Universal Indicator Research Articles

A Physics‐Based Universal Indicator for Vertical Decoupling and Mixing Across Canopies Architectures and Dynamic Stabilities

AbstractAir flows may be decoupled from the underlying surface either due to strong stratification of air or due to canopy drag suppressing cross‐canopy mixing. During decoupling, turbulent fluxes vary with height and hence identification of decoupled periods is crucial for the estimation of surface fluxes with the eddy covariance (EC) technique and computation of ecosystem‐scale carbon, heat, and water budgets. A new indicator for identifying the decoupled periods is derived using forces (buoyancy and canopy drag) hindering movement of a downward propagating air parcel. This approach improves over the existing methods since (1) changes in forces hindering the coupling are accounted for, and (2) it is based on first principles and not on ad hoc empirical correlations. The applicability of the method is demonstrated at two contrasting EC sites (flat open terrain, boreal forest) and should be applicable also at other EC sites above diverse ecosystems (from grasslands to dense forests).

Performance, Achievement, and Success in Psychological Research: Towards a More Transparent Use of the Still Ambiguous Terminology.

The present study focused on the terms performance, achievement, and success that have often been used in an ambiguous manner in psychological research. The way in which the meaning of the domain-specific constructs referred to with the terms was established for measurement purposes was investigated on a sample of 262 articles that stemmed from 35 randomly selected journals covering the full range of psychological research. The operational definitions of the constructs referred to with the terms performance, achievement, and success were analysed and compared in both inter- and intra-domain fashion. Additionally, we assessed the match among the observed operational definitions and general conceptual definitions available in the extant literature. The results revealed terminology-related issues in educational and occupational research. Within these domains, lack of adherence to the multidimensionality of the constructs of academic performance, academic achievement, academic success, job performance, and career success was identified as a general issue. Further, the tendency to measure job performance via indicators based on self-rating was considered inadequate given the objective nature of the term performance. In educational research, the overlap of the academic performance, academic achievement, and academic success constructs was confirmed, resulting from the tendency to use GPA as a universal indicator of academic outcomes. Based on the present findings, we provided several recommendations in order to encourage future research towards a more transparent way of dealing with the particular constructs referred to with the terms performance, achievement, and success. We suppose the present study may help researchers in the full range of psychological disciplines to add clarity to their own research.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a metric of microbial biomass in aquatic systems: new simplified protocols, laboratory validation, and a reflection on data from the literature

AbstractThe use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a universal biomass indicator is built on the premise that ATP concentration tracks biomass rather than the physiological condition of cells. However, reportedly high variability in ATP in response to environmental conditions is the main reason the method has not found widespread application. To test possible sources of this variability, we used the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as a model and manipulated its growth rate through nutrient limitation and through exposure to three different temperatures (15°C, 20°C, and 25°C). We simplified the ATP protocol with hot‐water or chemical extraction methods, modified a commercially available luciferin‐luciferase assay, and employed single‐photon counting in a scintillation counter, all of which increased sensitivity and throughput. Per‐cell ATP levels remained relatively constant despite changes in growth rates by approximately 10‐fold in the batch culture (i.e., nutrient limitation) experiments, and approximately 2‐fold in response to temperature. The re‐examination of related literature values revealed that average cellular ATP levels differed little among taxonomic groups of aquatic microbes, even at the domain level, and correlated well with bulk properties such as elemental carbon or nitrogen. Fulfilling multiple cellular functions in addition to being the universal energy currency requires ATP to be maintained in a millimolar concentration range. Consequently, ATP relates directly to live cytoplasm volume, while elemental carbon and nitrogen are constrained by an indeterminate pool of detrital material and intracellular storage compounds. The ATP‐biomass indicator is sensitive, economical, and can be readily standardized among laboratories and across environments.

OTIMIZAÇÃO DA EXTRAÇÃO DE ANTOCIANINAS PRESENTES NO FEIJÃO-PRETO E IMPREGNAÇÃO DO EXTRATO EM MATRIZ POLIMÉRICA NATURAL PARA USO COMO INDICADOR DE pH

