bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Periodontal and peri-implant microbiome dysbiosis is associated with alterations in the microbial community structure and local stability
Authors: Zhang Yuchen , Li Yinhu , Yang Yuguang , Wang Yiqing , Cao Xiao , Xu Yue , Li Shuai Cheng , Zhou Qin
Published: October 2021

Periodontitis and peri-implantitis are common biofilm-mediated infectious diseases affecting teeth and dental implants, and have been considered to be initiated with microbial dysbiosis. To further understand the essence of oral microbiome dysbiosis in terms of bacterial interactions, community structure, and microbial stability. We analyzed 64 plaque samples from 34 participants with teeth or implants under different health conditions using metagenomic sequencing. After taxonomical annotation, we computed the core microbiome, analyzed the bacterial community structure, and calculated the microbial stability in supra- and subgingival plaques from hosts with different health conditions. The results showed that when inflammation arose, the subgingival communities became less connective and competitive with fewer hub species. In contrast, the supragingival communities tended to be more connective and competitive with an increased number of hub species. Besides, periodontitis and peri-implantitis were associated with significantly increased microbial stability in subgingival microbiome. These findings indicated that the periodontal and peri-implant dysbiosis is associated with aberrant alterations in the bacterial correlations, community structures, and local stability. The highly connected hub species, as well as the major contributing species of negative correlations should also be given more concern in future studies.
Determination of the Interaction and Pharmacological Modulation of MCHR1 Signaling by C Terminus of MRAP2 Protein
Authors: Wang Meng , Zhai Yue , Lei Xiaowei , Xu Jing , Jiang Bopei , Kuang Zhe , Fu Yanbin , Zhang Cong , Liu Shangyun , Bian Shan , Yang Xiao-Mei , Jin Li-Na , Li Qingfeng , Zhang Chao
Published: October 2021

Background: Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), an orexigenic neuropeptide, is primarily secreted by the hypothalamus and acts at its receptor, the melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1), to regulate energy homeostasis and body weight. The Melanocortin Receptor Accessory Protein 2 (MRAP2), a small single transmembrane protein broadly expressed in multiple tissues, has been defined as a vital endocrine pivot of five melanocortin receptors (MC1R-MC5R) and several other GPCRs in the regulation of central neuronal appetite and peripheral energy homeostasis. However, the regulatory and relationship between MCHR1 and MRAP2 is unknown.Results: In this study, we show that MRAP2 interacts with MCHR1 and suppresses MCHR1 signaling in vitro. We also identified the C-terminal domains of MRAP2 protein required for pharmacological modulation of intracellular Ca2+ cascades and membrane transport. Conclusions: These findings elucidated the broad regulatory profile of MRAP2 protein in the central nervous system and may provide implications for the modulation of central MCHR1 function in vivo.
Structure-Based Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking, MolecularDynamics Simulation of VEGF Inhibitors for the Clinical Treatment of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Mukherjee Sourav , Abdalla Mohnad , Yadav Manasi , Madhavi Maddala , Khandelwal Ravina , Prajapati Leena , Panicker Aravind , Chaudhary Aashish , Al-Brakati Ashraf , Hussain Tajamul , Nayarisseri Anuraj , Singh Sanjeev Kumar
Published: October 2021

VEGF and its receptor play an important role both in physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis, which is identified in ovarian cancer progression and metastasis development. The aim of the present investigation is to identify a potential VEGF inhibitor which is playing a crucial role in stimulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment in tumour cells of ovary and to examine for an effectiveness of identified inhibitor for treatment of ovarian cancer using various In silico approaches. 12 established VEGF inhibitors were collected from various literature. The compound AEE788 displays the great affinity towards the target protein as a result of docking study. AEE78 was further used for structure base virtual screening in order to obtain more structurally similar compound with high affinity. Among the 80 Virtual screened compounds, CID 88265020, explicates much better affinity than established compound AEE788. Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulation, pharmacophore and comparative toxicity analysis of both the best established compound and the best virtual screened compound displayed a trivial variation in associated properties. The virtual screened compound CID 88265020 have the high affinity with the lowest re-rank score, and holds a huge potential to inhibit the VGFR and can be implemented for prospective of future investigations in Ovarian Cancer.
Comparing Aligner and Multibracket Therapy in The Evaluation of White Spot Lesions
Authors: Weidenkeller Julia , Schmidtmann Irene , Ohlendorf Daniela , Thomé Johanna , Wehrbein Heinrich , Erbe Christina
Published: October 2021

