Science Center Research Articles

Conference Report: Challenging Construction Grammar: New Insights from Morphology (8–12 April 2024; Monte Verità, Switzerland)

As reflected in its title, this workshop, which took place from the eighth to the twelfth of April 2024 at Monte Verità, Ascona, Switzerland, focused on constructional perspectives in their application to morphology (Hoffmann & Trousdale 2013). As Construction Grammar has become an important theoretical framework within linguistics, it has been applied in morphological studies from both synchronic (e.g., Booij 2010; Jackendoff & Audring 2020) and diachronic perspectives (Hartmann 2019; Van Goethem & Norde 2020). Nevertheless, Construction Morphology is a comparatively young branch of Construction Grammar that poses many open questions and challenges. The questions that were asked within this workshop relate to the connection between morphology and Construction Grammar as a framework, the handling of phenomena situated at the interface of morphology and syntax, and how phenomena that are specific for the scope of morphology can be captured from a constructional point of view. To address this issue, young and early career researchers were invited to present their current work. These contributions were complemented by the contributions of the invited plenary speakers Muriel Norde (Humboldt University of Berlin), Francesca Masini (University of Bologna), Livio Gaeta (University of Turin), Kristel Van Goethem (University of Louvain) and Steffen Höder (University of Kiel). The workshop was organised by Elena Smirnova (University of Neuchâtel), Martin Hilpert (University of Neuchâtel) and Jenny Audring (University of Leiden), and made possible with the generous support of SCF (Congressi Stefano Franscini, https://csf.ethz.ch), the SNF (Swiss National Science Foundation, Programm Scientific Exchanges, Grant Nr IZSEZ0_221843) and the FLSH (Faculty of Arts and Humanities) of the University of Neuchâtel.

Biochemical characteristics of some varieties of peach and nectarine grown in Sochi

Biochemical characteristics and features of the most promising varieties of stone fruit crops (peach, nectarine) submitted for research have been shown. Biochemical analyzes of peach and nectarine fruits grown in the humid subtropics of Russia were carried out in 2019-2020 at the Subtropical Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Laboratory of Plant physiology and Biochemistry. The following varieties were used for biochemical analyzes: Rannyaya zarya, Larisa (control one), Osenniy rymyanets, Anton Chekhov, Big Top, Nectarine Sklor. The content of biologically valuable substances in stone fruits, which determine not only their taste characteristics, but also their nutritional and therapeutic and prophylactic effects, is a criterion for high commercial quality of products. That is why we are faced with the task of assessing the chemical composition of peaches and nectarines, which directly depends on weather and climate conditions, varietal characteristics, place of growth, etc. It is known that the pulp of peaches and nectarines contains a large amount of sugars, organic acids (mainly malic), vitamins, enzymes, macro- and microelements. In assessing the taste qualities of peaches and nectarines, the content of sugars, acids and vitamin C (or ascorbic acid), which acts as an antioxidant, is of great importance. Biochemical analysis of peach and nectarine fruits revealed the maximum sugar content - 10.16% in the Larisa variety (control one) of mid-late ripening period, the minimum in the Rannyaya Zarya variety of early ripening period, which is significantly lower by 1.3 times compared to the control one. High vitamin C content in the Larisa variety fruits was noted - up to 16.56 mg%, which is significantly higher than other studied varieties by 2.60-5.19 mg%. Promising varieties Larisa and Anton Chekhov were distinguished by a balanced taste of fruits and resistance to abiotic factors of the environment of the Black Sea coast of Russia.

DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF MULTISPIRAL COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN DETECTING AND STAGING OF ESOPHAGEAL AND GASTRIC CANCER

Background. The sensitivity and specificity of multislice computed tomography is of great importance in the detection of gastric and esophageal cancer, and also expands the possibilities of preoperative staging using computed tomography. Materials and methods. A retrospective study at the A.N. Syzganov National Scientific Center of Surgery from 2022 to 2024, included 121 patients: 48 females (39.6%), 73 males (60.3%), with an average age of 60 years. Sensitivity, specificity were calculated to assess diagnostic accuracy. Esophageal and gastric cancer staging via computed tomography was done using the TNM classification and compared with esophagogastroduodenoscopy, pathohistological examination results. Results. The sensitivity of computed tomography was 96.49%, the specificity was 85.71%. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a sensitivity of 79.75%, specificity of 95.24%. Conclusion. Computed tomography is highly informative, sensitive in detecting esophageal and gastric cancer, with superior diagnostic accuracy compared to esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Given the detection of esophageal and gastric cancer at T2 and T3 stages, along with the presence of distant metastases in some patients, implementing protocols for early diagnosis is advisable.

