Conflict of interest: dialectics of a normative “tiered structure”

Objective: to carry out a legal and dogmatic analysis of the legislative structure of the “conflict of interests” concept and its constituent categories in order to ensure the applied tasks of effective law enforcement and prevention of corruption risks determined by a conflict of interests.Methods: the dialectical approach to the cognition of socio-legal phenomena, which allows identifying the unity of opposites in the legal categories that form the conflict of interests concept; the formal-logical method of scientific cognition, presented in the legal-dogmatic analysis of legislative norms; the method of operationalization of concepts.Results: the conducted comparative legal research, expressed in a combination of methods of analysis and synthesis of legal categories aimed at obtaining comparative knowledge, allows correlating their content with respect to the “conflict of interests” concept in proportion to the goals of law enforcement. A legal and linguistic analysis of legal categories has been carried out, the totality of which forms the content of the “conflict of interests” concept. Abstract and definite norms of categories are highlighted in the context of the proof necessary to ensure their connection (presence and absence) with legal facts.Scientific novelty: the term “normative ‘tiered structure’” was introduced into the scientific circulation of legal science, which comprehensively reflects the operational definition of the complex socio-legal phenomena described in composite legal categories. The theoretically presented phenomenon of the normative “tiered structure” conflict of interest in the discreteness of its constituent concepts and dispositive legal categories causes high risks of distortion or erroneous interpretations. These risks are formed out of court, initially registered in the decisions of the conflicts of interest settlement commissions. Prevention of such risks is ensured not only by the involvement of experts who, in addition to legal knowledge and professional-industry knowledge, also have moral and ethical foundations, the bearers of which are the arbiters of precedent law enforcement.Practical significance: the main provisions of the article can be used in practical activities to provide evidence of de jure manifestations of a conflict of interests. The revealed regulatory collisions and the incomplete legal regulation of public relations in the sphere of “personal interest” require improving the anti-corruption legislation in terms of simplifying the concept used for law enforcement purposes

Корпоративные практики управления конфликтом интересов в аспекте стандартов ESG

The global agenda for the integration and development of Social care and Corporate Governance (ESG) standards determines the necessity of the legal community attention to the tasks of regulatory, methodological, organizational support for their implementation in the business companies activities in the narrow focus on the conflict of interest prevention issues. The article analyzes and evaluates the consistency of measures aimed at eliminating personal interest, corporate disputes represented in ways of conflict of interest managing between the company, its managers, and employees, including relations with counterparties and affiliated persons context appearing during its business activities. The article provides an overview of corporate practices for managing conflict of interest in companies of banking, stock exchange and investment industry. Moreover, it observes the dialectical connection of the admitted conflict of interests with the processes of determination of tort and criminogenic consequences, including those reflecting in financial, corruption, official and economic crime. The study noted the role of conflict of interest management in ensuring the company social and corporate policy in the context of protecting the interests of employees, its customers, counterparties, minimizing its possible occurrences and consequences by the forces of internal control and audit, and compliance as well. The article emphasized the differences in the conflict of interest prevention concepts which are typical for public (state) and business services. In conclusion, the study revealed the methodology content for managing conflict of interest in the business activities, based on personnel administration, compliance with ethical standards, the culture of declaring conflict of interest, and limiting proprietary information circulationГлобальная повестка внедрения и развития стандартов социальной заботы и корпоративного управления (ESG) обуславливает необходимость внимания юридического сообщества к задачам нормативного, методического, организационного обеспечения их имплементации в деятельность компаний бизнес-среды в узком фокусе темы предупреждения конфликта интересов. В статье анализируется и оценивается состоятельность мер, направленных на исключение личной заинтересованности, корпоративных споров, выраженных в способах управления конфликтом интересов между компанией, ее руководителями и сотрудниками, в том числе в контексте отношений с контрагентами и аффилированными лицами, которые возникают в ходе бизнес-деятельности. Приводится обзор корпоративных практик управления конфликтом интересов в компаниях банковской, биржевой и инвестиционной сфер деятельности. Отмечается диалектическая связь допущенного конфликта интересов с процессами детерминации деликтных и криминогенных последствий, в том числе выраженных в финансовой, коррупционной, должностной и экономической преступности. Отмечается роль управления конфликтом интересов в обеспечении социальной и корпоративной политики компании в разрезе защиты интересов работников, ее клиентов, контрагентов, минимизации его возможных проявлений и последствий силами внутреннего контроля и аудита, а также службы комплаенс. Отмечаются различия в концепциях предотвращения конфликта интересов, характерных для публичной (государственной) и деловой (частной) службы. Раскрывается содержание методологии управления конфликтом интересов в бизнес-среде, основанной на кадровом администрировании персонала, соблюдении этических норм, культуре декларирования коллизии интересов, ограничении оборота служебной информаци

