4 Medicinal Chemistry for the Next Decade

Background. The article is dedicated to the study of native and international robotic surgery develop¬ment as a revolutionary treatment technology. The article reveals the essence and advantages of surgical treatment using robots. The data provided indicate insufficient growth of the world market for robotic surgery, segmentation by country (in favor of highly developed countries) and monopolization. Materials and methods. The article is structured in theses with infographics, giving a complete picture of the main aspects. Results and discussion. The data analysis helped to identify the main trends and problems of ro¬botic technologies market in surgery. The key issue is the difference between the number of operations that can be possibly performed in robotic surgical technologies and their actual number. Based on the results of the analysis, there were formed promising directions and tasks for the development of robotic surgery and possible approaches to their implementation. In this study there were discussed the possibilities of training doctors and the prospects of the Russian robotic-assisting complex, as well as the paradoxical situation in the world of robotic surgery. The paradox is that despite the low level of market development, growing number of research works in the field of robotic-assisted surgery, its proven therapeutic efficacy and the high demand from behalf of the population and the surgical community, still there are problems that cannot be solved for the next 5 - 10 years. With a focus on the abdominal area, these problems are: high expenses; limited functionality of the robot; the lack of qualified doctors, training problems; unprofitable implementation of robotic surgery for clinics (in the business aspect). The development and implementa¬tion of robotic surgical techniques and technologies in Russia can significantly increase the availability and quality of medical care, and greatly advance the implementation of some projects in healthcare. At the same time, Moscow can initiate the development of robotic surgery in the country and in the world. Conclusion. It is important to fit the new surgical robots into the healthcare system, especially in terms of costs, and perform a large number of surgeries to increase payback. This requires the development and launch of the federal program “Robot surgery”.

Dear Colleagues, From passive-sports point of view, football (soccer) is number 1 sport in Austria. Unfortunately, Austrian national football team is anything but well known for playing football, and honestly, from time to time I thought about starting a public opinion poll to abolish national Austrian football team. However, we (the Austrians) are doing our best to compensate for this annoyance, and in fact we found things that we are really good in: SKIING. Yes, Austrians are definitely number one in world. – at least for moment.... Only recently, it seems that we have also managed to become European champions with ambitions to truly become world champions in another thing: SMOKING. According to World Health Organization (WHO), Austria has reached 47% smokers in adult population and a horrific 31.5% smokers among youngsters http://data.euro.who.int/?TabID=2404. Years and years of hard work doing nothing but leaving field to tobacco industry, finally enabled Austrian politicians and population to achieve this goal. In summary, Austria is probably worst example among developed countries concerning anti-smoking campaigning, protection of non-smokers from passive smoking, and preventing people from starting smoking as well as helping people to quit smoking. In vast contrast, a number of countries like USA and Sweden have made excellent progress in protecting non-smokers, and in reducing smoking prevalence in their population below 20%. However, as you all know situation in world and especially among poor and young is becoming worse. Still, in view of many scientists smoking is the most preventable risk factor for diseases like cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Although this may be true from a theoretical point of view, statistics of World Health Organisation tell a different story, estimating that by 2020 smoking will become largest single health problem in world, causing 8.4 million deaths a year. Why should reducing number of smokers be easier compared to reducing number of people suffering from obesity? Of course there is no sense in charging up one health problem against another, but we have to face truth that smoking is not easily preventable. Without doubt, a lot of preventive strategies and quitting programs are successful and smoking prevention should and will clearly stay number one in fight against tobacco addiction and diseases. I am convinced that in end, only tool that may completely solve problem in future is prevention, but facing up to WHO statistics for a moment, we have to think about additional strategies. E.g.: In past, carcinogenic potential of smoke and smoke chemicals has been analysed in great detail – this knowledge could now be used to generate a less harmful cigarette. Of course we do not need less harmful in public mind but we should think about extending research efforts on reducing deleterious health effects of smoke, to counteract expected increase in incidence of smoking caused diseases. Having goal of a tobacco free society in our minds, we must not forget that humans are suffering from tobacco caused diseases now, tomorrow and also in next decades, which can in part be prevented by reducing toxicity of smoke. I am aware that this is a very controversial issue, and that only recently tobacco industry has claimed to bring healthier to market, which is without doubt a primitive tobacco commercial. Although, I am not completely sure if it would be advantageous to have a real less harmful cigarette (loss of determent), I am sure that leaving toxicity of cigarettes as it is will cause a lot of morbidity and mortality. With this article, I would like to start a discussion on following issue: Why shouldn't it make sense to intensify efforts to reduce number of active and passive smokers AND reduce toxicity of smoke?

