Sums of M consecutive squared integers (a+i)^2 equaling squared integers (for a<=1, 0<= i<= M-1) yield remarkable regular linear features when plotting values of M in function of a. These features correspond to groupings of pairs of a values for successive same values of M around straight lines of equation mu*M = 2a and are characterized in this paper for rational values of mu.

Considering that a fair coin has two sides and a cylindrical edge, the probability that it would fall on its edge is calculated, yielding the probability of heads or tails less than 50%. Theoretical models for a static case and for five dynamic cases, without and with rebounds, show that there is a small probability that the coin does not fall on its head or tail, depending on initial toss conditions, the coin geometry and conditions of the coin and landing surfaces. For the dynamic model with rebounds, it is found that the probability that a 50 Eurocent coin thrown from a normal height with common initial velocity conditions and appropriate surface conditions will end up on its edge is in the order of one against several thousand.

A new generalized definition of Mersenne numbers is proposed of the form (a^n - (a-1)^n), called Global Generalized Mersenne numbers, or simply Generalized Mersenne numbers and noted GM_{a,n} where a is the base and n is the exponent, both being positive integers. The properties are investigated for prime exponents n and several theorems on Mersenne numbers regarding their congruence properties are generalized and demonstrated. In particular, it is found that, for any base a, Generalized Mersenne numbers are in general such that (GM_{a,n} - 1) are even and divisible by n, a and (a-1) for any odd prime exponent n and by (a(a-1)+1) for any prime exponent n > 5. The remaining factor is a function of triangular numbers of (a-1), specific to each prime exponent n. Four theorems on Mersenne numbers are generalized and four new theorems are demonstrated, allowing to show first, that (GM_{a,n} - 1) are divisible by 6, and more precisely GM_{a,n} are congruent to 1(mod 12) or 7(mod 12) depending on the congruence of the base a(mod 4); second, that (GM_{a,n} - 1) are divisible by 10 if n == 1(mod 4) and, if n == 3(mod 4), GM_{a,n} == 1(mod 10), or 7(mod 10) or 9(mod 10) depending on the congruence of the base a(mod 5); third, that all factors c_{i} of GM_{a,n} are of the form (2nf_{i}+1) with f_{i} natural integers such that c_{i} is prime itself or the product of primes of the form (2nj+1) with j natural integer; fourth, that for odd prime exponents n, all GM_{a,n} are periodically congruent to either +/-1\(mod 8) or +/-3(mod 8) depending on the congruence of the base a(mod 8); and fifth, that the factors of a composite GM_{a,n} is of the form (2nf_{i}+1) with f_{i} == u(mod 4) and u being either 0, 1, 2 or 3 depending on the congruence of the exponent n(mod 4) and on the congruence of the base a(mod 8). The potential use of Generalized Mersenne primes in cryptography is shortly addressed.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential condition for soil health and a potential sink for greenhouse gases. SOC dynamics in a long-term field experiment with mineral and organic fertilization on loamy sand Podzol in Vladimir Region, Russia, was traced with the dynamic carbon model RothC since 1968 until the present time. During this period, C stock increased 21% compared with the initial level in the treatment with the application of manure in an average annual rate of 10 t·ha-1. The model was also used to forecast SOC changes until 2090 for two contrasting RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios. Until 2090, the steady growth of SOC stocks is expected in all compared treatments for both climate scenarios. This rate of growth was the highest until 2040, decreased in 2040-2070 and increased again in 2070-2090 for RCP4.5. The highest annual gain was within 21-27‰ under RCP4.5 and 16-21‰ in 2020-2040 in 0-20 cm soil layer. The expected accumulation of C allows increasing current C stock 1.6-1.7 times for RCP4.5 and 2.0-2.2 times for RCP8.5 scenario. Modelling demonstrated potentially more favourable conditions for SOC stability in arable Podzols than in Retisols in Central Russia in the 21st century.

In order to achieve global climate goals, it is necessary to estimate greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes from ecosystems. To obtain a comprehensive assessment of CO2, СН4, N2O natural fluxes for the Russian Federation we used the "bottom-up" method according to [1]. We updated estimates for forest ecosystems based on State Forest Inventory data and satellite monitoring of forest disturbances. For grassland ecosystems, it was based on the correct distribution of areas between steppe and non-steppe zones. The estimated net uptake of natural ecosystems of Russia was 1.1 ± 1.8 billion tons of CO2-eq./year. The study shows that if only CO2 is taken into account, the net absorption of terrestrial ecosystems in Russia corresponds to more than -2.5 billion tons of CO2 (35% of forests’ contribution). However, given the emissions of non-CO2 GHGs, total net absorption in Russia’s natural ecosystems is reduced to about -1 billion tons of CO2-eq (with the forests’ contribution increasing to 80%). With regard to anthropogenic fluxes, the overall balance of GHGs in Russia corresponds to net-emissions of 1 billion tons of CO2-eq/year into the atmosphere. To improve reporting under the Paris Agreement, countries should aim to include only anthropogenic ("manageable") GHG fluxes on managed land.

The mechanical properties, structure, and morphology of milled and 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V alloys produced by selective laser melting were investigated in this study. The mechanical properties were investigated by means of nanoindentation, a tensile test, and a three-point bending test. The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was used to study the surface topography and roughness of both titanium alloys. The surface structure and phase analysis were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and through powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results from the nanoindentation experiments showed that the 3D-printed sample has higher indentation hardness and modulus than the milled one. The AFM observation of the surface topography of the samples showed that the milled sample has a higher roughness than the 3D-printed one. The tensile test results showed that the 3D printed sample by means of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology has about 26% higher tensile strength and smaller elongation than the milled one. The 3-point bending test revealed that the 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V sample has higher flexural strength than the milled one. It was found that the 3D-printed sample has a smaller crystal size than the milled one, which, according to the Hall-Petch relationship, leads to its higher indentation hardness.

Analyses of the three predominant types of sedimentation – clastic, carbonate and black shale – revealed their discontinuity/continuity in different facies environments of the Middle and Late Devonian of the central part of the Volga-Urals petroleum province, namely (1) in depressions, both condensed and non-condensed, (2) on the slopes of depressions and (3) in shallow water environments represented by tectonic arches or localised biohermal uplifts. The regional zonation of conodonts, correlated with the global chronostratigraphic scheme, substantiates the stratigraphic completeness of the general Devonian sequence in this area. In particular, the sedimentation of organic-rich black shales, traditionally considered as source rocks, lasted more than 29 million years, starting from the Late Eifel and ending at the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary. There was only one hiatus in the deposition of both black shales and carbonate sediments, lasting about 2.5 million years at the end of the Frasnian. That interval is dominated by clastic sediments, which are considered to be the most productive reservoirs of the Volga-Ural province. In the time interval from the beginning of the Eifel to the end of the Frasnian (about 17 Ma), (a) clastic sediments show the highest accumulation rates; (b) the most complete sequences occur in depressions; and (c) arches and uplifts show the most significant gaps in the geological record. During Famennian, (a) clastic sedimentation has completely ceased; (b) differences between the slopes of troughs and shallow-water environments have diminished, resulting in stable accumulation of carbonate sediments in both settings; (c) the decrease in sequence thickness (up to 50 m) in depressions suggests reduced accumulation rates of deep-water organic-rich black shales. The results help to understand the complex spatial relationship between different coexisting sedimentation types and focus attention to the incompleteness of the geological record in different environments.

A problem of efficacy of crystal growth methods for crystallization from solution or melt has been investigated. Axial vibrational control (AVC) technique was considered as a perspective method to manage both heat-mass transfer and chemical component composition of the melts in the case of crystallization of complex chemical compounds. Numerical modeling and the search for generalized dependencies made it possible to predict the AVC parameters that provide optimal heat and mass transfer modes for creating flat liquid-solid interfaces, as well as the component composition of dissociated melts of various chemical compounds – Ge, NaNO3, CdTe.

Weak contact metric structures on a smooth manifold, introduced by V. Rovenski and R. Wolak in 2022, have provided new insight into the theory of classical structures. In this paper, we define new structures of this kind (called weak nearly Sasakian and weak nearly cosymplectic and nearly K\"{a}hlerian structures) and study their geometry. We introduce weak nearly K\"{a}hlerian manifolds (generalizing nearly K\"{a}hlerian manifolds) and characterize weak nearly Sasakian and weak nearly cosymplectic hypersurfaces in such Riemannian manifolds.

In this review, severe plastic deformation (SPD) is considered as a materials processing technology. The deformation mode is the principal characteristic differentiating SPD from common forming operations. For large plastic strains, deformation mode depends on the distribution of strain rates between continuum slip lines and can be varied from pure shear to simple shear. A scalar, invariant and dimensionless coefficient of deformation mode is introduced as a normalized speed of rigid rotation. On this basis, simple shear provides the optimum mode for structure modification and grain refinement whereas pure shear is "ideal" for forming operations. Special experiments and SPD practice confirm this conclusion. Various techniques of SPD are classified and described in accordance with simple shear realization or approximation. It is shown that correct analyses of the processing mechanics and technological parameters are essential for comparison of SPD techniques and the development of effective industrial technologies.

Cancer is a complex and devastating disease that has engaged scientists and researchers for decades. Despite tremendous efforts, previous hypotheses about cancer development have not achieved significant breakthroughs. Evolutionary Cancer Cell Biology (ECCB) is a novel and emerging branch of oncological science that provides an evolutionary perspective on the origin of cancer. It reveals that the cancer genome evolved hundreds of millions of years ago, long before multicellular organisms such as metazoans and humans emerged. ECCB aims to unify all evolutionary insights, hypotheses, and theories into a cohesive framework. It investigates the intricate relationship between cancer genomics and ancient pre-metazoan genes that emerge when normal cells transform into cancer cells. It challenges the conventional wisdom of cancer research by suggesting that cancer could arise through intrinsic cellular mechanisms without genetic alterations and mutations. Furthermore, it postulates that somatic mutations are only secondary, downstream events in the process of oncogenesis.

The phenomenon of dissipative self-organization is studied on the example of time-crystal networks. Particular attention was given to transient processes, attractor topologies, phase transitions, and asymptotic stability. New concepts were introduced, including topological phases, spinorial states, and bond flavors. Concepts such as ground states, chemical potentials, elastic forces, temperature, and statistical distributions were endowed with a new meaning associated with asymptotic stability. Phenomena usually attributed exclusively to quantum physics have been shown to occur in this essentially classical environment. They coexist with, and in some cases, such as charge quantization, are related to the phenomenon of time dilation. The approach was applied to model vacuum self-organization. We have shown that under the ac-tion of competing forces, such as gravity and antigravity, a cascade of phase transitions can transform an unorganized vacuum into phases in which interactions, fields and waves resemble electromagnetic, weak, and strong, and their elements can be used as building blocks for prototype particles. In addition, some interrelation field parameters and probabilities of particle transmutations were calculated, which are not predicted by the standard model. The results are consistent with the experiment. The presented material and methodology may be of interest for studying self-organization in different environments.

Optimal control is a critical tool for mechanical robotic systems, facilitating precise manipulation of dynamic processes. These processes are described through differential equations governed by a control function, addressing a time-optimal problem with bilinear characteristics. Our study utilizes the classical approach complemented by Pontryagin's Maximum Principle (PMP) to explore this inverse optimal problem. The objective is to develop an exact piecewise control function that effectively manages trajectory control while considering the effects of viscous friction. Our simulations demonstrate that the proposed control law markedly diminishes oscillations induced by boundary conditions. This research not only aims to delineate the reachability set but also strives to determine the minimal time required for the process. The findings include an exact analytical solution for the stated control problem.

The authors argue that despite significant numbers of foreign workers present in the Russian labor market Russia remains unattractive for highly skilled foreign workers. The economic crisis the country has faced since 2014 has resulted in a further outflow of foreign nationals from OECD countries. So Russia has to look for employees among newcomers from the former Soviet states, the majority of whom come from Central Asia. Russian politics with regard to immigration is characterized by the collision between “geopolitical” and domestic policy rationales. On one hand, seeking to maximize its influence in the post-Soviet space Russia provides preferential conditions of employment for citizens of partner countries in the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. On the other hand, the Kremlin is afraid to liberalize its approach to immigration and the integration of immigrants through fear of losing popularity among the electorate. The second substantial feature of Russian immigration politics is an extreme level of securitization of migration issues. The government considers these issues primarily through a policing lens. One cannot claim that the Russian state does not take any steps to liberalize “migratory regulation”; however, the effect of these measures is being vastly reduced by new restrictions. In addition, liberally designed laws do not bring the expected results due to the corrupt practices that pervade the whole of migration regulation.

