bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF EDARAVONE ON THE MARKERS OF CARBONYL-OXIDATIVE STRESS IN RATS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Authors:   Dnipro State Medical University, Dnipro, TKACHENKO V.A.
Published: May 2024

In the condition of traumatic brain injury (TBI), the brain develops a series of complex metabolic changes, including protein carbonylation, enhanced lipid peroxidation, impaired neurotransmitter release, and imbalanced energy supply, that are associated with the development of different functional disorders so the search for preventive medications in this pathology is very important. Edaravone is considered a supplementary drug in the treatment of different functional disorders of the central nervous system, but the mechanisms of its protective action remain under question. Aim. This comparative research aimed to study the effects of edaravone on the biomarkers of carbonyl-oxidative stress (COS) in rats with traumatic brain injury. TBI was caused by mechanical damage with a metal weight (450 g) falling from a height of 170 cm. Methods. Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, protein carbonyls (PC370/PC430) were studied using spectrophotometry in serum and fraction S1 in brain cortex and hippocampus of experimental animals. Edaravone supplementation may provide significant protection against brain hemorrhagic complications by reducing COS and oxidative modification of proteins. Resylts. In our study, edaravone demonstrated moderate efficacy in reducing serum PC430 and AOPP levels, indicating its ability to attenuate TBI-induced oxidative damage. In addition to its systemic effects, edaravone exerted targeted effects on COS-modified proteins in the hippocampus, even though such biomarkers were not altered significantly by TBI alone. Concluson. Further research is necessary to elucidate the primary mechanisms of action of this drug based on the data obtained.
STABILITY OF OPERATING MODES OF AUTONOMOUS SELF-EXCITED INDUCTION GENERATORS
Authors:   National Technical University of Ukraine Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute,  Beresteiskyi Ave., 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine, Krasnoshapka N.D. , Pushkar M.V. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Beresteiskyi Ave., 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine, Pechenik M.V. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Beresteiskyi Ave., 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine, Goloveshkin D.O. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Beresteiskyi Ave., 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine, Kipichenko V.V. ,   National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Beresteiskyi Ave., 37, Kyiv, 03056, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

The paper presents the results of investigation the stability conditions of self-excited induction generators. A mathematical model of the generating system with an analytical description of the dependence of the magnetization inductance on the current is used. It allows to avoid the iterative procedure and to scale the dependence to determine the magnetization inductance for induction machines of different types and power. The influence of the load inductance on the stability of the generating system at different rotational speeds is investigated. It is shown that an increase in the inductance value increases the system stability margins in the self-excitation zone. Also this article deals with the issues of system stability within the self-excitation zone of an induction generator at different rotational speeds depending on the value of the capacitance of self-excitation capacitors. It is depicted that at low rotational speeds there may not exist a stable operation mode in the self-excitation zone regardless of the value of the capacitance in the motor stator circuit. This method of determination the stability of the operation modes of the generation system will be useful both for the design of new systems and for the modification and adjustment of existing ones. References 9, figures 4.
Sample path properties of multidimensional integral with respect to stochastic measure
Authors: Manikin Boris , Radchenko Vadym
Published: May 2024

The integral with respect to a multidimensional stochastic measure, assuming only its σ-additivity in probability, is studied. The continuity and differentiability of realizations of the integral are established.
Controlled voice quality modifications
Authors: Nechanský Tomáš , Houzar Alžběta , Bořil Tomáš , Skarnitzl Radek
Published: May 2024

Within-speaker variability, which results from the plasticity of speech production, is an inherent feature of speaker comparison. This study examines targeted modifications of voice quality, both phonatory and articulatory, in Czech. Fifteen speakers were instructed to read a text in 15 different versions (e.g. palatalised voice, denasalised voice, breathy phonation, or a combination of open jaw and creaky voice). Acoustic analyses revealed that F3 is relatively stable across various voice quality settings, while harmonicity and spectral slope indicators are sensitive to the phonatory modifications. A perceptual test, administered online to 120 participants, showed that palatalised, pharyngealised, creaky, and pressed voice were regarded as most different from the speakers’ habitual voices. Finally, automatic speaker recognition scores were very good with the targeted voice quality modifications, with LLR between 3 and 10. Pressed phonation turned out to have the greatest effect on all three types of analysis.
To the Iranian Etymology of the Ethnonyms Mari, Merya, Muroma
Authors:   Ural Federal University, Napolskikh Vladimir V. ,   Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
Published: May 2024

