bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal Trends and Detection of Changes in Hydrological and Climatic Variables of Modjo River Watershed, Ethiopia
Authors: Besha Kokeb Zena , Demissie Tamene Adugna , Feyessa Fekadu Fufa
Published: November 2021

Understanding hydro-climatic trends in space and time is crucial for water resource planning and management, agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation of a region. This study examined the spatiotemporal variations in precipitation, reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and streamflow in a tropical watershed located in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Temporal trend implications were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test, and Theil-Sen approach, whereas the inverse distance weighted interpolation method was applied for spatial trend variability analysis. The result showed that a significant decreasing trends in streamflow for the major rainy (Kiremt: Jun - Sept) season and annual time scales. At the same time, the annual and monthly ETo followed significantly increasing trends, but there has been a trendless time series for most of the months and annual mean precipitation series for the period 1986 - 2015. The study indicated that the spatial variability of annual and seasonal precipitation series decreased from north to south and west to east, while this was increased for ETo both for annual and seasonal time series over the study watershed. The contribution of rainfall and mean temperature to streamflow decline was insignificant. It is pointed out that river flow regime is weakly affected by climate changes, hence human activities are stronger in explaining the river flow trends of the watershed. Therefore, urgent calls on the needs for reducing human-induced impacts, and implementing appropriate watershed management, conservation measures and an efficient use of water resources.
Screening Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer for Psychiatric Disease: a Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Basto Raquel , Caramujo Cecília , Gomes Inês Ferreira , Fraga Teresa , Magalhães Joana Correia , Sousa Maria João , de Jesus Sabrina , Monteiro Ana Raquel , Pestana-Santos Adriana , Carvalho Teresa , Albuquerque Emília , Sousa Gabriela
Published: November 2021

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in a sample of Portuguese patients with metastatic breast cancer and assess the relationship between these disorders and the characteristics of the oncological disease.Methods: Cross-sectional, single-center study with female patients diagnosed with metastatic breast carcinoma and under palliative treatment between November 2020 and May 2021. Psychiatric disorders were screened by applying and filling-out the MMSE, HADS, BSI, and WHOQoL-Bref instruments at the outpatient daycare unit when patients were present for treatmen. Results: A total of 91 female patients were included, median age 59.79 years. None of the patients had cognitive impairment (MMSE). HADS scale: 18.7% of the patients scored for anxiety and 17.6% for depression. The anxiety subscale score of > 8 (HADS) was related to ovarian function suppression (p<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (p<0.001), and type of second-line of palliative treatment (p=0.024). The depression subscale score >8 (HADS) was related to the type of surgery performed (p= 0.022), molecular subtype of the tumor (p=0.020), and occurrence of grade 3-4 toxicities in the first (p=0.018), and third-line treatments (p=0.031).Conclusion: The screening of psychiatric disorders through the application of these scales by the medical oncology team may be able to aid in diagnosis and potentially lead to psychiatric referral and intervention at an earlier stage.
On the Modelling of Weights of Kids to Enhance Growth in a Local Goat Population Under Tunisian Arid Conditions. The Maternal Effects.
Authors: AHLEM ATOUI , Sghaier Najari ,   Clara Díaz2 Clara Díaz, Abdennebi mouldi , carabano Maria jesus
Published: November 2021

To provide the local goat population with an adequate genetic management scheme under arid environment, the study aimed to evaluate the use of fourteen alternative models attempting to evaluate to dissection of additive genetic (AG) and permanent environmental (PE) components of direct and maternal effects and their consequences on estimated breeding values. Records of 938 local kids over a period of 16 years were used in this study. Data were split into four groups corresponding to four periods along the weight recording period. Periods 1/2/3/4 contained weights in an interval with upper-lower limits of 1-20/25-60/65-120/125-150 days of age. Models including or ignoring maternal genetic or permanent environmental effects were fitted for all traits. For all periods, the best models were those including the AG component for both direct and maternal effects and the direct PE effect. Heritability estimates of both the direct and maternal effects ranged from low (0.02 for maternal heritability in P1) to moderate (0.17 for direct and maternal heritability in P2 and P3). Period 1 showed the lowest values for heritability of both direct and maternal effects, which also showed the largest estimate of the ratio of residual to total variance (around 0.2) compared with the other periods, withdecreasing ratios as age increased (from 0.13 for P2 to 0.07 for P4). Both direct and maternal EBVs showed high correlations between models fitting direct AG and PE effects. For direct EBVs, correlations were above 0.99, indicating that the same animals are expected to be selected under any model that includes those components, regardless of the maternal effects included. For maternal EBVs, correlations were also high, but slightly lower than for the DEBVs between models including DGP effects and maternal genetic effects. Overall, our recommendation for genetic evaluations of direct and maternal effectsin this population raised in extensive and harsh conditions is to use weight records preferably collected during the period of high milk production of dams, for which direct and maternal effects are expected to show full expression. Complete pedigrees and several generations of dam-progeny recording are needed to obtain a proper separation of environmental and genetic components.
Stress-strain numerical simulation for a microprofile subjected to orthogonal impact under constrained loading conditions
Authors: Vulykh N. V. , Vulykh A. N.
Published: November 2021