In this paper, we investigate the effects of mean stress, multiaxial loading, and residual stresses on the fatigue life of springs. We study the fatigue life of a homogeneously stressed material subjected to cyclic loading with nonzero mean stress. Traditional methods for estimating fatigue life are based on Goodman and HAIGH diagrams. The formal analytical descriptions, namely "stress-life" and "strain-life" approaches, are found to be more suitable for the numerical methods. The fatigue analysis method described above, which describes crack growth per cycle, is extended. The extensions allow consideration of the mean stress of a load cycle. Closed-form expressions for crack length versus number of cycles are derived. The complementary effects on the fatigue life of springs, which ultimately have a significant influence on the fatigue life of springs, are summarized. For the proposed unified fatigue life functions, the ranges for the stress loading factor are extended by introducing the effective stress intensity. The solution leads to the factor range for the effective stress intensity, the effective mean value of the stress intensity factor and the effective stress ratio. The developed method assumes the homogeneous stress state in the whole spring element. For the non-homogeneously loaded structural elements, the weak-link concept is applied to account for fatigue.

A number of experiments suggest that the elementary particles are non-local entities. A dissipative self-organization, that treats particles as open systems may provide a better understanding of the underlying phenomena than conservative models. The proposed toy model is such an attempt. We found that self-gravitation (although accompanied by self-diffusion) may not only be compatible with the quantum phenomena but is perhaps the major reason for the existence of quantum fields. According to the proposed model, fields/particles (resemble those of the Standard Model) emerge from a dynamic self-organized medium (which we associate with vacuum dust) from competition between self-gravitation and self-diffusion. These forces produce turbulence in the form of vortices (which we call vacuum cells) that serve as the building blocks for fields and particles. Field/particle features and symmetries are based on their internal (intracellular) dynamics and vortex synchronization (intercellular dynamics). This model allows for rough estimations of relative field coupling strengths, the quantity of charges and flavors, the probabilities of quark transmutations, the dimensionality and the topologies of phase spaces, and other Standard Model parameters that came not from the theory but rather determined by experiment.

Reparative osteogenesis in the damaged vertebrae is a complex cascade of morphological and biochemical processes that result in the consolidation of the vertebral body. This research was aimed at studying the features of reparative osteogenesis in damaged thoracic and lumbar vertebral bodies at different time points after injury. We analyzed the morphological findings of the vertebral tissues harvested during surgical interventions in 43 patients with recent, subacute and long-standing injuries to thoracic and lumbar spine, and found that cell differentiation in osteogenesis is closely related to angiogenesis and the metabolic cascade. In areas with sufficient oxygenation, good partial pressure of oxygen, and active growth of microvasculature the normal cycle of development and differentiation of osteoblasts and osteocytes occurs, and hypoxia and acidosis lead to pathological osteogenesis. The reclination maneuver with dorsal tools on Day 10-12 of the injury may be ineffective due to the formation of adhesions between fragments, and reclination of the body of the damaged vertebra two weeks or more after the injury is apparently doomed to failure. Timely ventral fusion performed for objective indications is the key to successful rehabilitation of patients, on the one hand, and reduction of the surgical trauma volume in the future, on the other.

A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the proteinaceous aggregates formed by the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) that is deposited inside the brain as amyloid plaques. The accumulation of aggregated Aβ may initiate or enhance pathologic processes in AD. According to the amyloid hypothesis any agent that has the capability to inhibit Aβ aggregation and/or destroy amyloid plaques represents a potential disease modifying drug. In 2023, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (lecanemab) against the Aβ soluble protofibrils was approved by US FDA for AD therapy thus providing compelling support to the amyloid hypothesis. To acquire a deeper insight on the in vivo Aβ aggregation, various animal models, including aged herbivores and carnivores, non-human primates, transgenic rodents, fish and worms are widely exploited. This review is based on the recent data obtained using transgenic animal AD models and presents experimental verification of the critical role in Aβ aggregation seeding of the interactions between zinc ions, Aβ with the isomerized Asp7 (isoD7- Aβ) and the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

β-Ga2O3 is a well-known semiconductor material for power devices and other applications. Recently, β-Ga2O3 has also been reported as a scintillator material with a light yield of approximately 8400 ph./MeV, scintillation decay time of &lt;1 μs, and density of 6.44 g/cm3. In this study, 2-inch diameter β-Ga2O3 single crystals were prepared by oxide crystal growth using the cold crucible (OCCC) method under various oxygen partial pressures. In the OCCC method, as in the cold crucible method, a high frequency is applied directly to the oxide materials, which are heated and melted, and the melt is held by the outermost solid material itself that is cooled by water using a copper hearth. In the OCCC method, crystal growth is performed while rotating the seed crystal, as in the Czochralski method, to increase the crystal diameter. The optical properties and radiation responses of the crystals grown under various oxygen partial pressures were evaluated.

Estimation of the reality can easily be flawed, hence, in order to result in accurate and useful estimates the process has to be protected from bias and confounding and should follow other methodological milestones inherent to different types of empirical observations. Candidate-gene association studies are a specific form of observations that have been rather extensively applied in psychiatry yielding valuable information on various aspects – when methodologically adequate and used in appropriate settings. However, certain flaws that may occur in such studies might not be bluntly obvious, at least not at first glance, and may pass unnoticed by researchers and reviewers. This case study uses two recent published candidate-gene association reports suggesting involvement of cannabinoid receptor type 1 and of heat shock protein single nucleotide polymorphisms in development of neurocognitive performance and psychopathology in a cohort of adult first episode psychosis patients to point-out the types of flaws inevitably resulting in inaccurate and useless estimates.

Applications in high-performance computing (HPC) may not use all available computational resources, leaving some of them underutilized. By co-scheduling, i.e. running more than one application on the same computational node, it is possible to improve resource utilization and overall throughput. Some applications may have conflicting requirements on resources and co-scheduling may cause performance degradation, so it is important to take it into account in scheduling decisions. In this paper, we formalized co-scheduling problem and proposed multiple scheduling strategies to solve it: an optimal strategy, an online strategy and heuristic strategies. These strategies vary in terms of the optimality of the solution they produce and a priori information about the system they require. We showed theoretically that the online strategy provides schedules with a competitive ratio that has a constant upper limit. This allowed us to solve the co-scheduling problem using heuristic strategies that approximate this online strategy. Numerical simulations showed how heuristic strategies compare to the optimal strategy for different input systems. We proposed a method for measuring input parameters of the model in practice and evaluated this method on HPC benchmark applications. We showed high accuracy of measurement method, which allows to apply proposed scheduling strategies in scheduler implementation.

Synchronous homopolar machines (SHM) with excitation winding on the stator have attracted the attention of researchers for many decades due to their high reliability. They are used in a variety of applications such as aircraft and railway generators and traction motors. At the same time, the three-dimensional structure of their magnetic circuit makes the problem of their analysis and optimization challenging. This problem becomes even more complicated when considering an SHM with hybrid excitation, with ferrite magnets in the rotor slots. The article proposes a mathematical procedure for optimizing a synchronous homopolar generator with hybrid excitation based on the single-criterion Nelder-Mead method and two-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). The use of the Nelder-Mead method compared to multicriteria methods and 2D FEA compared to 3D FEA makes possible to significantly reduce the computational burden. As a result of optimization, the power loss and torque ripples of the generator are significantly reduced. The article also compares the characteristics of synchronous homopolar generators with and without ferrite magnets.

In this paper major machine learning (ML) tools and the most important applications developed elsewhere for numerical weather and climate modeling systems (NWCMS) are reviewed. NWCMSs are briefly introduced. The most important papers published in this field in recent years are reviewed. The advantages and limitations of the ML approach in applications to NWCMS are briefly discussed. Currently, this field is experiencing explosive growth. Several important papers are published every week. Thus, this paper should be considered a simple introduction to the problem.

Plants are exposed to highly fluctuating effects of light, temperature, weather conditions and many other environmental factors throughout their life. As sessile or-ganisms, unlike animals, they are unable to escape, hide or even change their position. Therefore, the growth and development of plants is largely determined by interaction with the external environment, the success of this interaction depends on the ability of the phenotype plasticity, which is largely determined by epigenetic regulation. In addi-tion to how environmental factors can change the patterns of genes expression, epige-netic regulation determines how genetic expression changes during the differentiation of one cell type into another, and how patterns of gene expression are passed from one cell to its descendants. Thus, one genome can generate many 'epigenomes'. Epigenetic modifications acquire special significance during the formation of gametes and plant reproduction, when epigenetic marks are eliminated during meiosis and early embry-ogenesis and later reappear. However, during asexual plant reproduction, when meio-sis is absent or suspended, epigenetic modifications that have arisen in the parental sporophyte can be transmitted to the next clonal generation practically unchanged. In plants that reproduce sexually and asexually, epigenetic variability has different adap-tive significance. In asexuals, epigenetic regulation is of particular importance for im-parting plasticity to the phenotype, when the genotype remains unchanged for many generations of individuals. Of particular interest is the question of the possibility of transferring acquired epigenetic memory to future generations and its potential role for natural selection and evolution. All these issues will be discussed to some extent in this review. In the last two decades, a lot of data on the epigenetic regulation of plants has appeared, as well as works summarizing the accumulated knowledge (Verhoeven and Preite 2013; Pikaard and Scheid 2014; Gehring 2019; Ono and Kinoshita 2021), nevertheless, many questions remain unclear, and a number of results are contradic-tory. New in this area data is constantly emerging. We tried to take into account and discuss the main findings and conclusions in this field.

Climate warming is expected to have pronounced effects on Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems, especially regions underlain by discontinuous and relatively warm permafrost. The main goal of this research is to evaluate the vulnerability and dynamics of permafrost under climate warming across the various ecotypes in respect of ecosystem stability, socioeconomic impact, and for better understanding possible future environmental changes. We suggested the new version of the spatially distributed permafrost dynamics model (GIPL2-MPI), which is developed in the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. This model is based on the ecosystem approach to simulate the permafrost dynamics, which we are discussing in this paper. We combined ground-based observations and numerical freeze/thaw modeling using climate-ecosystem-permafrost interactions to understand the physical processes and mechanisms controlling permafrost physical state. We predict the changes in permafrost conditions using output from two GCMs (NCAR-CCSM4 and GFDL-CM3) and Five-Model Average Ensemble for the RCP-4.5 and RCP-8.5 scaled down to 1 by 1 km spatial resolution (https://uaf-snap.org/) across entire Alaska. Our result shows that by the end of the current century widespread near-surface permafrost degradation could begin everywhere in Alaska southward of the Brooks Range as well as across some spots at the North Slope Alaska.

This review summarizes current understanding of the interaction between circadian rhythms of gene expression and epigenetic clocks characterized by the specific profile of DNA methylation in CpG-islands which mirror the chronological age of individual cells and the entire organism. Basic mechanisms of regulation for circadian genes CLOCK- BMAL1 as well as downstream clock-controlled genes (ССG) are also discussed here. It has been shown that circadian rhythms operate by finely tuned regulation of transcription and rely on various epigenetic mechanisms including activation of enhancers / suppressors, acetylation / deacetylation of histones and other proteins as well as DNA methylation. Overall, up to 20% of all genes expressed by the cell are subject to expression oscillations associated with circadian rhythms. Also included in the review is a brief list of genes involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms, along with genes important for metabolic control, aging, and oncogenesis. Knocking out some of them (for example, Sirt1) accelerates the aging process, while overexpression of Sirt1, on the contrary, protects against age-related changes. Circadian regulators control a number of genes that activate the cell cycle (Wee1, c-Myc, p20, p21, and Cyclin D1) and regulate histone modification and DNA methylation. Approaches for determining the epigenetic age from methylation profiles across CpG islands in individual cells are described. DNA methylation, which characterizes the function of the epigenetic clock, appears to link together such key biological processes as regeneration and functioning of stem cells, aging and malignant transformation. Finally, main features of adult stem cell aging in stem cell niches and current possibilities for modulating the epigenetic clock as part of antiaging therapy are discussed.

