bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A rare association of two endocrine tumours: non-functional oncocytic adrenocortical carcinoma and Papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Ruiz-Sánchez Jorge Gabriel , Parra Ramírez Paola , Lisbona Catalán Arturo
Published: March 2021

Objectives

To describe a rare association of two endocrine tumours in a clinical case.

Case presentation

A 54-year-old woman with a classic Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) assessed by the Endocrinology Department of a tertiary hospital from May-2015 to May-2020. PTC was treated with a total thyroidectomy and lymphadenectomy in May-2015. Initial staging (AJCC/TNM 7th edition): T3N1bMx. Additionally, two ablative doses of 150 mCi of 131-I (RAI) were administered until September-2016. No pathological uptake was found on the post-RAI whole-body scan at any level. Due to a persistent incomplete biochemical response in February-2017, a 18Fluor-dexosiglucose positron emission computed tomography (FDG-PET) was performed. FDG-PET showed an intense pathological deposit in the right adrenal, suggestive of malignancy. Right adrenalectomy was carried out, and pathology revealed an Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Genetic syndromes associated to ACC are: Li-Fraumeni syndrome (caused by an autosomal mutation in the TP53 gene), the Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) type 1 (caused by Menin gene mutations), and MEN type 4 (caused by heterozygous mutations in the CDNK1B gene). However, none of them are associated to PTC.

Conclusions

To our knowledge this is the sixth published case reporting an ACC in presence of a PTC. The pathological factors behind the relation between these malignancies have not been elucidated. We do not discard the possibility of a genetic relationship between PTC and ACC.
Prophylactic gonadectomy in 46 XY females; why, where and when?
Authors: Basri Nurul Iftida , Soon Chong Hong , Ali Anizah , Abdul Ghani Nur Azurah , Zainuddin Ani Amelia
Published: March 2021

Objectives

We compared cases of phenotypic female patients who presented with male karyotype and underwent prophylactic gonadectomy.

Case presentation

Five patients with female phenotypes presented in early adulthood with primary amenorrhoea with varying degrees of puberty. One was tall with breast development. Another was very short with clitoromegaly and multiple co-morbidities. The other three had no secondary sexual characteristics. They were examined, after which hormonal profile, karyotyping, ultrasound examination and magnetic resonance imaging were done to assess the site of gonads. Gonadectomy was performed once their 46 XY karyotype was confirmed. Results of histopathological examination of their gonads ranged from dysgenetic gonads to having testicular tissues and malignancy.

Conclusion

Female patients with 46 XY karyotypes require prophylactic gonadectomy performed at different timings depending on diagnosis due to the malignancy risk. Pre-operative assessment is essential to locate the gonads prior to surgery.
Feedback control of a nonlinear aeroelastic system with non-semi-simple eigenvalues at the critical point of Hopf bifurcation
Authors: Wang Licai , Chen Yudong , Pei Chunyan , Liu Lina , Chen Suhuan
Published: March 2021

The feedback control of Hopf bifurcation of nonlinear aeroelastic systems with asymmetric aerodynamic lift force and nonlinear elastic forces of the airfoil is discussed. For the Hopf bifurcation analysis, the eigenvalue problems of the state matrix and its adjoint matrix are defined. The Puiseux expansion is used to discuss the variations of the non-semi-simple eigenvalues, as the control parameter passes through the critical value to avoid the difficulty for computing the derivatives of the non-semi-simple eigenvalues with respect to the control parameter. The method of multiple scales and center-manifold reduction are used to deal with the feedback control design of a nonlinear system with non-semi-simple eigenvalues at the critical point of the Hopf bifurcation. The first order approximate solutions are developed, which include gain vector and input. The presented methods are based on the Jordan form which is the simplest one. Finally, an example of an airfoil model is given to show the feasibility and for verification of the present method.
Performance analysis on double-pass thulium-doped fiber amplifier for 16-channel WDM system at S-band
Authors: Zeki Mohammed Dunya , Kadhim Hammadi Abdulmunem
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the performance of single and double-pass thulium-doped fiber amplifiers (SD-TDFA and DP-TDFA) is analyzed in the short wavelength (S-band) region. The effect of thulium-doped fiber (TDF) length, input signal power, and input pumping power on the amplifier’s performance is comprehensively investigated on basis of gain and noise figure (NF). DP-TDFA showed a higher gain compared to single-pass configuration and that is due to double-propagation of the forwarded and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) signal into the TDF which maximizes the achievable gain in the S-band region. At a gain medium length of 8 m, the proposed DP-TDFA showed higher gain enhancement over SP-TDFA at an input power of −20 dB compared to −40 and 0 dB input signal powers. The gain enhancement at 1470 nm is 5.6 dB, while the maximum recorded gain with the proposed double-pass configuration is 14.7 dB.
Self-mixing interferometry and near-field nanoscopy in quantum cascade random lasers at terahertz frequencies
Authors: Reichel Kimberly S. , Pogna Eva Arianna Aurelia , Biasco Simone , Viti Leonardo , Di Gaspare Alessandra , Beere Harvey E. , Ritchie David A. , Vitiello Miriam S.
Published: March 2021