The present paper aims to describe shape changes in a microroughness model developed for the working surfaces of parts at degrees of deformation commensurate with the height of the original microprofile; to establish how the degree of microprofile upsetting affects its shape under constrained loading conditions; as well as to estimate the stress state of the microprofile by stress intensity. A numerical model describing the surface microprofile of parts was calculated using the ANSYS Workbench environment. Lead, tin, aluminum, and copper were used as microprofile materials. In addition, microprofile upsetting was computer simulated under constrained loading conditions. The valley bottom was found to rise at a 10–20% microprofile upsetting by 0.213–0.275 mm relative to the original profile height, depending on its material. The relative length of the smoothed microprofile section amounted to 0.786–0.925 mm of its original length. The base angle of the deformed microprofile reached 570 and 800 for copper and lead models, respectively. The depth of valleys ranged from 1.4 mm (23% of the original profile height) for lead models and from 1.8 mm (30% of the original profile height) for copper models. In the case of maximum microprofile upsetting, an increase in the yield strength of microrough material from 10 to 60 MPa contributed to a reduction in the base angle of the deformed microprofile, as well as relative length and the vertical rise of microprofile valleys at their highest point. No interlocking of lateral microprofile surfaces was observed. At a 50% upsetting, the stress state of the microprofile exceeded its ultimate strength by 4–8 times. The shape changes simulated for the microprofile from plastic metallic materials are described. The performed numerical simulation correlates well with the experimental results obtained for lead microprofile models. It is worth noting that the complete smoothing of the microprofile is likely to occur through the rise of valleys and the approaching of its lateral surfaces. The study results can be used for designing and manufacturing valve gate assemblies.
Joint voltage and frequency predictive controllers for distributed generation plants
Authors: Bulatov Yu. N.
Published: November 2021

The paper determines the effect of proposed joint voltage and frequency predictive controllers for distributed generation (DG) plants on quality indicators characterizing the control process in different operating modes of power supply systems. The studies are conducted in the MatLab environment (Simulink and SimPowerSystems simulation packages) employing control engineering methods. It is proposed to design and adjust joint predictive controllers by determining the resonant frequency of oscillations for the master generator rotor. This approach provides better quality indicators of voltage and frequency control in power supply systems while maintaining the same settings for the controllers of DG plants. With an additional load in an isolated power supply system, the maximum voltage sag is found to be 1.75 times lower than for local predictive control and 3.5 times lower as compared to the use of conventional controllers. For the specified mode, predictive controllers enable a threefold reduction in the transient time between rotor rotational speeds in a synchronous generator. In the start mode of a powerful electric motor, the predictive controllers of synchronous generators in the power supply system enable a 1.5 times reduction in voltage sag, with a 1.4 times reduction in overvoltage following its start. In the case of a short-term three phase short-circuit, joint predictive controllers allow a 1.5 times decrease in transient time and a 2.3 times decrease in the overshoot of power line frequency as compared to local control. In addition, frequency oscillation in the power system is also reduced. Similar effects are observed in other operating modes of the considered power supply systems equipped with DG plants. The performed dynamic simulation confirms the effectiveness of using joint voltage and frequency predictive controllers for DG plants, which consists in a positive impact on the quality of processes involved in controlling the parameters of power supply systems in various operating modes.
Dynamical control on the Adomian decomposition method for solving shallow water wave equation
Authors: Noeiaghdam L. , Noeiaghdam S. , Sidorov D. N.
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study is to apply a novel technique to control the accuracy and error of the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) for solving nonlinear shallow water wave equation. The ADM is among semi-analytical and powerful methods for solving many mathematical and engineering problems. We apply the Controle et Estimation Stochastique des Arrondis de Calculs (CESTAC) method which is based on stochastic arithmetic (SA). Also instead of applying mathematical packages we use the Control of Accuracy and Debugging for Numerical Applications (CADNA) library. In this library we will write all codes using C++ programming codes. Applying the method we can find the optimal numerical results, error and step of the ADM and they are the main novelties of this research. The numerical results show the accuracy and efficiency of the novel scheme.
Processing of formate solutions obtained from red mud leaching
Authors: Sizyakov V. M. , Kozyrev B. A.
Published: November 2021