The article continues the exploration of the ethnonym *märə, previously reconstructed by the author and A. V. Savelyev, as evidenced in the self-designation of the Mari people and in the names of Merya and Muroma found in Russian chronicles. In Finno-Ugric literature, it is commonly sub-derived from the Aryan *márya- meaning ‘young man, warrior.’ However, within the current framework, the specific Aryan origin of this ethnonym, along with the time and circumstances of its adoption, remains unspecified. The Mari-Meryan *märə cannot be construed as an ethnonym meaning ‘human, man,’ as such semantics would be anachronistic in terms of ethnic designation typology. Instead, it is proposed that this word was borrowed as a socionym with the additional connotation of ‘husband’ into the ancestral language of Mari and Meryan around the first millennium BC. The Aryan *márya- denoted a class of free (possibly noble) young men forming military communities, where they undertook feats to attain a social status entitling them to acquire a wife, hence the meaning ‘groom, husband’. Indo-Aryan (including Mitanni Aryan) languages predominantly associated it with ‘warrior’ and ‘noble youth,’ while Iranian languages developed pejorative meanings (‘rascal; slave’) but retained the meaning ‘husband’. An Eastern Middle Iranian language is deemed a more plausible source for borrowing, both temporally and semantically. The etymology suggested in the article resolves the issue of the limited representation of Aryan *márya- primarily as ‘slave, servant’ in Eastern Iranian languages. The proposed derivation links Ossetian bal ‘group, squad, gang, pack (of wolves)’ < Alanian *mal < *márya-; likely borrowed into Proto-Marian-Meryan from a Scytho-Sarmatian language around the middle of the first millennium BC (prior to the transition *-ry- > -l-). The subsequent Turkic designation of the Mari as *čermiš (Chuvash śarmə̑s, Tatar čirməš > Russian cheremis) < Turkic *čär ‘to fight, to wage war’ may be a calque of this ancient ethnonym.
Revisiting the Mongolian Stratum of Kazakh Place Names
Authors:   Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russia, Dybo Anna V. ,   Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia,   Kalmyk State University, Elista, Russia, Baibossyn Ali Muratuly ,   L. N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Astana, Kasakhstan, Kenzhalin Kuanyshbek K. ,   L. N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Astana, Kasakhstan, Begimova Gulzhanat A. ,   L. N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Astana, Kasakhstan, Abdualiuly Bekzhan ,   L. N. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Astana, Kasakhstan, Khoninov Vyacheslav N. ,   Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Published: May 2024

The study examines a representative sample of toponyms located in the territory of Kazakhstan, that can potentially be of Mongolian origin. These toponyms are classified into three categories: 1) settlement names (oikonyms), 2) water body names (hydronyms), and 3) geographical feature names (oronyms). In cases of duplicate toponyms (oikonym and oronym), precedence is given to the geographical feature name, following the most common direction of toponymic transfer. The analysis investigates the significance of Mongolian names in the Kazakh language, encompassing motivational, word-formational, and etymological aspects, and proposes new hypotheses of their origin while considering earlier theories. The authors identify the main challenges faced by etymologists and toponymists and review previous authors’ unsuccessful etymological solutions. Errors detected in the data include references to Russified place names borrowed into contemporary Kazakh, inattention to early toponym records, neglect of phonetic changes in Kazakh and Mongolian, as well as their relative chronology, and disregard of potential phonetic adaptation patterns that one could expect based on the phonological peculiarities of both the source and receiving languages. The study aims to categorise place names according to the time and source of borrowing, each name being evaluated based on whether it was initially borrowed as a toponym or an appellative word that later integrated a Kazakh toponym. The analysis concludes that Kazakh toponymy of Mongolian origin (i.e. place names that were borrowed as toponyms) is predominantly recent and associated with the borders of two historical Mongolian states — the Dzungar and Kalmyk khanates.
Review of Recovery and Purification Processes of Rare Earth Elements from Nickel-Metal Hydride Spent Batteries
Authors: Widya Aryani M , Manaf Azwar , Prasetyo Erik , Susanti Diah , Handoko Anton Sapto , Nurjaman Fajar , Herlina Ulin , Siburian Rikson , Bahfie Fathan
Published: May 2024

The concept of a circular economy for rare earth elements (REEs) is being developed. The circular economy involves optimising the lifecycle of products to achieve sustainable and efficient consumption. REEs are considered critical elements of high economic value. Considering limited rare earth reserves, secondary source REEs are very important to sustainable use. Spent nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries are electronic waste containing valuable REEs. Ni-MH batteries that have reached their age limit, if thrown away, will become hazardous waste. Recycling Ni-MH battery waste efficiently enables REEs to be recovered and reused. The REE recovery process has challenges that must be considered such as efficiency, low REE concentration, environmental concerns and scalability, thus requiring the development of new, efficient recovery methods and processes for REE. Currently the hydrometallurgical method is preferred for REE recovery from Ni-MH batteries because it has high yields, low energy requirements, ease of separation from base metals and low greenhouse gas emissions. One such REE recovery using hydrochloric acid on a pilot scale yielded 91.6% lanthanum.
New Fuzzing Biases for Action Policy Testing
Authors: Eisenhut Jan , Schuler Xandra , Fišer Daniel , Höller Daniel , Christakis Maria , Hoffmann Jörg
Published: May 2024

