Open Source Information Research Articles

The role of autoimmune processes in demyelinating diseases of the nervous system: focus on multiple sclerosis

Background. Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by a damage to the myelin sheath of nerve cell axons. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS affecting more than 2.9 million people worldwide. The purpose was to summarize current information about the features of the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis according to the data from open sources of information. Materials and methods. The selection of publications covering the features of the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis was carried out in the PubMed, Clinical Key Elsevier, Cochrane Library, eBook Business Collection and Google Scholar databases using the following keywords: multiple sclerosis, demyelinating diseases, neurodegeneration, oligodendrocytes. Results. The course of MS has three successive phases/forms known as relapsing-remitting, primary progressive and secondary progressive. Abnormalities of immune mechanisms are proposed as protagonists of the pathogenesis of MS. Autoreactive myelin-specific lymphocytes are activated outside the CNS, they cross the blood-brain barrier and form new inflammatory demyelinating lesions. The myelinating oligodendrocyte is a target during the adaptive immune response in MS. The inflammatory reaction in the brain of patients with progressive MS is observed mainly in the large connective tissues of the meninges and the periventricular space. Treatment of MS can be divided into three categories: treatment of acute relapse, disease-modifying treatment, and symptomatic treatment. Conclusions. On the T cell side, both hel-per (CD4+) and cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells are involved in the CNS damage in MS. Peripherally activated subsets of T cells (CD4+ Th1 and Th17, CD8+) migrate through the blood-brain barrier and activate B-cells and macrophages, which causes a neuroinflammatory reaction and leads to demyelination and neurodegeneration in the CNS. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, which are widely distributed throughout the CNS, mediate myelination and remyelination. One of the desired features of new methods for treating MS is the restoration of antigen-specific tolerance.

МЕДИАИМИДЖ КОРПОРАТИВНОГО ЛИДЕРА: КЛАССИФИКАЦИЯ И ДИАГНОСТИЧЕСКИЕ КРИТЕРИИ

The formation of a media image today takes place in the special conditions of the modern public environment functioning, in the situation of the mediatization of public space. Diagnostics of the actual media image of a chief executive is considered as an important part of the organization’s communication audit. Using the example of publications in the media, social networks and other open sources of information and mentions of the heads of PJSC Gazprom gas production subsidiaries in the media, the current characteristics of the media image of the company’s chief executive were identified and diagnostic criteria for its correction were proposed. It is established that the image of the head has a significant impact on the image of the organization and is an integral part of it. One of the important components of a corporate leaders’ professionogram is their media images as necessary components of the leaders’ personal image. A well-designed image of the head of an organization, including media image, is able to legitimize high incomes, use the right to make difficult decisions and ensure the stability of the company's reputation in crisis situations. The presented method of diagnosing the media image of the chief executive of the company allows us to identify not only quantitative and qualitative indicators of the media representation of a person, but also to identify the type of media image. The article highlights such types of media image (as the image of a public person that has developed in the mass media) as active, passive, situational / reactive.

Water treatment sludge management in the context of changing environmental legislation in Russia

To consider changes in the regulation of sludge handling in natural and waste water treatment, national projects that contribute to the greening of the sludge handling process, and to present an overview of the market of domestic equipment for sludge treatment and disposal. The changes in regulatory, technical and legal documentation were analysed in the environmental protection sphere and in the field of sludge handling at centralised water treatment plants. Using open sources of information, the market of Russian equipment for sludge dewatering, drying and incineration was reviewed. Taking into account the changes in legislation in the field of waste management, clarifications of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, natural and sewage sludge can be positioned not only as a waste, but also as a secondary resource, secondary raw material or by-product. The adopted amendments do not reduce the responsibility of water supply and sewerage organisations in matters of sludge handling; they are aimed at increasing the interest of industrialists in the involvement of sludge in industrial turnover and simplification of sludge disposal processes. The amendments to the regulatory and legal documentation are likely to contribute to the elimination of such low-ecological objects of natural and sewage sludge disposal as deposition sites. It seems necessary to take incentives for organisations willing to use sludge in their production.

