Basic Groups Research Articles

УПРАВЛІННЯ КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНІСТЮ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ ОПТОВОЇ ТОРГІВЛІ

The article is devoted to issues related to the improvement of the process of managing the competitiveness of wholesale trade enterprises. A critical analysis of existing approaches to defining the essence of the category "competitiveness" was carried out, as a result of which a more complete definition of this category was proposed, due to the ability of an economic entity to compete effectively under the condition of limited resources with other entities interested in the same goal. Based on the analysis and generalization of the approaches of various scientists, the main criteria of competitive advantages are defined as a component of competition that does not have an absolute dimension and expresses a set of characteristics and phenomena that allow the enterprise to achieve a leading position among competitors. Taking into account the dual orientation of the process of managing the competitiveness of the enterprise, the priority tasks of the management system of the competitiveness of the wholesale trade enterprise are defined in the work, such as the implementation of measures related to the maintenance and development of market demand for certain goods and services, the formation of conditions for the implementation of the principle of social orientation of the enterprise's activities in the innovative sphere and building a logically correct management process, focused on increasing the competitiveness of the enterprise as the main strategic task of its development. Based on the analysis of the existing methods of assessing the competitiveness of the enterprise, the work defines basic criteria and groups of indicators that are specific to wholesale trade enterprises. In the course of researching the peculiarities of the functioning of wholesale trade enterprises in modern conditions of a highly competitive environment, the main directions of the formation of their competitive advantages are proposed. In order to ensure the competitiveness of wholesale trade enterprises, the article develops organizational measures, the implementation of which will contribute to obtaining competitive advantages in the market, in particular, the development of an effective logistics strategy, the use of information technologies, the development of the brand and the creation of the company's image, as well as the improvement of the pricing strategy.

The peptide bond rupture mechanism in the serine proteases: an in silico study based on sequential scale models.

Given the importance of serine proteases for biochemical processes, we have studied the peptide bond rupture mechanism using three sequential scale models as representations of the KLK5 enzyme (a protein overexpressed in ovarian cancer). The first model contains the basic functional groups of the residues that conform to the catalytic triad present in serine proteases; the second model contains some additional residues and, finally, the last representation includes all atoms of the KLK5 protein together with 10.000 explicit water molecules. This separation into three scale models allows us to separate the intrinsic reactivity of the catalytic triad from the process taking place in the enzyme. The methodologies employed in this work include full DFT calculations with a dielectric continuum in the first two models and a multi-level setup with a Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) partition in the whole protein system. Our results show that the peptide-bond rupture mechanism is a stepwise process involving two proton transfer reactions. The rate-determining step is the second proton transfer from the imidazole group to the amidic nitrogen of the substrate. In addition, we find that the simplest model does not provide accurate results compared to the full protein system. This can be attributed to the electronic stabilization conferred by the residues around the reaction site. Interestingly, the energy profile obtained with the second scale model with additional residues shows the same trends as the full system and could therefore be considered an appropriate model system. It could be used for studying the peptide bond rupture mechanism in case full QM/MM calculations cannot be performed, or as a rapid tool for screening purposes.

СТАНОВЛЕННЯ СЕКТОРУ FINTECH: МОЖЛИВОСТІ ТА РИЗИКИ В УМОВАХ ЦИФРОВОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ

The article is devoted to the study of the state, trends and prospects of the development of the FinTech sector, the identification of opportunities and risks of its development in the conditions of the digital economy, and the determination of measures to accelerate such development. The main trends of FinTech development are analyzed. The advantages of using fintech providers have been determined, in particular: fast provision of financial services; a small number of regulatory requirements; the possibility of cooperation with banks; facilitating access to instant funds for urgent needs or loans for small amounts for people with low incomes; increasing financial convenience for users, since access to services is possible from any place where Internet access is available. The types of companies providing fintech services, the basic groups of digital technologies, on the basis of which fintech services are implemented, were studied. The possibilities of technology application are summarized: blockchain, big data, Internet of things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, biometric technologies, augmented/virtual reality, embedded finance, SAAS, Open Banking by types of financial activities and services. Factors and risks of FinTechs development are studied: liquidity mismatch, speculative bubbles, interconnectedness, systemic importance, risk of regulatory problems, displacement of traditional jobs and creation of new forms of inequality. To accelerate the development of FinTech at the international and national levels, it is proposed to carry out groups of measures depending on their content: measures of a technological nature (acceleration of the development of technologies on which FinTech is based); measures to create a competitive environment and effective functioning of the fintech market; educational activities; regulatory measures at the state level; state measures to stimulate innovation; cyber security measures; implementation of international coordination. Keywords: Fintech, digital economy, digitalization, electronic payments, risks of fintech activities, cyber security, fintech provider, financial services, digital technologies, fintech startup.