We demonstrate that electrically pumped random laser resonators, operating at terahertz (THz) frequencies, and comprising a quantum cascade laser heterostructure, can operate as sensitive photodetectors through the self-mixing effect. We devise two-dimensional cavities exploiting a disordered arrangement of surface holes that simultaneously provide optical feedback and allow light out-coupling. By reflecting the emitted light back onto the surface with random holes pattern, and by varying the external cavity length, we capture the temporal dependence of the laser voltage, collecting a rich sequence of interference fringes that follow the bias-dependent spectral emission of the laser structure. This provides a visible signature of the random laser sensitivity to the self-mixing effect, under different feedback regimes. The latter effect is then exploited, in the near-field, to demonstrate detectorless scattering near-field optical microscopy with nanoscale (120 nm) spatial resolution. The achieved results open up possibilities of detectorless speckle-free nano-imaging and quantum sensing applications across the far-infrared.
Analysis of the skin wrinkling in out-of-plane joints of CFRP hat-shaped structure
Authors: Peng Nanhui , Zhan Lihua , Yang Xiaobo , Liang Xianzhu , Xue Xiangchen , Zhang Dongliang , Dai Guangming , Guan Chenglong , Zhao Guoqing
Published: March 2021

Out-of-plane joints, between hat (omega) stiffeners and skin panels are asymmetric parts of the composite structure. Studies show that physical-mechanical conditions in these joints significantly affect skin forming quality. In the present article, aimed to investigate the mechanism of the skin wrinkle in the joints of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) hat-shaped structure, the pressure testing apparatus based on the Pascal principle is used to surveillance the resin pressure dynamically in out-of-plane joints. In this regard, several influencing factors such as first-order holding time, forming pressure and relative volume of unidirectional fillers are studied. Obtained results show that increasing the first stage holding time can prolong the viscous flow state of the resin, and time to achieve pressure equalization at each detection point, thereby improving the dispersion of the pressure and reducing the possibility of wrinkles. It is found that as the forming pressure increases, the degree of skin wrinkles in the out-of-plane joints ameliorates. Moreover, for fillers with a relative volume within the range of 0–50%, the pressure transfer effect and the skin flatness is relatively dissatisfactory. It is concluded that the filler with a relative volume of 80–120% improves the skin wrinkle in out-of-plane joints.
Molecular mechanics approaches for rational drug design: forcefields and solvation models
Authors: Bekono Boris D. , Sona Alfred N. , Eni Donatus B. , Owono Luc C. O. , Megnassan Eugène , Ntie-Kang Fidele
Published: March 2021

The use of molecular mechanics (MM) in understanding the energy and target of a drug, its structures, and properties has increased recently. This is achieved by the formulation of a simple MM energy equation, which represents the sum of the different energy interactions, often referred to as “forcefields” (FFs). The concept of FFs is now widely used as one of the fundamental tools for the in silico prediction of drug-target interactions. To generate more accurate predictions in the in silico drug discovery projects, the solvent effects are often taken into account. This review seeks to present an introductory guide for the reader on the fundamentals of MM with special emphasis on the role of FFs and the solvation models.
Fluorescent styryl chromophores with rigid (pyrazole) donor and rigid (benzothiophenedioxide) acceptor – complete density functional theory (DFT), TDDFT and nonlinear optical study
Authors: Bhalekar Sulochana , Bhagwat Archana , Sekar Nagaiyan
Published: March 2021

Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT computations were employed to examine linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics of (E)-4-((1,1-dioxido-3-oxobenzo[b]thiophen-2(3H)-ylidene) ethyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one derived styryl dyes. NLO properties were computed using the two different global hybrid functionals B3LYP, BHandHLYP and three range separated hybrid functionals CAM B3LYP, wB97, wB97X and wB97XD with the basis sets 6–311++G(d,p), cc-pVDZ and cc-pVTZ. The compounds shows higher values of dipole moment around 8–9 Debye than the other compounds. They show higher values of α
0, ß
0 and γ
0 values. The values of γ
0 are around 204–544 × 10−36 e.s.u. with the method, B3LYP/6–311++G(d, p). We have calculated the mean absolute error (MAE) for dipole moment, α
0, ß
0 and γ
0 values. It is observed that MAE is less (0.89) for wB97/6–311++G(d,p) which indicates that wB97 is the most suited functional for all three compounds. Chemical stability and reactivity of these dyes were studied using electrophilicity index and chemical hardness and hyperhardness.
COVID-19 und soziale Ungleichheit
Authors: Knöchelmann Anja , Richter Matthias
Published: March 2021

Mit Fortschreiten der Pandemie stellt sich heraus, dass nicht alle Personengruppen gleich von dem Virus betroffen sind. Soziale Ungleichheiten sind sowohl bei dem Infektionsrisiko, der Erkrankungsschwere und den Mortalitätsraten als auch bei den Folgen der Maßnahmen zur Pandemiebekämpfung ersichtlich. Dabei haben sich sozioökonomische Faktoren sowie Alter und Geschlecht als relevant herausgestellt.
Bedeutung und Belastung von Pflegekräften während der Corona-Krise
Authors: Schulze Susanne , Holmberg Christine
Published: March 2021

