e-Course of Theoretical Mechanics

The concept, structure and contents of the Internet textbook on classical mechanics intended for Higher Technical Institutions are presented in this work. Aspects of program realization of textbook applications and the technology of elaborating the textbook in the “Hecadem” Internet-teaching environment are given too

Biophilia: Nature-based solutions for sustainable cities

Cities currently face a number of environmental issues which influence the wellbeing and every-day lives of millions worldwide. The latest United Nations projections indicate that world population will reach 10 billion by the year 2050. In response to rapid population growth, we need to find innovative approaches (e.g. biophilia, ecopolis and ecocities) to design more liveable, healthy, sustainable and resilient cities. Urban green infrastructure (UGI) provides multiple ecosystem services and promotes societal wellbeing and health in cities. However, nature-based solutions (NBS) and UGI have rarely been studied in Russian cities. This paper presents the background, research methodology and preliminary results of the Biophilic Vladivostok project. This multidisciplinary study will integrate environmental psychology, ecology, human geography, visual computing, landscape architecture and environmental planning and management. It will also evaluate the potential of NBS for healing unhealthy, poorly urbanised neighbourhoods and suburbs. One of the overall goals of our research is to assess the ecosystem services provided by urban green infrastructure. Specific objectives of this research are: (1) to identify monitoring and evaluation indicators (i.e. biodiversity, percentage of urban green space, green infrastructure, and tree cover fractions) for biophilic planning; (2) to assess ecosystem services (i.e. regulating services such as air quality regulation and carbon storage and sequestration, provisioning food production via edible green infrastructure, identifying cultural services by involving social and psychological methods); and (3) to develop possible applications of biophilic planning within the overall urban landscape of Vladivostok. This research will have a practical outcome and local relevance by improving community awareness and cooperation, i.e. by enhancing quality of life for residents. It can ultimately become a framework for decision making and developing an exemplar future-based tool for creating sustainable cities throughout the Asia-Pacific Region and beyond

Specific features of designing a database for neuro-oncological 3D MRI images to be used in training artificial intelligence

The research was aimed at analyzing current approaches to the organization and design methodology of visualization database built on the basis of computer vision. Such approaches are necessary for effective development of diagnostic systems using artificial intelligence (AI). A training data set of high quality is a mandatory prerequisite for that. Material and methods. The paper presents the technology for designing an annotated database (SBT Dataset) that contains about 1000 clinical cases based on the archived data acquired by the Federal Neurosurgical Center, Novosibirsk, Russia including data on patients with astrocytoma, glioblastoma, meningioma, neurinoma, and patients with metastases of somatic tumors. Each case is represented by a preoperative MRI. The Results and Discussion. The dataset was built (SBT Dataset) containing segmented 3D MRI images of 5 types of brain tumors with 991 verified observations. Each case is represented by four MRI sequences T1-WI, T1C (with Gd-contrast), T2-WI and T2-FLAIR with histological and histochemical postoperative confirmation. Tumors segmentation with verification of the tumor core elements boundaries and perifocal edema was approved by two certified experienced neuroradiologists. Conclusion. The database built during the research is comparable in its volume and quality (verification level) with the state-of-the-art databases. The methodological approaches proposed in this paper were focused on designing the high-quality medical computer vision systems. The database was used to create artificial intelligence systems with the “physician assistant” functions for preoperative MRI diagnostics in neurosurgery

Thrombotic and bleeding complications in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and severe COVID-19: a study of ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may be more susceptible to COVID-19 related poor outcomes, including thrombosis and death, due to the advanced age, the presence of comorbidities, and the disease and treatment-related immune deficiency. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of thrombosis and bleeding in patients with CLL affected by severe COVID-19. METHODS: This is a retrospective multicenter study conducted by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL, including patients from 79 centers across 22 countries. Data collection was conducted between April and May 2021. The COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for SARS-CoV-2 on nasal or pharyngeal swabs. Severe cases of COVID-19 were defined by hospitalization and the need of oxygen or admission into ICU. Development and type of thrombotic events, presence and severity of bleeding complications were reported during treatment for COVID-19. Bleeding events were classified using ISTH definition. STROBE recommendations were used in order to enhance reporting. RESULTS: A total of 793 patients from 79 centers were included in the study with 593 being hospitalized (74.8%). Among these, 511 were defined as having severe COVID: 162 were admitted to the ICU while 349 received oxygen supplementation outside the ICU. Most patients (90.5%) were receiving thromboprophylaxis. During COVID-19 treatment, 11.1% developed a thromboembolic event, while 5.0% experienced bleeding. Thrombosis developed in 21.6% of patients who were not receiving thromboprophylaxis, in contrast to 10.6% of patients who were on thromboprophylaxis. Bleeding episodes were more frequent in patients receiving intermediate/therapeutic versus prophylactic doses of low-molecular-weight heparin (LWMH) (8.1% vs. 3.8%, respectively) and in elderly. In multivariate analysis, peak D-dimer level and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio were poor prognostic factors for thrombosis occurrence (OR?=?1.022, 95%CI 1.007?1.038 and OR?=?1.025, 95%CI 1.001?1.051, respectively), while thromboprophylaxis use was protective (OR?=?0.199, 95%CI 0.061?0.645). Age and LMWH intermediate/therapeutic dose administration were prognostic factors in multivariate model for bleeding (OR?=?1.062, 95%CI 1.017-1.109 and OR?=?2.438, 95%CI 1.023-5.813, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CLL affected by severe COVID-19 are at a high risk of thrombosis if thromboprophylaxis is not used, but also at increased risk of bleeding under the LMWH intermediate/therapeutic dose administration

