bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender difference in the associations of childhood maltreatment and Non-suicidal self- injury among adolescents with mood disorders
Authors: Yue Yan , Wang Yi , Yang Ruchang , Zhu Feng , Yang Xuna , Lu Xinchuan , Zhu Ping , Li Zhe , Zhao Xueli , Du Xiangdong
Published: October 2022

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common feature among adolescents with mood disorders. Although childhood maltreatment has shown to be associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), previous studies have yielded mixed results in terms of different subtypes of childhood maltreatment and only few studies have investigated the effects of gender. The present cross-sectional study investigated effects of different types of childhood maltreatment on NSSI, as well as the role of gender in these effects.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 142 Chinese adolescent inpatients with mood disorders (37 males and 105 females) were consecutively recruited within a psychiatric hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Participants were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM).
Results: 76.8% of the sample reported engaging NSSI in the previous 12 months. Female participants were more likely to engage in NSSI than males (p<0.001). Participants in the NSSI group reported significantly more experiences of emotional abuse(p<0.001) and emotional neglect(p=0.005). With regards to gender differences, female participants who have experienced emotional abuse were more likely to engage in NSSI (p=0.03).
Conclusion: As a whole, NSSI represents a frequent phenomenon among adolescent clinical populations and females were more likely to engage in NSSI than males. NSSI was significantly related to experiences of childhood maltreatment and specifically related to emotional abuse and emotional neglect over and above other types of childhood maltreatment. Females were more sensitive to emotional abuse than males. Our study highlights the importance of screening for subtypes of childhood maltreatment as well as considering the effects of gender.
Multigenerational Inequalities of Opportunity in Health Outcomes
Authors: Balasooriya Namal N. ,   2.	Jayatilleke S. Bandara, Rohde Nichols
Published: October 2022

This paper studies multigenerational health transmission mechanisms in Australian panel data. Using inequality-of-opportunity (IOP) models, we demonstrate that grandparental socioeconomic status (SES) is an important determinant of personal health, even after controlling for health and SES at the parental level. Our findings hold over a range of health/biomarkers of individuals’ physical and mental well-being and appear to be especially sensitive to educational outcomes on the father’s side. Since ingrained socioeconomic (dis)advantages that persist over multiple generations may be indicative of social class, our results suggest that subtle attitudinal and behavioural characteristics associated with this variable may be a key factor driving health disparities.
JEL Classification: D63; I12
Resting state electroencephalography contributes to the detection of disease progression and prediction of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation modulations in patients with subjective cognitive decline
Authors: Ren Huixia , Pei Zian , Zhang Xinqi , Zhu Lin , Lan Xiaoyong , Li Baima , Lei Yuhua , Lian Chongyuan , Huang Hua , Xie Peng , Su Xiaolin , Jiang Xin , Guo Yi
Published: October 2022

Background
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is the subjective perception of a decline in cognition and is recognized as the earliest symptomatic manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Detection and treatment strategies for SCD are urgently needed to slow or halt AD progression.
Methods
Fifty-four participants were included. Electroencephalography (EEG) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) were applied.
Results
SCD showed a decreased power spectrum, enhanced functional connectivity (FC), and increased global and local network topological features mostly restricted to the β band. 10 Hz rTMS significantly improved cognition in SCD by acting on the FC feature. The interaction between the four EEG features contributed to the detection of disease progression and prediction of rTMS modulations with an adjusted R2 of 0.856 and an accuracy of 77.8%.
Conclusions
EEG-based features may be considered as the earliest biomarkers of AD. rTMS significantly mitigate cognitive function in SCD may through modulating FC.
Trial registration
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1800019199)
Role of spinal cord tractography for cervical spine function and prognosis in cervical intraspinal tumor
Authors: Xiao Yong , Yao Wenmin , Andoh Jamila , Wang Shousen , Zheng Zhaocong , Liu Hongcai , Wei Liangfeng
Published: October 2022

Diffusion tensor imaging is a promising technique for assessing abnormalities in the spinal cord. We aimed to explore the imaging features of diffusion tensor tractography in patients with cervical intraspinal tumor and examine its relationship with spinal cord function and prognosis. Twenty-four patients undergoing surgical removal of cervical intraspinal tumor between February 2014 and April 2015 were enrolled. Diffusion tensor imaging data of the cervical spinal cord were collected three days pre-operatively. Tractography analyses were used to classify the fiber tracts in the cervical spine into an intact form (including fiber tract displacement caused by compression and pressure of the tumor), and a disrupted form (including partial and complete disruption).
McCormick grading of the spinal cord function was compared between the intact and the disrupted form pre-and post-operatively. McCormick grade of the disrupted form was higher than that of the intact form. Prognosis of the spinal cord function one month postoperatively in patients with intact form were significantly better than those with disrupted form. Diffusion tensor tractography is a promising tool for the prognostic and to guide therapy in patients with cervical intraspinal tumors.
Influences Mechanism of Chemical Flooding Agent Characteristics on Its Flooding Oil Dynamics
Authors: Liu Jianbin , Liu Shun , Zhang Wei , Zhong Liuguo , Hao Yi , Zhang Yanjun , Cai Wenbin , Du Hengyi
Published: October 2022