Testing was recently proposed as a method to gain trust in learned
action policies in classical planning. Test cases in this setting are
states generated by a fuzzing process that performs random walks from
the initial state. A fuzzing bias attempts to bias these random walks
towards policy bugs, that is, states where the policy performs
sub-optimally. Prior work explored a simple fuzzing bias based on
policy-trace cost. Here, we investigate this topic more deeply. We
introduce three new fuzzing biases based on analyses of policy-trace
shape, estimating whether a trace is close to looping back on
itself, whether it contains detours, and whether its goal-distance
surface does not smoothly decline. Our experiments with two kinds of
neural action policies show that these new biases improve bug-finding
capabilities in many cases.
SayNav: Grounding Large Language Models for Dynamic Planning to Navigation in New Environments
Authors: Rajvanshi Abhinav , Sikka Karan , Lin Xiao , Lee Bhoram , Chiu Han-Pang , Velasquez Alvaro
Published: May 2024

Semantic reasoning and dynamic planning capabilities are crucial for an autonomous agent to perform complex navigation tasks in unknown environments. It requires a large amount of common-sense knowledge, that humans possess, to succeed in these tasks. We present SayNav, a new approach that leverages human knowledge from Large Language Models (LLMs) for efficient generalization to complex navigation tasks in unknown large-scale environments. SayNav uses a novel grounding mechanism, that incrementally builds a 3D scene graph of the explored environment as inputs to LLMs, for generating feasible and contextually appropriate high-level plans for navigation. The LLM-generated plan is then executed by a pre-trained low-level planner, that treats each planned step as a short-distance point-goal navigation sub-task. SayNav dynamically generates step-by-step instructions during navigation and continuously refines future steps based on newly perceived information. We evaluate SayNav on multi-object navigation (MultiON) task, that requires the agent to utilize a massive amount of human knowledge to efficiently search multiple different objects in an unknown environment. We also introduce a benchmark dataset for MultiON task employing ProcTHOR framework that provides large photo-realistic indoor environments with variety of objects. SayNav achieves state-of-the-art results and even outperforms an oracle based baseline with strong ground-truth assumptions by more than 8% in terms of success rate, highlighting its ability to generate dynamic plans for successfully locating objects in large-scale new environments. The code, benchmark dataset and demonstration videos are accessible at https://www.sri.com/ics/computer-vision/saynav.
Learning General Policies for Planning through GPT Models
Authors: Rossetti Nicholas , Tummolo Massimiliano , Gerevini Alfonso Emilio , Putelli Luca , Serina Ivan , Chiari Mattia , Olivato Matteo
Published: May 2024

Transformer-based architectures, such as T5, BERT and GPT, have demonstrated revolutionary capabilities in Natural Language Processing. Several studies showed that deep learning models using these architectures not only possess remarkable linguistic knowledge, but they also exhibit forms of factual knowledge, common sense, and even programming skills. However, the scientific community still debates about their reasoning capabilities, which have been recently tested in the context of automated AI planning; the literature presents mixed results, and the prevailing view is that current transformer-based models may not be adequate for planning. In this paper, we address this challenge differently. We introduce a GPT-based model customised for planning (PLANGPT) to learn a general policy for classical planning by training the model from scratch with a dataset of solved planning instances. Once PLANGPT has been trained for a domain, it can be used to generate a solution plan for an input problem instance in that domain. Our training procedure exploits automated planning knowledge to enhance the performance of the trained model. We build and evaluate our GPT model with several planning domains, and we compare its performance w.r.t. other recent deep learning techniques for generalised planning, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Decoupled Search for the Masses: A Novel Task Transformation for Classical Planning
Authors: Speck David , Gnad Daniel
Published: May 2024

Automated problem reformulation is a common technique in classical planning to identify and exploit problem structures. Decoupled search is an approach that automatically decomposes planning tasks based on their causal structure, often significantly reducing the search effort. However, its broad applicability is limited by the need for specialized algorithms. In this paper, we present an approach that embodies decoupled search for non-optimal planning through a novel task transformation. Specifically, given a task and a decomposition, we create a transformed task such that the state space of the transformed task is isomorphic to that of decoupled search on the original task. This eliminates the need for specialized algorithms and allows the use of various planning technology in the decoupled-search framework. Empirical evaluation shows that our method is empirically competitive with specialized decoupled algorithms and favorable to other related problem reformulation techniques.
Learning Generalised Policies for Numeric Planning
Authors: Wang Ryan Xiao , Thiébaux Sylvie
Published: May 2024

