered sheep's milk whey was 84% with protein fractions corresponded to β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin. The values of degree of hydrolysis were 12.07 and 15.55% in the evaluated times. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed in 1 h for Salmonella choleraesuise and Listeria monocytogenes and the high antioxidant activity was obtained for the maximum concentration tested (3.0 mg mL/L) in 6 h of hydrolysis. Therefore the diafiltered sheep's milk whey hydrolysed presented antimicrobial and antioxidant characteristics, presenting potential of application in foods.
In sit assessment of genotoxicity in tadpoles (Amphibia: Anura) in impacted and protected areas of Chapada Diamantina, Brazil
Authors: Silva Márcio Borba da , Fraga Ricardo Evangelista , Nishiyama Patrícia Belini , Costa Natália Layane Badaró , Da Silva Inaiara Sousa Siqueira , Brandão Deivson Araújo , Queiroz Tiago Sousa de , Rocha Mariane Amorim , Juncá Flora Acuña
Published: April 2021

We evaluated the genotoxic potential of surface water bodies in an area impacted by agrochemicals, in the Ibicoara-Mucugê agropole, Bahia and those within protected areas in Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil, using the micronucleus test as a biomarker in tadpole species native neotropicals. Our hypothesis is that the closer to agricultural farms, the more affected by mutagenic and genotoxic substances will be the environment and resident organisms. The micronucleus frequencies were determined in tadpoles of 11 species collected in 11 surface water bodies in coffee, corn, vegetable, and pumpkin plantations, as well as in adjacent sites within a protection area. Tadpoles of seven species found in agricultural sites exhibited higher frequencies of micronuclei compared to the six species from the protected locations. The species Bokermannohyla oxente and Leptodactylus latrans collected in agricultural areas exhibited the highest frequencies of micronucleated erythrocytes compared to the populations from the protected areas (p <0.05). Our results indicate that compounds present in surface water bodies in agricultural areas of the Ibicoara-Mucugê farm have genotoxic effects on anurans, showing the stress responses caused by agricultural activities associated with the use of complex mixtures of pesticides. Thus, anurans are excellent sentinel species in environmental monitoring, previously indicating the effect of xenobiotics on the environment.
Early alphabetic writing in the ancient Near East: the ‘missing link’ from Tel Lachish
Authors: Höflmayer Felix , Misgav Haggai , Webster Lyndelle , Streit Katharina
Published: April 2021

The origin of alphabetic script lies in second-millennium BC Bronze Age Levantine societies. A chronological gap, however, divides the earliest evidence from the Sinai and Egypt—dated to the nineteenth century BC—and from the thirteenth-century BC corpus in Palestine. Here, the authors report a newly discovered Late Bronze Age alphabetic inscription from Tel Lachish, Israel. Dating to the fifteenth century BC, this inscription is currently the oldest securely dated alphabetic inscription from the Southern Levant, and may therefore be regarded as the ‘missing link’. The proliferation of early alphabetic writing in the Southern Levant should be considered a product of Levantine-Egyptian interaction during the mid second millennium BC, rather than of later Egyptian domination.
State-Dependent Regulation of Cortical Processing Speed via Gain Modulation
Authors: Wyrick David , Mazzucato Luca
Published: April 2021

To thrive in dynamic environments, animals must be capable of rapidly and flexibly adapting behavioral responses to a changing context and internal state. Examples of behavioral flexibility include faster stimulus responses when attentive and slower responses when distracted. Contextual or state-dependent modulations may occur early in the cortical hierarchy and may be implemented via top-down projections from corticocortical or neuromodulatory pathways. However, the computational mechanisms mediating the effects of such projections are not known. Here, we introduce a theoretical framework to classify the effects of cell type-specific top-down perturbations on the information processing speed of cortical circuits. Our theory demonstrates that perturbation effects on stimulus processing can be predicted by intrinsic gain modulation, which controls the timescale of the circuit dynamics. Our theory leads to counterintuitive effects, such as improved performance with increased input variance. We tested the model predictions using large-scale electrophysiological recordings from the visual hierarchy in freely running mice, where we found that a decrease in single-cell intrinsic gain during locomotion led to an acceleration of visual processing. Our results establish a novel theory of cell type-specific perturbations, applicable to top-down modulation as well as optogenetic and pharmacological manipulations. Our theory links connectivity, dynamics, and information processing via gain modulation.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTTo thrive in dynamic environments, animals adapt their behavior to changing circumstances and different internal states. Examples of behavioral flexibility include faster responses to sensory stimuli when attentive and slower responses when distracted. Previous work suggested that contextual modulations may be implemented via top-down inputs to sensory cortex coming from higher brain areas or neuromodulatory pathways. Here, we introduce a theory explaining how the speed at which sensory cortex processes incoming information is adjusted by changes in these top-down projections, which control the timescale of neural activity. We tested our model predictions in freely running mice, revealing that locomotion accelerates visual processing. Our theory is applicable to internal modulation as well as optogenetic and pharmacological manipulations and links circuit connectivity, dynamics, and information processing.
Cognitive Explanations of Indian Perceptions of China
Authors: Cao Yongrong , Wu Hsin-Che , Huang Min-Hua
Published: April 2021

