bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On non-axisymmetric buckling modes of inhomogeneous circular plates
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Bauer Svetlana M. , Voronkova Eva B. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: August 2021

Unsymmetrical buckling of nonuniform circular plates with elastically restrained edge and subjected to normal pressure is studied in this paper. The asymmetric part of the solution is sought in terms of multiples of the harmonics of the angular coordinate. A numerical method is employed to obtain the lowest load value at which waves in the circumferential direction can appear. The effect of material heterogeneity and boundary on the buckling load is examined. For a plate with elastically restrained edge, the buckling pressure and mode number increase with a rise of spring stiffness. Increasing of the elasticity modulus to the plate edge leads to increasing of the buckling pressure, but the mode number does not change. If the translational flexibility coefficient is small, decreasing of the elasticity modulus to the shell (plate) edge leads to sufficient lowering of the buckling pressure.
Natural frequencies of an inhomogeneous square thin plate
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Smirnov Andrey L. , Vasiliev Grigoriy P. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: August 2021

Plates, which geometric and physical parameters slightly differ from constant and depend only on the radial coordinate, are analyzed. For free vibration frequencies of a plate, which thickness and/or Young’s modulus depend on the radial coordinate asymptotic formulas are obtained by means of the perturbation method. As examples, free vibrations of a square plate with parameters linearly or parabolically depend on the radial coordinate, are examined. The double frequencies of square plates with similar edge support of all edges are of special interest, since any variation of the thickness or stiffness causes some loss of symmetry one may expect the split of double frequencies. The asymptotic formulas permit to determine, which of two equal unperturbed frequencies corresponding to wave numbers n and m increases faster with the small parameter. For a wide range of small parameter values, the asymptotic results for the lower vibration frequencies well agree with the results of finite element analysis with COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4.
Studying free hight-frequency vibrations of an inhomogeneous nanorod based on the nonlocal theory of elasticity
Authors:   Belarusian State University, Mikhasev Gennadi I.
Published: August 2021

Free high-frequency longitudinal vibrations of an inhomogeneous nanosized rod are studied on the basis of the nonlocal theory of elasticity. The upper part of spectrum with the wavelength comparable to the internal characteristic dimension of a nanorod is examined. An equations in the integral form with the Helmholtz kernel, incorporating both local and nonlocal phases, is used as the constitutive one. The original integro-differential equation is reduced to the forth-order differential equation with variable coefficients, the pair of additional boundary conditions being deduced. UsingWKB-method, a solution of the boundaryvalue problem is constructed in the form of the superposition of a main solution and edge effect integrals. As an alternative model, we consider the purely nonlocal (one-phase) differential model which allows estimating the upper part of spectrum of eigen-frequencies. Considering the nanorod with a variable cross-section area, we revealed a fair convergence of eigen-frequencies found in the framework of two models when the local fraction in the two-phase model vanishes.
Nonlinear dynamics of mode-localized MEMS accelerometer with two electrostatically coupled microbeam sensing elements
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Morozov Nikita F. ,   Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Indeitsev Dmitriy A. ,   Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Igumnova Vasilisa S. ,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Lukin Alexei V. ,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Popov Ivan A. ,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Shtukin Lev V. ,   Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
Published: August 2021

In the presented work, a model of a microelectromechanical accelerometer with two movable beam elements located between two fixed electrodes is proposed. The action of the transfer forces of inertia in the longitudinal direction leads to a change in the spectral properties of the system, which is a useful output signal of the sensor. The dynamics of the system in the presence of a weak electrostatic coupling between the sensitive elements is characterized by the phenomenon of modal localization - a significant change in the amplitude ratios for the forms of inphase and antiphase oscillations with small changes in the measured component of the acceleration vector of the moving object. Diagrams of equilibrium positions are plotted for varying the potential difference between a fixed electrode and a movable element and between two movable elements. The dependences of the frequencies and the ratio of the components of the eigenvectors on the magnitude of the inertial action are investigated. It is shown that the sensitivity of a sensor based on modal localization can be orders of magnitude higher than the sensitivity of known systems based on measuring the shift of natural frequencies. A nonlinear dynamic model of an accelerometer with external harmonic electrostatic excitation of oscillations is constructed. Resonance characteristics are obtained, a comparison is made between the model describing the modal characteristics of the system and the model describing the real dynamic mode of operation taking into account nonlinear factors.
Algebraic Bayesian networks: Checking backbone connectivity
Authors:   St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Maksimov Anatolii G. , Tulupyev Aleksandr L. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: August 2021

