bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular polarization-selective optical, photothermal, and optofluidic effects in chiral metasurfaces
Authors: Ma Cuiping , Yu Peng , Jing Zhimin , Zhu Yisong , Li Peihang , Wang Wenhao , Xu Hongxing , Zhang Yanning , Pan Liang , Choi Tae-Youl , Neogi Arup , Govorov Alexander O. , Wang Zhiming
Published: December 2023

Circular dichroism (CD) is extensively used in various material systems for applications including biological detection, enantioselective catalysis, and chiral separation. This paper introduces a chiral absorptive metasurface that exhibits a circular polarization-selective effect in dual bands—positive and negative CD peaks at short wavelengths and long wavelengths, respectively. Significantly, we uncover that this phenomenon extends beyond the far-field optical response, as it is also observed in the photothermal effect and the dynamics of thermally induced fluid motion. By carefully engineering the metasurface design, we achieve two distinct CD signals with high g factors (∼1) at the wavelengths of 877 nm and 1045 nm, respectively. The findings presented in this study advance our comprehension of CD and offer promising prospects for enhancing chiral light–matter interactions in the domains of nanophotonics and optofluidics.
Morphological changes of macular neovascularization during long-term anti-VEGF-therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Pauleikhoff Daniel , Gunnemann Marie-Luise , Ziegler Martin , Heimes-Bussmann Britta , Bormann Eike , Bachmeier Isabel , Yu Siqing , Garcia Armendariz Beatriz , Pauleikhoff Laurenz
Published: December 2023

Purpose

To analyze the morphological changes of macular neovascularization (MNV) in exudative neovascular age-related macular degeneration under long-term intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in a retrospective cohort study.

Methods and patients

We evaluated 143 nAMD eyes of 94 patients (31 male, 63 female; initial age 55–97 y, mean age 75.9 ± 7.5 y), who started anti-VEGF therapy (IVAN pro re nata (PRN) protocol) between 2009–2018 and received ongoing therapy until the last recorded visit (mean follow-up 5.3 ± 2.9 y, range 1–14 y). The mean total number of injections was 33.3 ± 19.8 with 7.0 ± 2.3 injections/year. MNV size and, if present, associated complete retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retina atrophy (cRORA) size were measured on optical coherence tomography (OCT) volume scans at the initial visit and for each year of follow-up. MNV and cRORA were identified on B-scans and their respective borders were manually transposed onto the en-face near infrared image and measured in mm2.

Results

MNV enlarged through follow-up, with a mean growth rate of 1.24 mm2 / year. The mean growth in MNV size was independent of initial MNV size, age, gender, MNV subtypes or number of injections per year. Nevertheless, a great interindividual variation in size and growth was observed. cRORA developed in association with increasing MNV size and its incidence increased linearly over follow-up. cRORA lesions also showed continuous growth by a rate of 1.22 mm2 / year.

Conclusions

Despite frequent long-term anti-VEGF therapy, we observed ongoing MNV growth. This is consistent with the concept that the development of MNV may be a physiological biological repair mechanism to preserve RPE and photoreceptor function, provided hyperpermeability and fluid exudation are controlled. Whether recurring low VEGF levels or other factors are responsible for MNV growth remains controversial.
When the going gets tough, the entrepreneurs get less entrepreneurial?
Authors: van Hugten Joeri , Vanderstraeten Johanna , van Witteloostuijn Arjen , Coreynen Wim
Published: December 2023

We investigate how the 2008–2012 economic crisis relates to entrepreneurs’ confidence ten years later and, in turn, their venture’s entrepreneurial orientation. Conceptually, we introduce the new concept of ‘hard times’ to capture an entrepreneur’s sense of their venture’s hardship during the crisis. Theoretically, we extend ideas on imprinting, to build the argument that hard times cause a persistent reduction in an entrepreneur’s entrepreneurial self-efficacy and sense of job security, both of which in turn cause a contemporaneous reduction in their venture’s entrepreneurial orientation. We contrast the crisis imprinting hypothesis with a hypothesis from the more established behavioral theory of the firm. Strikingly, rich data of about 300 Flemish entrepreneurs and their ventures are in line with a small crisis imprinting effect.
Horror, bodily agency and Peggy Ahwesh’s Nocturne (1998)
Authors: Tortolani Erica
Published: December 2023

