The Effectiveness of Interaction between Scientific Supervisors and Graduate Students at the University and at the Academy of Sciences

The effectiveness of work and relationship of postgraduate students with their supervisors seem to be an urgent issue in the context of contemporary transformations of the Russian system of training highly qualified personnel. The article assesses the understanding of the purposes of graduate school by both “sides”, the specifics of the interaction between mentors and their mentees, the leading difficulties and ways to overcome them. Since in our country postgraduate programs are implemented not only at universities, we also compared situations at a university and in an academic community considering the case of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) and scientific institutes of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (UB RAS). Empirical methods for collecting initial data were applied both at UrFU and at UB RAS and included interviewing scientific leaders and questioning graduate students. A series of in-depth interviews with mentors led to the formulation of research hypotheses and allowed the elaboration of an online questionnaire for graduate students. As a result, we may state the prevalence of the “external” obstacles that reduce the effectiveness of the interaction of young scientists with their scientific leaders; in general, the relationship between them looks quite harmoniously. Among the most pressing problems we have identified (1) disorientation about the concept of postgraduate studies without obligatory defense of the thesis (especially at university); (2) low productivity of the “educational” postgraduate studies; (3) lack of advanced training for supervisors in the field of management in science; (4) high employment of professors; (5) side mentoring and (6) the lack of plans for writing a dissertation. The solution of this set of problems seems to be based, first of all, on a new regulatory framework at the federal level, revising the types and volumes of workload of graduate students and their supervisors, fixing the need to write a dissertation during the course of study, regulating the requirements for scientific supervisors and guaranteeing them advanced training in the field managerial competencies. The positive practice of employing all graduate students at academic institutions, at least for a fraction of the rate, may also help universities in increasing the motivation of graduate students to defend their PhD thesis and build their future career at the university

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis: Current criteria for diagnosis and differentiation (Clinical case and review of literature)

The paper describes a 44-year-old male patient with an about 6-year history of hypertrophic pachymeningitis. The major clinical symptoms were characterized by headache, exophthalmos, and blindness in one eye. The data for differential diagnosis of the disease are given. The current literature on the clinical manifestations of hypertrophic pachymeningitis, its differential diagnosis, and the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is reviewed. Diagnostic difficulties at the stage of a clinical observation are due to the nonspecificity of neurological manifestations and the need for a comprehensive examination to detect a somatic disease. MRI can diagnose the disease-specific phenomenon of damage to the meninges, which calls for further careful differentiation. Clinicians must be familiar with alternative differential diagnosis, as a rapid specific therapeutic approach will help avoid long-term or irreversible neurological complications

An amperometric monoamine oxidase biosensor for determining some antidepressants

An amperometric biosensor based on a platinum screen-printed electrode and immobilized monoamine oxidase is developed to determine antidepressants of different classes. Petylyl, pyrazidol, and flu-oxetine can be determined with determination limits of 8 × 10-9, 8 × 10-7, and 8 × 10-10 M, respectively. A procedure is proposed for determining fluoxetine in tablets. It is shown that petylyl can be selectively determined by an immunochemical technique using the developed biosensor and immobilized antibodies in the concentration range from 1 × 10-4 to 1 × 10-8 M. © 2007 MAIK Nauka

Estimation of several antidepressants using an amperometric biosensor based on immobilized monoamine oxidase

An amperometric biosensor was developed on the basis of a printed platinum electrode and immobilized monoamine oxidase for detecting antidepressants of various classes. The analytical potential of the electrode was assessed: Petylyl (desipramine) and pyrazidol could be estimated from lower detection limits of 8 × 109 M for Petylyl and 8 × 107 M for pyrazidol. A method for estimating pyrazidol in tablets is described. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc

Theoretical conformational analysis of cyclic organophosphorus and organosilicon compounds

The structure of some six- and eight-membered phosphorus and silicon heterocycles was established by the method of dipole moments and density functional theory calculations. There are two necessary conditions for the feasibility of the transannular interaction in these heterocycles: (1) the favorable disposition of the donor and acceptor centers in a molecule and (2) the presence of the substituents with the considerable polarizing effect at the heteroatom. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Assay of nitrofuran drugs using an amperometric monoamine oxidase biosensor

A method for assaying nitrofuran drugs (furazolidone, furadonine, and furagin) using an amperometric biosensor based on a printed platinum electrode and immobilized monoamine oxidase was developed for analysis of medicinal formulations and urine. Nitrofuran derivatives were found to have inhibitory actions, albeit weaker than those of classical tricyclic antidepressants, on the catalytic activity of monoamine oxidase. This side-effect inhibitory action allowed assay of furazolidone, furadonine, and furagin with lower detection limits, which were 8.3 × 10-9, 8.5 × 10-8, and 9.4 × 10-10 M respectively. The results obtained here show that this side effect of furazolidone, furadonine, and furagin must be taken into consideration when these agents are prescribed to patients. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc

Experimental and theoretical conformational analysis of methylene- and cyanophosphines and their oxides

The structure of a great number of methylenephosphine oxides 1-11 and cyanophosphines and their oxides 12-18 was studied by semiempirical PM3 and ab initio RHF/6-31G** calculations. Obtained results are in good agreement with experimental data (dipole moments, Kerr effect, IR spectroscopy). In 12-18 the contribution of interactions of CN group or Ph ring with lone pair of electrons (LPE) of the P atom, d-orbitals of the P atom, or P=O group is absent

Capabilities of amperometric monoamine oxidase biosensors based on screen-printed graphite electrodes modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes in the determination of some antidepressants

© 2015, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Amperometric biosensors based on planar screen-printed graphite electrodes modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and immobilized monoamine oxidase enzyme (MAO) have been proposed for the determination of antidepressants (imipramine, afobazole, and phenazepam). The operation of the proposed biosensors is based on the inhibiting ability of antidepressants. The analytical capabilities of the proposed devices have been compared to those of biosensors based on the electrodes unmodified with MWCNTs. The proposed biosensors can be used for the control of both residual amounts of drug substances in biological fluids (urine) and the active ingredient in dosage forms