Межрегиональный научно-образовательный центр исследований наследия В.С. Соловьева (Соловьевский семинар). Хроника деятельности. Часть 3: 2012–2018 гг.

The third part of the published chronicle of the scientific activities of the Solovyov Seminar, the Interregional Scientific and Educational Center for Heritage Research of V.S. Solovyov, provides information on the main scientific, cultural and educational projects implemented in the period from 2012 to 2018 inclusive. A list of events is given, including information on scientific conferences held, on the preparation of the journal for inclusion in international citation indexes and abstract databases, on the participation of the Solovyov Seminar in the organization of International, All-Russian and regional scientific events, on presentations of the journal “Solovyov Studies” in Russian and foreign educational and scientific institutions, on youth projects of the Solovyov seminar-student scientific conferences, concerts, musical and poetic evenings, exhibitions, publications of the Solovyov seminar and publications, dedicated to his activities, in the local and central press, about the participation of students in the work of historical and philosophical seminars “Reading the dialogues of Plato” and “Reading the Justification of Goodness by V.S. Solovyov”, in visiting sessions of the Solovyov seminar.

SOME OF THE CONCEPTUAL AND REGULATORY LEGAL PROBLEMS OF SCIENTIFICRESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The subject of article was the discussion by the scientific community of the country of the draft Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Science and Technology Policy" and, in this regard, to try to find a solution to some of the problems existing in research activities. The authors of the article discuss concepts that are an important basis for the form and content of the future law, because the conceptual documents outline in detail the priorities of the development of science in important spheres of life of the Kazakh society, substantiate the demand for the adoption of this law. The authors of the article, for example, see the main problem as the lack of communication between the scientific self-supporting centers of the university and teaching staff, who should be interested in commercializing their scientific product. The characteristics of the state of legal regulation through comparative analysis should show the advantages of foreign law enforcement practice and how to properly use their positive experience for the development of legislation in their own country. The future Law on Science and Technology Policy should radically change approaches and generate trends. Of interest are the problems raised by the author in the field of science and technological development, the preparation of scientific research in higher educational institutions, the transformation of many universities in the country into research universities, the involvement of teaching staff in collective scientific activity in the form of grant research, and of course, the issues of commercialization of Kazakh science. The final provisions of the authors of the study boil down to the fact that the new Law on Science should work only if the vector is changed towards the integration of science and business, where business structures will really help scientists achieve the highest results in the implementation of commercialization projects, by involving university teaching staff in research activities, so that they implement their scientific results in education, in the future they opened new production facilities, in order to organize new jobs, tax revenues to the budget, there must be implement a real "reset" of their system in favor of the "human-centric" component.

Effectiveness of using digital interactive projection media systems in teaching vocational subjects and in professional activities

The article shows the technology's effectiveness and reveals the students' readiness to use digital interactive projection media systems in educational and professional activities. The content of the interactive education process and its components are disclosed. The essence and significance of digital interactive projection media systems in teaching professional subjects are shown. As an example of digital interactive projection systems, an effective interactive software-technological complex based on SMART Board is shown, the interactive functions of the interactive SMART Board software created specifically for the educational space in teaching vocational subjects and the advantages of the interactive panel in the educational space of a higher school are revealed. Ways of developing the teacher's professional competencies when using an interactive panel or blackboard in classes at a higher school are analyzed. The effectiveness of electronic textbooks, manuals electronic educational and methodological complexes, informative and reference multimedia publications, game educational and developmental publications, scientific research STEM centers, multimedia classes, virtual laboratories, virtual classes, etc. in teaching vocational subjects is shown.