Computer Οptimization of Geometric Form of Tool and Preform for Closed-die Forging of Compressor Blade Simulator

Using the software package DEFORM 3D when developing technology of isothermal forging workpiece blades it is possible to reduce the pre-production time, to improve the quality of forgings and increase lifetime of forging dies. Computer modeling allows to predict the formation of such defects during forging as notches and wrinkles, underfilling of die impression, to estimate tool loads. Preform shape and angular position of the blade simulator were optimized in order to minimize the lateral forces generated during the forging operation

Risk factors for heart failure in patients with COVID-19

Aim. To establish risk factors for heart failure (HF) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Material and methods. Medical records of 151 patients treated in an infectious disease hospital from November 3, 2020 to February 2, 2021 with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were retrospectively selected. The collection of clinical, history and laboratory data were carried out by analyzing electronic medical records. We analyzed information on age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and comorbidities. Following laboratory studies were analyzed: complete blood count, biochemical blood tests, coagulation profile, acute phase proteins (C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)), procalcitonin. The diagnosis of HF was confirmed by clinical performance, echocardiography, and elevated levels of the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The risk of HF was taken as the endpoint of the study.Results. The studied sample of patients was divided into two groups depending on HF: the 1st group included 46 patients with HF, the 2nd group — 105 patients without HF. The median age was 66,2 (50-92) years (women, 91 (60,3%)). Laboratory indicators, such as the levels of CRP, LDH, procalcitonin, creatinine, bilirubin, differed significantly from each other, and the median values were higher in patients with HF. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) showed significant intergroup differences: in the group of patients with HF, the median was 4,97% vs 3,62% (p=0,011) in the group of patients without HF. There were following most significant predictors increasing the HF risk: age ≥66 years (odds ratio, 8,038, p<0,001), procalcitonin level, which increases the HF risk in patients by 3,8 times (p><0,001), NLR ≥4,11% (p=0,010), thrombocytopenia ≤220×109/l (p=0,010), history of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p=0,018). Conclusion. The following predictors of HF were established: age ≥66 years, procalcitonin ≥0,09 ng/ml, NLR ≥4,11%, thrombocytopenia ≤220×109/l, history of CKD, LDH ≥685 U/l and creatinine ≥102 µmol/l, international normalized ratio ≥1,19, QTc interval ≥407,5 ms, bilirubin ≤10,7 µmol/l. It is worth noting that the best accuracy values are demonstrated by the Random Forest algorithm (88,5% on the validation set), but the mathematical model of the neural network turned out to be the most sensitive (90,0% on the validation set). Keywords: novel coronavirus infection, heart failure, prognosis>˂0,001), procalcitonin level, which increases the HF risk in patients by 3,8 times (p˂0,001), NLR ≥4,11% (p=0,010), thrombocytopenia ≤220×109/l (p=0,010), history of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p=0,018).Conclusion. The following predictors of HF were established: age ≥66 years, procalcitonin ≥0,09 ng/ml, NLR ≥4,11%, thrombocytopenia ≤220×109/l, history of CKD, LDH ≥685 U/l and creatinine ≥102 µmol/l, international normalized ratio ≥1,19, QTc interval ≥407,5 ms, bilirubin ≤10,7 µmol/l. It is worth noting that the best accuracy values are demonstrated by the Random Forest algorithm (88,5% on the validation set), but the mathematical model of the neural network turned out to be the most sensitive (90,0% on the validation set)

