bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Problem of Fate and Heroism in Lermontov and Leo Tolstoy. Philosophical Analysis
Authors:   National Research University Higher School of Economics, Kulikov Anton K.
Published: January 2022

The article provides a philosophical analysis of the problem of fate and heroism based on the works of Mikhail Lermontov and Leo Tolstoy. The author examines this problem against the background of the modern cultural and philosophical context, bringing the philosophy of literature closer to the philosophy of culture and philosophical anthropology. The article demonstrates that for Lermontov and Tolstoy a hero becomes a hero when he meets his fate, opposing his will and honor to inevitability, strives to become a demigod and to compare to eternity and multicolored fullness of the nature’s life. The author analyzes the motives of childishness, merging with nature, meeting with destiny, aristocratic rejec­tion of modern European rationalism (the philosophy of the bourgeois and raznochintsy), the rejection of history with its reasonable “sense and purpose” and the ideas of justice and retribution. All these features of the worldview and art of Lermontov and Tolstoy are dictated by their heroics. An unreasonable and unjust world where blind fate reigns is the world depicted in their works and aes­thetically justified in them. The article also discusses Lermontov and Tolstoy’s zealous persecution of pseudo-heroism of “our time”: the profanation of fatalism leads to the degeneration of heroism. Thus, the European world of “knowledge and doubt”, which has rejected the idea of fate, is contrasted with the world of heroic play. Both the former and the latter are mythologemes, Lermontov and Tolstoy strive to build another, mythological world of childishness and aristoc­racy outside of history next to the real world of the Pechorins.
Brotherhood in the Face of One God. M.K. Gandhi on Ways to Overcome Interreligious Disagreements. Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, God is One, Trans. by Elena A. Bitinayte
Authors:   Krasnodar Air Force Institute for Pilots named after A.K. Serov, Bitinayte Elena A.
Published: January 2022

The monotheistic idea is represented in the article as religious-philosophical base of nonviolent worldview. Belief in One God can help us to avoid and resolve any (not only religious) conflicts, but only providing that: 1) we considerate all reli­gions as equal paths leading to one spiritual goal; 2) we regard God as some power which connects the whole world, but not as someone beyond the universe who only rules it. Essentially that means two things: understanding that any claim of some religious community to possession of ultimate truth is failure and affirming at the same time the value of general spiritual kinship. These two no­tions make for us clear that intolerance and enmity are senseless. Noted above complex of ideas was analyzed on the example of M.K. Gandhi’s religious-philosophical thought which was foundation of his peacekeeping activity. The Indian thinker expresses his ideal of unity in diversity with the “tree of religions” metaphor. He depicts different faiths as branches of one spiritual root. He shows that all religions express divine truth in their original deepness in equal measure and at the same time all they are imperfect on the exoteric, i.e. cultural level. This way he proves absurdity of fanatic assurance in superiority of one faith over the others. He sees the method of overcoming religious conflicts in people’s un­derstanding of their kinship with God which helps them to realize their kinship with each of His creation. These ideas were foundation of Gandhi’s numerous callings to stop Hindu-Muslim conflict which darkened the last period of his life. The illustration is his short article “God is One” (25.09.1924). The Russian translation of this text is presented to the readers.
Fundamental Models of Education of the Future
Authors:   Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Karpov Alexander O.
Published: January 2022

Overcoming a discord with representations of the phenomenon lies in ontological roots of education of the future. Hence, problem-cognitive and memory-based models that shape approaches to the truth of the phenomenon and completeness of its image through epistemological and cultural-historical dimensions are identified as fundamental models of education of the future. With regard to problem-cogni­tive education, its conceptual foundations are formulated; differences from collec­tive, problematic and traditional (translational) methods of learning are shown; the content of paradigmatic relations is revealed: functions, forms, methods and imper­ative of being. When explicating the memory-based education, the “memory-based cognition” and “memory-based knowledge” concepts are defined. An epistemic thing containing a cultural implant and an epistemic collection is presented as a model of “memory-based knowledge”. Memory-based learning is described, and its relation to the “chronotope” concept introduced by A.A. Ukhtomsky is shown. The conclusion is drawn that the truth of being of education is achievable by leav­ing the track of centuries-old class-lesson (lecture-seminar) system and transition to a new ontological onset beginning – its anticipatory image is given by problem-cognitive and memory-based models of education.
On the “innocent victim” thought experiment and the absolute moral prohibition of violence
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitskiy Konstantin E.
Published: January 2022

