bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smuggling Volume as Qualifying Attribute of Constituent Elements of Crime Stipulated by Article 2001 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation
Authors:   Editor-in-Chief of the Drug Control journal, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Professor, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Fedorov Aleksandr V.
Published: January 2022

The article reviews the provisions of Article 200¹ of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (CC RF) stipulating liability for smuggling of cash and (or) cash instruments referring to determination of the crime subject and the smuggling volume, taking into account the clarifications of the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated April 27, 2017 No. 12 On Judicial Practice in Smuggling Cases. The author reviews the content of the “cash” and “cash instrument” notions characterizing the crime subject, considering the provisions of the Russian civil legislation and the EAEU customs legislation. The smuggling volume is viewed as a qualifying attribute and an attribute demarcating the acts stipulated by Article 200¹ of the CC RF and Article 16.4 Failure to Declare or Inaccurate Declaration of Cash and (or) Cash Instruments by Individuals of the Administrative Offence Code of the Russian Federation.
Alcohol and Tobacco Smuggling Articles
Authors:   Editor-in-Chief of the Drug Control journal, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Professor, Fedorov Aleksandr V.
Published: January 2022

The article is dedicated to the issues related to determination of the alcohol and tobacco smuggling subject as a crime stipulated by Article 2002 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (CC RF). The author reviews the correlation between the “crime subject” and the “smuggling article” notions from the criminal law theory standpoint, points out the difference in their content and concludes that a new criminal law notion is formed — “smuggling article”, which defines the goods (items) listed in Articles 200¹, 200², 226¹ and 229¹ of the CC RF, where criminal liability is established for their illegal transfer across the customs (state) border. The author indicates the blanket character of Article 200¹ of the CC RF and analyzes the “alcohol product” and “tobacco good” notions considering international agreements, supranational acts of the EAEC and the EAEU and Russian laws and regulations. The alcohol product and tobacco good types are listed and briefly characterized. The notions of falsified, undue quality and counterfeited alcohol products and tobacco goods are given. The author reviews some issues related to classification of illegal transfer of falsified, undue quality and counterfeited alcohol products and tobacco goods across the customs border of the Customs Union; describes approaches to determination of large-scale smuggling of alcohol products and tobacco goods, analyzes the clarifications of the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 27, 2017, No. 12 On Judicial Practice in Smuggling Cases on this issue.
Affairs and Fates of Russian Investigators: Prince G.A. Urusov
Authors:   Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Legal Sciences, Professor, Fedorov Aleksandr V. , Serov Dmitry O. ,   Head of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law of the Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management, Doctor of History
Published: January 2022

The article is devoted to the question about the life of Prince G. Urusov, who was the investigator of one of Peter the Great’s Military investigative chancelleries and then the Russian senator. Stories characterized about investigative and military activity of Grigoryi Urusov, on the base of archival sources clarifi ed some of the circumstances of his biography. G. Urusov’s role described in the investigation criminal case against Field Marshal Holy Prince Alexander Menshikov in 1718–1724.
DEFORMATION TREATMENT OF HARD-TO-DEFORM Ni–Ti–Nb AND Ni–Ti–Nb–Zr SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS
Authors:   Federal State Unitary Enterprise «All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials» of National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Skugorev A. V. , Kapitanenko D. V. ,   Federal State Unitary Enterprise «All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials» of National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute»
Published: January 2022

The work is devoted to the study of the processes of hot and cold plastic deformation of hard-to-deform shape memory alloys of the Ni–Ti–Nb and Ni–Ti–Nb–Zr systems. The optimal modes of deformation treatment of these alloys, which ensure the production of semi-finished products without surface defects, have been determined. Investigations of the mechanical properties of hot-deformed and cold-deformed semi-finished products from alloys of the Ni–Ti–Nb and Ni–Ti–Nb–Zr systems have been carried out. It is shown that the selected treatment modes of these alloys provide a high level of mechanical properties of materials.
Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange from Aqueous Solution using Orange Peel and CTAB-Modified Orange Peel
Authors: ROSANTİ Aulia Dewi , KUSUMAWATİ Yuly , HİDAYAT Fahmi , FADLAN Arif , WARDANİ Anggita R.k. , ANGGRAENİ Herlina Agusyanti
Published: January 2022

