The theory of peripheral capitalism: on the applicability of the Latin American model to the Baltic States; an attempt at an inter-disciplinary analysis

The relevance of this study of post-Soviet transition lies in the focus on the technically theoretical problems that are nevertheless the key to understanding regional development processes in the East of the Baltic Sea. The research aims to verify the theory of peripheral capitalism as applied to the Baltic States. The first theoretical objective is to draw a distinction between the ideas of modernisation and transformation in a regional context. The second objective is to adjust the theory of peripheral capitalism to smaller states. To study the features of the transformation of economic and political systems in the Baltics, this article conducts comparative analysis. Systemic analysis and the principles of theoretical and empirical analysis are used as well. Building on this work, the study identifies the deficiencies of the theoretical and methodological potential of transition studies. These include claims that the theoretical and methodological potential of transition as applied to post-Socialist and post-Soviet Europe has been completely fulfilled. Geographical differences between Latin America and the Baltic States are so obvious that they eclipse economic similarities between the processes and development models characteristic of the two regions of the world. An analysis of current developments in Latin America makes it possible to forecast the economic and, to a degree, political consequences of the trends that are just emerging in the Baltics. This article seeks to prove the above thesis

Role of internal stresses in the localization of plastic flow of irradiated materials

The collective behavior of dislocations in irradiated materials is studied using the kinetic equation for the dislocation density, taking account of a Burgers-type nonlinearity. It is shown that the degree of dislocation localization in slip bands is higher in the irradiated materials than in the unirradiated materialsyesBelgorod State Universit

Measuring Cognitive Reflection without Maths: Development and Validation fo the Verbal Cognitive Reflection Test

The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) became popular for its impressive power to predict how well people reason and make decisions. Despite the popularity of the CRT, a major issue complicates its interpretation: the numerical nature of the CRT confounds reflection ability with mathematical ability. We have addressed this issue by developing the Verbal CRT (CRT-V), a novel 10-item measure of cognitive reflection (https://osf.io/xehbv/), using non-mathematical problems with good statistical and psychometric properties and with low familiarity. First, we selected suitable items with relatively low familiarity and optimal difficulty as identified in two different populations (Studies 1 and 2) and with high content validity as judged by an expert panel (Study 3). Second, we demonstrated good criterion and construct validity for the test in different populations with a wide range of variables (Studies 4-6, 8) and a good internal consistency and test-retest reliability (Study 7). The Verbal CRT was less associated with math anxiety, objective and subjective numeracy than the original CRT and it was test equivalent across gender, age groups and administration setting. In contrast with the original CRT (Hedge’s g = 0.29, 95% CI[0.17, 0.40]), the Verbal CRT showed no gender differences (Hedge’s g = -0.06, 95% CI[-0.18, 0.06]). The Verbal CRT can complement existing, numerical, tests of cognitive reflection

Feedback Control of Second Messengers Signaling Systems in White Adipose Tissue Adipocytes in Healthy State and Its Loss at Adiposity

Second messengers Ca2+, IP3, cAMP, NO, cGMP, and cADP ribose are incorporated as obligatory elements into multivariable Ca2+-signaling system, which integrates incoming signals of hormones and neurotransmitters in white adipocytes. This cross-controlled system includes two robust generators (RGs) of rhythmic processes, involving phospholipase C- and NO-synthase-dependent signaling networks (PLC-RG and NOS-RG). Multi-loop positive feedback control of both RGs provides their robustness, multistability, signaling interplay, and extreme sensitivity to the alterations of incoming signals of acetylcholine, norepinephrine, insulin, cholecystokinin, atrial natriuretic peptide, bradykinin, and so on. Hypertrophy of cultured adipocytes and of mature cells, isolated from epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), results in the loss of rhythmicity and development of general hormonal signaling resistance. Preadipocytes isolated from eWAT of obese mice cannot grow and accumulate lipids in the media devoid of fatty acids. However, even low concentrations of palmitoylcarnitine in the media (1 μM) may result in drastic suppression of mRNA expressions of the proteins of Ca2+-signaling system, especially of NOS-RG. Similar alterations of gene expression are observed in eWAT and liver at adiposity. All this may indicate on universal background pathogenic mechanisms. Treatment modalities, which may help to restore deregulation of Ca2+-signaling system and corresponding tissues dysfunction, are discussed briefly