Liver transplantation for unresectable Klatskin tumor: experience of two centers, first distant results

Aim. Evaluation of the first distant results of the combined experience of liver transplantation for unresectable portal cholangiocarcinoma from two large specialized clinical centers.Materials and methods. In total, 23 attempts at liver transplantation for unresectable Klatskin tumor were undertaken. Out of them, 10 were conducted at the A.M. Granov Russian Research Center for Radiology and Surgical Technologies (Granov Center), and 13 were conducted at the Minsk Scientific and Practical Center for Surgery, Transplantology, and Hematology (Minsk Center). The maximum tumor size was 5 and 3 cm in patients operated at the Granov and Minsk Centers, respectively. In the Granov Center, neoadjuvant therapy included a combination of endobiliary photodynamic therapy, regional and systemic chemotherapy. Patients were included in the waiting list only in cases of decreased tumor marker levels and in the absence of disease progression and acute cholangitis. In the Minsk Center, stereotactic radiotherapy was used for neoadjuvant treatment in the absence of active cholangitis; the first 3 patients underwent liver transplantation without prior neoadjuvant treatment.Results. Due to disease progression, six patients were excluded. In three patients at the Mink Center, the diagnosis was not morphologically confirmed after liver transplantation. A total of 14 liver transplantations were performed for unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. After neoadjuvant treatment at the Granov Center, normalization of the CA19-9 marker was observed in four patients, its decrease by 3–4 times was observed in two patients. Liver transplantation was performed in six patients. The average time from the onset of treatment to transplantation was 9.1 months (6–14). Out of the six patients, one was alive for 34 months, with the median overall survival being 22.2 months. Progression was the cause of death in only one patient. Out of the three patients without neoadjuvant treatment at the Minsk Center, two were alive at 16 and 134 months without progression. One patient died after transplantation from disease progression at 24 months. Stereotactic radiotherapy achieved normalization of CA19-9 in four patients; its twofold reduction was observed in one patient. The average time from the onset of treatment to transplantation was six months (3–12). The average CA19-9 tumor marker level by the time of transplantation was 11.3 IU/mL. At 20–26 months, three patients were alive without evidence of disease progression; two patients died of progression after 9 and 59 months.Conclusion. Liver transplantation for unresectable portal cholangiocarcinoma after neoadjuvant treatment regardless of the methods used is highly promising in carefully selected recipients.

Comparative Analysis of The Effectiveness of Antihypertensive Therapy Including Spironolactone and Eplerenone in Patients With Essential Hypertension and Atrial Fibrillation.

To perform a comparative analysis of the efficacy of antihypertensive therapy (AHT) containing spironolactone or eplerenone in patients with essential arterial hypertension (AH) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The study included 99 male and female patients with essential AH complicated by permanent AF, who were receiving the outpatient treatment at the National Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Cardiology (Tashkent). The patients aged 61.3±9.5 years, the mean duration of AH was 12.9±8.3 years. All patients were divided into two groups: Group 1, patients who completed a 6-month combination AHT containing spironolactone (n=51); Group 2, patients who completed a 6-month combination AHT containing eplerenone (n=48). AF was diagnosed by electrocardiogram (ECG) and/or 24-hour ECG monitoring according to standard diagnostic criteria. The ECG study was performed in compliance with the American Society of Echocardiography Guidelines in M- and B-modes. The degree of structural vascular alterations was determined by the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery by duplex scanning and microalbuminuria in morning urine. The concentrations of sex hormones were measured by the enzyme immunoassay. The serum concentrations of lipids, glucose, creatinine, and uric acid were measured by the enzymatic method. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated with the EPI formula. Results of all studies were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. The proportion of patients who achieved the target diastolic blood pressure (BP) values was significantly greater in the eplerenone-containing treatment group than in the spironolactone-containing treatment group: 87.8% vs. 67.5% (p=0.043). The proportion of patients who simultaneously achieved the target systolic and diastolic BP values was slightly greater in the eplerenone-containing treatment group than in the spironolactone-containing group (100% vs. 92.1%, p=0.060). The best cardioprotective efficacy was observed in the group of combination AHT containing eplerenone. Specifically, in Group 2, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly improved compared to Group 1: from 55.4±10.6% at baseline to 52.6±9.1% in Group 1 (p>0.05) and from 54.8±8.8% at baseline to 58.2±6.4% in Group 2 (p<0.02). Only in Group 2, the left atrial volume index (LAVI) was significantly decreased compared to Group 1. Thus, in Group 1, the LAVI changed from 42.2±15.1 ml/m2 at baseline to 40.4±12.2 ml/m2 (p>0.05) and in Group 2, from 41.2±15.3 ml/m2 at baseline to 37.3±13.5 ml/m2 after the treatment (p<0.05); the ∆% LAVI in the eplerenone group was -5.9% vs. -0.36% in the spironolactone group. In men of Group 1, estradiol significantly increased from 13.9±12.6 pmol/l at baseline to 22.7±12.4 pmol/l (p<0.001). The good antihypertensive efficacy of the 6-month combination therapy containing eplerenone was significantly superior to spironolactone in achieving the target BP values. The eplerenone-containing treatment significantly improved LVEF and decreased LAVI compared to the spironolactone-containing treatment. A trend towards a beneficial effect of the AHT containing eplerenone on concentrations of sex hormones was noted in both women and men.

