«Smart City» in Socio-Political Projection (The Case of Barcelona)

This article reveals the process of becoming a “smart city” based on the materials of Barcelona. The socio-political aspects of the use of “smart city” technologies in the information and communication era are revealed.The authors use of the system method made it possible to study the technologies of the “smart city” in aggregate, and the use of the comparative method made it possible to establish the specifics of the development of Barcelona during the tenure of Mayor Xavier Trias and Ada Colau. The authors draw attention to the reasons for the recognition of the capital of Catalonia as the most high-tech city in the world in 2015. It is emphasized that Barcelona has made a rapid breakthrough in a relatively short period of time, turning into a post-industrial city. It is noted that the driver of Barcelona’s transformation was the holding of the XXV Summer Olympic Games in 1992, which essentially changed the appearance of the city.The authors point to the additional opportunities in city management that the information and communication revolution led to and the speed of the Internet penetration rate. It is emphasized that information and communication technologies led to the transformation of a rigidly vertical bureaucratic system of exercising power and set the vector of its transition to a horizontal (network model) based on the effects of high technologies.It is noted that the modern model of exercising power in Barcelona presupposes the active involvement of citizens in the processes of city management, based on the use of technological platforms that simplify coworking processes.As a result of the study, the authors come to the conclusion that the contemporary paradigm of the “smart city” involves the involvement of citizens as active participants in decisionmaking and planning. Attention is focused on the formation of two models of urban governance in Barcelona, differing in the dynamics of the exercise of power and the prevalence of tendencies from “top to bottom” (mayors of the city of K. Trias) and from “bottom to top” (mayor of the city A. Colau). The authors emphasize that modern Barcelona is not only a flagship of technological development, but also a city with democratic traditions and a high level of humancentered orientation

Particularităţile radiodiagnosticului în traumatismele articulaţiei acromioclaviculare

Centrul Republican de Diagnosticare Medicală, Spitalul de Traumatologie şi Ortopedie, Centrul Naţional Ştiinţifico-Practic Medicina de UrgenţăAcromio-clavicular joint is important in the functioning of the upper limb and acromio-clavicular injuries represent a problem in contemporary traumatology. In order to evaluate the acromio-clavicular trauma it is necessary to examine ACJ bilateral, using multiple imaging methods (standardized, stress, axial). The imaging diagnosis of ACJ injuries is important to make an appropriate decision about treatment methods.Ключично-акромиальный сустав (КАС) играет большую роль в деятельности верхней конечности, а ее повреждение является важной проблемой современной травматологии. Для оценки тяжести и сложности травматических повреждении акромио-ключичной сочленения необходимо обследование обеих КАС с использованием разных укладок (стандартные, стрессовые и аксиальные). Установление повреждения КАС с помощью рентгенодиагностического метода является очень важным моментом в выборе самого эффективного метода лечения

Borders of Historical Styling of the Concept Bar «De Gennin» in the Ekaterinburg

В статье представлены решения при проектировании продуктов графического дизайна концептуального бара «De Gennin» в Екатеринбурге приводится обоснование выбора графических приемов и образов на базисе культурно-семиотического подхода Ю. Лотмана. По результатам исследования делается вывод о превалировании узнаваемости отобранных образов над их исторической точностью, в соответствии с чем допускается некоторое расхождение с действительностью для усиления стилизованного образа, определяются географические и временные рамки для источников образов, описываются границы современной стилизации.The article reviews graphic design solutions for the conceptual bar «De Gennin» in the Ekaterinburg, it provides a justification for the choice of graphic techniques and images based on the cultural-semiotic approach of Y. Lotman. Based on the results of the study, a conclusion is made about the prevalence of recognition of the selected images over their historical accuracy, in accordance with which some discrepancy with reality is allowed to enhance the stylized image, the geographical and time frames for the sources of images are determined, and the boundaries of modern stylization are described

