bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digital Budget for Citizens as a Mechanism for Implementing the Principle of Transparency
(Openness)
Authors: Melentyeva Olga
Published: May 2024

The article discusses some legal aspects of the implementation of the principle of transparency, enshrined in Article 36 of the Budget Code of the Russian Federation in the framework of the digital budget for citizens. The key points of the openness of the budget and the budget process at the Russian and international levels in the field of digital technologies are analyzed. The process of digital globalization makes it possible to quickly and accurately convey updated information about the budget and its processes to a wide range of people. It is emphasized that it is necessary to identify the best ways to popularize information web resources to convey information about the budget to the public by analogy with the popularization of public services carried out on the recommendation of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation. The author investigates digital technologies in the budget process in certain foreign countries and analyzes their indices of openness of budget data to the public. The author substantiates the conclusion about the need to improve the efficiency of the digital budget mechanism along with increasing the legal awareness of citizens and their budget literacy.
Modern Approaches to Criminalistic Identification: The Role of Genomic Identification
Authors: Kolominov Vyacheslav , Rodivilina Viktoria
Published: May 2024

Criminalistic identification is an important instrument in the investigation of crimes. The article analyzes the classification of identification methods with an emphasis on genomic identification. The importance of applying modern methods of genomic identification in criminalistics is stressed, the problems associated with the collection of specimens for comparative research are studied, and the requirements to the collection of traces of biological origin are described. The author presents a review of publications and current research methods in the field of criminalistic identification. A classification of criminalistic identification based on different criteria is given, including the criteria of legal nature, type of reflection, evidential significance and properties of identified objects. Key methods of genomic identification, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), microsatellite analysis, DNA sequencing and others are examined within the context of their application in criminalistics. The author presents the results of analyzing the existing methods of genomic identification and the problems connected with specimen collection. The requirements to the collection of traces of biological origin are identified. However, it is considered impossible to offer a universal algorithm of identifying, collecting and preserving biological evidence. The analysis of the results allows the author to draw conclusions about the importance of genomic identification in criminalistics and the necessity of observing requirements to collecting the traces of biological origin.
Modern Extremism in the Conditions of a Special Military Operation in Ukraine: Some Specific Features
Authors: Аlfyorov Stanislav
Published: May 2024

There is currently an evolutionary rise in extremism, which is undermining the stability of the human society for the present and the future. The problem of the spread of extremism and extremist ideology in the Russian Federation is one of serous factors threatening national security and integrity of the state, it also undermines all the ideas declared in the Constitution: equality of people regardless of their social, ideological, political, racial, national and religious affiliation. The author analyzes modern extremism in the conditions of a special military operation in Ukraine, examines some specific features, causes of the emergence and spread of extremism, and also outlines key directions for counteracting extremism. It is concluded that the cooperation between the society and the state is important for counteracting extremism crimes.
Electronic Document as a Type of Physical Evidence in Russian Criminal Proceedings
Authors: Bufetova Mariam
Published: May 2024

The paper is devoted to a new type of physical evidence — an electronic document. The author examines specific features of this type of evidence and the questions of its categorization as physical evidence. An electronic document, as physical evidence, is compared with the categories “digital carriers of information”, “electronic evidence” and “computer information”. Specifics of the mechanism of trace formation for electronic evidence and its reflection in the outside world are studied. The topical issue of this study is the legal ambiguousness of the concept of electronic, or “digital” evidence, which is used as a source of information. The use of the definition “electronic document” from the standpoint of different approaches and the questions of its statutory regulation in Russian criminal court proceedings are examined. The author’s definition of an electronic document as evidence in criminal proceedings is formulated, key types of electronic documents and their specific features are named. The author studies the legal force and the criteria for the admissibility of such evidence in court. Views of difference authors regarding the use of gadgets for the recovery of electronic evidence and the need for the participation of an expert in the recovery and copying of electronic data are presented. It is concluded that this topic requires further work due to the total informatization of society, which is currently underway, and that such questions should be settled in legislation.
Criteria for the Effectiveness of Shadow Rating Models in Assessing the Creditworthiness of Low-Default Borrowers
Authors: Kazarinov Viktor , Zvyagintseva Natalia
Published: May 2024

Assessment of borrowers' creditworthiness is the most important process affecting the activities of a modern commercial bank. Creditworthiness assessment processes occur both at the stage of decision-making to issue a credit product and during the process of regular creditworthiness assessment for the purposes of reserving and calculating economic capital. This is the reason why the commercial bank needs to develop and maintain the effective models of credit rating estimation, which are able to determine the borrower's solvency accurately and steadily by predicting its probability of default.
This examines with the problem of determining the criteria for the effectiveness of shadow rating models used to estimate the probability of default of low-default segments of bank lending. Shadow rating models can be used both for business purposes and for regulatory purposes. Depending on the goal set, a number of problems specific to this class of models arise at each stage of shadow rating model development, which form the basis for the definition of performance criteria: correct specification of data samples, harmonization of rating agencies' assessments, correct choice of calculation algorithm, satisfaction of quantitative validation criteria and validity of expert corrections. Compliance with these criteria, taking into account the established objective, allows us to conclude on the effectiveness of the obtained model.
Assessment of Financial Stability of Transport Infrastructure Facilities in the Context of Economic Regulation
Authors: Solskaya Irina , Vanteyev Ivan
Published: May 2024