The paper investigates the construction of a joint graph as a global structure of network based on its primary structure, one of the problems arising in machine learning of bases of knowledge patterns with uncertainty, presented in the form of algebraic Bayesian networks. The aim of the research is to propose methods for solving the inverse problem. As the results, algorithms for checking a graph for belonging to a family of joint graphs and a family of minimal joint graphs are proposed, and estimates of their computational complexity are made. An improved version for the special case and an improvement for the general case on average are also proposed for the algorithm for checking membership in a family of joint graphs. The problem of recognition of joint graphs has not been previously researched; issue is being addressed for the first time as currently drafted. The theoretical significance lies in the possibilities for applying the results in further researches of graph-theoretic invariants in the global structures of algebraic Bayesian networks.
Russia-EU political relations: Evolution and prospects
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Danilov Dmitry
Published: August 2021

The article is devoted to the analysis of the evolution, nature and content of Russia-EU political relations, formally established by the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) of 1994. The paradigm of building a united Europe and a common European security space in line with overcoming post-bipolar confrontation and the emergence of post-Soviet Russia as well as the European Union, established in 1992, as new actors in international arena became the basis for their cooperative relations, which was built towards strategic partnership. It was strengthened at the turn of the 2000s, including on the basis of mutual strategies of relations, when Russia’s “European choice” was declared and the EU’s “new dynamics” in security and defense dimension were initiated. However, the NATO-centric model of European security and the policy of expanding Euro-Atlantic institutions to the East created a potential for conflict, and Russia-EU cooperation entered a phase of a latent crisis, especially as a result of differing interests in the so-called common neighborhood. Attempts at a new strategic start by the adoption of Russia-EU Roadmaps on the four common spaces and by planning the negotiations on a new basic agreement failed to overcome fundamental disagreements and contradictions. The Ukrainian conflict became the culmination of the Russian-European crisis and fundamentally changed the direction and content of Russia — EU relations. The defining of the future strategy of relations is becoming increasingly acute, which is considered in the article as a challenge of strategic choice for the parties. The author substantiates the prospect of overcoming the “new normality”, which is boils down to maintaining a controlled mutual deterrence, although it does not exclude the option of terminating the Russia-EU legal relations (“breakesit”).
Appointment of the European Commission as an indicator of European integration development
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Zaslavskaya Natalia
Published: August 2021

The article examines the evolution of the European Commission appointment procedure in the context of the institutional balance between the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Commission. The growing influence of the European Parliament on the appointment of the Commission and the nomination of its President is described as an indicator of the development of integration because it demonstrates how the EU supranational institutional system moves closer to the institutional systems of nation states. The European Parliament has gained power similar to national parliaments. The European elections’ results are taken into account during appointment of the European Commission. Despite remaining existing differences between the EU institutional system and national institutions, the author attempts to apply the Sartori concept in order to examine the dynamics of the EU institutional balance. As Sartori described, interaction between parties in national parliaments and governments and gradual transformation towards party government, similar tendencies could be found on the European level. The analysis of the theoretical interpretations, legal basis and practical experience of the European Commission’s appointment enables the author to determine the increased role of the European Parliament vis-à-vis other institutions and the growing importance of the European parties. The current procedure demonstrates a shift from the technocratic functional approach to an ideological approach leading to a growing importance of European politics.
Political Influence of Online Platforms: YouTube’s Place in European Politics
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kolotaev Yury , Kollnig Konrad ,   University of Oxford
Published: August 2021

Social media platforms are today one of the primary means of political expression and campaigning. The growing entanglement of politics with the online sphere raises interest in how these new types of media shape the social and political reality. While previous research tends to focus on Twitter and Facebook, limited works exists on the political influence of YouTube. This is even though YouTube is the second-most visited website and provides unique ways of engaging users and disseminating political messages through the combination of rich communication functionality with immersive audio-visual media content. Unfortunately, the influence of social media platforms such as YouTube on politics is difficult to analyse, due a lack of transparency and qualitative data. Independent researchers and the public have limited ways to access meaningful statistics about the video service. This article derives a taxonomy to classify YouTube’s ways of political influence from a case-study-driven analysis of YouTube in the European political landscape. Our taxonomy aligns with traditional theoretical concepts from media effects theory, particularly framing, priming and agenda-setting. We provide a brief discussion of the current regulatory landscape in the EU, and highlight gaps that might need improvement. We conclude by considering the question of whether YouTube is a political actor.
Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European states within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the ‘17+1’ mechanism
Authors:   Tomsk State University, Yun Sergey , Pakulin Vitaly ,   Tomsk State University
Published: August 2021

The Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is a large-scale geo-economic project which is an integral part of China’s contemporary foreign policy. The foundation of this project is the vast network of trade and transport communications by land and sea that encompasses countries of the Eurasian continent as well as Africa. The European destination is a key link of the project: most of the transit ways of the BRI lead to the EU and European countries. The Central and Eastern Europe region (CEE) occupies a special place in China’s strategy of the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative: the countries of this region are located on the main trade routes from China to the most developed European countries. Moreover, the CEE countries are in dire need of investment and infrastructure development. In 2012 China launched a multilateral cooperation mechanism with 16 CEE countries (in 2019 the number of participants increased to 17 due to the accession of Greece). This article aims at analyzing the structure and functioning of the mechanism, key areas of activity within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative, and the problems and prospects of cooperation between China and the CEE countries. The main hypothesis of the work is that China uses the ‘17 + 1’ mechanism as a tool for establishing bilateral cooperation with selected countries of the region. Such an approach evokes criticism from the CEE states, as well as EU institutions. The current situation shows that China needs to make adjustments to its strategy for the implementation of the BRI initiative in the region. The authors used legislation and materials from official websites of EU institutions, China and the CEE countries’ government agencies, statistical data and analytical papers by international organizations, as well as material from news agencies.
Analysis of water yield service of Lianshui River Basin in China based on ecosystem services flow model
Authors: Zou Yang , Mao DeHua
Published: August 2021

Water security assessment is very important to social development. However, most studies only focus on the status quo of water security in a static state and ignore the flow characteristics of water resources in water security assessment. This paper integrates multi-source data to construct a water supply and service supply–demand balance and spatial flow model in the Lianshui River Basin, simulates the spatial pattern of the service flow of the aquatic water ecosystem in the Lianshui River Basin from 1990 to 2018, and quantifies the service flow. Results show that: (1) From 1990 to 2018, the water supply in the Lianshui River Basin first decreased, then increased, and finally decreased. Water yield was the highest in 2010 and lowest in 2000. (2) Water demand increased year by year, and the amount of area with a poor water resource security index increased, indicating that water security was deteriorating. (3) The four main beneficiary areas in the basin are the urban area of Lianyuan City, the county seat of Shuangfeng County, the Louxing District of Loudi City, and the urban area of Xiangxiang City and nearby towns. The service flow showed the same changing trend as the water yield. In 2018, the water resource gap in the beneficiary area was as high as 4.49 billion m3. Local governments should actively build a water-saving society, improve the efficiency of industrial and agricultural water-saving and residents' awareness of water-saving, and improve the water resources in the river basin. The research can provide a scientific basis for realizing the sustainable development of water resources in the Lianshui River Basin and improving the ecological compensation mechanism, and can also provide references for water resources management in other river basins.
Smart metering technology and community participation: investigating household water usage and perceived value of hybrid water systems
Authors: Fornarelli R. , Anda M. , Dallas S. , Morrison G. M.
Published: August 2021

Hybrid water systems (HWSs) are emerging as an alternative decentralised and cost-effective approach for urban water management. Although continuous monitoring is recognised as an essential step to inform the planning and design of water services, a knowledge gap has been identified in the integration of water use monitoring, HWSs and community participation. This research compares water practices of households with and without HWSs, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. Water use data were collected at selected households via smart meters at 30 minute intervals. R computing software was used for data analytics and dashboard visualisation. Qualitative data on water practices was collected through one-to-one interviews, on-line surveys and community workshops. On a per capita basis, sites with HWSs have a 20% lower total water demand and 41% lower mains water demand than sites without HWSs. Depending on the level of sophistication of the installed HWS, the reduction of mains water use across the participants ranged from 20% to as high as 80%. Almost all sites with HWSs were able to meet the state government targets (40–60 kL/person/y) on annual per capita mains water usage. The seasonality of rainwater supply versus the weather-independent supply of greywater was observed in the data. The qualitative data collected during community engagement highlighted the importance of establishing a personal connection between the individual and the water resource and of involving the resident in the different stages of harvesting, using and disposing of water. This is expected to contribute to a higher perceived value of the water resources by improving awareness, making knowledge more accessible, improving the transparency between the community needs and the water utility decisions. To this end, the role of digital technologies in the water sector plays a role in assisting with the paradigm shift from centralised water networks to an integrated and community-empowered, centralised-hybrid water system.
Integrating IHACRES with a data-driven model to investigate the possibility of improving monthly flow estimates
Authors: Fattahi Parisa , Ashrafzadeh Afshin , Pirmoradian Nader , Vazifedoust Majid
Published: August 2021