Competences of the minister in charge of health related to the organisation of the provision of health services assisting procreation

The purpose of the publication is to answer the question whether, on the basis of the Act on Infertility Treatment, the minister in charge of health, as the central authority of government administration with the most extensive competences in the field of health, mainly realises, as assumed in the literature, normative competences, or whether he also undertakes other types of activities within the scope of the tasks set out by this Act. Its realisation, therefore, required an analysis of the competences of the minister in charge of health related to the organisation of the provision of health services in the field of medically assisted procreation, as defined by the aforementioned Act. This analysis was carried out using the dogmatic-legal method supported by scientific views. The analysis made it possible to establish, that this minister exercises two basic groups of competences: normative and competences to apply the law, which include the competences to: control, supervision, issue administrative decisions, as well as the competences to perform factual actions, including material-technical ones, and social organizational actions. Thus, a conclusion can be drawn that it has been equipped with a whole range of forms of activity that allow the realisation of the values assumed by the legislator, among which the type of activity such as issuing normative acts taking the form of universally binding regulations plays an important role.

PS-BPC05-7: HEMODYNAMIC MANAGEMENT OF RESISTANT HYPERTENSION

Background: Hypertension is the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide and is related to a high probability of cardiac disease, kidney disease and cerebrovascular events. Blood pressure measurement was used in the last decades to diagnose and guide antihypertensive therapy; however blood pressure is the result of the interaction of more complex hemodynamic parameters previously reserved for experimental studies or critical care patients management using invasive methods. Since 1996 few studies have proposed the use of hemodynamic parameters to classify and guide hypertension therapy with good results. Purpose: The present study's purpose was to measure hemodynamic parameters in patients with non-controlled resistant hypertension and use it to guide pharmacologic treatment to archive control blood pressure values according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Methods: A total of 84 patients between 32 and 95 years old diagnosed with non-controlled primary resistant hypertension were recruited and after previous therapy washout hemodynamic parameters were measured using noninvasive Methods: preload by central venous pressure (CVP) using inferior vena cava diameter, cardiac index and systemic vascular resistance using Lyljestrand & Zander modified formula. Patients were classified into 3 basic groups depending on which parameter was above normal value: hyperdynamic (HD) for high cardiac index > 3.5 L/min/m2, fluid overload (FO) for CVP > 8cmH2O and high systemic vascular resistance index (HSVRi) > 2500 dynes/sec/m2/cm5, also 3 combined groups were a patient had 2 simultaneous hemodynamic alterations (HD+FO, HD+HSVRi and FO+HSRVi), according to this classification pharmacotherapy was guided indicating Bisoprolol in HD group, Amlodipine to HSVR patients and Hydrochlorothiazide to FO patients, in combined groups, combined therapy was given. Patients were observed for 6 months period taking as primary endpoint blood pressure control, acute cardiovascular events and hypotension. Results: A significant reduction of hemodynamic parameters and blood pressure was observed in the first month of treatment obtaining a 100% hemodynamic and blood pressure goals in all patients in the third month of therapy without hypotension or acute cardiovascular event during this period, the HD+FO group reach goals at the 6th month of treatment without reported complications. Conclusions: In this preliminary study we observed that hemodynamic guided high blood pressure control may be a valuable tool for a better understanding, classification and treatment in patients with resistant hypertension; however larger outcome studies confirm this hypothesis.

EFFICACY OF PRIMARY REHABILITATION MEASURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF RECURRENT BRONCHIAL OBSTRUCTION SYNDROME IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH RESPIRATORY DISORDERS IN NEONATAL PERIOD.