The importance of state regulation of the activities of transport infrastructure facilities is directly related to the key role of infrastructure facilities in maintaining state integrity, economic stability and the need for effective economic growth. One of the key manifestations of the economic crisis is the infrastructure crisis, the impact of which on national economic systems is aggravated by inflationary processes. The problems of sustainable functioning and development of infrastructure facilities currently require the development of a system of state regulation due to the macroeconomic role of the infrastructure complex of the economy.
Based on the results of the generalization of scientific discussions about the content of the concept of "financial stability", an approach to the assessment and interpretation of the existing methods of analyzing financial stability in relation to transport infrastructure facilities in the short and long terms is propounded. The indicators and results of the assessment of the financial stability of the infrastructure facility — JSC "Irkutsk International Airport" are presented. The conclusions and results of the research presented in the article summarize the author's ideas about the importance of assessing financial stability from the perspective of identifying problems in the development of transport infrastructure facilities. The article formulates the directions of development of instruments of state regulation aimed at ensuring the financial stability of transport infrastructure facilities in the Russian Federation.
Merging with a SPAC Company Instead of an IPO as a Tool to Increase the Company's Value When Implementing Investment Projects
Authors: Kulizhskaya Zhanna
Published: May 2024

Russian financial science uses Western developments in determining the value of a company and studying the formation of an investment project as a tool to increase the value of a company. Research in the field of company value and the impact of an investment project on it should be focused on identifying the applied aspects of existing Western concepts in this area. In this context, it is relevant to study the principles of entry into the stock market of the SPAC companies and an objective assessment of the subsequent implementation of innovative projects of non-public companies. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the practical application of means for assessing the innovative potential of non-public companies in the form of mergers and entering the stock exchange, bypassing the IPO procedure, with a subsequent increase in the capitalized value of the business. The research methodology is based on a theoretical analysis of the main scientific provisions of the investment activity of companies, a comparative analysis of the instruments for entering the stock market and their risk assessment from the perspective of investors. The informational and empirical basis of the study was the statistical data of the market of SPAC-companies in the US stock market. The object of the study is a way for non-public companies with attractive investment projects to enter the stock market through M&A with a SPAC company instead of an IPO. Scientific novelty lies in the coverage of the theory and practice of the process of entering the stock exchange of non-public companies through merging with SPACs present on the American market, in the interpretation of the practice of transactions in the implementation of an investment project as a tool to increase the company’s value in the context of the challenges facing the national economy. The findings indicate the correctness of the assertion that the introduction of the SPAC companies into Russian practice requires careful adaptation as well as the development of transparent procedures by the mega-regulator.
Gut microbiota alteration in CKD: From toxicity mechanisms to supplementation
Authors: Claudia Jackelin De la Cruz-Ahumada , Jorge Fernando Topete-Reyes , Saúl Ramírez-De los Santos
Published: May 2024

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) refers to progressive and irreversible kidney function loss; it is currently an important health problem due to its high social costs. Decreased Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) causes accumulation of Uremic Toxins (UT) that must be excreted by the kidney, increasing their serum concentrations, toxicity, and hence disease progression. Dysbiosis is the alteration in the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota and is related to systemic inflammation. Patients with CKD present biochemical changes at the intestinal level that cause dysbiosis, altering the kidney-gut axis, which is implicated in the higher production of UT. Evidence suggests an association between UT and cardiovascular risk in CKD, and different mechanisms are involved in each of them. Modulation of the gut microbiota by specific nutrients is a new strategy for the nutritional approach to CKD. Novel strategies based on the use of probiotics and prebiotics aim to reduce the synthesis and accumulation of UTs to reduce disease progression; however, with current evidence, the effect and benefit of supplementation cannot be concluded, so more research in humans is needed to identify useful bacterial strains and doses to obtain beneficial effects in CKD patients.
Reproducible protocol for the extraction and semi-automated quantification of macroscopic charcoal from soil v1
Authors: Ruiz-Pérez Javier , C. Aleman Julie
Published: May 2024