In the article, the author defends the principle of non-violence from attempts to destroy it by means of thought experiments-arguments. It is demonstrated that the “innocent victim argument” is basic to many other thought experiments against the absolute prohibition of violence. The experiment appeals to an imaginary situation in which one person cannot be protected from violence without using violence against another person. The application of this construction as an argument implies, first, the recognition of the validity of the use of thought experiments in ethics; secondly, the acceptance of the premises of the thought experiment-argument “innocent victim”; third, the acceptance of the terms of the thought experiment-argument “innocent victim”; and only fourthly, an answer to the question contained in this thought experiment-argument. The author argues that the premises and terms of the thought experiment-argument “innocent victim” are clearly contradictory and arbitrary, which makes its entire construction untenable. The only adequate moral re­sponse to the thought experiment-argument “innocent victim” consists in rejecting the premises and terms of the question itself and not in answering it. This leads to the conclu­sion that the question of this argument is meaningless and immoral.
Ethics and psychology (the case of shame studies)
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prokofyev Andrey V.
Published: January 2022

The paper explores a number of approaches explaining the interaction between ethics and psychology. These approaches state that: а) appeals to psychological data are destructive to moral philosophy, b) such appeals are harmless, but are useless in creating a correct theoretical vision of morality, c) the interaction between ethics and psychology can be collaborative and involve some mutual correction of methodologies. The object of research is psychological and ethical studies of shame. The author characterizes briefly two main psychological interpretations of shame: a) as an emotion of self-assessment that requires a real or imagined external blame, b) as an emotion of self-assessment that is focused on the personal features of a transgressor. Against the background of this reconstruction, the author establishes how psychological studies of shame can use resources provided by an ethical analysis of the sense of morality and by the content of particular moral concepts. On the other hand, the author shows, how ethical studies of the subject can use moral psychology to get rid of some elements of subjectivism in the image of the common moral experience that they create. Such collaboration is possible in demarcating shame and guilt (where it helps to grasp the two-sided character of shame) as well as in evaluating these two emotions (here, it highlights complimentary nature of them). The proposed analysis suggests that the third approach to the interaction of ethics and psychology is more justified.
Normativity in philosophy of mind
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanov D.V.
Published: January 2022

The paper deals with the problem of normativity in the philosophy of mind. It points out that the normativity of conscious experience has long been ignored in the discipline. This is largely due to the fact that philosophers paid attention primarily to the metaphysical aspects of mind. The work also notes that the turn to the epistemology of mind makes it important to study the normativity of mental states. Such research can help us not only to clarify a number of epistemological questions, but also to solve some metaphysical questions. In particular, an inquiry into the problem of normativity can justify an acceptance of externalism in the philosophy of mind. In the paper, the problem of normativity in the philosophy of mind is considered through the viewpoint of the rule-following problem, posed by Wittgenstein. It demonstrates that any internalist understanding of the content of mental states either ignores the normative aspect of conscious experience or faces the skeptical paradox formulated by Wittgenstein. The only way to avoid these difficulties is to adopt the externalist view about the content of mental states advocated by John McDowell. According to this position, the content of mental states is understood as an objective state of affairs, which can function as a reason for the conscious activity of the subject.
“Communism” maxim in Robert Merton’s code of ethics and its effect in the epistemological discourse of the traditional society
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy and Law, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vasechko V.Yu.
Published: January 2022

The article examines one of the maxims of the code of scientific ethos, formulated in 1942 by R.K. Merton, namely “communism” (translated in Russian also as “communalism” and “collectivism”). Although the Merton Code was derived from the study of relationships among European scientists since the 17th century, the author substantiates the possibility of using this maxim to characterize the communication that develops between the subjects of epistemological discourse in traditional society, primarily in the civilizations of the ancient and medieval East (ancient Egypt and Babylon, India, China, the Arab-Muslim world). The epistemological dimension of “communism” is rendered relevant, provided that the re- search community, a community of researchers, is united by common cognitive and professional attitudes. This commune covers not only real-life people performing in various cognitive roles (pioneers, commentators, experts, analysts or popularizers), but also individuals represented virtually. The latter are either the authors of the surviving works, determining the format and problem field of definite epistemological fragment, or future successors of the study, which will connect to it after a while. Violations of ethical principles implicitly perceived by this maxim (such as full mutual trust and equality among study participants, respect for results achieved by others, the priority of common goals over personal competition, etc.) are perceived as treasonous to the spirit of science and behavior worthy of censure. Despite interpersonal and inter-group conflicts accompanying the research work, the view of knowledge as a common, communal property of a commonwealth of scientists or, at least, this team, is an important factor in the effectiveness of scientific research. On the contrary, the privatization of knowledge and its total secrecy, characteristic of periods of scientific stagnation, is accompanied by a break of contacts between the subjects of discourse and the fading of interest in cardinal, breakthrough, innovative epistemological problems.
Empirical and theoretical in epistemology and philosophy of science
Authors:   Institute for the History of Natural Science and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kuznetsova N.I.
Published: January 2022

It is argued that the key problem of modern epistemology and philosophy of science is the problem of analyzing empirical material for which there is a lack of tools. It is shown that the theory of social relay races by M. Rozov (TSR) focuses on this and offers an original ontological model of the structure of knowledge. Only a theoretically built ontological model of cognition allows for a systematic collection of empirical knowledge, which is richly represented both in the history of science and in the real scientific practice of an actively working scientist.
The Disintegration of Intersubjectivity: Madness as the Failure of Love (according to L. Binswanger)
Authors:   RAS Institute of Philosophy, Tsvetkova Olga
Published: January 2022