We extend Action Schema Networks (ASNets) to learn generalised policies for numeric planning, which features quantitative numeric state variables, preconditions and effects. We propose a neural network architecture that can reason about the numeric variables both directly and in context of other variables. We also develop a dynamic exploration algorithm for more efficient training, by better balancing the exploration versus learning tradeoff to account for the greater computational demand of numeric teacher planners. Experimentally, we find that the learned generalised policies are capable of outperforming traditional numeric planners on some domains, and the dynamic exploration algorithm to be on average much faster at learning effective generalised policies than the original ASNets training algorithm.
Impacto de la Vigilancia Basada en Eventos a nivel comunitario en países de bajos y medianos ingresos: un resumen estructurado de evidencia con metodología FRISBEE
Authors:   Universidad UTE, Hualpa Aida Nathaly , Angamarca-Iguago Jaime ,   Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC), Arcos-Villacís Nathaly ,   Universidad UTE, Simancas-Racines Daniel ,   Universidad UTE, Escobar-Naranjo Mónica ,   Ministerio de Salud Pública del Ecuador
Published: May 2024

Introducción: La Vigilancia Basada en Eventos a nivel comunitario es una herramienta clave en países de bajos y medianos ingresos para monitorear y responder a amenazas de salud pública. A pesar de su potencial para mejorar la salud comunitaria, existen interrogantes sobre su impacto real. Metodología: Se realizó una búsqueda en Epistemonikos, la mayor base de datos de revisiones sistemáticas en salud, la cual se mantenida mediante el cribado de múltiples fuentes de información, incluyendo PUBMED-MEDLINE, EMBASE, COCHRANE, entre otras. Se extrajeron los datos desde las revisiones identificadas, se analizaron los datos de los estudios primarios, se valoraron las revisiones encontradas utilizando la lista de verificación de evaluación crítica de Joanna Briggs Institute para revisiones sistemáticas, posteriormente se realizó y se preparó una matriz de resumen de los hallazgos encontrados. Resultados: Se identificaron cinco revisiones sistemáticas que aportan datos primarios sobre el impacto de la Vigilancia Basada en Eventos a nivel comunitario. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos sugieren que esta modalidad de vigilancia proporciona información valiosa que puede fortalecer la función de alerta temprana de los sistemas nacionales de vigilancia, podría influir positivamente en la salud comunitaria, pero se necesita más evidencia para confirmar su impacto definitivo.
Metodología en la optimización de bases de datos de los sistemas de información en salud de Ecuador para el monitoreo en tiempo real de eventos críticos para la vigilancia epidemiológica. Reporte de implementación
Authors:   AIpócrates, Villagrán Pancho Lenin Ernesto
Published: May 2024

Contar con datos oportunos, eficientes, y sistemas de información resilientes en el ámbito de la salud es fundamental para el monitoreo en tiempo real de eventos críticos que impactan la vigilancia epidemiológica y la salud pública. Este artículo se enfoca en mostrar una metodología para la optimización del funcionamiento de los motores de bases de datos de los sistemas de información del Ministerio de Salud Pública del Ecuador enfocado en enfermedades arbovirales y malaria, con el propósito de mejorar la capacidad de detección temprana, el análisis oportuno y la respuesta efectiva ante eventos de importancia epidemiológica.
A Bibliometric Study: General Equilibrium Models on Energy Economics
Authors: İpek Ezgi , Güre Pınar Derin
Published: May 2024

General equilibrium (GE) models are commonly used for economic impact analysis. They offer a benchmark for analyzing changes in the overall economy due to new policies, shocks, or technological improvements, using the data from the social accounting matrices and input-output tables. GE models are widely used for analyzing the areas of energy economics, as the focus on energy-related issues has become critical throughout the years. Therefore, a broad literature focuses on the GE models and energy economics. This study uses bibliometric analysis to examine the networks between the existing literature between 1990-2020. No other paper uses this method to focus on the selected literature. The data for the bibliometric analysis is subtracted from the Web of Science. The keywords are "computable general equilibrium, dynamic stochastic general equilibrium, and energy." Dynamic Stochastic Models are added to expand the scope of the dataset. In addition, the paper reviews the ten most cited articles based on the data retrieved from the Web of Science. The main results of the bibliometric analysis show that the GE models were highly used after 2005, with the introduction of international energy agreements. The focus of these models is usually renewable energy and mitigation policies.
Las cuatro fases para la conformación del paisaje cultural cafetalero
Authors:   Universidad Católica de Manizales, Sepúlveda Vargas Erik Marcelo
Published: May 2024

Entre el siglo XVII y XVIII aparece la palabra paisaje en la lengua castellana proveniente del italiano y el primer significado que adopta el término es el de pintura o dibujo y representa cierta extensión de terreno (Ganjes, 2003), como percepción de la realidad territorial que antecede el sentido estético de recrear la imagen. El medio físico era en el siglo XIX y principios del XX aquello que no es obra de las sociedades humanas sino de la naturaleza, entonces surge en la escuela francesa un discurso que sostiene el carácter decisivo de la acción humana y los procesos sociales en la construcción territorial, como explicación de las formas del paisaje.
La historia de la cultura
Authors:   Universidad Católica de Colombia, Ospina Hernández Carlos Arturo
Published: May 2024