Cationic and anionic dyes are frequently used in industrial sectors and cause many environmental and health problems. Orange peel has the potential to absorb dye as an adsorbent. This study aimed to explore the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) as a cationic dye and methyl orange (MO) as an anionic dye using orange peel (OP) and its modification using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). OP and OP-CTAB biomass materials were characterized using FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared), surface area analysis using BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) and SEM EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy). Based on the study results, OP has a microporous skin structure and OP-CTAB mesopores. Based on the effect of contact time, it is known that the best adsorption process on MB was to use OP adsorbent with the optimum amount of dye adsorbed produced at 50th minute that was 5.881 ppm, while the best adsorption process on MO was using OP-CTAB adsorbent with the optimum amount of dye was at 50th that was equal to 13.34 ppm. Based on the adsorption kinetics data, the adsorption of MO and MB dyes by OP and OP-CTAB followed the pseudo second order reaction kinetics model. The adsorption of MO and MB by both OP and OP-CTAB followed Langmuir's adsorption isotherm, meaning that the adsorption process in both MO and MB using OP and OP-CTAB appeared on homogeneous surface sites, while there was no interaction between adsorbate molecules and adjacent locations that means the adsorption process only occurred physically.
Bioetyka a problem ryzyka
Authors: Knapik Wioletta
Published: January 2022

The bioethics appointing biomedical criteria indicates ways of the true development; this is not the activity directed against the freedom of scientific research, but the state the encouragement to the renewed reflection over methods and aims of individual research. The bioethics, as the knowledge domain is an interdisciplinary science; except voices of ethicists, moralists and doctors, takes into account also opinions of lawyers, sociologists, psychologists, educators and economists. The life of the contemporary society which Ulrich Beck called a society risks, is domineered by the objective and subjective sense of security. Thereby changes the value-system: the inequality is replaced an uncertainty. People often drives the motivation not aiming to attaining of something „good”, but wishes of the avoidance of something „bad”. Bioethical problems make the integral part of the widely understood social risk. On the basis chosen aspects of concerning ethical behaviours in reference to the human foetus was described the risk which undertake parents decisive themselves on the artificial insemination, taking advantage of services of surogat mothers, whether the risk of women who are the surogat mothers, as well as bioethical problems in gynaecologists’ work.
Etyczne postulaty versus polska praktyka. Konfrontacja dokumentów deontologii zawodowej z realizacją zawodu dziennikarza
Authors: Migaczewska Ewa
Published: January 2022

The article aims at comparing the image of the journalist resulting from ethical codes with the real way of carrying the professional role out. The text is to show the distance which is separating ethical demands from the practice. The conclusions resulting from the content analysis of the ethical codes of journalistic associations and other acts of the professional deontology will be confronted with methods indeed applied by journalists. They will be recognized based on analysis of the content of chosen declarations and reports of The Council of Media Ethics in the period 2004–2008.
Etyka w bankowości w odniesieniu do współpracy z sektorem ubezpieczeniowym
Authors: Czechowska Iwona
Published: January 2022

The customers, their behavior on the market, reasons for undertaken actions and decisions have a great role in functioning and economical development. However, the customers are often treated inappropriately by professional service. There was presented a problematic of clients protection’s system, who are customers on the banking market services connected with insurances, mortgage credits and ethic problems. The domination of banking sector on the finance market and also the role of customers as an important clients group of this sector was taken under consideration. The topic is wide, multithreading, up to date and controversial too.
The Plea of State of Necessity: A palatable normative framework for extraterritorial self-defense against Non-State Actors
Authors: Montiel Mogollón Moisés
Published: January 2022

The UN Charter law governing self-defense is inadequate to address emerging modalities of armed violence caused by non-State actors located in the territory of non-consenting third States. This paper offers an alternative grounded in the state of necessity as a circumstance excluding wrongfulness as per the law of State responsibility. The contention is that in integrating the rationale behind necessity as an excuse for non-performance of obligations and the conditions and processes under article 51 of the UN Charter, the law allows for an exercise of extraterritorial self-defense against non-State actors which safeguards the territorial State’s sovereignty and the need for a legal alternative of defense for the defending State without toeing the line of aggression.
La implementación en el ordenamiento interno de obligaciones emanadas del Derecho Penal Internacional con especial énfasis en los crímenes internacionales: Una mirada a los procesos en Colombia, Perú y Venezuela
Authors: Ospina Juan Carlos , Reyes Milk Michelle , Santacruz Salazar Andrea
Published: January 2022

América Latina no ha sido ajena a situaciones de conflicto armado u otras situaciones de violencia. Dichas situaciones nos exigen análisis con enfoques teóricos, así como prácticos. Un factor esencial en estos análisis ha sido -y continúa siendo- la necesidad de asegurar la compatibilidad de los ordenamientos jurídicos nacionales con el Derecho Penal Internacional, con el fin último de luchar contra la impunidad y prevenir la comisión de crímenes internacionales. Ello se traduce en la necesidad de llevar a cabo una implementación integral de las obligaciones emanadas de los tratados relevantes sobre la materia ratificados por los países. Este factor puede garantizar que los países de la región tengan las herramientas jurídicas adecuadas para realizar una debida calificación jurídica de las situaciones de conflicto armado de violencia que puedan ser consideradas como crímenes internacionales y delitos relacionados con el uso de la fuerza por parte de autoridades del Estado; para proceder a una aplicación del marco jurídico respectivo según las características que se reúnan en un contexto y tiempo específico; y para poder judicializar las conductas respectivas con tipos penales que atiendan tanto a la naturaleza de los hechos como al contexto en el que los mismos se llevan a cabo. De este modo, el artículo incluye un análisis del estado de la implementación de las obligaciones internacionales de Colombia, Perú y Venezuela en materia de crímenes internacionales, así como, donde es relevante, de los delitos relacionados con el uso de la fuerza por parte de autoridades del Estado. Con ellos, se busca constatar los aciertos y los vacíos normativos, las prácticas legislativas en la forma de implementación, así como los aportes jurisprudenciales que han complementado los marcos jurídicos existentes.
On lexical synonymy in romance languages
Authors:   Moscow state institute of international relations, Tsybova Irina A.
Published: January 2022

