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This essay aims to contribute to the understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on a Norwegian- Russian social work research project. The reflexive act of writing about the project’s disrupted startup is an exercise of flexibility and dynamics in the research process. Well known grips for those of us working with qualitative inquiry. Still, the unpredictable landscape, uncertainty of what would come next, and the insecurity in the present moved us as researchers towards new local and contextual knowledge, forced by the pandemic’s extensive effects.

Background Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system and it has become the fastest growing cancer among women. The suspected risk factors include increased exposure to ionizing radiation during childhood, environmental pollutants, possible iodine deficiency, and excessive iodine exposure. Aims To analyze the thyroid cancer incidence between 1980 and 2013 in Bulgaria and to determine the incidence rate before and after the introduction of universal salt iodization in 1994 in regions with different iodine deficiency levels. Study design Retrospective cohort. Methods The study was a retrospective analysis of the total number of thyroid cancer cases with all histological types in Bulgaria (thyroid cancer, ICD10 code C73), diagnosed between 01/01/1980 and 31/12/2013, and retrieved from the anonymous cancer registry database of the Bulgarian National Cancer Registry. Age-standardized rates of thyroid cancer per 100,000 persons were calculated for each year of the periods mentioned below by sex and age, utilizing the WHO world reference populations with a special statistical module of the Bulgarian National Cancer Registry’s software CancerRegBG, 2011. Incidence rates were reported by age, sex, and period of diagnosis (1980-86, 1987-93, 1994-99, 2000-2006, 2007-2013). Trends among males and females were analyzed separately, as well as by age category: 0-19, 20-44, 45-64, and 65+. Annual percentage changes of age-standardized incidence rates were analyzed by Joinpoint regression to determine trends using the Joinpoint statistical software SEER* Stat Software, Version 4.1.1, 2014. Results The age-standardized rates of thyroid cancer in Bulgaria has been increasing since 1990, being higher among women compared to men (4.68 vs 2.81). The highest age-standardized rates of thyroid cancer was observed in women in the 2007-2013 period. The only significant joinpoint was recorded in 1990 for females and in 1991 for males. The highest incidence rates was in the Smolyan district, a region with historically existing iodine deficiency and relatively high post-Chernobyl radiation exposure. Conclusion Our results showed that, in different regions, the age-standardized thyroid cancer rates between endemic and non-endemic differ greatly depending on the radiation dose from the Chernobyl accident. The role of iodine intake in thyroid cancer remains uncertain, but iodine deficiency could be a contributing factor to the increased risk of thyroid cancer.

The appearance of drug-resistant pathogens reduces the therapeutic applicability of antibiotics and increases the rate of hospital infections among patients. Complete genome sequences of four Gram-positive clinical isolates of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus were obtained and analyzed to serve as model microorganisms for further studies on drug-induced antibiotic resistance reversion.

This article aims to map and provide an overview of international, regional, and national law applicable to marine waste in the Barents Sea, and to analyze fishing industry actors’ practices and perceptions of marine waste. We identify gaps between the law and its implementation, enforcement, and practice. The legal framework for marine plastic pollution in the Barents Sea and the Arctic is fragmented and not harmonized. Insufficient waste management facilities and regulations are likely to hinder compliance with existing regulations. There is an urgent need to upgrade the waste management infrastructure for the fishing industry in Norway and in northwest Russia. publishedVersion