In recent years, the economic development of China and India and their border confrontations have intensified bilateral strategic competition. This study used the State of Democracy in South Asia survey to identify dual mindsets of competition and contingency that drive how Indians perceive China’s influence in Asia. These two mindsets are based on a cognitive schema characterized by a political predisposition against China. However, this negative orientation is moderated as more information is acquired regarding the impact of China on India. The competition mindset does not always manifest itself, and is only cognitively activated when a change is perceived in India’s power status. On the other hand, the contingent principle appears whenever competition seems to have abated, or disadvantage seems unavoidable. The mindsets of competition and contingency are not only relevant to the evolution of Sino–Indian relations, but also explain how Indian policymakers behave and respond in international society.
Writing Edessa into the Roman Empire*
Authors: Kee John
Published: April 2021

The Syriac tradition presents an exceptional opportunity to investigate how the people of a late Roman frontier articulated local community affiliation against the backdrop of the larger Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. Over the last decade, Syrian/Syriac identity and Roman identity in late antique Syria-Mesopotamia have emerged as topics of increasing interest. In concentrating on ethnicity, however, studies of specifically local affiliations have generally left unexamined the other modes of group identification which may have been equally or more salient. This essay fills that gap by excavating non-ethnic means of constructing local and regional identity in three Syriac texts written in and about Edessa in the pivotal century around 500 CE: the Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite, the Chronicle of Edessa (540), and Euphemia and the Goth.

Across their differences in date and genre, these three texts demonstrate a convergent set of strategies for reconciling Edessa and its neighbors to the Roman Empire at large. Crucially, all three project notions of local belonging which focus not on ethnic markers but on particular places: in the first instance, on the city. Drawing from cultural geography’s interdependent concept of “place,” the essay shows how in these texts local identity emerges from the interaction of city, church, and empire; Edessa’s connections to the wider Roman world serve not to negate but to articulate its specificity as a community. Moreover, such place-based means of identification could be extended to frame larger regional communities too, as Ps.-Joshua does in its most distinctive moments.
Investigating the role of osteoprotegerin gene polymorphic variants in osteoporosis
Authors: Yalaev Bulat I. , Tyurin Anton V. , Mirgalieva Regina Y. , Khusnutdinova Elza K. , Khusainova Rita I.
Published: April 2021

In recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS), several polymorphic loci of the osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene were significantly associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures in men over 50 years of age and postmenopausal women. The objective of our study was to search for associations of rs3102735, rs3134069, rs2073617, rs2073618, rs3102734 and rs7844539 of the OPG gene with the risk of osteoporotic fractures and the level of BMD in individual and comorbid conditions in men and women from the Volga-Ural region of Russia.
Material and Methods — 828 women and 496 men of various ethnic groups (Russians, Turks) were examined using two-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in the femoral neck and lumbar spine. 1324 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples were genotyped using a fluorescent endpoint genotyping system, after that we searched for associations of these polymorphic loci with fractures and low BMD levels of various localizations.
As a result, there was a significant association of rs3134069 and rs3102734 with fractures in general and in the peripheral parts of the skeleton, as well as rs7844539 and rs3102734 in women and rs2073618 in men with low BMD. Another significant association of rs3102734 and rs2073618 with low bone mineral density in the femoral neck was found in both genders.
Conclusion — Polymorphic variants rs3134069, rs3102734, rs7844539 and rs3102734 are potential markers of the risk of osteoporetic fractures and the formation of low BMD in men and women from the Volga-Ural region of Russia.
DNA vaccines and recombinant allergens with reduced allergenic activity treat allergies
Authors: Petrova Stanislava Yu. , Khlgatian Svetlana V. , Svirshchevskaya Elena V. , Vasilyeva Anna V. , Berzhets Valentina M.
Published: April 2021