Background: This study used the Enamel Decalcification Index (EDI) by Banks and Richmond (1994) to investigate the severity and development of white spot lesions (WSL) before and after multi bracket (MB) and aligner (Invisalign teen®) therapy. The extent of WSL was recorded using the newly developed evaluation aid crosshair.Methods: Photographs of 121 subjects before and after MB therapy (58 female and 63 male) with an average age of 12.5 ±2.1 years and of 42 aligner therapy subjects (18 female and 24 male) with the average age of 14 ±1.8 years were examined. All subjects received standardized oral hygiene instructions. The vestibular tooth surfaces of the incisors, canines, and premolars were examined with the Enamel Decalcification Index (EDI) of Banks and Richmond (grades 0-3), and the extent of WSL was assessed with the graticule using circle segments in percent. All statistical analysis was performed using frequency tables, cross-tabulations, and logistic regression.Results:69% of subjects had at least one WSL before MB therapy, while 98% had WSL after MB therapy. 98% of subjects had at least one WSL, which is an incidence of 29%. 17% of subjects had WSL before aligner therapy, and 52% had WSL after aligner therapy. This concludes an incidence of 43%. 18% of tooth surfaces had WSL before MB therapy and 52% had them after. 99% of tooth surfaces examined before aligner therapy had no WSL, and 91% of tooth surfaces stayed free of WSL after therapy. The prevalence of WSL was higher on the canines and premolars than on the incisors before and after both MB and aligner therapy. Aligner therapy had a significantly higher WSL prevalence and incidence on the maxillary teeth. The oral, mesial, and distal surfaces were significantly more likely to have WSL after MB therapy (prevalence) than the gingival tooth surface. The tooth surfaces most notably affected by WSL, in order from highest to lowest impact, were the distal tooth surfaces, the mesial tooth surface and the gingival tooth surfaces (incidence). Areas around rectangular attachments are more likely to be affected by WSL compared to tooth surfaces without. The study on gender distribution in MB therapy showed that the development of WSL was far higher in adolescent males than in females, though age did not prove to be an influencing factor.Conclusion: This study concludes that the treatment with aligners can successfully reduce the formation of white spot lesions in comparison to MB treatment.
Complex Mitogenomic Rearrangements within the Pectinidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia)
Authors: Malkócs Tamás , Viricel Amélia , Becquet Vanessa , Evin Louise , Dubillot Emmanuel , Pante Eric
Published: October 2021

BackgroundScallops (Bivalvia: Pectinidae) present extraordinary variance in both mitochondrial genome size, structure and content, even when compared to the extreme diversity documented within Mollusca and Bivalvia. In pectinids, mitogenome rearrangements involve protein coding and rRNA genes along with tRNAs, and different genome organization patterns can be observed even at the level of Tribes. Existing pectinid phylogenies fail to resolve some relationships in the family, Chlamydinae being an especially problematic group.ResultsIn our study, we sequenced, annotated and characterized the mitochondrial genome of a member of Chlamydinae, Mimachlamys varia—a species of commercial interest and an effective bioindicator—revealing yet another novel gene arrangement in the Pectinidae. The phylogeny based on all mitochondrial protein coding and rRNA genes suggests the paraphyly of the Mimachlamys genus, further commending the taxonomic revision of the classification within the Chlamydinae subfamily. At the scale of the Pectinidae, we found that 15 sequence blocks are involved in mitogenome rearrangements, which behave as separate units.ConclusionsOur study reveals incongruities between phylogenies based on mitochondrial protein-coding versus rRNA genes within the Pectinidae, suggesting that locus sampling affects phylogenetic inference at the scale of the family. We also conclude that the available taxon sampling does not allow for understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the high variability of mitogenome architecture observed in the Pectinidae, and that unraveling these processes will require denser taxon sampling.
Social Cohesion Strengthens Compliance With COVID-19 Restrictions: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Borinca Islam , Griffin siobhan , McHugh Cillian , Bradshaw Daragh , Jay Sarah , Roth Jenny , Quayle Mike , McMahon Grace , Nightingale Alastair , Ryan Megan , Foran Aoife Marie , Galvin Rose , Muldoon Eavan G. , Muldoon Orla
Published: October 2021

Background: Although citizens in countries worldwide took coordinated steps to support collective public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the processes that encourage citizens to adhere with COVID-19 restrictions are not fully understood. Method: A three-wave study with a sample of Irish citizens (N Wave 1 = 1,800) was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to examine the effect of national trust on individual and normative compliance with COVID-19 restrictions directly or indirectly through social cohesion. Two longitudinal mediation models were tested. Results: In the first model, national trust significantly and positively predicted social cohesion, which in turn significantly and positively predicted personal compliance with COVID-19 restrictions. The second model showed a similar pattern, whereby national trust significantly predicted social cohesion, which in turn predicted normative compliance with the restrictions. Conclusions: National trust and social cohesion both work to promote adherence to COVID19 guidelines.
Clonal Evolution Characteristics and Reduced Dimension Prognostic Model for Non-Metastatic Metachronous Bilateral Breast Cancer
Authors: Li Lingyu , Li Jiaxuan , Jia Jiwei , He Hua , Li Mingyang , Yan Xu , Yu Qing , Guo Hanfei , Wang Hong , Lv Zheng , Sun Haishuang , Liao Guidong , Cui Jiuwei
Published: October 2021