A Handful of Peaceful Simple Men on The Hill: Monte Cassino Monastery

Monte Cassino Monastery, founded by St. Benedict on the hills of Monte Cassino near Rome, Italy, in the Middle Ages, pioneered the formation of European culture and civilization and the development of Western medicine with its rich library and hospices where monks were educated and also served the patients. However, it was an important center of science and culture, offering a retreat to the leading scientists of its time (they were translating the works of Eastern scientists into Latin). Benedict's rule had three basic principles: peace, reading, and manual labor. The monastery established close relations with political and religious authorities, as it enjoyed the support of the nobility and also recruited the children of the aristocracy into its ranks. Later, with many monasteries and a chain of monasteries established in line with the teachings of St. Benedict, he contributed to the formation of the cultural and political map of Europe. He had indirect influences on the events of his time through his close relations with the leading religious and political actors of his age (papacy and royalty, nobility). During the reform movement, it was one of the leading figures of its time. And also supported the reforms of Pope Gregory VII. During the abbacy of Desiderius II. the monastery had good relations with the East Roman Empire, and as due result Byzantine art was imported to the West. In addition, it played an active role in the First Crusade by hosting the Crusaders on their way and with the loans it gave. The Abbey of Monte Cassino significantly influenced the scientific, cultural, and political life of Europe. This study aims to explore the impact of Benedictine Monte Cassino Monastery on Western Europe’s scientific, cultural, and political arena.

Study of the Accuracy and Reliability of Dosimetric Measurements for X-ray Beams with Radiation Qualities N-40, N-100, N-200

Radiation dosimetry is a critical aspect of medical, industrial, and scientific applications involving ionizing radiation. Accurate measurements of radiation doses ensure the safety and effectiveness of radiological practices, which is essential for protecting patients in medical procedures, maintaining safety in industrial applications, and ensuring accuracy in scientific research. Leading international organizations conduct research aimed at improving measurement accuracy and the dissemination of measurement units. One of the methods contributing to this effort is various international projects. The National Scientific Centre “Institute of Metrology” has participated in one such international project. This international project, involving several National Metrology Institutes (NMIs), aimed to improve the accuracy and consistency of radiation dosimetry across Europe. By standardizing measurement and calibration procedures, the project seeks to create a unified system for measuring radiation doses, thereby improving the reliability of ionizing radiation dosimetry. This project is particularly significant given the continuous increase in radiation-based technologies across various fields. For example, precise measurements of ionizing quantities are crucial in the medical field, especially for radiotherapy, to ensure that patients receive the necessary dose with minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. Similarly, in industrial radiography, accurate dosimetry is essential for meeting safety standards and preventing excessive radiation exposure to workers. The international project, with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and the Central Office of Measures (GUM) as leading organizations, aims to improve key factors in ionizing radiation dosimetry. These include developing reliable calibration protocols for various types of radiation, establishing traceability chains to ensure measurement accuracy, and sharing best dosimetry practices among project participants. Preliminary comparisons were performed between NMIs, with two control participants serving as references while other NMIs participated anonymously (knowing only their number and the numbers of the reference participants). Each participant had the opportunity to compare their obtained values with the reference values and make adjustments for future measurements. The collaborative nature of such cooperation also promotes knowledge and experience exchange, fostering innovation and improvement in dosimetry techniques. The NSC “Institute of Metrology”, a leading organization in the field of the ionizing radiation metrology, has actively participated in this project as a representative from Ukraine. The paper presents the results of international comparisons for X-ray beams with the radiation qualities N-40, N-100, N-200.