The article considers the problem of love and madness as opposite modes of human existence. Using the example of human interaction with artificial intelligence it has been analyzed from the point of view of the phenomenology of love and Ludwig Binswanger's Dasein analysis the reciprocal influence of madness and disintegration of intersubjectivity in the context of an anthropocrisis. It has been demonstrated that the full realization of a person is impossible in isolation from others, it is possible only in relationships with others, the highest form of which is love. A human being is a born possibility of a "generalized We", his task is to realize this possibility in a direct meeting of "We". Only through "We" can Dasein achieve its fullest realization. Love is defined as the essential structure of the human, the "fundamental form" that structures the human being and its failure causes madness. It has been considered the hypothesis of L. Binswanger about the failure of love in a psychopathological state, in connection with the perception of others as objects and the consequent impossibility of creating "We" as being-in-the-world-together, and about the form of treatment, which consists in opening the possibility of "We". A hypothesis has been put forward that the forced external limitation of the realization of intentionality to "We" can also affect the narrowing of the world-project and lead to madness.
Gaining Personal Freedom as Metanoia in the Сoncepts of D. Cooper and R. Laing
Authors:   RAS Institute of Philosophy, Ustyugova Julia
Published: January 2022

In the report, the author raises the problem of personal freedom, referring to the concept of metanoia by R. Laing and D. Cooper. On the basis of Laing's ideas, the understanding of freedom is conceptualized as the acquisition of a true "I" through the experience of mental illness, which was introduced into the field of philosophical comprehension. Using the example of Cooper's metanoia scheme, the transition from the state of alienation and adaptation to free self-realization as from unreasonableness to sanity is considered. The author raises the question about the criteria of norm and pathology in the course of realization of personal freedom. The urgency of the further development of Laing's and Cooper's ideas in the aspect of the possibility of implementing existential metanoia in the modern socio-cultural context is substantiated.
The Philosophical Anthropology of Martin Buber
Authors: Gurevich Pavel
Published: January 2022

Martin (Mordechai) Buber was born in Vienna in 1878. He lived in Germany until 1933, then emigrated to Switzerland, and later to Palestine. After the Second World War, the philosopher condemned Arab-Jewish hostility and inhumane actions towards Palestinian Arabs. Buber died in 1965 in Jerusalem. The creative legacy of the philosopher is extremely popular in many countries. As a thinker, Buber combined many diverse interests and aspirations. He was a non-trivial sage-philosopher, a brilliant translator of the Tanakh, a researcher of Hasidism, an outstanding educator and preacher, poet and writer. Buber's views are close to dialectical theology and existentialism. The central idea of Buber's philosophy is being as a dialogue between God and man, man and the world. Developing the concept of religious existentialism, the thinker significantly enriched philosophical anthropology. The insight expressed by him, rooted in the biblical tradition, is simple and majestic: a person's life is in dialogue with other people who are like him. This dialogue is creative and saving when it is carried out through the medium of God, his precepts about morality and love. It is in this dialogue that the vitality of God himself is revealed. Thus, Buber responded with all his creativity to the philosophical ideas of the XX century, to the ideas of "the death of God" and "the death of Man".
The problem of identity of Russian civilization and geopolitics
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sokolova Rimma I.
Published: January 2022

The article is devoted to the civilizational identity of Russia in the light of modern geopoli­tics, which is acutely relevant. Based on this task, the article proposes to change the ap­proach to the study of the essence of Russian civilizationism, expressed symbolically in the question “who are we?”, which generates disagreements and leads to a dead end. A more responsible and projective approach gives an answer to the question “why are we?”. This question translates the study into the plane of the search for the Meaning of civilization and is more organically connected with the problem of identity, as well as geopolitics. It is emphasized that the question of Meaning is an important metaphysical question that also has an ontological dimension. Meaning is immanent to the Whole, permeates the entire civ­ilization and is, in essence, a Law for it. He author comes to the conclusion that the meaning of civilization is most fruitfully revealed in classical Russian philosophy, which is charac­terized by attention to objective reality, the presence of the methodological principle “we”, the study of the topic of relations between Russia and Europe. These properties of Russian classical philosophy in their totality and interweaving help to approach modern geopolitics more consciously and contribute to the identification of the ontological meaning of Russian civilization at this stage. In this regard is noted, the intensive reactivation of the “enemy im­age” taking place in modern geopolitics, which has its origin in the theory of K. Schmitt. The “image of the enemy” is inseparable from the concept of war, the danger of which is noted by many military experts. In ontological terms, the main meaning of Russian civi­lization is to protect it from diverse threats. Comprehension of the metaphysical side of Meaning is no less important task. The universal humanity, the preservation of spiritual values lost by the West, etc. are derivatives of this Meaning.
Does shot noise always provide the quasiparticle charge?
Authors: Heiblum Moty , Biswas Sourav , Bhattacharyya Rajarshi , Kundu Hemanta , Das Ankur , Umansky Vladimir , Goldstein Moshe , Gefen Yuval
Published: January 2022

