Ural Federal University

Abstract Review articles or literature reviews are a critical part of scientific research. While numerous guides on literature reviews exist, these are often limited to the philosophy of review procedures, protocols, and nomenclatures, triggering non-parsimonious reporting and confusion due to overlapping similarities. To address the aforementioned limitations, we adopt a pragmatic approach to demystify and shape the academic practice of conducting literature reviews. We concentrate on the types, focuses, considerations, methods, and contributions of literature reviews as independent, standalone studies. As such, our article serves as an overview that scholars can rely upon to navigate the fundamental elements of literature reviews as standalone and independent studies, without getting entangled in the complexities of review procedures, protocols, and nomenclatures.

Chromosomal rearrangements of the human MLL/KMT2A gene are associated with infant, pediatric, adult and therapy-induced acute leukemias. Here we present the data obtained from 2345 acute leukemia patients. Genomic breakpoints within the MLL gene and the involved translocation partner genes (TPGs) were determined and 11 novel TPGs were identified. Thus, a total of 135 different MLL rearrangements have been identified so far, of which 94 TPGs are now characterized at the molecular level. In all, 35 out of these 94 TPGs occur recurrently, but only 9 specific gene fusions account for more than 90% of all illegitimate recombinations of the MLL gene. We observed an age-dependent breakpoint shift with breakpoints localizing within MLL intron 11 associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and younger patients, while breakpoints in MLL intron 9 predominate in AML or older patients. The molecular characterization of MLL breakpoints suggests different etiologies in the different age groups and allows the correlation of functional domains of the MLL gene with clinical outcome. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the MLL recombinome in acute leukemia and demonstrates that the establishment of patient-specific chromosomal fusion sites allows the design of specific PCR primers for minimal residual disease analyses for all patients.

The asteroid impact near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on 15 February 2013 was the largest airburst on Earth since the 1908 Tunguska event, causing a natural disaster in an area with a population exceeding one million. Because it occurred in an era with modern consumer electronics, field sensors, and laboratory techniques, unprecedented measurements were made of the impact event and the meteoroid that caused it. Here, we document the account of what happened, as understood now, using comprehensive data obtained from astronomy, planetary science, geophysics, meteorology, meteoritics, and cosmochemistry and from social science surveys. A good understanding of the Chelyabinsk incident provides an opportunity to calibrate the event, with implications for the study of near-Earth objects and developing hazard mitigation strategies for planetary protection.

Extensive bone loss is still a major problem in orthopedics. A number of different therapeutic approaches have been developed and proposed, but so far none have proven to be fully satisfactory. We used a new tissue engineering approach to treat four patients with large bone diaphysis defects and poor therapeutic alternatives. To obtain implantable three-dimensional (3D) living constructs, cells isolated from the patients' bone marrow stroma were expanded in culture and seeded onto porous hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic scaffolds designed to match the bone deficit in terms of size and shape. During the surgical session, an Ilizarov apparatus or a monoaxial external fixator was positioned on the patient's affected limb and the ceramic cylinder seeded with cells was placed in the bone defect. Patients were evaluated at different postsurgery time intervals by conventional radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans. In one patient, an angiographic evaluation was performed at 6.5 years follow-up. In this study we analyze the long-term outcome of these patients following therapy. No major complications occurred in the early or late postoperative periods, nor were major complaints reported by the patients. No signs of pain, swelling, or infection were observed at the implantation site. Complete fusion between the implant and the host bone occurred 5 to 7 months after surgery. In all patients at the last follow-up (6 to 7 years postsurgery in patients 1 to 3), a good integration of the implants was maintained. No late fractures in the implant zone were observed. The present study shows the long-term durability of bone regeneration achieved by a bone engineering approach. We consider the obtained results very promising and propose the use of culture-expanded osteoprogenitor cells in conjunction with porous bioceramics as a real and significant improvement in the repair of critical-sized long bone defects.