Вітчизняні наукові школи в галузі теорії та методики навчання хімії: персонологічний аспект

The article characterizes domestic scientific schools in the field of theory and teaching methods of chemistry, and based on the analysis of their scientific output, the main directions of research in this field in independent Ukraine are determined. The purpose of the article is to characterize domestic scientific schools in the field of theory and methods of teaching chemistry in the personal aspect, analysis and generalization of the subject of their scientific research. An analysis of the activities of scientific schools of famous Ukrainian method scientists in the field of theory and methods of teaching chemistry was carried out: N. M. Burynska, L. P. Velichko, N. N. Chaychenko, O. G. Yaroshenko. Based on the analysis and generalization of the topics of dissertation works of the considered scientific schools, the main directions of scientific research in the domestic theory and methodology of teaching chemistry are highlighted, namely: methodological principles of forming chemical concepts and knowledge in students of general secondary education institutions; improvement of organizational forms, methods and means of teaching chemistry in institutions of general secondary education; theoretical and methodical principles of implementation of pre-professional training and specialized training in chemistry in institutions of general secondary education; methodical principles of studying chemistry as a general educational discipline in institutions of professional pre-higher education and formation of a system of chemical knowledge among students; theoretical and methodical principles of teaching chemistry in institutions of higher education; formation of the content of school chemical education and development of the methodology of teaching chemistry as a pedagogical science; professional-pedagogical and methodical training of future chemistry teachers; implementation of the environmental component in the process of teaching chemistry; theoretical and methodological principles of monitoring the results of chemistry education. It was determined that domestic scientific schools for the theory and methods of teaching chemistry are not only an important factor in the preservation and development of traditions in the field of chemical education, but also a scientific center for generating new didactically grounded ideas to ensure innovations in chemistry education.

On the Anniversary of the Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Stanislav Ivanovich Grib

Stanislav Ivanovich Grib, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, an Honored Scientist of the Republic of Belarus, a Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus, an Academician of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Belarus, a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, a talented Belarusian scientist in the field of plant breeding, known in the country and abroad, the leader of the Belarusian scientific school in the area of breeding and seed production, an experienced organizer of agricultural science, turned 80 years old on August 6, 2024. He was the first in Belarus to scientifically substantiate and implement in practice a new scientific direction, that is, breeding of intensive varieties of grain crops with a yield of 10-12 t/ha of grain; developed methods for broadening genetic diversity and identifying genotypes that combine high productivity and good product quality with tolerance to biotic and abiotic environmental factors; substantiated the parameters of the model of intensive varieties; created and introduced into production systems of highly productive, resource-saving varieties of barley, triticale, and spring wheat. The results of his research have been published in more than 700 scientific works, including 12 monographs, books and textbooks. Stanislav Ivanovich is the author of eight inventions and 89 varieties of agricultural plants. Academician S.I. Grib, the leader of the scientific school of plant breeding in Belarus, trained four doctors and twelve candidates of science. S.I. Grib's achievements have been recognized abroad. He was elected a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, an Honorary Professor of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a member of the European Association of Plant Breeders (EUCARPIA), and an Honorary Doctor of the Belarusian Agricultural Academy (BSAA). Stanislav Ivanovich was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor, a diploma of the Supreme Council of the BSSR, medals and diplomas of the Exhibition of Economic Achievements, honorary diplomas of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus, and the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture.