Pflegekräften kommt eine zentrale Rolle bei der Bekämpfung der Corona-Pandemie zu, auch da der Erfolg der Eindämmung des Virus maßgeblich davon abhängt, wie gut seine Ausbreitung in diversen Pflegesettings verhindert werden kann. Die Kenntnis über den Belastungszustand und zentrale Belastungsfaktoren von Pflegekräften während der ersten Welle der Corona-Krise kann daher wichtige Erkenntnisse liefern, die die Entlastung dieser systemrelevanten Berufsgruppe ermöglichen.
Wie Verschwörungsglauben die Corona-Pandemiebekämpfung behindert
Authors: Imhoff Roland
Published: March 2021

Verschwörungsnarrative über die Herkunft oder Harmlosigkeit des auslösenden Coronavirus tauchten in Zusammenhang mit der weltweiten COVID-19 Pandemie auf. Krisen befeuern solche Erzählungen, weil sie Bedürfnisse nach Erklärung, Sicherheit und Kontrolle befriedigen können. Problematisch ist, dass die Zustimmung zu solchen Ideen mit geringer Einhaltung infektionsreduzierender Maßnahmen (Hygiene, Abstand), sowie mit egozentrischer Selbstsorge korreliert.
Infektionsschutz für wohnungslose Menschen in Zeiten von Corona
Authors: Bösing Sabine
Published: March 2021

Die Corona-Pandemie stellt die Einrichtungen und Dienste der Wohnungslosenhilfe vor große Herausforderungen. Schnelle und sichere Lösungen sind immer wieder gefragt, um für die Menschen Unterstützung anzubieten, die über kein Zuhause verfügen. Die Maßnahmen zum Infektionsschutz stehen immer in Abwägung zu den Empfehlungen der Gesundheitsbehörden und den Möglichkeiten der einzelnen Einrichtungen und Dienste. Trotz kreativer Ideen der Mitarbeitenden sind die Auswirkungen der Beschränkungen auf die Klientinnen und Klienten groß.
Die Pandemie durch SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 – der Übergang zur chronischen Phase
Authors: Glaeske Gerd
Published: March 2021

Die enorme Dynamik der Pandemie durch Covid-19 ist nicht zu übersehen, obwohl hinter den steigenden Zahlen auch positive Entwicklungen sichtbar werden wie z.B. die relative Verringerung von schweren Verläufen mit einer hohen Hospitalisierungsrate gegenüber dem Beginn der Pandemie. Das Gleiche gilt für die geringere Auslastung der Intensivstationen und den Rückgang der Sterblichkeit trotz der vorhersehbar absolut steigenden Infektionszahlen ab Oktober 2020. Der Beginn der chronischen Phase ab Mai 2020 wurde aber nicht für die Etablierung wirksamer Präventionsmaßnahmen, insbesondere zum Schutz vulnerabler Gruppen in unserer Gesellschaft genutzt, sodass ein zweiter Lockdown folgen musste, aus Sicht der Politik beschönigend als „Lockdown light“ eingestuft.
Psychische Folgen der COVID-19 Pandemie in der Bevölkerung
Authors: Riedel-Heller Steffi , Richter Dirk
Published: March 2021

Zu den kurzfristigen psychischen Reaktionen in der Bevölkerung auf die COVID-19- Pandemie zählt ein erhöhtes Maß an Ängstlichkeit, Depressivität und Belastung; jüngere Menschen sind offenbar mehr betroffen. Die Dynamik der psychischen Reaktionen scheint unmittelbar der Infektionsdynamik zu folgen. Längerfristig ist zudem von einer rezessionsbedingten Zunahme psychischer Störungen auszugehen. Die psychische Gesundheit muss ein zentrales Element des Pandemie-Managements sein.
Assessment of the infection dynamics and the disease burden of COVID-19 in Germany
Authors: Lange Berit
Published: March 2021

The last months of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that implementing informative indicators for infection dynamics, assessing direct and indirect burden of disease and communicating uncertainties of predictions clearly to stakeholders and the public are crucial elements in the pandemic response. To achieve these aims, coordination within the scientific community is crucial to avoid duplication of work and ensure rapid availability of needed models, estimations, and epidemiological studies.
COVID-19-Pandemie – eine sozialmedizinische Betrachtung
Authors: Gostomzyk Johannes
Published: March 2021

Sozialmedizin, als klinisch-theoretisches Fach, verbindet Erkenntnisse und Methoden aus Medizin und Sozialwissenschaften, auch in Bezug zur COVID-Pandemie. In ambulanten und stationären Versorgungseinrichtungen der angewandten Sozialmedizin sind Ärzte und Vertreter psychosozialer Berufe in der Prävention und der Epidemiologie zur Pandemie tätig. Die Kontaktnachverfolgung ist eine zentrale Aufgabe der Gesundheitsämter. Voraussetzung für eine erfolgreiche Prävention sind Aufklärung der Bevölkerung über Risiken und Möglichkeiten der Vorbeugung einer Covid-19-Erkrankung sowie das Vertrauen in die Arbeit der verantwortlichen Institutionen.
Separation of no-carrier-added 71,72As from 46 MeV alpha particle irradiated gallium oxide target
Authors: Naskar Nabanita , Lahiri Susanta
Published: March 2021