OPTIMIZATION OF THE EXTRACTION OF ANTHOCYANINS PRESENT IN BLACK BEANS AND IMPREGNATION OF THE EXTRACT IN NATURAL POLYMERIC MATRIX FOR USE AS A pH INDICATOR. In this work, a method of extracting natural indicators, anthocyanins, present in black beans was optimized. The best extraction condition was obtained with 50 g of beans and 93 g of water, under agitation at 150 rpm, at a temperature of 40 oC for 24 h. The wavelengths of greatest absorption for the indicator in its acidic and basic form were 523 nm and 620 nm respectively and these wavelengths were used to determine the pKa of the indicator. At least three pKa values were observed: 1.9; 7.2 and 10.7. A simplified condition for anthocyanins extraction, the same amount of water, tap water in these case, and beans kept together for 12 h without agitation and temperature control, was also evaluated. Both extracts were impregnated with qualitative filter paper, coffee filter paper and cotton buds and the materials impregnated with the indicator were tested with solutions of HCl, vinegar, NaOH and milk of magnesia. A comparison between the impregnated material and a universal pH indicator paper using buffer solutions pH 4.0, 7.0, 10.0 and 11.2 proved the applicability of the developed material since it presented adequate distinction in its color for the different pH conditions.

Energy saving technologies and energy efficiency of motor transport power plants

The perspective energy sources alternative to hydrocarbons, which are currently used in the world, are considered. Energy-saving technologies for the use of hydrocarbon fuel in vehicles are analyzed.
 The need to develop the use of electric drives on automobiles is noted. The importance of systematical accumulation and analyzing of the existing experience of operating vehicles with electric drives abroad and in the Russian Federation is considered. Monitoring the technologies developed abroad and the problems arising during the operation of electric vehicles will make it possible to determine the priority ways of their development and to concentrate the efforts of researchers in the direction ensuring the maximum efficiency of their application.
 One of the currently attractive and economically viable ways of developing road transport for domestic practice is the use of vehicles with hybrid power plants. It is shown that the production of hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles abroad is successfully developing and is nowadays one of the most dynamic in the world.
 Indicators of efficiency of electric power consumption of vehicles with electric drive of various automobile manufacturers are given. A comparative analysis of technologies for the use of electric automobiles to improve the environmental situation in megalopolises is carried out and the problems of increasing the efficiency of automobile power plants are considered.
 It is shown that the climatic conditions of the Russian Federation with long periods of low temperatures of atmospheric air strongly affect the energy losses associated with heating the passenger compartment, and to a large extent - on the energy efficiency of the power plant of electric vehicles.
 To assess the efficiency of using electric vehicles, it is proposed to use a universal indicator of the efficiency of energy consumption. It is proposed to carry out a comparative assessment of the energy consumption of various vehicles by the energy parameter qEL.
 The calculated data show that the use of vehicles with electric drive and, in particular, rechargeable hybrids is more profitable in comparison with the use of vehicles equipped exclusively with internal combustion engines.

Methodological approach to integrated effectiveness assessment apply of aviation systems with UAVs. Evaluating methods for effectiveness of solving radio technical reconnaissance and aircraft destruction of targets tasks

Currently, the use of aviation systems with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various classes and purpose for the benefit of both special customers and civilian purposes has acquired particular relevance and practical significance. Modern UAVs, used both separately and as part of the group, can carry several target loads on board at the same time, built on various physical principles: multifunctional optoelectronic system, digital aerial photography system, on-board radar station, radio and radio reconnaissance system, communication system for transmitting data from target loads (sensors) to a mobile device (for example, a tablet) to a remote subscriber, etc. At the same time, the issue of determining the evaluation of the effectiveness of solving both individual target tasks of UAVs and finding an integral assessment of the effectiveness of using aircraft systems with UAVs when solving a set of target tasks (sequentially or sequentially-in parallel in time), taking into account their priority and a number of other factors, remains practically unlit. The scientific and technical article consists structurally of three parts and is devoted to the consideration of the issues of finding an integral assessment of the effectiveness of the use of aviation systems with unmanned aerial vehicles. In the first part of article [1], a scientific and methodological approach has been developed to determine estimates of the effectiveness of solving private target problems of radio communication and remote monitoring (by optical and radar means) by a complex with UAVs. The second part of the article presents a mathematical apparatus for assessing the effectiveness of solving problems of conducting radio-technical reconnaissance and aircraft destruction of targets. As a criterion for the effectiveness of solving all private target problems, a universal indicator of the probability of solving them has been adopted, which will ultimately allow for convolution and determine an integral assessment of the effectiveness of solving a whole set of target problems. The methodological apparatus developed in the article is universal and invariant to the input parameters, that is, the number of solved target problems, the stage of operation of the complex with UAVs, and can be easily adapted to the new conditions for the use of other complexes with UAVs. Within the framework of this approach, a mathematical apparatus for functional dependence of probabilities of solving particular target problems with design parameters of target loads in the UAV has been developed, taking into account the peculiarities of its functioning and in the conditions of existing restrictions and assumptions. The scientific and methodological approach allows already at the stage of formation of the tactical and technical task for the complex with UAVs to obtain quantitative estimates of the probabilities of solving private target tasks using the technical backlog of industrial enterprises for key components from the complex (target loads, a set of communication facilities, etc.). Finding effectiveness estimates in the group application of UAVs, as well as taking into account possible electronic counteraction, goes beyond the scope of this article and is the direction of further research on this topic.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ АТРИБУТИРОВАНИЯ ИЗДАНИЙ СТАРООБРЯДЧЕСКОЙ ТИПОГРАФИИ ОВЧИННИКОВЫХ