Chemical flooding agents, especially surfactant-based flooding oil agents, have been widely studied due to its excellent emulsification ability. Nevertheless, there are many evaluation methods for chemical flooding agents, and the focus of each test is different. How to combine routine testing with reservoir conditions is an urgent problem to be solved. In this study, different kinds of chemical flooding agents were evaluated by interfacial tension (IFT), minimum emulsification speed, emulsification state, droplet size distribution, viscoelasticity, apparent viscosity in porous media, stability and flooding efficiency. The influence of their characteristics on pressure dynamics during flooding process is analyzed, and the mechanism in different stages of chemical flooding is clarified. It should to comprehensively IFT and minimum emulsification speed to judge the emulsification ability of chemical flooding agent. Apparent viscosity when it flows porous media is more accurate to evaluate the viscosity reducing of chemical flooding agents than traditional viscosity test. Chemical flooding dynamics are mainly divided into three stages: pressure increase (emulsification ability), pressure decrease (fluidity of formed O/W emulsion) and pressure stabilization (flooding efficiency). Emulsification ability of chemical flooding agent determines the speed of pressure increase and the width of main flow channel. O/W emulsion formation, droplet size, and fluidity determine oil flooding/enhanced oil recovery effect. Droplet size, viscoelasticity and stability of O/W emulsion determine the value of maximum pressure and its decrease speed at middle stage. Therefore, the evaluation of chemical flooding agents should mainly consider its emulsification ability and formed O/W emulsion droplet size, viscoelasticity, stability. This study clarified the evaluation focus of chemical flooding, and laid a foundation for the research and development and screening of chemical flooding agent, dynamic analysis of chemical flooding.
Analysis of Bifurcation Points Position in Time Series of Meteorological Values in the South of Russia
Authors: Kuznetsov Anatoly D. , Seroukhova Olga S. , Simakina Tatiana E. , Solonin Aleksandr
Published: October 2022

The work aims to determine the moment in time (bifurcation points) when the parameters of temporal trends (both in sign and in speed) change. These parameters describe changes in average annual temperatures and annual precipitation amounts. A linear mathematical model is used to determine the indicated points in time; with the help of such model, each time series of average annual temperatures or annual precipitation amounts (obtained at 11 meteorological stations for 1960–2020) is replaced by one or more segments, and the joining points of these segments indicate the moments when the parameters of the time trend change. The research revealed that if the general trend in the average annual temperature change is increase, the approach used revealed the moments when the dynamics changed both in sign and in speed. For instance, according to the data of Sochi meteorological station, there was a drop in the mean annual temperatures in 1960–1993, and a steady increase in 1994–2020. The nature of the temporal variability of annual precipitation amounts turned out to be more complex. Calculating the position of bifurcation points allows determining the onset of climatic changes in a particular region, and the updated values of the time trend parameters allow accessing the trend of changes in average annual temperatures and annual precipitation amounts in the short term.
Inertial Forward-Backward-Forward Method for Non-convex Mixed Variational Inequalities
Authors: Tran Van Nam , SHEHU YEKINI , Xu Renqi , Vuong Phan Tu
Published: October 2022

This paper extends inertial forward-backward-forward splitting method already studied by several authors for solving convex variational inequalities to solving non-convex mixed variational inequalities and obtain appropriate convergence results under some conditions. Another contribution is the addition of two-step inertial extrapolation to the forward-backward-forward splitting method to further accelerate the speed of convergence of the method instead of the one-step inertial forward-backward-forward splitting method already studied for convex variational inequalities in the literature. Numerical illustrations are given to confirm the theoretical analysis.
2010 MSC classification: 90C25, 90C30, 90C60, 68Q25, 49M25, 90C22
Diagnostic and Predictive Value of Liquid Biopsy-derived Exosome miR-21 for Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis
Authors: wang miaomiao , wang yinzhong , Tian Xiaoxue , wang qian , qi meng , lei junqiang
Published: October 2022

