Scientific Achievements Research Articles

Some Positive Trends in the Development of University Science in Russia at the Present Time

The development of university science is one of the state policy priorities in Russia today. To determine this process prospects, it is important to identify positive trends and best practices of leading Russian universities scientific activity. For this purpose, the article considers the organizational features and sources of university science funding, analyzes the main indicators of research performance and practices of research policy implementation, summarizes the scientific achievements of leading Russian universities. The article uses the methods of universities monitoring activities statistical analysis and substantive analysis of information about the universities` scientific activities posted in open sources. The conclusions are drawn about the formation in Russia leading universities group with a stable priority of research activities, the core of which is formed by leading technical sectoral universities and regional polytechnic universities, the practices of science organization and the main scientific achievements of which can significantly influence the further development of domestic university science, as well as the world scientific knowledge expansion and Russian society socio-economic development issues solution.

Effect of Brain-Based Instructional Strategies on Achievement in Science of Elementary School Students with different Learning Styles.

No two individuals are alike and so are their learning styles. Brain-based learning strategies that are based on the core principles of human brain development can be promising in improving the achievement of students catering to the need of diverse learners with varying learning styles. These strategies are having a sound basis in Neurosciences and these strategies can be instrumental towards students’ performance as well as retention. The current research attempts to examine the effect of these strategies on achievement in science of elementary students with different learning styles. The sample of 100 students was taken which was randomly divided into two groups namely Experimental and Control Group. The students in the experimental group who received teaching using brain-based instructional methodologies outperformed than students in the control group on achievement test. In addition, students in the experimental groups with accommodation and divergent learning styles had considerably higher mean scores on achievement in science as compared to convergent and assimilation learning styles. Hence, the students' achievement in science improved significantly when they were taught using brain-based teaching methodologies.

Application and Perspectives: Magnesium Materials in Bone Regeneration.

The field of bone regeneration has always been a hot and difficult research area, and there is no perfect strategy at present. As a new type of biodegradable material, magnesium alloys have excellent mechanical properties and bone promoting ability. Compared with other inert metals, magnesium alloys have significant advantages and broad application prospects in the field of bone regeneration. By searching the official Web sites and databases of various funds, this paper summarizes the research status of magnesium composites in the field of bone regeneration and introduces the latest scientific research achievements and clinical transformations of scholars in various countries and regions, such as improving the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys by adding coatings. Finally, this paper points out the current problems and challenges, aiming to provide ideas and help for the development of new strategies for the treatment of bone defects and fractures.

Christopher Tam: Brief history and accomplishments

This introduction provides a brief personal background and highlights the scientific accomplishments of Professor Christopher Tam. He has maintained extremely high standards of research and an enviable track record for productivity, spanning more than five decades. The depth and breadth of his technical output are truly breathtaking, and he has inspired scores of researchers and graduate students. When the first author was an Acoustics Engineer at Lockheed, Georgia, he started collaborating with Chris in the early 1990s. There were several joint projects when the author moved to Boeing, which encompassed both fundamental research and applications. The second author has an even longer association with Chris, initially as a PhD advisee in the late 1980s and then as a co-researcher. In this special volume we pay tribute to Chris’s many achievements, an endeavor that provides us with great satisfaction and which is long overdue.

Research progress on the application of magnesium phosphate bone cement in bone defect repair: A review.

Bone defects arising from diverse causes, such as traffic accidents, contemporary weapon usage, and bone-related disorders, present significant challenges in clinical treatment. Prolonged treatment cycles for bone defects can result in complications, impacting patients' overall quality of life. Efficient and timely repair of bone defects is thus a critical concern in clinical practice. This study aims to assess the scientific progress and achievements of magnesium phosphate bone cement (MPC) as an artificial bone substitute material. Additionally, the research seeks to explore the future development path and clinical potential of MPC bone cement in addressing challenges associated with bone defects. The study comprehensively reviews MPC's performance, encompassing e.g. mechanical properties, biocompatibility, porosity, adhesion and injectability. Various modifiers are also considered to broaden MPC's applications in bone tissue engineering, emphasizing drug-loading performance and antibacterial capabilities, which meet clinical diversification requirements. In comparison to alternatives such as autogenous bone transplantation, allograft, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and calcium phosphate cement (CPC), MPC emerges as a promising solution for bone defects. It addresses limitations associated with these alternatives, such as immunological rejection and long-term harm to patients. MPC can control heat release during the curing process, exhibits superior mechanical strength, and has the capacity to stimulate new bone growth. MPC stands out as an artificial bone substitute with appropriate mechanical strength, rapid degradation, non-toxicity, and good biocompatibility, facilitating bone repair and regeneration. Modification agents can enhance its clinical versatility. Future research should delve into its mechanical properties and formulations, expanding clinical applications to create higher-performing and more medically valuable alternatives in bone defect repair.