Nomenclatural standards and microsatellite profiles of raspberry cultivars bred at the I.V. Michurin Federal Scientific Center

Nomenclatural standards of three raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) cultivars ‘Kleopatra’ (WIR-98480), ‘Sulamif’’ (WIR-98517) and ‘Shakhrazada’ (WIR-98536) bred at the I.V. Michurin Federal Scientific Center (FSC) were prepared according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. The nomenclatural standards of these cultivars have been transferred to N.I. Vavilov Federal Research Center of the All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) for storage in the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants of the World, Their Wild Relatives and Weeds (WIR). Plant material for herbarium specimens was collected in the experimental field of the I.V. Michurin FSC by the cultivars’ author and handed to VIR for genotyping as well as for preservation in the live collection of VIR in compliance with the comprehensive strategy for registering and preserving domestic cultivars of the vegetatively propagated crops in a genebank. Microsatellite profiles of the three cultivars in question were obtained by using six nuclear SSR-markers. The genotyped specimens of the same raspberry cultivars, genotypically identical to the nomenclatural standards, were transferred to the VIR field collection and preservation in controlled conditions in the VIR in vitro collection.

ENTROPY OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVES

Gravitational waves (GWs), the propagating perturbations within the structure of spacetime, provide a unique window into the dynamics of massive celestial objects and their cataclysmic events such as binary black hole (BBH), black hole – neutron star, binary neutron star (BNS) merger. While the detection and analysis of GWs have significantly advanced our understanding of the universe, the exploration of their information content, specifically their entropy, is not well studied and remains an intriguing avenue of research. This article presents an application of the concept of entropy to GWs and its implications for astrophysics. By using masses of the detected GW sources provided by open-source Gravitational Wave Open Science Center (GWOSC) and the PyCBC library, we generated GWs using different models and approximations. Specifically, we employed three different waveform models: IMRPhenomPv3, IMRPhenomPv2_NRTidal, and IMRPhenomXPHM. After generating GWs with different models we investigated the relationship between entropy and the masses of GW sources. Besides varying values in different models, entropy nearly exponentially decreases while the total mass of the systems providing those GWs increases. Additionally, different waveform models demonstrated varying levels of entropy. This study opens avenues for further research on the underlying physics of GWs and their detection and classification methods.

The center of science in Africa: Timbuctoo

The center of science in Africa: Timbuctoo

Effect of reading attitudes on reading habits and writing tendencies: Structural equation modeling

In this study, structural equation modeling was used to examine the effect of gifted students’ attitudes toward reading on their reading habits and writing tendencies. The study group for this research, in which the correlational survey model was used, was formed with the convenience sampling method. The study was conducted with 134 gifted students attending the Science and Art Center in the 5th, 6th and 7th grades. Attitude Toward Reading Scale, Secondary School Book Reading Habit Scale and Writing Disposition Scale were used to collect the research data. The data construed using the structural equation modeling were processed with SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 22.0 statistical package software. As a result of the research, it was determined that the hypothesis model was valid and attitude toward reading positively affected reading habits and writing disposition. It was concluded that attitude toward reading explained 75% of reading habit and 31% of writing disposition.

Treatment motivation in adolescent girls with obesity

Background. The prevalence of obesity among children is increasing, which is a serious healthcare problem. In healthcare, the problem of motivation affects an important area that reflects its effectiveness – patient motivation for treatment. A decrease in treatment motivation reduces therapeutic effect, increases the complication rate of the underlying disease, reduces the quality of life of patients and increases treatment costs.The aim of the work. To identify the differences in treatment motivation in adolescent girls with obesity.Materials and methods. The pilot study was carried out at the clinic of the Scientific Centre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems. The study included 40 girls aged 14–16 years suffering from grade 1 obesity. To study treatment motivation, we used the following methods: J. Nuttin’s, D. McClelland’s, S.R. Panteleev’s, J.K. Collins’, method of the self-conception research, the “Type of Attitude Towards the Disease” method; attitude towards the disease.Results. The study showed that the adolescents who were admitted into hospital for the first time had higher treatment motivation during the study than the adolescents who were readmitted into hospital. The adolescents who were readmitted into hospital felt guilty remorse, anxious suspiciousness, and fear of failure. The dominant type of treatment motivation in both groups consisted of the following attitudes: achieving symptomatic improvement; receiving a “secondary gain” from the disease; other motivation (passive position).Conclusion. The obtained data from the study of treatment motivation in adolescent girls with obesity can be used to optimize the process of therapy of such patients in a hospital setting.