Using Lorenz microscopy and small-angle electron diffraction, we directly present that the chiral magnetic soliton lattice (CSL) continuously evolves from a chiral helimagnetic structure in small magnetic fields in Cr(1/3)NbS2. An incommensurate CSL undergoes a phase transition to a commensurate ferromagnetic state at the critical field strength. The period of a CSL, which exerts an effective potential for itinerant spins, is tuned by simply changing the field strength. Chiral magnetic orders observed do not exhibit any structural dislocation, indicating their high stability and robustness in Cr(1/3)NbS2.

Abstract Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare 1 . However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling 2–4 at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc 3 . Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia 5 and Anatolia 6 , have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc , synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association 7 between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc 8,9 driving the spread of Indo-European languages 10 . This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture 11,12 .

An increase in human activities and population growth have significantly increased the world's energy demands. The major source of energy for the world today is from fossil fuels, which are polluting and degrading the environment due to the emission of greenhouse gases. Hydrogen is an identified efficient energy carrier and can be obtained through renewable and non-renewable sources. An overview of renewable sources of hydrogen production which focuses on water splitting (electrolysis, thermolysis, and photolysis) and biomass (biological and thermochemical) mechanisms is presented in this study. The limitations associated with these mechanisms are discussed. The study also looks at some critical factors that hinders the scaling up of the hydrogen economy globally. Key among these factors are issues relating to the absence of a value chain for clean hydrogen, storage and transportation of hydrogen, high cost of production, lack of international standards, and risks in investment. The study ends with some future research recommendations for researchers to help enhance the technical efficiencies of some production mechanisms, and policy direction to governments to reduce investment risks in the sector to scale the hydrogen economy up.

Purpose This paper aims at exploring the effect of knowledge management (KM) practices on the relationship between external research and development (R&D) and innovative performance. The authors argue that the firms which develop and possess superior KM capabilities have the ability to better manage external knowledge and combine it with the internal one. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a sample of 117 European MNC subsidiaries. An OLS regression analysis was carried out to evaluate the moderator effect of KM on the relationship between external R&D and innovative performance. Findings The authors found positive evidences in favor of a moderator effect of KM. This means that subsidiaries with superior KM capabilities are more effective in using external R&D, augmenting the magnitude of their external sources of knowledge and, consequently, improving their innovative performance. Practical implications Managerially speaking, both corporate and subsidiaries’ managers need to understand the relevance of managing knowledge effectively and efficiently at the subsidiary level. Corporate managers need to allocate more resources (both financial and managerial) to the subsidiaries that are active in knowledge transfer and sharing, while subsidiaries managers need to implement practically the KM tools and processes at the subsidiary organizational level to improve subsidiary’s innovative performance. Originality/value This paper contributes mainly to the KM field, highlighting the importance of KM at the subsidiary level, whereas most of previous studies focus on different units of analysis.

: The main purpose of this work is to study the effectiveness of using FeCeOx nanocomposites doped with Nb2O5 for the purification of aqueous solutions from manganese. X-ray diffraction, energy–dispersive analysis, scanning electron microscopy, vibrational magnetic spectroscopy, and mössbauer spectroscopy were used as research methods. It is shown that an increase in the dopant concentration leads to the transformation of the shape of nanoparticles from spherical to cubic and rhombic, followed by an increase in the size of the nanoparticles. The spherical shape of the nanoparticles is characteristic of a structure consisting of a mixture of two phases of hematite (Fe2O3) and cerium oxide CeO2. The cubic shape of nanoparticles is typical for spinel-type FeNbO4 structures, the phase contribution of which increases with increasing dopant concentration. It is shown that doping leads not only to a decrease in the concentration of manganese in model solutions, but also to an increase in the efficiency of adsorption from 11% to 75%.

Carving up the world into Global North and Global South has become an established way of thinking about global difference since the end of the Cold War. This binary, however, erases what this paper calls the Global East - those countries and societies that occupy an interstitial position between North and South. This paper problematises the geopolitics of knowledge that has resulted in the exclusion of the Global East, not just from the Global North and South, but from notions of globality in general. It argues that we need to adopt a strategic essentialism to recover the Global East for scholarship. To that end, it traces the global relations of IKEA's bevelled drinking glass to demonstrate the urgency of rethinking the Global East at the heart of global connections, rather than separate from them. Thinking of such a Global East as a liminal space complicates the notions of North and South towards more inclusive but also more uncertain theorising.