Optimizing PEG-interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for patients infected with HCV-2 or HCV-3: is the puzzle completed?

Civilization is beginning to sense that its future lies with the child and not with the machinery produced by science. In the past the child has been rather taken for granted. Much of the thinking has been along military lines. The principal value of the child to dictators, kings and heads of governments has been that of a prospective soldier. The material structure of civilization has been assumed to have permanent qualities and the ability to withstand the disorder, shock and wreck of war. The history of the human race shows an increase in population in spite of great famines, disasters and wars and the natural tendency of the human being has been to increase in numbers as long as sustenance was available. The interchange of goods and the improvements in agriculture have placed the food supply of the world open to all. We can see ahead more areas conquered,

The practice of agriculture has always been a source of food production. The increase in the global population leads to improvements in agriculture, increasing crop quality and yield. Plant growth results from the interaction between roots and their environment, which is the soil or planting medium that provides structural support as well as water and nutrients to the plant. Therefore, good soil management is necessary to prevent problems that will directly affect plant health. Integrated crop management is a pragmatic approach to crop production, which includes integrated pest management focusing on crop protection. Currently, there is an extended idea that many microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria, are useful in agriculture since they are attractive eco-friendly alternatives to mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The microbes that interact with the plants supply nutrients to crops, control phytopathogens and stimulate plant growth. These actions have beneficial implications in agriculture. Despite the great benefits of microorganisms in agriculture, their use has been quite limited; however, there has been great growth in recent years. This may be because more progress is needed in field applications. One of the most employed genera in agriculture is Bacillus since it has several mechanisms to act as biofertilizers and biopesticides. In this review, the role of beneficial microorganisms, with special emphasis on the Bacillus genus, in soil and plant health will be discussed, highlighting the recent advances in this topic.

IN this book, Sir Daniel Hall deals with some of the many problems which have arisen from the impact of modern civilization on the native tribes of Africa. The increase in the human population and in the number of cattle which followed the stoppage of war and the reduction in epidemic disease has led to a dangerous condition “The eminent consequences are disease due to inadequate diet, tribal unrest and the spread of the desert”. The Improvement of Native Agriculture in relation to Population and Public Health By Sir A. Daniel Hall. (University of London: Heath Clark Lectures, 1935, delivered at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.) Pp. vii + 104. (London: Oxford University Press, 1936.) 10s. 6d. net.

In the Face of Austerity: The Puzzle of Museums and Universities

Obesity and associated type 2 diabetes mellitus are the emerging epidemic of this new century. Identifying the key mechanism of the pathophysiology offers unique insights into potential prevention and therapy. One of the classic animal models of obesity and insulin resistance has been the ob/ob mouse. Zhang et al1 set the scientific world a-buzz in 1994 with the discovery that the obesity (ob) gene product was in fact leptin, and leptin deficiency accounted for the obesity in these mice. See p 754 Leptin is secreted by the fat cells, along with other tissues, to act on the hypothalamic leptin receptors (Ob-Rb) to decrease food intake and increase energy expenditure in the host.2 Under physiological conditions, the amount of leptin produced by fat tissues is directly related to the mass of adipose tissues.3 Both leptin deficiency (ob/ob mice) and leptin resistance (db/db mice having a defective leptin receptor) lead to hyperphagia and decreased energy expenditure in the host (Figure 1). Predictably, this leads to obesity, the insulin resistance type of diabetes, and a decrease in lean body mass.4,5 Correction of leptin deficiency in the ob/ob mouse causes a marked reduction in food intake and a normalization of its weight.2,3,6 Figure 1. Circles of feedback in primary leptin deficiency. This is the situation found in ob/ob mice, or rare human genetic mutations. In this setting, the adipose tissue will not be able to elaborate leptin commensurate with the fat tissue mass. This leaves the leptin receptor unoccupied. The receptor signals through janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathways, with cross talk from PI3 kinase (P13K) pathways. The receptor nonoccupancy leads to a number of adiposity signals, including increased food intake and decreased energy expenditure. This also leads to ventricular hypertrophy, …