The paper determines the indicators of the developed process flow for the complex processing of red sludge via the formate method: recovery of components; yield and composition of products when processing a sample of formate solution obtained from red mud leaching. The conducted experiments used red mud generated in the production of alumina at the Urals Aluminium Smelter. The samples of formate solution obtained in the course of red mud leaching were analyzed using an Optima 8000 ICP-OES Spectrometer, a Sartorius MA-30 Moisture Analyzer to measure moisture content, as well as an ARL 9800 XRF Spectrometer to ascertain the mass fraction of elements in metal and nonmetal specimens found in one of three states (solid, liquid, or powder). These experiments were performed while continuously measuring and monitoring pH values by means of a pH meter having a thermal compensation function. The performed experiments involved the total recovery of valuable elements from formate solutions produced during red mud leaching. A concentrate containing Al, Sc, and rare earth elements (REEs) was processed to produce scandium oxide and rare earth metal concentrate (after dissolving aluminum in an alkali). Rare earth metals and scandium were shown to concentrate in the solid phase; scandium was then selectively leached with a sodium bicarbonate solution to form water-soluble carbonate complexes [Sc(CO3)4]5-having carbonate ions СО32-and НСО3-. When using the proposed technology, the overall recovery of scandium and REEs amounts to 98–99%, whereas that of aluminum, calcium formate, and sodium formate from the produced solution reaches 99%. The processing of formate solution yields the following end products: scandium oxide (99 wt% Sc2O3) and REE concentrate (content of 56.1%). The paper demonstrates the possibility in pri nciple to process solutions obtained from the flow-through leaching of red mud via the formate method.
Family Hardiness and Parent and Family Functioning in Households with Children Experiencing Adverse Life Conditions: a Meta-Analysis
Authors: Dunst Carl J
Published: November 2021

Objective: The purposes of the meta-analysis were to evaluate the relationship between family hardiness and different dimensions of parent and family functioning in households experiencing adverse child or family life events and circumstances and determine if family hardiness had either or both stress-buffering and health-enhancing effects on parent and family functioning. Method: Studies were included if the correlations between family hardiness and different dimensions of parental or family functioning were reported. The synthesis included 53 studies (N = 4418 participants) conducted in nine countries between 1992 and 2017. Results: showed that family hardiness was related to less parental stress, anxiety/depression, and parenting burden/demands and positively related to parental global health, well-being, and parenting practices. Results also showed that family hardiness was negatively related to family stress and positively related to family life satisfaction, adaptation, and cohesion. The effects sizes between family hardiness and positive parent and family functioning indicators were larger than those for stress-buffering indicators. Child and family life events and child age moderated the relationship between family hardiness and family but not parental functioning. Conclusion: The results are consistent with the hypothesis that family hardiness is an internal resource that simultaneously has stress-buffering and health-enhancing effects on parent and family functioning.
La dimensión ambiental del desarrollo sostenible en el contrato estatal de obra
Authors: Higuera Rodríguez Angélica
Published: November 2021

El contrato estatal de obra posee un carácter instrumental como herramienta de política pública para concretar las metas y objetivos formulados por el Estado con arreglo a lo dispuesto en el artículo 2 de la Constitución Política de 1991 y el artículo 3 de la Ley 80 de 1993. En esta contratación los particulares interactúan como destinatarios y colaboradores en el cumplimiento de los propósitos que se buscan con las políticas y esta interacción, imprime un importante dinamismo a los procesos de crecimiento económico y social del país. Sin embargo, la construcción de obras públicas resulta una de las actividades que más impacto genera en el consumo de recursos naturales, en la contaminación y la producción de residuos...
Recibido: 27 de febrero de 2021
Revisado: 18 de marzo de 2021
Aceptado: 16 de abril de 2021
Simulador de Ruído de Cavitação de Embarcações utilizando uma Rede Neural Realimentada
Authors: Santos Anderson Damacena , Sarno Filho Elio , Simas Filho Eduardo Furtado , Fernandes Junior Antônio , Seixas José Manoel
Published: November 2021

Sistemas de sonar passivo são utilizados tanto em aplicações civis quanto militares, para tarefas como monitoramento do ambiente submarino e detecção de animais e embarcações. A aquisição de sinais acústicos submarinos requer um complexo sistema de medição e envolve custos consideráveis para instalação e manutenção. Aliado a isso, a grande variedade de classes de embarcação e condições climáticas aumenta consideravelmente a diversidade destes tipos de sinais. Neste contexto, esse trabalho propõe-se a desenvolver um simulador de sinais acústicos submarinos que combina informações da cavitação de embarcações com ruído ambiente a partir de um sistema com um bloco fenomenológico e um bloco baseado em aprendizado de máquinas. O primeiro produz a combinação de ruído de cavitação de embarcações com ruído ambiente a partir da descrição dos fenômenos físicos utilizando modelos matemáticos. A seguir, uma rede neural realimentada (estrutura NARX) é utilizada para produzir um mapeamento que aproxima o resultado do simulador do comportamento de sinais experimentais. O simulador proposto foi capaz de produzir sinais com grande fidedignidade a sinais reais.
Explainable Anomaly Detection in Videos Based on the Description of Atomic Actions
Authors: Inácio Andrei de Souza , Teixeira Raphael Marinho , Lopes Heitor Silvério
Published: November 2021