This review is intended to familiarize readers with major novel directions of developing allergy vaccines, their structure, as well as the mechanisms of forming a new immunological response in the course of the treating immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases. Currently, science offers a huge variety of new experimental forms of recombinant allergens with reduced allergenic activity and increased immunogenicity, or vice-versa, immune tolerance. Often, the mechanisms of their effect on the immune system are not fully understood. Scientific publications, including reviews covering this topic, allowed us identifying top priority areas in the development of allergy vaccines: recombinant hypoallergenic allergen derivatives, T cell epitope-based allergy vaccines, and B cell epitope-based allergy vaccines. In addition, the review discusses use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccines. Immunotherapy with DNA vaccines is the newest and least studied method of treating allergic diseases.
Can conventional clinical chemistry tests help doctors in the monitoring of oncology patients?
Authors: Zaitsev Valery G. , Zheltova Anastasia A. , Martynova Svetlana A. , Tibirkova Elena V.
Published: April 2021

The use of laboratory assays in the diagnostic care of oncology patients can markedly increase the efficacy of cancer treatments. Many cancer-specific biomarker assays have been developed. However, the use of these has some limitations due to their cost. Moreover, not every diagnostic laboratory can perform a complete set of these assays. On the other hand, the smart use of conventional clinical chemistry tests could improve the management of cancer. They could be especially valuable tools in the long-term care of patients with a verified diagnosis. In this review, we discuss the utilization of the conventional clinical chemistry assays for the diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of various oncological diseases. The use of conventional blood tests to assess the levels of chemical elements, metabolites and proteins (including enzymatic activity measurements) in the care of oncology patients is discussed. We have shown that some clinical chemistry assays could be used in the management of distinct kinds of cancer.
Platelet-rich plasma administering in osteoarthrosis treatment
Authors: Basnaev Usein I. , Karakursakov Nariman E. , Mykhaylichenko Vyacheslav Yu. , Kriventsov Maxim A.
Published: April 2021

Background — According to the data from the published sources worldwide, about 10% of the world population suffers from osteoarthrosis. While searching for novel methods of osteoarthrosis treatment, we proposed administering intra-articular injections of autologous platelet-rich plasma.
The goal of this clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness of autologous platelet-rich plasma injections in osteoarthrosis patient treatment.
Methods — This open-label parallel-group study was a pilot randomized controlled trial. An analysis of the treatment outcomes for 128 patients with knee joint arthrosis was performed. All patients were split among three groups, and subjects in two of those were receiving conventional treatment. Clinical efficacy was calculated from pain intensity, determined using Visual Analog Scale, Lequesne index and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Inflammatory response intensity was assessed by superoxide dismutase content and erythrocyte catalase activity.
Results — It was demonstrated that administering platelet-rich plasma allowed achieving tangible clinical and laboratory results without any side effects and with very few contraindications. The latter included, for instance, blocking inflammatory process in the joints, thereby inhibiting the oxidative stress, which is the most pathogenetically substantiated treatment of osteoarthrosis.
Conclusion — Thus, we have discovered that platelet-rich plasma injections had apparent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, along with inhibiting action of destructive processes in the cartilaginous tissue, hence improving life quality of the patients with osteoarthrosis.
Risk factors for major low anterior resection syndrome: meta-analysis and systematic literature review
Authors: Khomyakov Evgeny A. , Nafedzov Islam O. , Fomenko Oksana Y. , Alekseyev Mikhail V. , Frolov Sergey A. , Tchernyshov Stanislav V. , Rybakov Evgeny G.
Published: April 2021