We report a careful and systematic study of thermal and photochemical degradation of a series of complex haloplumbates APbX3 (X = I, Br) with hybrid organic (A+ = CH3NH3) and inorganic (A+ = Cs+) cations under anoxic conditions (i.e., without exposure to oxygen and moisture by testing in an inert glovebox environment). We show that the most common hybrid materials (e.g., MAPbI3) are intrinsically unstable with respect to the heat- and light-induced stress and, therefore, can hardly sustain the real solar cell operation conditions. On the contrary, the cesium-based all-inorganic complex lead halides revealed far superior stability and, therefore, provide an impetus for creation of highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells that can potentially achieve pragmatic operational benchmarks.

The class II masers of methanol are associated with the early stages of formation of high-mass stars. Modelling of these dense, dusty environments has demonstrated that pumping by infrared radiation can account for the observed masers. Collisions with other molecules in the ambient gas also play a significant role, but have not been well modelled in the past. Here we examine the effects on the maser models of newly available collision rate coefficients for methanol. The new collision data do not alter which transitions become masers in the models, but do influence their brightness and the conditions under which they switch on and off. At gas temperatures above 100 K the effects are broadly consistent with a reduction in the overall collision cross-section. This means, for example, that a slightly higher gas density than identified previously can account for most of the observed masers in W3(OH). We have also examined the effects of including more excited-state energy levels in the models, and find that these play a significant role only at dust temperatures above 300 K. An updated list of class II methanol maser candidates is presented. © 2005 RAS.

Many emerging economies, including the BRICS economies, are having difficulty meeting the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) objectives. Consequently, this research discusses the creation of an SDG framework for the BRICS economies, which can be utilized as a model for other blocs. To achieve this purpose, this research probes into the effect of biomass energy usage on ecological footprint in the BRICS economies between 1992 and 2018, considering the roles of gross capital formation, natural resources, and globalization. The novel Methods of Moments-Quantile-Regression (MMQR) approach with fixed effects is used, the outcomes of which reveal that in all quantiles (10th to 90th), globalization and biomass energy use mitigate environmental degradation, whereas economic growth, natural resources, and gross capital formation contribute to environmental degradation. The present research applied a series of techniques such as panel FMOLS, and DOLS, FE-OLS, the outcomes of which disclosed that globalization and biomass energy utilization help mitigate environmental degradation, while economic growth, natural resources, and gross capital formation improve environmental degradation. On the basis of the study’s findings, we suggest a shift in energy policies away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy alternatives by taking measures regarding the innovation of biomass to improve conversion efficiency.

Abstract There are two methods to estimate the particle size from X-ray diffraction data: the Debye equation and the Scherrer formula. The main goal of this study is to describe the methodology of particle size estimation on the base of two these methods and to apply it to TiO2 powder to determine the diameters and the mass content of anatase and brookite components. The studied nano-dispersed TiO 2 powder was synthesized by the sol-gel method. The proposed method of particle size estimation consists of several steps: 1. Approximation of diffraction peaks by Gaussians and calculation of initial values of particle size with the use of the Scherrer formula; 2. Iterations with the use of the Debye equation to obtain more accurate particle size values; 3. Calculation of the mass content of different components corresponding to the minimum R-factor.