The fractional charge of quasiparticles is a fundamental feature of quantum Hall effect (QHE) States. The charge, important in characterizing the state and in interference experiments, has long been measured via shot-noise at moderate temperatures (T>30mK), with the Fano factor F=e*/e revealing the charge e* of the quasiparticles. However, at sufficiently low temperatures (T≈10mK), we consistently find F being equal to the bulk filling factor, νb. Surprisingly, noise with F=νb is also observed on intermediate conductance plateaus in the transmission of the quantum point contact (QPC), where shot noise is not expected. We attribute the unexpected Fano factor to upstream neutral modes, which proliferate at the lowest spinless Landau level. The universality of the Fano factor is also confirmed when the edge modes do not conform to the bulk (breaking bulk-edge correspondence). For this, the ubiquitous edge modes at the periphery of the sample are replaced by artificially constructed 'interface modes', propagating at the interface between two adjoined QHE states: the tested state and a different state. We present a new theoretical paradigm based on an interplay between charge and neutral modes, explaining the origin of the universal Fano factor.
Incidence, Survival, And Associated Factors Estimation In Osteosarcoma Patients With Lung Metastasis: A Single-Center Experience of 11 Years In Tianjin, China
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wu Haixiao , Xu Guijun , Ma Wenjuan , Qi Lisha , Li Zhijun , Zhang Jin
Published: January 2022

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor. The current study was conducted to describe the general condition of patients with primary osteosarcoma in a single cancer center in Tianjin, China and to investigate the associated factors in osteosarcoma patients with lung metastasis. Methods: From February 2009 to October 2020, patients from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, China were retrospectively analyzed. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to evaluate the overall survival of osteosarcoma patients. Prognostic factors of patients with osteosarcoma were identified by the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Risk factor of lung metastasis in osteosarcoma were investigated by the logistic regression model. Results: A total of 203 patients were involved and 150 patients were successfully followed up for survival status. The 5-year survival rate of osteo-sarcoma patients was 70.0%. Surgery, bone and lung metastasis were the significant prognostic factors in multivariable Cox regression analysis. Twenty-one (10.3%) patients showed lung metastasis at the diagnosis of osteosarcoma and 67 (33%) lung metastases during the later course. T3 stage (OR=11.415, 95%CI 1.362-95.677, P=0.025) and synchronous bone metastasis (OR=6.437, 95%CI 1.69-24.51, P=0.006) were risk factors of synchronous lung metastasis occurrence. Good necrosis (≥90%, OR=0.097, 95%CI 0.028-0.332, P=0.000) and elevated Ki-67 (≥50%, OR=4.529, 95%CI 1.241-16.524, P=0.022) were proved to be significantly associated with metachronous lung metastasis occurrence. Conclusion: The overall survival, prognostic factors and risk factors for lung metastasis in this single center provided insight about osteosarcoma management.
Stromal Vascular Fraction-Enriched Fat Grafting as Treatment of Adherent Scars: Study Design of a Prospective Cohort Study.
Authors: Vriend Linda , Dongen Joris Anton van , Pijpe Anouk , Nieuwenhuis Marianne K. , Jongen Sandra JM , Harmsen Martin Conrad , Zuijlen Paul PM van , Lei Berend van der
Published: January 2022

BackgroundIn the last decades autologous fat grafting has been used to treat adherent dermal scars. The observed regenerative and scar reducing properties have been mainly ascribed to the tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction (tSVF) in adipose tissue. Adipose tissue’s components augment local angiogenesis and mitosis in resident tissue cells. Moreover, it promotes collagen remodeling. We hypothesize that tSVF potentiates fat grafting-based treatment of adherent scars. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of tSVF-enriched fat grafting on scar pliability over a 12-month period. Methods & DesignA clinical multicenter prospective cohort trial will be conducted in two dedicated Dutch Burn Centers (Red Cross Hospital, Beverwijk and Martini Hospital, Groningen). After their consent, 46 patients (≥18 years) with adherent scars caused by burns, necrotic fasciitis or degloving injury who have an indication for fat grafting will receive a sub-cicatricic tSVF-enriched fat graft. The primary outcome is the change in scar pliability measured by the Cutometer between pre- and 12 months post-grafting. Secondary outcomes are scar erythema and melanin measured by the DSM II Colormeter, scar quality assessed by the patient and observer scales of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) 2.0 and histological analysis of scar biopsies and tSVF quality and composition. This study has been approved by the Dutch Central Committee for Clinical Research (CCMO), NL72094.000.20. ConclusionThis study will test the clinical efficacy of tSVF-enriched fat grafting to treat dermal scars while the underlying working mechanism will be probed into too. Trial status Dutch Trial Register: NL 8461, registered on 16 March 2020.
Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of Graft Copolymer Silicones Enables Exceptionally Broad Thermomechanical Property Windows through Pendant-Mediation
Authors: Husted Keith , Herzog-Arbeitman Abraham , Kleinschmidt Denise , Zhang Wenxu , Fielitz Alyssa , Le An , Zhong Mingjiang , Johnson Jeremiah
Published: January 2022