Introduction — Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) is a socially significant problem that impedes social adaptation and contributes to deterioration of life quality in patients.
The objective of this study was to search for the category of patients most prone to major LARS, as well as to identify the factors determining the severity of this syndrome manifestations.
Material and Methods — Systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The study selected publications that included the functional results of treatment of patients operated for rectal cancer. Functional impairments were assessed according to the international LARS Score. Statistical analysis was performed using the inverse-variance weighted average method (IVW) with calculation of the odds ratio logarithm and standard error of the mean.
Results — After a critical search and analysis of all literature sources, eight studies were found suitable for meta-analysis. In total, 1042 patients (796 men and 246 women) were included into statistical analysis, 409 of which (39.2%) had symptoms of major LARS. Chemotherapy was performed on 637 (62.5%) patients, while 568 subjects (55.5%) underwent radiation therapy, and anastomotic leaks were described in 89 (8.5%) people. According to the results of the meta-analysis, statistically significant factors were: preventative ostomy (OR=3.32, 95% CI 1.99-5.55, p<0.00001), chemotherapy (OR=1.98, 95% CI 1.23-3, 19, p=0.005), radiation therapy (OR=5.00, 95% CI 2.73-9.13, p <0.00001), anastomotic leaks (OR=2.93, 95% CI 2.30-3, 73, p<0.00001), anal verge distance from anastomosis site (OR=2.61, 95% CI 1.47-4.62, p=0.001).
Conclusion — The results of our meta-analysis allowed us identifying the group of rectal cancer patients most vulnerable to LARS. The risk of developing severe functional disorders is significantly higher in patients with low colorectal anastomosis, as well as in patients undergoing neoadjuvant radiation therapy.
Gender-related specificities of photoplethysmogram spectral assessment dynamics in healthy subjects during the passive tilt test
Authors: Simonyan Margarita A. , Borovkova Ekaterina I. , Ishbulatov Yurii M. , Skazkina Viktoriia V. , Karavaev Anatoly S. , Shvartz Vladimir A. , Kiselev Anton R.
Published: April 2021

The goal of our study was to investigate gender-related specificities of photoplethysmogram (PPG) spectral assessment dynamics in healthy individuals during the passive tilt test. Material and Methods — The study involved 38 men (33±7 years old) and 15 women (27±8 years old). The PPG signal was recorded for 10 minutes in the horizontal and vertical positions of the human body (passive tilt test). The following spectral parameters of PPG were calculated: HF%, LF%, and LF/HF. Results — In the horizontal body position, men had significantly higher values of the LF% index. In the course of the passive tilt test, an increase in HF% was observed by almost 1.5 times in men and by more than 5 times in women. Significant differences in the values of vegetative indicators were achieved: in women, HF% values exceeded those in men, while LF% values were noticeably lower. Conclusion — Men displayed signs (assessed by LF%) of augmented sympathetic activity, relative to women, at all stages of their passive tilt test. During the transition from the horizontal to the vertical position, a significant increase in respiratory influences (assessed by HF%) on PPG signal components was established, which was more pronounced in women.
Corporate image of an educational organization as a marketing tool for increasing competitiveness
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Kohan Natalia Vladimirovna , Oleynik Irina Sergeevna ,   Krasnoobskaya secondary school No. 2
Published: April 2021

The article characterizes the concept of the image of an educational organization, reveals the specifics of competitiveness in the field of education, the concept of “corporate image”, factors that influence the formation of an organization’s image. The monopolistic nature of competition in the field of education is indicated as the use of two different directions of competition, which is associated with the peculiarities of the educational service provided. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the marketing strategy of preference in the process of managing the corporate image of an educational organization in order to ensure its competitiveness and promote educational services, and identify optimal marketing technologies. The open character of the education system, the features of competitive processes are emphasized. The descriptions of marketing tools are given that allow the effective implementation of the targeted impact of the educational organization on the external environment. The result of the study is to determine the conditions for using the corporate image as a marketing tool for increasing the competitiveness of an educational organization.
Consulting support for the activities of the methodological service of a pre-school educational institution
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Marushak Evgenia Borisovna , Shkatova Natalia Yurievna ,   Department of Education of the Novosibirsk District of Novosibirsk Oblast
Published: April 2021

The article presents the theoretical basis of consulting in education. The authors have summarized the material that made it possible to identify consulting support as an innovative technology within the framework of the activity of the methodological service of a pre-school educational institution. depending on the subject of the consulting. The main approaches for advising teachers, specialists and leaders of pre-school education in the process of modernizing educational infrastructure are being considered. The factors influencing the development of educational consulting in the DPI are structured and divided into groups. The specificity of the process of implementing consulting support in the activities of the DOW methodological service is described.
The development of a pre-school educational institution in the organization of the city’s innovation platform by means of informatization
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Zhuravleva Natalia Nikolaevna , Mukhina Anna Ivanovna ,   ICDOU d/s No. 481
Published: April 2021