No-carrier-added (NCA) 71,72As radionuclides were produced by irradiating gallium oxide target by 46 MeV α-particles. NCA 71,72As was separated from the target matrix by liquid-liquid extraction (LLX) using trioctyl amine (TOA) and tricaprylmethylammonium chloride (aliquat-336) diluted in cyclohexane. The bulk gallium was quantitatively extracted into the organic phase leaving 71,72As in the aqueous phase. Complete separation was observed at 3 M HCl + 0.1 M TOA and 2 M HCl + 0.01 M aliquat-336.
Electron microscopy investigations on the mineral lorándite (TlAsS2) from Allchar in Macedonia
Authors: Necke Tobias , Trapp Maximilian , Lauterbach Stefan , Amthauer Georg , Kleebe Hans-Joachim
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we report on electron microscopy studies of single crystals of the natural mineral lorándite, TlAsS2. The main focus of this investigation was to address the question as to whether those lorándite crystals are chemically and structurally homogeneous, in order to be utilized as an effective neutrino detector within the lorándite experiment (LOREX) project. Apart from few secondary minerals, being present only at the surface of the lorándite samples, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated homogeneous crystals. Similarly, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging revealed a homogenous and undisturbed crystal structure, with the only exception of local coffee-bean contrasts; however, rarely observed. These specific contrast variations are known to be a typical strain indicator caused by a local deformation of the crystal lattice. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in conjunction with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) did not show any significant chemical difference when analysing regions on or off those coffee-bean features, indicating a chemically homogenous mineral. Since the presence of lattice disturbing secondary phase precipitates could be excluded by imaging and complementary chemical analysis, crystal defects such as dislocations and stacking faults or minor fluid inclusions are discussed as the probable origin of this local elastic strain. The experimental results confirm that the studied lorándite single crystals fulfil all structural and chemical requirements to be employed as the natural mineral that allows to determine solar neutrino fluxes. In addition, critical issues regarding the rather challenging sample preparation of lorándite are reported and a quantification of the maximum tolerable electron dose in the TEM is presented, since lorándite was found to be sensitive with respect to electron beam irradiation. Furthermore, the limits of EDS measurements due to peak overlapping are shown and discussed utilizing the case of Pb in lorándite. In this regard, a comparison with the Tl- and Pb-containing natural mineral hutchinsonite, TlPbAs5S9, is also included.
A Dilemma in the Extremely Low-Placed Venus A-Valve in a Cardiogenic Shock Patient
Authors: Chen Mi , Zhao Honglei , Ding Yan , Sun Lizhong
Published: March 2021

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is regarded as an alternative to balloon aortic valvuloplasty in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis in cardiogenic shock. A low implantation of transcatheter heart valve (THV) can result in “supraskirt” paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PAR) and prosthesis-patient mismatch (P-PM), causing a dilemma in such a setting. A 64-year-old man presented to our emergency department with severe aortic stenosis and acute heart failure causing cardiogenic shock. An urgent transfemoral TAVR was performed under general anesthesia in a hybrid room. Predilatation was performed with a 22-mm compliant balloon, and a 26-mm Venus A-Valve (Venus MedTech, Hangzhou, China) was deployed. After valve implantation, the hemodynamic conditions of the patient rapidly deteriorated; therefore, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and extracorporeal circulation support were initiated. Aortography and transthoracic echocardiography (TEE) illustrated an extremely low implantation of THV, with moderate to severe supraskirt PAR and moderate P-PM. After evaluation of the hemodynamic tolerability of PAR, a median sternotomy was done, and surgery was performed. The patient died due to severe sepsis and hyperkalemia 14 days after the procedure. The management of urgent TAVR in cardiogenic shock should be revised and reexamined. A widespread and practical percutaneous technique to manage implant failure of THV is required to avoid surgical bailout.
Sistema de Gestión del Conocimiento para la seguridad del paciente y análisis de eventos adversos en IPS, Profesionales Independientes y Transporte Asistencial.
Authors: Alonso Sosa Edison , Duque Montes María Elizabeth , Pasaje Beltrán Lina Paola
Published: March 2021

El sistema de salud para seguridad del paciente ha evolucionado desde la aplicación de métodos manuales hasta la descripción en bases de datos de las herramientas de apoyo, mostrando la falencia al no contar con un sistema de gestión inteligente que facilite la respuesta oportuna al cliente, por lo anterior, esta investigación desarrolló un  Sistema de Gestión del Conocimiento para la seguridad del paciente con el fin de dar solución a los principales problemas en la calidad y atención en la salud por las Entidades Administradoras de Planes de Beneficios –EAPB, las Instituciones Prestadoras de Servicios de Salud, Servicios de Transporte Especial de Pacientes, profesionales independientes, y la interacción dicha información con las Entidades Departamentales, Distritales y Municipales de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud y Organismo Técnico de Administración de la Cuenta de Alto Costo. El desarrollo inició con la caracterización de la situación actual a través del método de descripción cuantitativa tecnológico con base en una descripción en cascada, promoviendo el uso de tecnologías digitales en salud, ampliando los sistemas de información sanitaria y recopilando datos de estricta vigilancia. De esta manera, se podría facilitar la notificación de riesgos, eventos adversos y otros indicadores de obligatorio cumplimiento y reporte ante los entes territoriales de salud en Colombia. Contribuyendo al mejoramiento e implementación de prácticas asistenciales seguras a través del seguimiento de los indicadores de gestión de la seguridad y calidad en la atención del paciente y su efectivo análisis de dichos eventos adversos.
Análisis situacional y generación de un mapa estratégico para el incremento del mercado potencial en una institución prestadora de salud
Authors: Villamizar Jaimes Carmen Juliana , Villegas Mejía Andrés
Published: March 2021