Rehabilitācija Veselības aprūpe Rehabilitation Health Care Nosaukums: Dzīves kvalitātes novērtēšanas instrumentu satura un psihometrisko īpašību salīdzinājums bērniem ar dzirdes traucējumiem: sistemātisks literatūras pārskats. Aktualitāte: Dzirdes traucējumi ir neredzams veselības stāvoklis, kas būtiski ietekmē indivīda dzīves kvalitāti (WHO, 2018). Centrālās statistikas pārvaldes dati liecina, ka 2019. gadā dzirdes traucējumi bija 485 bērniem, kuri kombinējās ar funkcionāliem traucējumiem (Centrālā statistikas pārvalde, 2020). Latvijā diemžēl vēl joprojām nav pieejami instrumenti ar kuriem varētu novērtēt dzīves kvalitāti bērniem ar dzirdes traucējumiem. Apstiprināta, ar dzirdi saistīta dzīves kvalitātes novērtēšanas (Quality of Life - QoL) anketa varētu palīdzēt speciālistiem noteikt vai iejaukšanās sniegtu labvēlīgu rezultātu, kā arī vai viens iejaukšanās veids būtu pārāks par citu (Umansky, A.M., 2011). Pētījuma mērķis: Noskaidrot bērniem ar dzirdes traucējumiem biežāk izmantotos dzīves kvalitātes novērtēšanas instrumentus, salīdzināt to saturu izmantojot Starptautisko funkcionēšanas, nespējas un veselības klasifikāciju (SFK) un psihometriskās īpašības. Pētījuma metodes: Sistemātisks pārskats. Pētījuma rezultāti: Sistemātiskajā literatūras pārskatā iekļautajos pētījumos identificēti 10 funkcionālā stāvokļa novērtējumi, no kuriem tālāk tika analizēti 5 biežāk izmantotie instrumenti – GCBI, Peds-QL, HEAR-QL un YQOL-DHH KINDLR Quality of Life Scale. Instrumentos identificētie koncepti sasaistīti ar 43 SFK kategorijām. Ķermeņa funkciju kategoriju pārsvars vērojams Peds-QL, bet GCBI, HEAR-QL un KINDLR Quality of Life Scale šīs kategorijas apskata līdzvērtīgi. Aktivitātes un dalības kategorijas galvenokārt vērtē YQOL-DHH, HEAR-QL, bet Peds-QL un GCBI šīs kategorijas apskata līdzvērtīgi. Vides faktori tiek vērtēti HEAR-QL un GCBI, apskatot šīs kategorijas līdzverīgi, kā arī tās tiek izvērtētas YQOL-DHH instrumentā. Psihometriskās īpašības bērniem ar dzirdes traucējumiem tiek novērtētas tādos instrumentos kā HEAR-QL un YQOL-DHH. Peds-QL instrumentam psihometriskās īpašības tiek novertētas gan bērniem ar dzirdes traucējumiem, gan testējot uz cita veida diagnozēm. Instrumentiem GCBI un KINDLR Quality of Life Scale tās tiek noteiktas testējot uz cita veida diagnozēm. Secinājumi: Netika identificēts vienots, unikāls funkcionālā stāvokļa novērtēšanas instruments bērniem ar dzirdes traucējumiem. Instrumenta izvēle ir atkarīga no dzirdes traucējuma pakāpes, veida, kā arī dzirdes palīglīdzekļa izmantošanas. Title: Comparison of the content and psychometric properties of quality of life assessment tools for children with hearing impairments: systematic literature review. Topicality: Hearing impairment is an invisible health condition that significantly affects an individual's quality of life (WHO, 2018). Data from the Central Statistical Bureau show that in 2019, there were 485 hearing impaired children, who combined with functional impairment (Central Statistical Bureau, 2020). Unfortunately, in Latvia there are still no tools available to assess the quality of life of children with hearing impairments. A validated, hearing-related Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire could help professionals determine whether an intervention would be beneficial, as well as determine whether one type of intervention would be superior to another (Umansky, A.M., 2011). The Aim of the Research: Determine the most frequently used quality of life assessment tools for children with hearing impairments, compare their content using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and psychometric characteristics. Methods: Systematic review. Results: The studies included in the systematic literature review identified 10 functional status assessments, of which the 5 most commonly used tools were further analyzed - GCBI, Peds-QL, HEAR-QL and YQOL-DHH KINDLR Quality of Life Scale. The concepts identified in the tools are linked to 43 ICF categories. The predominance of the body function and structure categories is observed in Peds-QL, but the GCBI, HEAR-QL, and KINDLR Quality of Life Scale view this categories equally. The activity and participation categories is mainly assessed by YQOL-DHH, HEAR-QL, but Peds-QL and GCBI view this categories equally. Environmental factors are assessed by HEAR-QL and GCBI on an equal footing, as well as in the YQOL-DHH instrument. Psychometric properties in children with hearing impairments are assessed in instruments such as HEAR-QL and YQOL-DHH. The psychometric properties of the Peds-QL instrument are evaluated both in children with hearing impairments and by testing for other types of diagnoses. For the GCBI and KINDLR Quality of Life Scale they are determined by testing for other types of diagnoses. Conclusions: No single, unique functional assessment tool for children with hearing impairments has been identified. The choice of instrument depends on the degree and type of hearing impairment and the use of the hearing aid.

The subject of this paper seems to be important due to the ever-increasing interest in architectural traditions of Russia’s regions. The goal of the study is to reveal features of the architecture of Orthodox churches of the 18th century in the Middle Volga region. The key approach I chose for this study was historical architectural analysis and integration of data from archives and field surveys. Descriptions and analyses of the region’s lesser-known little known specimen of religious architecture are introduced for the scientific use based on the author’s own in situ investigations. The article attempts to analyze a wide range of issues related to the formation of the architecture of rural Orthodox churches in the Middle Volga region in the 18th century. The layout, composition and stylistic features of the architecture of the Orthodox churches of the region are considered. The features of the regional cult architecture of the Middle Volga region have been revealed. Many archival materials from Russia’s central and regional repositories are considered and published at for the first time. The presented study results the can be used as a basis for further research in the field of religious architecture of the Middle Volga.