Estimating the outflow of basins is a critical step in surface water resources planning and management, especially in basins that lack reliable long-term observed data of streamflow. Hydrological models, which can simulate the process of rainfall-runoff, can be used to obtain reliable estimates of streamflow from precipitation data and the physical characteristics of basins. The focus of the present study was to estimate the outflow of 19 sub-basins located in Guilan Province, northern Iran. To achieve this, hybrid models were developed by integrating the IHACRES (identification of unit hydrograph and component flows from rainfall, evapotranspiration, and streamflow) hydrological model with the intelligent-based GMDH (group method of data handling) model. The IHACRES model was calibrated using monthly ground-based precipitation and temperature data as well as satellite-based precipitation data. The lowest and highest Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NS) for the IHACRES models were, respectively, 0.14 and 0.68 in the calibration phase and 0.11 and 0.73 in the validation phase. It was also observed that using satellite-based precipitation data reduces NS by 10–75% in the 19 sub-basins under study. After calibrating and validating the IHACRES models, the hybrid models were developed by integrating IHACRES and GMDH models. The lowest and highest NS for the hybrid models were, respectively, 0.23 and 0.81 in the calibration phase and 0.11 and 0.81 in the validation phase. It was observed that, on average, integrating IHACRES and GMDH increases the NS by 44.1% in the calibration phase and 37.0% in the validation phase in comparison with the IHACRES model. According to the NS, the hybrid model had ‘acceptable’ performance in six sub-basins in which the IHCRES model had ‘unacceptable’ performance. It was observed that integrating the IHACRES model with a data-driven model (the GMDH model) can generally improve the simulation results in all sub-basins under study.
Modeling salinity risk response to irrigation practices for cotton production under film mulched drip irrigation in Xinjiang
Authors: Ning Songrui , Yan An , Zhou Beibei , Wang Quanjiu
Published: August 2021

Predicting the impacts of the irrigation amount (IA), water salinity (WS), and antecedent soil salinity (AS) on soil salinization, the crop yield, and water productivities (WPs) are important for precision agriculture. We used a calibrated HYDRUS − 2D model coupled with a validated crop water production function to quantitatively determine the response of a soil − cotton system to three factors (IA, WS, and AS) in 30 scenarios under film mulched drip irrigation. These scenarios included five IAs, two ASs, and three WSs. Under the same IA and WS, the transpiration, evapotranspiration, yield, and WPs were lower, whereas the evaporation, drainage, soil water storage, and leached salt were higher under higher AS (over the salt tolerance threshold of cotton) scenarios. Under lower AS scenarios, desalination processes (20.2 to 166.8 g m−2) occurred in freshwater (0.38 dS m−1) irrigation scenarios and salt accumulated (425.8 to 1,442.4 g m−2) in saline water (3.10 and 7.42 dS m−1) irrigation scenarios. Desalination processes (2,273.4 to 4,692 g m−2) occurred in the higher AS scenarios. Salinity risk warning should be the focus for cotton fields with lower AS and saline water irrigation. Our results may help to identify the salinity risk to support sustainable cotton production in Xinjiang.
Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity Through Natural Killer
(NK) Cells: Unlocking NK Cells for Future Immunotherapy
Authors: Chin Ding Sheng , Lim Crystale Siew Ying , Nordin Fazlina , Arifin Norsyahida , Jun Tye Gee
Published: August 2021

Background:

Natural killer (NK) cells have potent effector functions that can be further im-proved for therapeutic purposes through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Specific killing of virus-infected cells and cancer cells is modulated through target specific antibodies that subse-quently recruit NK cells for ADCC. NK cells produce cytokines similar to activated T cells, but is less persistent as NK cells have short-lived responses. These features benefit the development of customisable and more individualised cell-based therapies.

Objectives:

Preclinical studies with NK cells were promising and several clinical studies are ongoing to investigate their use in antibody therapies. However, more reliable ADCC assays are required for evaluat-ing NK cell activity to optimise therapeutic antibodies. The therapeutic potential of NK cell therapy could then be improved by harnessing ADCC.

Methods:

This review discusses recent studies on key components of NK cell-mediated ADCC, current clinical trials involving NK cells, ADCC assay developments and various techniques to improve ADCC.

Results:

Improvements can be made to NK-mediated ADCC through modifications of antibodies, effector cells and target antigens. Different aspects of antibodies were studied extensively, including modifying glycosylation patterns, novel production methods, combination regiments, bispecific antibodies, and con-jugated antibodies. Modification of NK cells and tumour surface markers could improve ADCC of even treatment-resistant cancer cells. Additives such as cytokines and other immunomodulatory agents can fur-ther augment ADCC to supplement NK cell-based therapies.

Conclusion:

ADCC improvements could be incorporated with current biological techniques such as adoptive transfer of NK cells and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells, to improve the outcome of NK cell-based therapy and pave the way for future immunotherapies.
Negatively-charged Liposome Nanoparticles Can Prevent Dyslipidemia and Atherosclerosis Progression in the Rabbit Model
Authors: Momtazi-Borojeni Amir Abbas , Abdollahi Elham , Jaafari Mahmoud R. , Banach Maciej , Watts Gerald F. , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: August 2021

Background and Aim:

Negatively charged nanoliposomes have a strong attraction towards
plasma lipoprotein particles and can thereby regulate lipid metabolism. Here, the impact of
such nanoliposomes on dyslipidaemia and progression of atherosclerosis was investigated in a rabbit
model.