The Impact of Quantum Computing on Artificial Intelligence: An Overview

Quantum computing is one of the emerging technologies that support and improved the performance of classical computers which have contributed significantly to scientific achievements over time. With its ability to create states that scale exponentially with the number of qubits through superposition and entanglement, quantum computing has demonstrated promise in addressing large, complex problems. To make quantum applications a reality, numerous research communities and companies are engaged in this endeavor. A rising star in the world of new subjects would be artificial intelligence. The purpose of this investigation is to present a broad outline of quantum computing, probing into its positives, negatives, potentials and threats in the light of this new subject — so that we can push our understanding on how artificial intelligence dovetails with quantum computations. This work paves way for future explorations and enhancements— drawing significance from untapped reservoirs between these two domains, we propose will drive us into an exciting frontier era!.

Longitudinal study examining immersing students with IEPs in argument-based inquiry to improve the learning of science

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effect of the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach, an argument-based inquiry approach, on the science achievement growth of students with and without Individualised Educational Programmes (IEPs). Through a longitudinal study design students were divided into control (no or less than one-year of SWH experience) and treatment (at least one-year of SWH experience) groups. A polynomial growth mixed modelling was used to analyse a longitudinal data set collected from elementary (grade 4) to high school (grade 11) – utilising Iowa Assessment Test data. Two major outcomes emerged: younger students in the SWH approach had better achievement growth, and years of experience with the SWH approach resulted in a differential impact on science achievement for students with and without IEPs. The findings are consistent with previous studies on the importance of early intervention for students with disabilities in inclusive education settings.

The First Croatian to Arrive in China, Jesuit Ivan Vreman (1583–1620)

Abstract The Croatian Jesuit Ivan Vreman is recorded in historical literature as the first Croatian to arrive in China. He was born in Split, Dalmatia in 1583, joined the Jesuit Order in 1600, set sail from Portugal for Asia in 1615, arrived first in Macao of China in 1616, and then traveled northward into the mainland of China. He died of illness in Nanchang in 1620 at the age of 37. This article, with the help of historical materials in Croatian, Latin, English, Chinese, and other languages, reconstructs the life of Ivan Vreman and the history of cultural exchange between the East and the West in the late Ming dynasty from several aspects, including his educational background, scientific achievements, missionary journey to the East, and experiences in China.

Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure – ACTRIS, the European research infrastructure supporting atmospheric science

Abstract The Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) officially became the 33rd European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) on April 25, 2023 with the support of 17 founding member and observer countries. As a pan-European legal organization, ACTRIS ERIC will coordinate the provision of data and data products on short-lived atmospheric constituents and clouds relevant to climate and air pollution over the next 15-20 years. ACTRIS was designed more than a decade ago, and its development was funded at national and European levels. It was included in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) Roadmap in 2016 and subsequently, in the national infrastructure roadmaps of European countries. It became a landmark of the ESFRI roadmap in 2021. The purpose of this paper is to describe the mission of ACTRIS, its added value to the community of atmospheric scientists, providing services to academia as well as the public and private sectors, and to summarize its main achievements. The present publication serves as a reference document for ACTRIS, its users and the scientific community as a whole. It provides the reader with relevant information and an overview on ACTRIS governance and services, as well as a summary of the main scientific achievements of the last 20 years. The paper concludes with an outlook on the upcoming challenges for ACTRIS and the strategy for its future evolution.

Mycotoxins and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Food Exposure, Nutritional Implications and Dietary Solutions.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder determined by a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. Despite wide investigations, the role of chronic exposure to environmental pollutants is still rather unknown. Among natural toxins, the mycotoxins have received major attention only in the last few years, due to both technical and scientific achievements that allowed to disentangle many important features of the complex fungal biology. Whereas the effects of acute and high-dose mycotoxin exposure are well known, the potential effects of chronic and low-dose exposure on neurodegeneration have not been broadly elucidated. In this review, we have summarized all the studies concerning environmental exposure to unknown substances that caused ALS outbreaks all over the world, reinterpreting in light of the new scientific acquisitions and highlighting the potential and neglected role of mycotoxins. Then, we focused on recent papers about food exposure to mycotoxin, mycobiome and fungal infections in ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. We analyzed the gaps of current literature that lead to an undervaluation of mycotoxins as detrimental molecules. By listing all the most important mycotoxins and analyzing all the biological pathways that they can affect, we explained the reasons why they need to be considered in the next epidemiological studies on ALS and other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. In conclusion, after suggesting some possible solutions to mitigate mycotoxin exposure risk, we affirm that future collaborations between scientists and policymakers are important to develop sustainable interventions and promote health through dietary diversity.