Desde diferentes enfoques se constata que fenómenos como el eurocentrismo, la economía de mercado, la unilateralidad (en el concepto de cultura afectado por el concepto hegeliano zeitgest o espíritu de la época), además de la discriminación de los pueblos ágrafos como pueblos sin historia, la exclusión de la idea de recepción en lo referente a la tradición, los aportes de la antropología que han superado el concepto de raza para sustituirlo por el de cultura, y otra serie de consideraciones; han conducido a la historia por los caminos de una nueva temporalidad y a que la humanidad entera se vea reflejada en el espejo del multiculturalismo
Investigación-acción, desarrollo local e interculturalidad
Authors:   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Ecuador), Ortiz-T. Pablo
Published: May 2024

Cerca del fin de la década de los noventa, las organizaciones sociales del país necesitaban fortalecer sus habilidades para incrementar su influencia en la administración pública y en el control social. Era imperativo que fortalecieran su capacidad para impulsar procesos endógenos dentro de sus propias estructuras comunitarias, las cuales se veían afectadas por las crisis recurrentes y los impactos derivados de las políticas de ajuste neoliberal implementadas en aquellos años. La oferta académica de entonces en el país no alcanzaba a satisfacer las demandas planteadas por las organizaciones, sea porque había un énfasis técnico ajeno a las cuestiones sociales o porque lo crítico-social había omitido la dimensión técnica del procesamiento de las demandas sociales. En cualquier caso, había un déficit y una limitación.
L’apprentissage des savoir-faire locaux
Authors: KHIRI Mustapha
Published: May 2024

L’objectif de cet article est d’essayer de doter les chômeurs et les élèves de l’enseignement scolaire des ksour de la commune de Ghéris El-Ouloui de connaissances adéquates en savoir-faire locaux relatifs à l’agriculture locale et la maçonnerie traditionnelle pour qu’ils puissent exercer des métiers locaux en manque de main-d’œuvre.

Pour ce faire, une enquête a été menée pour comprendre les tenants et les aboutissants de la problématique de l’emploi et de l’exploitation des terres agricoles dans la zone d’étude.
L’étude a montré que pour assurer un bon apprentissage des savoir-faire locaux, le recours au parler tamazight local et l’arabe dialectal, comme langues d’enseignement, est inéluctable.
Du sensible au figural et retour
Authors: DE LUCA Valeria
Published: May 2024

Dans cette contribution, nous tenterons d'avancer la notion de performativité distribuée à partir d'une production artistique située à mi-chemin entre la performance, l'art interactif, le net art et le bio art, telle que l'installation "Sensible" du collectif Estudio Biopus (Buenos Aires). Cette approche vise à soulever, d'une part, les continuités historiques, sémantiques et conceptuelles qui peuvent être identifiées entre cette génération d'artistes-designers et l'héritage des happenings tels qu'ils se sont développés en Argentine. D'autre part, la notion de performativité distribuée nous permettra d'éclairer davantage la relation entre spectateur-acteur, technologie, interactivité, réalité augmentée, immersivité, caractérisant le panorama contemporain des arts performatifs.
INTERFERENCIJA SA BIOTINOM U IMUNOHEMIJSKIM TESTOVIMA
Authors: Serdarević Nafija
Published: May 2024