Charcoal fragments preserved in soils or sediments are used by scientists to reconstruct fire histories and thereby improve our understanding of past vegetation dynamics and human-plant relationships. Unfortunately, most published methods for charcoal extraction and analysis are incompletely described and are therefore difficult to reproduce. To improve the standardization and replicability of soil charcoal analysis, as well as to facilitate accessibility for non-experts, we developed a detailed, step-by-step protocol to isolate charcoal from soil and to efficiently count and measure charcoal fragments. The extraction phase involves the chemical soaking and wet sieving of soils followed by the collection of macrocharcoal (≥500 μm). The analysis phase is performed semi-automatically using the open-source software ImageJ to count and measure the area, length, and width of fragments from light stereo microscope images by means of threshold segmentation. The protocol yields clean charcoal fragments, a set of charcoal images, and datasets containing total charcoal mass, number of fragments, and morphological measurements (area, length, and width) for each sample. We tested and validated the protocol on 339 soil samples from tropical savannas and forests in eastern lowland Bolivia. We hope that this protocol will be a valuable resource for scientists in a variety of fields who currently study, or wish to study, macroscopic charcoal in soils as a proxy for past fires.
Genotyping of a candidate variant by PCR and Sanger sequencing v1
Authors: Grohs Cecile
Published: May 2024

This procedure describes a classic process for genotyping a simple SNP or small INDEL by PCR followed by Sanger sequencing, which can be easily analysed. It is used for the validation or invalidation of a candidate variant that has been identified from a whole genome sequence. It combines several steps using online tools and a free downloadable software. It is easy to use, inexpensive and has the advantage of displaying a large number of samples in the same window, aligned simultaneously to a reference sequence. Alleles are detected automatically. It is also possible to inspect bases that have not been identified as polymorphic by the software, particularly in the case of somatic mosaicism. If so, it is possible to distinguish the two alleles and obtain a rough estimate of the relative allelic proportions.
Effects of the incorporation of steel fibers with plasticizer additive in concrete
Authors:   Universidad Señor de Sipán, Sandoval-Siesquen Fernando Edilberto , Muñoz-Pérez Sócrates Pedro ,   Universidad Señor de Sipán
Published: May 2024

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of steel fibers at 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, as a function of concrete volume plus 1% plasticizing additive as a function of cement weight for control designs of resistance 210 kg/cm² and 280 kg/cm², on compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity. Steel fibers with a length of 60 mm type KF 80/60 CH were used. The addition of the steel fiber did not significantly reduce the workability; however, the temperature showed a reduction with respect to the standard concrete specimen. The results showed that for the 210 kg/cm² and 280 kg/cm² concrete control designs, the optimum proportions were 2% and 4% of steel fibers, which increased the compressive strength, tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity by 14.76%, 14.93% and 1.63% for the 210 kg/cm² strength control design and for the 280 kg/cm² strength control design increased by 16.29%, 16.95% and 13.75% with respect to the standard concrete strength. The results of this study show that steel fibers with a specific dosage of superplasticizer can be used for structural and non-structural concrete, being significantly influential in improving mechanical properties.
Creating Collaboration: How Social Movement Organizations Shape Digital Activism to Promote Broader Social Change
Authors: Ghobadi Shahla ,   The University of Leeds, Sonenshein Scott ,   Rice University
Published: May 2024

Social movement organizations (SMOs) have increasingly embraced digital activism, using social media and networking tools to advocate for a cause, to mobilize globally distributed consumers and pressure businesses to change their practices. Past research primarily focuses on how SMOs have used viral social media posts to prompt businesses to take immediate action on an issue. This article proposes a shift in the discourse to explore how SMOs’ digital activism can promote broader social change through collaborative agreements rather than merely demanding narrow concessions or compliance. We examine the online campaigns of a large international SMO and show how the campaigns influenced three global businesses to alter their environmental practices and industry standards. We find that the SMO used contrasting combinations of content positioning and social networking strategies to mobilize consumers, ultimately achieving collaboration agreements by influencing businesses’ risk perceptions and the potential strategic gains from collaboration with the SMO. The comparative analysis yields insights into how SMOs may vary their digital activism strategies depending on consumers’ loyalty to a business and its offerings, including its products and services. We develop a theoretical perspective that explains why and how consumer loyalty can shape SMOs’ selection of digital activism strategies and the process of achieving collaboration agreements. The findings also advance the literature on digital activism strategies by introducing the notion of ambivalent content positioning and emphasizing the significance of social networking for risk management and sustaining SMOs’ digital activism.
Dynamics of functional impairments during focal transient ischemia in three-dimensional cortical space
Authors: Vinokurova D. E. , Zakharov A. V. , Mingazov B. R. , Khazipov R. N.
Published: May 2024