Background:How to evaluate the prognosis and develop overall treatment strategies of metachronous bilateral breast cancer (MBBC) remains confused in clinical practice.Methods:Data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and the first hospital of Jilin university were analyzed for breast cancer-specific cumulative mortality (BCCM) by competing risk model. Whole-exome sequencing was applied for 10 lesions acquired at spatial-temporal distinct regions from 5 patients to reconstruct clonal evolutionary characteristics of MBBC. Dimensional reduction (DR) cumulative incidence function (CIF) curves of MBBC features were established on different point in diagnostic interval time, to build a novel DR nomogram.Results:Significant heterogeneity in genome and clinical features of MBBC was widespread. The mutational diversity of contralateral BC (CBC) was significantly higher than that in primary BC (PBC), and the most effective prognostic MATH ratio was significantly correlated with interval time (R2=0.85, p < .05). In SEER cohort study (n=13304), the interval time was not only significantly affected the BCCM by multivariate analysis (p < .000), but determined the weight of clinical features (T/N stage, grade and ER status) on PBC and CBC in prognostic evaluation. Thus, clinical parameters after DR based on interval time were incorporated into the nomogram for prognostic predicting BCCM. Concordance index was 0.773 (95% CI, 0.769 to 0.776) in training cohort (n=8869), and 0.819 (95% CI, 0.813 to 0.826) in validation cohort (n=4435).Conclusions:Bilateral heterogeneous characteristics and interval time were determinant prognostic factors of MBBC. The DR nomogram may help clinical prognostic evaluation.
Impact of Calcium Channel Blockers on Aspirin Reactivity in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kodesh Afek , Lev Eli , Leshem-Lev Dorit , Solodky Alejandro , Kornowski Ran , Perl Leor
Published: October 2021

Purpose: Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) do not reduce the risk of initial or recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) in patients diagnosed with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this current study was to evaluate the association between CCBs and aspirin resistance in patients with CAD. Methods: Patients with stable CAD who were regularly taking aspirin (75-100 mg qd) for at least one month prior to enrollment in the study were included. The VerifyNow system was used for platelet function testing with high on-aspirin platelet reactivity (HAPR) defined as aspirin reaction units (ARU) >550. We compared patients treated with CCBs versus control group. Results: 503 patients with CAD were included in this study, 88 were treated with CCBs; Mean age (67.9±9.7 in the CCB group vs 66.5±11.4 in the control group, p=0.288), gender (77.3 male vs. 82.9%, p=0.214) and rates of diabetes mellitus (34.7 vs. 36.9%, p=.121) were similar. Rates of hypertension were higher in the CCB group (83.9 vs. 63.5%, p<0.01), but rates of past MI were lower (47.1 vs. 59.7%, p=0.039). The mean ARU was 465.4P70.0 for patients treated with CCBs versus 445.2u60.0 in controls (p=0.006). Similarly, 15.9% of CCB patients demonstrated HAPR compared to 7.0% (p=0.006). In a multivariate analysis, the administration of CCBs was independently associated with HAPR (OR- 1.72, 95% CI 1.04 – 8.91, p=0.047). Conclusions: Usage of CCBs is positively correlated with aspirin resistance. These findings may suggest an adverse pharmacologic effect of CCBs among patients with stable CAD treated with aspirin.
Studying and Mitigating the Effects of Data Drifts on ML Model Performance at the Example of Chemical Toxicity Data
Authors: Morger Andrea , de Lomana Marina Garcia , Norinder Ulf , Svensson Fredrik , Kirchmair Johannes , Mathea Miriam , Volkamer Andrea
Published: October 2021

Machine learning models are widely applied to predict molecular properties or the biological activity of small molecules on a specific protein. Models can be integrated in a conformal prediction (CP) framework which adds a calibration step to estimate the confidence of the predictions. CP models present the advantage of ensuring a predefined error rate under the assumption that test and calibration set are exchangeable. In cases where the test data have drifted away from the descriptor space of the training data, or where assay setups have changed, this assumption might not be fulfilled and the models are not guaranteed to be valid. In this study, the performance of internally valid CP models when applied to either newer time-split data or to external data was evaluated. In detail, temporal data drifts were analysed based on twelve datasets from the ChEMBL database. In addition, discrepancies between models trained on publicly available data and applied to proprietary data for the liver toxicity and MNT in vivo endpoints were investigated. In most cases, a drastic decrease in the validity of the models was observed when applied to the time-split or external (holdout) test sets. To overcome the decrease in model validity, a strategy for updating the calibration set with data more similar to the holdout set was investigated. Updating the calibration set generally improved the validity, restoring it completely to its expected value in many cases. The restored validity is the first requisite for applying the CP models with confidence. However, the increased validity comes at the cost of a decrease in model efficiency, as more predictions are identified as inconclusive. This study presents a strategy to recalibrate CP models to mitigate the effects of data drifts. Updating the calibration sets without having to retrain the model has proven to be a useful approach to restore the validity of most models.
A high-flux, self-cleaning solar water evaporation system
Authors: Dang Chenyang , Chen Meihua , Huang Lin , Chu Mingming , Li Yiming , Liu Lujia , Cao Xue
Published: October 2021