PEDAGOGICAL REGIONAL STUDIES AS INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

The article reveals the peculiarities and prospects for the development of pedagogical regional studies as interdisciplinary scientific knowledge and a multidimensional phenomenon of education, culture, and science. It was established that in the conditions of modern social changes, the need for the crystallization of national identity as the basis of Ukrainian statehood, the historical and cultural approach plays an important role in the training of future specialists – citizens of Ukraine. Among the modern trends in the development of Ukrainian education and pedagogy is the actualization of regional research, which is manifested in the appeal of scientists to various aspects of pedagogical local history, microhistory, etc. The regional approach is based on highlighting the patterns of development of national education and pedagogical thought on little-known, unique regional materials. One of the aspects of such a regional approach is the subject of research in pedagogical regional studies – interdisciplinary knowledge about the peculiarities of the development of education, science, pedagogical thought, the culture of the region, the study, preservation and creative use of regional pedagogical experience in the theory and practice of modern educational institutions, scientific institutions, institutions of the social sphere . The authors analyzed the experience of the Scientific and Research Center of Pedagogical Local Studies operating at the Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University. In 2022, with the aim of updating regional scientific problems, studying little-known pages of pedagogical local history, scientists of the Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University launched a new research project – «Education, schooling and pedagogical thought of Cherkasy region». The purpose of the project is to present to the public the achievements of Ukrainian and foreign pedagogical science and of education, consolidating biographical and bibliographic information about teachers, educators, teachers in the form of an informational and bibliographic electronic resource «Pedagogical Cherkasy» and a popular science reference book. It has been established that the relevance of regional scientific issues is enhanced by the multidimensionality and interdisciplinary nature of pedagogical regional studies as a pedagogical, historical, and social phenomenon that requires a thorough study in order to present it representatively in the modern interdisciplinary historical and cultural discourse – educational, social-pedagogical, historical-pedagogical, etc.

VHL mutation drives human clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression through PI3K/AKT-dependent cholesteryl ester accumulation

Cholesteryl ester (CE) accumulation in intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) is an essential signature of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but its molecular mechanism and pathological significance remain elusive. Enabled by the label-free Raman spectromicroscopy, which integrated stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with confocal Raman spectroscopy on the same platform, we quantitatively analyzed LD distribution and composition at the single cell level in intact ccRCC cell and tissue specimens in situ without any processing or exogenous labeling. Since we found that commonly used ccRCC cell lines actually did not show the CE-rich signature, primary cancer cells were isolated from human tissues to retain the lipid signature of ccRCC with CE level as high as the original tissue, which offers a preferable cell model for the study of cholesterol metabolism in ccRCC. Moreover, we established a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model that retained the CE-rich phenotype of human ccRCC. Surprisingly, our results revealed that CE accumulation was induced by tumor suppressor VHL mutation, the most common mutation of ccRCC. Moreover, VHL mutation was found to promote CE accumulation by upregulating HIFα and subsequent PI3K/AKT/mTOR/SREBPs pathway. Inspiringly, inhibition of cholesterol esterification remarkably suppressed ccRCC aggressiveness invitro and invivo with negligible toxicity, through the reduced membrane cholesterol-mediated downregulations of integrin and MAPK signaling pathways. Collectively, our study improves current understanding of the role of CE accumulation in ccRCC and opens up new opportunities for treatment. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U23B2046 and No. 62027824), National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2023YFC2415500), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. YWF-22-L-547), PKU-Baidu Fund (No. 2020BD033), Peking University First Hospital Scientific and Technological Achievement Transformation Incubation Guidance Fund (No. 2022CX02), and Beijing Municipal Health Commission (No. 2020-2Z-40713).

Chasing Graphene-Based Anticancer Drugs: Where are We Now on the Biomedical Graphene Roadmap?