Graft copolymers offer a versatile platform for the design of self-assembling materials; however, simple strategies for precisely and independently controlling the thermomechanical and morphological properties of graft copolymers over wide property windows remain elusive. Here, using a library of 92 systematically varied polynorbornene-graft-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) copolymers, we discover a versatile backbone-pendant sequence control strategy that overcomes this challenge. We find that small structural variations of aliphatic pendant groups, e.g., cyclohexyl versus n-hexyl, of small molecule comonomers have dramatic impacts on the order-to-disorder transitions, glass transitions, mechanical properties, and self-assembled morphologies of statistical and block silicone-based graft copolymers, providing an exceptionally broad palette of designable materials properties, e.g., elastic moduli that vary over 9 orders-of-magnitude. For example, statistical graft copolymers with very high PDMS volume fractions yielded unbridged body-centered cubic (BCC) morphologies that behaved as ultra-soft, shear-thinning, plastic crystals. By contrast, lamellae-forming statistical graft copolymers provided robust, stiff, yet reprocessable silicone thermoplastics (TPs) with transition temperatures spanning over 160 °C and elastic moduli as high as 150 MPa, which is much greater than commercial silicone thermosets. Altogether, this study reveals a new pendant-mediated assembly strategy that simplifies graft copolymer synthesis and enables access to a diverse family of silicone materials, setting the stage for the broader development of self-assembling materials with tailored performance specifications.
Clinical Predictors of Lung Function In Patients Recovering From Mild COVID-19
Authors: Cortes-Telles Arturo , Figueroa-Hurtado Esperanza , Ortiz-Farias Diana Lizbeth , Zavorsky Gerald Stanley
Published: January 2022

Background: There are few studies have assessed lung function in Hispanic subjects recovering from mild COVID-19. Therefore, we examined the prevalence of impaired pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) as defined by values below the lower limit of normal (< LLN, < 5th percentile) in Hispanics recovering from mild COVID-19. We also examined the prevalence of a restrictive spirometric pattern as defined by the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) being ≥ LLN with the FVC being < LLN. Finally, we wanted to examine factors that cause the prevalence of an impaired DLCO to vary between studies.Methods: In this observational study, adult patients (n = 146) with mild COVID-19 were recruited from a Long-term follow-up COVID-19 clinic in Yucatan, Mexico between March, and August 2021. Spirometry, DLCO, and self-reported signs/symptoms were recorded 34 ± 4 days after diagnosis. Results: At post-evaluation, 20% and 30% patients recovering from COVID-19 were classified as having a restrictive spirometric pattern and impaired DLCO, respectively; 13% had both. The most prevalent reported symptoms were fatigue (73%), persistent cough (43%), shortness of breath (42%) and a blocked/runny nose (36%). Increased age, a blocked/runny nose, excessive night sweats, and a restrictive spirometric pattern increased probability of having an impaired DLCO. The proportion of patients with previous mild COVID-19 who had impaired DLCO increased by 12% when the definition of impaired DLCO was < 80% predicted instead of < LLN. Having severe (compared to mild) COVID-19 increased the percentage of those with impaired DLCO by 20%. Conclusions: One-third of patients with mild COVID-19 have impaired DLCO thirty-four days post-diagnosis. One-fifth of patients have a restrictive spirometric pattern. The criteria that define impaired DLCO and the severity of COVID-19 disease affects the proportion of those with impaired DLCO at follow-up.
Erosion and Flood Susceptibility Evaluation in a Catchment of Kopet-Dagh Mountains Using EPM and RFM in GIS
Authors: Baharvand Siamak , Pardhan Biswajeet
Published: January 2022

Erosion and flood events can damage soils, water, quality, and sediment transportation, causing many cumulative hazards. In developing countries, such as Iran, the empirical models, which are low-cost procedures to mitigate the environmental hazards, are necessary to plan the watersheds. Hence, the main aim of this study is to evaluate erosion and flood susceptibility using empirical models of erosion potential method (EPM) and rational flood model (RFM) to prioritize the GIS-based prone zones in a catchment of the Kopet-Dagh Mountains. The results revealed that the heavy classes of erosion and flood susceptibility include 40.4-58.2% of the total study area, dominantly in the upstream catchments. The correlation test revealed a strong, significant, and direct association (R equal to 0.705) between W and Qp at the 99% confidence level. Consequently, the results of our research indicated the prioritization of the three sub-catchments based on their slight sensitivity and susceptibility to occurrences of soil erosion and flood events through future spatial developments. Ultimately, the model validity explained the AUC (area under the curve) values averagely equal to 0.898 and 0.917 for erosion and flood susceptibility evaluations (i.e., EPM and RFM), explaining the very good performance of the models and excellent sensitivities.
Loss of Tau Expression Attenuates Neurodegeneration Associated With α-Synucleinopathy
Authors: Vermilyea Scott C. , Christensen Anne , Meints Joyce , Singh Balvindar , Martell-Martínez Héctor , Karim Md. Razaul , Lee Michael K
Published: January 2022