Este estudio tiene como objeto de estudio la Institución: Profesionales de la Salud y CIA. Profesionales de la Salud y Cía. es una empresa de origen santandereano con una trayectoria de más de 25 años en el sector de la rehabilitación. Los problemas que actualmente enfrenta el sector salud, específicamente la relación entre las EPS-IPS son cada vez más comunes en la institución y por tanto la búsqueda de nuevos mercados es una necesidad. Desarrollar una estrategia de mercadeo en salud permitirá conocer y entender al usuario que todavía no está caracterizado por la institución, permitiéndole generar una propuesta de valor adaptada a las necesidades insatisfechas, disminuyendo de esta manera la dependencia a las Empresas Promotoras de Salud. Por tanto, este estudio tiene como objetivo general generar un mapa estratégico de mercadeo que responda a las necesidades del entorno de la empresa Profesionales de la Salud y Cía. y que responda a cumplir sus objetivos hacia el futuro de captar mayor población potencial para el consumo de sus servicios de rehabilitación.
Análisis de la estructura del plan de negocio para Serendipia Wooman
Authors: Gonzáles Bahamón Paula Marcela
Published: March 2021

Este documento constituye el plan de negocio para Serendipia Wooman. Es un emprendimiento colombiano para mujeres, que fomenta ambientes de aprendizaje para el desarrollo personal, impulsando el empoderamiento femenino a través de procesos de autoconocimiento por medio de la metodología Wooman. La promesa de valor se fundamenta principalmente en su metodología, la cual se basa en el propio conocimiento (Física, mental, emocional y existencial) integrando las diferentes fases del mes a través del ciclo femenino y lunar, para que a raíz de ese lugar de autoconocimiento se exprese el máximo potencial y se visualicen mejores resultados en las diferentes áreas de la vida. Además, la contratación de agentes de transformación certificadas y con el perfil para implementar dicha metodología, teniendo como objetivo la creación de una comunidad femenina de empoderamiento. Serendipia Wooman busca impactar positivamente en la calidad de vida de mujeres residentes en Bogotá entre 20 y 40 años inicialmente gracias a sus dos productos para los canales B2C Y B2B. El canal B2C: “Mujer luna, Mujer cíclica” es un programa abierto para las mujeres que quieren profundizar en su proceso personal, optimizar sus resultados y expresar su potencial, el canal B2B: “Mujer cíclica, Mujer poderosa” es para empresas que busquen líderes empoderadas, mejorando el clima en cuanto a organización, comunicación y productividad. El proyecto cuenta con la viabilidad y la capacidad de demostrar a través del desarrollo del modelo de valoración de la empresa con alcance a cinco años. En el modelo se han considerado factores clave como las variables macro económicas que influyen en las proyecciones, se ha tenido en cuenta todos los Inputs que se requieren para desarrollar un análisis de venta en número de unidades y en dinero, costos de ventas y gastos operativos con el fin de obtener un estado de resultados claro que muestre la utilidad neta y así mismo a partir del flujo operativo tener conocimiento en el mes en que se puede llegar a recuperar la inversión requerida para el inicio de la actividad.
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMY AND SOCIETY UNDER INFLUENCE OF COVID-19
Authors: Князєва Олена
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Current trends in the development of socio-economic processes aim at building the digital economy and society, but the spread of COVID-19 has exposed the major problems related to these processes.
Problem Statement. The pandemic has defined a new fundamental and applied problem regarding the need to study crisis phenomena at the intersection of the number of research areas and their impact on economy and society.
Purpose. The purpose is to analyze the state of the development and implementation of digital services in the country under the influence of quarantine restrictions.
Materials and Methods. State legislative acts and statistical information have been selected as the information base. A number of methods of scientific inquiry have been applied: theoretical generalization, empirical analysis, comparison, abstraction, etc.
Results. It has been defined that majority of the priority areas of digital economy development is being formed and not ready for their massive use. In particular, there still exists a significant inequality of access to digital services, the digital competency training system remains unregulated, the digital job creation scheme in the real economy is almost undeveloped, there are significant gaps in the digital public security services, the problem of the national digital educational platforms has not been resolved yet, the system of provision of remote healthcare services has not been formed, and the procedures for estimating tourist migration and for remote financial services have not been settled.
Several problems that aggravated during the pandemic have been studied: the imperfection of social protection procedures, the existence of hidden unemployment, the activation of cybercrime, the aggravation of individual psychological problems, extremely high level of dependence on reliability of the network services. The directions for increasing financial results in the pandemic conditions have been identified.
Conclusions. The pandemic has identified bottlenecks in the processes of the digital economy and society formation and allowed determining the priority areas in research and practical actions in order to adapt rapidly to new conditions.
Studying Scientology as an Anti-Democratic Institution
Authors: Kent Stephen A.
Published: March 2021