The article proposes to solve the problem of organizing the activities of the city’s innovation platform by means of informatization. The relevance of the topic is not in doubt, as the study of the phenomenon of innovative development of educational institutions by means of information culture and related phenomena and related processes is now in demand. Information education, on the one hand, is a pressing problem for resolution, and on the other hand – providing opportunities, that is, acting as a stimulating factor for the development of preschool education in an innovative mode. This paper highlights some aspects of the problem of education information, which are particularly relevant and possible for resolution at this stage in the conditions of preschool education. Creating and expanding a single informational educational space solves the challenges of developing the potential (cultural and technical) of such with as a pre-school educational institution, as well as improving the quality of preschool education, its accessibility, continuity, etc., with the active interaction of all participants in educational relations.
Innovative potential of educators – employees of the social and psychological center
Authors:   Dostoevsky Omsk State University, Chernobrovkina Svetlana Vladimirovna
Published: April 2021

The innovative potential of the organization’s employees is a significant factor in its competitiveness. Modern research shows that even in those organizations for which innovation is a fundamental type of labor activity, the innovative activity of workers in the structure of their general labor activity is not the leading one. The main difficulty lies in the inability of the company to organize effective mechanisms for identifying and managing the innovative potential of employees. In modern domestic psychological science, the phenomenon of the innovative potential of an organization’s employee has not been sufficiently studied. Innovation potential is viewed as a resource that allows an employee to participate in the implementation of the company’s innovative activities. Employees are carriers of the company’s innovative potential, while the innovative potential of employees is manifested in their willingness, first of all, to be involved in the innovation process in the role of executors, not initiators. Most of the studies devoted to the study of the innovative potential of personnel are carried out at large enterprises and business organizations. Our research expands the scope of studying the innovative potential of personnel. The study involved employees of a budgetary organization that provides psychological and pedagogical support to the population. The article presents the results of an empirical study of the innovative potential of employees of a budgetary organization – a social and psychological center that provides psychological, pedagogical and legal assistance to foster parents, graduates of boarding schools, children left without parental care. By means of factor analysis, a model of the innovative potential of the organization’s employees was built, the main directions of its support and development were determined.
Ukraine's metallurgical industry: output dynamics through the prism of external factors
Authors:   State Institution ", Venger Vitalij ,   Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine", Shumska Svitlana ,   State Institution "Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine"
Published: April 2021

Domestic metallurgical industry is an integral part of the world industry, and its development takes place in the context of global trends, such as constant growth of metallurgical production with simultaneous excess of smelting, increasing concentration of production, and increasing consumption and export of metal products in TOP-15 leading smelting countries. The main consequence of such trends is a significant intensification of competition on the global steel market. Despite the fact, that Ukraine’s metallurgical industry is an important participant in the global market of ferrous metals and raw materials for their production and has certain advantages in their production and export, like the whole Ukraine’s economy, is open and small in macroeconomic terms. This gives grounds to refer Ukraine’s metallurgical industry of to the category of "small open industry", which is characterized by export orientation, a small share of output in global output, exports, imports, and domestic consumption and, most importantly – by the lack of decisive influence on world prices. Since Ukraine’s metallurgical industry is small and open, and the vast majority of its products are shipped to world markets, it was suggested that the dynamics of metallurgical output is directly influenced by external factors such as world steel prices, the hryvnia exchange rate and the price for natural gas. The obtained results confirmed the hypothesis that Ukraine’s metallurgical industry throughout the entire study period was completely dependent on the action of external factors. In particular, the favorable price situation on the global market of metal products ensured a high dynamics of metallurgical output. At the same time, devaluation of Ukrainian national currency in different periods had different effects. The price for natural gas restrained the metallurgical output throughout the entire study period.
The debt crisis on Ukraine’s natural gas market and ways to solve it
Authors:   State Institution ", Yukhymets Roman ,   Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine"
Published: April 2021