The aim: To improve primary prophylactic measures associated with the development and progression of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in young children, who had suffered respiratory disorders in neonatal period. Materials and methods: Algorithm of primary prophylactic measures implied adequate balanced nutrition, sanation of living conditions, restriction of contact with infectious agents, sanation of chronic foci of infection, systematic training and general fitness. The investigation included 160 young children (1 day - 3 years of age). The basic group (n=80) involved children, who had experienced respiratory disorders in neonatal period and received appropriate respiratory therapy (artificial ventilation and / or spontaneous breathing with continuous positive airway pressure and supply of free oxygen), control group - children, who did not have respiratory disorders and respiratory therapy (n=80). Results: Conducted investigation throughout 12-month monitoring enabled to record the development of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in 43 children (respectively, 30 - 37.50% patients of the basic group versus 13 - 16.25% of control group; p 0.05), could not be obtained. Conclusions: Comparative analysis within groups did not show a reliable difference in the development of recurrent bronchial obstruction syndrome in children (р>0.05), which can be explained by partial following of doctor's recommendations. There is the need in further study of the issue involving more patients for a longer period of monitoring.

A NEW LASER APPROACH FOR SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT

In Europe, many countries have territories with the seismotectonic active areas – Italy, Greece, Romania etc. As we know, the special government and commercial organizations made many attempts to solve the seismic risk assessment problems in these countries using many different devices for solving these problems by estimating the seismic risk. All popular in all European countries specific devices are divided into two basic groups for solving the seismic risk assessment – accelerometers and velocimeters. For solving scientifically important tasks of the seismic risk assessment, there are no other high sensitivity devices for measurement of the displacements in countries with high level of the seismicity. These problems are based on difficulty for business to produce effective devices for measuring the displacement. These problems are based on influences of the temperature on mechanical and electronics instabilities of systems for measurement of the displacement. The cost of devices for measurement of the displacement with temperature stabilization may be higher than for devices of measurement of velocity or acceleration. Broadband seismometers with very high exactness of measurements of seismic events of any type can be afforded by the countries with high financial achievements only. However, there are other more important problems for measurements of the displacement beside acceleration or velocity for any places where there are seismic active zones.

СТАНОВЛЕННЯ СЕКТОРУ FINTECH: МОЖЛИВОСТІ ТА РИЗИКИ В УМОВАХ ЦИФРОВОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ

The article is devoted to the study of the state, trends and prospects of the development of the FinTech sector, the identification of opportunities and risks of its development in the conditions of the digital economy, and the determination of measures to accelerate such development. The main trends of FinTech development are analyzed. The advantages of using fintech providers have been determined, in particular: fast provision of financial services; a small number of regulatory requirements; the possibility of cooperation with banks; facilitating access to instant funds for urgent needs or loans for small amounts for people with low incomes; increasing financial convenience for users, since access to services is possible from any place where Internet access is available. The types of companies providing fintech services, the basic groups of digital technologies, on the basis of which fintech services are implemented, were studied. The possibilities of technology application are summarized: blockchain, big data, Internet of things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, biometric technologies, augmented/virtual reality, embedded finance, SAAS, Open Banking by types of financial activities and services. Factors and risks of FinTechs development are studied: liquidity mismatch, speculative bubbles, interconnectedness, systemic importance, risk of regulatory problems, displacement of traditional jobs and creation of new forms of inequality. To accelerate the development of FinTech at the international and national levels, it is proposed to carry out groups of measures depending on their content: measures of a technological nature (acceleration of the development of technologies on which FinTech is based); measures to create a competitive environment and effective functioning of the fintech market; educational activities; regulatory measures at the state level; state measures to stimulate innovation; cyber security measures; implementation of international coordination. Keywords: Fintech, digital economy, digitalization, electronic payments, risks of fintech activities, cyber security, fintech provider, financial services, digital technologies, fintech startup.