This article is dedicated to the problem of attributing the publications of illegal Old Believer printers in the second half of the nineteenth century: such publications do not have bibliographical data or have false information about the place of publication. At the centre of the author’s attention is the largest and longest-running printing company in the Old Believer market that belonged to the brothers Ovchinnikov. For publications from the eighteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, the main element which allows us to attribute a book to this or that printer is decoration; however, this criterion is insufficient for books from the second half of the nineteenth century. Old Believer merchants were publishers of books in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; they placed their orders in rather large printing companies with an established set of decorations. Even in the printers they started at the end of the eighteenth century, they followed the tradition of using individual and distinctive ornamentation. In the second half of the nineteenth century, peasants or townsmen were publishers of books. Lacking sufficient funds and due to the illegal character of their activities, their printers were small and mobile, and they printed books on cheap paper in order to lower pro-duction costs. With only rare exceptions, the decoration of such books was not rich: either it was absent in general or there were only typeset decorations. If they did have headpieces, different printers used the same models. As such, ornamentation cannot be used as a universal indicator for attributing these publications, although it can be part of a set of such indicators. Fonts play the main role in defining an edition, but it is neces-sary to create a reference guide of fonts if this indicator is to be used practically. This article reflects the results of an analysis of fonts and decorative elements in publications from the Ovchinnikov printer. Very many such publications used a great variety of fonts simultaneously. According to indirect data, the books date from the 1860s. They might initially be taken for sammelbände since the type of paper changes along with the fonts. However, the integrity of the text during the transition from one font type to the next undermines this assumption. The article poses the question of how to explain the peculiarities of such publications. There is no one-dimensional answer. However, the author makes some suggestions: it is possible that at some point the printer was dispersed, with several printing presses placed in different houses. When a comparatively large volume was produced, the material was shared out and printed on these separate press-es. However, this hypothesis provokes the question: why do blocks of text printed in one font not follow each other in sequence? The article contains examples of the printer’s fonts and artistic elements the author identified.

ОЦІНКА ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ЕКОНОМІКИ ОБЛАСТЕЙ УКРАЇНИ

One of the important factors in the development of agricultural enterprises, increasing their competitiveness and profitability, is innovation. In addition, it is clear that low innovation activity has caused a protracted economic crisis in Ukraine. The term "innovation" should be understood as the implementation of a new or significantly improved product, process, new method of marketing or a new method of organization in business, workplace organization or external contacts, new equipment or technology, and so on. That is, the defining basis of any innovation is innovation in a particular area of he enterprise. The development of an economy based on knowledge and innovation depends on the region of Ukraine in which enterprises operate and compete at different levels, including on a global scale. The inclusion of innovation in the group of the most important sources of enterprise competitiveness increases interest in research on the level of innovation in the regions, the differences between them, and the like. A significant number and variety of factors influencing innovative development exclude the use of one universal indicator. It is necessary to use a set of indicators reflecting various dimensions of the innovation activity of the economy. That is why we have calculated a synthetic index of innovative development in the context of regions of Ukraine, using the method of taxonomic analysis. According to the data presented, regions with stronger and weaker positions for innovative development can be identified. So, the highest level of this indicator for the period 2016–2019. Recorded in Kharkiv (0.340), Volyn (0.289) and Lugansk (0.287) regions. However, it should be noted that the level of these indicators is very low, since according to taxonomic analysis, the higher the level of development, the closer the indicator value is to 1. Among the regions with a low indicator of innovative development, one can single out the Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Lviv regions.