Ischemic injury in the cerebral cortex results in decreased electrical activity across all frequency bands and the emergence of abnormal electrophysiological patterns, including spreading depolarization (SD) and negative ultraslow potential (NUP) [1, 2]. Despite this, the specific dynamics of these changes in electrical activity within the three-dimensional cortical space during ischemia remain incompletely described and poorly understood.
To simultaneously investigate changes in electrical activity across the layers of the cerebral cortex and in the horizontal cortical space, we used two linear 16-channel silicone probes (Neuronexus, USA) in combination with a flexible transparent 60-channel matrix of subdural electrodes (MIPT, Russia) and intrinsic optical signal imaging (IOS, 665 nm, transillumination mode) during focal ischemia induced by intracortical injection of the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1, 1 μL, 1 μM). These experiments were carried out in head-restrained rats under urethane anesthesia (1.5 g/kg).
Formation of the ischemic lesion following ET-1 administration was correlated with clusters of SDs that demonstrated considerable variability in their propagation patterns within both vertical and horizontal planes. The initial SDs originated from the injection site of ET-1 and diffused across all cortical layers. Subsequently, the initiation point of the ensuing SDs gradually shifted towards the deeper layers while the electrical activity showed inadequate recovery between SDs within the injection site. SDs originating in the surrounding cortex did not invade the area near the injection point. Instead, they tended to spread around, often compartmentalizing in the superficial layers of the cortex. Some SDs were observed deep in the cortex, while others were detected on the surface via superficial electrodes and IOS, without leaving typical intracortical electrode traces. Electrographic activity was significantly depressed, especially in the superficial layers around the injection site, three hours after ET-1 administration. However, it returned to pre-ET-1 levels at the remote site, with a spatial gradient observed in subdural electrodes. Functional impairments corresponded to the histological lesion observed in coronal brain sections. Recently discovered NUPs were initiated by SD and were most prominent in the electrodes closest to the ET-1 injection site. These NUPs reached their maximal amplitude at one hour and subsided three hours after ET-1 injection.
Our research indicates intricate dynamics in the creation of an ischemic focal point. The data gathered suggest that the emergence of cerebral harm during focal ischemia is associated with the growth of a focus extending both horizontally and vertically across cortical dimensions. This growth is fueled by the generation of SDs within the ischemic penumbra.
The use of memristive devices in machine vision systems
Authors: Shchanikov S. A.
Published: May 2024

The comparison results of processing units with memristive devices versus modern hardware accelerators of artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on traditional electronic components, as presented in the review [1], demonstrate numerous advantages across all major indicators such as throughput, energy efficiency, accuracy, and others. This report analyzes the current state of memristive devices in addressing machine vision issues. Special attention is paid to the concept of [2] neuromorphic machine vision systems (MVS) based on memristive devices. This concept’s distinct feature lies in its fully analog system, commencing from information input to its output. It encompasses sensory and neural components. The sensory part is responsible for gathering visual information and transferring it to the neural segment for processing through the ANN model algorithm.
A specific instance for implementing the input channel of the sensor component involves connecting a photodiode (PD) and a memristor in a single circuit. When the circuit is flipped in reverse bias and light falls on the PD, a photocurrent flows through it from the cathode to the anode. Depending on the light intensity and exposure time, this photocurrent alters the resistance of the memristor, thereby converting illumination into resistance. If visual information doesn’t require encoding with memristor resistances, they can be replaced with a load resistance of the same nominal value for all channels. Irrespective of the input channel variant, the signal encoding visual information is fed into the neural part without digitization. Memristors act as synapses as part of the neural part. They can be used to implement synapses in both traditional formal ANN architectures, where input information is multiplied by a pre-programmed weight, and synapses for spiking neural networks, where a memristor exhibits synaptic plasticity mechanisms similar to those in biological neural networks [3].
If the output from the suggested MVS input channel variants is connected to a device that operates on the “integrate and fire” principle, the device can be deemed as not only an input for a structured ANN, but also a presynaptic neuron for a spiking ANN. The neuron’s frequency of spikes will depend on the light intensity; the brighter the light, the higher the frequency of spikes and vice versa. Faster charge accumulation occurs in channels with low resistance. The complete analog machine vision system will function as a spike neural network, without incorporating any analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converters. Compared to digital machine vision systems, this approach will significantly decrease energy consumption while producing wearable and on-board electronics with distinct tactical and technical features. This design can be tailored to the size of modern matrices of photo and video fixation devices and employed as a hardware accelerator for the ANN models currently used to process images, and it can serve as a foundation for advancing this area.
Period addition cascade in a model of neuron-glial interaction
Authors: Barabash N. V.
Published: May 2024