Black Soils Outside of the INBS Criteria in Slovakia

The distribution of black soils in Slovakia can be divided into the two basic groups: distribution of black soils according to the International Network of Black Soils (INBS) and distribution of black soils outside of the INBS specified criteria. Black soils outside of the INBS criteria on selected soil profiles are evaluated in this contribution. Indicators of black soils outside of the INBS criteria are very common in comparison with the first group – existence of mollic horizon – but the depth of mollic horizon is often less than 25 cm where the soil properties are practically the same as in black soils using the INBS criteria (represented by Chernozems and Phaeozems). Other special group of black soils without mollic horizon can be also included in the “black soils” category with low soil reaction (pH/H2O < 5.5 and pH/KCl < 5.0), low base saturation (< 50%) with high content of SOM (10–20%) represented mostly by Andosols and Umbrisols in Slovak conditions. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the significance of black soils outside of the INBS criteria on selected examples of soil profiles in Slovakia. The basic chemical (pH/H2O, pH/KCl, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen, humic acids, fulvoacids, colour quotient Q46, available nutrients P and K, melanic index) and physical (fractional mechanical composition) procedures were conducted in NPPC – Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute in Bratislava. Based on the obtained results, the black soils outside of the INBS criteria in Slovakia belong mostly to the most fertile soils with the existence of mollic horizon but often shallower than in black soils according to the INBS criteria (< 25 cm) and cultivated mostly as arable land (represented by Chernozems and Phaeozems). Only a smaller part of these soils – without mollic horizon (Andosols, resp. Umbrisols) – belong to the soils with low fertility and are mostly situated in forest protected areas on some volcanic rocks, especially with the occurrence of volcanic glass. Total area of these soils is about 8.7% of soil cover in Slovakia. All the groups of black soils (within and outside of the INBS criteria) have to be strongly protected.

SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LEFT SIDE COLONOSCOPY OR SIGMOIDOSCOPY VERSUS TOTAL COLONOSCOPY IN PATIENTS LESS THAN 45 YEARS OLD AGE PRESENTED WITH THE PERIANAL DISEASE AT KURDISTAN CENTER FOR GASTROENTEROLOGY/SULAIMANIYAH

Background 
 Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are recommended tools for diagnosing colorectal diseases, but their relative effectiveness needs to be clarified. Direct comparisons of colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in the same population would help inform patients, providers, and policymakers about patients presented with perianal features and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening options.
 Objectives 
 To evaluate the ability of each of these two modalities (colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy) to reach the diagnosis in patients presenting with features suggestive of perianal disease and to determine factors that predict safely performing left-sided colonoscopy in patients less than forty-five years old given with features suggestive of perianal disease. 
 Materials and Methods
 This prospective cross-sectional study will be conducted between the 1st of January 2021 and the 1st of January 2022 in the department of KCGH (Kurdistan center for gastrointestinal and Hepatology) / Teaching- Hospital, Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq. One thousand patients presented with features (bright red bleeding per-rectum, blood on toilet tissue, pain and itching in anal region, anal soiling) of perianal disease were subjected to sigmoidoscopy and extended to full colonoscopy. The patients are divided into two groups, each group of 500 patients. The first group (basic group) includes patients younger than 45 years and the second group (comparison group) includes patients aged equally and more than 45 years.
 Results
 The mean age of the primary group is about 33 years. All patients underwent sigmoidoscopy and extended to total colonoscopy with terminal ileal intubation; in the basic group, we have 48 (4.8%) patients with left side polyps (10 large and 38 small polyps) and 16 (1.6%) right side polyps (2 large and 14 small polyps), in this group, we have only 6 (0.6%) patients with left side colonic mass and no cases of right side colonic mass, while in comparison group we have 115 (11.5%) cases with left side colonic polyp (27 large and 88 small polyps) and about 86 (8.6%) cases of right side colonic polyp, regarding detecting mass in this group we have 20 (2.0%) cases of left side colonic mass and 6 (0.6%) cases of right side colonic mass.. 
 Conclusion
 Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are important tools for investigating patients presenting with perianal features. While both are sensitive to detecting pathology in the left side of the colon, our study concluded that although colonoscopy is the ideal procedure for detecting lesions in the whole colon (proximal & distal to splenic flexure), limited colonoscopy up to splenic flexure can be safely carried out in patients less than 45 years old presented with perianal diseases.

The optimal surgical volume for anorectal melanoma: a retrospective analysis of the Russian Colorectal Cancer Society registry