PREDICTORS OF EARLY SURGICAL INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ACUTE PANCREATITIS

Background. Acute pancreatitis is an important and unsolved problem of surgery. The most important subject of discussions in the treatment of acute pancreatitis is the choice of the timing of surgical intervention. Aim. To develop clinical and diagnostic criteria for early surgical interventions in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Materials and methods. The study consisted of two stages: a retrospective study, including an analysis of the treatment of 20 patients, operated in early terms for 2-4 days and a prospective study, including analysis of human serum samples by HPLC method. Results. We determined that intra-abdominal pressure, indicators of APACHE 11 and B1SAP scores and CRP level correlate and their peak values are indicative for early surgical intervention. Using the HPLC method we isolated the group of 13 pathological and a group of 7 normal metabolites, characteristic of severe acute pancreatitis. These are specific markers of severe acute pancreatitis. Conclusions. Early surgical intervention with persistent and progressive 1AH significantly reduces the scores of the integral scales, the level of CRP which reflects the regression of MOF phenomena and reduces the risk of adverse outcome. Using the HPLC method we showed a principal possibility of predicting severe course of pancreatitis in early periods

The possibilities of impulse oscillometry in the diagnosis of the lung function disorders after COVID-19

Background. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is an effort independent method of studying lung mechanics. Aim. To study the diagnostic significance of IOS in assessing lung mechanics after COVID-19. Materials and methods. Spirometry, body plethysmography, diffusion test (DLco), IOS parameters were analyzed in 315 patients (the median age 48 years), the median period from the beginning of COVID-19 to the study was 50 days. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and one-dimensional logistic regression analysis with an assessment of odds ratios. Results. In general group, spirometry and body plethysmography parameters were in normal values, while DLCO was reduced in 61% of patients. Parameters of IOS were analyzed in the general group and between the groups, depending on the value of DLco and total lung capacity (TLC): normal or reduced. In general group, reactance area (AX), hererogeneity of resistance Rrs5–Rrs20, resistance at 5 Hz (Rrs5), reactance at 5 Hz (ΔXrs5) were increased in 29.8%, 17.8%, 6%, 4.8% of patients, respectively, and were statistically significantly higher in the group with reduced TLC, whereas in the group with reduced DLco AX, Rrs5–Rrs20 were statistically significantly higher. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with Rrs5-Rrs200.07 kPa×sec/l or AX0.32 kPa/l had a 1.99-fold and 2.24-fold increased risk for decrease DLco, respectively, while the risk of decrease in TLC was 2.25-fold (p=0.012) and 3.16-fold (p0.001) higher, respectively. Conclusion. IOS allow to detect both dysfunction of small airways (if AX or Rrs5–Rrs20 are increased) and the risk of restrictive pattern and lung diffusion impairment after COVID-19

Tickborne Pathogen Detection, Western Siberia, Russia

Ixodes and Dermacentor ticks harbor Borrelia, Anaplasma/Ehrlichia, Bartonella, and Babesia species

Multiphase modelling of tumour growth and extracellular matrix interaction: mathematical tools and applications

Resorting to a multiphase modelling framework, tumours are described here as a mixture of tumour and host cells within a porous structure constituted by a remodelling extracellular matrix (ECM), which is wet by a physiological extracellular fluid. The model presented in this article focuses mainly on the description of mechanical interactions of the growing tumour with the host tissue, their influence on tumour growth, and the attachment/detachment mechanisms between cells and ECM. Starting from some recent experimental evidences, we propose to describe the interaction forces involving the extracellular matrix via some concepts coming from viscoplasticity. We then apply the model to the description of the growth of tumour cords and the formation of fibrosis