The article analyzes the tourist potential of the cult architectural heritage of the Middle Volga region for agrotourism. The urgency of the problem under investigation is determined by the ever-increasing interest in architectural traditions of ethnical and sub-ethnical communities in various Russia’s regions, including the Cossacks. The methodology of the study is based on a comprehensive architectural historical analysis of the layouts and design of churches in Cossack settlements in the region. The author analyzes a wide range of issues related to the architectural layout, composition and character of churches in Cossack settlements in the 16th–20th centuries. The paper reveals an interesting stratum of regional heritage. It contains a description and analysis of little-known architectural monuments based on the author’s field surveys of the remaining settlements. The work includes examination of comprehensive archival data from local and central archives, as well as rich graphical material. The findings in this paper can provide a framework to further research in the area of architecture culture of the Cossacks in the Mid Volga regions.

This paper deals with the idea of efficient intellectual operations development required for students to be successful at acquiring information via IT tools and learning a foreign language. The authors provide a list of functional soft skills referred to cogitative abilities. These operations ensure critical data selection during relevant engineering information search contained in digital engineering environment. Intellectual skills are rated in the course of instruction of graduates and undergraduates. Suggestions on skills formation and their further improvement on the basis of IT tools and functional approach are given.

The paper considers the influence of dynamic loads that occur in industrial equipment of machine-building production on the conditions of its safe operation and viability, as well as on humans.

This chapter presents the main features of the different institutional and legal settings in Greenland, Norway and Russia, and how these frame the management of mining activities, particularly in relation to sustainability. The common denominator for Greenland, Norway and Russia is that mining activities have developed within continually evolving national structures in terms of formal legislation and governance institutions, as well as in response to the impact of new societal discourses on mining. The way in which these changes have played out, the degree of societal change, and the way national policies connect with the mining industry in light of these changes does however differ between the three countries.

This chapter discusses sustainability issues related to two mining companies – JSC “Apatit” and JSC “North-Western Phosphorous Company” – in the towns of Kirovsk and Apatity in the Murmansk region of Russia. These companies have been exploiting apatite-nepheline ore deposits in Khibiny, the largest mountain massif on the Kola Peninsula. The main question posed here is how knowledge about environmental, economic, cultural and social values decision making and knowledge systems are applied in decision making. A case study of Kirovsk and Apatity was undertaken to further understand the local planning regime and sustainability in Kirovsk and Apatity, including environmental integrity, indigenous groups and their subsistence economy, community benefits, effective engagement, and mining companies’ self-reporting on sustainability. The main challenges to sustainable mining are identified for the three major stakeholder groups – mining companies, local communities, and government authorities. The chapter concludes that perceptions of sustainable development in these Russian industrial towns are shaped by the dominant role mining industry plays on the Kola Peninsula in influencing the quality of life of local people and their perceptions of environmental concerns, including questions of pollution and landscape aesthetics.

Universal iodization of salt on the whole territory in Bulgaria was introduced in 1994. The external evaluation of an International expert group conducted in 2005, placed the country among those who successfully overcame the problem of iodine deficiency. AIM of the present study is to update the data on iodine intake of pregnant women in Bulgaria, given that there have been no studies in the last 8 years. MATERIAL: A total number of 537 pregnant women were recruited in the study with an average age 30.49±5 y, distributed by gestational weeks and according to the intake of (vitamins and minerals preparations) preparations containing vitamins with minerals. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional, multicenter population-based in 10 regions of Bulgaria (a total of 84 settlements), without pre-selection and 98.3% of the examined pregnant women use Bulgarian iodized salt according to the data from the Questionnaire. METHOD: A spot morning urine samples were collected for determination of urinary iodine concentration. The frozen samples in a special container were transported to the accredited Limbach laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. The iodine in urine was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. The statistical analysis was performed using standard SPSS 13.0 for Windows. RESULTS: The median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) for the whole group of pregnant women (n-537) was 170 µg/L (95% CI 161.00 - 177.00). Normal iodine excretion is present in 39.3%, low – in 41.2% and over-optimal – in 19.6% of pregnant women. Significantly lower levels of iodine in urine were found in the third trimester of pregnancy compared to the first trimester (P < 0.012) and compared to the second trimester (P < 0.001). The median iodine concentration in pregnant women from the group supplemented with combined vitamins with minerals was significantly higher compared to the group without supplementation – 175 (95% CI 166.00 - 199.00) against 149 (95% CI 123.00 - 168.00), P < 0.021. CONCLUSION: During pregnancy, additional supplementation with combined vitamins with minerals containing iodine is required, regardless of the universal iodization of salt, introduced in Bulgaria for more than twenty-five years.