The article compares synonyms in romance languages (french, spanish, portuguese, italian, romanian). Synonymy as one of the linguistic universals is a manifestation of the linguistic sign asymmetry. In cognitive linguistics, synonyms are regarded as units of the same mental space. Synonymy represents the ability of linguistic units to replace one another in all or certain contexts without changing the content of the utterance, due to the identity or similarity of their meanings. Another important function of synonymy is the function of clarification which consists in identifying the properties and various features of the denoted objects and phenomena. Synonyms differ from their functional equivalents such as hyperonyms and euphemisms which are their functional and stylistic equivalents. In the romance languages in question, there are absolute and relative synonyms. Absolute synonyms are often found in scientific and technical terminology and in argot. They are different from variant words. Relative synonyms are divided into denotative and connotative (stylistic). In romance languages, the cognitive approach to synonymy shows family similarity in the presence of a prototype. Since the purpose of the article is to show how lexical synonymy is represented in the analyzed Romance languages ( their similarities and differences), the comparative method was used. The main result of this study is the identification of common synonym types for such romance languages as french, spanish, portuguese, italian and romanian. The author notes a greater closeness of the spanish and portuguese languages in terms of phonetic and orthographic similarities.
Presenting the image of a virgin lands worker in Soviet cinematography
Authors:   Yaroslavl state pedagogical university named after К. D. Ushinsky, Kocheshkov Gennadiy N. , Grebenshchikov Aleksandr V. ,   Yaroslavl state pedagogical university named after К. D. Ushinsky
Published: January 2022

The article identifies, interprets and compares the artistic images of «virgin lands workers» formed by the Soviet cinema, which is an important channel of the nation's historical memory and a means of communication of our time. The work gives a detailed description of the problem's historiography. A conclusion is made about the predominance of studies devoted to the social-economic, political and environmental consequences of the virgin lands development. At the same time, despite the growing interest of scientists in the social-cultural aspects of the virgin lands campaign in recent decades, there are very few works analyzing the daily life of virgin landers. The article uses various research methods: retrospective, comparative-historical, semiotic, and discourse analysis. In the course of the research, the author determines the features of virgin lands representation in mass culture as a special social-cultural space, shows the hard fate of virgin lands workers, their attitude to the system of values established in the post-war Soviet society. The main characters of the virgin lands epic represented in the cinematography are young people and «competent leaders», without whom it is impossible to imagine the success of major party projects. The attitude of the virgin lands explorers to the global project can be characterized as ambiguous and multi-layered: virgin land is seen both as an important agricultural project, allowing, under favorable circumstances, to solve the «eternal» grain problem, as an important social elevator for Soviet youth, and as a necessary stage of building communism. The study demonstrates both similarities and differences in the ideological and semantic concepts of the virgin lands filmography, and also reveals a certain transformation of directors' artistic ideas: from the propaganda and heroic message characteristic of 1950s films to the authors' desire to reveal the spiritual and moral potency of the campaign's heroes, characteristic of the 1960s and 1970s films.
The rational and emotional in the works by Simeon of Polotsk
Authors:   Minsk State Linguistic University, Belarus, Minsk, Levshun Lyubov V.
Published: January 2022