Uvod: Biotin, vitamin H ili vitamin B7, je topiv u vodi i neophodan je za reakcije karboksilacije, glukoneogenezu i metabolizam aminokiselina. Preporučena doza za odrasle je 0,03-0,06 mg/dan. Terapija visokim dozama biotina medicinski je indicirana za urođene pogreške metabolizma (nedostatak biotinidaze) i određene oblike alopecije, obično u dozama 5-10 mg/dan. U kliničkom ispitivanju je primjena biotina u dozi od 300 mg/dan kao tretman za progresivnu multiplu sklerozu.
Materijal i metode: Streptavidin i manjim dijelom avidin nekovalentno se vežu za biotin s posebno jakim afinitetom, a trajnost te interakcije iskorištava se u laboratorijskim tehnikama kao što su western blot, protočna citometrija, imunohistokemija i imunohemijski testovi. Prema trenutačnim istraživanjima, poznato je da biotin uzrokuje interferencije u imunohemijskim testovima. Biotin ima sposobnost vezanja na različite molekule (biotinilacija) uz minimalne promjene u funkcionalnih ili antigenskih svojstava. Interferencije sa biotinom uključuju brojne imunohemijske testove kao što su proteini i steroidni hormoni, tumorski markeri, mikronutrijenti i lijekovi.
Rezultati: Biotin može lažno povećati ili smanjiti rezultate u kompetitivnome i nekompetitivnome “sendvič” imunohemijskom testu. Niža povećanja vrijednosti obično se čine manje značajnima u usporedbi s visokim odstupanjima kod povišenih koncentracija biotina, ali mogu biti od terapijske i dijagnostičke važnosti. Osobito za procjenu hormona štitnjače (T3, T4, fT3, fT4), steroidnih hormona (kortizol, progesteron, testosteron i estradiol) kao i vitamina B12 i folne kiseline u slučaju postojeće interferencije biotina teško će se razlikovati deficit, referentna vrijednost odnosno povećanje. Interferencija sa biotinom mogla bi se ukloniti sa serijskim razblaženjem uzorka, ponavljanjem analize na drugoj metodi koja ne koristi biotin, utvrđivanjem koncentracije biotina i uklanjanjem biotina prije nego što se uzorak testira.
Zaključak: Preporuka je da pacijent prestane sa terapijom biotina 3 dana prije uzorkovanja krvi odnosno 14 dana ako se koriste visoke doze biotina.
Taxiphyllum densifolium (Taxiphyllaceae) és a mecseki völgyek moharitkaságai
Authors: Csiky János , Sipos Attila
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we deal with threatened and/or legally protected bryophytes found in the shady, forested valleys of the Mecsek Mountains, which are rare in national and/or local terms. Taxip­hyllum den­sifolium, a rare moss in Europe has stable colonies with sporophytes in two valleys. This study is the first to describe the spore characteristics of this species. The previously considered unique and legally pro­tected Rhynchostegiella teneriffae is nowadays so widespread in the Mecsek that it can no longer be consi­dered a vulnerable species (VU) in Hungary. We present the first population of the legally pro­tected Nec­kera pennata in Tolna county, and we also report on the recent, unusual occurren­ce of the data-deficient (DD) Fossombronia wondraczekii. We also list new populations of three other endangered (EN) species, Blindiadelphus recurvatus, Palustriella commutata and Porella arboris-vitae. Several vulnerable (VU) taxa such as Blepharostoma trichophyllum, Porella cordaeana, Sciuro-hypnum flotowianum, Seligeria pusilla, as well as new occurrences of near threatened (NT) mosses such as Mic­roeurhynchium pumilum (with sporophytes), Phaeoceros carolinianus are documented. In addition, the data on Rhynchostegium rotundi­folium in Jakab Mountain, which has not been recorded for more than 50 years, is confirmed. The difficul­ties of differentiating Hygroamblystegium species are briefly discus­sed.
Scientific Evidence of Social Impact to Eliminate Abuse: The PCCP Project of the Society of Jesus
Authors: Racionero-Plaza Sandra , Guiney John
Published: May 2024

Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to benefit from scientific knowledge. In the case of the social problem of sexual abuse, we already have scientific knowledge about what actions are most effective in prevention and response. The application of this knowledge is an indispensable tool to make real the commitment of the Catholic Church to support victims of sexual abuse in ecclesial contexts and to effectively prevent this grave adverse experience to occur again. This article claims the importance that safeguarding work in the Church has social impact. It examens the need to base safeguarding work in the Church on scientific evidence of social impact, dismantles myths regarding sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and non-clergy in the Church and outside, and shares Successful Actions in safeguarding. As pioneer of this scientific and social impact approach in safeguarding in the Church, the article also presents the worldwide strategy of the Jesuits to eliminate abuse: The Promotion of a Consistent Culture of Protection Project (PCCP). This large-scale project is already drawing a new path for society at large toward a world free from abuse.
GERMANY’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE RUSSIAN WIDE-SCALE INVASION IN UKRAINE
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Myronchuk Artem
Published: May 2024

The article analyses the main mechanisms of developing Germany’s security strategy in the context of key issues and prospective threats to European security in the 21st century. By examining changes in the overall security landscape and contemporary challenges to the global order, it analyzes how countries’ military security strategies shape approaches to defence and protection over a certain historical period. On the other hand, a detailed analysis of the prerequisites and course of military conflicts at the end of the 20th and the first decades of the 21st century allows the conclusion that those states capable of swiftly and effectively altering their approaches to security are able to resist external threats efficiently. To achieve this, a state must possess and continuously refine all doctrinal documents related to national defence matters. The German doctrinal documents regarding the definition of national security fundamentals are specifically studied. This is pertinent for understanding shifts in the views of the senior military and political leadership on how to adequately ensure the state’s integrity from external and internal threats. The article asserts that Germany’s leadership pays significant attention to general security issues, including purely military aspects. Moreover, such shifts in perspectives occur under changes in the global military-political environment, not only in Europe but worldwide. At the same time, the article examines the main sections of the latest National Security Strategy of Germany, which was approved in 2023. According to this document, one of Germany’s primary tasks today is direct participation in shaping a free international order committed to international law, the United Nations Charter, and sovereign equality of states. Therefore, emphasis is placed on the fact that such an approach to national security issues and Germany’s NATO membership are bases for providing significant military-technical assistance to Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.
Preparation and Characterization of Reference Material for Determination the Total Content and Exchangeable Forms of Metallic Elements in Soils
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Alekseev S. , Budnichenko I. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Husarova D. ,   LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY «UKRAVIT SCIENCE PARK», Cherkasy, Ukraine, Dobrozhan Yu. ,   State Scientific Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary expertise, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ischenko M. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Stanislaviv S. ,   The Institute of Food Resources of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