Anomaly detection in surveillance videos is an exhaustive and tedious task to be performed manually by humans. Many methods have been proposed to detect anomalous events by learning normal patterns and differentiate them from abnormal ones. However, these methods often suffer from false alarms, as human behaviors and environments can change over time. In addition, these methods fail to discriminate the types of anomalies that can occur, especially in anomalies performed by humans. This work presents an approach to detect anomalous events based on atomic action descriptions. It combines a tracking people method with atomic action detection and recognition network to understand video events and generate atomic descriptions. Besides detecting the anomalies, the proposed approach can also describe the anomalous action with human attributes in natural language. Anomalies are detected based on the generated descriptions of the scene. Experimental results show the effectiveness of our approach, presenting an average F1-Score of 87%.
Ladislaus Jagiello in Modern Polish Culture
Authors:   The Jagiellonian University,, Banaszkiewicz Mikolaj ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: November 2021

This article deals with Polish representations of Władysław II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, ruler of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Research on representations of the past has become one of the main fields of memory studies in recent years. They allow us to look at historical events and their emblematic protagonists through the prism of their successive emanations. The kaleidoscope of images of the past reflects changes in social awareness and collective memory of a given political community. Jagiełło and the Battle of Grunwald (1410), which is inseparably associated with his reign, offer a model case in point. Among the numerous representations of Jagiełło, those created in the nineteenth century have made a lasting impression. At first, they took the form of literary works and paintings, and only later did they appear in political journalism and historiography. With time, they transmogrified into grass-roots commemorative initiatives, the most spectacular manifestation of which was the jubilee of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald, celebrated in Kraków in 1910. The works of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Jan Matejko fulfilled their role and became part of the canon, on which the Polish imagination depended from then on, regardless of the changing political configurations. In this way, Jagiełło became one of the most important figures in the pantheon of rulers, while the distant historical experience of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was permanently grafted onto and modelled the Polish political imagination. This observation is also confirmed by his twentieth-century portrayals in Polish films and historical series.
Studying the Social History of a Russian Microregion, Based on Historical Maps and Aerial Survey
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Grishin Evgeniy S. , Kanishchev Valery V. ,   G. R. Derzhavin Tambov State University, Kunavin Konstantin S. ,   G. R. Derzhavin Tambov State University, Lyamin Sergey K. ,   G. R. Derzhavin Tambov State University, Zhukov Dmitry S. ,   G. R. Derzhavin Tambov State University
Published: November 2021

This study focused on a Russian agrarian microregion (12.5 km2) situated in a forest steppe area (in Tambov Oblast) during the 18th–19th centuries. The research illuminates the mechanisms, patterns, and impact that the environment has on social processes, and vice versa — the human impact on the environment (and particularly on landscape). The authors created a geographic information system which they used to compare the results of aerial survey and satellite imagery, with historical maps and other sources, including archival documents. Morphological anomalies were identified on an orthophotomap, and then interpreted. The conclusions of the research concern the nature of interaction between the agrarian society and the environment. Settlement in the plains of the forest steppe was heavily dependent on the water regime, which directly affected the condition and dynamics of communication routes and economic infrastructure. The vanished settlement found in this study is an example of such an effect: it grew up along a road and was abandoned when the areas through which the road ran were waterlogged. Plain rivers can alter the surrounding landscape quite drastically over relatively short historical periods, and are themselves subject to anthropogenic influence. Changes in living conditions and economic management led to variability in settlement patterns and land use. This can be seen especially well in the lowland, where such schemes were predominantly temporary. The processing of Earth remote sensing data makes it possible to fill gaps in sources and discover new evidence of the past.
The Confrontation Between Life and Death: Some Results of Studying the History of the Siege of Leningrad
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Sobolev G. L. , Khodjakov M. V. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: November 2021

The authors focus on the assessment and characterization of the mortality rate of the civilian population, which waged a heroic struggle for survival. The number of victims in besieged Leningrad, as cited by researchers in published works, was “regulated” by the Communist Party leadership for several decades. The situation changed at the turn of the 1980s — 1990s, when historians gained access to previously secret documents. This article poses a problem that Leningrad doctors drew attention to in late autumn 1941. Their proposals for the treatment of alimentary dystrophy, the main affliction of civilians in the blocked city, were not immediately appreciated by Leningrad’s leaders at that time. The presence of various data on the mortality rate of the population during the blockade is understandable: these data were collected at different times by various organizations and individuals, based on far from complete data. The authors emphasize that it is impossible to assess the decline in the city’s population solely using y the number of ration cards in circulation. This approach, for a number of reasons, distorts b the real state of affairs. The city’s statistical department, the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs, and the registry offices, which were under its jurisdiction, had their own estimates of the number of civilian victims. Today there is no consensus regarding the completeness of information on the scale of burials in city cemeteries during the blockade winter of 1941/42. The article concludes that there is a need for a wider introduction of previously unknown archival materials into circulation to help to clarify the number of victims of the Blockade of Leningrad, which, according to the authors, reached 750 thousand.
The Impact of the Great Patriotic War on Population Reproduction (Basing on the Materials of the Molotov Region)
Authors:   Institute of History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Kornilov G. E.
Published: November 2021