This article is some review of results that were obtained at 2007-2021 years development of “The Information as Absolute” concept and the informational physical model, which is based on the concept; including a number of fundamental physical problems are briefly considered in framework of the conception and the model. Recently in physics there are several publications, that present lists of the problems. However, those lists are essentially incomplete, for at least two reasons. Firsts of all, a number of phenomena are studied traditionally by philosophy, and so corresponding problems are usually considered to be “metaphysical”. However, they relate also to some concrete physical phenomena. For example, physics evidently studies Matter, and so the metaphysical problems “what is ontology of Matter”, “what is “Space”, “Time” and a few other physical phenomena and notions as well, are really a Meta-physical problems “what does physics study?” There are other fundamental physical problems, which are not considered as such in physics, and are absent in the “fundamental problems lists”. Those include the problems, which really exist, yet are incorporated into standard physical theories, and so are fundamental “implicitly”, which in physics are “solved by default” ‒ and mostly erroneously. Note, though, that a number of “Meta-physical”, and concrete fundamental, problems more in detail are considered in the paper “The Informational Conception and Basic Physics”, https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.4657, v5 (2021), so this paper is, in certain sense, an expanded conclusion of this paper, which includes, correspondingly, more in detail consideration of some more general physical problems; and, besides, in this article, the problem “what are Gravity and Electric Forces” is essentially clarified comparing with the arXiv 2021 paper version above. Besides, the concrete problem “What is Life”, and the rational cosmological model, where a few vague points in standard cosmology rather probably are rationally clarified, while the fundamental problem “matter – antimatter asymmetry” in Matter is solved practically for sure, are considered, and one of recently published rather complete “lists of fundamental problems” is commented in Appendix.

The evolutionary cancer cell biology ECCB explains the deep homology existent between the life cycle of cancer and protists. Due to their origin and sensitivity to oxygen, all non-gametogenic germ lines and germ stem cells (GSCs), including human adult stem cells (ASCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs), suffer severe DNADSB damage when exposed to stress oxygen content above 6.0% O2 (Urgermline hyperoxia) as occurring in tissue and bloodstream. As a result, GSCs/ASCs/ CSCs lose their stemness potential and convert from a functional asymmetric cyclic phenotype (ACD phenotype) to a dysfunctional symmetric phenotype capable of defective symmetric proliferation (DSCD) that is, however, unable to repair genomic degradation. Genome reconstruction occurs through evolutionary mechanisms evolved by the common ancestor of amoebozoans, metazoans, and fungi. They complete the cycle by removing the damage, reconstructing the functional genome, and reinstating the ASC phenotype. The stemness life cycle acts not only during carcinogenesis, tumorigenesis, and recurrence but also in the life cycle of protists.

The Supersymmetry Genetic code (SSyGC) table is based on five physicochemical symmetries: 1) double mirror symmetry on the principle of the horizontal and vertical mirror symmetry axis between all bases (purines [A, G) and pyrimidines (U, C)], and 2) of bases in form of codons 3) direct – complement like codon/anticodon symmetry in the sixteen alternating boxes of the genetic code columns, 4) A+T rich and C+G rich alternate codons in the same row between both columns of the genetic code, 5) the same position between divided and undivided codon boxes in relation to horizontal mirror symmetry axes. The SSyGC table has a unique physicochemical purine – pyrimidine symmetry net which is as the core symmetry common for all, more than thirty different nuclear and mitochondrial genetic codes. This net is present in the SSyGC table of all RNA and DNA living species. None of these symmetries is present in the Standard Genetic Code (SGC) table which is constructed on the alphabetic horizontal and vertical U-C-A-G order of bases. Here we show that the free energy value of each codon incorporated as fundamentally mapping the “energy code” in the SSyGC table is compatible with mirror symmetry. On the other hand, in the SGC table the same free energy values of codons are dispersed and a mirror symmetry between them is not recognizable. At the same time the mirror symmetry of the SSyGC table and the DNA quadruplets together with our classification of codons/trinucleotides are perfectly imbedded in the mirror symmetry energy mapping of codons/trinucleotides and point out in favor of maintaining the integrity of the genetic code and DNA genome. We also argue that physicochemical symmetries of the SSyGC table in the manner of the purine – pyrimidine symmetry net, the quadruplet symmetry of DNA molecule and the free energy of codons have remined unchanged during all of evolution. The unchangeable and universal symmetry properties of the genetic code, DNA molecule and energy code are decreasing disorder between codons/trinucleotides and shed a new light on evolution. Diversity in all living species on Earth is broad, but the symmetries of the Supersymmetry Genetic Code as the code of life and the DNA quadruplets related to the” energy code” are unique, unchangeable and have the power of natural laws.

Arginine shows Jekyll and Hyde behavior in several respects. It participates in protein folding via ionic and H-bonds and cation-pi interactions; the charge and hydrophobicity of its side chain makes it a disorder-promoting amino acid. Its methylation in histones; RNA binding proteins; chaperones regulates several cellular processes. The arginine-centric modifications are important in oncogenesis and as biomarkers in several cardiovascular diseases. The cross-links involving arginine in collagen and cornea are involved in pathogenesis of tissues but have also been useful in tissue engineering and wound-dressing materials. Arginine is a part of active site of several enzymes such as GTPases, peroxidases, and sulfotransferases. Its metabolic importance is obvious as it is involved in production of urea, NO, ornithine and citrulline. It can form unusual functional structures such as molecular tweezers in vitro and sprockets which engage DNA chains as part of histones in vivo. It has been used in design of cell-penetrating peptides as drugs. Arginine has been used as an excipient in both solid and injectable drug formulations; its role in suppressing opalescence due to liquid-liquid phase separation is particularly very promising. It has been known as a suppressor of protein aggregation during protein refolding. It has proved its usefulness in protein bioseparation processes like ion-exchange, hydrophobic and affinity chromatographies. Arginine is an amino acid, whose importance in biological sciences and biotechnology continues to grow in diverse ways.

In principle, modular or integral character of manufacturing lines depends on topological designs of products and determined operation tasks. On the other hand, in specific situations there is an articulated need for modular design in smart manufacturing systems, since modular layouts are a crucial step towards agile production via smart manufacturing. The aim of this paper is to explore how the modular layout relates to manufacturing lead time (MLT) and to operational complexity of smart manufacturing systems. For this purpose, topologically different models of alternative process layouts were simulated and tested, while MLT values were obtained using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. Obtained positive findings of this research could be useful not only in selection of the most suitable process design from the alternative ones, but especially in deepening knowledge and better understanding of the concept of optimal network modularity.

The paper provides information on significant contamination of real laboratory water with hydrophilic microimpurities. This fact suggests that researchers are practically dealing with microdispersed systems. However, this fact is usually neglected in the discussions of the causes of the anomalous properties of water. We will show that, when exposed to various factors of physical nature, water demonstrates reactions of the same type, namely, increased pH and electrical conductivity, reduced redox potential and viscosity, and enhanced bioavailability. Each exposure is accompanied by the destruction of aggregates of the dispersed phase and its transition to a fine-dispersed state. The relationship between this phenomenon and the change in the physicochemical properties of water is discussed.

Marshes are an important ecosystem, acting as biodiversity hotspot, a carbon sink as well as a bioremediation site, breaking down anthropogenic waste such as antibiotics, metals and fertilizers. For participating in these metabolic activities and their capability to contribute to primary productivity, microorganisms in such habitats have become of interest to investigate. Since Proteobacteria were previously found to be abundant, and the waters are well-aerated and organic-rich, this study on the presence of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, purple non-sulfur bacteria or aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in marshes was initiated. Samples were collected at 7 Manitoban sites and anoxygenic phototrophs were cultivated and preliminary enumerated. A group of 14 strains, which represented the phylogenetic diversity of the isolates was further physiologically investigated. Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs and purple bacteria were present at each location and they belonged to the α- and β-Proteobacteria subphyla. Some were closely related to known heavy metal reducers (Brevundimonas) and xenobiotic decomposers (Novosphingobium, Sphingomonas). All were able to synthesize the photosynthetic complexes aerobically. This research highlights the diversity and potential contribution’s anoxygenic phototrophs make to the essential functions taking place in wetlands.

A simple line of reasoning, based on the most fundamental concepts of thermodynamics, yields some intriguing results for a better understanding of the processes occurring in the observable Universe. Gravitational mass must be continuously generated within an expanding thermodynamic system for this system to remain closed. The Second Law is a direct consequence of this production of mass. Simple expressions for the entropy and temperature of the Universe were obtained and the results agree well with observable values. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the conservation laws within the Universe are independent of its energy density. Based on the solution for the quantum state of the Universe, it is conjectured that the Second Law is incomplete and must be complemented to a conservation law, which takes into account the growth of the amount of information within the Universe. Once the Second Law is complemented to a conservation law, the importance of mass generation within the Universe becomes well pronounced – not only gravitational effects play the role of an organising force, but also the amount of mass within the Universe defines both the amount of information within the Universe and the level of the Universe’s complexity.

The main purpose of this article is to consider the smoothness control of a weak solution after some moment if there is known solution regularity until this moment. The necessary tools can be varied. It is possible to control kinetic energy dissipation to fix moment or changing of velocity square or summability of acceleration square to fix at point time.

: Efficient or at least rational use of energy resources is a problem that occupies an overwhelming number of people in modern society – from major scientists and politicians to journalists and schoolchildren who have a poor understanding of the basic laws of physics.(the knowledge of politicians in this area is also sometimes doubtful). At the same time, the main focus of the discussions is on the resource base, possible waste and consequences. According to these features, they want to see the future of energy. However, the division of "energetik" follows different principles. On the one hand, these are thermal, nuclear and hydropower sources. On the other – wind and solar energy. Obviously, this separation is not only related to the renewable resources or the absence of consequences for the environment and humans. If we do not touch on geopolitical problems. which are not the subject of this article, it is obvious that the main dividing feature of these types of energy production will be their controllability. The theory of automatic control (TAU) is one of the most complex modern sciences that has been developing for many years to solve precisely the problems of energy Now, when considering energy problems, this science is most often not remembered. Maybe because the most active participants in the discussions don't know much about it? Or is this situation beneficial to someone? How efficiency and controllability are related to some problems with controllability in the "household" energy sector, which concerns almost every inhabitant of the planet and in the global energy sector, this article is devoted to

In this study, we investigated the features of co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and nonpathogenic strain LEV8 of coxsackievirus A7 or enterovirus A71 for Vero E6 cells and Syrian hamsters. The investigation of co-infection with SARS-СoV-2 and LEV-8 or EV-A71 in the cell model was shown that a competitive inhibitory effect for these viruses were especially significant against SARS-CoV-2. Pre-infection with enteroviruses in animals caused more than a 100-fold decrease in the levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus replication in the respiratory tracts and more rapid clearance of the lower respiratory tract from infectious SARS-CoV-2. Co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and LEV-8 or EV-A71 also reduced the severity of clinical manifestations of the SARS-CoV-2 infection for animals. Additionally, the histological data illustrated that co-infection with nonpathogenic coxsackievirus decreased the level of pathological changes by SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs. Research into the chemokine/cytokine profile demonstrated that the studied enteroviruses efficiently triggered this part of antiviral immune response, which can be associated with significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results demonstrate that there exists a strong viral interference between the studied nonpathogenic strain of coxsackievirus A7 or enteroviruses A71 and SARS-CoV-2 pathogenic for humans in vitro and in vivo.

We introduce new metric structures on a smooth manifold (called “weak" structures) that generalize the almost contact, Sasakian, cosymplectic, etc. metric structures (φ,ξ,η,g) and allow us to take a fresh look at the classical theory and find new applications. This assertion is illustrated by generalizing several well-known results. It is proved that any Sasakian structure is rigid, i.e., our weak Sasakian structure is homothetically equivalent to a Sasakian structure. It is shown that a weak almost contact structure with parallel tensor φ is a weak cosymplectic structure and an example of such a structure on the product of manifolds is given. Conditions are found under which a vector field is a weak contact vector field.