Studies have shown that miR-21 is abnormally expressed in breast cancer patients, implying that miR-21 could be used as a potential marker for clinical applications. In this study, we explore the diagnostic value of miR-21 in breast cancer, with the aim of providing evidence-based clinical evidence.All relevant English literature from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases were searched since inception to 23 January 2022, and 9 articles were screed for inclusion. QUADAS-2 for literature quality assessment, GRADE for evidence grading. Statistical analyses were performed using the R 4.0.1 and Revman 5.3. The results were validated using Stata 15.1 software. Subgroup analysis was also performed according to the source of miR-21 and miR-21 combinations. All of the included studies are of moderate-high quality. This meta-analysis calculated a combined sensitivity of 0.91 [95% CI (0.86, 0.95)], a combined specificity of 0.85 [95% CI (0.77, 0.91)],DOR of 56.62 [ 95% CI (21.00, 184.83)], NLR of 0.11 [95% CI ( 0.05, 0.18)] and PLR of 6.35 [95% CI( 3.66, 11.16)]; miR-21 GRADE classification A is recommended.The current evidence suggests that miR-21 shows satisfactory diagnostic value as a biomarker for breast cancer; miR-21 in combination with multiple miRNAs will further improve diagnostic accuracy.
The delta invariant and the various GIT-stability notions of toric Fano varieties
Authors: Yotsutani Naoto
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we provide purely combinatorial proofs of the following two theorems:
(1) If a Gorenstein toric Fano variety is asymptotically Chow semistable then it is Ding polystable with respect to toric test configurations.
(2) For a smooth toric Fano variety X, the delta invariant δ(X) defined in [FO18] coincides with the greatest Ricci lower curvature R(X).
Although it seems that these statements are known to the experts, our combinatorial proofs given here are more direct and elementary approach than the original sources [Ber16, BJ17]. We further verify relative Chow stability for Gorenstein toric del Pezzo surfaces using the combinatorial criterion developed in [YZ19] and specifying the symmetry of the associated polytopes as well. We also clarify the reductivity of automorphism group of toric Fano 3-folds by computing the set of Demazure roots for each. All the results are listed in Table 3 with the values of δ(X) and R(X).
Effect of Automotive Oils on Blood Indices and Liver Function of Adults and Children Automobile-Repairing Mechanics in Kabul City
Authors: Naibkhil Nommanudien , Azimi Ziauddin , Ismail Zaliha
Published: October 2022

Background: Chronic exposure to petroleum products’ ingredients, such as basic chemicals, additives, and pollutants, can affect the hematological system and liver. Automobile repair shop mechanics are a group of people who are constantly exposed to petroleum products. In Afghanistan, children labor alongside adults in automobile repair shops. Therefore, we aimed to find the effect of these products on the hematological system and liver function of children and adults at automobile repair shops in Kabul city of Afghanistan.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, individuals who worked in automobile-repair shops in Kabul, Afghanistan, were compared to healthy control groups in two age categories: adults (≥18 years old), and children (<18 years old). Hematological tests for blood indices and biochemical studies for liver function were done. Based on the normal or abnormal distribution of data, the central tendencies of exposed and control groups were compared using the Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test respectively.
Results: Only MCV was significantly different between adults exposed and control groups in terms of blood indices. MCH, MCV, MID, MPV, PLC, PDW, and Neut/Lym ratios differed significantly between exposed and control groups in children. Albumin and globulin levels in adults, and albumin and AST levels in children were significantly different between the exposed and control groups in terms of liver function tests.
Conclusion: Children are more affected by occupational exposure to petroleum products than adults.
Synthetic Unit Hydrograph Related Peak Discharge Analysis for Tugu Dam Disaster Risk Mitigation
Authors: Ansori Mohamad Bagus
Published: October 2022

This paper presents peak discharge numerical modeling of the Keser watershed for disaster risk mitigation and water resources management for an emergency action plan (EAP) for the Tugu dam. Several formulations for calculating peak discharge associated with the information on flood design in Indonesia are regulated in SNI 2415:2016 regarding the procedure of flood discharge calculation and design. This information on peak discharge/flood design is important and related to water structure dimensions, risk, costs, and reliability. The complexity of watershed conditions affects the hydrograph shape and volume, therefore this hydrograph performance analysis is needed to identify the best model of the current synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH). In this study, the performance of Nakayasu, Gamma 1, and Snyder synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH) will be analyzed and compared with the numerical modeling using the Hec-Ras 2D hydrodynamics model and observed data in the Keser watershed. The observed peak discharge data obtained 2.95 m3/s that occurred by precipitation unit (1 mm). From the calculation results, the peak discharge value using the Nakayasu method is 3,379 m3/s, while the Gamma 1 and Snyder methods obtained 3,276 and 3,158 m3/s. The results of the numerical model with Hec-Ras 2D v6.3 obtained a peak discharge hydrograph value of 3.019 m3/s. Thus, from the three SUH formulas and Hec-Ras calculations, the closest approach to the observed data results is the Hec-Ras 2D v6.3 with a peak discharge error of 2.36%.
Trust based Security Protocol to mitigate black hole Attacks in Mobile Adhoc Networks
Authors: Kaur Arshdeep , Kaur Jaspreet
Published: October 2022