We analyze a system of four differential equations that describe the dynamics of a neuron-glial network using the mean field approximation [1, 2]:
(τ=–E+α ln(1+e1/α(JuxE+I0)),
=(1–x)/τD–uxE,(1)
=U(y)–u/τF+U(y)(1–u)E,
=–y/τy+βσ(x),
where E(t) is the average activity, x(t) is the fraction of available neurotransmitter released into the synaptic gap with a probability u(t); y(t) is the fraction of the gliatransmitter released by the astrocyte. Sigmoidal functions U(y) and σ(x) correspond to changes in the base probability level u(t) during the release of the gliatransmitter and activation of astrocytes during neurotransmitter release, respectively. The input inhibitory current corresponds to a bifurcation parameter with a negative value of I0 0, while the remaining parameters have positive and fixed values. The rest of the parameters are positive and fixed. For a detailed description of the model, including information on the type of functions and parameter values, refer to works [1, 2].
For a constant value of U(x)=const, the first three equations in system (1) represent the Tsodyks–Markram model, which explains the short-term synaptic plasticity phenomenon [1]. The model was enhanced with a fourth equation for y in [2], incorporating the influence of astrocytes via the concept of a tripartite synapse [3].
Model (1) illustrates a wide range of dynamic behavior including quiescence, regular tonic activity, and chaotic bursting activity. These behaviors correspond to various sets in the phase space, such as stable equilibrium states, limit cycles of period 1, limit cycles of any period n∈N, and chaotic attractors. Changing the I0 l parameter causes sets to bifurcate, resulting in the loss of stability of certain attractors and the emergence of others, leading to a shift in the dynamic regime. Therefore, in terms of dynamics, the conditions for bifurcation and the characteristics of the newly formed attractors are crucial.
In this presentation, we have obtained a series of numerical bifurcations in system (1) that correspond to the shift from tonic activity to burst activity, resulting in subsequent modifications to the bursts. Specifically, our findings demonstrate that an increase in the number of spikes per burst is determined by a period adding cascade where the aforementioned limit cycle of period n becomes unstable, allowing for a previously established stable cycle of period n+1 to occupy the position of the “main” attractor. This process culminates in the vanishing of the orbit with an endless period due to the saddle-node bifurcation of cycles, followed by the creation of a dependable cycle with a period of 1.
The main properties of the cascade were reproduced in our model one-dimensional piecewise-smooth map
z¯=1−z6,                      forz0,μ−1−μ(z-1)6, forz0,
where z∈R1, μ is a bifurcational parameter. The map’s results suggest that an increase in current I0 i in model (1) may lead to the emergence and disappearance of quasi-strange attractors (quasi-attractors), implying chaotic behavior in connection with burst variation.
Chemogenetic emulation of intraneuronal oxidative stress affects synaptic plasticity
Authors: Maltsev D. I. , Kalinichenko А. L. , Jappy D. , Solotenkov M. A. , Solius G. M. , Mukhametshina L. F. , Elesina E. A. , Sokolov R. A. , Tsopina A. S. , Fedotov I. V. , Moshchenko A. A. , Fedotov A. B. , Shaydurov V. A. , Rozov A. V. , Podgorny O. V. , Belousov V. V.
Published: May 2024

Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative cell damage are commonly associated with most brain pathologies [1, 2]. Dysregulation of redox homeostasis in the aging brain is thought to be responsible for impaired synaptic transmission and plasticity, leading to reduced neuronal computational capacity and learning and memory deficits. Studying the contribution of oxidative stress to the development of diseases, such as age-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is complex due to the lack of methods for modeling isolated oxidative damage in individual cell types [3]. We introduce a chemogenetic approach utilizing D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) from yeast to produce hydrogen peroxide intraneuronally, which is one of the most stable ROS [4]. H2O2 generation was evaluated in primary cultured neurons and acute mouse brain slices through the utilization of a genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor, HyPer7, to validate the methodology [5]. The changes in the fluorescence signal of HyPer7 after treating neurons that expressed DAAO with D-Norvaline (D-Nva), a substrate for DAAO, confirmed the targeted production of H2O2 through chemogenetics. Using electrophysiological recordings in acute brain slices, we demonstrated that intraneuronal oxidative stress induced by chemogenetics did not affect basal synaptic transmission and the probability of neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals. However, it diminished long-term potentiation (LTP) at the single-cell level.
Astrocytes have the ability to metabolize d-amino acids, rendering the proposed approach ineffective in vivo experiments. Consequently, in vivo testing of the tool was necessary for validation. To achieve this, an optical setup for exciting and detecting the HyPer7 signal was developed and implanted into the mouse brain via optical fibers. By using this approach, we were able to demonstrate the generation of H2O2 in DAAO-expressing neurons in vivo, upon intraperitoneal administration of D-amino acids. The results demonstrate that using a DAAO-based chemogenetic tool, along with electrophysiological recordings, clarifies numerous unanswered queries regarding the part of ROS-dependent signaling in typical brain activities and the impact of oxidative stress on the development of cognitive aging and preliminary neurodegenerative stages. The suggested method is valuable for detecting initial indicators of neuronal oxidative stress. Additionally, it can be used for evaluating probable antioxidants that can effectively combat neuronal oxidative harm.
The effect of HSP70 overexpression on the cerebral cortex development
Authors: Mitina N. N. , Ambrozkevich M. K. , Motorina A. O. , Tarabykin V. S.
Published: May 2024