Addressing future researchers who may undertake research on Scientology, this commentary offers a number of cautions related to issues that they likely will encounter. Most of these issues stem from the organization’s anti-democratic, authoritarian nature and resultant policies, which include attempts to curtail any and all activities and research that its leaders conclude are out of alignment with members’ obligation to ‘keep Scientology working.’ Ethically and morally questionable activities within the cult (which is a term that I define) include its own judicial and penal systems, its systematic harassment of perceived critics, its data storage and protection issues, and its extensive but highly questionable manipulation of members – any study of which likely will elicit censoring reactions from leadership. So too will studies about probable membership shrinkage; its sizable body of financial constituents; and its lobbying efforts and network of lawyers, supportive academics, and expert witnesses. Although I encourage newer scholars to undertake Scientology studies, I urge them to prepare for interference attempts that almost certainly will come.
Stephen Greenblatt, The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve
Authors: Deese Richard Samuel
Published: March 2021

Stephen Greenblatt, The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2017), 432 pp., $27.95, ISBN: 9780393240801.
Determination of the influence of aluminum phosphate on the properties of quartz ceramics
Authors: Karasik Olena , Kozyreva Tatyana , Dushyn Vladyslav
Published: March 2021

One of the significant disadvantages of quartz glass-based materials is their tendency to crystallize cristobalite during firing and, as a consequence, a significant deterioration in performance. In order to prevent crystallization of quartz ceramics during sintering, a number of additives are used. However, all known options some disadvantages, namely, relatively low strength values and increased coefficient of linear thermal expansion of products.In this regard, a promising area of research is to study the effect of aluminum phosphate additives on the properties of quartz ceramics. According to the totality of properties, the addition of AlPO4 in an amount of 20 wt % has the most positive effect on the characteristics of quartz ceramics. According to differential thermal analysis, it is noted that up to a temperature of 1,200 °C, no noticeable phase and modification transformations occur in the base mixtures. In the course of the work, it was found that the most appropriate firing mode is as follows: oxidizing medium; the products are immersed in a hot furnace, after being held at the maximum temperature, they are removed from the hot furnace, cooling occurs slowly in the air. The materials obtained in this way are characterized by the following properties: α=31.6·10-7 deg-1; σcomp=153 MPa; P=2.7 %; tgδ and ε (frequency 1010 Hz, temperature 20 °C) 0.001 and 10, respectively. It is noted that the main crystal phase prevailing in the samples is aluminum phosphate. The microstructure of the material is characterized by the presence of a small number of residual pores and a densely sintered shard.The proposed solution will significantly reduce power consumption, improve production performance and increase the basic properties of polyfunctional quartz ceramic products
Improvement of continuous technology of electrochemical synthesis of nickel hydroxide by implementation of solution recycling
Authors: Kovalenko Vadym , Kotok Valerii
Published: March 2021

Nickel hydroxide is widely used in supercapacitors, alkaline batteries, for the electrocatalytic oxidation of organic contaminants, etc. Due to their electrochemical activity, Ni(OH)2 (α+β) samples with a layer structure synthesized in a slit diaphragm electrolyzer are the most promising. To improve the continuous technology of electrochemical synthesis of nickel hydroxide, the possibility of recycling the spent catholyte containing sodium sulfate was determined. For this, samples of nickel hydroxide were synthesized from a solution of nickel sulfate in the presence of sodium sulfate with concentrations of 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 g/L. The crystal structure of the samples was studied by X-ray phase analysis; the electrochemical properties were studied by the method of cyclic voltammetry. It was shown that the base sample obtained without the presence of sodium sulfate was a monophase layered (α+β) structure with a high content of α-modification. The crystallinity of the sample was not high. It was revealed that the presence of sodium sulfate led to a decrease in the crystallinity of nickel hydroxide due to an increase in the electrical conductivity of the solution and a decrease in the voltage in the electrolyzer. Cyclic voltramperometry showed that synthesis in a slit diaphragm electrolyzer in the presence of Na2SO4 (40–80 g/L) did not lead to a significant change in the electrochemical activity of nickel hydroxide samples. An increase in the concentration of sodium sulfate in the catholyte to 100–120 g/L led to an increase in electrochemical activity – the specific current of the discharge peak was 3.7–3.9 A/g (compared to 2.1 A/g for the reference sample).A comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of nickel hydroxide samples synthesized in the presence of sodium sulfate revealed the possibility and prospects of recycling the spent catholyte in a continuous technology for producing Ni(OH)2 in a slit diaphragm electrolyzer. It was revealed that when introducing recycling, it was recommended to maintain a high concentration of sodium sulfate (80–100 g/L)
Revealing the effect of catalyst concentration on the process of fuel oil refining using the technology of aerosol nano catalysis
Authors: Leonenko Serhii , Kudryavtsev Sergey , Glikina Irene , Tarasov Vadym , Zolotarova Olena
Published: March 2021