Communication between mobile nodes occurs in mobile ad hoc networks without a centralized control system. The mobility of a node in this environment is unpredictable; this is a feature of wireless networks. The network is subject to routing misbehaviour and attacks as a result of defective or malicious nodes. Active attacks are the most harmful for networks because they raise the risk of information loss. The focus of this research is on the Black Hole Attack. This assault degrades the MANETs' performance to the point where regaining control becomes the most difficult task. Several researchers previously worked to combat these assaults, but the problem persists, compromising the network with numerous dangers. Most suggested security methods have not been tested on huge amounts of traffic, attacker nodes, or congestion, which increases the complexity of communication and necessitates the development of preventative techniques. As a result, in this paper, a trust-based security protocol is proposed. The trust parameters, which are derived based on two factors: (i) Current Energy and (ii) Packed Drop Count of a node, are used to choose IDS. The selected IDS node assists the source node in selecting a data transmission path and then monitoring that route until the transmission is complete. The impact of each scenario is computed using PDR, NRL, and PLR, and the performance of this proposed protocol is tested using three distinct scenarios with varied numbers of attackers, mobility, and nodes. In order to assess the effectiveness of this work, a grey hole attack is used. The average PDR is 97.7%, the NRL is 1.157, and the PLR is 2.22%, which is higher than other current protocols such as Reputation Value and AODV. In this work, a comparison is conducted for each scenario, and it is noticed that increasing the number of attackers and mobility decreases performance, but increasing the number of nodes increases the possibility of more alternative pathways. All of the calculations demonstrate that the proposed protocol outperforms other current protocols, achieving the intended result.
Synthesis of Pectin/ Fe 3 O 4 / Bentonite nanocomposite hydrogel and investigation of heavy metal (Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ ) adsorption properties from water
Authors: Maleki Sajjad Tabar , Beigi Paria , Babamoradi Mohsen
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to synthesize Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Pectin/Fe3O4/Bentonite nanocomposite hydrogel. Then this nano adsorbent was used to remove heavy metals (Pb2+, Cu2+, and Ca2+) from aqueous solutions. The percentage of adsorption efficiency for Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ by 30 mg of adsorbent during 60 minutes and concentration of 200 ppm was 91.5%, 89.5%, and 85%, respectively. At the concentration of 250 ppm, it is 87.2%, 86%, and 80.4%, respectively, and in the concentration of 300ppm, it is 78.66%, 77.33%, and 69%, respectively. In the continuation of the experiment, the optimal conditions for removing heavy metals with nanocomposite under laboratory conditions, pH = 7, contact time of 60 minutes, the concentration of 250 ppm, and adsorbent mass of 0.03 g were carried out. Because the concentration of 250 ppm was considered the average of the other two concentrations. The results of the adsorption isotherm studies exhibit a good fit of the data with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm compared to Freundlich and Temkin models. The collected kinetic and thermodynamics data illustrated that the pseudo-second-order equations, the spontaneous process and endothermic, control the adsorption process.
Creating three-dimensional anatomy models: effects on different aspects of learning anatomy
Authors: Lotfi Parvin , Atouf Fatemeh , Atlasi Mohammad Ali , Rafiyan Mahdi , Tameh Abolfazl Azami , Vahidinia Zeinab , Naderian Homayoun
Published: October 2022

Purpose
Learning anatomy in traditional and modern procedures is based on three-dimension visualization and spatial ability. Hands-on learning in undergraduate students promote learning and increases their skills. Therefore, for enhancing the anatomical concept and ability of students` skills, the undergraduate medical students create and print 3D anatomical models.
Methods
67 medical students participated, forming two groups. The experimental group created handmade models of the gastrointestinal system and the control group received routine lectures and practical lessons in our anatomy laboratory. They were asked to fill in the motivation questionnaire at the onset of the project as a pretest, after six months, as a posttest and for one year as a follow-up. The anatomy scores and general opinion of anatomy classes were evaluated. Different criteria were designed for evaluating handmade models, scanned, selected models and final three-dimension prints.
Results
The results indicated significant differences in posttests of performance goals. Anatomy scores of the gastrointestinal subject were higher for the students who prepared models for some gastrointestinal subjects. Students’ opinion of general anatomy classes where handmade models were used show that not only did they find classes more interesting and enjoyable, but the visualization also enhanced their learning ability and was more effective than lectures.
Conclusion
It was concluded that practical handmade model activities enhance three-dimension visualization in undergraduate students’ spatial ability for learning anatomy.
Blood homocysteine levels mediate the association between blood lead levels and cardiovascular mortality
Authors: Shibeeb Sapha , Abdallah Atiyeh , Shi Zumin
Published: October 2022