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) make up a large family of molecular chaperones, recognized for their role in protein maturation, refolding, and degradation. HSP70 was shown to promote cell survival during several pathological processes in the brain, such as stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, and trauma [1]. In addition, HSPs serve to promote the proper embryonic and postnatal development of many organ systems, such as the central nervous system [2]. Heat shock proteins demonstrate specific expression patterns throughout the development of the nervous system, notably during crucial embryonic and postnatal moments [1].
During embryonic development, neural and glial progenitors must survive within a hypoxic microenvironment while performing energetically demanding actions, such as cell migration and neurite outgrowth. HSPs can activate or inhibit development pathways in the nervous system that modulate cell differentiation, neurite outgrowth, cell migration, or angiogenesis [1].
Indeed, recent studies demonstrated that HSP70 directly regulates the development of the nervous system by modulating signaling cascades involved in cell growth and migration [3]. Additionally, research demonstrated [4] that introducing HSP70 from an external source significantly augments the populations of proliferating cells and differentiated neuroblasts within the mouse hippocampus. Nevertheless, some researchers [1] contend that overexpression of HSPs may negatively impact cell survival. Therefore, the precise role of these chaperones remains largely unexplored.
In our study, we used in utero electroporation to introduce plasmids that controlled HSP70 overexpression into neuron progenitors of mouse embryos on the 14th day of gestation. Additionally, plasmid DNA encoding GFP was used to facilitate subsequent visualization of transformed cells. Brain samples were collected on the 18th day of gestation for immunohistochemical analysis of the sections. Confocal microscopy was used to compare the characteristics of neuronal migration in both control and HSP70 overexpression conditions.
Cells that received plasmids inducing HSP70 were discovered to migrate at a lower pace in comparison to the control. Additionally, it is hypothesized that the induction of HSP70 expression could lead to neuronal malformations and impact the development of neurites.
In the future, the study of cytoarchitectonics in the cortex will continue, examining the identification of electroporated cells in individual neuron populations using Satb2 and Ctip2 markers. Additionally, the differentiation of these cells will be assessed by counting those that have not exited the mitotic cycle, and the hypothesis of apoptosis induction in cells electroporated with HSP70 will be tested.
Intestinal microflora in children with secondary hyperoxaluria and allergic respiratory diseases
Authors: Obukhova Anna N. , Khaletskaya Olga V. , Shchelchkova Natalia A. , Seliverstov Andrey N. , Shirokova Irina Yu. , Chekanina Oksana M. , Ermolina Elena V.
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND: The intestinal microflora has an important role in the human body by influencing metabolic processes. It is proved that changes in intestinal microbiocenosis can cause the development of diseases. To date, the state of the intestinal microflora in children with impaired oxalate metabolism in combination with allergic pathology remains insufficiently studied.
AIM: The aim of the research was to study the intestinal microflora in children with secondary hyperoxaluria and allergic respiratory diseases.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 50 children aged 3 to 7 years with a diagnosis of secondary hyperoxaluria. The children were divided into two groups: group I — children with secondary hyperoxaluria and allergic respiratory diseases (n = 21); group II — children with secondary hyperoxaluria without allergic respiratory diseases (n = 29). All patients underwent a study of the state of intestinal microflora using fecal analysis by real-time PCR with fluorescence detection. The high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine the level of short-chain fatty acids in the feces of patients with secondary hyperoxaluria and allergic respiratory diseases.
RESULTS: The level of oxaluria is higher in patients with a combination of secondary hyperoxaluria and allergic respiratory diseases than with isolated secondary hyperoxaluria (p = 0.018). Changes in the intestinal microflora were detected in all patients with secondary hyperoxaluria (100%, n = 50). Сhildren with secondary hyperoxaluria and allergic respiratory diseases had a lower intestinal content of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (p = 0.004) and Ruminococcus spp. (p = 0.017), there were also violations of the metabolic activity of bacteria, manifested by a decrease in the concentration of monocarboxylic acids: acetic (0.18 ± 0.09), butyric (0.006 ± 0.003), valerian (0.003 ± 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Secondary hyperoxaluria in children aged 3 to 7 years is combined with a violation of the intestinal microflora, more pronounced in allergic respiratory diseases.
A comparative retrospective analysis of the results of hybrid interventions and femoral-tibial bypass in extended multi-level infrainguinal arterial segment lesions in patients with chronic critical limb ischemia
Authors: Kuchay Arshed Ahmad , Lipin Aleksandar N.
Published: May 2024