Comparative literature investigates problems of in ternational literary relations, the migration and ty pology of motifs, genres and forms as well as regu larities of the process of the world literature in the course of its development. During the Soviet Peri od, comparative literature of the Baltic States at tempted to demonstrate the vital impact of Russian culture on the artistic development of occupied countries. Together with the re-establishment of political independence, literatures of the Baltic States revived the concept of their European self-esteem and identity which had always been kept alive. Having matured in the West and being back in its homeland, the literature of exodus urges a neces sary comparison of explaining and defining the sources of European culture, which have nourished its sur vival. Modern literature of the Baltic States could also be regarded as a certain phenomenon of artis tic adaptation because it reflects the process of psychological adaptation to the European lifestyle. The structure and stylistics of contemporary nov els - Zita Cepaitė’s ’’Paulinos kelionė” (Paulina’s Journey), Jurga Ivanauskaitė’s ’’Agnijos magija” (Ag nija’s Magic), Jurgis Kunčinas’ ’’Blanchisserie, arba Žvėrynas - Užupis” (Blanchisserie or Žvėrynas - Užupis) - help to make a comparison and to better comprehend the model of a typical contemporary Western novel. It is both a descriptive glossary of certain belief systems (Buddhism) and a thesaurus of literary erudition while, from another point of view, it aids the invasion of trivial literature. More over, it absorbs highly authentic circumambient substance and at the same time transfers the experienc es and fates of heroes to the frolicsome plane of illogical performances. Although the multicultural situation of the mod ern world has been converting the objects of a comparative study to models, the research into litera ture as an artistic phenomenon, a notion of the integrity of a piece of art and the wholeness, never theless, should remain the core of comparative studies

In this paper, we will try to present the most important problems of the Arab world today. In doing so, we will be guided by the idea of highlighting what challenges the whole world faces. The Arab world is located at the crossroads between East and West. From that point of view, what is happening among the Arabs must have an impact on the relations of all those who communicate with each other via the Arab world. It is especially important to point out that the Arabs are among the largest exporters of crude oil. And that shows how much the situation in the Arab world is something that affects the entire planet.

Increasing carbon emissions (CO2) due to factors such as energy consumption (enco), industrialization, increase in world population, and decrease in green areas with the industrial revolution is one of the main causes of both climate change and global warming. In this context, due to the increasing commercial activities in Turkiye, the rapid growth of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the logistics sector alert the government. However, there is a lack of standard measures for evaluating GHG emissions generated from freight transport operations. To improve this situation, Turkiye's policymakers need to evaluate GHG emissions for energy saving and pollution reduction. This background leads us to examine the GHG emission trajectories and features of Turkiye's freight transport patterns in the last three decades. In this context, it is aimed to determine the impacts of financial development (findev), GDP per capita, energy consumption, and amount of freight carried by rail and road on CO2 emissions within the framework of 1990-2021 time-series data for Turkiye. By doing so, the ARDL bound testing cointegration test is employed and observes that independent variables have similar and different effects on CO2 emissions. Energy consumption, findev, and per capita income variables have a positive effect on CO2 emissions in Turkiye. According to these results, it is seen that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is valid in Turkiye. However, the effect of rail and road freight transport (FT) on CO2 emissions is negative. The unexpected finding is related to road FT. The amount of freight transported by road has a decreasing effect on CO2 emissions in Turkiye. This paradoxical situation in Turkiye may be due to the developments in the transportation infrastructure, which has enabled the convergence of space and time in recent years, young and modern vehicle fleets, and the efficiency provided through logistics companies. The findings will assist in formulating specific and effective policies for Turkiye's transport sector.

According to the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), over the last seventy years, floods have shown the fastest rate of increase relative to any other type of disasters. Devastation due to these events occurs almost daily. Even though our technological capabilities for dealing with floods have advanced rapidly over the same period, and while global economic growth per capita has doubled, flood events have become ever more disastrous. Does this mean that our technological developments have advanced independently from the social and wider ecological needs? Flood Risk: The Holistic Perspective is a direct response to this question and it argues that this paradoxical situation is a result from our narrow and fragmented perception of reality which has been characteristic of our academic disciplines and government agencies. It suggests that the way forward can be found only if we broaden our view and learn how the natural or social phenomena can provoke a response in a society, or a social group, which in turn can trigger the technical developments, and so on, again and again, in what has the potential to become a network of interactions and relationships through positive feedback (or coevolving) cycles.The holistic perspective however may raise the following question: If everything is connected to everything else, how can we ever hope to understand anything? Our response draws from the understandings brought by complexity theory where individual elements coevolve together both in development and application. This recognition opens a new analysis which goes beyond the direct objects or actors of concern (risk forecasting, early warning, land-use planning technology and systems for example), and into the relationships between them. The book suggests that our initial response to this and many other challenges is to change our perception from a disciplinary and defensive one to a progressive (or transcendental) and transdiciplinary, i.e., the one that turns challenges into the possibilities that can re-shape our future.The book is structured in eight chapters. Chapter 1 provides exposure to the complexity of flood-related issues and illustrates diversity of multiple points of view. Chapter 2 elaborates on the history of holistic thinking with connection to the flood resilience process. Chapter 3 discusses the holistic risk governance approach which progresses beyond the integrated urban flood management. Chapter 4 describes the Green Cities Initiative, an initiative which is essentially holistic in its nature as it aims to improve transport, energy efficiency, industrial metabolism including water supply and distribution as well as drainage and sewerage services through the holistic lens of interactions between different sectors. Chapter 5 discusses various risk assessment practices and it concludes that any practice that omits social, ethical and wider ecological points of view will be severely restricted in its scope and its reach. Chapter 6 describes the root causes of floods in the Pasig-Marikina River Basin in Metro Manila, Philippines. Chapter 7 reflects upon the key issues and challenges from 2011 Thailand floods. Finally, Chapter 8 presents some of the key aspects concerning urban stormwater management practice in Beijing, China.This title belongs to Urban Hydroinformatics SeriesISBN: 9781780405339 (eBook)ISBN: 9781780405322 (Print)