Underestimating the risk of iodine deficiency among the population and its impact on high risk groups such as pregnant women and children creates a serious problem for the health care system. The aim of the present study is to establish the current iodine status in pregnant women in Bulgaria and to clarify the importance of additional supplementation with combined vitamins and minerals (including iodine). Material: We included 537 non selected in advance pregnant women, avarage age 30.49±5 years (95% CI: 30.06 - 30.91), median – 30 (18-47) (95% CI: 30 - 31). More than 50% (271/537) of pregnant women took only vitamins with minerals or combined with other medications. Methods: After completing a personal Questionnaire, each pregnant woman followed the study protocol: sample for TSH and TPOAb (ECLIA method) morning urine to determine the iodine concentration by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); ultrasound examination to determine the volume of the thyroid gland. Results: The mean concentration of iodine in urine for the whole group of pregnant women (n-537) was 181.60±93.97 µg / L, median 170 µg / L (20th percentile – 102 µg / L, 80th percentile – 248 µg / L). According to the criterion “additional supplementation” three groups of pregnant women were formed – A (79, 14.71%) – not taking anything, B (271, 50.47%) – taking combined vitamins with minerals (including iodine), C (187, 34.82%) – taking medicines other than vitamins. The highest is the average level of iodine in urine in Group B – 191.08±95.42 µg / L and the lowest in Group A – 162.91±93.23 µg / L, P 250 µg / L) – 23.3% against 15.6% of these not taking combined vitamins with minerals (P < 0.04). No association was found between iodine in urine and thyroid volume, nor with abnormalities in TSH or TPOAb levels. Conclusion: The additional intake of combined vitamins with minerals (including iodine) contributes to the normal level of iodine in urine in pregnant Bulgarian women.

This article describes the problems of the banking market and capability to improve profitability through the introduction of probabilistic customers assessment system

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the page Programs initiated to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) may not remain effective due to changes in government policies, commercial factors, and human behavior that may affect the efficacy of IDD prevention programs in unpredictable directions. Monitoring and outcome studies are needed to optimize the effectiveness of IDD prevention. Although the need for monitoring is compelling, the current reality in Europe is less than optimal. Regular and systematic monitoring surveys have only been established in a few countries, and comparability across the studies is hampered by the lack of centralized standardization procedures. In addition, data on outcomes and the cost of achieving them are needed in order to provide evidence of the beneficial effects of IDD prevention in countries with mild iodine deficiency. Monitoring studies can be optimized by including centralized standardization procedures that improve the comparison between studies. No study of iodine consumption can replace the direct measurement of health outcomes and the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the program. It is particularly important that health economic evaluation should be conducted in mildly iodine-deficient areas and that it should include populations from regions with different environmental, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. EUthyroid info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/634453

Dynamics of general economic growth is to a considerable extent determined by results of research, technical and innovation policies in the Arctic zone of Russia. According to scholars’ evaluations contribution of innovation-technological development of the economy in growth of the country’s GDP accounts for 70–80%. Mineral formations, accumulated during the industrial epoch, affect significantly economic and ecological situation in the Arctic region. On the one hand, production wastes destroy the region’s environment. On the other hand, man-made mineral formations contain a lot of valuable scarce components. Volumes of solid wastes increase annually. Transition to innovation economy provides re-comprehension of mining in the society. Measures should be directed to radical renovation of production technologies. It will ensure rapid growth of competitiveness, increased demand and stronger position at the international market. Development of innovation technologies can be provided at the expense of active state and private innovation activities.

Iodine deficiency disorders represent the broad negative health and development consequences as a result of low iodine in the diet. Iodine deficiency is a public health problem in many countries around the world and the most common cause of preventable mental impairment worldwide. Pregnant women and young children present a group most susceptible to iodine deficiency. Salt iodization is a safe, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable strategy for improving the iodine intake by the population and the control of iodine deficiency disorders. During the past twenty five years universal salt iodization was introduced in many countries worldwide and now two thirds of world’s population is consuming iodized salt. Salt is a vehicle for iodization but high salt intake correlates with high blood pressure, the leading factor for global mortality, deaths from coronary heart diseases and stroke. Two dominating global public health problems with clear commonalities are hypertension leading to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and IDD. They are both preventable and salt reduction does notcontradict to salt iodization. The concentration ofiodine in salt can easily be adjusted to meet policies aimed at reducing the consumptionof salt in order to prevent cardiovascular disease and to ensure adequate iodine intake of the population. The only groups at risk for low iodine intake when salt intake will be reduced are pregnant women and small children. In these cases careful monitoringof iodine status and eventually additional supplementation must be of high priority.