The Great Patriotic war had a disastrous impact on country’s demography. Much available research focuses on the study of human losses in Russia and individual regions, while widely using demographic statistics of state bodies, mainly regional, republican statistical offices and the CSO of the USSR. Their representativeness has been proven, and negative characterizations of registry office statistics (registration of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) found in modern historical literature has no basis, except in cases where it was not possible to collect complete information. In this study, this corpus of documents is used to analyze reproduction processes in the Molotov region and their impact on demographic structures. Identified new sources (data on birth order, and data on maternal age, which appeared in the concluding period of the war) resulted in methods of demographic analysis (calculation of general, special, and private fertility rates) to obtain new data on the demographic situation in the region and the depth of the demographic catastrophe in which the country found itself in the war, the consequences of which are felt up until today. World War II plunged the country’s population, including territories deep in the rear, into a demographic crisis that resulted in changes in demographic structures, deformation of reproduction, disproportion in the ratio between fertility and mortality, and damage to the regeneration of generations, especially among males.
The Petition Campaign of the Muslims of Leningrad on the Return of the Cathedral Mosque in 1946–1955
Authors:   Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Bekkin R. I. ,   Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: November 2021

The article examines the petition campaign for the return of the Cathedral Mosque, organized by the Muslims of Leningrad in the second half of the 1940s and the first half of the 1950s. The campaign represents an example of a human rights activity (albeit in a limited sphere, for securing freedom of conscience), and should be taken into account when studying the history of the human and civil rights movement in the USSR. The language and argumentation used by authors of the petitions are analyzed. The article examines the religious life of Leningrad Muslims outside of the mosque (in particular, the holding of festive services at the Tatar cemetery in the village of Volkova). The article touches upon the problem of historical memory. The memories of the struggle for permission to build a mosque in St. Petersburg in tsarist times, preserved among Leningrad Muslims, were taken into account by officials when deciding whether to return this religious building to believers in the 1950s. The problem of returning the mosque is considered in the context of changes in the confessional policy of the country’s leadership. The article demonstrates the role of such a body as the Council for Religious Affairs under the Council of Ministers of the USSR touches upon this role in resolving issues of returning religious buildings to believers in the post-war period. Particular attention is paid to the relations within the Leningrad Muslim community. On the example of the conflict between imam-khatib Abdulbari N. Isaev and Chairman of the twenty (dvadtsatka) Usman Bogdanov, the author examines the system of power relations within religious communities in the USSR in the postwar period. In particular, the article mentions the narrative that Bogdanov proposed to subordinate dvadtsatka directly to the Commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs in the Leningrad Region.
Following the Pages of an Unknown Book. General A. N. Bogolyubov and his Monograph “The Defeat of Kolchak”
Authors:   Chelyabinsk State University, Badikov R. A.
Published: November 2021

This article focuses on a newly discovered military history: the monograph The Defeat of Kolchak, authored by famous Soviet military leader General Alexander N. Bogolyubov. Published in 1939 by the General Staff Academy of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, this book was one of the first full-fledged special works focused on an analysis of military operations on the Eastern front during the Russian Civil War. Due to a number of circumstances, Bogolyubov’s printed work has not been in circulation until today, and has remained an unknown variable for Russian historical science. The book is considered in two dimensions: as a typical creative phenomenon of the Stalin era, with its characteristic request for a uniform, unified interpretation of the events of 1917–1922; as a special phenomenon in the official activities of Bogolyubov, who, despite his personal aspirations and desires, was forced to turn to scientific and teaching work at the General Staff Academy of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Consideration of the set of issues associated with a previously unknown book helped the author come to the following conclusions: in the scientific sense, the work of Bogolyubov appears to be an important phenomenon in the early historiography of the Civil War, certain expressions of the book to this day retain their relevance and novelty; the fact of the presence of the mass of controversial theses and obvious mistakes in the work is a reflection of the ideological attitudes and stereotypical approaches to the interpretation of the events of the war that prevailed in historiography in the 1930s; the creative way of the monograph was directly attributable to the development of official activities of its author, reflects the varieties of fortune of General Bogolyubov.
Hermeneutic reason as the “Art of understanding”
Authors:   Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Kleszcz Leszek
Published: November 2021

