Efficiency of carbon layer growth in Li4Ti5O12/C composites studied by XPS and Raman spectroscopy

The understanding of carbon layer formation is very important for core-shell composite electrodes, comprised of a low conductive core (active material) with a thin carbon shell (conductive additive). In this work we analyze the carbon morphology evolution for the two series of Li4Ti5O12/C samples with carbon content increasing from 0.9 to 5.6 wt%

Sustainable development, ESG and the “price” of health

In today’s global community, there is an increasing focus on prioritizing the preservation of human health while addressing the challenges of transitioning to sustainable development and environmental protection. The significance of health is well emphasized in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This article highlights the objectives and key indicators pertaining to Goals 3, 6, and 11. Within the context of health, the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) approach is considered, emphasizing the integration of environmental (E) and social (S) aspects. It’s important to recognize the close relationship between environmental and social aspects, including health, while acknowledging the role of governance (G) in ensuring this integration and interconnection. In the realm of economic theory and practice, underestimating or neglecting the factor of health in socio-economic decision-making processes is a classic problem of «market failures» and negative externalities that remain uninternalized. The authors propose five categories of indicators that establish a connection between population health and the condition and pollution of the environment:1) levels of morbidity and mortality resulting from environmental pollution; 2) proxy indicators related to the impact on health; 3) economic assessment of the population’s willingness to pay for environmental quality and disease prevention; 4) direct economic harm to public health caused by environmental pollution; 5) comprehensive indicators that quantify the relationship between the state and pollution of the environment and the health of the population in monetary terms. Particular emphasis is placed on a set of indicators that evaluate the direct economic harm to the health of the population. The total environmental damage to the health of the Russian population, primarily attributable to air and water pollution, can be estimated at 2.3-6.1% of the GDP

Features of Epidemic Process of Tuberculosis in the Territory with High Prevalence of HIV Infection

Scales of epidemic process of HIV-associated of tuberculosis are especially noticeable in regions with high prevalence of HIV infection and tuberculosis. A striking example of this situation is the Irkutsk region – the territory with the highest prevalence of HIV infection in the Russian Federation and one of the most unsuccessful one on tuberculosis – in 2010 became Russian “leader” and in prevalence of the HIV-associated tuberculosis, keeping a position “in the first five” so far. It is clear, that all this cannot but imply negative manifestations of two considered epidemic processes at their simultaneous development in one territory. The above-said facts predetermined carrying out the retrospective epidemiological analysis of spread of tuberculosis among the cumulative population in the Irkutsk region, a territory of high risk of HIV infection.The purpose of the work was to assess features of spread of tuberculosis in the territory of the large center of HIV infection (Irkutsk region).Results. The expressed negative impact of HIV infection on epidemic process of tuberculosis in the studied region, shown in divergence of trends and higher levels of epidemiological indicators in comparison to the all-Russian data is established.Conclusion. As a result of a research the trend of regional incidence of tuberculosis, multidirectional with the all-Russian indicators, is established from the moment of epidemic spread of HIV infection that demonstrates integration of epidemic processes of the studied infections. Even on condition of regress of epidemic process of tuberculosis at the end of the analyzed period which is followed by decrease in incidence of all population, HIV infection has a significant impact on his tension that, certainly, demands the strengthened measures of epidemiological control of these socially important infections

The internal structure of gadolinium and perfluorocarbon-loaded polymer nanoparticles affects ¹⁹F MRI relaxation times

19F magnetic resonance imaging (19F MRI) is an emerging technique for quantitative imaging in novel therapies, such as cellular therapies and theranostic nanocarriers. Nanocarriers loaded with liquid perfluorocarbon (PFC) typically have a (single) core-shell structure with PFC in the core due to the poor miscibility of PFC with organic and inorganic solvents. Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement acts only at a distance of a few angstroms. Thus, efficient modulation of the 19F signal is possible only with fluorophilic PFC-soluble chelates. However, these chelates cannot interact with the surrounding environment and they might result in image artifacts. Conversely, chelates bound to the nanoparticle shell typically have a minimal effect on the 19F signal and a strong impact on the aqueous environment. We show that the confinement of PFC in biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) with a multicore structure enables the modulation of longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) 19F relaxation, as well as proton (1H) signals, using non-fluorophilic paramagnetic chelates. We compared multicore NPs versus a conventional single core structure, where the PFC is encapsulated in the core(s) and the chelate in the surrounding polymeric matrix. This modulated relaxation also makes multicore NPs sensitive to various acidic pH environments, while preserving their stability. This effect was not observed with single core nanocapsules (NCs). Importantly, paramagnetic chelates affected both T1 and T219F relaxation in multicore NPs, but not in single core NCs. Both relaxation times of the 19F nucleus were enhanced with an increasing concentration of the paramagnetic chelate. Moreover, as the polymeric matrix remained water permeable, proton enhancement additionally was observed in MRI.</p