We make use of generalized iterations of the Sacks forcing to define cardinal-preserving generic extensions of the constructible universe L in which the axioms of ZF hold and in addition either 1) the parameter-free countable axiom of choice AC* fails, or 2) AC* holds but the full countable axiom of choice AC fails in the domain of reals. In another generic extension of L, we define a set X⊆P(ω), which is a model of the parameter-free part PA2* of the 2nd order Peano arithmetic PA2, in which CA(Σ21) (Comprehension for Σ21 formulas with parameters) holds, yet an instance of Comprehension CA for a more complex formula fails. Treating the iterated Sacks forcing as a class forcing over $L_{\omega_1}$, we infer the following consistency results as corollaries. If the 2nd order Peano arithmetic PA2 is formally consistent then so are the theories: 1) PA2 + negation of AC*, 2) PA2 + AC* + negation of AC, 3) PA2* + CA(Σ21) + negation of CA.

This article is devoted to overcoming the contradiction between the problem of maximizing the extraction of wind energy as the goal of optimizing wind turbines, and the use of traditional methods based on criteria for the aerodynamic quality of the blades. A modified technique is considered in which the optimization criterion is the directly extracted flow power. It is based on pulse theory methods that use specific power as an optimization criterion. A comparative analysis of the energy efficiency of different types of turbines is carried out, and the effects of blade inversion are considered. A method for calculating multi-rotor turbines based on the concept of uniform power distribution is presented. The compatibility of proprietary and traditional methods is considered by comparing the results of numerical experiments with calculated and experimental data from sources. Optimization computational algorithms generate data from numerical experiments and determine optimal parameter configurations for the turbines under consideration. It is shown that orthogonal Darrieus turbines in high-speed mode provide energy efficiency comparable to collinear turbines, and multi-rotor turbines with power uniformly distributed over the working section are not inferior in energy efficiency to basic turbines, with linear blade velocities halved.

Control over the composition of III-V ternary nanowires grown by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method is essential for bandgap engineering in such nanomaterials and fabrication of functional nanowire heterostructures for a variety of applications. From the fundamental viewpoint, III-V ternary nanowires based on group V intermix (InSbxAs1-x, InPxAs1-x, GaPxAs1-x and many others) present the most difficult case, because the concentrations of highly volatile group V atoms in a catalyst droplet are beyond the detection limit of any characterization technique and therefore principally unknown. Here, we present a model for the vapor-solid distribution of such nanowires, which fully circumvents the uncertainties that remained in the theory so far, and link the nanowire composition to the well-controlled parameters of vapor. The unknown concentrations of group V atoms in the droplet do not enter the distribution, despite of the fact that a growing solid is surrounded by the liquid phase. The model fits quite well the available data on the vapor-solid distributions of VLS InSbxAs1-x, InPxAs1-x and GaPxAs1-x nanowires grown with different catalyst. Even more importantly, it provides a basis for the compositional control of III-V ternary nanowires based on group V intermix, and can be extended over other material systems where two highly volatile elements enter a ternary solid alloy through a liquid phase.

In this study, we have considered for numerical solution of a Poisson equation in a domain. we have presented a first and second order finite difference method for solving the system of the intial boundary value. We have presented the numerical solution of the Poisson equations in a two-dimensional finite region. Numerical Solution and exact solution for the presented method has been compared and the figures presented. The present error analysis tables demonstrate the efficiency of the method.

Full-waveform seismic data inversion has given rise to hope for the simultaneous and automated execution of tomography and imaging by solving a nonlinear least-squares optimization problem. As previously recognized, brute force minimization by classical methods is hopeless if the data lacks low temporal frequencies. The article developed a reliable numerical method for recovering smooth velocity using model space decomposition. We present realistic synthetic examples to test the presented algorithm.

In the Republic of Serbia, no comprehensive scientific multimethod research has been conducted to identify weaknesses and opportunities for improving the disaster risk management system. Regarding that, in the paper, author presents project description ,,Strengthening Integrated Disaster Risk Management System in Serbia - DISARIMES” which shall enable strengthening the disaster risk management system through research, development and innovative solutions implementation in the preparation, mitigation, response, remediation and post-disaster phases. The scientific importance of the projected research is reflected in the creation of assumptions for the advancement of theoretical and empirical knowledge in the scientific field of disaster risk management, bearing in mind that it is a relatively young scientific discipline in Serbia. The results of the project research will make it easier for decision makers in Serbia to understand the shortcomings of the system, but also provide innovative opportunities to improve their functioning in conditions of increasingly frequent and serious disasters. Establishing a scientific and professional society in the field of disaster risk management will create sustainable and necessary conditions for the transfer and improvement of knowledge and experience of importance for raising the level of operability of the system of protection and rescue of the Republic of Serbia in the event of disasters. A key contribution of the research findings will be to create a sustainable knowledge base that will be supported by the relevant amount of information regarding innovative capabilities and solutions identified as necessary to raise social resilience to a much higher level. In order to achieve the set goals, DISARIMES makes it possible, through a large number of SWOT analyses and other multimethod studies, to clearly identify and systematize the objective deficiencies and barriers encountered by the disaster risk management system in Serbia in all its stages before, during and after disasters, to identify and implement the appropriate solutions based on this. The objectives of the project are: to assess and identify strengths (advantages), weaknesses (disadvantages), opportunities (innovation potential) and threats for the disaster risk management system in Serbia; to develop and update RDI (research, development, innovation) Roadmap – knowledge databases with innovative solutions and other relevant information for improvement of the disaster risk management system; to fully deploy the DISARIMES scientific-professional network involving a broad range of the disaster risk management scientists and civil protection professions and organisations; to prepare the ground for the disaster risk management policy innovations.

It is proposed that the primary living cells (“probionts”) cannot emerge of organic substance simply by continuous chemical complication of prebiotic macromolecules and microsystems. The complication must be accompanied by the radical thermodynamic transformation (“jump”) of prebiotic microsystems that resulted in the acquired ability to extract free energy from the environment and export entropy. This transformation is called “the thermodynamic inversion” The inversion may occur by means of the efficient (intensified) response of the microsystems on the oscillations of physic-chemical parameters in hydrothermal environment. In this case the surplus available free energy within a microsystem, when combined with the informational modality, facilitates its conversion into a new microsystem—a living probiont. It is shown the schematic representation of an oscillating prebiotic microsystem that is transforming into a living probiont. A new kind of laboratory and computational experiments on prebiotic chemistry under oscillating conditions is offered to verify the inversion concept.

The transfer of protein-encoding genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, a process formalized as the “Central Dogma of Molecular Biology”, has undergone a significant evolution since its inception. It was amended to account for the information flow from RNA to DNA, the reverse transcription, and for the information transfer from RNA to RNA, the RNA-dependent RNA synthesis. These processes, both potentially leading to protein production, were initially described only in viral systems, and although RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity was shown to be present, and RNA-dependent RNA synthesisfound to occur, in mammalian cells, its function was presumed to be restricted to regulatory. However, recent results, obtained with multiple mRNA species in several mammalian systems, strongly indicate the occurrence of protein-encoding RNA to RNA information transfer in mammalian cells. It can result in the rapid production of the extraordinary quantities of specific proteins as was seen in cases of terminal cellular differentiation and during cellular deposition of extracellular matrix molecules. A malfunction of this process may be involved in pathologies associated either with the deficiency of a protein normally produced by this mechanism or with the abnormal abundanceof a protein or of its C-terminal fragment. It seems to be responsible for some types of familial thalassemia and may underlie the overproduction of beta amyloid in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of the present article is to systematize the current knowledge and understanding of this pathway. The outlined framework introduces unexpected features of the mRNA amplification such as its ability to generate polypeptides non-contiguously encoded in the genome, its second Tier, a physiologically occurring intracellular polymerase chain reaction, iPCR, a Two-Tier Paradox and RNA Dark Matter. RNA-dependent mRNA amplification represents a new mode of genomic protein-encoding information transfer in mammalian cells. Its potential physiological impact is substantial, it appears relevant to multiple pathologies and its understanding opens new venues of therapeutic interference, it suggests powerful novel bioengineering approaches and its further rigorous investigations are highly warranted.

Current-quark masses are compared to the rest masses allowed by the Helmholtz equation in a polar model. Within the uncertainty of the current u quark mass determination, the current quark mass coincides with the rest mass allowed by the Helmholtz equation in the polar model in accordance with the second root of the zero Neumann function. Current d quark mass coincides with the rest mass calculated in accordance with the third root of the Bessel zero function. On the basis of a comparison of these results with the results obtained earlier for ordinary real particles u and d quarks stability is discussed.

This paper discusses approaches to the numerical integration of the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations system in case of few-mode wave propagation. The wave propagation assumes the propagation of up to nine modes of light in an optical fiber. In this case, the light propagation is described by the non-linear coupled Schrödinger equation system, where propagation of each mode is described by own Schrödinger equation with other modes interactions. In this case, the non-linear coupled Schrödinger equation system solving becomes increasingly complex, because each mode affects the propagation of other modes. The suggested solution is based on the direct numerical integration approach, which is based on a finite-difference integration scheme. The well-known explicit finite-difference integration scheme approach fails, due to the non-stability of the computing scheme. Due to this fact, the combined explicit/implicit finite-difference integration scheme, based on the implicit Crank–Nicolson finite-difference scheme, is used. It allows ensuring the stability of the computing scheme. Moreover, this approach allows separating the whole equation system on the independent equation system for each wave mode at each integration step. Additionally, the algorithm of numerical solution refining at each step and the integration method with automatic integration step selection are used. The suggested approach has performance gains (or resolutions) up to three or more orders of magnitude in comparison with the split-step Fourier method due to the fact that there is no need to produce direct and inverse Fourier transforms at each integration step. The main advantage of the proposed method is the ability to calculate the propagation of an arbitrary number of modes in the fiber.

In this work, we explore the intrinsic disorder status of the three members of the synuclein family of proteins - α-, β-, and γ-synucleins. We also analyzed the peculiarities of the amino acid sequences and modeled 3D structures of the human synuclein family members to find potential effects of pathological mutations. Furthermore, we conducted a comparative sequence-based analysis of the synuclein proteins from various evolutionary distant species and evaluated their levels of intrinsic disorder using a set of commonly used bioinformatics tools. Next, we conducted a detailed functional disorder analysis of the proteins in the interactomes of the human synuclein family members using various web-based disorder analysis and prediction tools, such as RIDAO, D2P2 and FuzDrop. We identify that the interactome of human α-synuclein has relatively higher levels of intrinsic disorder, as compared to the interactomes of human β- and γ- synucleins. These observations highlight the critical importance of intrinsic disorder of human α-synuclein and its interactors in neuronal processes as compared to other proteins of the synuclein family.

The uniqueness of each system stems from the fact that the risks of disasters are specific and that their presence and manifestation are not universal and the same for every country. Just as no country is the same in all other segments, their disaster risk management systems are unequal. The paper describes the systems in four different countries, through observation and comparison of four areas of activity that are implemented in dealing with disasters. First of all, in the paper, the legal basis and institutional frameworks on which these systems rest in each of the countries were considered – starting from the international level and guidelines given at international conferences, to all by-laws and local disaster activity plans. It was considered how each of the states implements risk mitigation activities and how it increases preparedness for them. When the system recognizes risks, their probability and the frequency of their occurrence, activities are planned to prepare the country and every individual in it for a potentially unwanted event. Differences in the ways of mitigating risks and preparing all elements of the system and protected values for disasters are presented. The third element of action in the event of disasters concerns the response. In this segment, questions are raised regarding institutional solutions in the system, division of responsibilities, the priority of response and mobilization of resources at all levels. The last phase, the one that occurs after the disaster, and that is the recovery from it, depends on the reaction. In the paper, it was discussed how in the end, when a disaster occurs and when damage to the population, environment, material and other goods occurred, how each of the states implements reconstruction, i.e. how it recovers - whether that recovery was previously well planned or whether ad hoc solutions are applied.

The main goal of the research is to assess the effectiveness of aerial ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in delineating boundaries between disturbed clayey ground and rock formations along the old Wadi. The study also tackles technical challenges associated with drone-based GPR applications in urban open areas, considering geological heterogeneity, topographic variations, and environmental conditions. The potential of using drone-based GPR equipped with an unshielded dipole antenna as a transformative tool in geospatial analysis was demonstrated. The research encompasses academic insights and field borehole drilling experiments to validate the accuracy and reliability of drone-based GPR data in real-world scenarios. Anticipated contributions include advancements in understanding drone-based GPR technology for mapping disturbed soil boundaries in foundation engineering applications and other relevant areas and recommendations for optimizing its performance in challenging terrains.