Background: Neuronal dysfunction and degeneration linked to α-synuclein (αS) pathology is thought to be responsible for the progressive nature of Parkinson’s Disease and related Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Studies indicate to bidirectional pathological relationships between αS pathology and tau abnormalities. We recently showed that A53T mutant human αS (HuαS) can cause post-synaptic and cognitive deficits that require microtubule-associated protein tau expression. However, the role of tau in development of αS pathology and subsequent neuronal dysfunction has been controversial. Herein, we set to determine the role of tau in the onset and progression of αS pathology (α-synucleinopathy) using a transgenic mouse model of α-synucleinopathy lacking mouse tau expression. Methods: Transgenic mice expressing A53T mutant HuαS (TgA53T) were crossed with mTau-/- mice to generate TgA53T/mTau-/-. To achieve uniform induction of α-synucleinopathy in mice, we used intramuscular injections of αS preformed fibrils (PFF) to non-transgenic (nTg), TgA53T, TgA53T/mTau-/-, and mTau-/- mice. Motor behavior was analyzed at 70 days post inoculation (dpi) of PFF and tissues for biochemical and neuropathological analysis were collected at 40 dpi, 70 dpi, and end stage. Results: Loss of tau expression significantly delayed onset of motor deficits in the TgA53T model and delayed α-synucleinopathy disease progression, as evidenced by a significant reduction in histopathological and behavioral markers of neurodegeneration and disease, and a significant improvement in survival. In vitro application of PFF to primary mouse hippocampal neurons demonstrated no changes in PFF uptake and processing or pS129 αS aggregation as a function of tau expression. However, PFF-induced neurotoxicity, including morphological deficits in nTg neurons, were prevented with tau removal. Conclusions: Collectively, our data suggest that tau is likely acting downstream of αS pathology to affect neuronal homeostasis and survival. This work further supports the investigation of tau in α-synucleinopathies to identify novel disease-modifying therapeutic strategies.
Categorization of Green and Grey Infrastructure Complexity in the Rural-Urban Interface of Bengaluru, India; an unsupervised volumetric approach with relevance for urban quality
Authors: Nölke Nils , Fehrmann Lutz , Plieninger Tobias , Kleinn Christoph
Published: January 2022

Trees are key elements of urban green infrastructure and provide multiple ecosystem services that are essential for the quality of life of people in an urban environment. Grey infrastructure is made up of buildings or built-up area, generally characterized by imperviousness of the surface. The complexity of urban green and grey infrastructure and their interactions co-define the quality of urban life and the ecological value. Using conventional dichotomies by separation into „urban“ and „rural“ contexts does hardly allow to comprehensively assess the situation in rapidly and often chaotically urbanizing environments of the Global South. We present an unsupervised remote sensing-based approach integrating 3D information as an approach to objectively categorize the complexity of green and grey infrastructure. For our study area in Bengaluru, India, we distinguished five categories describing composition and configuration of the green and grey infrastructure, where three variables served as indicators for categorization into five cluster. We argue that such integrated 3D assessment of green and grey infrastructure is particularly useful for understanding and classifying “rurban” environments, where a distinction between urban and rural is often no longer possible The final map allows to quantitatively characterize rurban configurations.
Historical assessment approach of the evolution of the toxic trace element contents, transformation, distribution and redistributions, environmental risk levels and stability of Jbel Ressas tailings and agricultural soil (N-E Tunisia), to predict their management plan
Authors: Nassraoui Rawya , Romdhan Dalila Fkih , Charef Abdelkrim , Ayari Jamel
Published: January 2022