Blended Educational Technologies in Higher Education: Systematic Review of Domestic Publications

The article presents the results of generalization and systematization of scientific and practical information on the variety of types of blended educational technologies used in Russian higher education institutions. This specific product of digitalization causes the greatest interest of researchers and practitioners in the field of education. This systematic review is based on national scientific publications related to the development and practical implementation of educational technologies in higher education. The authors have analyzed 180 papers published between 2016 and 2021 in peer-reviewed scientific journals approved by the Higher Attestation Commission. Methods of qualitative and quantitative content analysis, systems analysis and contextological analysis, as well as analytical grouping, have been used.Content analysis of publications showed that the main property of blended educational technologies is their variability, which manifests itself through the described system of indicators. However, the structural organization of blended educational technologies models remains the most debatable issue among researches.The authors have identified and described the main directions in the development of the theory and practical application of blended educational technologies, namely: the formation of the structure and boundaries of the conceptual and terminological field; elaboration of the methodological basis of blended education development and definition of theoretical basis for changing traditional learning systems by designing a learning process based on the mechanisms of pedagogical and digital technologies integration.It has been established that the empirical studies with the elements of experimental work focused on defining the most effective combinations of traditional and digital educational technologies dominate in the national scientific community. The most popular methods of such integration include rotation of forms and types of learning activity in traditional and digital learning environments, integration of digital and traditional educational technologies based on the Moodle learning management system, as well as inclusion of separate forms and means of e-learning in the educational process

Strategic planning in the sphere of education in regions

The article is devoted to problems of strategic planning in education. Special attention is paid to the formation of regional education development programs. The article considers the main provisions of the strategic program for the development of the education system at the municipal level as a key position for the formation of a unified educational space. The authors’ analysis of such programs has shown that such programs are often devoid of consistency and are not consistent with the development programs of the leading branches of knowledge and the economy of the region. Based on the legal framework, scientific articles, and the experience of the regions the authors propose a model for the formation of regional strategic planning documents in the field of education, based on the principle of a triple helix of interaction between the state, educational organizations and business. The educational space planned according to this model will differ not only in a new organizational format designed to coordinate the path of education and training, but will also serve as a consolidation of resources from all three sources

In vivo clearance of 19F MRI imaging nanocarriers is strongly influenced by nanoparticle ultrastructure

Perfluorocarbons hold great promise both as imaging agents, particularly for (19)F MRI, and in therapy, such as oxygen delivery. (19)F MRI is unique in its ability to unambiguously track and quantify a tracer while maintaining anatomic context, and without the use of ionizing radiation. This is particularly well-suited for inflammation imaging and quantitative cell tracking. However, perfluorocarbons, which are best suited for imaging - like perfluoro-15-crown-5 ether (PFCE) - tend to have extremely long biological retention. Here, we showed that the use of a multi-core PLGA nanoparticle entrapping PFCE allows for a 15-fold reduction of half-life in vivo compared to what is reported in literature. This unexpected rapid decrease in (19)F signal was observed in liver, spleen and within the infarcted region after myocardial infarction and was confirmed by whole body NMR spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the fast clearance is due to disassembly of the ~200 nm nanoparticle into ~30 nm domains that remain soluble and are cleared quickly. We show here that the nanoparticle ultrastructure has a direct impact on in vivo clearance of its cargo i.e. allowing fast release of PFCE, and therefore also bringing the possibility of multifunctional nanoparticle-based imaging to translational imaging, therapy and diagnostics