The primary oil processing product is a mixture of different hydrocarbons. One of the hard-to-process petroleum products is fuel oil. This paper considers a method to derive clear (light) fractions of petroleum products by the catalytic processing of fuel oil on a zeolite-containing catalyst at 1 atm under the technological conditions of aerosol nanocatalysis. The prospect of the catalytic processing of a viscous residue ‒ fuel oil ‒ has been analyzed and estimated. The process is carried out by dispersing the catalytically active component in a vibratory-fluidized layer. Chemical transformation occurs during the constant mechanochemical activation of catalyst particles by forming an aerosol cloud in the reactive volume. Natural zeolite catalyst of the type Y was selected for research. Methods for separating the gasoline and diesel fractions of light hydrocarbons and for analyzing the gas phase have been given. The effect of the concentration of zeolite catalyst aerosol on the composition of cracking products (the yield of the gasoline and diesel fractions of light hydrocarbons) has been studied. It is noted that the rate of the course of fuel oil processing in the aerosol of the catalyst is 1.5‒2 times higher than that in thermal processing. It has been found that in fuel oil processing based on the aerosol nanocatalysis technology, the concentration of the catalyst can be controlled to produce the final product. The study results have shown that the optimal conditions for processing fuel oil in the aerosol of the catalyst should be considered 773 K, a frequency of 5 Hz, a pressure of 1 atm. At the same time, a concentration of the catalyst of 1‒5 g/m3 should be considered optimal for the output of a light fraction of hydrocarbons. In this case, the yield is up to 80 % of the fraction in the laboratory. It was found out that during the processing of fuel oil, the concentration of the catalyst makes it possible to optimize the output of light oil products under the technological conditions of aerosol nanocatalysis
Revealing the effect of rounded noise protection screens with finite sound insulation on an acoustic field around linear sound sources
Authors: Didkovskyi Vitalii , Zaets Vitaly , Kotenko Svetlana
Published: March 2021

This paper reports studying the reduction of traffic noise by rounded noise protection screens with finite sound insulation, that is, those that can pass sound.
Almost all models of acoustic screens, which are examined by analytical methods, are either direct or such that disregard the passage of sound through the screen, that is, it is assumed that the screen sound insulation is non-finite. This approach made it possible to solve the problem for a simplified model analytically but made it impossible to analyze the required sound insulation of noise protection screens.
In the current paper, the problem of investigating an acoustic field around the screen whose sound insulation is finite has been stated, that is, it was taken into consideration that a sound wave propagates through the body of the screen. In addition, a given problem considers a rounded screen, rather than vertical, which is also used in different countries.
Such a problem was solved by the method of partial domains. This method has made it possible to strictly analytically build a solution to the problem by simplifying it to solving an infinite system of algebraic equations, which was solved by the method of reduction.
The screen model was set by the values of the density and speed of sound in the screen material. This approach has made it possible to change the acoustic impedance of the screen material and thereby change the sound insulation of the screen. That has made it possible to quantify the effect of screen sound insulation on its effectiveness. It has been shown that the efficiency of noise protection screens with finite sound insulation is approaching the efficiency of acoustically rigid screens, provided that the screen's natural sound insulation is 13–15 dB greater than the estimated efficiency of the rigid screen.
The study results could make it possible to more accurately assess the effectiveness of noise protection screens. Determining the screen acoustic efficiency would make it possible to set requirements for its sound insulation characteristics. That could make it possible to select the designs of noise protection screens with minimal physical parameters, such as thickness, weight, etc.
Development of a methodology for the formation and adjustment of the catalog of defense forces capabilities
Authors: Surkov Oleh
Published: March 2021

The study results have made it possible to devise a methodology for the formation and adjustment of the Defense Forces Capabilities Catalog using cluster analysis and the developed tree-like system of basic indicators characterizing groups and subgroups (clusters). That enables stakeholders to form and adjust the Defense Force Capabilities Catalog with the proper quality, according to the uniform developed algorithm and defined identifiers (features).
The methodology is intended for use by members of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Defense Review, as well as working groups in the course of a separate review or capacity assessment.
The Defense Force Capabilities Catalog was deconstructed into five levels of hierarchy, each of which contains interdependent typical tasks, organizational structures, and means (systems, complexes).
The procedure is to analyze and clearly cluster individual capabilities of the defense forces according to certain features (requirements, characteristics) to group them and include them in the relevant groups, subgroups, and functional capabilities groups.
A system of the indicators for the formation and adjustment of the Defense Forces Capabilities Catalog has been proposed, as well as a conformity criterion based on the generalized indicator, which defines the level of formation (adjustment) of the Defense Forces Capabilities Catalog.
Seven steps of the procedure have been defined: from identifying individual capabilities based on their description (step 1) to verifying the acceptability of the results obtained (step 7) using the evaluation criterion and specially designed tables.
The methodology was tested during a passive experiment in 2020 on the analysis of the current Defense Forces Capabilities Catalog, which made it possible to identify a series of significant shortcomings in its structure and content.
Determining the load on the long-based structure of the platform car with elastic elements in longitudinal beams
Authors: Panchenko Sergii , Fomin Oleksij , Vatulia Glib , Ustenko Oleksander , Lovska Alyona
Published: March 2021