In our work, using the analysis of DNA barcodes and morphology (wing color, male genitalia, sphragis shape in females), we show that the group of species close to P. mnemosyne is represented by two phylogenetic lineages, the western and eastern ones. The eastern lineage includes P. stubbendorfii, P. glacialis and P. hoenei. The western lineage includes three morphologically similar species, P. mnemosyne (Western Eurasia), P. turatii (southwestern Europe) and P. nubilosus stat. nov. (Turkmenistan and NE Iran), as well as P. ariadne (Altai). The latter species differs from the rest of the group in the presence of red spots on the wings. Parnassius mnemosyne s.s. is represented by four differentiated mitochondrial clusters that show clear association with specific geographic regions. We propose to interpret them as subspecies: P. mnemosyne mnemosyne (Central and Eastern Europe, N Caucasus, N Turkey), P. mnemosyne adolphi (the Middle East), P. mnemosyne orientalis (Tian Shan) and P. mnemosyne gigantea (Gissar-Alai in Central Asia). We demonstrate that in P. ariadne the red spots on the wing evolved as a reversion to the ancestral wing pattern. This reversion is observed in Altai, where the distribution areas of the western lineage, represented by P. ariadne, and the eastern lineage, represented by P. stubbendorfii, overlap. These two species hybridize in Altai, and we hypothesize that the color change in P. ariadne is the result of reinforcement of prezygotic isolation in the contact zone. Lectotype of Parnassius mnemosyne var. nubilosus Christoph, 1873 is designated.

This work is devoted to consideration and analysis of the application of molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) methods to the study of nanosized polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin ferroelectric films (two-dimensional ferroelectrics) and their composites with graphene layers: 1) to study and calculations of the polarization switching time depending on the electric field and PVDF film thickness; 2) to study and calculations of the polarization switching time depending changes of the PVDF on PVDF-TrFE film; 3) to study the polarization switching time in PVDF under influence of graphene layers. All calculations at each MDS step were carried out using quantum semi-empirical methods PM3. A comparison and analysis of the results of these calculations and the kinetics of polarization switching within the framework of the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory for homogeneous switching in ferroelectric polymer films is carried out. The study of the composite heterostructures of the “graphene-PVDF” type and calculations of their polarization switching times were presented too. It is shown that replacing PVDF with PVDF-TrFE significantly changes the polarization switching times in these thin polymer films, and that introducing various graphene layers into the PVDF layered structure leads to both an increase and a decrease in the polarization switching time. Here everything also depends on the position and displacement of the ferroelectric coercive field depending on the system damping parameters.

It is shown that structuring at the microlevel is the intrinsic property of water and aqueous solutions. At room conditions water (including "ultrapure" one) and aqueous solutions are dispersed systems in which microcrystals of NaCl, surrounded by a layer of hydrated water (average diameter - 10-15 microns), are "elementary microparticles", which form the basis of the dispersed phase. Possible ways of formation of these microparticles and their evolution in the process of evaporation of unstructured part of water - dispersion medium - are considered. It is shown, in particular, that they are present in the air as aerosol contaminants. When the ionic strength of the solution increases, the water-salt particles coagulate, forming a new phase - coacervates, remaining on the substrate after evaporation of the liquid part of the water. The aggregates of coacervate structures, formed in a liquid medium, are disordered during heating, which can cause a change in a number of physicochemical properties of water at the temperatures of 50°-60°C range that have not been correctly explained in the framework of atomic-molecular concepts.

For each $t\in(-1,1)$, exact values of the least upper bounds $$ H(t)=\sup_{\E X=t,\,\E X^2=1} \frac{\E\abs{X}^3}{\E \abs{X-t}^3},\quad \sup_{\E X=t,\,\E X^2=1} \frac{L_1(X)}{L_1(X-t)} $$ are obtained, where $L_1(X)=\E|X|^3/(\E X^2)^{3/2}$ is the non-cental Lyapunov ratio. It is demonstrated that these values are attained only at two-point distributions. As a corollary, S.\,Shorgin's conjecture is proved that states that the exact value is $$ \sup\frac{L_1(X)}{L_1(X-\E X)}= \frac{\sqrt{17 + 7\sqrt7}}{4} = 1.4899\ldots, $$ where the supremum is taken over all non-degenerate distributions of the random variable $X$ with the finite third moment. Also, in terms of the central Lyapunov ratio $L_1(X-\E X)$, an analog of the Berry--Esseen inequality is proved for Poisson random sums of independent identically distributed random variables with the constant $$ 0.3031\cdot H\left(\frac{\E X}{\sqrt{\E X^2}}\right) \left(1-\frac{(\E X)^2}{\E X^2}\right)^{3/2} \le 0.3031\cdot \frac{\sqrt{17 + 7\sqrt7}}{4}<0.4517.$$ where $\Law(X)$ is the common distribution of the summands.

Aluminium bronzes possess a unique combination of high strength and wear and corrosion resistance in aggressive environments; thus, these alloys find wide application in marine, shipbuilding, aviation, railway, offshore platform applications and other fields. Iron-aluminium bronzes (IABs) are the cheapest and most widely used. When the aluminium content is above 9.4 wt%, IAB is biphasic (i.e. it undergoes -transformation) and can be subjected to all heat-treatment types depending on the desired operating behaviour of the bronze component. This article presents correlations (mathematical models) between the primary mechanical characteristics (yield limit, tensile strength, elongation, hardness and impact toughness) and the ageing temperature and time of quench at 920°C in water Cu-11Al-6Fe bronze, obtained using the centrifugal casting method. The microstructure evolution was evaluated depending on the ageing temperature and time changes. Overall, the research was conducted in three successive inter-related stages: a one-factor-at-a-time study, planned experiment, and optimisations. Four optimisation tasks, which have the greatest importance for practice, were formulated and solved. The defined multiobjective optimisation tasks were solved by searching for the Pareto-optimal solution approach. The decisions were made through a nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) using QstatLab. The optimisation results were verified experimentally. Additional samples were made for this purpose, quenched at 920°C in water and subjected to subsequent ageing with the optimal values of the governing factors (ageing temperature and time) for the corresponding optimisation task. The comparison of the results for the mechanical characteristics with the theoretical optimisation results presents good agreement.

One of the rapidly developing research areas is the creation of systems. which are commonly referred to as cyberphysical complexes. In such systems, devices and complexes interact with a completely different physical nature. The role of a person in such systems usually consists in the formation of final tasks for “artificial intelligence” and executive mechanisms. The functioning of actuators is controlled by accurate information systems.

An analysis of the features of measurements and correction of phase distortions in optical waves propagating in the atmosphere at various levels of turbulence was performed. It is shown that with increasing intensity fluctuations, the limiting capabilities of phase correction decrease, and the phase of an optical wave that has passed through a turbulence layer consists of two components: potential and vortex. It was found that even in the region of weak fluctuations there is an overlap of spectral filtering functions for intensity and phase fluctuations. Areas of turbulence inhomogeneities have been identified that will have mutual influence and negatively affect the operation of the phase meter. It is noted that correlation functions, both phase and intensity, are less susceptible to this compared to structural functions. The results of experimental studies of the reconstruction of the wavefront of laser radiation distorted by atmospheric turbulence using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor during vignetting and central screening of the entrance pupil of the optical system are presented. Studies have been carried out on the propagation of laser radiation along a horizontal atmospheric path for various levels of turbulence. The results are analyzed in terms of Zernike polynomials.

Background: One of the most astounding discoveries of recent times is the recognition that cancer embodies a transition from a higher level of metazoan cell organization to a more foundational pre-metazoic state. This shift is steered by genes housed within the ancestral genome compartment, pervasive across all metazoan genomes, encompassing humans, and governed by a pre-metazoic gene regulatory mechanism (aGRN). This work aims to highlight the emerging field of evolutionary cancer cell biology (ECCB), which points to the deep homology between cancer and protist life cycles tracing back to the common ancestor of amoebozoans, metazoans, and fungi (AMF). The ECCB analysis reveals the essence of the non-gametogenic germline of the AMF ancestor, which serves as a blueprint for all metazoan germlines and stem cell lineages and controls the life cycle of cancer. Every germ and stem cell lineage of humans and metazoans traces its lineage back to this Urgermline, transmitting crucial processes such as asymmetric cell cycling, differentiation, stemness, and phenomena like GST and SGT (aka EMT and MET) to their subsequent evolutionary descendants. Oxygen-sensitive germline and stem cells suffer DNA-DSB due to stress and oxygen ranges reminiscent of ancestral hyperoxia, leading to cell senescence. Cells that can overcome senescence can proliferate as DSCD cells with defective symmetric cell division, paving the way for malignancy and PGCC cancers. Conclusions: Understanding cancer from its evolutionary origins may help break some of the logjams in cancer prevention and open up new therapeutic pathways.

I argue that the main feature of elliptical space – the topological identification of its antipodal points – might be behind some observational facts on both cosmological and microscopic scales. I use calculated distance moduli of type-Ia supernovae, which are commonly regarded as “standard candles” for distance measure in cosmology. These are compared with the observational data collected in a catalogue called “Pantheon+”. On the microscopic scale I show that a physical elliptical space, in which the mathematical connectedness between antipodal points is replaced with physical connections via the Einstein-Rosen bridges (also called “wormholes”), gives rise to sub-particle structures similar to J.A. Wheeler’s geons. The interactions between these structures leading to their equilibrium configurations can explain the experimentally observed pattern of properties of elementary particles forming the standard model of particle physics. The answer to the question why we have this particular set of fundamental particles might lie in the fundamental properties of elliptical space.

Coalescence of nanowires and other three-dimensional structures into continuous film is desirable for growing low dislocation density III-nitride and III-V materials on lattice-mismatched substrates, and interesting from the fundamental viewpoint. Here, we develop a growth model for vertical nanowires which, under rather general assumptions on the solid-like coalescence process within the Kolmogorov crystallization theory, results in a morphological diagram for the asymptotic coverage of a substrate surface. The coverage is presented as a function of two variables, the material collection efficiency on the top nanowire facet a, and the normalized surface diffusion flux of adatoms from the NW sidewalls b. The full coalescence of nanowires is possible only when a=1 regardless of b. At a&gt;1, which is usual for vapor-liquid-solid growth with a catalyst droplet, nanowires can only partly merge but never coalesce into continuous film. These results can be used for predicting and controlling the degree of surface coverage by nanowires and three-dimensional islands by tuning the surface density, droplet size, adatoms diffusivity, and geometry of the initial structures in the vapor-liquid-solid, selective area or self-induced growth processes in different epitaxy techniques.

Formation of the excited doublet (D) and quartet (Q) states of free radicals under their photoexcitation is discussed. Relative positions of D and Q states are compared to the positions of photoexcited states of organic molecules (Jablonsky diagram). A number of representative cases of the detected by emission or absorption excited is presented. A special case of the population lowest Q-state in some radicals of is discoursed. Spin-statistical factor in the reactions of Q and D is debated.

The territory of Serbia is vulnerable to various types of natural and man-made disasters. The risk is not equal across the entire territory, depending on the type of hazard and the expected potential for damage. So far, the level of community disaster resilience has not been determined in Serbia. There are no scientific preconditions for its improvement to reduce the future material and intangible consequences of disasters. Regarding that, the project’s main objective is to develop and validate a predictive model of community disaster resilience based on social identity influences through an investigation impact of social identity indicators on the level of community disaster resilience in Serbia. The project is based on the upcoming research on whether the level of community disaster resilience can be predicted based on social identity indicators, how social identity indicators affect different dimensions of community disaster resilience, and how disasters shape social identity. The project is based on multimethod research in which quantitative (face-to-face interviews in 40 of the 191 municipalities), and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) research methodology will be applied. A developed predictive model with an index of community disaster resilience in Serbia will empower the creation of preconditions for designing public policies, strategies and procedures for improving resilience and reducing the consequences of disasters on people and their property and enhancing citizens’ security. The project will encourage the prediction of community disaster resilience based on social identity indicators, improving disaster foresight and preparing to limit disaster losses. Based on the development of analytical frameworks for understanding community disaster resilience and social identity in disasters, essential preconditions for designing innovative information systems will be created to enable local communities to increase their level of resilience.