Solar interfacial evaporation is a promising technology to produce clean water from seawater or polluted water. However, the evaporation rate upon existing photothermal materials is normally limited to 2 kg m-2 h-1 or below, which is hard to fulfil the daily water demand of a family, let alone enormous water requirements in agricultural and industrial sectors. Herein, under the guidance of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, multichannel photothermal rod (MCPR) is proposed as solar interfacial material for evaporative disposal of real municipal sewage and concurrent production of freshwater. The production rate of the freshwater over 10-centimetre-high MCPR is 18.8 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun, with water quality equivalent to that of commercial pure water. When the light is incident at oblique angles, faster evaporation rates are obtained (e.g., 31.3 kg m-2 h-1 at 30° angle). Furthermore, the freshwater generation rate can even be promoted to 126.5 kg m-2 h-1 in outdoor environment via a magnified evaporation system constructed of 35-centimetre-high MCPRs array. These values were achievable due to a series of properties of the MCPR, including antigravity water transport, omnidirectional collection of solar energy, minimization of heat dissipation, and maximization of the evaporation interface.
Estimating Snakebite Risk in the Terai, Nepal: A High-Resolution Geospatial and One Health Analysis
Authors: Ochoa Carlos , Pittavino Marta , Martins Sara Babo , Alcoba Gabriel , Bolon Isabelle , de Castañeda Rafael Ruiz , Joost Stéphane , Sharma Sanjib , Chappuis François , Ray Nicolas
Published: October 2021

Most efforts to understand snakebite burden in Nepal have been localized to relatively small areas and focused on humans through epidemiological studies. We present the outcomes of a geospatial analysis of the factors influencing snakebite risk in humans and animals, based on both a national-scale multi-cluster random survey and, environmental, climatic, and socio-economic gridded data for the Terai region of Nepal. The resulting Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation models highlight the importance of poverty as a fundamental risk-increasing factor, augmenting the snakebite odds in humans by 63.9 times. For animals, the minimum temperature of the coldest month was the most influential covariate, increasing the snakebite odds 23.4 times. Several risk hotspots were identified along the Terai, helping to visualize at multiple administrative levels the estimated population numbers exposed to different probability risk thresholds in one year. These analyses and findings could be replicable in other countries and for other diseases.
A Comparative Study of Natural Language Processing Algorithms Based on Cities Changing Diabetes’ Vulnerability Data
Authors: Wang Siting , Song Fuman , Qiao Qinqun , Liu Yuanyuan , Chen Jiageng , Ma Jun
Published: October 2021

Background: Diabetes has become a global public health priority resulting in significant workforce losses and health care expenditures. Therefore, research on diabetes vulnerability has become imperative. Current methods for studying disease vulnerability mainly use qualitative research methods represented by Thematic Analysis (TCA), which has the disadvantage of being staff-intensive for long periods of time. Natural Language Processing (NLP) could achieve efficient results in information mining tasks, but we didn't find many studies talking about NLP in non-infectious chronic diseases.Methods: In this study, hyperparameters were adjusted to obtain more cost-effective model applicable to The Cities Changing Diabetes’ vulnerability data by comparing Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers (BERT) and Enhanced Language Representation with Informative Entities (ERNIE) in terms of test accuracy, completion time and evaluation metrics on classification.Results: The results showed that BERT took less time for the same hyperparameter cases, and the test accuracy of ERNIE was slightly better than that of BERT. We further adjusted the Batch size of ERNIE as we found that ERNIE with the splitting ratio of 8:1:1 and Batch size of 64 had the better efficiency with the test accuracy was 97.67%, the completion time was 12min36s and Macro-F1 score was 0.9734.Conclusions: In this study, BERT overwhelmed ERNIE in terms of completion speed with the same hyperparameters. ERNIE showed higher accuracy, especially the ideal performance at the split ratio of 8:1:1 after enhancing the Batch size. From the point of view, we pursue a model with high accuracy and fast processing speed, which means that we can obtain the highest accuracy in the shortest time. It could be selected according to the actual situation in the application process.
Psychometric Assessment of a Weight Management Social Provisions Survey in a Sample of Adults with Prediabetes
Authors: Wilson Kathryn E. , Michaud Tzeyu L. , Sweet Cynthia Castro , Katula Jeffrey A. , Almeida Fabio A. , Brito Fabiana A. , Schwab Robert , Estabrooks Paul A.
Published: October 2021