In order to establish if dietary pectin could influence the levels of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and the rate of lipid peroxide formation, we fed 8 male Balb C mice for 14 days with a standard powder diet supplemented with 5% highly methoxylated apple pectin. Another 8 mice received the standard powder diet only and served as controls. The animals were killed on the 15th day. The levels of GSH and lipid peroxides expressed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in liver homogenates. Besides, parameters that could be related to GSH metabolism or lipid peroxidation, such as the activity of y-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) and the content of iron, were assessed as well. In pectin-fed animals γ-GT activity was decreased (p

Major economic transitions typically entail changes in the availability of and purchasing power for different types of foods leading to long-term changes in the composition of the diet. Bulgaria, a former Eastern Bloc country, underwent a difficult and protracted transition from a centralized to market economy with acute economic crises and a much slower recovery of income levels than in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Using annual data from the Bulgarian National Household Survey, we study changes in the reported consumption of major foods (excluding alcoholic drinks) and their constituent macronutrients from 1985 to 2002, examining also the differences in dietary patterns between the period prior to and following the transition. The consumption of most major food items decreased, resulting in a fall in per capita energy consumption of 429 kcal/day (1.80 MJ/d), following the economic transition of 1991. As expected, the consumption of foods that were more expensive per unit of energy decreased greater than cheaper foods, -34% for animal products and -19% for visible fats, but only -10% for carbohydrates. These changes are related to the changes in income and market prices as well as the general negative trend in economic growth and hyperinflation in the mid-1990s. Thus, Bulgaria experienced a decrease in food consumption without significant changes in the dietary pattern following the economic transition of 1991. The fact that part of this decline may be attributed to continued economic challenges suggests that future transitions in the diet may be expected as economic development proceeds.

Udgivelsesdato: 2006-Jun Hypertensive inbred rats (ISIAH; inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension) present with baseline hypertension (>170 mmHg in adult rats), but attain substantially higher values upon mild emotional stress. We aimed to characterize key parameters related to hypertension in ISIAH. Kidneys, adrenals, and systemic endocrine parameters were studied in ISIAH of different ages and compared to normotensive Wistar albino Glaxo (WAG) rats. Native organs were obtained for Western and PCR analysis. Perfusion-fixed organs were prepared for histopathology and quantitative histochemistry. Plasma renin and adrenal hormones were measured. Renal morphology was unaltered in ISIAH. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis was constitutively upregulated with enlarged adrenal cortices and enhanced plasma corticosterone levels. Plasma renin activity was not different between groups, whereas aldosterone levels were in part reduced. Juxtaglomerular NO synthase type 1, cyclooxygenase type 2, and renin expression were significantly reduced, whereas tubular gene products related to sodium transport (bumetanide-sensitive Na, K, 2Cl cotransporter type 2; thiazide-sensitive Na, Cl cotransporter; epithelial Na channel-alpha; 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2) were increased. These data suggest enhanced volume conservation by the kidney. Our data define ISIAH as an attractive model for the renal components determining salt and water homeostasis in hypertension. The specific condition of a basally stimulated HPA axis is highlighted, including the option to study effects superimposed by emotional stress.

Acid-base reactions and surface complexation of Sr(II) at the hematite/water interface have been studied by means of potentiometric titrations at three different temperatures: 25, 50, and 75 degrees C. Equilibrium measurements were performed in 0.1 M NaCl. In the evaluation of equilibrium models for the acid-base reactions and complexation reactions in the three-component system H(+)bond;(tbond;FeOH)bond;Sr(2+), the constant capacitance model was applied. During the titrations with Sr, aliquots of the suspension were sampled at in several points. The aqueous concentrations of Sr were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. Treatment of data included tests for formation of both inner-sphere and outer-sphere complexes of different stoichiometric composition. The proposed equilibrium model consists of the following surface complexes of inner sphere type:tbond;FeOHSr(2+) andtbond;FeOSrOH. Besides the stability constants for the surface complexes, the thermodynamic parameters DeltaH and DeltaS were evaluated. The combined effect of a decrease in pH(pzc) with increasing temperature and positive enthalpies of surface complex formation favors adsorption of Sr at elevated temperatures. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.