Reference material of soil for determination of total content of copper, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc, according to ISO 11466-2001, and for the operationally defined method of determination of exchangeable forms of these elements according to series of standards DSTU 4770, with ammonium acetate as an extractant is prepared and characterized. The studied material demonstrated sufficient homogeneity to exchangeable forms of metals and for the total content of copper, nickel, and zinc. The homogeneity of the material to manganese and iron is insufficient due to the presence of these metals in non-uniformly distributed magnetic microparticles (<10 μm). An interlaboratory experiment, performed to obtain assigned values of the sample characteristics, demonstrated sufficiently good agreement between the laboratories. An uncertainty of the assigned value corresponds to 30–50% for exchangeable forms of copper and nickel and 10–13% for exchangeable forms of iron, manganese, and zinc. An expanded uncertainty of assigned values of the total content of copper, nickel, and zinc is sufficient for the application of the material for methods validation and internal quality control.
Network Educational Programs: The Evolution of the Regulatory Approach and Issues of Practical Implementation of the Network Cooperation
Authors: Ilyina N. A. , Serova O. A.
Published: May 2024

The paper analyzes the development of regulation of network forms of interaction in the higher education system. The authors describe the main changes in regulatory requirements from dispositive regulation to the establishment of the priority of imperative rules. The paper defines the importance of networking as a form of cooperation and filling the shortage of resources in the higher education system. The importance of a dispositive approach to the regulation of online educational programs is substantiated. The authors propose a broader understanding of network forms of interaction beyond the implementation of educational programs, for example, in terms of creating network scientific laboratories. The paper identifies the main problems of applying new methodological recommendations to the construction of a financial model of network educational programs. It is proved that the financial mechanisms of reciprocal offsets between participants of a network educational project, fixed in the updated methodological recommendations and instructions, lead to greater uniformity in the activities of universities, but reduce the possibility of using proactive methods of building financial reciprocal offsets between network projects’ participants. It is necessary to detail the provisions of the instructional documents on «other methods provided for by law.» The authors provide their vision of the application of the legal structure of the agreement on joint activities to relations arising under network interaction in the field of education and science. The paper is based on the analysis of the results of Pskov State University Development Program and the construction of a network university model.
The impact of extended preoperative examination on the treatment tactics choice before the second stage of revision hip arthroplasty
Authors: Murylev Valery Y. , Parvizi Javad , Rudnev Alexander I. , Kukovenko Grigory A. , Elizarov Pavel M. , Muzychenkov Aleksey V. , Alekseev Semen S. , Erokhin Nikolay E. , Yakovlev Konstantin G.
Published: May 2024

Background. Reinfection and recurrence of periprosthetic infection rates during the second stage of revision hip arthroplasty (RHA) remain quite high. Performing preoperative diagnostic aspiration in patients with the installed hip spacer is a controversial issue.
Aims of the study: 1) to compare the diagnostic accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the used infection markers as a part of preoperative diagnostic protocols in order to exclude reinfection in patients with installed hip spacer before the second stage of RHA; 2) to analyze and compare the microbiological spectrum obtained at the stages of RHA.
Methods. Diagnostic accuracy parameters of the used infection markers were assessed in order to exclude reinfection/recurrence in 107 patients with installed hip spacer. All patients were divided into two groups. In Group 1 (prospective), blood tests as well as diagnostic aspiration of synovial fluid were performed within the extended diagnostic protocol. In Group 2 (retrospective), the examination was performed according to the screening preoperative diagnostic protocol including blood tests. The used reference range of inflammatory biomarkers was based on the “small criteria” of ICM 2018. According to the results of the intraoperative microbiological examination of peri-implant tissue samples at the first and second stages of RHA, the analysis of detected microflora was conducted in order to assess probable reinfection/recurrence.
Results. According to the results of the intraoperative microbiologic examination during the second stage of RHA, reinfection was detected in 40% of cases: in Group 1 — 9 cases, in Group 2 — 31 case. Synovial fluid was obtained from 85% of cases when preoperative diagnostic aspiration was performed. Synovial fluid could not be obtained in 15% cases (dry joint).
Conclusion. Performing preoperative diagnostic aspiration before the second stage of RHA in patients with the installed spacer allowed choosing correct treatment tactics in 9% of cases. The parameters of diagnostic accuracy accounted for 82,6%. In the structure of detected pathogens in case of recurrence and reinfection, the representatives of Gram-positive coagulase-negative flora were the most frequent.
Treatment of pectus excavatum in children with the vacuum bell: a literature review
Authors: Shominova Alena O. , Mitupov Zorikto B. , Razumovskij Aleksander Yu. , Nurik Vera I. , Gincu George S. , Pavlov Anatoliy A.
Published: May 2024