Background: The traditional approach to the revascularization of the lower limb in critical ischemia (CLTI) caused by extended occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) in the passable popliteal artery (PA) and severe occlusive lesions of the tibial arteries suggests femoral-tibial bypass (FTB).
Materials and Methods: The clinical research included patients suffering from chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) (chronic arterial insufficiency 4 stage), with extended (20 cm) occlusion of the femoral-popliteal segment arteries and severe damage to the outflow pathways. The patients were divided in to two groups according to the criteria of the clinical picture and methods of surgical intervention.
Results: The 30-day mortality and graft failure rate were 2.5% vs 4.3% (p0.05) and 5% vs 13% (p0.05) after hybrid and tibial bypass interventions, respectively.
At 1 year the primary patency of bypass and amputation-free survival were 77.7% (95% CI 61.7-93.7) vs 57.1% (95% CI 42.9-71.3) and 82.1% (95% CI 66.8-97.4) vs 69.6% (95% CI 56.1-83.1) after hybrid intervention and tibial bypass, respectively (all non-significant).
Conclusions: Compared to femoral tibial bypass, a hybrid intervention comprised of a bypass to a patent popliteal artery and subsequent crural angioplasty decreased the early failure rate without any negative effect on the long-term outcomes in CLI patients with long SFA CTO and extensive runoff disease.
Simulating the Contribution of the High Voltage Feedthrough to the Background Radioactivity for the nEXO Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Search
Authors:   , Jiang Xinyu , Dolinski Michelle J
Published: May 2024

Observation of neutrinoless double beta decay would confirm the Majorana nature of neutrinos, and could help explain the abundance of matter compared to anti-mater in our universe. nEXO is a next generation particle physics experiment in search of neutrino-less double beta decay. In this work we simulate the contribution of 208 Tl and 214 Bi present in the nEXO high voltage feedthrough to the background events picked up by our detector in our energy region of interest. We compare the events generated at varying distances from the detector, and calculate the hit efficiency, the probability that a single background event would be picked up by the detector, for each distance for both isotopes. These efficiencies are then fitted to an exponential to allow us to predict the background contributions of distances beyond what we have simulated.
Early Detection of Decompensated Heart Failure
Authors:   , Miller Alanna T , Osborne Barbara Ruth
Published: May 2024

Heart failure (HF) is the most common cause of hospitalization in elderly patients in the United States and carries a high rate of morbidity, mortality, and health care utilization. Many HF patients receive an implantable cardiac device as part of current guideline directed medical therapy. Implantable cardiac devices are now monitored remotely, and many have the capability of detecting early warning signs of HF exacerbation. Monitoring these patients remotely for signs of HF has been found to decrease hospitalizations, morbidity, and mortality. An evidence-based approach to effectively utilize remote HF monitoring data was developed based on a comprehensive review of the available literature. A quality improvement project was designed to identify patients with these devices and implement a process for remote HF monitoring. The goal of this project was to create a process to obtain and review monthly and alert transmissions, use a multidisciplinary team approach to contact high risk patients and facilitate appropriate management by their heart failure or cardiology provider. This project was implemented over an 8-week pilot period and measured the percentage of alerts that were successfully acted upon utilizing this process. During the pilot there were a total of 78 alerts and 72 of the alerts were handled according to the protocol for an overall adherence of 92%. Potential revenue and total nursing and advanced practice provider time spent managing alerts was tracked to determine sustainability of the project. This exciting technology has the potential to positively impact hundreds of patients.
Get the bundle on the patient
Authors:   , Hughes Pamela J. , Poyss Alicemarie R.
Published: May 2024

In the first six months of 2021, the hospital acquired pressure injury (HAPI) rate on an adult medical unit at a community hospital was 2.94 per 1000 patient days. Hospital wide, the HAPI rate was 2.0 per thousand patient days. On average, HAPI is estimated to cost between $20,900 and $151,700 per injury. A quality improvement project was established using daily WOCN rounding to ensure the current unit prevention bundle is in place on high-risk patients. The goal was to reduce the incidence rate of HAPI per 1000 patient days on an adult medical acute care unit over a six-week period. WOCNs rounded on 260 patients with Braden score 18 or less, Monday through Friday for six weeks. All missing bundle items were replaced, and data was collected on which items were missing, the Braden score, and the primary nurse's stated reason for the missing items. The HAPI rate during the intervention period was zero per 1000 patient days. 34% of the patients had missing bundle items or no bundle items in place. The analysis from the WOCN rounding resulted in the elimination of HAPI over the six-week intervention period. The presence of a WOCN rounding on the unit provided a positive influence to remind staff and patients of the importance of pressure injury prevention, and a corrective influence to ensure all at risk patients were protected. The clinical implications of this improvement project based on the HAPI rates of this unit prior to the intervention, WOCN rounding saved between $400,000 and $4 million annually based on AHRQ estimates.
Mass Reconstruction Using Flexion
Authors:   , Patel Brij R. , Goldberg David M.
Published: May 2024