This study examines the effects of farmers’ participation in short food supply chains on the ecological efficiency of cash crop cultivation. The analysis draws upon data collected from 1099 farmers located in China’s primary kiwifruit-producing regions. First, ecological efficiency scores for small-scale farmers are estimated using stochastic frontier analysis. Second, to address selectivity bias arising from observable and unobservable factors, multinomial endogenous switching regression models are employed. The empirical analysis shows that participation in short food supply chains significantly enhances the ecological efficiency of farmers’ cash crop cultivation. Compared to relying solely on direct sales channels, the integration of middlemen with direct sales more effectively promotes improvements in farmers’ ecological efficiency.

Since the early 1990s, Vietnam has witnessed a colossal leap in agricultural production, with an annual increment of 4.3% and an increase in food production of 5.8%. Consequently, Vietnam moved from incidences of chronic hunger to being one of the world's biggest rice exporters, with considerable improvement in farmers' livelihoods. However, most farmers living in coastal salt-affected areas of the Mekong Delta have not benefited sufficiently from these developments, owing to the low productivity of these areas caused by persistent rapid population growth, diminishing agricultural lands due to industrial expansion, land degradation and persisting abiotic stresses such as K and P deficiencies and, in some cases, toxicities to high Al and Fe, besides excessive salts and low pH. Crop yields in these areas are generally low and are decreasing progressively, particularly in saline areas where farmers still use traditional varieties and practices. Potential threats of food shortage are therefore anticipated in the long run. None the less, effective measures are being attempted to mitigate these soil problems and use these soil resources effectively for food production. New salt-tolerant rice varieties adapted to the Mekong Delta region are being developed using both conventional and modern approaches such as anther culture, mutation and marker-assisted breeding. Numerous short-maturing varieties such as Tam xoan-93, Tep Hanh, Mot Bui Do, OM4498, OM5900 and AS996 have been developed that can yield 4-5 t/ha under salt stress of 6.0-9.0 dS/m and are now being outscaled. Crop and nutrient management options for improved varieties are also being developed and new cropping patterns have been tested over the past few years. These involve the development of high-yielding, short-maturing varieties for less saline areas with ample fresh water, non-rice high-value crops such as soybean and groundnut for areas where freshwater resources are relatively scarce during the dry season and rice-aquaculture systems for areas where salinity is high during the dry season, as in some parts of Tra Vinh and Bac Lieu Provinces. Results generated from on-farm trials over the past 3 years in different areas and their initial impact are discussed.

Hunger and malnutrition are today associated with the capitalist system. The evidence points to a further deterioration of the food situation in the Third World in the foreseeable future, as a result of massive capital and technology transfers from the rich capitalist countries to the underdeveloped agricultures operated by trans-national concerns or private investors, with the active support of development assistance agencies such as the World Bank. Contrary to the superficial predictions of the World Bank, for example, poverty is bound to increase and the purchasing power of the masses must decline. Particular attention must be paid to the supply of staple foods and the proletariat. This is threatened by a variety of factors, attributable to the operation of the capitalist system. Among them are the senseless waste of Third World resources caused by the foreign investors' insatiable thirst for the quick repatriation of super-profits and the increasing orientation of Third World agricultures toward high-value or export crops (which are usually the same), an orientation which is imposed upon them by the industrial countries' agricultural development strategies. Even self-sufficiency programs for more staple foods, such as the ill-reputed Green Revolution, predictably cannot be of long duration.