The author examines the emotive strategy of Hieromonk Simeon of Polotsk in the context of the patristic doctrine of the image and Christian emotiology. In particular, it is noted that in patristic anthropology it is the image, but not the concept, that is considered the most productive tool of cognition; the sensory-emotional sphere of human existence is divided into «emotions of transformation», which contribute through catharsis to the deification of a person, and «emotions of suggestion», manipulatively suggesting the author's ideas to the recipient, the former being welcomed in artistic creation, the latter being condemned. From this point of view, baroque works, even while remaining in the circle of religious themes, demonstrate a secular attitude towards the sphere of emotions – the construction of manipulative emotiveness by rational methods. Such emotiveness secularizes as creativity itself, taking it beyond the boundaries of the Christian artistic canon: the spiritual nourishment of the reader (the task of Christian pedagogy) is replaced by aesthetic and intellectual pleasure (the task of barroque aesthetics and epistemology). Hieromonk Simeon Polotsky gives vivid examples of the rational construction of emotiveness in works of different genres and the secularization of creativity. The «Psaltir' rifmotvornaya» he transcribed provides the reader with the opportunity to turn the prayer rule into a home concert; in comedies, the refined emotiveness of poetic means is in disharmony with the poverty of meaning; in didactic verses the most emotive images contradict orthodoxy; the very image of the apostle-writer constructed by Simeon represents, in fact, a categorical punisher, morally humiliating and destroying anyone who does not meet the standard of a well-educated, socially correct, useful, and in this sense, a virtuous citizen of the fatherland, approved by the hieromonk. Constructed in various rational ways, the emotiveness of artistic images in the works of Simeon Polotsky is designed to convince the addressee of the unconditional correctness of the writer, which creates conditions for the formation of a new type of reader who perceives an artistic text not as a transmitter of Truth, but as a source of intellectual and aesthetic pleasure.
Modern marketing of the region: goals, tools, organization
Authors:   Yaroslavl state university named after P. G. Demidov, Patrusheva Elena G. , Raykhlina Anna V. ,   Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (Yaroslavl office), Yaroslavl
Published: January 2022

The article discusses the role of regional marketing, which is in demand in modern conditions, in ensuring the economic development of a territory and strengthening its competitive positions in the domestic and foreign markets. It is emphasized that domestic research in this area is extremely insufficient. They do not have a common understanding of the essence of regional marketing, they reflect its scattered, separate provisions. The practice of organizing regional marketing in terms of creating certain management structures and endowing them with certain functions is significantly different. Each constituent entity of the Russian Federation, in the absence of general guidelines, regulations, provisions, instructions, builds its own experience or uses the positive practices of other regions. In this regard, the task of substantive and methodological support of the activities of regional structures carrying out regional marketing has been updated. On the basis of a critical discussion of the interpretations of regional marketing and its content, various researchers proposed its author's definition from the point of view of the goaluniting the interests of the territory and its inhabitants. The main components of regional marketing are the formation of a favorable image of the region and increasing its territorial and investment attractiveness, as well as the promotion of investment projects and products and services created in the region. The main directions, the specifics of the “4P” content are highlighted and the tasks of regional marketing are formulated. The process of solving these problems is discussed on the example of the Corporation for the Development of the Yaroslavl Region. Close attention is paid to one of them – the promotion of investment projects, in which three areas are highlighted: expanding the range of projects; promotion of the region as a promising territory for the implementation of these projects; development of the sphere of PPP projects. The necessary organizational efforts to improve the performance of tasks in these areas are disclosed. The use of the results obtained by regional authorities will help to systematize, methodically fill and improve activities in the area under discussion.
The concept of “happiness” in Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures in the era of globalization
Authors:   Southwestern University of the PRC, Xiaohua Kou
Published: January 2022

The article presents a comparative study of the Russian and Chinese traditional concepts of “happiness” from a linguistic-cultural point of view. The author analyzes similarities and differences of the concept “happiness” in Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures by examining the etymology of the word “happiness” and its use in proverbs and sayings, as well as interprets the reasons for these differences. On the basis of sociological surveys the author investigates current ideas of happiness of Russian and Chinese youth in the context of globalization and analyzes the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the perception of the concept “happiness” by young people of the two countries. The article concludes that the views of the happiness among young people in China and Russia are somewhat similar, but at the same time have individual characteristics. The concept “happiness” for Chinese youth is mainly focused on the personal and family aspects and is more susceptible to external evaluations. Some young people show a strong attraction to material goods in their pursuit of happiness, while Russian youth see happiness as their own unique experience, attaching great importance to inner harmony, self-actualization, and self-esteem. The article notes that most young people in the two countries believe that the coronavirus epidemic has had an impact on their perception of happiness, with more emphasis on such factors as “health”, “family”, and “peacefulness”; under the influence of globalization and the coronavirus epidemic, Russian and Chinese youth have developed a complex perception of happiness, characterized by both the priority of spiritual values and passive consumer utilitarianism, which has given rise to a variety of models for young people in China and Russia to achieve happiness.
The phenomenon of Chinese social mobilization as interpreted by Russian scientists
Authors:   Hubei university of humanities and natural sciences, Rong Zhao , Fengqai Xu ,   Southwestern university, Ministry of Education of the PRC
Published: January 2022

