Technical comment on the paper of Dessert et al. "The dark matter interpretation of the 3.5 keV line is inconsistent with blank-sky observations"

An unidentified line at energy around 3.5 keV was detected in the spectra of dark matter-dominated objects. Recent work of Dessert et al. [1812.06976] used 30 Msec of XMM-Newton blank-sky observations to constrain the admissible line flux, challenging its dark matter decay origin. We demonstrate that these bounds are overestimated by more than an order of magnitude due to improper background modeling. Therefore the dark matter interpretation of the 3.5 keV signal remains viable.Comment: Technical comment on the paper by Dessert et al. 10.1126/science.aaw377

Resourcefulness as an Important Indicator of Personal Well-Being

The study of the dynamics and features of students’ personal resourcefulness in the conditions of war in Ukraine is an important task, since understanding the peculiarities of the resourcefulness functioning will allow carrying out the necessary measures for its maintenance, recovery and development. The authors proposed a model of personal resourcefulness as a metacognitive experience. In the study, an express questionnaire “Personal resources” (O. Savchenko, S. Sukach) was used for the diagnosis of resourcefulness level. The study was conducted on a sample of 69 students of KNEU. To solve different tasks, several methodologies were used: factorial experimental design, comparative study of the same group in different conditions, and clustering of empirical data to determine different types of students’ resourcefulness. It was found that the overall level of personal resourcefulness is a significant factor in subjective, psychological, social and global well-being. Five types of personal resourcefulness were identified, namely “high resourcefulness,” “high-stress resistance,” “inefficient use of strategies,” “passivity in the search for resources” and “high emotional exhaustion.” Students with different types of resourcefulness have significant differences in well-being. The negative changes in students’ personal resourcefulness were revealed in a condition of the war in Ukraine (decrease in the level of overall resourcefulness and increase in emotional exhaustion). It has been established that students do not actively use restoring resource strategies in a prolonged stressful situation

Українська адаптація шкали для оцінки генералізованого тривожного розладу GAD-7: досвід діагностики в умовах воєнного стану

The aim of the research is to develop a Ukrainian-language adaptation of the GAD-7 generalized anxiety disorder assessment methodology and to test its psychometric properties. Methods. The forward and backward translation was carried out independently by several specialists with professional backgrounds in English philology and psychology, and then subjected to expert consistency checks. The data was collected online in two stages (December 2023, January 2024). The sample consisted of civilian Ukrainians aged 17–75 who lived in different regions of the country or were in forced migration abroad (786 and 315 people respectively), with a predominance of women with higher education. The results demonstrate the high psychometric competence of the adapted instrument. Excellent internal consistency and discriminant validity of the items were confirmed, as well as retest reliability, construct and criterion validity of the scale (correlations with the Adult Mental Health Questionnaire and the Positive Mental Health Scale). The factor structure of the methodology corresponds to the original univariate model. The GAD-7 indicator fairly accurately predicts the need to seek psychological help, has strong direct correlations with diagnostic variables measuring anxiety and depression, and negatively correlates with assessments of psychological health. At the same time, empirical indicators of the GAD-7 in the sample are distributed abnormally: more than 40.0% of respondents received a score of 10 or more points, which corresponds to the manifestation of pathological symptomatology. Such assessments are not recommended to be unequivocally interpreted as evidence of generalized anxiety disorder, as they may reflect a legitimate impact of prolonged military aggression on the psycho-emotional state of Ukrainians (maladaptive response to chronic stress, psychological trauma, etc.). Both statuses are indicative of mental health disorders and require appropriate interventions, but the ways and means of this care differ. The average anxiety score of women is significantly higher than that of men (9.70 and 6.93, respectively), which is consistent with the natural features of this condition. Conclusions. The adapted Ukrainian-language version of the GAD-7 is an effective tool for screening symptoms of anxiety disorder in psychological practice and scientific research, including in extreme living conditions. In a martial law situation, clinical disorders associated with anxiety should be distinguished from situationally conditioned reactions to objective danger, which requires additional research.Мета дослідження – розробити україномовну адаптацію методики оцінки генералізованого тривожного розладу GAD-7 та перевірити її психометричні властивості. Методи. Прямий і зворотній переклад здійснювався незалежно декількома фахівцями, що мають фахову підготовку з англійської філології та психології, після чого підлягав експертній перевірці узгодженості. Збір даних відбувався онлайн і проходив у два етапи (грудень 2023 р., січень 2024 р.). Вибірку склали цивільні українці віком 17–75 років, які проживали в різних областях країни або перебували у вимушеній міграції за кордоном (786 та 315 осіб відповідно), серед них переважали жінки з вищою освітою. Результати переконують у високій психометричній компетентності адаптованого інструменту. Підтверджено відмінні показники внутрішньої узгодженості й дискримінативності пунктів, показано ретестову надійність та критеріальну валідність шкали (кореляції з показниками опитувальників “Психічне здоров’я дорослих” та Шкали позитивного ментального здоров’я). Факторна структура методики відповідає оригінальній одновимірній моделі. Показник GAD-7 достатньо точно прогнозує необхідність звернення за психологічною допомогою, має міцні прямі кореляції з діагностичними змінними, що вимірюють тривожність та депресію, негативно корелює з оцінками психологічного здоров’я. Водночас емпіричні показники GAD-7 у вибірці розподілені анормально: більше 40.0% респондентів отримали оцінку 10 та більше балів, що відповідає вияву патологічної симптоматики. Такі оцінки не рекомендовано однозначно інтерпретувати як свідчення генералізованого тривожного розладу, оскільки вони можуть відображати закономірний вплив тривалої воєнної агресії на психоемоційний стан українців (неадаптивна реакція на хронічний стрес, психологічне травмування тощо). Обидва статуси свідчать про порушення психічного здоров’я і потребують відповідних втручань, проте шляхи та засоби цієї допомоги різняться. Середній показник тривоги жінок значимо перевищує такий у чоловіків (9.70 та 6.93 відповідно), що відповідає природним особливостям цього стану. Висновки. Адаптована україномовна версія GAD-7 є ефективним інструментом для скринінгу симптомів тривожного розладу в психологічній практиці та наукових дослідженнях, у тому числі – в екстремальних умовах існування. У ситуації воєнного стану слід відрізняти клінічні розлади, пов’язані з тривогою, від ситуативно-обумовленої реакції на об’єктивну небезпеку, що потребує додаткових досліджень