Background . Anorectal melanoma is a rare malignancy without established standard treatment. Aim . To analyse the Russian Colorectal Cancer Society melanoma registry and to assess optimal surgery with regard to the extent of the disease. Materials and methods . A retrospective analysis of the Russian Colorectal Cancer Society registry was carried out during 2000–2020. Patients with cutaneous melanoma colonic metastases as well as patients with less than 6 months follow-up were excluded. Basic patient group characteristics, overall and disease-free survival (were analyzed depending on disease stage (by A. Stefanou) and surgery type. Results . 16 patients had stage I–IIA, 24 – stage IIB, 29 patients – stage III and 24 patients – stage IV disease. Wide local excision was performed in 15 (93.8 %) patients with stage I–IIA, 15 (62.5 %) patients with stage IIB, 2 (6.9 %) patients with stage III, and 8 (33.3 %) patients with stage IV disease. Abdomino-perineal excision (APE) was performed in 0 patients with stage I–IIA, 7 (29.2 %) patients with stage IIB, 22 (75.9 %) patients with stage III, and 7 (29.2 %) patients with stage IV disease. 2-year overall survival was 74.5 % in stage I–IIA, 49.4 % in stage IIB, 64.3 % in stage III, and 10.4 % in stage IV disease; 2-year disease-free survival was 67 %, 23,4 %, 34,1 % in stage I–IIA, IIB, III disease accordingly. Median overall survival was 17.8 months, 38.3 months and 27.9 months for non-surgical treatment, wide local excision and APR in non-metastatic patients accordingly. Median disease-free survival was 6.0 months, 14.1 months and 12.0 months for non-surgical treatment, wide local excision and APR in non-metastatic patients accordingly. Conclusions . APR should be considered in patients with stage IIB and stage III (by A. Stefanou) anorectal melanoma. Wide local excision is the preferred treatment in other patients.

Compatibility of Crude Oil Blends─Processing Issues Related to Asphaltene Precipitation, Methods of Instability Prediction─A Review

Processing crude oil of variable composition, especially due to the need to process crude oil blends obtained from various sources, presents a tremendous process challenge. This is mainly due to the destabilization of the colloidal system manifested mostly by the precipitation of the asphaltene fraction. The precipitation of asphaltenes from crude oil is a serious problem during extraction, transport, and processing. In the latter case, engineers and scientists have spent a lot of time determining what mechanisms are conducive to the occurrence of this phenomenon. On the one hand, there was a scientific curiosity about the principles of the nanoworld (nanoscale) of asphaltene molecules that determine their stability, and on the other hand, the willingness of process engineers in refineries to maintain the equipment in the best condition and maximize plant profits. Over the years, many methods have been developed to assess the stability of asphaltenes in crude oils and their blends, starting with methodologies based on the separation of a complex mixture into basic groups of compounds with similar properties (SARA) to sophisticated numerical models on an increasingly better understanding of interactions between molecules under changing conditions. In the former case, the basic instruments available in every laboratory are used whereas in the latter case technically advanced measurement systems capable of reproducing the real conditions of crude oil processing are employed. This paper reviews the methods of determining the stability of crude oils and their blends along with a critical assessment of their effectiveness.

Carboxylic Groups via Postpolymerization Modification of Polythiophene and their Influence on the Performance of a Polymeric MALDI Matrix

AbstractMatrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) requires a matrix, and traditionally small organic matrices (SOMs) carrying acidic or basic functional groups are used. However, the analyte ionization via secondary processes in the gas‐phase seems to be more important than primary processes. For conjugated polymeric matrices, an even more complicated picture emerges due to their apolar and aprotic nature, high molecular weight, and low tendency to desorb. Poly(3‐dodecylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3DDT), a good matrix for low‐molecular weight (LMW) analytes, does not give matrix‐related peaks in the LMW area. Here, carboxylic acid (COOH) side‐chains are introduced via postpolymerization modification. The polymers are characterized by NMR, FT‐IR, CV, MALDI MS, and, when possible, GPC. The electron withdrawing side‐chains serve three functions; i) raising the ionization potential (IP), ii) improving the absorption maximum, and iii) acting as a source of protons. When measuring basic amines, this results in the occurrence of additional [Analyte + H+]+ signals compared to polymers without acidic groups, where only radical cations [Analyte]+• are detected. Similarly, estradiol and testosterone, compounds with high IPs, are not detected by polythiophenes without acidic groups, while P3DDT‐COOH enables detection as protonated species.