Impact of artificial intelligence on the activities of financial institutions and state security

The article examines peculiarities of the development of artificial intelligence technologies in various fields of application. The field of application of the artificial intelligence technologies in Ukraine has been studied. Based on the analysis of the road map of the artificial intelligence development, the key areas of the implementation of such technologies were formed. Areas of use of artificial intelligence in the activities of financial institutions are highlighted. Based on the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, positive and negative aspects of the use of the artificial intelligence technologies were formed. Based on the experience of using the artificial intelligence technologies in the activities of financial institutions of the EU countries, software products that allow detecting threats, dangers and financial crimes have been identified. The peculiarities of the use of artificial intelligence in ensuring the security of the state have been studied. It is substantiated that when ensuring the security of the state, an important aspect when using the artificial intelligence technologies is the ability to analyze large volumes of data, which include open sources of information, social networks, which allows predicting possible threats and dangers.

ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES OF VIRAL INJURIES THE WAYS OF YOGO'S DEGRADATION IN CURRENT REALITIES

In the presented work, an analysis of industrial injuries in recent years was carried out, taking into account the peculiarities of the modern period. The relevance of this work is due to the high level of industrial injuries and occupational diseases in Ukraine compared to the industrialized countries of the European Union. Data are given on the dynamics of the causes of accidents for the period from 2015 to 2022, taking into account changes in the classification of causes. The most injury-prone sectors of the economy in the above-mentioned period were considered and measures to reduce industrial injuries were proposed. Data for the study were taken from open sources of information. The analysis of the obtained results showed an unchanged leading position in the considered period of the organizational causes of accidents, despite the introduction of the fourth group of causes into the classifier. According to the results of the study, it was shown that the introduction of the fourth group of causes of accidents has an appropriate rationale, established patterns regarding the most trauma-hazardous branches of the economy in the years under review, and determined a low motivational component of occupational safety, which determines the predominance of organizational causes of industrial injuries. It was established that the reduction of industrial injuries is impossible without teaching occupational safety issues in higher education institutions by future heads of structural units and leading specialists. The need to improve occupational health and safety training for employees at all levels, as well as the use of mandatory professional selection and more thorough control over periodic preventive medical examinations, was noted.

Human responsibilities of investigative journalists in the digital age

The rapid development of information and communication technology has resulted in the disappearance of many professions globally, particularly as machines have nearly supplanted humans across various job sectors, including journalism and media. Investigative journalism (IJ) stands as a significant domain impacted by the age of digitization, marked by the surge in open information sources, remote communication technologies, data leaks, and the emergence of programs and applications capable of processing information faster, more accurately, and at a lower cost than human labor. Consequently, this has led to successive waves of employee dismissals in information production sectors, causing journalists and information workers to grapple with anxiety concerning the stability and security of their professional future. This study aimed to investigate the responsibilities and tasks that human journalists can still effectively fulfill within the realm of IJ amidst the advancements in information and communication technology. Through a qualitative approach, in-depth email interviews were conducted with nine journalists specializing in IJ, employing thematic coding analysis. The findings revealed five areas in which human journalists can outperform machines in conducting IJ, including decision-making, storytelling, report planning, information and data analysis, and investigation direction. Moreover, the study proposed five essential measures to safeguard the human role in investigative reporting. These measures encompassed journalist training initiatives, a focus on younger cohorts, the implementation of paid experimental work, the establishment of dedicated pathways for investigative work within press institutions, and the amplification of competitions and awards centered on IJ.

Безклітинні біологічні засоби: нові горизонти у лікуванні передчасно народжених дітей (огляд літератури)