Lead is a heavy, toxic metal and its exposure to humans can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease development and mortality. Lead exposure has been shown to induce hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCy ) which further increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the mediation effect of blood lead induced HHCy on cardiovascular mortality in a national cohort. A total of 17,915 adults aged ≥ 20 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999 to 2006). Information on mortality was ascertained via probabilistic matching to the death certificates from the National Death Index recorded up to December 31, 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to assess the association between blood lead levels and mortality. Mediation via HHCy was examined using a logit model. During a mean follow-up of 11.6 years, the incidences of CVD mortality were 0.73, 2.18, 3.03 and 4.94 per 1000 person-years across quarterlies of blood lead levels from low to high. Following multivariable adjustment, blood lead levels were strongly associated with CVD mortality in all mortality models (p trend < 0.001). This association remained statistically significant after further adjusting for quartiles of homocysteine (model 3; HR 1.38 (95% CI 1.01 - 1.89) p trend < 0.001). Furthermore, blood lead levels increased the odds of CVD mortality via homocysteine (indirect effect) (OR 1.42 (95% CI 1.30 - 1.55)), demonstrating the mediatory effect of homocysteine. This the first study that demonstrates that increased homocysteine mediates more than half of CVD mortality related to blood lead levels.
Point Cloud Learning with Transformer
Authors: Zhong Qi , Han Xian-Feng
Published: October 2022

Remarkable performance from Transformer networks in Natural Language Processing promote the development of these models in dealing with computer vision tasks such as image recognition and segmentation. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework, called Multi-level Multi-scale Point Transformer (MLMSPT) that works directly on the irregular point clouds for representation learning. Specifically, a point pyramid transformer is investigated to model features with diverse resolutions or scales we defined, followed by a multi-level transformer module to aggregate contextual information from different levels of each scale and enhance their interactions. While a multi-scale transformer module is designed to capture the dependencies among representations across different scales. Extensive evaluation on public benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and the competitive performance of our methods on 3D shape classification, segmentation tasks.
Determinants of Demand for Health Care Services by Rural Households.
Authors: Ogundipe Michael , Adesola Adenekan
Published: October 2022

The study looked into the factors that influence rural families in the Akinyele Local Government's need for health care services. Two hundred (200) questionnaires were employed to collect certain important and pertinent data. Regression analysis, percentages, and frequency distribution statistics are some of the techniques employed. This frequency and the percentage allow us to understand how the respondents feel about the queries posed and answers provided. The regression analysis was utilized to determine the variables' sign and size as well as their significance. The regression analysis shows that price of healthcare service, the cost of drug, educational qualification and the distance to health centres are statistically significant in determining the demand for health care services among the people in Akinyele local government area while income, age and gender are statistically insignificant. As price of healthcare services, cost of drugs and distance to health centres are significant at 5% level of significance, education qualification is significant at 10% level of significance.
Electrochemical Properties and PhotonicStudy of Redox-Active Thiophene-EDTT Units as New Electroactive Material
Authors: Bufarwa Saleh
Published: October 2022

Utilizing electrochemical and optical methods, a novel conjugated co-compound that contains the redox-active thiophene-EDTT units has been described. The electrochemical and spectroscopic characteristics of the molecule 5,7-bis(3-hexylthiophen-2-yl)-2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1, 4]dithiine are covered in this article. Ethylene3,4-dioxythiophene (EDTT), which is bound by bis-hexylthiophene units, appears as the central core. Tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (Bu4NPF6) 0.1 M was used as the supporting electrolyte in cyclic voltammetry to study the material's redox properties, and electronic absorption Spectra in acetonitrile solution was used to study the material's optical properties. The monomer's electrochemical characteristics have resulted in a lower oxidation potential than its polymer. When compared to the polymer state, the optical band gap of the monomer has demonstrated a significant change.
Quantitative Analysis of Hypercarbia and Ventilator Settings During a Robot Assisted Laparoscopy
Authors: Lindner Christian , Lee Chihjen
Published: October 2022

Subcutaneous emphysema is a common surgical complication during laparoscopic surgeries, which can cause severe respiratory acidosis if unrecognized and untreated. In this paper, we will review respiratory physiology and propose a diagnostic criterion for subcutaneous emphysema. We present a case of progressive respiratory acidosis complicated by hyperkalemia and delayed emergence during robotic surgery secondary to subcutaneous emphysema in the setting of carbon dioxide insufflation. Normally respiratory acidosis due to carbon dioxide insufflation increases carbon dioxide production by about 30%, this can be countered intraoperatively with an increase in minute ventilation. In our case, despite increases in minute ventilation, the end-tidal carbon dioxide remained elevated. The respiratory acidosis caused mild hyperkalemia which was treated intraoperatively. Post-operative chest radiograph confirmed the etiology of subcutaneous emphysema. In this case, we show that the product of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide and respiratory rate is proportional to the carbon dioxide production, and when the respiratory rate is more than twice that of the patients baseline to maintain a normal end-tidal carbon dioxide, then subcutaneous emphysema should be highly suspected.
Transformation of the Funeral Rite of the Peoples of Central Asia on the Territory of North India During the Early Iron Age
Authors:   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, Valeria L. Denisenko
Published: October 2022