Oral and poster contributions for conferences: Some observations and recommendations

The recent 13th South American Symposium on Isotope Geology (SSAGI) in May 2024 in Buzios (Brazil) was an excellent conference, showcasing the current diversity and high standard of isotope geochemistry and geology at universities and research institutions across Latin America. Three days of oral and poster presentations provided a great forum for scientific and social exchange. This conference, however, also further supported observations made at earlier events that many oral and poster presentations by postgraduate students and docents alike suffer from a number of problems. There is ample scope for improvement, in the interest of more efficient information transfer and better exchange with colleagues. The main problem areas noted (e.g., overloading of powerpoint slides, and of posters, with diagrams and/or text; application of poor color, etc.) are discussed here, and suggestions are made how to avoid these issues and improve our scientific communication.

Tryptase levels in children with cutaneous mastocytosis: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: Serum tryptase levels are used as a diagnostic marker in mastocytosis and are considered an indicator of clonal mast cell (MC) load. AIMS: To analyze tryptase levels in children with different clinical types of cutaneous mastocytosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS:A single-center prospective study was conducted for the period 2022-2024. The results of examination of 202 children aged from 6 months to 17 years with a diagnosis of cutaneous mastocytosis, who were undergoing outpatient treatment at the Moscow scientific and practical Center of dermatovenereology and cosmetology, were analyzed. Serum tryptase levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS:The median basal tryptase level for the entire group (n=202) was 5.09 μg/L (range 1.3–57.0 μg/L). Serum tryptase values exceeding 11.0 μg/L were detected in 17.3% of patients, and 20.0 μg/L in 7.4%. The mean enzyme level in the control group was 2.55 μg/L. There were significant differences in tryptase concentrations between the maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis (MPCM) and control groups (p=0.05). The median tryptase level in children with MPCM was 8.7 μg/L. The most pronounced differences were observed between the enzyme levels in children with the monomorphic type of MPCM and in the control group (p=0.01). Analysis of tryptase levels depending on gender and clinical type of MPCM showed that children and adolescents with the monomorphic type of MPCM had higher enzyme levels. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to determine which tryptase levels in children are indicative of MC activation and primary MC diseases. A detailed understanding of tryptase levels in children may facilitate the development of new specific therapeutic approaches to the management of various clinical forms of cutaneous mastocytosis.

Unveiling the development trends of environmental and human health concerns for pesticides: Integrating an intelligent approach and data mining across diverse databases

The impact of pesticide use on environmental and human health has been a persistent global concern. In the era of big data, the scientific literature concerning big data is a significant source of information; however, it is difficult to construct an optimal policy based on traditional insight using keyword searches or a single static-specialized database. In this study, we constructed a new path for data mining across multiple databases to provide a comprehensive picture of the major issues concerning environmental pollution and human health as a result of pesticide use at the global scale. This approach uses a classic unsupervised learning algorithm, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), in combination with a newly developed dataset of pesticide-associated human health outcomes (PAHHO), including 618 health outcomes classified into 14 types of toxic effects.Our data visualization revealed a shift in the scientific center for pesticide research over the past five decades. The major issues concerning environmental pollutants and health outcomes varied among different countries and in different periods, which was verified in our analysis of several organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) about which people are particularly concerned.A cooccurrence network of adverse health outcomes has gradually increased, suggesting that the impact of pesticides on human health is persistent and cumulative. Our work not only provides a promising research direction related to the most concerning issues in a systematic and visualized way but also provides valuable references to formulate optimal strategies for the goal of the global “One Health” objective in pesticide regulation.