The article analyzes the phenomenon of social mobilization as an important method of national administration in China from the perspective of Russian scientists, for whom the history of the Communist Party of China in power is a history of social mobilization, and the history of New China is divided into the following four stages, using as an integral factor of periodization the characteristic of social mobilization: the period of mobilization for socialist transformation, the period of supermobilization “Big Leap”, the mobilization period of reform and openness and the period of mobilization “Chinese Dream”. The article examines how, in order to prevent and combat the new coronavirus epidemic, social mobilization has played a huge role, and demonstrated the enormous advantages of the Chinese socialist system with Chinese character. To learn from China's experience, Russian scientists are trying to study the source of China's powerful social mobilization from different perspectives: economics, politics, ideology, and culture. Russian scholars' understanding of China's social mobilization is important for modernizing the country's national administration and enhancing the party's ability to manage social processes. The authors consider the importance of the values of Chinese civilization in the global historical process, identifying the spiritual reasons for the social, cultural and political strengthening of China at the present stage. The authors reveal the interpretation of the concepts “poli-cy” and “reform” in Chinese culture; and draw parallels with the interpretation of these concepts in Western discourse. The article examines the threefold model of Chinese state administration (power, wisdom, virtue) and reveals the special role of the Chinese Communist Party in the process of social mobilization.
África y art brut en el siglo XXI
Authors: Méndez Sánchez José Emmanuel
Published: January 2022

Este artículo explora los aspectos particulares del llamado art brut con respecto de las expresiones artísticas de raíces africanas. En principio, las artes plásticas del continente negro sirvieron como influencia para el proyecto del pintor francés Jean Dubuffet, quien reconocía sus valores “primitivos” o “salvajes”, equiparándolos con creaciones realizadas por pacientes de hospitales mentales. La crítica a esta categorización heredera del colonialismo europeo se complementa con un repaso breve por las más recientes variaciones teóricas conocidas como outsider art y folk art, que retoman trabajos de afrodescendientes surgidos de contextos tan dispares como Cuba, Ghana o Benín, y les imponen su signo de globalización. Ya en el siglo XXI, Brasil resulta un caso peculiar, pues aunque está inscrito en el circuito mercantil del art brut, cuenta además con una propia tradición de arte psicoterapéutico. Al centrarnos en el análisis estético y cultural de los trabajos de dos creadores marginales afrobrasileños (Antônio Roseno de Lima y Arthur Bispo do Rosário), quienes realizaron importantes proyectos en condiciones adversas y motivados por razones distintas, se concluye que la expresión creativa es también un acto de resistencia que no debe circunscribirse a las fórmulas dadas por la historia del arte ni la red institucionalizada.
Abdias do Nascimento in New York
Authors: Lapin Dardashti Abigail
Published: January 2022

This essay examines the life and work of the Afro-Brazilian activist, politician, and artist Abdias do Nascimento in 1968–70, when he lived in New York City. I argue that, in this new space, Nascimento employed painting as both a vehicle to address his migratory experience and a tool to continue his anti-racism activism. Engaging with African American art both from the 1930s Harlem Renaissance and the 1960s Black Power movement, Nascimento produced images representing transnational Black solidarity within a cultural space that operated beyond national confines. Ultimately, Nascimento’s work unsettles dominant modes of Brazilian and US representation at the time, employing elements from pop art to interrogate the art world’s exclusion of the Black experience.
(Re) existências afro…
Authors: Oliveira Emerson Dionisio Gomes de , Malta Marize , Couto Maria de Fátima Morethy
Published: January 2022

A presente edição da Revista MODOS: Revista de História da Arte conta com vinte textos inéditos em português, inglês e espanhol. Destaca-se o dossiê "Artes e diáspora africana: conflitos, cânones, recomeços", sob organização de Arthur Valle e Roberto Conduru.
Proteomic Profiling and Rhizosphere-Associated Microbial Communities Reveal Adaptive Mechanisms of Dioclea Apurensis Kunth in Eastern Amazon’s Rehabilitating Minelands
Authors: Nascimento Sidney Vasconcelos do , Costa Paulo Henrique de Oliveira , Herrera Hector , Caldeira Cecilio Frois , Gastauer Markus , Ramos Silvio Junio , Oliveira Guilherme , Valadares Rafael Borges da Silva
Published: January 2022

Dioclea apurensis Kunth is native to ferruginous rocky outcrops (known as canga) in the eastern Amazon. Native cangas are considered hotspots of biological diversity and have one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world. There, D. apurensis can grow in post-mining areas where molecular mechanisms and rhizospheric interactions with soil microorganisms are expected to contribute to their establishment in rehabilitating minelands. In this study, we compare the root proteomic profile and rhizosphere-associated bacterial and fungal communities of D. apurensis growing in canga and a rehabilitating mineland to characterize the main mechanisms that allow the growth and establishment in post-mining areas. The results showed that proteins involved in response to oxidative stress, drought, excess of iron, and phosphorus deficiency were more accumulated in canga and, therefore, helped explain its high establishment rates in rehabilitating minelands. Rhizospheric selectivity of microorganisms was more evident in canga. The microbial community structure was mostly different between the two habitats, denoting that despite having its preferences, D. apurensis can associate with beneficial soil microorganisms without specificity. Therefore, its good performance in rehabilitating minelands can also be improved or attributed to its ability to cope with beneficial soil-borne microorganisms. Native plants with such adaptations must be used to enhance the rehabilitation process.
Peak and Cumulative Response of Reinforced Concrete Frames with Steel Damper Columns under Seismic Sequences
Authors: Fujii Kenji
Published: January 2022