Preterm birth, is a complex syndrome and remains a major global health problem. Taking into account the plasticity and regenerative potential of developing organs, nowadays the most promising therapeutic strategy is the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their derivatives. Aim. To summarize current information about the therapeutic potential of cell-free biological agents in the treatment of diseases of premature newborns according to data from open sources of information. Publications have been selected, which covered information on the use of conditioned media and MSC exosomes in the treatment of diseases of premature newborns. In comparison to MSCs, the use of cell-free agents has advantages: the use of the secretome eliminates the risks potentially associated with the transplantation of living and proliferative cell populations, including immune compatibility, tumorigenicity, emboli formation, and transmission of infections; MSC-derived secretome can be evaluated for safety, dosage, and efficacy in a manner similar to conventional pharmaceutical agents; storage can be carried out without the use of potentially toxic cryopreservatives for a long period without losing the effectiveness of the product; the use of secretome from MSCs, such as conditioned MSC medium, is more economical and more practical for clinical use, as it avoids invasive cell collection procedures; mass production is possible using custom-made cell lines in controlled laboratory conditions, providing a convenient source of bioactive factors; the time and cost of expansion and maintenance cultured stem cells could be greatly reduced, and ready-made secretome therapies could be immediately available for the treatment of acute conditions; a biological product obtained for therapeutic use can be modified to have the desired cell-specific effects. Conclusions. The treatment of premature newborns represents a unique clinical task, since their diseases involve dynamic physiological processes in immature, developing organs. The introduction into clinical use of cell-free biological agents is one of the most promising areas in the development of neonatology and will obviously change the paradigms in the treatment of a number of diseases of newborns, in particular bronchopulmonary dysplasia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and necrotizing enterocolitis. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Expert Evidence and Digital Open Source Information

Abstract Digital open source information (DOSI) has emerged as a significant source of evidence for the International Criminal Court (‘the Court’) and other jurisdictions applying international criminal law. However, its use in litigation raises questions about who can be considered an expert in DOSI and what methods and safeguards they should adopt. This article examines how the Court can receive DOSI via expert evidence while maintaining rigorous fact-finding standards. It addresses challenges that DOSI introduces to the paradigm of expert testimony, including the lack of an overarching formalized system of DOSI accreditation, the typically group-based nature of DOSI investigations and the scope for misinterpretations and biases to result in erroneous conclusions. It proposes a novel six-factor test for the Court’s identification of sufficiently qualified DOSI specialists as expert witnesses. At the same time, it highlights that DOSI specialists should utilize transparent, accessible and replicable methodologies, with quality control feedback loops, peer review processes and bias controls. The aim of the article is to facilitate the use of DOSI evidence to resolve atrocity crimes cases, while also maintaining rigorous fact-finding standards and conforming with due process and fair trial rights.

Conceptosphere of cultural mediatisation

The purpose of the article is to clarify the essence of the concept of "mediatisation of culture" in the modern context, to analyse the range of its conceptual sphere and its impact on the socio-cultural space of Ukraine. Research methodology. To achieve this goal, a number of research methods were used. Thus, to consider the interaction of cultures in the traditional space of communication and the space of social networks, the method of comparative analysis was used. To identify the mechanisms of formation of cultural boundaries, as well as their overcoming, the method of analysing open sources of information which are information resources on the Internet was applied. For qualitative and quantitative study of documents characterising the modern content of the concept of "mediatisation of culture", analytical synthesis was used. The method of theoretical generalisation allowed summarising the data obtained in the course of the study. The scientific novelty of the study is due to the need for new scientific views on the processes that shape and characterise the mediatisation of the cultural sphere of our time. An attempt to do this by defining a number of related concepts, united by the concept of conceptosphere, is qualitatively new. This study, which is comprehensive, takes into account the changes taking place in the cultural environment under the influence of the media. It takes into account their role in shaping the modern socio-cultural space of Ukraine, especially in the context of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. Conclusions. The study examines the concept of "mediatisation of culture" in the modern context and its impact on the socio-cultural space of Ukraine. The work takes into account important changes in the cultural environment caused by the influence of the media, in particular their role in shaping the modern socio-cultural space of Ukraine. Keywords: mediatisation of culture, conceptosphere, concepts, concept, modern media technologies, mass media, social networks, socio-cultural space of Ukraine, cultural environment, cultural freedom, media spaces.

MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS: EXOSOMES AND CONDITIONED MEDIA AS INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

Introduction. Autoimmune diseases are a class of immunopathological conditions heterogeneous in clinical manifestations, characterized by immune disorders that cause the loss of the body's autoimmune tolerance and, as a result, abnormal reactivity of B-cells and T-cells, which leads to damage to own tissues. Today, about 10% of the population suffers from diseases of this class, which are clinically manifested in the form of more than 80 forms of autoimmune diseases.
 The aim of the study. Summarize current ideas about the therapeutic potential of conditioned media and exosomes of MSCs in the treatment of patients with autoimmune diseases based on data from open sources of information.
 Materials and methods. Publications were selected based on PubMed, Clinical Key Elsevier, Cochrane Library, eBook Business Collection and Google Scholar databases, which covered information on the use of conditioned media and MSC exosomes in the treatment of diseases of premature newborns using the
 Keywords:
 mesenchymal stem cells, conditioned media, secretion, autoimmune diseases.
 Results. The technical complexity and high costs associated with the production and regulatory approval procedures of MSC therapy create barriers to their clinical use. Studies have shown that the cell-free secretome of MSCs, which consists of a wide range of growth factors, cytokines, chemokines and extracellular vesicles, exhibits a pluripotent effect. Today, extracellular vesicles are classified according to their diameter into apoptotic bodies (>1000 nm), microvesicles (100–1000 nm) and exosomes (30–150 nm). Exosome activity can be easily manipulated by preconditioning MSCs, by simply adding cytokines or chemicals to the culture medium, by introducing gene modifications, or by using hypoxic culture conditions. A number of studies have demonstrated the comparable effectiveness of conditioned media and MSC exosomes in the treatment of patients with autoimmune diseases.
 Conclusions. Exosomes and conditioned media with MSCs have the potential to replace cell therapy or serve as a comparable clinical strategy to biological therapy in neonatology. MSC preconditioning will allow modulating the therapeutic effects of exosomes and will become the basis for establishing recommendations and standards for effective and safe cell-free therapy.

Using open sources of information to study business reputation of business entities: foreign experience

In the context of increasing internationalization and the formation of an innovative economy, the role of reputation in achieving a high level of performance of enterprises and organizations is gaining new qualitative significance. Today, business reputation (reputation of products, services, works, top managers, etc.) is becoming an object of competitiveness and investment. In today's environment, brand reputation, reputation of the company's top executives, reputation of top managers, and reputation of the company's strategy are becoming the objects of significant material investments. This is primarily due to the growing influence of society on the activities of modern enterprises through information transparency. Experts agree that a good reputation makes a company more attractive to investors, increases its capitalization, allows it to increase revenue, and provides a stronger position when entering new markets. In addition, in a highly competitive environment, with a huge number of companies with approximately the same competitive advantages, a company can potentially stand out and thus receive significantly higher profits, sales, investments, etc. than others only due to its corporate reputation. Therefore, the formation of an effective system of business reputation is an urgent problem for companies.

Countering Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in Military Operations

Although contemporary unmanned systems are used in every environment, they overwhelmingly dominate the airspace. They are commonly called aerial drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), while the systems supporting and controlling UAVs are called unmanned aerial systems (UASs). The widespread adoption of aerial drone technology has led to their increasing use on the battlefield. Therefore, finding an effective counter-drone (counter - UAS) weapon has become a serious challenge. This task is particularly difficult because we are dealing with a huge variety of unmanned aerial systems while their numbers are increasing at a record-breaking pace. At this point, there are also no fully proven counter-drone solutions, with most existing systems still in the research phase or newly introduced prototypes. The emerging problems and the set of uncertainties associated with them have become the fundamental basis for addressing and presenting this issue in this publication. This article discusses the crucial subject of defense against unmanned aerial systems from the perspective of modern warfare. The author addresses the question of how to plan and implement counter-drone defense in military operations, as well as what technical solutions could be useful for this purpose. Throughout this study, the author employed various methods, including analysis, synthesis, comparison, and case studies, primarily by examining available open-source information on recent armed conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. These methods enabled the author to validate his main hypothesis: there are currently no effective drone countermeasures systems, particularly against drones that can operate autonomously, utilize artificial intelligence algorithms for guidance and decision-making, or engage in large-scale attacks, known as swarms. Simultaneously, the author points out what new technical solutions should be developed to enable effective countermeasures and what tactics should be incorporated into military training to address this threat. Additionally, the article discusses to what extent existing air defense systems can be adapted for counter-drone defense and whether there are effective methods of force protection against such threats.