The jbel Ressas Pb-Zn mining wastes that had more than 600,000 m3 and their surrounding agricultural soil, that are in Northeastern Tunisia had ecological a high hazards. To suggest the wastes protection and soil remediation plan the evaluation of the historical evolution of their total and labile TTE contents, stability and distributions since their abundance (1952) and until today, which is not often possible, was a crucial step. The of Pb, Zn and Cd quantities in the initial wastes were 46640 t, 134780 t and 1150 t. the released Pb, Zn and Cd quantities in 2009 was 50% and in 2021 was 22.6%. The remained quantities are 15.6 t of Pb, 64.2 t de Zn and 0.4 t de Cd that presented a worrying environmental hazard. The pollutants speed migration was accelerated, particularly during the last 10 years. Thus, the risk of these pollutant sources is still high. Of the TTE that migrated from the tailings, only 6.1, 4.8, and 4.1% of Pb, Zn, and Cd, respectively were retained in soil. However, the soil potential ecological risk (Eri.) was high. From 1952 and until 2009 around 60% of the TTE tailings have been mobilized and from 2009 to 2021 around 6%. The estimation of the future evolution of redistributions and transformations of current TTE showed that the risk of Jbel Ressas residues is worrying. The whole-soil removal (Uts) and relative binding intensity index (IR) of the TEE in initial tailings sediments and soil ≈ 1 meaning that had any environemental risk. The Uts and IR evolution from 1952 and until today showed that the TTE stability and risk level increased with exposition time. Therefore, the overall historical assessment is of great interest in order to suggest solutions for polluted areas.
Nalbuphine Alleviates Inflammation by Down-regulating NF-κB in an Acute Inflammatory Visceral Pain Rat Model
Authors: Ruan Di-jiao , Wang Yuan-yuan , Li Si-si , Zhang Chao , Zheng Wen-wen , Yu Cong
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Nalbuphine can relief patients’ inflammation response after surgery compared to other opioid drugs. However, its molecular mechanism has not been clear. Activation of NF-κB signaling pathway under oxidative stress and inflammation can maintain pain escalation. Methods: We firstly investigated the effect of nalbuphine on writhing test and mechanical allodynia using a rat model of inflammatory visceral pain (acetic acid (AA) administrated). Cytokines (including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, and IL-6 in plasma were tested with ELISA technology. Expression levels of TNF-α, IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 at the spinal cord (L3-5) were measured by western blot or RT-qPCR. Results: We found that the values of paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) were reduced and numbers of writhes were increased in the rats of group model, up-regulated IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α in both plasma and spinal cord as well as increased protein of p-NF-κB p65 and mRNA of NF-κB p65 expression in spinal cord. Subcutaneously injection of nalbuphine (10 µg/kg) or PDTC (NF-κB inhibitor) attenuated acetic acid-induced inflammatory pain, and this was associated with reversal of up-regulated IL-1β，IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α in both plasma and spinal cord. Furthermore, acetic acid increased p-NF-κB and TNF-α protein levels in the white matter of the spinal cord, which was attenuated by nalbuphine. These results suggest that nalbuphine can significantly ameliorate inflammatory pain via modulating the expression of NF-κB p65 as well as inflammation factors level in spinal cord.Conclusion: In conclusion, nalbuphine inhibits inflammation through down-regulating NF-κB pathway at spinal cord in a rat model of inflammatory visceral pain.
Validation of Sinhala Version of Brief COPE Scale in Patients with Cancer in Sri Lanka
Authors: Weeratunga Eranthi , Senadheera Chandanie , Hettiarachchi Manjula , Perera Bilesha
Published: January 2022

Background: Coping strategies are essential in the cancer management/recovery process and play an integral role in patients with cancer globally. In Sri Lanka, validated scales to measure coping are scarce. This study examined the Sinhalese version of the Brief COPE for its psychometric properties. Methods: This scale is self-administered (28 items) and consists of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies divided into 14 subscales. Cancer patients were registered on a ‘first come - first serve’ basis using their appointment register at the Radiotherapy Unit, Oncology ward, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle, Sri Lanka. They were requested to complete the Sinhalese version of the Brief COPE and demographic details. Test-retest reliability was checked using the same subjects two weeks later. Factorial validity was assessed using exploratory factor and principal component analysis. The results were regarded as statistically significant if p < 0.05. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the sample was 61 (±12) years. The mean adaptive coping (±SD) and maladaptive coping were 37.50 (±8.14) and 17.10 (±2.44), respectively. The internal consistency of the overall scale was good (Cronbach’s alpha - 0.819). Adaptive and maladaptive coping showed a high Cronbach’s alpha (0.861 and 0.396). The test-retest reliability was found to be 0.66. The Sinhala version of BC was found to have a negative correlation with the CES-D scale but was positively correlated with the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Seven factors were extracted. Conclusion: The Sinhala version of the Brief COPE is a valid and reliable tool to assess coping strategies among patients with cancer. The findings of this study will allow health authorities to gain an understanding of coping strategies among patients with cancer and the impact on cancer victims and family members to relieve their suffering.
Identification of Crucial Circrnas in Skeletal Muscle During Chicken Embryonic Development
Authors: Zhang Genxi , Wu Pengfei , Zhou Kaizhi , Zhang Jin , Ling Xuanze , Zhang Xinchao , Zhang Li , Li Peifeng , Wei Qingyu , Zhang Tao , Wang Xinglong
Published: January 2022