Members of the highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed pleiotropic CK1 family play major regulatory roles in many cellular processes including DNA-processing and repair, proliferation, cytoskeleton dynamics, vesicular trafficking, apoptosis, and cell differentiation. As a consequence of cellular stress conditions, interaction of CK1 with the mitotic spindle is manifold increased pointing to regulatory functions at the mitotic checkpoint. Furthermore, CK1 is able to alter the activity of key proteins in signal transduction and signal integration molecules. In line with this notion, CK1 is tightly connected to the regulation and degradation of β-catenin, p53, and MDM2. Considering the importance of CK1 for accurate cell division and regulation of tumor suppressor functions, it is not surprising that mutations and alterations in the expression and/or activity of CK1 isoforms are often detected in various tumor entities including cancer of the kidney, choriocarcinomas, breast carcinomas, oral cancer, adenocarcinomas of the pancreas, and ovarian cancer. Therefore, scientific effort has enormously increased (i) to understand the regulation of CK1 and its involvement in tumorigenesis- and tumor progression-related signal transduction pathways and (ii) to develop CK1-specific inhibitors for the use in personalized therapy concepts. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding CK1 regulation, function, and interaction with cellular proteins playing central roles in cellular stress-responses and carcinogenesis.

Purpose – An empirical testing on IBM smart cities projects was applied so as to demonstrate that the combination between the use of Internet of Things (IoT) and the implementation of the Open Innovation (OI) model within smart cities which has been changed the development of urban areas and effected firms’ innovativeness. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A case study methodology on a leading multinational firms deeply involved in smart cities projects has been chosen. Findings – From this study it emerged how IBM: has a clear vision of smart cities and IoT; adopt a worldwide OI approach to smart cities; delineate-specific strategies and create OI units ad hoc for smart cities’ projects. Research limitations/implications – The major limitation of this work is that the analysis presented has been developed only on one case of multinational firm that operate in smart cities contexts. Practical implications – Recommendations will be made both to public and private actor in order to plan and implement efficient strategies to improve their performances. Originality/value – The concept of smart city has become quite popular between scholars and practitioners in the era of digital economy. Cities become smart developing new urban area using new Information and Communication Technologies such as mobile devices, the semantic web, cloud computing, and the IoT. Smart cities make innovation ecosystem, joining together different forces like knowledge-intensive activities, institutions for cooperation and learning, and web-based applications collective intelligence. This research is of importance and significance to scholars, government, and firms who need to understand the relevance of smart cities in the current economy.

Halloysite clay is an aluminosilicate nanotube formed by rolling flat sheets of kaolinite clay. They have a 15 nm lumen, 50-70 nm external diameter, length of 0.5-1 μm, and different inside/outside chemistry. Due to these nanoscale properties, they are used for loading, storage, and controlled release of active chemical agents, including anticorrosions, biocides, and drugs. We studied the immobilization in halloysite of laccase, glucose oxidase, and lipase. Overall, negatively charged proteins taken above their isoelectric points were mostly loaded into the positively charged tube's lumen. Typical tube loading with proteins was 6-7 wt % from which one-third was released in 5-10 h and the other two-thirds remained, providing enhanced biocatalysis in nanoconfined conditions. Immobilized lipase showed enhanced stability at acidic pH, and the optimum pH shifted to more alkaline pH. Immobilized laccase was more stable with respect to time, and immobilized glucose oxidase showed retention of enzymatic activity up to 70 °C, whereas the native sample was inactive.