There are given algebraic and integral identities for a pair or a triple of plane solenoidal fields. As applications, we obtain sufficient potentiality conditions for a plane vector field. The integral identities are also important for exact a priori estimates.

The general coupling between particle transport and ionization-recombination processes in hot plasma is considered on the key concept of equilibrium charge state (CS) transport. A theoretical interpretation of particle and CS transport is gained in terms of a two-dimensional (2D) Markovian stochastic (random) processes, a discrete 2D Fokker-Plank-Kolmogorov equation (in charge and space variables) and generalized 2D coronal equilibrium between atomic processes and particle transport. The basic tool for analysis of CS equilibrium and transport is the equilibrium cell (EC) (two states on charge and two on space), which presents (i) a unit phase volume, (ii) the characteristic scale of local equilibrium, (iii) a comprehensive solution for the simplest nonlinear relations between transport and atomic processes. The approach opens up new perspectives on transport studies: (i) the direct modelling of equilibrium and transport of impurity using the atomic data base, (ii) recovery of the complete recombination rate profile based on knowledge of density profiles and ionization rate profiles, (iii) the local transport analysis, based on the reduction of the equilibrium set to the single EC (in particular, central or edge), (iv) analysis of the reduced transport coefficients (diffusion and convection) on the density profile measurements.

The wave packet consisting of two harmonic plane waves with the same frequencies, but with different wave vectors is considered. The dispersion relation of a packet is structurally similar to the dispersion relation of a relativistic particle with a nonzero rest mass. The possibility of controlling the group velocity of a quasi-monochromatic wave packet by varying the angle between the wave vectors of its constituent waves is discussed.

Eicheon properties are discussed. It is shown that the eicheon surface allows setting a boundary condition for the vacuum polarization and obtaining a solution describing the dark matter tail in the Milky Way. That is, the dark matter in the Milky Way is explained as the F-type of vacuum polarization, which could be treated as dark radiation. The model presented is spherically symmetric, but a surface density of a baryonic galaxy disk is taken into account approximately by smearing the disk over a sphere. This allows the reproduction of the large distance shape of the Milky Way rotational curve. Andromeda's rotational curves are also discussed.

Transition between the unfolded and native states of the ordered globular proteins is accompanied by accumulation of several intermediates, such as pre-molten globule, wet molten globule, and dry molten globule. Structurally equivalent conformations can serve as native functional states of intrinsically disordered proteins. This overview captures the characteristics and importance of these molten globules in both structured and intrinsically disordered proteins. It also discusses examples of engineered molten globules. The formation of these intermediates under the conditions of macromolecular crowding and their interactions with nanomaterials are also reviewed.

The present overview of spin-dependent phenomena in nonmagnetic semiconductor microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) with interacting nuclear and electron spins is aimed at covering a gap between the basic properties of spin behavior in solid-state systems and a tremendous growth of the experimental results on biomedical applications of those particles. The first part of the review represents modern achievements of spin-dependent phenomena in the bulk semiconductors from the theory of optical spin orientation under indirect optical injection of carriers and spins in the bulk crystalline silicon (c-Si) – via numerous insightful findings in the realm of characterization and control through the spin polarization – to the design and verification of nuclear spin hyperpolarization in semiconductor MPs and NPs for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics. The second part of the review is focused on the electron spin-dependent phenomena in Si-based nanostructures, including the photosensitized generation of singlet oxygen in porous Si and design of Si NPs with unpaired electron spins as prospective contrast agents in MRI. The experimental results are analyzed by considering both the quantum mechanical approach and several phenomenological models for the spin behavior in semiconductor/molecular systems. Advancements and perspectives of the biomedical applications of spin-dependent properties of Si NPs for diagnostics and therapy of cancer are discussed.

The standard approach to integrable nonlinear evolution equations (NLEE) usually uses the following steps: 1) Lax representation $[L,M]=0$; 2)~construction of fundamental analytic solutions (FAS); 3) reducing the inverse scattering problem (ISP) to a Riemann-Hilbert problem (RHP) $\xi^+(x,t,\lambda) =\xi^-(x,t,\lambda) G(x,t\lambda)$ on a contour $\Gamma$ with sewing function $G(x,t,\lambda)$; 4) soliton solutions and possible applications.Step 1) involves several assumptions: the choice of the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ underlying $L$, as well as its dependence on the spectral parameter, typically linear or quadratic in $\lambda$. In the present paper we propose another approach which substantially extends the classes of integrable NLEE.Its first advantage is that one can effectively use any polynomial dependence in both $L$ and $M$. We use the following steps: A) Start with canonically normalized RHP with predefined contour $\Gamma$; B) Specify the $x$ and $t$ dependence of the sewing function defined on $\Gamma$; C) Introduce convenient parametrization for the solutions $ \xi^\pm(x,t,\lambda)$ of the RHP and formulate the Lax pair and the nonlinear evolution equations (NLEE); D) use Zakharov-Shabat dressing method to derive their soliton solutions. This needs correctly taking into account the symmetries of the RHP. E) Define the resolvent of the Lax operator and use it analyze its spectral properties.

An important moment in the establishment of forestry seed orchards is the formation of their optimal composition, avoiding inbreeding depression in the outgoing seed material which occurs due to crossbreeding between closely related plus trees, the clones of which comprise the orchards. It is possible to minimize the negative effect of inbreeding by considering the hereditary aspect of the heterogeneous seed orchard material. The purpose of our work is to provide a comparative assessment of the formation and lignification of xylem in annual shoots of the plus trees of Scots pine. We investigated the formation and lignification of xylem in the annual shoots of the plus trees of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), found in natural forests in the Nizhny Novgorod region of the Russian Federation. Their vegetative progeny were cultivated in the clone archive stationed in the same region. Analyzing the one-type of the 1-year shoots, the time that the shoots were cut from the branches corresponded to the presence of plants in the characteristic phenological phases of seasonal development. A histochemical study of xylem was conducted, using the qualitative reactions of phloroglucinol to lignin. The power of xylem development was estimated by counting, in the radial direction, the cell rows from the core to the cambium in the microscope’s field of view. A significant differentiation of plus trees was revealed in a complex of signs characterizing the level of xylem development and the degree of xylem cell lignification in the tissues of annual shoots. Phenotypic differences in the physiological state of plus trees appeared given a leveled ecological background, indicating their genotypic determinism. This was confirmed by an analysis of variance. The share of the influence of differences between the proper plus trees was between 25.16% ± 8.91% and 53.98% ± 5.48% of the total phenotypic variance of the signs of the seasonal state of xylem. Factor analysis was used to reduce the number of considered indicators of xylem physiological state. The results allowed a cluster analysis to be carried out on the basis of the normalized values of the initial xylem features as well as the principal components derived from them. The association of plus trees was done on the basis of the similarity of the multidimensional estimates of xylem seasonal condition. The objects that were the most remote from the others were identified. This information provides a reasonable approach to the formation of an assortment of Scots pine seed orchards.

This paper studies long economic series to assess the long-lasting effects of pandemics. We analyze if periods of time that cover pandemics have a change in trend and persistence in growth, and in level and persistence in unemployment. We find that there is an upward trend in the persistence level of growth across the centuries. In particular, shocks originated by pandemics in recent times seem to have permanent effect in growth. Moreover, our results show that the unemployment rate increases and it becomes more persistent after a pandemic. In this regard, our findings support the design and implementation of counter-cyclical policies to soften the shock of the pandemic.

This paper presents the results of quantitative research regarding the examination of the levels of efficiency of the fire protection system and the training of employees in Electrical power distribution of Serbia for fire protection, ie the analysis of the manner of implementation of fire protection measures, and determining whether these measures are adequately applied. Following the subject set in this way, the aim of the research was set, and that is the scientific analysis of the manner of application of fire protection measures. The results of this research showed that the employees of Electro distribution Belgrade perceive the preparedness of their company highly positively and certain socio-demographic characteristics also affect certain attitudes, especially those related to the experience with fire, the knowledge of employees to react in case of fire, and the choice of the appropriate response, assessment of the readiness of the company and the employees themselves. It was found that knowledge of how to react in case of fire is influenced by gender and level of education; the choice of one of the methods of action in case of fire is influenced by gender; the assessment of the readiness of the employees themselves is influenced by the marital status; the desire of employees to participate in training to increase their preparedness for fires is influenced by gender. The results of the research can be used to improve the preparedness of employees in various organizations to respond to disasters caused by fires.

There is no doubt that seagrass beds constitute one of the most productive ecosystems in shallow coastal waters. Despite this, picoplankton in seagrass ecosystems has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to compare picoplankton growth and mortality rates between seagrass and unvegetated habitats using chamber incubations. We tested two main hypotheses: (i) incubation with seagrass would result in higher bacterial growth rates due to increased DOM release from seagrass photosynthesis, and (ii) Synechococcus spp. would be lower in the presence of seagrass due to competition for inorganic nutrients. Our results showed bacterial growth rates of 2.31 and 2.44 d–1 without and with seagrass, respectively. In seagrass chambers, bacterial growth was higher than that in non-seagrass chambers, suggesting that organic carbon coming from the seagrass community may support bacterial production. Furthermore, we observed a negative Synechococcus spp. growth rate (-0.9 d–1) in the seagrass treatment, likely reflecting nutrient competition with the seagrass. Small-scale chambers proved to be a useful tool for studying the factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns of picoplankton across different habitats. Furthermore, future studies should examine picoplankton growth over a wider range of spatial scales in seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated sediment.

Biological nanoparticles (NPs), such as extracellular vesicles (EVs), exosome-mimetic nanovesicles (EMNVs) and nanoghosts (NGs), are perspective non-viral delivery vehicles for all types of therapeutic cargo. Biological NPs are renowned for their exceptional biocompatibility and safety, alongside their ease of functionalization, but a significant challenge arises when attempting to load therapeutic payloads, such as nucleic acids (NAs). One effective strategy involves fusing biological NPs with liposomes loaded with NAs, resulting in hybrid carriers that offer the benefits of both biological NPs and the capacity for high cargo loads. Despite their unique parameters, one of the major issues of virtually any nanoformulation is the ability to escape degradation in the compartment of endosomes and lysosomes which determines the overall efficiency of nanotherapeutics. In this study, we fabricated all major types of biological and hybrid NPs and studied their response to acidic environment observed in endolysosomal compartment. In this study, we show that EMNVs display increased protonation and swelling relative to EVs and NGs in an acidic environment. Furthermore, the hybrid NPs exhibit an even greater response compared to EMNVs. Short-term incubation of EMNVs in acidic pH corresponding to late endosomes and lysosomes again induces protonation and swelling, whereas hybrid NPs are ruptured, resulting in the decline of their quantities. Our findings demonstrate that in an acidic environment, there is enhanced rupture and release of vesicular cargo observed in hybrid EMNVs that are fused with liposomes compared to EMNVs alone. This was confirmed through PAGE electrophoresis analysis of mCherry protein loaded into nanoparticles. In vitro analysis of NPs colocalization with lysosomes in HepG2 cells demonstrated that EMNVs mostly avoid endolysosomal compartment whereas hybrid NPs escape it over time. To conclude, (1) hybrid biological NPs fused with liposomes appear more efficient in the endolysosomal escape via the mechanism of proton sponge associated with scavenging of protons by NPs, influx of counterions and water, and rupture of endo/lysosomes, but (2) EMNVs are much more efficient than hybrid NPs in actually avoiding endolysosomal compartment in human cells. These results reveal biochemical differences across four major types of biological and hybrid NPs, and indicate that EMNVs are more efficient in escaping or avoiding endolysosomal compartment.

The problem of optimal scheduling in a system with parallel queues and a single server has been extensively studied in the queueing theory. However, such systems have mostly been studied by assuming homogeneous attributes of arrival and service processes, or in heterogeneous case a Markov random process was usually assumed. In this paper, we explore the possibility of combining simulation and neural network paradigms for optimal scheduling in a heterogeneous system with an arbitrary inter-arrival and service time distributions. The service of any queue by the server is exhaustive. Further routing of the server after the queue has been emptied is as instructed by the trained neural network. Any change in the queue that currently has a server is accompanied by a switching cost. The simulated annealing optimization algorithm which is used to optimize the parameters of the neural network was adapted for numerically evaluated average cost function. A Markov decision problem was formulated for the corresponding markovian queueing system to verify the results of solving the optimization problem. In addition to comparing the actual values of the average cost, the parameter values of the neural network trained on the optimal control policy of the Markov model are also used to determine the domains of parameters required for the simulated annealing defined on a finite discrete domain. Numerical analysis shows the effectiveness of this approach. Moreover, a comparison of the results for different distributions illustrates the insensitivity of the optimal control policy to the shape of the distributions for the same two first moments. Thus, the optimal control policy for an exponential model can be used as a suboptimal one for the general system.