Background: Chicken provides humans with a large amount of animal protein every year, in which skeletal muscle plays a leading role. The embryonic skeletal muscle development determines the number of muscle fibers and will affect the muscle production of chickens. CircRNAs are involved in a variety of important biological processes, including muscle development. However, studies on circRNAs in the chicken embryo muscle development are still lacking. Results: In the study, we collected chicken leg muscles at 14 and 20-day embryonic ages both in the fast- and slow-growing groups for RNA-seq We identified 245 and 440 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs in the comparison group F14vsF20 and S14vsS20 respectively. GO enrichment analysis for the host genes of DE circRNAs showed that biological process (BP) terms in the top 20 related to growth in F14vsF20 were found such as positive regulation of transcription involved in G1/S phase of mitotic cell cycle, multicellular organismal macromolecule metabolic process, and multicellular organismal metabolic process. In group S14vsS20, we also found some BP terms associated with growth in the top 20 including actomyosin structure organization, actin cytoskeleton organization and myofibril assembly. A total of 7 significantly enriched pathways were obtained, containing Adherens junction and Tight junction. Further analysis of those pathways found three crucial host genes MYH9, YBX3, IGF1R in both fast- and slow-growing groups, three important host genes CTNNA3, AFDN and CREBBP only in the fast-growing group, and six host genes FGFR2, ACTN2, COL1A2, CDC42, DOCK1 and MYL3 only in the slow-growing group. In addition, circRNA-miRNA network also revealed some key regulation pairs such as novel_circ_0007646-miR-1625-5p, novel_circ_0007646-miR-1680-5p, novel_circ_0008913-miR-148b-5p, novel_circ_0008906-miR-148b-5p and novel_circ_0001640-miR-1759-3p. Conclusions: These findings would guide our next research and it would also lay a theoretical foundation for further improving the development mechanism of embryonic skeletal muscle.
Three-Dimensionally and Stackable C-Axis-Aligned Crystalline Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide Field-Effect Transistor with Gate Length of 6.8-nm
Authors: Kunitake Hitoshi , Tsuda Kazuki , Saito Satoru , Okuno Naoki , Takahashi Masahiro , Oota Masashi , Hamada Toshiki , Asami Yoshinobu , Sawai Hiromi , Kurata Motomu , Endo Toshiya , Sugaya Kentaro , Nakano Masaru , Hodo Ryota , Sasagawa Shinya , Ono Toshikazu , Murakawa Tsutomu , Wakuda Masahiro , Yamazaki Shunpei
Published: January 2022

Hardware is required to be further miniaturized aiming at advancement of the Internet of things and artificial intelligence. Widely used Si transistors, which have achieved miniaturization on the order of 10 nm, are apparently difficult to further miniaturize, and stacking techniques have been developed as a breakthrough. Our IGZO FETs have a gate length of 6.8 nm or less owing to the wide band gap of IGZO and an optimized transistor structure, and can be highly integrated by a contact formation technique.
Impact of Large-Scale Warming on Intraseasonal Variability of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall
Authors: Vishwakarma Sumit Kumar
Published: January 2022

Indian summer monsoon, a part of the Asian summer monsoon is defined as the seasonal reversal of atmospheric circulation, is manifested in the form of northward migration of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) with respect to its normal position over the equator and resulting precipitation caused by the cross-equatorial moisture-laden south-westerly winds over the Indian subcontinent. Indian summer monsoon which is a complex geophysical phenomenon possesses a wide spectrum of variabilities such as daily, intraseasonal, interannual, decadal, and so on. The interaction between multiple modes of propagating intraseasonal oscillations of the Indian summer monsoon causes intermittent wet spells (i.e. active spells with good rainfall) and dry spells (i.e. breaks with little rainfall) over core monsoon zone. It is argued that a prolonged dry spells during July-August and an uneven temporal and spatial distribution of rains (even in normal monsoon years) has potential to have an adverse effect on agriculture. Therefore, understanding of the intraseasonal variation and the occurrence of the breaks, their intensity, and duration is very important. Indian summer monsoon region is vulnerable to global warming which is evident in the form of an increasing number of extremes and the increasing spatial variability of rainfall. The main focus of the study is to understand the nature of the break and characteristics of the break over all India monsoon regions and how active and break will vary with warming? This study investigates the impacts of warming on the core monsoon zone and all India monsoon regions by using the output of the ‘Half a degree Additional warming Prognosis and Projected Impacts’ (HAPPI) experiment model. There are five AGCM models are used in this study such as NorESM1-HAPPI, ECHAM6.3-LR, CanAM4, MIROC5, and, CAM4-2degree. Both, inter-model and intra-model comparisons are performed based on indicators such as the frequency and length of active and break spells for the historical period, plus15 period, and plus20 period (future). Vertically Integrated Moisture Transport (VIMT) pertaining to active and break is also analysed. An increase in moisture transport in the future active period under 1.5°C warming condition (plus15 future) and under 2°C warming condition (plus20 future) is expected in NorESM1-HAPPI model with intensification of rainfall over the core monsoon zone. Similarly, there will be intensification of breaks, and the core monsoon zone will receive less atmospheric moisture in future breaks under 1.5°C warming condition (plus15 future) and under 2°C warming condition (plus20 future).