This paper reports a study into the dynamic loading and strength of an improved carrying structure of the platform car. A special feature of the car is the presence of elastic elements in the main longitudinal beams of the frame. This could improve the fatigue strength of the carrying structure of the platform car under operational modes.
Mathematical modeling was carried out to determine the dynamic load on the carrying structure of the platform car. The fluctuations of bouncing were taken into consideration. It has been established that the vertical acceleration of the carrying structure of the platform car without cargo is about 2.0 m/s2 (0.2 g). In this case, the vertical accelerations that act on the carrying structure of the platform car are lower by 15 % as compared to the prototype wagon.
The main indicators of strength of the bearing structure of the platform car have been determined. The calculation was carried out using a method of finite elements employing the software suite SolidWorks Simulation (France). When compiling the estimation scheme, it was taken into consideration that the carrying structure of the platform car was loaded with four containers the size of 1SS. In this case, the maximum equivalent stresses occur in the region of interaction between a pivot beam and spreads and are 254.0 MPa. That warrants the strength of the carrying structure of the platform car.
The numerical values of acceleration of the carrying structure of the platform car have been determined, as well as the fields of their location, by applying computer simulation.
The fatigue strength and oscillation eigenfrequencies in the carrying structure of the platform car have been investigated; their designed service time has been estimated.
The reported research would contribute to building innovative structures of platform cars, as well as to improving the efficiency of combined transportation.
Optimization of temperature measurement on the bus drum brake as a basis for developing brake fault signals
Authors: Siregar Rolan , Adhitya Mohammad , Sumarsono Danardono A , Nazaruddin Nazaruddin , Heryana Ghany , Prasetya Sonki , Zainuri Fuad
Published: March 2021

Brake failure is always possible due to several factors that are difficult to control, such as a slight leak in the brake hose due to an impact or a rat bite. In the latest research, the development of a brake performance detection tool has been started, but how to detect a brake temperature more efficiently on the brakes of large vehicles has not been specified. Given the significant impact of losses due to brake failure and accidents that are still occurring, this research plays an important role. It must be completed immediately so that accident cases can be reduced. The object of this research is where the position of the maximum brake temperature occurs? How to measure brake temperature is more practical? What sensor is optimal in detecting a brake temperature? The research method is carried out in a systematic stage that ends with an experimental method. This study indicates that the maximum temperature is relative to the entire friction area between the canvas and the drum brake. The most efficient sensor placement is in the hole in the drum brake cover so that installation is more practical and the brakes are not disturbed by the sensor’s presence. The optimal sensor is a thermocouple sensor because it is more stable to vibrations and more resistant to mud disturbances than infrared sensors. When using a thermocouple sensor, the temperature detection results must be corrected. The correction factor can be made with the equation y=10.3670+1.3205x–0.0003x2, where y is the actual temperature displayed, and x is the input temperature from the thermocouple sensor’s initial detection. Accurate brake temperature detection results will be developed as a signal for detecting brake faults in real-time to avoid brake failure. Finally, the safety of public transportation can be improved
Designing an improved structure of the tool for repairing the brake pipe connectors in vehicles
Authors: Gnitko Sergiy , Vasyliev Ievgen , Popov Stanislav
Published: March 2021

This paper addresses the issue of difficulties in servicing the brake pipe connectors for passenger cars, the service life of which exceeds 8‒10 years, which is associated with the deteriorated loosening of connectors. The existing ways to loosen the connectors of brake pipes have been investigated, especially those whose dismantling is complicated due to the corrosion and contamination of mated surfaces as a result of their wetting when driving a car. A conventional structure of the connector has been analyzed, which is installed in that place of the car that is the most unprotected from moisture and dirt – on the brake cylinder. The conditions that do not contribute to its failure-free loosening have been examined. The design of a specialized split clamping ring wrench has been considered, which can transmit the greatest value of the torque to the connector when loosening it; sometimes, however, its predefined value would not suffice. A computer-based finite-element simulation was employed to derive the models of the deformation state for the node «connector ‒ wrench». Based on the analysis of the models of different deformation state of a specialized split clamping ring wrench, the required profile of the geometrically balanced locked hexagonal profile of the wrench was defined. The analysis of the efficiency of the tightening and loosening level is determined by comparing the numerical values of the torque, which is applied to the connectors of the brake pipes. The torque values are measured by a specially devised technique. The introduction of the developed measurement technique makes it possible to compare the efficiency of wrenches of different designs by analyzing the maximum values of torques, which the wrenches can transmit to the connectors. Taking into consideration the identified shortcomings in the structure of the brake pipe connectors, the shape of the connector has been designed that is free from the specified drawbacks. The new structure provides for the possibility of using a conventional carob wrench for loosening when the mated surfaces are exposed to contamination and corrosion