The steel damper column is an energy-dissipating member that is suitable for reinforced concrete (RC) buildings, and those used for multistory housing in particular. However, the effectiveness of steel damper columns may be affected by the behavior of surrounding members, and this effect can be severe in the case of seismic sequences. This article investigates the nonlinear response of building models having an RC moment-resisting frame (MRF) with and without steel damper columns under seismic sequences. The applicability of the concept of the momentary energy input to the prediction of the peak response of RC MRFs with damper columns under seismic sequences is also investigated. The main findings of the study are summarized as follows. (1) The peak response of RC MRFs with damper columns subjected to sequential accelerations is similar to the peak response obtained considering only the mainshock, whereas the cumulative strain energy of RC MRFs accumulates more for sequential accelerations. (2) The steel damper column is effective in reducing the peak and cumulative responses of RC MRFs in the case of sequential seismic input. (3) The relation of the hysteretic dissipated energy during a half cycle of the structural response and the peak displacement of the first modal response can be properly evaluated using the simple model proposed in this study.
A Hybrid Machine Learning And Network Analysis Approach Reveals Two Parkinson's Disease Subtypes From 115 RNA-Seq Post-mortem Brain Samples
Authors: Termine Andrea , Fabrizio Carlo , Strafella Claudia , Caputo Valerio , Petrosini Laura , Caltagirone Carlo , Cascella Raffaella , Giardina Emiliano
Published: January 2022

Precision medicine emphasizes fine-grained diagnostics, taking individual variability into account to enhance treatment effectiveness. Parkinson's Disease (PD) heterogeneity among individuals is a proof that disease subtypes exist, and assigning individuals to subgroups is necessary for a better understanding of disease mechanisms and designing precise treatment approaches. The purpose of this study was to identify PD subtypes using RNA-Seq data in a combined pipeline including unsupervised machine learning, bioinformatics, and network analysis. 210 post mortem brain RNA-Seq samples from PD (n = 115) and Normal Controls (NC, n = 95) were obtained with a systematic data retrieval following PRISMA statements and a fully data-driven clustering pipeline was performed to identify PD subtypes. Bioinformatics and Network analyses were performed to characterize the disease mechanisms of the identified PD subtypes and to identify target genes for drug repurposing. Two PD clusters were identified and 42 DEGs were found (p.adjusted ≤ 0.01). PD clusters had significantly different gene network structures (p < 0.0001) and phenotype-specific disease mechanisms, highlighting the differential involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulating adult neurogenesis. NEUROD1 was identified as a key regulator of gene networks and ISX9 and PD98059 were identified as NEUROD1-interacting compounds with disease-modifying potential, reducing the effects of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This hybrid data analysis approach could enable precision medicine applications by providing insights for the identification and characterization of pathological subtypes. This workflow has proven useful on PD brain RNA-Seq, but its application to other neurodegenerative diseases is encouraged.
Predictive Modeling of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Using Metabolomic and Lipidomic Profiles from Cerebrospinal Fluid
Authors: Hwangbo Nathan , Zhang Xinyu , Raftery Daniel , Gu Haiwei , Hu Shu-Ching , Montine Thomas J. , Quinn Joseph F. , Chung Kathryn A. , Hiller Amie L. , Wang Dongfang , Fei Qiang , Bettcher Lisa , Zabetian Cyrus , Peskind Elaine R. , Li Ge , Promislow Daniel , Davis Marie Y. , Franks Alexander
Published: January 2022

In recent years, metabolomics has been used as a powerful tool to better understand the physiology of neurodegenerative diseases and identify potential biomarkers for progression. We used targeted and untargeted aqueous, and lipidomic profiles of the metabolome from human cerebrospinal fluid to build multivariate predictive models distinguishing patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and healthy age-matched controls. We emphasize several statistical challenges associated with metabolomic studies where the number of measured metabolites far exceeds sample size. We found strong separation in the metabolome between PD and controls, as well as between PD and AD, with weaker separation between AD and controls. Consistent with existing literature, we found alanine, kynurenine, tryptophan, and serine to be associated with PD classification against controls, while alanine, creatine, and long chain ceramides were associated with AD classification against controls. We conducted a univariate pathway analysis of untargeted and targeted metabolite profiles and find that vitamin E and urea cycle metabolism pathways are associated with PD, while the aspartate/asparagine and c21-steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways are associated with AD. We also found that the amount of metabolite missingness varied by phenotype, highlighting the importance of examining missing data in future metabolomic studies.
Can a Priori Unknown Values of Biomechanical Parameters Be Determined with Sufficient Accuracy in Mbs Using Sensitivity Analysis? Analyzing the Interaction Characteristics between Cervical Vertebra and Pedicle Screw
Authors: Kramer Ivanna , Bauer Sabine
Published: January 2022