Pectus excavatum is the most common type of chest deformation with the sunken sternum and adjacent parts of the ribs. In recent decades, approach to the management of this pathology has changed, in many respects due to Eckhart Kloba’s invention a vacuum bell in 1992, which can be used both intraoperatively and as a non-invasive monotherapy.
Literary sources were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Elibrary databases. The following keywords were used for search in the English literature: «pectus excavatum», «funnel chest», «vacuum bell», «vacuum chest wall lifter», «suction cup», «minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE)», «intraoperative vacuum bell». In Russian-language literature sources, the key words were: “воронкообразная деформация грудной клетки», «консервативное лечение», «вакуумный колокол». More than 50 publications on this topic have been analyzed.
Patients of different age groups with pectus excavatum of varying severity were taken in the study. The effectiveness of treatment was mainly assessed by computed tomography measurements of deformity depth and the Haller index before and after treatment. Excellent correction results were achieved in 13.5–80% of patients with the vacuum bell. The authors have made an attempt to define how patient’s age, duration of treatment, pathology severity, and deformity type correlate with the effectiveness of vacuum bell treatment. The vacuum bell can also be used as a non-invasive lift of the sternum during Nuss thoracoplasty surgery.
Currently, there is no any unified tactics for the conservative management of patients with pectus excavatum, namely, unified indications, period of conservative treatment, and optimal patient’s age for vacuum bell application. In the available literature, there is no any criterion that could predict the success of conservative treatment; there are no follow-up data for more than 2 years. A more precise assessment of vacuum bell effectiveness in the treatment of patients with pectus excavatum should be confirmed in longer studies with a larger number of cases.
Traumatic brain injury in infants and little children (a literature review)
Authors: Mamatkulov Alisher D. , Zaitzeva Ekaterina S. , Semenova Zhanna B. , Ahadov Tolibdzhon A.
Published: May 2024

One of the acute problems of emergency neurosurgery is craniocerebral injury in children. Acuteness of the problem is determined by the disease frequency, high percentage of disability and mortality. Issues of medical and social research, diagnostics and treatment of craniocerebral trauma have not lost their relevance. Preventive measures, such as improved parental control and increased safety in the home surrounding, are being developed. Domestic and foreign literature sources on craniocerebral trauma in infants and young children for the last 15 years have been analysed . The search was done using keywords: “craniocerebral trauma”, “skull fractures” in such search engines as Google Scholar, eLibrary, PubMed and Medline. 243 sources were analysed, from which 45 articles were selected (21 domestic publications). These papers focused on specific aspects of traumatic brain injury in patients of different age categories. Infants and young children represent a specific group of traumatic brain injury victims due to specific anatomic and physiologic features. Better understanding of injury nature in infants and young children is necessary in order to improve traumatic brain injury prevention, diagnostics and treatment.
Meso-Rex bypass in a 7-month-old child with prehepatic portal hypertension
Authors: Zadvernyuk Aleksandr S. , Kulikova Nadezhda V. , Nurik Vera I. , Razumovskiy Aleksander Yu. , Knyazeva Natalia A.
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND: The prehepatic form of portal hypertension is the most common cause of portal hypertension in children. Nowadays mesoportal shunting is the most optimal therapy for such pathology. In the world literature, there are only few publications describing application of such surgical technique in children of the first year of life.
CLINICAL CASE DESCRIPTION: The article describes a case of a 7-month old child with prehepatic portal hypertension who had mesoportal bypass surgery. A month before the surgery, the child had an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding which was treated conservatively. Additional diagnostics before surgery included liver and spleen ultrasound examination, transarterial mesenteric portography, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The child was discharged home on the 6th postoperative day. For three months after the surgery, he received antiplatelet therapy and proton pump inhibitors. In 3-months, follow-up ultrasound showed satisfactory blood flow through the shunt. Patient’s weight gain had also a positive trend.
CONCLUSION: Mesoportal bypass surgery is technically achievable in children of the first year of life. In our opinion, patient’s age has a positive impact on creating a functioning mesoportal shunt: the younger the patient, the greater the likelihood of favorable outcome.
Thoracoabdominal localization of a teratodermoid tumor in a child
Authors: Bessarabov Viktor I.
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND: A benign teratodermoid tumor of thoracoabdominal localization is a rare condition in which one half of the formation is located in the pleural cavity, and covered with the visceral pleura of the right lung lower lobe and the other half is located in the right liver lobe The incidence of teratodermoid tumors of the thoracic-abdominal location is unknown; no such publications are found in the literature .
CLINICAL CASE DESCRIPTION: This article describes a clinical case of a child with a benign teratodermoid tumor of thoraco-abdominal localization, which was detected during X-ray examination of the chest organs because of respiratory disease. It is believed that surgical intervention is the only effective treatment for this pathology. During surgery, it was found out that the tumor had a dumbbell shape; its upper part was located in the chest cavity, and the symmetrical lower part-via a congenital hole in the diaphragm — was located in the right liver lobe. Despite of such unusual location, all tumor was enucleated.
CONCLUSION: This clinical case demonstrates the only described complete surgical removal of the tumor with rare thoracoabdominal location.