Graphene and graphene-based materials have attracted growing interest for potential applications in medicine because of their good biocompatibility, cargo capability and possible surface functionalizations. In parallel, prototypic graphene-based devices have been developed to diagnose, imaging and track tumor growth in cancer patients. There is a growing number of reports on the use of graphene and its functionalized derivatives in the design of innovative drugs delivery systems, photothermal and photodynamic cancer therapy, and as a platform to combine multiple therapies. The aim of this review is to introduce the latest scientific achievements in the field of innovative composite graphene materials as potentially applied in cancer therapy. The "Technology and Innovation Roadmap" published in the Graphene Flagship indicates, that the first anti-cancer drugs using graphene and graphene-derived materials will have appeared on the market by 2030. However, it is necessary to broaden understanding of graphene-based material interactions with cellular metabolism and signaling at the functional level, as well as toxicity. The main aspects of further research should elucidate how treatment methods (e.g., photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, combination therapy) and the physicochemical properties of graphene materials influence their ability to modulate autophagy and kill cancer cells. Interestingly, recent scientific reports also prove that graphene nanocomposites modulate cancer cell death by inducing precise autophagy dysfunctions caused by lysosome damage. It turns out as well that developing photothermal oncological treatments, it should be taken into account that near-infrared-II radiation (1000-1500 nm) is a better option than NIR-I (750-1000 nm) because it can penetrate deeper into tissues due to less scattering at longer wavelengths radiation.

Correlation between Scientific and Technological Achievements of Universities and Regional Innovation System in Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development at the Meso Level

The transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities is of great importance for regional economic development and the development of scientific and technological innovation. Based on three aspects — the input of innovative resources, the output of scientific and technological achievements and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements — this study selected 13 indicators, such as scientific and technical expenditures, the number of scientific and technical personnel, the results of publication activities, intellectual activity, patents, contracts and income from the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, to build an indicator system for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of colleges and universities; at the same time 7 indicators were selected, such as the number of scientific and technological personnel, funding, the number of patents and scientific and technological business-incubators, to build a regional system for assessing scientific and technical potential, a system for assessing regional scientific and technical innovation potential. Based on the factor analysis method, the transformation scores of scientific and technological achievements of universities and regional scientific and technological innovations in each region of China in 2019–2021 were calculated; secondly, using the Coupling coordination degree model, the degree of relationship and coordination between the university system of transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the regional scientific and technological innovation system in different regions of China was calculated. The study showed that the level of scientific and technological achievements is uneven and not high; points of innovative development of Chinese regions have been identified. Thus, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities is a necessary path for the scientific, technological and economic development of regions, when it is necessary to combine the needs of regional development, take measures to strengthen support for scientific and technological personnel, create platforms for sharing resources, and improve policies in the field of intellectual property in order to promote the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, promote regional scientific and technological innovations and develop regional industry.

Insurtech tại Việt Nam: Thách thức từ mô hình kinh doanh mới

Currently, insurance technology (Insurtech) is one of the important fields of financial technology (Fintech). The achievements of science and technology have helped this field develop dramatically and are considered an inevitable development trend of the insurance market in the future. Insurtech promises to bring many benefits in increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs not only for insurance companies but also for consumers. However, the growth of Insurtech comes with corresponding risks and regulatory concerns not currently accounted for by the traditional insurance business model. The article presents the current state of operations as well as points out some challenges in the process of implementing Insurtech in Vietnam in recent years; from there, we propose some recommendations for implementation in the future.

The Effect of an Inquiry Strategy Based on Employing Educational Explanations in the Acquisition of Scientific Concepts among Third-Grade Students

The study aimed to identifying the effect of of an inquiry strategy based on employing educational explanations in the acquisition of scientific concepts among third-grade students. The study sample consisted of two divisions with a total of (39) students. One of these divisions was randomly selected to be a control group. It consisted of (19) students. The educational material was taught in the usual method. The other was an experimental group. Consisted of (20) students. The educational material was taught using a directed inquiry strategy based on the employment of educational explanations. To achieve the objectives of the study, the quasi- experimental methodology was used. A test for acquiring scientific concepts was prepared. The findings showed that there was a significance slgnificant difference at (α≤0.05), in favor of the experimental group that was taught by using directed inquiry strategy based on employing educational explanations. The size of the effect was large according to the standard used in the study. The study also showed a positive correlation between the acquisition of scientific concepts and achievement in science. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended to use this strategy in teaching science text topics to achieve better learning.

