Nuclear Non-proliferation Problems in the Discourse of German Think-Tanks

В статье рассматриваются аналитические работы немецких центров «Фонд науки и политики» (SWP) и «Германское общество внешней политики» (DGAP) по проблемам ядерного нераспространения.The article reviews the publications of the leading think tanks in Germany on the problem of nuclear nonproliferation

Blockchain technology as a means of improving enterprise efficiency

This research found that the relationship between applications and entrepreneurial opportunities is covered by blockchain technology. The conducted research contribute to eliminating the identified knowledge gap between the potential areas of application of the blockchain and the necessary configuration of resources

Study of hepatoprotective effects of xymedon

Xymedon (1-(β-oxyethyl)-4,6-dimethyl-1,2-dihydro-2-oxopyrimidine), a regeneratory and wound-healing drug, exhibited hepatoprotective activity in laboratory animals with experimental toxic hepatitis. Oral drug reduced the severity of toxic involvement of the liver induced by CCl4 and reduced animal mortality. Xymedon promoted recovery of the blood biochemical parameters characterizing the liver status. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

Tick-Borne Encephalitis with Hemorrhagic Syndrome, Novosibirsk Region, Russia, 1999

Eight fatal cases of tick-borne encephalitis with unusual hemorrhagic syndrome were identified in 1999 in the Novosibirsk Region, Russia. To study these strains, we sequenced cDNA fragments of protein E gene from six archival formalin-fixed brain samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed tick-borne encephalitis variants clustered with a Far Eastern subtype (homology 94.7%) but not with the Siberian subtype (82%)

Guaranteed clustering and biclustering via semidefinite programming

Identifying clusters of similar objects in data plays a significant role in a wide range of applications. As a model problem for clustering, we consider the densest k-disjoint-clique problem, whose goal is to identify the collection of k disjoint cliques of a given weighted complete graph maximizing the sum of the densities of the complete subgraphs induced by these cliques. In this paper, we establish conditions ensuring exact recovery of the densest k cliques of a given graph from the optimal solution of a particular semidefinite program. In particular, the semidefinite relaxation is exact for input graphs corresponding to data consisting of k large, distinct clusters and a smaller number of outliers. This approach also yields a semidefinite relaxation for the biclustering problem with similar recovery guarantees. Given a set of objects and a set of features exhibited by these objects, biclustering seeks to simultaneously group the objects and features according to their expression levels. This problem may be posed as partitioning the nodes of a weighted bipartite complete graph such that the sum of the densities of the resulting bipartite complete subgraphs is maximized. As in our analysis of the densest k-disjoint-clique problem, we show that the correct partition of the objects and features can be recovered from the optimal solution of a semidefinite program in the case that the given data consists of several disjoint sets of objects exhibiting similar features. Empirical evidence from numerical experiments supporting these theoretical guarantees is also provided

Обеспечение радиационной безопасности при выводе из эксплуатации тяжеловодного исследовательского ядерного реактора НИЦ «Курчатовский институт» – ИТЭФ