Model-based prediction of a vacant summer niche in a subarctic urbanscape: A multi-year open access data analysis of a ‘niche swap’ by short-billed Gulls

Gulls belong to the seabird group, and are widely considered to be useful ecological indicators. Increasing urbanization throughout the Anthropocene has led to the rise of the urban landscape (‘urbanscape’) as a globally dominant habitat. Though historically less developed, similar urbanization patterns are emerging in the boreal forest, the world's largest forest ecoregion. Here we evaluate the ecological position of migratory Short-billed Gulls (Larus canus) in a subarctic urbanscape. We attempt to investigate a summer niche swap theory, in which gulls annually fill a vacant niche otherwise occupied by common ravens in winter. For that investigation we conducted seasonal plot surveys for Short-billed Gull presence from 2013 to 2016 in the Fairbanks, AK municipality. All data were made publicly available. We compiled them in a open source and ESRI geographic information system (GIS) platform and then added 68 open-access predictor layers, including socio-economic U.S. Census data. We trained, tested, and evaluated the performance of an ensemble of machine learning models, resulting in predictions of gull-abundance hotspots and coldspots, at 100-m resolution for inference. We find that Short-billed Gulls prefer the synergy of industrial areas near man-made water bodies, impervious surfaces, gravel pits, strip malls, transfer sites (garbage dumps) and some young forest vegetation. This study is a first-known attempt to utilize a blended ‘Big Data’ approach, in combination with traditional multi-year field-based data collection and alternative model assessments, in order to characterize an urban seabird niche. Our findings, and the digital infrastructure herein, provide an interdisciplinary baseline for potential applications in urban planning and monitoring the spread of disease reservoirs.

Biocompatibility Testing for Implants: A Novel Tool for Selection and Characterization.

This review article dives into the complex world of biocompatibility testing: chemical, mechanical, and biological characterization, including many elements of biocompatibility, such as definitions, descriptive examples, and the practical settings. The focus extends to evaluating standard documents obtained from reliable organizations; with a particular focus on open-source information, including FDA-USA, ISO 10933 series, and TÜV SÜD. We found a significant gap in this field: biomaterial scientists and those involved in the realm of medical device development in general, and implants in particular, lack access to a tool that reorganizes the process of selecting the appropriate biocompatibility test for the implant being examined. This work progressed through two key phases that aimed to provide a solution to this gap. A straightforward "yes or no" flowchart was initially developed to guide biocompatibility testing decisions based on the previously accumulated information. Subsequently, the Python code was employed, generating a framework through targeted questions. This work reshapes biocompatibility evaluation, bridging theory and practical implementation. An integrated approach via a flowchart and the Python code empowers stakeholders to navigate biocompatibility testing effortlessly. To conclude, researchers are now better equipped for a safer, more effective implant development, propelling the field towards improved patient care and innovative progress.

Practising future‐making: Anticipation and translocal politics of Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai as assemblage

AbstractHuman geographers are increasingly concerned with how ‘futures’ are imagined and rendered governable, yet mostly their methods lack the sensitivity to explore the functioning of complex relations between heterogeneous actors across places. The world's electric vehicle (EV) sector is booming, presaging a widely expected decarbonised future, associated with a restructuring of the automobile industry as anticipated by proactive players. This paper interrogates the spatiality and politics of the EV future‐making through disentangling the translocal practices involved in realising Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai (TGS) as assemblage. Informed by interviews with industrial insiders and opensource information in Chinese and English, the article finds that, first, TGS's imagined future embodies a multiplicity of interdependent but divergent expectations, the coherence of which underlies the formation and operation of the TGS assemblage by virtue of the concerted actions of its member‐actors. Second, such coherence is conditional as designed by TGS's central planners—namely, Tesla and Chinese government agencies at central and local levels—for their differentiated but overlapping interests. The TGS's imagined future is rendered actionable, enrolling other agents at certain moments, through anticipatory practices of regulatory changes, strategic arrangements interweaving land and financing, firm acquisition and intra‐firm reorganisation linking up places in and outside China, as well as the selection of key suppliers and technological use of critical raw materials. Concluding after a sketch on the TGS's ‘possible futures’ and broader implications, the paper contributes an assemblage‐informed approach to disentangle futuremaking practices and generates timely insights into the ‘future‐oriented’ restructuring of the automobile industry.