Methods:

Two sets of negatively-charged nanoliposome formulations including [hydrogenated soy
phosphatidylcholine (HSPC)/1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphoglycerol (DSPG)] and [1,2-
Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DMPC)/1,2-Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine
(DMPG)/Cholesterol] were evaluated. Rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet were randomly divided
into 3 groups (n=5/group) intravenously administrated with HSPC/DSPG formulation (DSPG
group; 100 mmol/kg), DMPC/DMPG formulation (DMPG group; 100 mmol/kg), or the normal
saline (control group; 0.9% NaCl) over a 4-week period. The atherosclerotic lesions of the aortic
arch wall were studied using haematoxylin and eosin staining.

Results:

Both DSPG and DMPG nanoliposome formulations showed a nano-sized range in diameter
with a negatively-charged surface and a polydispersity index of <0.1. After 4 weeks administration,
the nanoliposome formulations decreased triglycerides (-62±3% [DSPG group] and -58±2%
[DMPG group]), total cholesterol (-58±9% [DSPG group] and -37±5% [DMPG group]), and lowdensity
lipoprotein cholesterol (-64±6% [DSPG group] and -53±10% [DMPG group]) levels, and
increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+67±28% [DSPG group] and +35±19% [DMPG
group]) levels compared with the controls. The nanoliposomes showed a significant decrease in the
severity of atherosclerotic lesions: mean values of the intima to media ratio in DMPG (0.96±0.1
fold) and DSPG (0.54±0.02 fold) groups were found to be significantly lower than that in the control
(1.2±0.2 fold) group (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Anionic nanoliposomes containing [HSPC/DSPG] and [DMPC/DMPG] correct dyslipidaemia
and inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis.
Clinical Efficacy of Cerebrolysin and Cerebrolysin plus Nootropics in the Treatment of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke in Vietnam
Authors: Tran Luc , Alvarez X. Anton , Le Hoang-Anh , Nguyen Dat-Anh , Le Thinh , Nguyen Ngoc , Nguyen Thang , Nguyen Tai , Vo Tan , Tran Tuan , Duong Chinh , Nguyen Huyen , Nguyen Sam , Nguyen Hien , Le Thanh , Nguyen Minh , Nguyen Thang
Published: August 2021

Aims:

To investigate the efficacy and safety of Cerebrolysin and Cerebrolysin plus nootropics in the routine treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Background:

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a leading cause of disability with unmet treatment needs lacking effective drug therapy. Multimodal drugs modulating stroke pathophysiology as Cerebrolysin constitute a good therapeutic option.

Objective:

In this study, we assessed the effects of Cerebrolysin and Cerebrolysin plus nootropics, in comparison with other nootropic drugs alone, on functional, neurological and cognitive recovery of patients with AIS in Vietnam.

Methods.:

This non-interventional, controlled, open-label, prospective and multicenter study included 398 AIS patients (234 males) treated with Cerebrolysin (n=190; 20 i.v. infusions of 10 ml), other nootropics (comparator group; n=86), or a combination of both (n=122). The study primary endpoint was the modified Ranking Scale (mRS) score on day 90. Secondary endpoints included study-period change in NIHSS score; percentage of well-recovered (mRS 0-2) patients, the proportion of good NIHSS response (≥6 points) cases, and MoCA scores at day 90; and safety indicators.

Results:

Compared with other nootropics, both Cerebrolysin and combined therapy induced significant improvements (p<0.001) in: Functional recovery (mRS scores); percentage of well-recovered patients (Cerebrolysin: 81.6%; combination: 93.4%; comparator: 43.0%); neurological recovery (study- period NIHSS change); proportion of good NIHSS responders (Cerebrolysin: 77.5%; combination: 92.5%; comparator: 47.6%); and MoCA scores (Cerebrolysin: 23.3±4.8; combination: 23.7±4.1; comparator: 15.9±7.7). Compared to Cerebrolysin, combined therapy improved (p<0.01) mRS outcomes and NIHSS change, but not MoCA scores, in moderate-severe stroke (NIHSS>11) cases only. No drug-related adverse events were reported.

Conclusion:

Cerebrolysin alone or combined with other nootropics was effective and safe in routine AIS treatment, during both acute and recovery phases, which supports its use in daily clinical practice.