SST2 Protein Serum Levels in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

The purpose of this study was to determine the blood concentration of sST2 and evaluate the correlations between sST2 and the clinical, instrumental, and echocardiographic characteristics of patients with CHFrEF (chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) and CHFpEF (chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction), as well as to evaluate the sST2 informativeness in comparison with NT-proBNP. The study involved 160 patients diagnosed with CHF (86 men and 74 women, mean age of 72.4±8.7 years). According to the LVEF value, the patients were divided into two groups: CHFpEF (EF≥50%) was recorded in 69 people, CHFrEF (EF<50%) - in 91 people. The functional class (FC) of CHF was determined according to the NYHA classification (1994). NT-proBNP and hs-CRP levels had a stronger positive association with sST2 levels in CHFrEF patients than in CHFpEF patients. The results obtained (regardless of the EF) indicated a statistically significant direct correlation between the levels of sST2 and LAVI. The weak direct correlation between sST2 and NYHA FC, in contrast to the direct strong correlation between NT-proBNP and sST2, indicates that sST2, which is quite important both for determining the current state of the patient and for predicting the course of the disease, still cannot be used as a single and universal indicator. In this regard, further comprehensive study of the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of the sST2 and NT-proBNP biomarkers in CHF patients with different EF is required.

Оценка показателей иммунного статуса у детей с последствиями перинатального поражения центральной нервной системы и гастродуоденальной патологией

Intrauterine fetal hypoxia, because of disturbances in the fetoplacental complex, is a pathogenic link in the mechanism of development of cerebral lesions in newborns. The immune system is a universal indicator of all pathological processes occurring in the fetus against the background of chronic placental insufficiency. Therefore, scientific studies devoted to the study of the immune status in children who have undergone intrapartum resuscitation at birth are of great importance

The association between depressive symptoms and self-rated health among university students: a cross-sectional study in France and Japan

BackgroundDepressive disorders in University students have risen dramatically in the past few decades to the extent that students’ mental health has become a current global public health priority. Obtaining information from University students about their mental health is challenging because of potential embarrassment of disclosing one’s concerns and fear of stigmatization. Self-rated health might be a good solution to evaluate mental health state by a simple and neutral indicator. The aim of the study is to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and self-rated health by sex among University students in France and Japan.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted by using two large cohorts of students aged ≥18 years (n = 5655 in Bordeaux, France and n = 17,148 in Kyoto, Japan). Depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 scale), Likert scale of self-rated health, socio-demographic characteristics and health habits were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to describe the association between depressive symptoms and other variables including self-rated health, stratified by sex.ResultsA high score of PHQ-2 (high depressive symptoms) was associated with poor self-rated health in both cohorts independently of all other variables (OR 2.82, 95%CI 1.99–4.01 in France, OR 7.10, 95%CI 5.76–8.74 in Japan). Although the prevalence of depressive symptoms between sexes was different in French students (males 15.4%, females 25.0%, p < 0.001), it was similar in Japanese students (males 3.5%, females 3.3%, p = 0.466), who reported less depressive symptoms than French students. The association between depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health was greater in Japanese females (OR 12.40, 95%CI 7.74–20.00) than in males (OR 6.30, 95%CI 4.99–7.95), whereas the strength of the association was almost similar in French students (OR 2.17, 95%CI 0.86–5.47 in males, OR 2.98, 95%CI 2.03–4.38 in females).ConclusionsDepressive symptoms were associated with self-rated health among University students in both countries with slightly differences in sex. Self-rated health would be a simple, reliable and universal indicator for healthcare professionals and University staff to identify students at risk of depression.

Sustainable development in Belarus: Goals for transport and universal access indicator movements

On September 25, 2015, UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Two SDG targets are directly transport-related. Target 3.6: By 2020 to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. Target 11. 2: Aims to, by 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations - women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons. There are other goals, the achievement of which is impossible without the development of transport. All SDGs related to transport are conventionally divided into 4 groups: safety, universal access, efficiency, green mobility. The purpose of this article is to review the dynamics of changes in the Republic of Belarus of indicators for achieving the goals of the universal access group.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ КЛИНИКО-ЛАБОРАТОРНЫХ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ У ПАЦИЕНТОВ С РЕЦИДИВИРУЮЩИМИ АФТАМИ ПОЛОСТИ РТА НА ФОНЕ КИСЛОТОЗАВИСИМЫХ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ ЖЕЛУДОЧНО-КИШЕЧНОГО ТРАКТА