Originally, hermeneutics was the interpretation of important texts. In the 19th century, hermeneutics transformed into a science about the meaning and interpretation of all expressions. In the 20th century, Martin Heidegger radicalized hermeneutics, indicating that understanding (the essence of hermeneutics) is not a technical or intellectual operation, but a way of being. The central point of reference in the article is the hermeneutic philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur. The central idea of Gadamer’s philosophy is understanding, which is connected with the so-called “rehabilitation of practical philosophy”. In such philosophy, the question concerning wisdom and thinking about the best possible way of life occupies an important place. Gadamer in his philosophy indicated the conditions of understanding. One of the main elements of his concept is hermeneutic experience, a negative experience, meaning awareness of the finite nature of all understanding. Complementation of Gadamer’s concept could be the hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur. He believed that there is not a correct method of interpretation and the best way to understand is the “conflict of hermeneutics”. Ricoeure discerned two forms of hermeneutics: “hermeneutics of trust” and “hermeneutics of suspicion”. The idea of hermeneutics is developed as an art of understanding, indicating the conditions and possibilities of interpreting texts, symbols and metaphors. An interesting addition to the philosophy of Gadamer and Ricoeur is Hans Blumenberg’s concept of metaphorology. He identified three basic positions of metaphors and the functions they perform: traditional, understanding a metaphor as inaccurate; pre-conceptual speech; and the unavoidable and irreplaceable nature of a metaphor. Under this concept lies the science of images through which man grasps himself and the world. Blumenberg explored the functions of various metaphors depicting truth (light, nudity), human life (sea travel, hiking, climbing) or the world (clock, machine, organism). Absolute metaphors, in addition to presenting the picture of the whole of reality, also play the role of orienting patterns, directing action. They contain certain value systems that determine attitudes, expectations, longings, interests, and indicate important or indifferent things or spheres, incline to certain actions or omissions.
The problem of the nation and nationalism in the social-philosophical thought of Rabindranath Tagore
Authors:   Penza State University, Skorokhodova Tatiana G.
Published: November 2021

Rabindranath Tagore’s lectures Nationalism (1916) were an early attempt to interpret and analyze the phenomenon from the social-philosophical point of view. In non-Western social thought it was one of first approaches to comprehend nationalism in its fullness and complexity of content with the complex of its objective consequences. Based on hermeneutical methods and phenomenological approach, the author offers a reconstruction of Tagore’s theoretical interpretation of nationalism in a broad social context from India to the East and the West. The interpretation is based on Tagore’s understanding of the nation as a mechanical organization for economic and political purposes, born in the “political civilization” of Europe. According to him, the nation is the problem for all societies both Western and non-Western, because it destructs its freedom, morality and humanity, and generates conflicts, aggression, violence and war. Nationalism is presented as “perfect organization of power” for domination over other peoples, as well as over their own society. Both constructs are exported to non-Western peoples who are not nations, and consequently create difficult problems in their societies. For Eastern peoples both ways of responding to Western nationalism’s challenge are dangerous in Tagore’s opinion. The first is nation-building by the state according to the Western model which turns into statism and militarism (the example of Japan). The second response is an attempt to solve social problems through belief in the achievement of political independence (the example of India). Essentially, Tagore had anticipated the modernist (constructivist) approach to the analysis of nationalism as an artificial and purposeful mechanism for achieving political goals, primarily in regard to the state, and pointed to the borrowed nature of nationalism in non-Western societies.
Removal of phosphate from aqueous solution by chitosan coated and lanthanum loaded biochar derived from urban dewatered sewage sludge: adsorption mechanism and application to lab-scale columns
Authors: Zhang Xiaoling , Liu Xincong , Zhang Zhuo , Chen Ziwei
Published: November 2021

A lanthanum modified sludge biochar chitosan (La-SBC-CS) microsphere was successfully synthesized by dropping sludge biochar (BC) and chitosan into a lanthanum chloride solution. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption kinetics and isotherm. Application of continuous phosphate removal was achieved via lab-scale column reactors. The phosphate adsorption equilibrium data of the La-SBC-CS fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm, with a maximum adsorption amount of 81.54 mg p/g at 25 °C. Characterization of the adsorbent using scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM), X-ray energy spectrum analysis (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and Fourier infrared analysis (FTIR) techniques suggested that the possible adsorption mechanisms were electrostatic interaction, ligand exchange and complexation. The La-SBC-CS kept 76.37% phosphate removal efficiency after eight recycles. The results of continuous column reactor experiment demonstrated that the breakthrough time increased with an increase in adsorbent filling height, while it decreased with an increase in initial phosphate concentration or flow velocity. The Yoon model was applied to the continuous experimental data to predict breakthrough curves and determined the characteristic adsorption parameters for process design. This study indicated the potential for the practical application of La-SBC-CS in phosphate removal from wastewater.
Systematic review of the last 20 years of research on decentralized domestic wastewater treatment in Brazil: state of the art and potentials
Authors: Ferreira Marcella Moretti , Fiore Fabiana Alves , Saron Alexandre , da Silva Gustavo Henrique Ribeiro
Published: November 2021