Background: The relevance of social support for weight management is not well documented in people with prediabetes. An important consideration is the adequate assessment of social provisions related to weight management in this population.Purpose: To assess the factor structure and measurement invariance of an adapted Social Provisions Scale specific to weight management (SPS-WM) in adults with prediabetes (n=599).Methods: Participants of a diabetes prevention trial completed a demographic survey, and the SPS-WM. Confirmatory analyses tested the factor structure of the SPS-WM, and measurement invariance was assessed for gender, weight status, education level, and age.Results: Removal of two collinear items resulted in acceptable model fit, supporting six correlated factors for social provisions specific to weight management. Measurement invariance was supported across all subgroups.Conclusion: Results support score interpretations for these scales reflecting distinct components of social support specific to weight management in alignment with those of the original survey.
A spatial vaccination strategy to reduce the risk of vaccine-resistant variants
Authors: Zhang Xiyun , Lobinska Gabriela , Feldman Michal , Dekel Eddie , Nowak Martin , Pilpel Yitzhak , Pauzner Yonatan , Barzel Baruch , Pauzner Ady
Published: October 2021

The process of vaccinating the world population against COVID-19 is expected to take well over a year to complete. As vaccination progresses and population immunity increases, a counteracting relaxation of social distancing measures is observed. The result will be a prolonged period of high disease prevalence combined with a fitness advantage for vaccine-resistant variants, implying a considerably increased probability that a resistant variant will spread in the population. In this paper we propose a spatial vaccination strategy that has the potential to dramatically reduce this risk. Instead of spreading the vaccination effort equally throughout a country, distinct geographic regions of the country are sequentially vaccinated, quickly bringing each to effective herd immunity. Regions with high vaccination rates will then have low infection rates and vice versa. Since people primarily interact with others in their own region, spatial vaccination will reduce the number of encounters between infected people (the source of mutations) and vaccinated people (who facilitate the spread of vaccine-resistant strains). Thus with proper logistic preparations, a spatial vaccination campaign could be highly effective in reducing the global risk of vaccine-resistant variants.
Greenhouse and High Tunnel Production of Specialty Cut Flowers
Authors: Nobes Samantha R. , Panter Karen L. , Jabbour Randa
Published: October 2021

The objective of this study was to determine best production practices for five different specialty cut flower species at an altitude of 7200 ft. Region-specific information about cut flower production is important because of unique environmental conditions. We grew five specialty cut flower species in two different growing environments: a greenhouse and a high tunnel. Flowers were grown year-round in the greenhouse and during late spring through fall in the high tunnels. We also used pinching as another production method for the potential increase in branching. The goals were to test the effects of species, growing environment, and pinching on the days from sowing to harvest, stem length, number of stems cut per plant, and marketable yield. Experiments were conducted at the University of Wyoming Laramie Research and Extension Center in Laramie, WY, to assess the potential for producing specialty cut flowers for local consumption. The species used in this study included ‘Princess Golden’ pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), ‘Lucinda Mix’ stock (Matthiola incana), ‘Double Mix’ strawflower (Helichrysum bracteatum), ‘Dara’ ornamental carrot (Daucus carota), and ‘Celway Mix’ cockscomb (Celosia argentea). Results showed significant species × environment and season interactions, indicating the importance of species and production practice selections. We successfully sold the cut flowers to the university student farm for community-supported agriculture shares and farm market sales, as well as to a local florist for use in floral arrangements. This study concluded that careful species selection for season and growing environment is essential for the successful integration of these niche cut flowers into current or future greenhouse and high-tunnel production in Wyoming.
LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG STUDENTS IN TAIF UNIVERSITY TOWARD KERATOCONUS, TAIF, SAUDI ARABIA
Authors:   Medical Intern, College of Medicine, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., A. Algethami Rahma , M. Alkhaldi Layla ,   Medical Student, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., I. Alsulaimani Abeer ,   Medical Student, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia., A. Atalla Aymen ,   Consultant, Department of Family Medicine, Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Published: October 2021