Object detection is a popular image processing technique, widely used in numerous applications for detecting and locating objects in images or videos. While being one of the fastest algorithms for object detection, Single-Shot Multibox Detection (SSD) networks are also computationally very demanding, which limits their usage in real-time edge applications. Even though the SSD post-processing algorithm is not the most complex segment of the overall SSD object detection network, it is still computationally demanding and can become a bottleneck with respect to processing latency and power consumption, especially in edge applications with limited resources. When using hardware accelerators to accelerate backbone CNN processing, the SSD post-processing step implemented in software can become critical for high-end applications where high frame rates are required, as this paper shows. To overcome this problem, we propose Puppis, an architecture for hardware acceleration of SSD post-processing algorithm. As experiments will show, our solution will lead to an average SSD post-processing speedup of 34.42 when compared with a software implementation. Furthermore, execution of a complete SSD network will be on average 45.39 times faster than software implementation when the proposed Puppis SSD hardware accelerator is used together with some existing CNN accelerators.

Man has always been interested in animal electricity, which seems to be measured in every living cell. He has been fascinated by trying to elucidate the mechanisms by which this potential is created and maintained. Biology is the science that seeks to explain this mystery. Biology is based on basic sciences such as physics or chemistry. The latter, in turn, make systematic use of mathematics to measure, evaluate and predict certain phenomena and to develop "laws" and models that are as general as possible while respecting, as closely as possible, observations and facts. The Nernst equation was one of the pillars of electrochemistry. Biology also uses this same equation as one of the indispensable bases for the computation of membrane potential. Man has established a cellular model that highlights this equation in several forms. However, we are going to show by various means that this model is inadequate or even inapplicable.

The procedures used to create modern cars require extensive thought in various relevant scientific domains. Arguably, the most challenging obstacle facing the automobile sector is managing production facilities by integrating software production lines and CI/CD. All this is determined by market demands, the engine of a vehicle, and the complexity of assembling the entire car and installing its corresponding embedded software. As a result, concerns about various types of global change have grown, as well as the lack of the ability to use fossil fuels, creating a substantial impact on the purchase and sale of modern automobiles. The research foundation is reflected in covering strategies for the deployment and administration of software, as well as opportunities for business improvement in particular production processes. This article strives to provide a summary of a scientific investigation of original equipment manufacturers, market segmentation, and the effects of global market changes on automotive manufacturing by examining the correlation between certain changes in the purchase of a specific brand and the powertrain of a vehicle. The research tries to examine numerous datasets from the United States of America and Washington State, on the basis of which we may estimate possible future changes in the automotive industry’s sales.

The decline of fossil fuels, the increase of greenhouse gases and the global demand for energy are driving the search for alternative energy sources. Anaerobic digestion is a promising technology because it can convert organic biomass into biogas. As the climate warms, there is an increase in biomass of plant origin in water bodies, and ecosystems are unable to clean themselves. This work aims to show that macroalgae and aquatic plants can be an excellent raw material for biogas production. By mixing them with co-substrates such as cattle manure, higher biogas and methane yields can be obtained. When Cladophora glomerata and Zostera marina macroalgae are mixed with cattle manure, the biogas yield is up to 458.8 mL/gVS and 397.9 mL/gVS, respectively. Methane concentration remained high and reached 62.4%–64.1%. The obtained research results show the high energy value of biogas and the energy potential of biomass. Macroalgae increased the energy potential of biogas to 22.9 MJ/m3, and the energy potential of biomass reached 2.40 MJ/Kg. Due to its high energy value, biogas produced from the considered substrates can be an excellent alter-native to fossil fuels. Integrating aquatic macroalgae into anaerobic digestion is a promising approach for a waste-free marine and freshwater system.

In the present study, the polysaccharide-hydrolyzing secretomes of Irpex lacteus BCC104, Pycnoporus coccineus BCC310, and Schizophyllum commune BCC632 were analyzed in submerged fermentation conditions to elucidate the effect of chemically and structurally different carbon sources on the expression of cellulases and xylanase. Among polymeric substrates, crystalline cellulose appeared to be the best carbon source providing the highest endoglucanase, total cellulase, and xylanase activities. Mandarin pomace as a growth substrate for S. commune allowed to achieve comparatively high volumetric activities of all target enzymes while wheat straw induced a significant secretion of cellulase and xylanase activities of I. lacteus and P. coccineus. A synergistic effect on the secretion of cellulases and xylanases by the tested fungi was observed when crystalline cellulose was combined with mandarin pomace. In I. lacteus the cellulase and xylanase production is inducible in the presence of cellulose-rich substrates but is suppressed in the presence of an excess of easily metabolizable carbon source. These enzymes are expressed in a coordinated manner under all conditions studied. It was shown that the substitution of glucose in the inoculum medium with Avicel provides accelerated enzyme production by I. lacteus and higher cellulase and xylanase activities of the fungus. These results add new knowledge to the physiology of basidiomycetes to improve cellulase production.

At present, there are no hardware or biochemical systems allow to assess the severity of post-COVID syndrome in vivo. The hardware of the proposed biotechnical system is based on routine transthoracic electrical impedance rheography, which makes it possible to register the frequency characteristics of the patient's bioimpedance response to controlled stress stimulation, thereby simultaneously fixing the characteristics of his productive heart, the state of the hemomicrocirculatory bed, the efficiency of the gas transport function of his blood, and also reliably assess personal reactivity and adaptive potential. Subsequent mathematical approximation of the obtained biometric data by an original neural network makes it possible to rank the results obtained and automatically generate a program of medical rehabilitation for a particular patient, depending on the severity of his post-COVID syndrome. The study results proved two reliable physiological signs confirming the presence of latent post-COVID complications: a decrease in the base impedance value for light exercise and an increase in the length of the systolic arc of the rheocardiogram.

The production of particles outside the region of nucleon-nucleon kinematics due to interactions involving dense cold clusters of quark-gluon matter in nuclei is calculated. The possibility of observing this process in the region of central rapidities and large transverse momenta in heavy ion collisions at low energies with MPD detector at the NICA collider has been demonstrated.

As the problem of traction injuries to brachial plexus is a common one and of high socio-economic significance, the analysis of the surgical outcomes in patients with this pathology is significant for neurosurgery, neurology, traumatology-orthopedics, and rehabilitation. The aim of the research is to compare the short-term outcomes of using various surgical methods for managing patients with closed traction injuries of brachial plexus. Material and methods. The research involved 61 patients with closed traction injury of brachial plexus divided into two groups homogeneous in sex, age and severity of their neurological deficit: Group I – 33 patients who underwent microsurgical neurolysis, Group II – 28 patients who underwent microsurgical neurolysis combined with one-level electrostimulation. The dynamic assessment of clinical and functional status of upper limbs was performed using scale methods and electrophysiological monitoring. Results. The research revealed a more evident recovery of the upper limb function in Group II patients suggesting the method of microsurgical neurolysis combined with electrostimulation to be preferable in case of closed traction injuries to brachial plexus. Conclusion. The combination of microsurgical neurolysis with one-level electrostimulation improves the short-term outcomes of surgical treatment in patients with closed traction injuries of brachial plexus due to a sooner decrease in pain in postoperative period, and positive dynamics of clinical and electrophysiological parameters.

The article presents a new approach to the analysis of the stability of automatic systems with discrete links.In almost all modern automatic control systems, there are links that break signals in time. These are power controlled switches - transistors or thyristors operating in a pulsed mode and digital links in regulators.Time discretization significantly affects the stability of processes in the automatic control system. The theoretical analysis of such systems is rather complicated and requires a significant change in engineering approaches to analysis. In connection with the improvement of digital controllers and a significant increase in their performance, in recent years this problem has practically not been remembered. However, its mathematical "content" has not changed since the 80s of the 20th century, when discreteness began to play a major role among the problems hindering progress in automatic control systems, in terms of the transition to digital systems.In this paper, a new approach is proposed, which consists in interpreting the sampling operation by a link with the proposed frequency characteristic, which determines the suppression of input high-frequency signals. This link greatly simplifies engineering calculations and demonstrates the new capabilities of sampling systems. These possibilities include the rational distribution of digitalization resources - the number of bits and the sampling interval between the regulator channels, depending on the frequency range of the efficiency of these channels. Theoretical statements have been verified and confirmed by simulation. It is shown how this approach makes it possible to formulate new principles of construction of seemingly well-known controllers - PID controllers and variable structure systems (VSS).

The use of acoustic and magnetic methods of non-destructive testing to detect zones of stable localization of deformation in order to assess and predict the performance of long-term equipment is of scientific and practical interest at present. A structural-mechanical criterion has been developed, that reflects the revealed relationships between the structural and substructural states, internal stress fields and stable localization of deformations with the characteristics of non-destructive tests in the metal of long-term equipment made of structural 0.2 С steel and heat-resistant 0,12C-1Cr-1Mo-1V steel. The values of the structural-mechanical criteria Ks.-m for structural 0.2 С steel and for heat-resistant 0,12C-1Cr-1Mo-1V steel, corresponding to the moment of stable localization of deformation, are established. At the same time, it is recommended to replace the checked equipment nodes due to the exhaustion of the resource. The proposed and justified approach to assessing and predicting the performance and residual life of long-term power equipment, based on the identified relationships between the structural and substructural states, internal stress fields and stable localization of deformations with the characteristics of non-destructive tests and the calculation of the structural-mechanical criterion, was applied at a number of power plants in the Kemerovo region – Kuzbass. A methodology has been developed for evaluating the residual life, based on the identification and use of relationships between structural and substructural states, internal stress fields and stable localization of deformations with the characteristics of non-destructive tests and the calculation of a structural-mechanical criterion.

Objective: To describe outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the outpatient setting after early treatment with zinc, low dose hydroxychloroquine, and azithromycin (the triple therapy) dependent on risk stratification. Design: Retrospective case series study. Setting: General practice. Participants: 141 COVID-19 patients with laboratory confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in the year 2020. Main Outcome Measures: Risk-stratified treatment decision, rate of hospitalization and all-cause death. Results: Of 335 positively PCR-tested COVID-19 patients, 127 were treated with the triple therapy. 104 of 127 met the defined risk stratification criteria and were included in the analysis. In addition, 37 treated and eligible patients who were confirmed by IgG tests were included in the treatment group (total N=141). 208 of the 335 patients did not meet the risk stratification criteria and were not treated. After 4 days (median, IQR 3-6, available for N=66/141) of onset of symptoms, 141 patients (median age 58 years, IQR 40-67; 73% male) got a prescription for the triple therapy for 5 days. Independent public reference data from 377 confirmed COVID-19 patients of the same community were used as untreated control. 4 of 141 treated patients (2.8%) were hospitalized, which was significantly less (p<0.001) compared with 58 of 377 untreated patients (15.4%) (odds ratio 0.16, 95% CI 0.06-0.5). Therefore, the odds of hospitalization of treated patients were 84% less than in the untreated group. One patient (0.7%) died in the treatment group versus 13 patients (3.5%) in the untreated group (odds ratio 0.2, 95% CI 0.03-1.5; p=0.16). There were no cardiac side effects. Conclusions: Risk stratification-based treatment of COVID-19 outpatients as early as possible after symptom onset with the used triple therapy, including the combination of zinc with low dose hydroxychloroquine, was associated with significantly less hospitalizations and 5 times less all-cause deaths.