The article is dedicated to the historiographical analysis of the transformation of funeral rite of the Pamir Sakas, Yuezhi, Indo-Scythians and Kushans in the process of their migration from Central Asia to the territory of Northern India. The purpose of this study is to trace the gradual assimilation of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia with the settled population of Bactria and Northern India, reflected in the funeral rite. The Early Iron Age of Central Asia and Northern India remains little-studied, if to speak about historical and cultural interactions and routеs of the migration wave. This topic needs an objective and deep study based on a thorough analysis and systematization of available historiographical sources. Extreme paucity of publications dedicated to the funerary monuments correlated with Saki-Indo-Scythians and Yuezhi-Kushans in Northern India is one of the main problems. Funeral practices are among the most important indicators of the cultural interaction between different peoples and cultures. The main method of research is a comprehensive approach suggesting involving data from other sciences – epigraphic, numismatic and historical. The chronological framework of the study is from the II century BC, when Yuezhi and Saki began their massive migrations to the west ‒ to the III century AD, when the fall of the Kushan Empire occurred. In the process of migration, the Sakas and Yuezhi adapted to the cultures around them. Thus, part of the Sakas in Bactria adopted Zoroastrianism, burial mounds of the Yuezhi mostly contain products of local sedentary population. On the territory of Northern India, the Indo-Scythians and Kushans adopted the funerary traditions of the local Buddhist population – burning the dead and placing their ashes in special stupas with other relics. It is important to note that their assimilation took place gradually and even influenced the established funeral practice of Indo-Buddhist. For example, single bones and whole skeletons are sometimes found in stupas, and since the Indo-Scythian period, coins have been placed in stupas with other relics. In this regard, the revealing of new sources about the funerary monuments of Northern India is one of the promising directions.
Materials for the History of the Orthodox Church in the North and Northeast of China in the early 1930s
Authors:   Transbaikal State University, Evgeny V. Drobotushenko
Published: October 2022

In the context of the available data on the history of Orthodoxy in the north and northeast of China, the article provides new information characterizing various aspects of the existence and activity of the Orthodox Church in the early 1930s. This time was quite difficult for Russian emigrants in the territories under consideration. They were the main bearers of Orthodoxy. The research uses general scientific methods of collecting, analyzing and synthesizing material, which is especially important when working with sources, as well as special methods of historical cognition. The chronological method made it possible to characterize events in their sequence, the comparative historical method made it possible to compare facts and phenomena in different time periods. The main conclusion of the study was the observation that at the time under consideration, the conditions of existence of representatives of the Orthodox community in the region were complicated by a number of factors. These are punitive campaigns to the places of their residence of the Red Army detachments, the establishment of the puppet regime of the state of Manchukuo, the strongest flood in Harbin. This led to the closure of a number of Orthodox churches and a significant outflow of parishioners. The article is based on little-known and unknown archival documents, which, in some cases, repeat the information found in publications, while in some cases they give completely new, previously unknown facts. A series of events in the early 1930s led to the fact that a significant part of the representatives of the Russian emigration ‒ Orthodox for the most part, left the region, going further into China, and then beyond its borders. This, in turn, led to a reduction in the number of Orthodox believers, the income of priests fell, churches began to close.
Curative Mythmaking: Children's Bodies, Medical Knowledge, and the Frontier of Health in Early Soviet Odesa
Authors: Pauly Matthew D.
Published: October 2022

This essay explores how Soviet authorities appropriated medical knowledge derived from the treatment of a “passive” juvenile population to create a new assurance of municipal well-being in the 1920s. The attempt to control and remediate the spread of disease reflected a Bolshevik certainty in the state’s ability to confront the frontier of health by applying the dictates of modern science. Revolution and civil war brought challenge—the fractured city changed hands repeatedly until a final, tentative victory by the Red Army in 1920. Odesa’s children figuratively confronted a political, moral, and social liminality, standing between the diseased, corrupt yesteryear and a salubrious, principled future. Soviet central authorities sought to revive the newly liberated city by establishing a network of children’s institutions in which they would contain contagion, but also bring the full spectrum of applied expertise to bear on young bodies. In this traumatized city at the Soviet Union’s edge, state custodians would raise a new, loyal generation. Its health would signify revolution achieved. Illness would continue to plague the city’s residents, but the myth of a community united in health created an ecology of promise and activism.
Transformation of food security of the border region in the face of external challenges: a case study of Kaliningrad Oblast
Authors:   Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Voloshenko Ksenia , Morachevskaya Kira ,   St. Petersburg State University, Novikova Anna ,   Kaliningrad State Technical University, Lyzhina Elena ,   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Kalinovskiy Leonid ,   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
Published: October 2022