Impact of the Topology of Global Macroeconomic Network on the Spreading of Economic Crises

Throughout economic history, the global economy has experienced recurring crises. The persistent recurrence of such economic crises calls for an understanding of their generic features rather than treating them as singular events. The global economic system is a highly complex system and can best be viewed in terms of a network of interacting macroeconomic agents. In this regard, from the perspective of collective network dynamics, here we explore how the topology of the global macroeconomic network affects the patterns of spreading of economic crises. Using a simple toy model of crisis spreading, we demonstrate that an individual country's role in crisis spreading is not only dependent on its gross macroeconomic capacities, but also on its local and global connectivity profile in the context of the world economic network. We find that on one hand clustering of weak links at the regional scale can significantly aggravate the spread of crises, but on the other hand the current network structure at the global scale harbors higher tolerance of extreme crises compared to more “globalized” random networks. These results suggest that there can be a potential hidden cost in the ongoing globalization movement towards establishing less-constrained, trans-regional economic links between countries, by increasing vulnerability of the global economic system to extreme crises

In Vivo Evaluation of Retinal Neurodegeneration in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

To evaluate macular morphology in the eyes of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with or without optic neuritis (ON) in previous history.Optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination was performed in thirty-nine patients with MS and in thirty-three healthy subjects. The raw macular OCT data were processed using OCTRIMA software. The circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and the weighted mean thickness of the total retina and 6 intraretinal layers were obtained for each eye. The eyes of MS patients were divided into a group of 39 ON-affected eyes, and into a group of 34 eyes with no history of ON for the statistical analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to determine which parameter can discriminate best between the non-affected group and controls.The circumpapillary RNFL thickness was significantly decreased in the non-affected eyes compared to controls group only in the temporal quadrant (p = 0.001) while it was decreased in the affected eyes of the MS patients in all quadrants compared to the non-affected eyes (p<0.05 in each comparison). The thickness of the total retina, RNFL, ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer complex (GCL+IPL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC, comprising the RNFL and GCL+IPL) in the macula was significantly decreased in the non-affected eyes compared to controls (p<0.05 for each comparison) and in the ON-affected eyes compared to the non-affected eyes (p<0.001 for each comparison). The largest area under the ROC curve (0.892) was obtained for the weighted mean thickness of the GCC. The EDSS score showed the strongest correlation with the GCL+IPL and GCC thickness (p = 0.007, r = 0.43 for both variables).Thinning of the inner retinal layers is present in eyes of MS patients regardless of previous ON. Macular OCT image segmentation might provide a better insight into the pathology of neuronal loss and could therefore play an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with MS

Predicting In Vivo Efficacy of Potential Restenosis Therapies by Cell Culture Studies: Species-Dependent Susceptibility of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Although drug-eluting stents (DES) are successfully utilized for restenosis therapy, the development of local and systemic therapeutic means including nanoparticles (NP) continues. Lack of correlation between in vitro and in vivo studies is one of the major drawbacks in developing new drug delivery systems. The present study was designed to examine the applicability of the arterial explant outgrowth model, and of smooth muscle cells (SMC) cultures for prescreening of possible drugs. Elucidation of different species sensitivity (rat, rabbit, porcine and human) to diverse drugs (tyrphostins, heparin and bisphsophonates) and a delivery system (nanoparticles) could provide a valuable screening tool for further in vivo studies. The anticipated sensitivity ranking from the explant outgrowth model and SMC mitotic rates (porcine>rat>>rabbit>human) do not correlate with the observed relative sensitivity of those animals to antiproliferative therapy in restenosis models (rat≥rabbit>porcine>human). Similarly, the inhibitory profile of the various antirestenotic drugs in SMC cultures (rabbit>porcine>rat>>human) do not correlate with animal studies, the rabbit- and porcine-derived SMC being highly sensitive. The validity of in vitro culture studies for the screening of controlled release delivery systems such as nanoparticles is limited. It is suggested that prescreening studies of possible drug candidates for restenosis therapy should include both SMC cell cultures of rat and human, appropriately designed with a suitable serum