Other:

According to the results of this multicenter study, the importance of reducing differences in the treatment regimens of AIS in Vietnam should be further emphasized.
The Outcomes of Small-Molecule Kinase Inhibitors and the Role of
ROCK2 as a Molecular Target for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Tolomeu Heber Victor , Fraga Carlos Alberto Manssour
Published: August 2021

Background:

Alzheimer's disease is rapidly becoming a major threat to public health,
with an increasing number of individuals affected as the world's population ages. In this sense, studies
have been carried out aiming at the identification of new small-molecule kinase inhibitors useful
for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Objective:

In the present study, we investigated the compounds developed as inhibitors of different
protein kinases associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Methods:

The applied methodology was the use of the Clarivate Analytics Integrity and ClinicalTrials.
com databases. Moreover, we highlight ROCK2 as a promising target despite being little studied
for this purpose. A careful structure-activity relationship analysis of the ROCK2 inhibitors was performed
to identify important structural features and fragments for the interaction with the kinase active
site, aiming to rationally design novel potent and selective inhibitors.

Results:

We were able to notice some structural characteristics that could serve as the basis to better
guide the rational design of new ROCK2 inhibitors as well as some more in-depth characteristics
regarding the topology of the active site of both isoforms of these enzymes, thereby identifying differences
that could lead to planning more selective compounds.

Conclusion:

We hope that this work can be useful to update researchers working in this area, enabling
the emergence of new ideas and a greater direction of efforts for designing new ROCK2 inhibitors
to identify new therapeutic alternatives for Alzheimer's disease.
Implication of Covid-19 on Neurological Complications with Specific Emphasis
on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Sood Ankita , Goyal Ravi , Singh Harshdeep , Behl Tapan , Arora Sandeep , Saini Balraj , Kaur Rajwinder
Published: August 2021

:

It is noticeable how the novel coronavirus has spread from the Wuhan region of China
to the whole world, devastating the lives of people worldwide. All the data related to the precautionary
measures, diagnosis, treatment, and even the epidemiological data are being made freely accessible
and reachable in a very little time as well as being rapidly published to save humankind from
this pandemic. There might be neurological complications of COVID-19 and patients suffering
from neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease might have
repercussions as a result of the pandemic. In this review article, we have discussed the effect of
SARS-CoV-2 viral infection on the people affected with neurodegenerative disorders such as
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. It primarily emphasizes two issues, i.e., vulnerability to infection and
modifications of course of the disease concerning the clinical neurological manifestations, the advancement
of the disease and novel approaches to support health care professionals in disease management,
the susceptibility to these diseases, and impact on the severity of disease and management.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: time for changes
Authors: Yefimenko T.I. , Mykytyuk M.R.
Published: August 2021

The review contains updated information on the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We searched for terms including NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus in literature published over the past 5 years using the Scopus, Web of Science, CyberLeninka, PubMed databases. The concept of NAFLD includes two morphological forms of the disease with different prognosis: non-alcoholic fatty hepatosis and NASH. The severity of NASH is quite variable, including fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD, a spectrum of fatty liver disorders of viral, autoimmune, drug-induced, and genetic origin, which are not caused by alcohol abuse, has recently been renamed as metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The average prevalence of NAFLD is approximately 25% among the adult population worldwide, and in some regions exceeds 30%. An increase in the prevalence of this pathology is in parallel with the global epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the world. It is time to reach a general consensus in the scientific community on changing the nomenclature and moving from a negative to a positive definition of NAFLD/NASH. The new nomenclature points to the “positive” determinants of the disease, namely the close relationship with metabolic disorders, instead of defining it as what it is not (ie. non-alcoholic). The MAFLD abbreviation more accurately discloses existing knowledge about fatty liver diseases associated with metabolic dysfunction and should replace NAFLD/NASH, as this will stimulate the research community’s efforts to update the disease nomenclature and subphenotype and accelerate the transition to new treatments. It is important that primary care physicians, endocrinologists, and other specialists are aware of the extent and long-term consequences of NAFLD. Early identification of patients with NASH can help improve treatment outcomes, avoid liver transplantation in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. There are currently no effective treatments for NAFLD, so it is important to follow a multidisciplinary approach, which means using measures to improve prognosis, reduce the risk of death associated with NAFLD, the development of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Epidemiological data suggest a close relationship between unhealthy lifestyles and NAFLD, so lifestyle adjustments are needed to all patients. Insulin sensitizers, statins, ezetimibe, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, hepatoprotectors, antioxidants, incretin analogues, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, pentoxifylline, probiotics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and endocannabinoid antagonists are used in the treatment of NAFLD.
Heart disease as a permanent problem
Authors: Mostepan T.V. , Shekera O.G. , Horachuk V.V. , Dolzhenko M.M.
Published: August 2021