Foreign trade relations of Russia in the 2010s developed in the context of various geopolitical challenges, which led to a radical transformation of the volume and geography of export-import operations, including the food sector. The 2014 embargo triggered an intensification of the import substitution policy in the Russian agriculture and food production. The value of the import component in the food market, the basic level of agriculture and food production development, and the level of diversification and localisation of raw material relations of enterprises acted as differentiating factors in the influence of new external challenges on the food security of the regions. Kaliningrad Oblast is of particular interest for studying the transformation of food security, taking into account the exclave position, the low level of agriculture development a decade ago, close export-import relations with European countries until 2014. The paper calculates food security indicators, analyses territorial and sectoral shifts in agriculture and food production, and estimates changes in the import component in the food market of Kaliningrad Oblast. The data of the federal state statistics service, the Kaliningrad regional customs, as well as the results of expert interviews and visual observations conducted by the authors in August 2020 are used. It was revealed that the transformation of food security in Kaliningrad Oblast, on the one hand, reflected national trends, and, on the other hand, had unique features. The latter were characteristic of changes in the food independence of the region. Its increase was associated with the rapid growth of agriculture with a high return of government support. In addition, there was a relatively dispersed distribution of key centers of agricultural production, atypical for many regions of “mainland” Russia. The beneficiaries of the free niches on the market, which opened after the food embargo in 2014, as in most of the territory of Russia, were large agroholdings, but many of them, in contrast to those located in the interior regions of the country, were rather acutely experiencing the ruptures of raw materials ties.
Demographic and sociocultural challenges to cross-border cooperation on the Russian-Kazakhstan border
Authors:   Institute of Geography of Russian Academy of Sciences, Karpenko Mikhail , Sebentsov Alexander ,   Institute of Geography of Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: October 2022

Integration aspirations of Kazakhstan and Russia seem to many experts to be a solid basis for the development of cooperation in the common border area. However, recent scientific researches have convincingly proved that political and economic integration does not automatically bring the border regions closer together and develop institutions of cooperation between them. Under these conditions, participants in cross-border interactions are forced to rely on the still preserved elements of the common Soviet heritage – economic ties between large enterprises and especially a common culture and values. The purpose of the work is to analyze the nature of the influence of demographic and socio-cultural trends of recent decades on cross-border cooperation between Russian and Kazakh regions. The study showed that the common socio-cultural space of the border area, on the one hand, undoubtedly creates the potential for integration and cross-border cooperation, on the other hand, it inevitably becomes a matter of concern for states seeking to legitimize their rights to border areas through a special linguistic, historical, cultural and symbolic policy aimed at uniting ethnically and culturally diverse populations in political nations. The policy of "Kazakhization", the demographic policy of the Russian and Kazakh authorities, as well as the natural course of demographic processes contributes to the erosion of the common socio-cultural space of the border area. The analysis of expert interviews showed that the basis of "unorganized", "spontaneous" cooperation of the population is still cross-border trade, as well as mutual trips with consumer and tourist purposes. The main beneficiaries of such contacts are the Russian regional centers, especially the millionaire cities, where study and further life are considered as a desirable life trajectory for many young Kazakhstanis and, above all, ethnic Russians. By attracting more and more migrants, the largest Russian cities contribute to further polarization and erosion of the socio-cultural space of the border area, which can significantly reduce the potential for cooperation in the long term.
Methods of snowmelt calculation in the Antarctic oasis Larsemann Hills
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kuznetsova Mariia , Priakhina Galina ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: October 2022

The paper studies the validity of snowmelt calculation methods, which are mostly used in hydrology, for the Larsemann Hills oasis (East Antarctica). The study bases on snow surveys data obtained on catchments of Low Lake, Reid Lake and Stepped Lake during the 65th season of the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) in 2019-2020. Materials of the fond of Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) are also used: snow surveys data collected on the catchment of Stepped Lake during the 57th RAE season in 2012 and on catchments of Low Lake, Reid Lake, Scandrett Lake and Stepped Lake during the 62th RAE season in 2017. Considered three methods of snowmelt calculation were derived by Kuz'min P.P., Popov E.G., Vinogradov Yu.B. Results of calculation are compared with snowmelt value obtained according to snow surveys. The paper shows two variants of calculations: in the first albedo of snow is determined from function of snow age as different values for each day, in the second albedo is determined from remote sensing data as average value for all period. Results of snowmelt calculation depend on the method which sets value of snow albedo: relative inaccuracies of results obtained of all discussed methods are smaller when albedo is determined as average value. The equation by Kuz'min P.P. gives the smallest inaccuracies of snowmelt calculation results in relative to real snowmelt values estimated from snow survey data. This snowmelt calculation method in the majority of cases reviewed gives satisfactory results and should be recommended for estimation of snowmelt values for this Antarctic territory.
Streamflow forecasting in a climate change perspective using E-FUSE
Authors: Vogeti Rishith Kumar , Boindala Sriman Pankaj , Kumar D. Nagesh , Raju K. Srinivasa
Published: October 2022