Finite element (FE) modeling is commonly used as a method to investigate the influence of medical devices, such as implants and screws and their effects on the biomechanical behavior of the spine. Another simulation method is a multi-body simulation (MBS), where the model is composed of several non-deformable bodies. MBS solvers generally require a very short computing time for dynamic tasks compared to an FE analysis. Considering this computational advantage, in this study, we examine whether parameters whose values are not known a priory can be determined with sufficient accuracy using MBS model. Therefore, we propose a Many-at-a-time sensitivity analysis method that allows approximating these a priory unknown parameters without requiring long simulation times. This method enables a high degree of MBS model optimization to be achieved in an iterative process. The sensitivity analysis method is applied to a simplified screw-vertebra model, consisting of an anterior anchor implant screw and vertebral body of C4. An experiment described in the literature is used as a basis for developing and assessing the potential of the method for sensitivity analysis and to validate the models action. The optimal model parameters for the MBS model were determined to be c=823224N/m for stiffness and d=488Ns/m for damping. The presented method of parameter identification can be used in studies including more complex MBS spine models or to set initial parameter values that are not available as initial values for FE models.
Mental Disorder Symptoms among Paramedics in a Single Canadian Site
Authors: Mausz Justin , Donnelly Elizabeth Anne , Moll Sandra , Harms Sheila , McConnell Meghan
Published: January 2022

There is growing recognition in research and policy of a mental health crisis among Canada’s paramedics but despite this, epidemiological surveillance of the problem is in its infancy. Just weeks before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed paramedics from a single, large, urban paramedic service in Ontario, Canada to assess for clinically significant symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety and to identify potential risk factors for each. In total, we received 589 completed surveys (a 97% completion rate) and found that 11% met the screening criteria for PTSD, 15% for depression, and 15% for anxiety, with 1 in 4 active-duty paramedics meeting the criteria for any of the three as recently as February 2020. In adjusted analyses, the risk of a positive screen varied as a function of employment classification, gender, self-reported resilience, and previous experience as a member of the service’s peer support team. Our findings support the position that paramedics have high rates of current mental illness – a problem likely to have worsened since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We echo the calls of researchers and policymakers for urgent action to support paramedic mental health in Canada.
Methodological Analysis of Damage Estimation in Hydraulic Infrastructures
Authors: Pérez Ramón Egea , Gonzalez Francisco Navarro , Molina Mónica Cortés , Moreno Joaquín Melgarejo
Published: January 2022

Critical infrastructures are those that are essential. For this type of infrastructure, it is necessary to implement analytical methodologies that will allow us to quickly obtain the susceptibility or resilience and possible damage generated in extreme precipitation episodes, through a holistic perspective in which the factors linked to hydrological risk intervene. In particular, urban hydraulic infrastructures are analyzed considering the degree of criticality, defined as the number of interactions on the different activities of the population. For this purpose, a hydrological risk analysis methodology is required. This methodology is focused on an integral approach of the system indicators to be analyzed and linked to the hydrological threat. This work proposes to delimit and analyze those factors that involve risk using an analytical expression. This model will estimate the damage to these infrastructures breaking down the factors involved in the risk equation and analyzing their variability according to the intrinsic characteristics linked to them as well as the interaction with external factors.
The Use of Clinical Prediction Rules without Echocardiographic Evaluation in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia may not be Enough to Exclude Infective Endocarditis and be Associated with Increased Mortality
Authors: Calderón-Parra Jorge , Diego-Yagüe Itziar , Santamarina-Alcantud Beatriz , Mora-Vargas Alberto , Vazquez-Comendador Jose Manuel , Fernandez-Cruz Ana , Muñez-Rubio Elena , Gutierrez-Villanueva Andrea , Sanchez-Romero Isabel , Ramos-Martínez Antonio
Published: January 2022