MODELLING AND PROCESSING OF SIGNALS BY FAST DIGITAL CONVOLUTIONS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

The aim is to create the faultless algorithms for processing of the biomedical information in real time scale and to develop the mathematical models on their base for solution of the biology and medicine problems. The solution as a mathematical model of electrophysiological processes and concrete algorithms of the digital signal processing has been substantiated and proposed. The minimization of computing resources has been introduced in the specialized processor for computation of the polynomial functions and in the general purpose personal computers. The systolic processor has been introduced in the State Institute of Fine Mechanics and Optics (St.-Petersburg), the physiotherapeutic plants has been introduced in the Research Institute of Influenza (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences)Available from VNTIC / VNTIC - Scientific & Technical Information Centre of RussiaSIGLERURussian Federatio

PROBLEMS AND METHODS FOR MODELLING, DESIGNING AND CONTROL OF COMPLEX SOFTWARE-HARDWARE SYSTEMS

The following software-hardware systems have been considered: robotic-technical systems, flexible production systems, systems of special purpose, multimedia complexes. The mathematical and information models for the wide class problems of modelling, designing and control of the robotic-technical systems, FPS, systems of special purpose and multimedia complexes have been developed. The software packages for solution of the formulated problems have been introduced in the industrial enterprises. The specialized operating system MISS passed the State tests and has been recommended to the batch production. Application field: theory of control, computer science, system programming, modelling, designing and control of complex software-hardware systemsAvailable from VNTIC / VNTIC - Scientific & Technical Information Centre of RussiaSIGLERURussian Federatio

Controlling spherical mobile robot in a two-parametric friction model

The theoretical mechanical model of the spherical robot with the flywheels located in a sphere is considered. The described design is intended for the motion control of a sphere on various trajectories. In the paper, control algorithms of a sphere on basic trajectories are investigated; the movements from rotation on the point and the movements on a straight line piece before the basic movements on curvilinear trajectories are considered. The paper describes dynamical models of a sphere robot, different models of friction, as well as a two-parametrical model as the main model of friction. Technical possibility of realization of a sphere robot with flywheels is proved

Morpho-Physiological Features of Human Populations in the Context of Climatic – Geographical Conditions

This paper is based on the data obtained in the course of population studies conducted in 33 geographical regions of the former USSR territory by the faculty of the Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, between 1961 and 1991. The data resulting from study of 4386 male and 4626 female subjects aged 17 to 99 include head and body morphology, bone mineral density, blood oxygen saturation and blood biochemistry. We aimed at studying the link between the traits of a population and the climatic conditions of the area inhabited by this population. Individual characteristics of the subjects were normalized by age and sex, and factor analysis was used to reduce the number of cross-correlating features. As a result, several integral characteristics (factors) were identified: five body morphology-related factors, two headmorphology-related factors, one bone mineral density-related factor, one blood oxygen saturation-related factor and three blood biochemistry-related factors. These factors explained 79.3%, 78.38%, 63.51%, 74.4% and 66.77% of the trait groups’ variability, respectively. The correlation analysis between these factors and climatic indicators demonstrated that chest dimensions were the least tolerant to the climatic conditions among the morphological characteristics studied. Hemoglobin-protein ratios, as well as the factor that includes total cholesterol, were the most climate-dependent among the biochemical parameters. As far as our data show, blood serum oxygen saturation – the key factor determining the performance of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems – is also climate-dependent

BTK and PLCG2 remain unmutated in one third of patients with CLL relapsing on ibrutinib

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) progressing on ibrutinib constitute an unmet clinical need. Though BTK and PLCG2 mutations are associated with ibrutinib resistance, their frequency and relevance to progression are not fully understood. In this multicenter retrospective observational study, we analyzed 98 patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib (49 relapsing after an initial response and 49 still responding after ≥1 year of continuous treatment) using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel (1% sensitivity) comprising 13 CLL-relevant genes including BTK and PLCG2. BTK hotspot mutations were validated by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) (0.1% sensitivity). By integrating NGS and ddPCR results, 32/49 relapsing cases (65%) carried at least 1 hotspot BTK mutation and/or PLCG2 mutation(s); in 6/32, BTK mutations were only detected by ddPCR [variant allele frequency (VAF) 0.1-1.2%]. BTK/PLCG2 mutations were also identified in 6/49 responding patients (12%; 5/6 VAF <10%), of whom 2 progressed at later time points. Among the relapsing patients, the BTK-mutated (BTKmut) group was enriched for EGR2 mutations, while BTK-wildtype (BTKwt) cases more frequently displayed BIRC3 and NFKBIE mutations. Using an extended capture-based panel, only BRAF and IKZF3 mutations showed a predominance in relapsing cases, who were enriched for del(8p) (n=11; 3 BTKwt). Finally, no difference in TP53 mutation burden was observed between BTKmut versus BTKwt relapsing cases, and ibrutinib treatment did not appear to favor selection of TP53-aberrant clones. In conclusion, we show that BTK/PLCG2 mutations were absent in a substantial fraction (35%) of a real-world cohort failing ibrutinib, and propose additional mechanisms contributing to resistance