This article analyses the 1998 short film Nocturne, directed by artist Peggy Ahwesh in one of her most earnest engagements with the horror genre. It demonstrates the ways in which Nocturne uses visual and aural horrific elements to show how the gendered female body is socioculturally constructed. Importantly, its horrific elements open up the possibility for women to reclaim corporeal agency, a feat otherwise absent in the very source material that Ahwesh borrows from in her film. The female body is presented in Nocturne as uninhibitedly able to move, touch, explore, desire and, yes, kill, as it navigates through, and eventually destroys, the intricate systems of power keeping it in check. After exploring Ahwesh’s larger body of work, the article considers how Nocturne assigns the so-called corporeal weight to its female bodies on-screen, through horrific elements and, to a lesser extent, the woman-as-animal metaphor.
Recepção dos Clássicos: Intertextualidade e tradução
Authors: Trevizam Matheus , Prata Patricia
Published: December 2023

Esta coletânea contém textos resultantes das comunicações que foram apresentadas no âmbito de um Painel organizado durante a “Conference in Classics & Ancient History”, ocorrida na Universidade de Coimbra (junho de 2021). Os ensaios aqui estampados refletem sobre a recepção dos Clássicos greco-romanos na Literatura, considerando que o fazer literário antigo se desenvolveu dentro de longa tradição. Além disso, tal processo permitiu que autores de tempos subsequentes, sejam próximos ou distantes no tempo, “se apropriassem” das obras dos predecessores antigos, retomando-as, remodelando-as ou mesmo traduzindo-as. Nesse sentido amplo, as obras de poetas e ou tradutores como o anônimo escritor de Aetna (séc. I d.C.), Giovanni Boccaccio (séc. XIV), Marco Valério Marcial (séc. I-II d.C.), Públio Ovídio Nasão (séc. I a.C.–I d.C.), o anônimo escritor de Peruigilium Veneris (séc. IV d.C.), João Guimarães Rosa (séc. XX), Machado de Assis (séc. XIX–XX), Castro Alves (séc. XIX), o tradutor António José de Lima Leitão (séc. XVIII-XIX) e outros são sucessivamente analisadas, sob um viés receptivo.
Las relaciones entre las ideas de enemigo, pueblo y nación en la Revolución Inglesa. Los casos de Levellers y Diggers
Authors: Miceli Mario Leonardo
Published: December 2023

Este artículo se propone analizar, bajo una perspectiva ligada a la historia de las ideas y la historia conceptual, los movimientos de Levellers y Diggers en el marco de la Revolución Inglesa o Puritana del siglo XVII. El foco principal estará puesto en examinar cómo en sus textos se conceptualiza la idea de enemistad, y cómo la misma se transforma en una variable primordial para entender la definición del pueblo y la nación. Para ello se estudiarán sus textos en base a ciertas concepciones teológicas ligadas al puritanismo y a cómo sus ideas fueron desarrollándose en el devenir de diversos procesos que se registraron en la guerra civil y la revolución. El objetivo es brindar un pequeño aporte a nivel historiográfico, en el marco de las discusiones sobre el origen de importantes conceptos políticos en la Modernidad temprana.
Tritium Autrigonum (Monasterio de Rodilla, BURGOS): an urban approach to a Hispano-Roman agglomeration based on recent aerial surveys
Authors: Brassous Laurent , Didierjean François
Published: December 2023