Региональные институты развития: состояние и результативность (на примере малого и среднего предпринимательства в регионах Юга России)

The article considers the state and evaluation of the effectiveness of regional development institutions in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises. The relevance and novelty of the research are connected with the process of reforming the institute of development at the federal level – the SME Corporation – and related changes in the regions in the context of the implementation of the national project “Small and Mediumsized Enterprises and Support for Individual Entrepreneurial Initiatives,” as well as the digitalization of the economy. The methodology of the study was a cumulative-comparative regional synthesis with the calculation of statistical and economic-mathematical indicators. A database of the characteristics of the state of SMEs was formed on the basis of open sources of information. Based on it, it was found that due to digitalization, the overlapping functions between the federal and regional levels of SME support have increased. At the same time, the outlines of regional development institutions for SMEs differ by region. The centers providing guarantees, microfinance, and consulting services are common. The system for assessing regional development institutions for SMEs is based on determining the directions of development for the SME sector as a whole. It is proven that this does not reflect the effectiveness of the work of the SME regional development institutions. It is predicted that as the functionality of the digital platform develops, the multiplicity of currently existing regional development institutions for SMEs will die off and build up by analogy with the work of the Multifunctional Center. It is proposed to continue work on the creation of a system for evaluating the effectiveness of work with SMEs. For this purpose, directions for expanding the digital profile of an entrepreneur are proposed. This will allow us to move on to assessing the effectiveness of all federal and regional development institutions at the microlevel.

ФОРМУВАННЯ КРИТИЧНОГО МИСЛЕННЯ МАЙБУТНІХ УЧИТЕЛІВ ПОЧАТКОВИХ КЛАСІВ В УМОВАХ НЕВИЗНАЧЕНОСТІ

Among the program outcomes of higher education applicants of the first (bachelor) level of specialty 013 Primary education at the Faculty of Psychological and Pedagogical Education and Arts of Berdіansk State Pedagogical University, the ability to critically assess the credibility and reliability of information sources, to comply with legal and ethical requirements regarding the use of information, communication and digital technologies in the course of pedagogical activity in primary school. During the study of the educational component «Fundamentals of academic writing», the following general competence was formed in the students of higher education: Ability to use modern means of information and digital technologies, search and critical analysis of open information sources in the national language, responsible use of them for solving professional tasks and self-development. At the second stage, in our opinion, it was appropriate to study the educational component «Fundamentals of culture and speech technique of the primary school teacher», which aimed to improve the skills of writing academic texts in students of higher education, to form the ability to compose their own statements in different speech styles, to select appropriate situation type of speech; it is advisable to use general language vocabulary, terms, professional vocabulary depending on the communicative task; to observe the basic rules of ethics in communication. At the third stage of the formation of critical thinking of future primary school teachers, which coincided with the passing of industrial practice and the study of selective educational components, the main attention was focused on the ability to analyze any problem, generalize approaches to its solution, make balanced decisions, reflect and on the basis of this, build your own trajectory of professional and personal improvement. Taking into account the peculiarities of the organization of the educational process of training future primary school teachers using distance learning technologies, it was considered necessary to form the critical thinking of the applicants. For this purpose, it was suggested in classes and for independent work to perform practice-oriented tasks, the solution of which requires higher-level thinking; introduction of project technologies; making one's own judgments thanks to the application of certain methods of thinking. A positive impact in conditions of uncertainty is the constant evaluation of results with the use of «students – teacher» feedback during direct communication in classes and on the MOODLE electronic platform, involvement in scientific research. The creation of such an educational environment contributes to the formation in future primary school teachers of the ability to cooperate as the most important condition for critical thinking, to operate with evidence and formulate conclusions, to find and interpret original documents and sources of information, to analyze, argue, and justify conclusions. Keywords: professional training of future primary school teachers, formation of critical thinking of future primary school teachers, educational process in higher education institutions using remote technologies, practice-oriented tasks.