A DEWATS (decentralized wastewater treatment system) is an alternative for expanding sanitation. In Brazil, DEWATS is acknowledged by law and is part of the National Sanitation Plan strategy for achieving the treatment of 85.6% of all the generated wastewater by 2033, improving the current treatment index of 49%. This review's aim is to identify DEWATS studies in Brazil and to verify their potential for narrowing the national wastewater treatment deficit. Hence, aspects such as cost, maintenance, and efficiency were assessed. The archival research method (ARM) was used to identify papers published in the last 20 years through the scientific databases of Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science. Data regarding the general characteristics of each study were collected and compared to Brazilian environmental regulation and sanitation status. The results showed the evaluation of different technologies such as DEWATS, highlighting their flexibility and potential use in 79% of Brazilian counties. However, although 81% of the studies conducted performance analysis, none covered the main parameters required by Brazilian law. Although legal gaps for DEWATS improvement and consolidation have been identified and the interest in studying DEWATS has been increasing in the last five years, many barriers to their widespread use remain.
Oxidative Stress Induced Cell Cycle Arrest: Potential Role of PRX-2 and
GSTP-1 as Therapeutic Targets in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Mohsin Abeer , Haneef Kanwal , Ilyas Amber , Zarina Shamshad , Hashim Zehra
Published: November 2021

Background:

The increasing incidence and mortality rate of HCC is a major concern, especially
for developing countries of the world. Hence, extensive research is being carried out in order
to explore new approaches for developing successful therapeutic strategies for HCC. The controversial
role of oxidative stress in the prognosis and treatment of various diseases such as cancer
has become an area of great interest and intrigue for many scientists throughout the world.

Objective:

We aim to investigate the role of induced oxidative stress on the suppression of HCC
Huh-7 cancerous cells as a therapeutic approach.

Methods:

Induction of oxidative stress via H2O2 treatment produced cell cytotoxicity in a dose dependent
manner and also led to the overexpression of GSTP-1 and PRX-2. The expression of GSTP-
1 and PRX-2 was compared in HCC Huh-7 treated, untreated cells and normal hepatocytes using
immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, the effects of oxidative stress on cell cycle arrest were also
studied through flow cytometry.

Results:

Our study demonstrated the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation as a result of H2O2 induction
by arresting the cell cycle at the G2 phase.

Conclusion:

The induction of oxidative stress could be a potential therapeutic approach for treating
HCC in the future. GSTP-1 and PRX-2 can serve as substantial therapeutic targets for the treatment
of HCC.
Overview of Lignocellulolytic Enzyme Systems with Special Reference to
Valorization of Lignocellulosic Biomass
Authors: Qaiser Hina , Kaleem Afshan , Abdullah Roheena , Iqtedar Mehwish , Hoessli Daniel C.
Published: November 2021

Lignocellulosic biomass, one of the most valuable natural resources, is abundantly present
on earth. Being a renewable feedstock, it harbors a great potential to be exploited as a raw material,
to produce various value-added products. Lignocellulolytic microorganisms hold a unique
position regarding the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass as they contain efficient enzyme systems
capable of degrading this biomass. The ubiquitous nature of these microorganisms and their
survival under extreme conditions have enabled their use as an effective producer of lignocellulolytic
enzymes with improved biochemical features crucial to industrial bioconversion processes. These
enzymes can prove to be an exquisite tool when it comes to the eco-friendly manufacturing of
value-added products using waste material. This review focuses on highlighting the significance of
lignocellulosic biomass, microbial sources of lignocellulolytic enzymes and their use in the formation
of useful products.
TMEM16A Protein: Calcium-Binding Site and its Activation Mechanism
Authors: Ji Wanying , Shi Donghong , Shi Sai , Yang Xiao , Chen Yafei , An Hailong , Pang Chunli
Published: November 2021

TMEM16A mediates the calcium-activated transmembrane flow of chloride ions and a
variety of physiological functions. The binding of cytoplasmic calcium ions of TMEM16A and the
consequent conformational changes of it are the key issues to explore the structure-function relationship.
In recent years, researchers have explored this issue through electrophysiological experiments,
structure resolving, molecular dynamic simulation, and other methods. The structures of
TMEM16 family members determined by cryo-Electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallization
provide the primary basis for the investigation of the molecular mechanism of TMEM16A.
However, the binding and activation mechanism of calcium ions in TMEM16A are still unclear
and controversial. This review discusses four Ca2+ sensing sites of TMEM16A and analyzes activation
properties of TMEM16A by them, which will help understand the structure-function relationship
of TMEM16A and throw light on the molecular design targeting the TMEM16A channel.
Tanshinone IIA: Pharmacology, Total Synthesis, and Progress in
Structure-modifications
Authors: Huang Xing , Deng Hao , Shen Qing-kun , Quan Zhe-Shan
Published: November 2021