The ancient town located at Alto de Rodilla (Monasterio de Rodilla, Burgos, Spain), identified as Tritium Autrigonum, has never been the subject of an archeological excavation, although the site has been known for a long time. However, the aerial survey campaigns conducted between 2001 and 2015 made it possible to take a large number of photographs that expose the urban form of the city. They reveal, on an unprecedented scale, a significant portion of the buried structures throughout the agglomeration. After a brief presentation of the site and the extent of our current knowledge, this work details the exploitation of the rectified and georeferenced aerial views, making it possible to obtain an unedited planimetry of the remains. It also provides an exceptionally detailed description of the site. This expanding documentary base was used in 2016 to study the remains identified as monuments. Since then, the analysis of the analysis of the aerial photographs has made it possible to obtain a general plan of the city, the various facets of its urbanism in its various aspects and to situate the city within the urban spaces of the northern Hispanic area.
En torno al Bellum Hispaniense y las Glandes Inscriptae de Hispania. Un nuevo proyectil con inscripción cesariana procedente de Montilla (Córdoba)
Authors: Moralejo Ordax Javier , Morena López José Antonio , Moreno Rosa Antonio , Robles Moreno Jesús
Published: December 2023

Este trabajo presenta un proyectil de plomo procedente del término municipal de Montilla, en la actual provincia de Córdoba, que incorpora una doble inscripción de un gran interés por su particularidad en el marco del estudio del corpus de las glandes inscriptae de la Península Ibérica. Consideramos que esta pieza podría mantener una relación directa con los sucesos bélicos narrados en el Bellum Hispaniense, ya que algunos de sus episodios más relevantes se produjeron en este entorno geográfico. Se trata de una aportación más al cada vez más avanzado conocimiento arqueológico de las guerras civiles romanas en Hispania que, además, proporciona, otros elementos de análisis complementarios al corpus de proyectiles con inscripciones cesarianas conocido hasta la fecha.
Un escarabeo púnico con la iconografía de Isis kourotropha en la Necrópolis Ibérica III de Alarcos (Poblete, Ciudad Real)
Authors: Miguel Naranjo Pedro , García Huerta M.ª del Rosario , Rodríguez González David , Morales Hervás Francisco Javier
Published: December 2023

En este artículo se estudia un escarabeo inédito documentado en la Tumba 36 de la Necrópolis Ibérica iii de Alarcos, actualmente en proceso de excavación y de estudio. Su elaboración en esteatita, la representación en el reverso de Isis kourotropha entronizada con Harpocrates y la distribución en el Mediterráneo de los escarabeos con esta temática nos han permitido identificarlo como una producción fenicio-púnica occidental de finales del s. v o principios del s. iv a. C., posiblemente del enclave sardo de Tharros como se ha planteado para el resto de escarabeos con dicha iconografía. El hallazgo de una pieza con esta temática en una sepultura podría estar relacionado con las concepciones funerarias sobre el amamantamiento dentro de la religiosidad íbera. Así, y aunque los modelos son de tipo egiptizante, la imagen fue lo suficientemente explícita como para su integración en las mentalidades íberas, existiendo muy probablemente un fenómeno de reformulación y adaptación en el que dicho modelo sirvió para la identificación de la divinidad femenina ibérica relacionada con la fertilidad y la regeneración del ciclo vital. Dicha divinidad también tendría connotaciones funerarias, destacando aquellas relacionadas con la lactancia divina y su posible vinculación con el fortalecimiento del difunto en el Más Allá.
FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS TO ENSURE DRUG SAFETY OF MODERN SOCIETY: BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME AND THE EUROPEAN MONITORING CENTER FOR DRUGS AND DRUG ADDICTION
Authors: Shinkevich Vladimir E. , Kupriyanchik Tatiana V.
Published: December 2023