The article provides a brief description of organizational and technical measures aimed at ensuring radiation safety during the decommissioning of the heavy-water research nuclear reactor of Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics after A.I. Alikhanov of National Research Centre «Kurchatov Institute». Information is provided on the history and features of the operation of the reactor, including parameters and characteristics that are significant for planning and conducting work. The peculiarities of legal regulation in the field of ensuring radiation safety are given; regulatory acts and rules accompanying other activities during decommissioning and directly related to radiation safety are also considered. The paper describes the work done in preparation for dismantling, the initial and current state of the installation, forthcoming work with examples of dismantled equipment. Methods for handling radioactive waste arising during decommissioning are considered, including methods for fragmentation of large structural elements (examples of mechanical devices are given), methods for sorting according to different specific activity (high activity, low activity), radionuclide composition and physical properties (solid, metallic, non-metallic, liquid). A special method for handling liquid radioactive waste is described, which includes the collection and temporary storage system. To assess the radiation situation at workplaces during the dismantling of the reactor structures, calculations of radiation transfer were carried out on the running and shutdown reactor, during which it was established that the expected dose to the personnel when performing activities on decommissioning of TBR is much lower than the limit values, established by regulatory documents. In accordance with the estimated radiation doses, rules and instructions for personnel were determined, including the procedure for using personal protective equipment, the necessary measures for surface decontamination, etc. Information is given on the procedure for radiation monitoring at all stages of dismantling and at the final stages of decommissioning including control of premises, personnel, equipment, waste of various types, atmospheric air.В статье приведено краткое описание организационных и технических мер, направленных на обеспечение радиационной безопасности при выводе из эксплуатации тяжеловодного исследовательского ядерного реактора Института теоретической и экспериментальной физики имени А.И. Алиханова Национального исследовательского центра «Курчатовский институт». Представлена информация об истории и особенностях эксплуатации реактора, в том числе параметры и характеристики, значимые для планирования и проведения работ. Приведены особенности нормативно-правового регулирования в области обеспечения радиационной безопасности, также рассмотрены нормативные акты и правила, сопутствующие прочим работам при выводе из эксплуатации и непосредственно связанные с радиационной безопасностью. Описаны выполненные работы по подготовке к демонтажу, исходное и текущее состояние установки, предстоящие работы с приведением примеров демонтируемого оборудования. Рассмотрены методы обращения с радиоактивными отходами, возникающими в ходе работ по выводу из эксплуатации, в том числе способы фрагментации крупных элементов конструкций (приведены примеры механических устройств), способы сортировки в соответствии с различной удельной активностью (высокоактивные, низкоактивные), радионуклидным составом и физическими свойствами (твердые, металлические, неметаллические, жидкие). Приведена информация о порядке радиационного контроля на всех этапах работ по демонтажу и на заключительных этапах вывода из эксплуатации, включая контроль помещений, персонала, оборудования, отходов различного типа, атмосферного воздуха

Dermacentor reticulatus: a vector on the rise

Dermacentor reticulatus is a hard tick species with extraordinary biological features. It has a high reproduction rate, a rapid developmental cycle, and is also able to overcome years of unfavourable conditions. Dermacentor reticulatus can survive under water for several months and is cold-hardy even compared to other tick species. It has a wide host range: over 60 different wild and domesticated hosts are known for the three active developmental stages. Its high adaptiveness gives an edge to this tick species as shown by new data on the emergence and establishment of D. reticulatus populations throughout Europe. The tick has been the research focus of a growing number of scientists, physicians and veterinarians. Within the Web of Science database, more than a fifth of the over 700 items published on this species between 1897 and 2015 appeared in the last three years (2013–2015). Here we attempt to synthesize current knowledge on the systematics, ecology, geographical distribution and recent spread of the species and to highlight the great spectrum of possible veterinary and public health threats it poses. Canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis is a severe leading canine vector-borne disease in many endemic areas. Although less frequently than Ixodes ricinus, D. reticulatus adults bite humans and transmit several Rickettsia spp., Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus or Tick-borne encephalitis virus. We have not solely collected and reviewed the latest and fundamental scientific papers available in primary databases but also widened our scope to books, theses, conference papers and specialists colleagues’ experience where needed. Besides the dominant literature available in English, we also tried to access scientific literature in German, Russian and eastern European languages as well. We hope to inspire future research projects that are necessary to understand the basic life-cycle and ecology of this vector in order to understand and prevent disease threats. We conclude that although great strides have been made in our knowledge of the eco-epidemiology of this species, several gaps still need to be filled with basic research, targeting possible reservoir and vector roles and the key factors resulting in the observed geographical spread of D. reticulatus. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1599-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

How Many People Are Deprived of Work in the USSR?

What did we know about unemployment in our country until very recently? Only that this phenomenon of the world of capital was "eliminated completely and finally" in our country in 1930. It was presented as one of the most important accomplishments of socialism. The very concept of "unemployment" disappeared from economics dictionaries. In 1987 our chief of state declared that we have not known this evil for fifty years already. It was not until 1990 that the International Labor Organization forecast the advent of unemployment in the USSR and named its "magnitude": 600,000 persons.

COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF CHILD BENEFITS IN DIFFERENT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Most of European countries have policies aiming on improving fertility rates in these countries. The main purpose of this article is to compare the efficiency of these policies in different countries, with the focus on the parental leave as the major part in the cash inflow to the household related to childbearing and its effect on fertility. Differences in the history of these countries in the twentieth century, their choice between socialism and capitalism during the Cold War was also taken into account. The direct effect of this choice on the fertility was estimated

On (G) (G) > 0 gap recognition and (G)-upper bounds

We show that for a graph G it is NP -hard to decide whether its independence number (G) equals its clique partition number (G) even when some minimum clique partition of G is given. This implies that any (G)-upper bound provably better than (G) is NP -hard to compute