:

Tanshinone IIA, a major bioactive constituent of Danshen, a Chinese herbal
medicine, has gained extensive exploration owing to its unique structural features and
multiple promising biological activities. This review focuses on the pharmacology, total
synthesis, and structural modifications of tanshinone IIA. We hope this review will contribute
to a better understanding of the progress in the field and provide constructive suggestions
for further study of tanshinone IIA.
Top 100 Most-Cited Publications on Breast Cancer and Machine
Learning Research: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Hanis Tengku Muhammad , Islam Md Asiful , Musa Kamarul Imran
Published: November 2021

Background:

Rapid advancement in computing technology and digital information
leads to the possible use of machine learning on breast cancer.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the research output of the top 100 publications
and further identify a research theme of breast cancer and machine-learning studies.

Methods:

Databases of Scopus and Web of Science were used to extract the top 100 publications.
These publications were filtered based on the total citation of each paper. Additionally,
a bibliometric analysis was applied to the top 100 publications.

Results:

The top 100 publications were published between 1993 and 2019. The most productive
author was Giger ML, and the top two institutions were the University of Chicago
and the National University of Singapore. The most active countries were the USA, Germany,
and China. Ten clusters were identified as both basic and specialised themes of
breast cancer and machine learning.

Conclusion:

Various countries demonstrated comparable interest in breast cancer and
machine-learning research. A few Asian countries, such as China, India and Singapore,
were listed in the top 10 countries based on the total citation. Additionally, the use of deep
learning and breast imaging data was trending in the past 10 years in the field of breast
cancer and machine-learning research.
Microglia and its Genetics in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Liang Xinyan , Wu Haijian , Colt Mark , Guo Xinying , Pluimer Brock , Zeng Jianxiong , Dong Shupeng , Zhao Zhen
Published: November 2021

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia across the world.
While its discovery and pathological manifestations are centered on protein aggregations of amyloid-
beta (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein, neuroinflammation has emerged in the last decade
as a main component of the disease in terms of both pathogenesis and progression. As the
main innate immune cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), microglia play a very important
role in regulating neuroinflammation, which occurs commonly in neurodegenerative conditions,
including AD. Under inflammatory response, microglia undergo morphological changes and
status transition from homeostatic to activated forms. Different microglia subtypes displaying distinct
genetic profiles have been identified in AD, and these signatures often link to AD risk genes
identified from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS), such as APOE and TREM2. Furthermore,
many AD risk genes are highly enriched in microglia and specifically influence the functions
of microglia in pathogenesis, e.g. releasing inflammatory cytokines and clearing Aβ. Therefore,
building up a landscape of these risk genes in microglia, based on current preclinical studies and in
the context of their pathogenic or protective effects, would largely help us to understand the complex
etiology of AD and provide new insight into the unmet need for effective treatment.
Prodrug Strategies for Critical Drug Developability Issues: Part I
Authors: Ji Xingyue
Published: November 2021

Drug development is a very time, capital, and labor-intensive process. It was anticipated that bringing a novel chemical entity
to market would take over a billion dollars and around 14 years [1]. In addition, drug development is characterized by a
very high attrition rate both in preclinical and clinical studies. It was reported that only 40% of drug candidates with the most
drug-like properties could make their way into clinical trials, and only 10% of these can eventually reach FDA approval [2].
After analyzing the data from seven UK‐based pharmaceutical companies from 1964 through 1985, Prentis et al. found that
39% of failure was attributed to poor pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles in humans, 29% was attributed to a lack of clinical efficacy,
21% was attributed to toxicity and adverse effects, and about 6% was attributed to commercial limitations [3]. When a
drug candidate is identified with one of these issues (except the commercial limitations), normally, a new round of structureactivity
or structure-property relationship (SAR/SPR) studies is carried out to generate a new chemical entity with improved
profiles, and in most cases, such a process is time and labor-intensive. Alternatively, prodrug strategy can be leveraged to efficiently
address associated drug developability issues without making enormous derivatives. Prodrug strategy has been demonstrated
to be very successful and fruitful in drug development, with around 20% of approved drugs from 2008 through 2020
being clarified as prodrugs [4]. In recent years, prodrug strategy has also been leveraged to address the delivery issues associated
with gasotransmitters, including NO, H2S, CO as well as SO2 [5-8]. In this thematic issue, six excellent reviews were
included, focusing on varied prodrug strategies in addressing different drug developability issues associated with anticancer
drugs, central nervous system (CNS) drugs, and gasotransmitters....