Objectives:To determine the level of awareness of keratoconus (KC)among students at Taif University in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods:A cross-sectional study was done on 957 students from Taif university, KSAfrom March to August 2021. An online-based survey was done using a pr-designed questionnaire that included items on socio-demographic data, having KC, and awareness about KC. Results: 33.8% of students heard about KC, 12.7% heard about it from social media, and 29.5% reported that KC is a thin protruded cornea. Almost half 53.6% reported that KC might lead to myopia, 24.6% is related to allergy, 33.9% thought it is hereditary and the majority 49.2% did not know its treatment. The prevalence of poor, fair, and good knowledge regarding KC was 48.9%, 38.1%, and 13% respectively. Femalessignificantlyknewthe relationship between KC and myopia, allergy, and heredity, did not know KC treatment and had good knowledge aboutKCcompared to males. Non-medical students had a significanthigher percent of those who knew that KC is a thin protruded cornea but did not know KC treatment. Conclusion: This study revealed insufficient knowledge regarding KC among studied students. This is a need to increase awareness about KC through health awareness programs and community campaigns for better eye health.
CONCENTRATION OF IRON AND MAGNESIUM IN GROUND WATERAT NORTH BELA OF DARBHANGA DISTRICT (BIHAR)
Authors:   P.G. Department Botany, l.N.M.U. Darbhanga., Kumar Ravindra
Published: October 2021

Excessive levels of Fe, Mg and TDS are the main factors affecting groundwater quality at North Bela, Darbhanga. However, there are few studies on the source and effect of Fe, Mg and TDS concentration in the groundwater. This study takes at North Bela of Darbhanga city in Bihar state as an example, where the source and effect of Fe, Mg and TDS concentration in groundwater in the study area were analyzed. The results show that the source of Fe and Mg in the groundwater of the platformis the iron and Magnesium nodules in the soil layer. The TDS, fluctuation in groundwater levelsarethe important factors affecting the content of Fe and Mg in groundwater.This studyprovides a basis for the rational utilization of groundwater and protection of peoples health in these areaswith high iron, magnesium and TDS concentrations.
Meta-Analysis of the Influence of Instructional Media on Speaking Learning
Authors: Diner Lispridona , Zukhaira Zukhaira , Lensun Sherly F.
Published: October 2021

This research analyzed several related studies focusing on instructional media or learning materials and speaking learning that emphasized the development of the media for the learning activity. Employing a meta-analysis method, this research explored several national journal articles. Meta-analysis was a quantitative study, given its characteristics utilize statistical calculation for a practical purpose, i.e., arranging and extracting information from many data where the process could not be performed using other methods. This meta-analysis research was aimed at identifying the validity level of each data collection. Based on the results, the research concludes that instructional media development for learning speaking activities will be effective if the media are applied in universities. From the perspective of learning materials, the media will be helpful if all of the contents are applied in a book used for the learning process. This is because the teacher’s book summarized everything that a teacher needed for the class, thus allowing successful and directed learning stages and more accurate accomplishment of learning objectives. From the aspect of learning, the speaking skills should focus on the types of conversation, concerning the basic level of speaking proficiency in a foreign language learning is more efficacious than the skills needed in a conversation.
Civil law obligation reform in Russian Federation and its effect on the institute of damages (losses)
Authors:   Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Monastyrsky Yuri E. , Koval’ Vladimir N. ,   Higher Attestation Commission of Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, Vlasov Anatoliy A. ,   Moscow State Institute of International Relations
Published: October 2021

When an economic actor resorts to recovery of damages as a legal remedy, the main question that arises is what legal provisions govern the claim raised by such an actor. At a first glance, the answer is simple: both Chapter 25 (“Liability for violation of obligations”) and Article 15 (“Reimbursement of damages”) of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation contain provisions governing the terms of satisfaction of financial claims. However, such claims do not always arise from a failure to perform obligations and sometimes are even raised in the absence of an offence per se as stated by law. Therefore, quite often we need to consider the extent to which it would be lawful or, perhaps, even appropriate to invoke some of the provisions contained in Subsection 1 “General provisions on obligations” of Section III of the Civil Code. More detailed provisions on obligations introduced in March 2015 to Civil Code of RF may not be compatible with circumstances of losses. Articles 310, 311, 313, 314, 328, 407, 416 if applicable to damages recovery claims would undermine the said remedy as such. They grand a debtor the legal basis assumed and adopted as his limited protection in obligatory relationship as a whole to avoid the burden of full reimbursement by suspension of performance, counter demands, etc.
Theoretical issues of improving legislation on exemption from criminal liability
Authors:   Russian State University of Justice, Pudovochkin Yury E.
Published: October 2021