Aim. The analysis of incidence, clinical and morphological manifestations, and the prognosis of IgA nephropathy in the Northeastern Europe (NEE). Materials and methods. We enrolled cases with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) from 2005 to 2020 in the single-center retrospective study. Demographic and clinical parameters, histology data, and the treatment were analyzed. The outcomes were the occurrence of complete (PR) or partial remission (CR), renal replacement therapy (RRT), eGFR<15 ml/min/1.73m² and eGFR decrease ≥ 50%. The composite endpoint included all renal outcomes and was used to evaluate the risk of IgAN progression and associated factors. Results. The incidence of IgAN cases was 23.6% of all indication biopsies and 41.2% of primary immune glomerulopathies. At the time of the kidney biopsy, the proteinuria was 2.5 (1.5-5.0) g/24h, eGFR - 69 ± 32 ml/min/1.73 m². Proportions of cases with arterial hypertension and eGFR <60 ml / min / 1.73 m² were 75% and 36%, respectively. The prevalence of histological changes in accordance with the Oxford (MEST-C) classification was M1 - 40.5%, E1 -22.9%, S1-70.2%, T1-22%, T2 - 9%, C1-16.7%, C2 - 4.4%. In the follow-up of 27 (11; 61) months, 6 deaths occured (1.7%). The 10-year cumulative dialysis-free survival was 80% and progression-free survival was 56%. Remissions registered in 50% of cases, being more frequent in patients who received immunosuppression vs renoprotection (60% vs. 40%, p = 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression, the independent factors associated with the increased probability of IgAN progression were male gender, a younger age, higher blood pressure and hematuria, lower eGFR, interstitial fibrosis/ tubular atrophy (≥50%), the presence of peritubular capillaritis and any crescents. Compared to the cohorts of other ethnic or geographical origin, IgAN in the studied cohort were found to have more severe clinical and morphological presentations and faster progression rate. Conclusion. Being the most common glomerulopathy in the NEE population, IgAN has more pronounced clinical and morphological presentations. Considering the distinctive features of the disease, further research is warranted in order to establish approaches for enhancing risk stratification and treatment efficacy.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes both acute and chronic disease of the liver that can lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer and liver failure. HCV is characterized by high genetic diversity and substantial variations in prevalence of specific HCV genotypes in different countries of the world. Many effective regimens of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), including pan-genotypic, can successfully treat HCV infection. However, genotype-specific treatments for HCV are being actively employed in the national plans for elimination of HCV infection around the world. Evaluation of HCV genotype prevalence in a country is mandatory for successful implementation of the national plans for elimination of HCV infection and allocation of financial resources to DAAs most effecting for specific HCV genotypes prevalent in a country. Here, we analyzed HCV genotypes, subgenotypes and recombinants in 10,107 serum samples from patients with chronic HCV infection from all Federal districts of Russia collected in 2015-2017. This is the first, largest evaluation of HCV genotypes performed on samples from all territories of Russia, from its Central Federal district to the Far East. Moreover, we have updated retrospective epidemiological analysis of chronic and acute HCV infection in Russia in 2001-2021. We demonstrate that the incidence of acute HCV infection in Russia reduced from 16.7 cases per 100,000 population in 2001 to 0.6 cases per 100,000 population in 2021. The number of cases of chronic HCV infection decreased from 29.5 to 16.4 per 100,000 population during this period. HCV genotype analysis indicated that HCV genotype 1 dominates in Russia (53.6%). Genotypes 3 and 2 were detected in 35.4% and 7.8% of patients respectively. These proportions are virtually identical in all regions of Russia except for Far East, where HCV genotype 2 amounts only to 1%. HCV genotypes 1 and 2 are more widespread in women, while HCV genotype 3 in men. The highest frequency of identification of genotype 3 was found in the age group of 31-40 years old (44.9%, respectively), and genotype 1 was more prevalent in a group of over 70 years old (72.2%). The proportion of HCV genotype 2 is predominant among HCV-infected persons older than 40 years. Discriminating HCV genotype 2 and recombinant RF1_2k/1b, which are frequently misclassified, is important for successful antiviral treatment of such patients. For the first time, we demonstrate the countrywide prevalence of HCV RF1_2k/1b in different regions of Russia. HCV RF1_2k/1b amounts to 3.2% in the structure of HCV genotypes, reaching 30% among samples classified as genotype 2 by some commercial genotyping tests. The highest proportion of HCV RF1_2k/1b was detected in the north-west (60%), southern (41.6%) and central (31.6%) federal district. Its frequency in Far Eastern and North Caucasus Districts was ~ 14.3%. HCV RF1_2k/1b was not detected in the Volga, Ural and Siberian districts. To conclude, this is the first and most complete evaluation of HCV epidemiology and genotype/subgenotype distribution in Russia.

Background: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is a complicated disease that affects millions of people all over the world. Previous studies have shown that PASC impacts 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients of which 50-70% are hospitalized. It has also been shown that 10-12% of those vaccinated against COVID-19 were affected with PASC and its complications. The severity and the later development of PASC symptoms is positively associated with the early intensity of the infection. Results: The generated health complications caused by PASC involve a vast variety of organ systems. Patients affected by PASC have been diagnosed with neuropsychiatric and neurological symptoms. Cardiovascular system also has been involved and several diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis, and coronary artery diseases were reported. Chronic hematological problems such as thrombotic endothelialitis and hypercoagulability were described as a condition that could increase the risk of clotting disorders and coagulopathy in PASC patients. Chest pain, breathlessness, and cough in PASC patients were associated with respiratory system in long COVID-19 causing respiratory distress syndrome. The observed immune complications were notable, involving several diseases. Renal system also was impacted and result in raising the risk of diseases such as thrombotic issues, fibrosis, and sepsis. Endocrine gland malfunction can lead to diabetes, thyroiditis, and male infertility. Symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and taste were also among reported observations due to several gastrointestinal disorders. Skin abnormalities might be an indication of infection and long-term implications such as persistent cutaneous complaints were linked to PASC. Conclusions: Long COVID is a multidimensional syndrome with considerable public health implications, affecting several physiological systems and demanding thorough medical therapy as well as more study to address its underlying causes and long-term effects.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones) are not just a technological achievement based on modern ideas of artificial intelligence; they also provide a sustainable solution for green technologies in logistics, transport and material handling. In particular, using battery-powered UAVs to transport products can significantly decrease energy and fuel expenses, reduce environmental pollution, and improve the efficiency of clean technologies through improved energy-saving efficiency. We consider the problem of maximizing the average environmental benefit of a fleet of drones given a periodic schedule of tasks performed by the fleet of vehicles. To solve the problem efficiently, we formulate it as an optimization problem on an infinite periodic graph and reduce it to a special type of parametric assignment problem. We exactly solve the problem under consideration in O(n³) time, where n is the number of tasks performed by vehicles.

There are many problems based on solving non-autonomous differential equations of the form x¨(t)+ω2(t)x(t)=0, where x(t) represents the coordinate of a material point and ω is the angular frequency. The inverse problem involves finding the bounded coefficient ω. Continuity of the function ω(t) is not required. The trajectory x(t) is unknown, but the initial and final values of the phase variables are given. The variation principle of minimum time for the entire dynamic process allows for the determination of the optimal solution {x(t),ω(t)}. Thus, the inverse problem is an optimal control problem. No simplifying assumptions were made.

Chert rock is a by-product of sand quarrying (about 40% in the geological section). All attempts to use ordinary technologies for aggregate production from chert have been economically unsuccessful, resulting in significant chert "waste" accumulation covering vast quarry areas. This paper presents the study results of the effect of microwave irradiation on the mechanical properties of chert gravel, which is mineralogically relatively homogenous and consists of fine quartz grains. The results show that an increase in irradiation time decreases the strength of chert gravel (by a factor of 4-6 for the 2.5 min of irradiation), while the quenching changes the fractional content of the samples after the crushing test, decreasing the Gravel-to-Sand ratio.

Consumer behavior is unpredictable. The accelerated pace of life and daily changes in the desires and preferences of each individual require significant marketing efforts to fulfill needs. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant disruptions in the market to which consumers have responded in a specific way. Our previous research on this topic [11], which included an analysis of various factors that influence consumer habits, was the basis for a new, more detailed analysis of the impact on individual consumption. The results of our previous research set psy-chological influence as a significant factor in consumer behavior. That is the main reason we put the impact of COVID-19 at the center of this research. The analysis was conducted on an existing sample of 559 respondents in the Republic of Croatia. The data obtained by the questionnaire were used to develop a hierarchical model. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a model based on deci-sion-making and was used to rank individual influences on consumer behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These influences have had a significant impact on consumer buying habits.

The influence of numerous factors determines and changes the daily behavior of consumers. This paper aims to estimate and rank the weight of cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors that change the buying habits of individuals. The research was conducted on a sample of 559 re-spondents. Data from the survey were used to create a hierarchical model structure. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decision-making method was used in the analysis to estimate and rank the factors that influence consumer habits. An analysis of results showed that the personal and psychological factors have the principal influence on consumer habits. Personal budget, as the dominant criterion in a group of set criteria, contributed to the fact that the personal factors have the dominant influence on consumer habits. The work showed that the choice of the method used is relevant to the results and that the analysis of the impact on consumer habits can be expanded by including several factors.

The paper deals with applying Artificial Intelligence techniques to examine CHIRP-recorded data in sand and sandstone sea-bottom sites. The provided analysis of the state of the art portrays that actual time series or spectrum backscattered data from a point on the sea bottom were rarely used as the features for machine learning models. The results of the examination indicate that types of sea bottom can be quantitatively characterized by applying logistic regression models to either the backscatter time series of a frequency-modulated signal or the spectrum of that backscatter. The examination accuracy reached 90% for the time series and 94% for the spectra. The application of spectral data as features for more advanced machine learning algorithms, and the advantages of its combination with other types of data have great potential for future research and the enhancement of remote marine soil classification.

It is shown by numerical modelling that anisotropic diffusion can compensate and even overcome diffusion broadening - the main limiting factor of devices working at atmospheric pressure. The thickness of ion clouds coming out of the ionisation chamber is reduced ~ 1000 times in the ADMA inlet increasing the resolution. This finding has a great potential that enables construction of a device with resolution close to that of currently available desktop ion separation devices – high pressure mass spectrometers, but with much lower cost of manufacture and with smaller dimensions. Comprehensive numerical modelling along with mathematical analysis of physical concepts enables reduction of the footprint and manufacturing costs. Modelling determined that the resolving power (RP) potential of the ADMA is greater than the RP of currently available on the market devices for the airport security market. The ADMA technology enables very fast detection of threats; at least 100 times faster than currently used in Ion Mobility Spectrometers (IMS). This potentially allows an increase in passenger throughput in airports.

Background/Objectives: The purpose of the proposed study is disclosure of correlations between the dynamics of the Breathe Rate (BR) and Heart Rate (HR) when performing the intermittent physical operation at maximum power on a cycle ergometer.Methods: The stage on the study of the General functional athlete readiness (GFAR) performed using the sports standard “Red Engine” and the cycle ergometer in 16 volunteers (10 men, 6 women) whose average age was 21±1.17 years. To determine the sports potential of the volunteers in this study, we used own Coefficient of Anaerobic Capacity (CANAC Q, beats). Continuous recording of the heart rate and respiratory rate of volunteers in the maximum power sports test was carried out by the “RheoCardioMonitor” device with an athlete functional readiness module based on the method of Transthoracic electrical impedance rheography (TEIRG).Results: The degree of correlation of functional indicators (M, HR_M, GFAR) with CANAC Q for the group in full (n=80) occurred at a very high level, which confirmed the effectiveness of using the Coefficient of Anaerobic Capacity (CANAC Q) in assessing the general functional athlete readiness of the volunteers. Conclusions: CANAC Q measured in “beats” of the heart and recorded very accurately using the method of transthoracic electrical impedance rheography (TEIRG). For this reason as promising sports PSM-system, CANAC Q can replace the methods for determining the functional athlete readiness by blood lactate concentration and maximum oxygen consumption.

This paper presents quantitative research results regarding the influence of demographic factors on the earthquake risk perception of the citizens of Belgrade. This research aims to determine how much the citizens of Belgrade are aware of the risk and prepared to react in the event of an earthquake. The relationship between gender, age, level of education, and facility ownership with risk perception was examined. T-test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to examine the relationship between the variables and the earthquake risk perception. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire that was given and then collected online among 235 Belgrade respondents during September 2020. The questions were divided into three categories. The first part of the questionnaire was consisted of general questions about the demographic characteristics of the respondents, then the questions that would determine the level of awareness of the respondents about earthquakes, and finally, the questions for determining the respondents' preparedness. The results of the research show that women have a higher perception of risk. It has been proven that the youngest respondents from the age category of 18-30 have the lowest risk perception. The influence of education level in no case showed a statistically significant correlation with risk perception.