Environmental scanning of cocaine trafficking in Brazil: Evidence from geospatial intelligence and natural language processing methods

Cocaine trafficking threatens countries' national security and is a major public health challenge. Cocaine is transported from producer countries to consumer markets using various routes, methods, and transportation means. These routes develop in the geographical environment, are carefully planned and are geo-strategic objects that respond to the opportunities that drug trafficking organisations (DTOs) find to reduce the risks of interdiction. In this sense, individual drug seizure data (IDS) become essential indicators for identifying trends and understanding trafficking flows associated with drug trafficking routes. However, due to the illicit nature of DTOs, the availability of these data is considerably limited, hindering the ability to analyse and identify trends. This study presents a methodology for collecting and processing data from open-source information reported by Brazil's federal government news website. Using geospatial intelligence and natural language processing methods, we created a dataset with 939 records and 44 variables related to cocaine seizures in Brazil in 2022. We applied geospatial analysis techniques from this dataset to identify trends and potential cocaine trafficking flows. The results were broadly consistent with existing literature on drug trafficking. They demonstrated the potential of open-source information for environmental scanning and knowledge generation through geographic information science. The approach proposed in our research provides tools that can be used to complement drug trafficking monitoring and formulate public policies to strengthen prevention and enforcement strategies.

Modern hepatoprotection: a narrative review of existing approaches and prospects for the use of biotechnological drugs

The prevalence of acute and chronic liver diseases is increasing worldwide, which affects the quality of life and can lead to dangerous, life-threatening complications. Almost 50.0 % of all cases of acute liver failure are caused by drugs, and the overall mortality due to drug-induced liver injury reaches 5.0–11.9 %. In 2020, the hospital incidence of diseases of the digestive organs in Ukraine amounted to 430,593 cases among the adult population, of which 11,976 were fatal.
 The aim of the study: to characterize modern approaches to hepatoprotection and prospects of biological therapy based on data from open sources of information.
 Materials and methods. Publications were selected based on the PubMed, ClinicalKey Elsevier, Cochrane Library, eBook Business Collection, and Google Scholar databases, which covered information about modern approaches to the treatment of liver diseases.
 Results. Patients with chronic liver disease are at risk of extrahepatic complications related to liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension, as well as organ-specific complications of certain liver diseases. These complications can impair the quality of life and increase morbidity and mortality before and after liver transplantation. With chronic damage to the liver by toxic substances, the development of fatty dystrophy against the background of connective tissue changes in the form of nonspecific reactive hepatitis is more often observed. Hepatoprotectors are a pharmacotherapeutic group of heterogeneous drugs that prevent the destruction of cell membranes and stimulate the regeneration of hepatocytes. According to the Anatomical Therapeutic and Chemical classification of drugs (ATC classification), hepatoprotectors take their place in the group of drugs affecting the digestive system and metabolism (A), intended for the treatment of diseases of the liver and biliary tract (A05). One of the promising directions of biological therapy in patients with liver pathology is the use of means obtained from the fetoplacental complex.
 Conclusions. Cell therapy in clinically significant volumes is an actual area of modern hepatology. The most promising directions of biological therapy in clinical hepatology are the use of mesenchymal stem cells, agents obtained from the fetoplacental complex, and gene therapy.

Public tenders, complaints, machine learning and recommender systems: a case study in public administration

With the proliferation of e-procurement systems in the public sector, valuable and open information sources can be jointly accessed. Our research aims to explore different legal Open Data; in particular, we explored the data set of the National Anti-Corruption Authority in Italy on public procurement and the judges’ sentences related to public procurement, published on the website of the Italian Administrative Justice from 2007 to 2022. Our first goal was to train machine learning models capable of automatically recognizing which procurement has led to disputes and consequently complaints to the Administrative Justice, identifying the relevant features of procurement that correspond to certain anomalies. Our second goal was to develop a recommender system on procurement to return similar procurement to a given one and find companies for bidders, depending on the procurement requirements.