The present work aims to identify the best hydrological model structure suitable for the Lower Godavari River Basin, India, that forecasts streamflows. An extended version of the Framework for Understanding Structural Errors (FUSE), termed E-FUSE, is developed for this purpose. It consists of 1248 model structures. K means cluster analysis (KCA), and Davies Bouldin Cluster Validation Index (DBCVI) are used for identifying optimal clusters, whereas Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is employed for the best model structure. Correlation coefficient (r), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), and mean bias error (MBE) are employed as evaluation criteria. The best model structure obtained exhibits r, NRMSE and MBE of 0.734, 0.74 and -0.09 respectively during calibration and 0.69, 0.802 and -0.28 respectively during validation. The best model structure is then used to forecast discharges for a global climate model, EC-Earth3, and four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585 scenarios. Analysis was made for three time horizons, namely, the near-future scenario (2021–2046), mid-future scenario (2047–2072), and far future scenario (2073–2099). It is observed that the July–September months contribute greatly to total runoff for four SSPs and three time horizons.
Modelling of enteric bacteria concentrations in a river in Akure Nigeria
Authors: Olalemi Adewale Oluwasogo , Ogundare Oluwatosin Temitope
Published: October 2022

Models that can predict the level of faecal pollution in rivers are of great significance in low-and middle-income countries where residents rely on them for anthropogenic activities. Water samples from River Ala were collected from seven representative monitoring points and the load of enteric bacteria were determined. The physicochemical characteristics were determined, linear regression models and risk maps for the representative monitoring points on River Ala were developed. The concentration of Escherichia coli in the water samples from River Ala ranged from 4.87 to 5.41 log10 CFU 100 ml−1 and faecal coliforms 5.23 to 5.42 log10 CFU 100 ml−1. Temperature ranged from 26.75 to 27.50 °C and turbidity 25.10 to 36.86 NTU. E. coli had positive relationships with turbidity (r = 0.62) and rainfall (r = 0.73). Faecal coliforms had positive relationships with turbidity (r = 0.76) and rainfall (r = 0.72). Regression models produced for rainfall as a function of E. coli had R² value of 0.667; and rainfall as a function of faecal coliforms had R² value of 0.683. The developed models demonstrated high predictive values and application to other monitoring points on the course of River Ala and can be adopted in water safety plans and water management practices.
Fine soil particle aggregation in ultra-fine bubble irrigated paddy fields
Authors: Ueda Yoshikatsu , Izumi Yasuhiro , Hirooka Yoshihiro , Watanabe Yoshinori , Iijima Morio
Published: October 2022

The flotation method of ultra-fine bubbles (UFB) aims to address pollution and has been used for combating the undesirable water conditions of contaminated soils. Hence, water containing UFB is gaining increasing attention for potential agricultural applications. Although certain hypotheses have been proposed, such as the collection of ions in water through the electrical characteristic of UFB, no clear experimental data have been provided. We found that improvement in turbidity may cause the adsorption of fine soil particles in the water by the UFB, thereby improving the quality of the water. The data from the paddy field showed that a decrease in turbidity (below 2 nephelometric turbidity units) occurred over a short period of time (3 days). UFB concentration is directly related to turbidity with a coefficient of determination of 0.93. This phenomenon was also observed through the distribution of bubbles and soil particles, where the average particle size increased because of the aggregation of soil particles and the decrease in turbidity in the paddy field, indicating that UFB collect soil particles and thereby improve water quality. Therefore, UFB are highly effective in cleaning rice field water and will be a preferred method for purifying the environment in the future.
Fate of phthalates in a river receiving wastewater treatment plant effluent based on a multimedia model
Authors: Wang Chenchen , Guo Yaqi , Feng Lixia , Pang Weiliang , Yu Jingjie , Wang Shaopo , Qiu Chunsheng , Li Chaocan , Wang Yufei
Published: October 2022

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) can enter environment media by secondary effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) into receiving rivers, thus posing a threat to ecosystem health. A level III fugacity model was established to simulate the fate and transfer of four PAEs in a study area in Tianjin, China, and to evaluate the influence of WWTP discharge on PAEs levels in the receiving river. The results show that the logarithmic residuals of most simulated and measured values of PAEs are within one order of magnitude with a good agreement. PAEs in the study area were mainly distributed in soil and sediment phases, which accounted for 84.66%, 50.26%, 71.96% and 99.09% for dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), respectively. The upstream advection accounted for 77.90%, 93.20%, 90.21% and 90.93% of the total source of DMP, DEP, DBP and DEHP in the river water, respectively, while the contribution of secondary effluent discharge was much lower. Sensitivity analysis shows that emission and inflow parameters have greater influences on the multimedia distributions of PAEs than physicochemical and environmental parameters. Monte Carlo analysis quantifies the uncertainties and verifies the reliability of the simulation results.