Subject. Some features of the clinical picture, hygienic and microbiological state of the oral cavity, acidity and free-radical oxidation of the oral fluid in patients with recurrent aphthates on the background of acid-dependent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are considered.&#x0D; The aim is to assess the relationship between clinical and laboratory parameters in patients with recurrent oral aphthae associated with acid-dependent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.&#x0D; Methodology. A comprehensive clinical and laboratory examination of 58 young people with revealed recurrent aphthae of the oral cavity against the background of acid-dependent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract was carried out. The level of oral hygiene was assessed using the ONI-s index, the state of free-radical oxidation of the oral fluid - the "Chemilumimer-003" device, individual representatives of the normal flora were identified by inoculating the contents from the surface of aphthous elements on special differential diagnostic media of the HiCrome series. The acidity of the oral fluid was determined using a universal indicator litmus paper pH-1-14, short-term intragastric pHmetry was performed directly during fibrogastroduodenoscopy.&#x0D; Results. In 46.4 % of those examined, recurrent aphthae were found on the oral mucosa. In persons with chronic gastritis and duodenitis, the frequency of recurrences once a year was 37.9 %, 2-3 times a year ― 62.0, with the presence of chronic pancreatitis against the background of hyperacid gastric secretion ― 44.8 and 55.2, respectively. In patients with recurrent aphthae, a low level of oral hygiene, a violation of its microbiome, and a change in the acidity of the oral fluid were revealed.&#x0D; Conclusions. The presence of recurrent aphthae complicates individual oral hygiene, because accompanied by severe pain and paresthetic symptoms. This is manifested by an increase in the ONI-S index and a disturbance in the state of the normobiome in the form of an increase in the growth of resident microflora against the background of changes in the acidity of the oral fluid. Chemiluminescence indices correlate with the hygienic state of the oral cavity, qualitative changes in the normobiota and pH of the oral fluid in the studied clinical groups.

Assessment of the application of the Universal Competencies

Application of Universal Competencies in Russian educational institutions is very important. Based on them, educational standards are invented. However, there is no universal assessment of the application of the Universal Competencies in practice. The main idea of the research is a general assessment of the application of universal competencies. For this, the activity of the enterprise is modeled. The enterprise process model is combined with the Universal Competencies. Further, the measurement is made by a universal indicator. The analysis of the dynamics of the universal indicator proves the existence of an assessment of the application of the Universal Competencies at a production facility. The integral indicator is a universal assessment of the application of the Universal Competencies.

Measuring Progress Beyond GDP: A Theoretical Perspective

Inclusive development policies and comprehensive strategies are extremely critical aspects of the holistic progress of a nation. The measurement of considerable progress through the indicator/indicators is equally important. What if the selected indicator(s) are inappropriate? It can mislead people and policymakers. That is exactly what is happening to gross domestic product (GDP) as an indicator for measuring the overall progress of any nation.Through this academic article, an attempt has been made to address the following questions. Why do social, environmental, and human-centric indictors reveal an altogether different position concerning the health of the economy? Are we making deliberate mistakes while considering GDP as a gospel indicator for each and everything? Does it reflect the welfare aspects of human beings? Does it accurately reflect the well-being of people?The prolonged followed GDP-driven policies are inadequate for measuring the overall progress of a nation. The progress of a nation cannot be accurately reflected through GDP as an indicator. After an extensive review, the authors found that GDP was intentionally developed for measuring only economic activities which cannot be equated with social or human well-being. The possible outcomes of GDP-driven policies have been reflected through various human, social, and environment-centric indicators, which thoughtfully provide ample grounding to authors to fulminate against the philosophical notion of GDP as a universal indicator for measuring overall national progress/human well-being. This article can add to the literature of “why happiness movement.” This article can provide sufficient theoretical grounds to move beyond GDP and look for some other holistic indicator(s).

Proximity to inland water and major roadway of residential address and ovarian reserve: a retrospective cohort study

Background: There are growing interests regarding the potential impact of physical environment on reproductive health. This study was to explore the association between neighborhood environment and women’s fertility.Method: This study is a retrospective cohort study using the data of 7,630 women who have undertaken anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) test which is a universal indicator for ovarian reserve at a single fertility center in 2016-2018. For indicators of age-adjusted ovarian reserve, we used AMH ratio (defined as AMHmeasured divided by AMHage-appropriate reference). We calculated a distance to nearest inland water (including lake, creek, stream and river) and nearest major roadway for each geocoded address. We used continuous scales for correlation tests and categorized (quartile) scales for multivariable regression analyses. We further analyzed the odds of decreased ovarian reserve (DOR, defined as AMH ratio &lt;0.1) with adjustment for covariates. Body mass index, occupation, smoking and regional deprivation index were used as covariates. Results: Median age was 39.1 years and mean AMH was 3.5 ng/mL. Mean distance to inland water and major road was 443.7 and 3672.8 m, respectively. Spearman correlation coefficient for the association between AMH ratio and distance to inland water was -0.001 (P = 0.934). For the association with distance to major road, the coefficient was -0.023 (P = 0.058). In multivariable analyses using quartiles of distance, the associations between proximity to inland water or major road and AMH ratio were toward null. Odds ratios (OR) of DOR was 1.05 (95% confidence intervals (CI):0.72, 1.53) for the highest quartile of distance to inland water and 1.33 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.98) for the highest quartile of distance to major roadway compared to ORs for the lowest quartile. Conclusion: There was no evidence of association of proximity to inland water or major roadway with women’s ovarian reserve in our study.