Background. It is unclear whether the use of clinical prediction rules is sufficient to rule out infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) without an echocardiogram evaluation, either transthoracic (TTE) and/or transesophageal (TEE). Our primary purpose was to test the usefulness of PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores to rule out IE without echocardiography. Our secondary purpose was to evaluate whether not performing an echocardiogram evaluation is associated with higher mortality. Methods. We conducted a unicentric retrospective cohort including all patients with a first SAB episode from January 2015 to December 2020. IE was defined according to modified Duke criteria. We predefined threshold cut-off points to consider that IE was ruled out by means of the mentioned scores. To assess 30-day mortality, we used a multivariable regression model considering performing an echocardiogram as covariate. Results. Out of 404 patients, IE was diagnosed in 50 (12.4%). Prevalence of IE within patients with negative PREDICT, POSITIVE and VIRSTA scores was: 3.6% (95% CI 0.1-6.9%), 4.9% (95% CI 2.2-7.7%), and 2.2% (95% CI 0.2-4.3%), respectively. Patients with negative VIRSTA and negative TTE had an IE prevalence of 0.9% (95% CI 0-2.8%). Performing an echocardiogram was independently associated with lower 30-day mortality (OR 0.24 95%CI 0.10-0.54, p=0.001). Conclusion. PREDICT and POSITIVE scores were not sufficient to rule out IE without TEE. In patients with negative VIRSTA score, it was doubtful if IE could be discarded with a negative TTE. Not performing an echocardiogram was associated with worse outcomes, which might be related to presence of occult IE. Further studies are needed to assess the usefulness of clinical prediction rules in avoiding echocardiographic evaluation in SAB patients.
Thermophysical properties of metallic melts and their effects on solidification related processes
Authors: Novakovic Rada , Giuranno Donatella , Lee Joonho , Mohr Markus , Delsante Simona , Borzone Gabriella , Miani Fabio , Fecht Hans J
Published: January 2022

Among the thermophysical properties, the surface / interfacial tension, viscosity and density / molar volume of liquid alloys are the key properties for the modelling of microstructural evolution during solidification. Therefore, only reliable input data can yield accurate predictions preventing the error propagation in numerical simulations of solidification related processes. Due to experimental difficulties related to reactivity of metallic melts at high temperatures, the measured data are often unreliable or even lacking. The application of containerless processing techniques either leads to a significant improvement of the accuracy or makes the measurement possible at all. On the other side, accurate model predicted property values could be used to compensate the missing data; otherwise, the experimental data are useful for the validation of theoretical models. The choice of models is particularly important for the surface, transport and structural properties of liquid alloys representing the two limiting cases of mixing, i.e. ordered and phase separating alloy systems. To this aim, the thermophysical properties of the Fe-Si and Cu-Pb systems were analysed and the connections with the peculiarities of their mixing behaviours are highlighted.
Parenting and the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5HTTLPR), Which Association? A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Landoni Marta , Dalla Muta Alice , Di Tella Sonia , Ciuffo Giulia , Di Blasio Paola , Ionio Chiara
Published: January 2022

The current systematic review examines whether there is an association between the genetic 5-HTTPLR pol-ymorphism and parenting and the mechanisms by which this association operates. The literature was searched in various databases such as PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect. In line with our inclusion criteria, nine articles were eligible out of 22. Most of the studies, analysed in this review, found an association between 5HTTLPR and parenting. Four studies found a direct association between 5-HTTLPR and parenting with conflicting findings: two studies found that mothers carrying the short variant were more sensitive to their infants, while two studies found that parents carrying the S allele were less sensitive. In addition, several studies found strong interaction between genetic and environmental factors, such as childhood stress and disruptive child behaviour, quality of early care experiences, poor parenting environment, and quality of environment. Only one study found an association between children’s 5HTTLPR and parenting. Parenting can be described as a highly complex construct influenced by multiple factors, including environmental, parenting and child charac-teristics. According to the studies, maternal 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is most likely associated with sensitive parenting.
Simultaneous ThermoBrachytherapy: Electromagnetic Simulation Methods For Fast And Accurate Adaptive Treatment Planning
Authors: Androulakis Ioannis , Mestrom Rob M.C. , Christianen Miranda E.M.C. , Kolkman-Deurloo Inger-Karine K. , van Rhoon Gerard C.
Published: January 2022

The combination of interstitial hyperthermia treatment (IHT) with high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) for prostate cancer treatment and has the potential to improve clinical outcome, since it highly enhances the efficiency of cell kill, especially when applied simultaneously. Therefore, we have developed the ThermoBrachy applicators. To effectively apply optimal targeted IHT, treatment planning is considered essential. However, treatment planning in IHT is rarely applied since it is regarded difficult to accurately calculate the deposited energy in the tissue in a short enough time for clinical practice. In this study, we investigated various time-efficient methods for fast computation of the electromagnetic (EM) energy deposition resulting from the ThermoBrachy applicators. Initially, we investigated the use of an electro-quasistatic solver. Next, we extended our investigation to the application of geometric simplifications. Furthermore, we investigated the validity of the superpositioning principle, which can enable adaptive treatment plan optimization without the need for continuous recomputation of the EM field. Finally, we evaluated the accuracy of the methods by comparing them to the golden standard Finite-Difference Time-Domain calculation method using gamma-index analysis. The simplifications considerably reduced the computation time needed, improving from >12 h to a few seconds. All investigated methods showed excellent agreement with the golden standard by showing a >99% passing rate with 1%/0.5 mm Dose Difference and Distance-to-Agreement criteria. These results allow the proposed electromagnetic simulation method to be used for fast and accurate adaptive treatment planning.