The development of rules of exemption from criminal liability as an important means of differentiating criminal-law exposure, minimizing criminal repression and humanizing penal relations is one of several trends of Russian criminal policy. However, its quality results in debates which demonstrate the number of legislative and academic proposals aimed at changing it. To determine the prospects of such proposals, they have to be summarized and evaluated. Quite often these proposals disregard the constitutional principles of exemption from liability, systemic principles of criminal law and its corelation with other branches of law. The essential issues requiring discussion when improving the regulations on exemption from criminal liability consist of the following: characteristics of subjects, appropriate procedural stage and the suitability of the conditional procedure for its application; the possibility of re-exemption of offenders who had benefited from it earlier; the corelation between dispositive and peremptory rules of exemption; differentiation of the grounds for exemption depending on the type of crime committed. Scholars have diverse and sometimes conflicting opinions on these issues. It appears that they can be holistically solved only in the process of a substantive update of the entire criminal law which should recognize: the absence of judicial prospects and the insignificance of harm as grounds for refusal to initiate criminal proceedings; the necessity to review the significance of positive post-criminal acts in the system of grounds for exemption and their recognition as conditions that, if completed within a certain period of time after release, will terminate criminal-law relations; development of a term for the implementation of criminal-law measures and revision of the content of legal sanctions applied upon release from liability; recognition of the preservation of the criminal-law status of an individual exempted from liability until the fulfilment of exemption conditions; possibility of a mandatory exemption from liability for crimes against private interests of citizens.
Crime in the field of the timber industry complex (on the example of the Irkutsk region)
Authors:   Irkutsk branch of the All-Russian State University of Justice, Anisimov Andrey G. , Nikerov Dmitry M. ,   Baikal State University
Published: October 2021

The article analyzes the problems associated with illegal logging, as well as its illegal circulation in the territory of the Irkutsk region. Statistical information is analyzed that indicates that the situation in the field of illegal logging is much worse than in the neighboring Krasnoyarsk Territory. The range of subjects called upon to engage in forest conservation is described. A criminologically significant set of causes and conditions of crime in the forest sector is considered. The authors consider the main reasons for illegal logging in the region at the level of society to be defects in the ecological consciousness of citizens and attitudes towards extensive exploitation of the environment for the sake of economic growth. The authors attribute the low level of control over the legal turnover of timber, the shortcomings of the legislative sphere, to the conditions that are conducive to these crimes. The socio-economic factors that contribute to the crimes considered in the territory of the Irkutsk region, rich in forest resources, are analyzed. The problems associated with the degradation of the woodworking industry in the region amid an increase in the number of logging are described in detail. The authors consider shortcomings in the field of regulatory and law enforcement practice, on both a regional and federal level, which makes it possible to commit illegal logging in the region. On the basis of the study conducted, specific legislative, organizational and technical proposals are formulated to prevent crimes in the timber industry of the Irkutsk region. The measures proposed by the authors are partially or fully applicable for similar regions of Russia.
Silence and tacit consent in Armenian public law: Legal fiction, presumption or substitution?
Authors:   Russian-Armenian University, Ghambaryan Artur S.
Published: October 2021

In the article, the author researches the problematic aspects of silence in law, in particular, the definition of silence is provided, its meaning at various stages of historical development is outlined, the types of silence are described, the legal consequences of silence are discussed, and the place of silence in the sphere of legal conventions (legal presumptions, fictions, substitution). The author provides the following definition of silence: silence is a legitimate or unlawful inaction of the subject of legal relations, from which the conditional content of the subject’s will on a legal issue follows and (or) with which a positive law (transaction) directly connects the occurrence of legal consequences. Since silence can be interpreted as a sign of agreement or disagreement, it can be argued that it creates uncertainty. Given the fact that legal certainty in modern life is a constitutional value, positive law should exclude or mitigate this uncertainty, or the content of the will arising from silence should be predetermined by positive law or transaction. The result arising from the silence falls within the realm of legal conventions and in order to find out whether silence is a legal presumption, legal fiction or substitution, the article compares these categories. The author concludes that the legislator can formulate the same provision regarding silence both with the help of legal fiction (fictitious consent) and with the help of a legal presumption (presumed consent). At the same time, the article provides a justification for the impossibility of considering tacit consent as a legal substitution, in view of the fact that in objective reality there is no conditional silence, which is an essential reason for excluding the basis of legal substitution.
Generally recognized principles and norms of jus cogens and erga omnes obligations: Legal nature and hierarchy in the Russian legal system
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Kremnev Petr P.
Published: October 2021