Abstract The development of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and the use of emitting molecules have strongly stimulated scientific research of emitting compounds. In particular, for OLEDs it is required to harvest all singlet and triplet excitons that are generated in the emission layer. This can be achieved using the so‐called triplet harvesting mechanism. However, the materials to be applied are based on high‐cost rare metals and therefore, it has been proposed already more than one decade ago by our group to use the effect of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) to harvest all generated excitons in the lowest excited singlet state S 1 . In this situation, the resulting emission is an S 1 →S 0 fluorescence, though a delayed one. Hence, this mechanism represents the singlet harvesting mechanism. Using this effect, high‐cost and strong SOC‐carrying rare metals are not required. This mechanism can very effectively be realized by use of Cu I or Ag I complexes and even by purely organic molecules. In this investigation, we focus on photoluminescence properties and on crucial requirements for designing Cu I and Ag I materials that exhibit short TADF decay times at high emission quantum yields. The decay times should be as short as possible to minimize non‐radiative quenching and, in particular, chemical reactions that frequently occur in the excited state. Thus, a short TADF decay time can strongly increase the material's long‐term stability. Here, we study crucial parameters and analyze their impact on the TADF decay time. For example, the energy separation Δ E (S 1 –T 1 ) between the lowest excited singlet state S 1 and the triplet state T 1 should be small. Accordingly, we present detailed photophysical properties of two case‐study materials designed to exhibit a large Δ E (S 1 –T 1 ) value of 1000 cm −1 (120 meV) and, for comparison, a small one of 370 cm −1 (46 meV). From these studies—extended by investigations of many other Cu I TADF compounds—we can conclude that just small Δ E (S 1 –T 1 ) is not a sufficient requirement for short TADF decay times. High allowedness of the transition from the emitting S 1 state to the electronic ground state S 0 , expressed by the radiative rate k r (S 1 →S 0 ) or the oscillator strength f (S 1 →S 0 ), is also very important. However, mostly small Δ E (S 1 –T 1 ) is related to small k r (S 1 →S 0 ). This relation results from an experimental investigation of a large number of Cu I complexes and basic quantum mechanical considerations. As a consequence, a reduction of τ (TADF) to below a few μs might be problematic. However, new materials can be designed for which this disadvantage is not prevailing. A new TADF compound, Ag(dbp)(P 2 ‐nCB) (with dbp=2,9‐di‐ n‐butyl ‐1,10‐phenanthroline and P 2 ‐nCB= bis ‐(diphenylphosphine)‐ nido ‐carborane) seems to represent such an example. Accordingly, this material shows TADF record properties, such as short TADF decay time at high emission quantum yield. These properties are based (i) on geometry optimizations of the Ag I complex for a fast radiative S 1 →S 0 rate and (ii) on restricting the extent of geometry reorganizations after excitation for reducing non‐radiative relaxation and emission quenching. Indeed, we could design a TADF material with breakthrough properties showing τ (TADF)=1.4 μs at 100 % emission quantum yield.

The physical basis of the domain engineering in ferroelectrics and its application to lithium niobate crystals were reviewed. The unified kinetic approach to the domain structure evolution in electric field was formulated and its validity for understanding the variety of observed domain evolution scenarios was demonstrated. The kinetics and statics of the domain structure in the crystals of lithium niobate family including congruent, stoichiometric, and MgO doped ones have been discussed. The main stages of the periodical poling process and related problems have been pointed out. The basic poling techniques applied for creation of the periodical domain structures in bulk crystals and waveguides were compared. The recent applications of the periodically poled lithium niobate for light frequency conversion using second harmonic generation and optical parametric oscillation, excitation of the surface acoustic waves, and generation of terahertz radiation have been discussed. The special attention has been paid for achievements in fabrication of high-power optical parametric oscillation and integrated optical devices with periodically poled lithium niobate. The future trends in periodical poling and development of the nanodomain engineering which will allow to create the nanoscale domain patterns necessary for utilization of the new nonlinear interactions were reviewed.

Modeling of stress and anxiety in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly utilized in neuroscience research and central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery. Representing the most commonly used zebrafish anxiety models, the novel tank test (NTT) focuses on zebrafish diving in response to potentially threatening stimuli, whereas the light-dark test (LDT) is based on fish scototaxis (innate preference for dark vs. bright areas). Here, we systematically evaluate the utility of these two tests, combining meta-analyses of published literature with comparative in vivo behavioral and whole-body endocrine (cortisol) testing. Overall, the NTT and LDT behaviors demonstrate a generally good cross-test correlation in vivo, whereas meta-analyses of published literature show that both tests have similar sensitivity to zebrafish anxiety-like states. Finally, NTT evokes higher levels of cortisol, likely representing a more stressful procedure than LDT. Collectively, our study reappraises NTT and LDT for studying anxiety-like states in zebrafish, and emphasizes their developing utility for neurobehavioral research. These findings can help optimize drug screening procedures by choosing more appropriate models for testing anxiolytic or anxiogenic drugs.