Gravitational lensing is amongst the most powerful tools for measuring dark and luminous matter distributions in galaxies and galaxy clusters. Lensing manifests itself as distortions in images of lightemitting galaxies; such distortions are widely measured as a statistical quantity named shear, which is defined as the induced ellipticity of galaxies. However, extending this measurement to higher order distortions gives rise to a quantity named flexion, which has proven to contain significant further information on substructures within galaxy clusters. Both shear and flexion fields can be used to reconstruct the density field, also known as the convergence. These three lensing fields manifests as distinct distortions in images of galaxies: shear is responsible for elongation, flexion for skeweness and arciness, and convergence for magnification. LensTools is a Python package capable of performing shear-convergence reconstruction, along with many other useful routines used in weak gravitational lensing. This thesis outlines the methods of implementing into the LensTools pipeline a flexion convergence reconstruction routine, which was tested/verified using simulated lensing fields from a Singular Isothermal Sphere (SIS) model. Once implemented, we reconstructed the matter distribution in the galaxy cluster Abell 2744 (A2744) using only flexion-convergence reconstruction. Using Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) at various peaks in the density field, we identified the substructure within A2744 and using Monte Carlo integration we found the corresponding masses. The total mass of the mapped cluster was found to be (4.00 ± .038) x 10⁴⁴ h⁻¹ kg or (2.00 ± .019) x 10¹⁴ h⁻¹ solar masses.
Reducing Inpatient Falls in an Acute Neurology Unit
Authors:   , Price Colleen Lynn , Cummings Jennifer L
Published: May 2024

Patient falls are consistently one of the most reported sentinel events in the hospital setting and can increase the length of hospital stays, financial costs and morbidity and mortality. Fall rates are key metrics within the National Database Quality Indicator reporting system and can affect a health system's designation as a high-reliability organization. The goal of this quality initiative is to decrease fall rates for neurology and stroke patients on an intermediate care unit with the use of a customized communication tool in conjunction with the standard fall assessment when compared to patients with only the standard fall assessment. The visual communication tool was placed at the bedside to provide patient safety information so that anyone entering the room would be aware of the patient's risk factors. This quality initiative was expected to decrease April 2023 fall rates when compared to those from April 2022. This was successfully accomplished. One limitation of the study was its brief duration. A longer timeframe is recommended for evaluation of this tool to obtain a greater sample of patients and allow more time for education and practice adherence. Qualitative remarks by staff stated that the use of the tool helped to ensure safety measures were put in place appropriately and led to effective communication and that they felt the tool prevented further falls from occurring.
Chat C.A.T.
Authors:   , Appel Benjamin D , Norris Marisol S
Published: May 2024

The author explored the possibilities for a blended approach to creative art therapy and counseling by creating a protocol utilizing voice journaling software integrated with other digital tools. The goals of this process were informed by existing research and analysis into Digital Health Technologies (DHTs), which have identified ease of use, flexibility and customizability, and potential for clinical integration as key factors to the success of a tool. The author's protocol for a Voice Journal Digital Integration aimed to create a reviewable digital record of in-the- moment sentiments that could be reviewed and manipulated creatively. By first creating this digital integration, and then using this protocol in both a self-reflexive process and as a facilitator for another individual, the author purports to demonstrate the viability of this process as a tool for gaining insight into mental processes, either as a part of a self-management process or as a foundation for interventions in counseling and creative art therapy. He also aims to demonstrate the flexible potential of combining such a tool with other digital tools for further analysis and customization of reporting, offering a wide variety of potential applications and interventions.
ArtwoRx
Authors:   , Strohm Chris , Ierardi Florence M
Published: May 2024

This paper documents an Informed Practice Approach, designed, developed, and facilitated at the author's internship placement. The approach is an arts-allied music therapy perspective, called ArtwoRx, which entails three distinct improvisatory techniques executed in various domains of inpatient psychiatry. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the viability in using the visual arts in music therapy to deepen musical engagement within psychiatric populations, and possibly beyond. Music Inspiring Art (MIA) is a prerecorded method in which participant's mindfully engage with commercial or client made music by responding creatively and improvisationally with visual media. Art Inspiring Music (AIM) is in essence the reverse, where clients respond to either commercial or client made art via musical improvisation. Lastly, Simultaneous Art and Music Improvisation (SAMI) entails what the name suggests, participants respond to and engage with audio and visual material live and in real time improvisationally This process can also be referred to as a Musical Mandala. The paper details inspirations for inquiry, salient literature and theory for both music and intermodal therapy, the aforementioned techniques as well as complimentary vignettes, and lastly, conclusions in implementation and practice.