The article considers the main reasons that have led to the debt crisis in the natural gas market of Ukraine due to the accumulation of debt from gas supply and gas distribution companies. The purpose of the study is to identify the main prerequisites for the formation of debt in different segments during the reform of the natural gas market through partial implementation of the requirements of European energy legislation. Having chosen the European vector of development Ukraine is interested in meeting the requirements of European policy within the framework of its international obligations and aspirations for European integration. This necessitates adaptation of the national institutional environment to the basic requirements of the Second and Third energy packages. According to the existing international obligations, the national natural gas market is undergoing significant changes towards liberalization and development of competitive environment. However, in the segment of retail market and supply of natural gas to household consumers for a long time the necessary changes in the institutional environment did not occur or temporary decisions were made, which did not contribute to solving the sector’s crisis, but only froze the existing model of relationships between various market participants. Reluctance to implement unpopular solutions in the supply of natural gas to household consumers and attempts to shift the increase in the cost of gas supply tariffs for the needs of the household consumers to other categories of consumers led to a constant redistribution of monopolistic influence and accumulation of significant debt between market participants. The article analyzes the causes of debt between various participants in the retail segment of the natural gas market, which makes it possible to identify the main factors of such debt. These factors include: the lack of a sufficient level of transparency in the tariff for natural gas supply and transportation services; the absence of a 100% accounting for various categories of consumers, which makes it necessary to establish consumption standards, which later become the object of significant abuse; the existing model of public service obligations, which, given the significant redistribution of natural gas, results in significant market distortions; and the imperfect approach to calculating the costs of gas distribution companies in terms of temperature coefficients in the tariff, provided that gas metering exists not in energy units, but in cubic meters. Based on the results obtained in the article, the author sets forwards various recommendations for the implementation of measures, whose main content is to eliminate the institutional prerequisites that lead to the risks of market failures, which may cause debt.
Approaches to optimizing the procedures of regulatory impact analysis: world experience and realities of Ukraine
Authors:   State Institution ", Nikiforuk Olena ,   Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine", Liashenko Ol'ha ,   State Institution "Institute for Economics and Forecasting, NAS of Ukraine"
Published: April 2021

The article investigates the experience of optimizing the institution of RIA in developed OECD countries and the European Commission, which allows to distinguish two main approaches to regulatory impact assessment, namely, using the full (classical) or simplified RIA models. The authors give particular attention to the principle of proportionality introduced in developed countries, whose essence is that the depth of analysis and evaluations should be proportional to the degree of the regulatory act’s impact on economy, on individual stakeholders, and on public interests. Considered the importance of selecting "economically significant" regulatory acts. The authors carry out an analysis of the introduction of specific filters for the selection of regulatory acts for RIA in developed countries, namely: 1) definition of types of regulatory acts or spheres of regulation, which are subject to RIA; 2) classification and selection of acts according to the degree of significance; 3) and the existence of exceptions in the field of RIA in accordance with current legislation. To establish the second filter, namely to select regulatory acts based on their importance, the authors propose to use, in Ukraine, first, the introduction of the principle of proportionality, which will introduce into the practice of the assessment of regulatory acts the simplified and complete RIA models; secondly, to introduce combined (quantitative and qualitative) criteria for assessing the significance of draft regulatory acts with determining possible economic consequences of their adoption and in compliance with the criteria of priority of public interests (support for economic growth by optimizing costs and corresponding increase in value added, in the state and local budgets and others); and third, a step-by-step algorithm for implementing the world's best RIA practices into the practice of state regulation in Ukraine.
Prospects and limitations in the modernization of securities settlement operations of in Ukraine
Authors:   Perspektiva Stock Exchange PJSC (Dnipro), Shishkov Stanislav
Published: April 2021

The article points to the critically insufficient compliance of Ukraine’s stock market infrastructure with the relevant international recommendations, first of all in the segment of securities settlements. The author states that despite the creation of market infrastructure in Ukraine and the possibility to avoid problems related to the evolutionary errors, the market participants face numerous difficulties, such as risks in legal empowerment and in the activities of key infrastructure actors, limited competition, excessive transaction costs, ongoing defragmentation of the system of depository accounting, as well as inconvenience and limitations of the existing risk management systems. The study on the evolution of securities settlement models in Ukraine revealed that the radical reform of infrastructure in 2013 led to contradictory consequences, in particular, the abuse by the settlement bank and the central counterparty of its monopolistic positions, active participation of this monopolist in high-profile market abuse, stagnation in clearing and settlement technologies, and a slowdown in the development of the derivatives market. It was found that, despite lengthy discussions, the updated legislation in the field of organized capital markets, which is designed to implement a number of EU laws and should enter into force in 2021, does not really rectify the problems in the existing infrastructure, in particular due to a rather dubious proposed procedure of securities setrtlement and conservation for a few more years of the monopoly in the field of settlement and clearing services. It is substantiated that Ukraine has constructive practical experience and skills that can allow to implement the best international standards for building a system of cash settlements in "central bank funds", organically integrated into Ukrainian payment system and able to adapt to European payment systems.