The study on interactions between stabilizers and asphaltenes

Asphaltene stabilizers are the main means to inhibit the flocculation and sedimentation of asphaltenes in crude oil exploitation, transportation, and refining operations. In this work, the interactions between asphaltenes and 2-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, 4-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, 4-dodecyl aniline, 4-dodecyl phenol, polyisobutylene succinic imide benzene boric acid and polyisobutylene succinic imide benzene sulfonic acid were studied by XPS, XRD, DLS, TEM and SEM methods. The aggregation behavior of asphaltenes in the absence and presence of stabilizers was characterized by analyzing asphaltene’s particle size, surface composition, and aggregate microstructure. It was observed that the interactions between asphaltene and stabilizers decreased asphaltene aggregate size in solution, and that the polymeric stabilizer with an acidic group was superior to the small-molecule stabilizer with an acidic group, but both better than chemicals with basic groups. It was found that stabilizer adsorption on asphaltenes affected the O, N, S contents of asphaltene surface and prompted formation of protonated pyridinic N+ and nitrogen-oxide -R-N+-O-, which further revealed that an acid-base reaction was the most effective at stabilizing asphaltene-stabilizer complexes, followed by π-π interactions and hydrogen bonds. We also found that the synergistic effects of π-π and acid-base reactions stimulated the transformation of 2-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid adsorbed on asphaltene from the vertical state at low concentrations to the tiled arrangement at high concentrations. XRD results showed that adsorption of stabilizers on asphaltene increased the distance of asphaltene aromatic sheets and decreased the aggregation number of asphaltene to below the critical aggregation number of asphaltene tactoids.

Microporous Biocarbons Derived from Inonotus obliquus Mushroom and Their Application in the Removal of Liquid and Gaseous Impurities.

Biocarbons were obtained by physical and chemical activation of the residue of the extraction of chaga fungi (Inonotus obliquus). The residue was subjected to heat treatment carried out in a microwave oven and in a quartz tubular reactor. The materials were characterized by elemental analysis, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, determination of pH, and the contents of acidic and basic oxygen functional groups on the surface of biocarbons by the Boehm method. The final biocarbon adsorbents have surface areas varying from 521-1004 m2/g. The physical activation of the precursor led to a strongly basic character of the surface. Chemical activation of Inonotus obliquus promoted the generation of acid functional groups. All biocarbons were used for methyl red sodium salt adsorption from the liquid phase. The sorption capacities of biocarbons towards the organic dye studied varied from 77 to 158 mg/g. The Langmuir model was found to better describe the experimental results. The results of the kinetic analysis showed that the adsorption of methyl red sodium salt on the biocarbons followed the pseudo-second-order model. The acidic environment was conducive to the adsorption of the dye on the obtained biocarbons. Moreover, thermodynamic studies confirmed that the organic dye adsorption on the biocarbons was a spontaneous endothermic process. The biocarbons obtained were also tested as adsorbents of hydrogen sulfide in dry and wet conditions. The sorption capacities towards hydrogen sulfide varied in the range of 21.9-77.9 mg. The results have shown that the adsorption of hydrogen sulfide depends on the process conditions and the activation procedure of biocarbons (method of activation and thermochemical treatment of samples). It has been shown that the initial material used can be a new precursor for obtaining cheap and-more importantly-universal bioadsorbents characterized by high effectiveness in the removal of air and water pollutants.

Gruppe in COVID – COVID in Gruppe

Using the example of a sequence from an analytical group, the regression of the group to the protomentality of a basic assumption group according to Bion is shown. As the leader of this group, I was exposed to the regressed group‘s expectations of a narcissistic and/or paranoid leader. The task of group analysis, on the other hand, consisted in the leader and group living through the sometimes torturous processes on the way to a group in which everyone “can be different without fear” (Adorno) in the analysis process. This can be seen as the essence of democratic culture. Finally, in the face of fears of annihilation, the foundation matrix of this group sequence shows the collective regression to the commodity fiction, which is understood as the impulsive motive of the current social unconscious and in reality as the driving force behind deadly climate catastrophe.

Catalytic modification of corn straw facilitates the remediation of Cd contaminated water and soil

Turning postharvest residue into high-value-added products is crucial for agricultural waste management and environmental remediation. In this proof-of-concept study, nanosized Pt/TiO2 was used as a model catalyst to modify corn straw (CS) materials through a simple low-temperature oxidation process. This method was demonstrated to be self-sustainable, waste-free, and with high yields. At an optimal temperature of 220 °C, O2 treatment with 1 wt% Pt/TiO2 greatly changed ultra-micropore and mesopore structures, dissolved organic carbon, aromatic contents and surface oxygen (O)-containing functional groups in CS products. This treatment resulted in an approximately 5-fold increase of cadmium (Cd) adsorption from aqueous solution and immobilization rate of 43.1% at 7d for bioavailable Cd in soil. Spectroscopic and linear regression analysis demonstrated that both acidic and basic functional groups in CS contributed to Cd adsorption, suggesting chemical adsorption. According to the d-band theory, the unexpected role of catalysts in CS modification could be associated with dissociative adsorption of molecular O2 on the Pt surface. These results provide insights for the development of economic and sustainable technologies to reutilize agricultural waste biomass for water and soil remediation.