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules (THYCOVID): a retrospective, international, multicentre, cross-sectional study

Background Since its outbreak in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has diverted resources from non-urgent and elective procedures, leading to diagnosis and treatment delays, with an increased number of neoplasms at advanced stages worldwide. The aims of this study were to quantify the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to evaluate whether delays in surgery led to an increased occurrence of aggressive tumours.Methods In this retrospective, international, cross-sectional study, centres were invited to participate in June 22, 2022; each centre joining the study was asked to provide data from medical records on all surgical thyroidectomies consecutively performed from Jan 1, 2019, to Dec 31, 2021. Patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules were divided into three groups according to when they underwent surgery: from Jan 1, 2019, to Feb 29, 2020 (global prepandemic phase), from March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021 (pandemic escalation phase), and from June 1 to Dec 31, 2021 (pandemic decrease phase). The main outcomes were, for each phase, the number of surgeries for indeterminate thyroid nodules, and in patients with a postoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancers, the occurrence of tumours larger than 10 mm, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastases, vascular invasion, distant metastases, and tumours at high risk of structural disease recurrence. Univariate analysis was used to compare the probability of aggressive thyroid features between the first and third study phases. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05178186.Findings Data from 157 centres (n=49 countries) on 87 467 patients who underwent surgery for benign and malignant thyroid disease were collected, of whom 22 974 patients (18 052 [78 center dot 6%] female patients and 4922 [21 center dot 4%] male patients) received surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules. We observed a significant reduction in surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the pandemic escalation phase (median monthly surgeries per centre, 1 center dot 4 [IQR 0 center dot 6-3 center dot 4]) compared with the prepandemic phase (2 center dot 0 [0 center dot 9-3 center dot 7]; p&lt;0 center dot 0001) and pandemic decrease phase (2 center dot 3 [1 center dot 0-5 center dot 0]; p&lt;0 center dot 0001). Compared with the prepandemic phase, in the pandemic decrease phase we observed an increased occurrence of thyroid tumours larger than 10 mm (2554 [69 center dot 0%] of 3704 vs 1515 [71 center dot 5%] of 2119; OR 1 center dot 1 [95% CI 1 center dot 0-1 center dot 3]; p=0 center dot 042), lymph node metastases (343 [9 center dot 3%] vs 264 [12 center dot 5%]; OR 1 center dot 4 [1 center dot 2-1 center dot 7]; p=0 center dot 0001), and tumours at high risk of structural disease recurrence (203 [5 center dot 7%] of 3584 vs 155 [7 center dot 7%] of 2006; OR 1 center dot 4 [1 center dot 1-1 center dot 7]; p=0 center dot 0039).Interpretation Our study suggests that the reduction in surgical activity for indeterminate thyroid nodules during the COVID-19 pandemic period could have led to an increased occurrence of aggressive thyroid tumours. However, other compelling hypotheses, including increased selection of patients with aggressive malignancies during this period, should be considered. We suggest that surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules should no longer be postponed even in future instances of pandemic escalation.Funding None.Copyright (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Analyzing and Modeling Real-World Phenomena with Complex Networks: A Survey of Applications

The success of new scientific areas can be assessed by their potential for contributing to new theoretical approaches and in applications to real-world problems. Complex networks have fared extremely well in both of these aspects, with their sound theoretical basis developed over the years and with a variety of applications. In this survey, we analyze the applications of complex networks to real-world problems and data, with emphasis in representation, analysis and modeling, after an introduction to the main concepts and models. A diversity of phenomena are surveyed, which may be classified into no less than 22 areas, providing a clear indication of the impact of the field of complex networks.Comment: 103 pages, 3 figures and 7 tables. A working manuscript, suggestions are welcome