The performance of the digital city projects in urban studies of the megalopolises (the case studies of Kharkiv and Dnipro cities)

Introduction of the research problem. Urbanization drives Digital City Projects (DCPs) to create smarter urban environments using advanced technologies. DCPs aim to make cities more connected and responsive, adapting to changing needs. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of DCPs in megalopolises, focusing on Kharkiv and Dnipro in Ukraine. The previous works done. The various literature sources demonstrate the rise of Digital Cities stemming from Smart Cities. Kharkiv and Dnipro in Ukraine exemplify digitalization's role amid Russian aggression. Exposition of the main research material. The performance of the theoretical urbogeosystemic approach and its UOM in the provision of practical Digital City projects. This subsection delves into the practical application of the urbogeosystemic approach and its Urban Ontological Model (UOM) in DCPs. The UOM guides urban studies by defining components and relationships. Implementing DCPs begins with building simulation models using LiDAR data. Case Study First - Kharkiv: A feasible perspective of a full-format DCP implementation. This subsection discusses implementing a DCP in Kharkiv, emphasizing data integration from OpenStreetMap (OSM) and LiDAR. The authors propose that a DCP should serve as a comprehensive model of a real city, encompassing all its structural elements and key objects, going beyond the capabilities of a typical GIS project. Possible user’s scenarios include energy consumption analysis, population estimation, and visibility gradients assessment. The subsection highlights the comprehensive DCP approach with LiDAR data processing software (iQ City CCM) and urban geosituational analysis. Case Study Second - Kharkiv: a perspective of geomarketing within the “Digital Kharkiv” project as a routine GIS one.  This subsection delves into the integration of geomarketing into the "Digital Kharkiv" project. Geomarketing plays a pivotal role in mapping socioeconomic elements tied to market interactions. "Digital Kharkiv," primarily sourced from OSM data, is lauded for its versatility in urban studies during peacetime and war. The text urges exploration of geomarketing within "Digital Kharkiv" in the context of post-Russian aggression rehabilitation, particularly in optimizing humanitarian object placements. Changes in geomarketing potential pre- and post-invasion in various city districts have been analyzed, highlighting areas with stagnation and those witnessing growth due to population resettlement. Case Study Third - Dnipro: implementation of a typical GIS-project for analyzing provision of the city population with public transportation infrastructural networks. This subsection discusses the implementation of the "Digital Dnipro" project as part of the DCP framework. The project focuses on analyzing the provision of public transportation networks in the city of Dnipro. It utilizes data from OSM to create a virtual model of the city, which includes attribute information for urban objects. This subsection also highlights the impact of war on urban planning and the need for sustainable updates to adapt to changing conditions. Conclusion. This section summarizes the key findings and takeaways from the research on DCPs in Ukrainian cities like Kharkiv and Dnipro. It highlights the importance of an urbogeosystemic approach in implementing DCPs effectively. The study emphasizes the flexibility and efficiency of the relevant GIS tools in urban research and transformation