Generation of small-scale structures in the developed turbulence

The Navier-Stokes equation for incompressible liquid is considered in the limit of infinitely large Reynolds number. It is assumed that the flow instability leads to generation of steady-state large-scale pulsations. The excitation and evolution of the small-scale turbulence is investigated. It is shown that the developed small-scale pulsations are intermittent. The maximal amplitude of the vorticity fluctuations is reached along the vortex filaments. Basing on the obtained solution, the pair correlation function in the limit $r\to 0$ is calculated. It is shown that the function obeys the Kolmogorov law $r^{2/3}$.Comment: 18 page

Annihilation Emission from the Galactic Black Hole

Both diffuse high energy gamma-rays and an extended electron-positron annihilation line emission have been observed in the Galactic Center (GC) region. Although X-ray observations indicate that the galactic black hole Sgr A$^*$ is inactive now, we suggest that Sgr A$^*$ can become active when a captured star is tidally disrupted and matter is accreted into the black hole. As a consequence the galactic black hole could be a powerful source of relativistic protons. We are able to explain the current observed diffuse gamma-rays and the very detailed 511 keV annihilation line of secondary positrons by $p-p$ collisions of such protons, with appropriate injection times and energy. Relativistic protons could have been injected into the ambient material if the black hole captured a 50M$_\odot$ star at several tens million years ago. An alternative possibility is that the black hole continues to capture stars with $\sim$1M$_\odot$ every hundred thousand years. Secondary positrons produced by $p-p$ collisions at energies \ga 30 MeV are cooled down to thermal energies by Coulomb collisions, and annihilate in the warm neutral and ionized phases of the interstellar medium with temperatures about several eV, because the annihilation cross-section reaches its maximum at these temperatures. It takes about ten million years for the positrons to cool down to thermal temperatures so they can diffuse into a very large extended region around the Galactic center. A much more recent star capture may be also able to account for recent TeV observations within 10 pc of the galactic center as well as for the unidentified GeV gamma-ray sources found by EGRET at GC. The spectral difference between the GeV flux and the TeV flux could be explained naturally in this model as well.Comment: Accepted by ApJ on March 24, 200

A Classifier-based approach to identify genetic similarities between diseases

Motivation: Genome-wide association studies are commonly used to identify possible associations between genetic variations and diseases. These studies mainly focus on identifying individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially linked with one disease of interest. In this work, we introduce a novel methodology that identifies similarities between diseases using information from a large number of SNPs. We separate the diseases for which we have individual genotype data into one reference disease and several query diseases. We train a classifier that distinguishes between individuals that have the reference disease and a set of control individuals. This classifier is then used to classify the individuals that have the query diseases. We can then rank query diseases according to the average classification of the individuals in each disease set, and identify which of the query diseases are more similar to the reference disease. We repeat these classification and comparison steps so that each disease is used once as reference disease

Gamma radiation attenuation characteristics of polyimide composite with WO2

This study presents the effect of γ-sources on polyimide composites with WO

Chiral and herringbone symmetry breaking in water-surface monolayers

We report the observation from monolayers of eicosanoic acid in the L′2 phase of three distinct out-of-plane first-order diffraction peaks, indicating molecular tilt in a nonsymmetry direction and hence the absence of mirror symmetry. At lower pressures the molecules tilt in the direction of their nearest neighbors. In this region we find a structural transition, which we tentatively identify as the rotator-herringbone transition L2d−L2h

Estimated Inpatient Hospital Stay in Individual Wards: Guidelines on Radiation Safety after Radioiodine Therapy

Radionuclide therapy safety requirements are regulated by the Russian Radiation Safety Standards (RRSS), which state the maximum allowed radionuclide activity in the body and the equivalent dose rate (EDR) of gamma radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the time of an inpatient hospital stay in specially designed radionuclide therapy wards. The article presents the findings of individual 131I biokinetics studies in 64 patients admitted to radioiodine therapy of thyrotoxicosis and differentiated thyroid cancer. We developed a method to calculate the time interval to reach the EDR of 20μSv/h and the recommended EDR of 3 and 0.3μSv/h for adults and children, respectively. It is based on the measurement of the 131I excretion constant. Keywords: Radioiodine therapy, Radiation safety, Guidelin