Background. Chronic noncommunicable diseases remain actual for a long time due to their impact on life expectancy and health of the world's population. Heart diseases as representatives of chronic non-infectious diseases are extremely actual. They remain the leading cause of disability and premature death for humankind. The purpose of the study: to analyze the incidence and mortality of the population from heart diseases in certain developed countries of the world, European countries, in particular in Ukraine, the risk factors that cause them, and to determine possible directions of preventive and rehabilitation strategies to improve the epidemic situation in Ukraine. Materials and methods. Data from meta-analyzes and systematic reviews from academic databases; data from state and health care statistics; methods: bibliosemantic, comparative, medical and statistical analysis, generalization. Results. It was found that the number of years lived by mankind with disabilities increased by 4.5% over 10 years due to heart diseases. It is shown that the level of morbidity and mortality is significantly higher in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, in particular, in Ukraine, in comparison with Sweden, Great Britain, Canada, the USA and Western European countries. It was revealed that the highest levels of mortality caused by risk factors for the population of all these countries and regions are associated with High Blood Pressure, nutrition, High Blood Cholesterol, however, in terms of values, they significantly prevail in the countries of Eastern Europe, in particular, in Ukraine, with an increase over 2009 – 2019 due to High Blood Pressure – from 494.88 to 536.51 per 100 thousand people, nutrition – from 397.29 to 430.66 per 100 thousand people, High Blood Cholesterol – from 345.98 to 373.13 per 100 thousand people. The population and personal strategies for the prevention of heart diseases and rehabilitation of patients depending on the clinical condition in Ukraine have been substantiated. Conclusions. The impact of heart diseases on the population health is constantly increasing. It confirms the permanence of the problem and requires constant attention and effective measures from the governments of countries and health systems.
INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (IPE) IMPROVES STUDENTS' COMMUNICATION SKILLS: A LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Sundari Sri , Rai Hadi
Published: August 2021

Background: Interprofessional education is a useful method for enhancing professional abilities in collaborative processes so as to create holistic health services. To improve collaboration skills, one of the competencies is the ability to communicate between professions. Therefore, it is necessary to know the existence of scientific evidence about the implementation of interprofessional education in improving student communication skills. Method: There was some original research which was published in the ProQuest and Google Scholar databases from 2013 to 2017. Results: There were 14 articles gotten from both inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles collected using a quasi-experimental research design, and mix methods. Each article used a different implementation method to measure an increase in communication skills between students. Thirteen studies reported that students' communication skills increased, but there was one study that did not have a significance value for effective communication.Conclusion: Based on the research review, there are many intervention methods that can be used to improve student communication in the application of IPE. Thus, institutions can improve, manage learning strategies and implement IPE.
IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE IN TYPE B TEACHING GENERAL HOSPITALS: A MIXED METHODS STUDY
Authors: Fathya Nurul Aida , Effendy Christantie , Prabandari Yayi Suryo
Published: August 2021

Background: The concept of patient centered health services encourages interprofessional collaboration practice (IPCP), including teaching hospitals. IPCP in teaching hospitals expected to be implemented properly as a role model for students. Students in academic stage are expected to understand the concept of interprofessional education (IPE) and apply IPCP concept during clinical practice. This study aimed to determine the implementation of IPCP and various factors related to IPCP in teaching hospitals.Methods: This study used a mixed methods-sequential explanatory design with the subjects of healthcare professionals at RSUD R Syamsudin SH recruited using systematic random sampling. The research began with collecting quantitative data to measure the implementation of IPCP using the Indonesian version of the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale-II (AITCS-II), continued with collecting qualitative data with in-depth interviews to explored IPCP and various factors associated with its implementation.Results: A total of 320 respondents filled out the AITCS-II questionnaire and 11 participants were interviewed deeply. More than 66% of respondents had a good collaboration in each domain; 73,8% of respondents had a good collaboration in IPCP; profession background significantly contributed IPCP (p <0.05). Qualitative analysis was carried out with a semantic theme and obtained 3 themes: not ideal  IPCP implementation, perception of IPCP domains by healthcare professionals and barriers in implementing IPCP. Conclusion: The perception of IPCP that well implemented may resulted from improper understanding of IPCP. We still found barrier in implementing IPCP related to stereotypes, hierarchical culture, interprofessional communication and regulation.
IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTI-PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION: A SHORT REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS COURSE
Authors: Novrinda Herry
Published: August 2021

Background: The faculty of Dentistry Universitas Indonesia (FDUI) has implemented multiprofessional education (MPE) since the academic year of 2012/2013. Some concerns about facilitators and the achievement of students arose. This study aims (1) to describe the curriculum mapping, (2) to elaborate the perception of facilitators regarding the implementation of MPE, and (3) to assess the achievement among non-MPE and MPE groups in a particular subject.Methods: This research used a quantitative and qualitative approach. This research collected the data of achievement, perception of facilitators, and the curriculum in order to assess the implementation of MPE.Results: The curriculum consisted of common subjects or topics. There were some suggestions regarding the facilitators and the curriculum in the implementation of MPE. In line with one-way Annova, the mean score of students among Non-MPE (76.52±4.36), MPE_2012 (75.52±4.39), and MPE_2013 groups (75.46±4.66) were not statistically different with p-value = 0.154. Conclusion: The faculty has succeeded in compiling an integrated MPE curriculum. There are opportunities for an improvement in several areas. The academic achievement of MPE students is as good as Non-MPE students. The MPE group’s research proposals seemed to have a spirit of collaboration.
¿Derecho natural o moral? Comentarios críticos a “derecho y moral (razón práctica): conexiones en tiempos del estado de derecho constitucional de Rodolfo Vigo”
Authors: Saldaña Serrano Javier
Published: August 2021