Dynamic Evaluation of Sustainable Water Resource Systems in Metropolitan Areas: A Case Study of the Beijing Megacity

Increasing water scarcity has made it difficult to meet global water demands, so the sustainable use of water resources is an important issue. In this study, the sustainable water resource system (SWRS) operating mechanism is discussed, considering three components: dynamics, resistance and coordination. According to the SWRS operating mechanism, a universal indicator system with three layers, including goal, criterion, and index layers, is constructed for SWRS evaluation. Additionally, considering the fuzziness of threshold values for grading standards, an SWRS evaluation model is constructed based on the set pair analysis (SPA), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and attribute interval recognition methods. This model is conceptually simple and convenient. An evaluation indicator system is constructed for the SWRS in Beijing, and evaluation standards with five grades are established. The dynamics of the sustainability of the Beijing SWRS and corresponding operating mechanism are analyzed using the SPA evaluation model. The results suggest that the three components of the operating mechanism all have positive effects on the Beijing SWRS state, but the SWRS state has not yet been fundamentally changed. Therefore, considerable improvements can be achieved regarding the sustainability of the Beijing SWRS.

Low Value of Apnea-test on Fetal Survival in Intrauterine Hypoxia is Universal Indicator for Planned Caesarean Section

Low Value of Apnea-test on Fetal Survival in Intrauterine Hypoxia is Universal Indicator for Planned Caesarean Section

A bioluminescent probe for longitudinal monitoring of mitochondrial membrane potential.

Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) is a universal selective indicator of mitochondrial function and is known to play a central role in many human pathologies, such as diabetes mellitus, cancer and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Here, we report the design, synthesis and several applications of mitochondria-activatable luciferin (MAL), a bioluminescent probe sensitive to ΔΨm, and partially to plasma membrane potential (ΔΨp), for non-invasive, longitudinal monitoring of ΔΨm in vitro and in vivo. We applied this new technology to evaluate the aging-related change of ΔΨm in mice and showed that nicotinamide riboside (NR) reverts aging-related mitochondrial depolarization, revealing another important aspect of the mechanism of action of this potent biomolecule. In addition, we demonstrated application of the MAL probe for studies of brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation and non-invasive in vivo assessment of ΔΨm in animal cancer models, opening exciting opportunities for understanding the underlying mechanisms and for discovery of effective treatments for many human pathologies.

Methodology of assessment of efficiency of the work of youth parliamentary structures in the Russian Federation

This article makes an attempt of comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of youth parliamentarism as a structural possibility of involvement of representatives of the &amp;nbsp;Russian youth in law-making activity. The authors formulate a definition of youth parliament, as well as describe the organizational and legal framework of functionality of youth parliamentary structures. The authors develop a model of systemic assessment of the effectiveness of youth parliamentary structures based on the five key vectors of activity of these institutions: legislative, project, personnel training, and the organization of socially significant events. The need is substantiated for implementing such methodology of assessment and comparison of the effectiveness of activity of youth parliamentary structures in different regions of the Russian Federation for the purpose of determining most successful strategies of fulfillment of their functionality. The novelty of this work consists in the detailed analytical overview of the doctrinal and legal definitions of the youth parliament, as well as in elaboration of practical approach towards assessing the activity of regional youth parliamentary structures. The main result of the conducted research lie in the original (proposed by D. A. Fedotov) procedure for calculating the key performance indicators and efficiency coefficient. It is proven that introduction of universal indicator of youth parliamentary structures would eventually stimulate the development of youth parliamentarism in the Russian Federation. The authors formulate the assessment criteria for each vector of activity of the youth parliamentary structures. The future implementation of the all-Russian rating model would increase the effectiveness and coordination of interaction between the youth parliaments and civil society institutions