How textbook images frame the gender roles of women in science and elsewhere: a content analysis of elementary school science textbooks

ABSTRACT Based on the concepts of gender framing and gender categorisation, this content analysis evaluates the images of adults (N = 1655) and the portrayal of women from the 6 series of science textbooks authorised by the Japanese Ministry of Education for use in elementary school science classes in the 2022 academic year. The images were counted and coded according to the activities the participants were engaged in. Data were then analysed according to three potential patterns for transmission of gender roles – invisibility, low stature, and domesticity. The content analysis showed differences between the 6 series in terms of their portrayal of women and of female scientists, however, across all series, there were fewer women portrayed than men, fewer female scientists than male, and fewer women were presented as important ‘people to study’. Women were less likely to be shown in high-status decision-making roles, as demonstrating ‘brilliance’, or as being rewarded or recognised for their scientific achievements. They were, however, more likely than men to be depicted in images connected to themes of domesticity than as scientists or in other professional situations. Domestic themes such as childcare could still be seen in images of female scientists or women at work.

Research on the Internal Talent Training Path and Performance Evaluation Mechanism of New R&D Institutions in Zhejiang Province

New research and development (R&D) institutions are an important part of the national innovation system, playing an important role in promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. In recent years, new R&D institutions have gradually become the driving force of innovation-driven development in China. Taking new R&D institutions in Zhejiang Province as the research object, this paper studies the internal talent training path and performance evaluation mechanism of new R&D institutions in Zhejiang Province by using the literature research method, comparison method, case verification method, and other methods. The investigation results show that there are problems such as lack of material and spiritual support and neglect of the absorption of local talents in the internal talent training, and there are problems such as unclear standards, insufficient data, and opaque processes in the performance evaluation mechanism, which greatly affect the establishment and improvement of the performance evaluation mechanism. Given the above problems, this paper puts forward a forward-looking, oriented, flexible, and compatible talent training path and performance evaluation mechanism, hoping to optimize the effective internal talent training path of new R&D institutions, improve the evaluation performance, and promote healthy development of new R&D institutions in Zhejiang Province.

Arrhythmia detection by the graph convolution network and a proposed structure for communication between cardiac leads

One of the most common causes of death worldwide is heart disease, including arrhythmia. Today, sciences such as artificial intelligence and medical statistics are looking for methods and models for correct and automatic diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia. In pursuit of increasing the accuracy of automated methods, many studies have been conducted. However, in none of the previous articles, the relationship and structure between the heart leads have not been included in the model. It seems that the structure of ECG data can help develop the accuracy of arrhythmia detection. Therefore, in this study, a new structure of Electrocardiogram (ECG) data was introduced, and the Graph Convolution Network (GCN), which has the possibility of learning the structure, was used to develop the accuracy of cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis. Considering the relationship between the heart leads and clusters based on different ECG poles, a new structure was introduced. In this structure, the Mutual Information(MI) index was used to evaluate the relationship between the leads, and weight was given based on the poles of the leads. Weighted Mutual Information (WMI) matrices (new structure) were formed by R software. Finally, the 15-layer GCN network was adjusted by this structure and the arrhythmia of people was detected and classified by it. To evaluate the performance of the proposed new network, sensitivity, precision, specificity, accuracy, and confusion matrix indices were used. Also, the accuracy of GCN networks was compared by three different structures, including WMI, MI, and Identity. Chapman’s 12-lead ECG Dataset was used in this study. The results showed that the values of sensitivity, precision, specificity, and accuracy of the GCN-WMI network with 15 intermediate layers were equal to 98.74%, 99.08%, 99.97% & 99.82%, respectively. This new proposed network was more accurate than the Graph Convolution Network-Mutual Information (GCN-MI) with an accuracy equal to 99.71% and GCN-Id with an accuracy equal to 92.68%. Therefore, utilizing this network, the types of arrhythmia were recognized and classified. Also, the new network proposed by the Graph Convolution Network-Weighted Mutual Information (GCN-WMI) was more accurate than those conducted in other studies on the same data set (Chapman). Based on the obtained results, the structure proposed in this study increased the accuracy of cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis and classification on the Chapman data set. Achieving such accuracy for arrhythmia diagnosis is a great achievement in clinical sciences.

Digital finance, financial regulation and transformation of R&D achievements

The transformation of scientific and technological achievements is the best form of the combination of technology and the economy, and only when new technologies are transformed into commodities can they be transformed into real productive forces and exert scale effects. With the rapid development of digital finance, it has changed the operating mode of financial markets and consumer behavior. Does digital finance promote the transformation of R&D achievements? We empirically examine this question using the panel data covering 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021. The empirical results indicate that the development of digital finance can improve the transformation rate of R&D achievements. Additionally, we find that the role of digital finance in promoting the transformation of R&D achievements needs to be guaranteed by the level of effective financial regulation. The research conclusions are a relevant reference for the government to improve the transformation rate of scientific and technological achievements.