l artículo analiza críticamente la propuesta planteada por Rodolfo Luis Vigo en este número en torno a las nueve conexiones identificables en el llamado Estado constitucional de derecho. Siguiendo esta discusión, en cambio, se plantea la pregunta: ¿cómo abordaría el derecho natural —y no la moral— las cuestiones iusfilosóficas en el actual Estado constitucional de derecho? Así, el autor busca explicar cómo es que el dere-cho natural puede ofrecer respuestas sólidas a las cuestiones iusfilosóficas planteadas en el escrito del profesor Vigo, y sostiene que el derecho natural de corte clásico está en me-jores condiciones de abordar muchas de las problemáticas planteada por la actual filoso-fía del derecho y, en consecuencia, puede seguir hablándose de derecho natural sin nece-sidad de recurrir a la moral.
Los distintos tipos de análisis conceptual y sus aplicaciones en la teoría jurídica. Hacia una integración metodológica
Authors: Reyes Flores Ángel O.
Published: August 2021

El análisis conceptual como método en la investigación filosófica jurídi-ca ha sido un reflejo de los desarrollos en la filosofía analítica general, dentro de estos podemos encontrar dos vertientes, la vertiente reductiva y la vertiente conectiva, así co-mo la crítica de W. V. O. Quine en cuanto a la naturalización del análisis, las cuales se replican en la teoría jurídica; no obstante, dentro de ésta, han surgido variantes de estos enfoques en relación al concepto mismo del derecho y otros conceptos relacionados; co-mo lo son, el análisis conceptual directamente evaluativo, o el análisis conceptual indirec-tamente evaluativo, así como otros enfoques que consideran que los conceptos deben analizarse en relación con sus propiedades necesarias y otros que deben analizarse en relación a sus propiedades contingentes, o bien a ambas. Asimismo, se propone que, sien-do conscientes de las distinciones metodológicas del análisis conceptual, sea posible inte-grar metodológicamente sus vertientes.
Design and Implementation of Private Social Network
Authors: Shafiulla Md.
Published: August 2021

Private social networking, is a web-based networking platform which is used in a particular Institution, schools, colleges or organizations (In this current project we are implementing it for college institution purpose only). In this social network people can communicate securely, since it’s a private social network and it’s not free, each & every student must pay the amount decided by the institution. It’s not compulsory to join this social network it’s the student wish. If he need this social network then the admin will provide full support to the student to activate the account. In this network students can communicate with their teachers in order to get help in studies. Even the teachers can also update latest news about technology, politics etc. And the time table, circular information for students and for college can be updated by teachers or institution, so that message can be passed to every student easily. In this network student can upload images, document files. This private network is highly anti-threatened towards social disturbing activities, so that there’ll be no disturbances in the institution. All the User Accounts created in this Social network are valid only for Limited time. In this project all the data will be accepted through .JSP and .PHP scripts which is our front end. All the data will be managed by the database. MySQL which is our back end.
A Study of Derivative Market in India
Authors: Hussain Mr. Mohammad Siddiq
Published: August 2021

The development of the market for subsidiaries items, most quite advances, fates and choices, can be followed back to the readiness of hazard disinclined financial specialists to watch themselves against vulnerabilities emerging out of vacillations in resource costs. Subordinates are hazard the board instruments, which get their worth from a hidden resource. Costs in a coordinated subordinates market mirror the view of market members about the future and lead the cost of fundamental to the apparent future level. As of late the Derivative business sectors have acquired significance as far as their essential part in the economy. The expanding interests in stocks (homegrown just as abroad) have pulled to my advantage here. Various investigations on the impacts of fates and alternatives posting on the hidden money market unpredictability have been done in the created markets. The subordinate market is recently begun in India and it isn't known by each financial backer, so SEBI needs to find ways to make mindfulness among the financial backers about the subsidiary portion. In real money market the benefit/loss of the financial backer relies upon the market cost of the basic resource. The financial backer may cause gigantic benefit or he may bring about tremendous misfortune. In any case, in subsidiaries portion the financial backer appreciates gigantic benefits with restricted drawback. Subordinates are for the most part utilized for supporting reason. To expand the subsidiaries market in India, SEBI should overhaul a portion of their guidelines like agreement size, support of FII in the subordinates market. More or less the examination illuminates the subordinates market.