An outlier management framework for building performance data and its application to the power consumption data of building energy systems in non-residential buildings

The existence of outliers and noise is one of the major causes of poor quality of the building performance data. Methods to address such abnormal data have received significant attention from several research interests including data-driven fault detection, diagnosis, and estimation (FDD&E), performance optimization, predictive modeling, pattern recognition of building power consumption, etc. However, there are many factors that may eventually lead to unreliable FDD&E results or data cleaning effects. For instance, the misconception of the statistical definition of outliers, the confusion about the concepts of outliers and noise, and the neglect of the potential impact of the outlier processing way on the study results, etc. This study gives an interpretation to the statistical definition of outliers using the domain knowledge in building energy systems. The outliers in the building performance data are classified into three categories. Based on such classification, an outlier management framework is developed to achieve reliable outlier detection results and accurate outlier estimates. In Case study 1, under the proposed outlier management framework, about 81.2%–88.6% of the power consumption observations can be identified as outliers or normal observations. In terms of the outlier estimation accuracy, the RMSE of the chiller/chilled water pumps/cooling water pumps power outlier estimation results can be limited to less than 5.2, 0.5 and 0.6 kWh. The results of Case study 1 show that the proposed outlier management framework is generic. The framework can help reducing unnecessary monitoring cost of the HVAC system. In Case study 2, proper outlier management method helps improve the chiller power prediction results. The RMSE of the Basic group, Method 1 group and Method 2 group power prediction results are 0.55, 0.54 and 0.2 kWh. The results of Case study 2 show that the proposed outlier management framework can contribute to improve the results reliability of building performance analysis related studies. In this study, an outlier management framework is developed for the building performance data. The proposed framework aims to improve the quality of the data cleaning work. In the following research, we would dedicate to improve the efficiency of the data cleaning work. In other word, to develop specific online outlier management algorithms for specific studies under the proposed framework.

Selección de lo mejor del año 2022 en cardiopatías familiares y genética cardiovascular

Inherited heart diseases have experienced an exponential growth in recent years and a permanent updating is required. From the scientific production of the last year, not only original articles stand out, but also position papers, expert consensus and brief communications of in vivo gene therapy trials. Also noteworthy are the contributions in the molecular mechanisms of disease from basic research groups and extensive longitudinal series on cardiomyopathies due to mutations in specific genes that allow prognostic conclusions to be drawn. This article summarizes the most relevant findings of 2021 and 2022 with a special emphasis on clinical advances and translational research.ATTR: amiloidosis por transtirretina; ATTRv: amiloidosis por transtirretina hereditaria; FV: fibrilación ventricular; MCA: miocardiopatía arritmogénica; MCD: miocardiopatía dilatada; SBr: síndrome de Brugada.

Exploring the heterogeneous morphometric data in essential tremor with probabilistic modelling

Essential tremor (ET) is a prevalent movement disorder characterized by marked clinical heterogeneity. Here, we explored the morphometric underpinnings of this cross-subject variability on a cohort of 34 patients with right-dominant drug-resistant ET and 29 matched healthy controls (HCs). For each brain region, group-wise morphometric data was modelled by a multivariate Gaussian to account for morphometric features’ (co)variance.No group differences were found in terms of mean values, highlighting the limits of more basic group comparison approaches. Variance in surface area was higher in ET in the left lingual and caudal anterior cingulate cortices, while variance in mean curvature was lower in the right superior temporal cortex and pars triangularis, left supramarginal gyrus and bilateral paracentral gyrus. Heterogeneity further extended to the right putamen, for which a mixture of two Gaussians fitted the ET data better than a single one.Partial Least Squares analysis revealed the rich clinical relevance of the ET population’s heterogeneity: first, increased head tremor and longer symptoms’ duration were accompanied by broadly lower cortical gyrification. Second, more severe upper limb tremor and impairments in daily life activities characterized the patients whose morphometric profiles were more atypical compared to the average ET population, irrespective of the exact nature of the alterations.Our results provide candidate morphometric substrates for two different types of clinical variability in ET. They also demonstrate the importance of relying on analytical approaches that can efficiently handle multivariate data and enable to test more sophisticated hypotheses regarding its organization.