The article provides a conceptual and theoretical analysis of the hierarchy of conventional and customary universally recognized principles and norms of international law in relation to the Russian Constitution and federal legislation. The author points out the imperfection of the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in relation to the generally recognized principles and norms of international law. It is noted that provisions of only ratified treaties of Russia have precedence over the norms of the laws of the Russian Federation and examples and consequences of violations of the procedure for ratification of treaties are provided. The main aspects of the origin and content of generally recognized principles and norms of international law are considered, as well as the difference between jus cogens norms and erga omnes obligations is shown with concrete examples. A doctrinal analysis of the legal nature, and the process of formation, of universally recognized principles of international law, as well as the relationship between jus cogens norms and erga omnes obligations is presented. The author notes the peculiarities of some legal systems of the world in relation to the legal position on the supremacy of Islamic Sharia law over the obligations of a number of Muslim States under human rights treaties. The article also points to the universal recognition of the domestic legal doctrine of ten “basic principles” of international law and, in addition, substantiates the existence and consolidation in modern international law of another ten norms of jus cogens and erga omnes obligations.
The problems of violence against women in international law
Authors:   Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Chernikov Valery V. , Goncharenko Olga K. ,   Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University)
Published: October 2021

The problems of violence against women and domestic violence were reflected in Goal No. 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls while addressing such challenges as elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls; eradication of violence against women and girls in the public and private sphere, including human trafficking, sexual and other forms of exploitation; liquidation of all harmful practices, in particular forced marriages and female genital mutilation. In this article, the authors examine existing conventional and doctrinal definitions and qualifications of the terms “violence against women” and “domestic violence” in international law, explore international legal aspects of prevention and combatting violence against women and domestic violence, conduct a comprehensive analysis of a conceptual framework related to these offences, and present basic approaches to the concept of domestic violence. The authors also examine the link between two core international universal and regional legal acts in this field — Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence. The authors derive a new understanding of the due diligence principle (a well-known principle/standard in international law) with regard to violence against women and domestic violence issues, clarify its key components while codifying states’ main obligations in this sphere. In conclusion, the authors deduce that the questions of elimination of discrimination against women and eradication of violence against women can only be considered collectively, confirming the validity of the theory of a genderbased approach to the issue, which is adhered to by international human rights bodies.
Angelic Dynamism: Humanity in Paul Klee’s Drawing Series of 1939–1940
Authors:   Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N.Yeltsin, Purgin Sergey P.
Published: October 2021

Since Walter Benjamin in “The Theses on the Philosophy of History” showcased Paul Klee’s angels, they remain mysterious figures that represent time, history or soul. The article focuses on the series of drawings that were created in the artist’s later period (1939−1940). The series can be regarded as the artist’s final will and testament as it expresses Klee’s condensed philosophy and mature views on man’s place in the universe. It also reflects the master’s cherished artistic methods and techniques, consistently honed in on during the course of his life. The author studies the relations within the series and the series relation to other artworks by Klee. It is demonstrated that it is humankind that is the main theme of the series. By contrasting human and angelic forms in his drawings Klee reinvigorates the European tradition of defining humanity through its relation to angelic orders and through its position on the hierarchy of creation. However, Klee strives to re-imagine the universe as a whole, for him it is not the ladder of perfections, which rises to angels and God. Therefore, the relations between human and angelic creatures are intimately familial rather than hierarchical. The author highlights that the artistic style and techniques emphasize visual dynamic and form creation (“formation”). In depicting angels, the artist brings forth his concern with temporal dimension of human nature and its significance in human life. Thus, in this dynamic interrelation, human beings become “angelic grotesque” with their own ontic temporality. This temporality specific to human creatures is defined as the “moment that transcends itself ” — since the latter is essentially “ecstatic” and “self-propelling”.
Kurt Badt. Verlust der Mitte (On the Question of Modernism and the Anti-modernism in mid-20th Century German Art History)
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Sablin Ivan D. ,   Russian Institute of Art History
Published: October 2021

On the example of the activities of the German art historian Kurt Badt, the article reveals the complex relationship between modern art and contemporary art history. The outstanding and, obviously, underestimated figure of the scholar, who throughout his long life was ready to confront the rest of the discipline unwilling to become a part of the university system, with all his creativity embodied the very idea of freedom that modern artists and sympathizing art critics strove for. Due to the availability of English-language versions of the art historian’s texts mainly on the masters close to modern art — Delacroix, Constable, and Cézanne — his position in the dispute about modernism seems more or less unambiguous. The aim of this article is to show that this is far from the case, discovering the points of contact of Badt with many of his colleagues who have earned a reputation as unconditional conservatives. First of all, it concerns the Austrian art theorist Hans Sedlmayr, an interest for whom, especially in recent times, is predetermined by widespread ideas about the fundamental incompatibility of academic art history with attempts of unbiased consideration of the history of modern art. Moreover, a deep kinship of such research activity with the most reactionary political ideas is also widely discussed, which, as it should be noted, this outstanding critic of the modern culture was not absolutely innocent of. Nevertheless, his clash with Badt, a polemic that took place in the 1950s and 60s, centered on the work of not Cézanne, but Vermeer van Delft, can be considered from the point of view of the attitude of the two scholars to phenomena less distant in time. This makes it possible to raise the question of the paradoxical similarity of the views of these two authors — with such a different creative and human destiny.