The topicality of the article is due to the importance for building an anti-drug policy to counteract the spread of using narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances by the population or its individual groups for non-medical purposes both in Russia and in its individual regions and for making administartive decisions, the need to take into account the positive domestic and foreign experience of anti-drug activities. The authors note the importance of anti-drug activity as an integral component of ensuring the security of modern society; attention is drawn to the fact that drug addiction and narcotism are capable of reducing the population to a critical value in less than one generation of people, just like the most dangerous epidemics and pandemics. The results of the research are of interest to the subjects of the anti-drug policy of the region, for the development of administrative decisions to ensure its drug safety, organization and formation of anti-drug prevention based on accumulated experience.
FOOD WELFARE OF REGIONAL RESIDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF FOOD SECURITY
Authors: Dementieva Irina N.
Published: December 2023

The most important component of the socio-economic development of each region is food security, which is one of the main directions for ensuring state security in the long term, a factor in maintaining national sovereignty. This article explores the main economic determinants of the food well-being of the population of the Vologda Oblast in the context of ensuring the food security of the region. The features of the structure of consumer expenditures of households in the Vologda Oblast are analyzed; studied the level and dynamics of consumption of food products by the inhabitants of the region; analyzed the income and territorial differentiation in the food market. As a result of the study, threats to ensure the food security of the region were identified: an unfavorable structure of consumer spending of the population of the region, a consistently high proportion of the population with incomes below the subsistence level, excessively high income differentiation, which causes noticeable differences in food consumption, deterioration in the quality of consumption of food products. It is concluded that it is necessary to overcome them by increasing the effectiveness of social policy aimed at expanding the purchasing power of income, improving the level and quality of life of the population.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTH CREATIVE POTENTIAL IN THE CONDITIONS OF DIGITALIZATION AND DIGITAL SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Shelginskaia Victoria A.
Published: December 2023

The high importance of mass creative culture and the active digitalization of all spheres of life, combined with social restrictions during the pandemic, are caused changes in society's perception of cultural and social values. These affect the most psychologically flexible social group, the youth, who are equally open to any innovation and dependent on the socio-psychological and cultural environment. The article raises the problem of formation of an artist-person in the period of digitalization from the point of view of the development of creative potential. Based on a systematic approach and the results of participant observation of the behavior and development of creative users of social networks, the socio-psychological features of the activities of Internet authorities as intermediaries between a person and the cultural environment, as well as the influence of trends in modern online platforms on the creative potential of an individual, were analyzed. A multi-level model of the creative development of a person in the network was presented, taking into account the risks and negative impact from the Internet society. The model includes the stages: passive observation, repetition of the mass pattern, creative activity, separation the art from creativity, and the art level itself. The most dangerous are the passive-affective and detached-creative levels, at which the influence of society on the developing creative personality is strongest and most unpredictable. The results are interesting for specialists in the field of cultural studies, sociology, social psychology, and pedagogical theory and practice in the context of the digital transformation of education.
EMOTIONAL ASPECT OF CIVIL IDENTITY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE RUSSIAN BORDER REGION
Authors: Shcheglova Daria K.
Published: December 2023

Civic identity is one of the most important identities of the individual. Its structure includes a number of components: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, symbolic, which explains its complexity and ambiguity. During the formation of identity, all components require attention, including emotion, having a diverse range of emotions, based on the relation of the ideal image of identity to reality. The article presents the results of a sociological survey conducted in four border regions: Kaliningrad region, Voronezh region, Altai region and Khabarovsk region, (N=1753). The article analyses the manifestation of the civic identity of the population of border regions, as well as assessment of the emotional aspect of civic identity from the standpoint of socio-demographic characteristics.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OF SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERGENERATIONAL INTERACTIONS: OVERVIEW OF FOREIGN STUDIES
Authors: Tarasova Lyudmila V.
Published: December 2023

In the presented work, a review of foreign studies on the issues of stimulating physical activity of older citizens by means of social ties between representatives of different generations is conducted in order to study the potential of intergenerational relations as an incentive and motivator for the aging population to engage in physical education, sports and other forms of physical activity. The relevance of this topic is due to demographic and social trends: on the one hand, an increase in the life expectancy of citizens leads to population aging, and on the other – from the point of view of the goals of sustainable development of society, it is necessary that aging citizens maintain physical and mental health, be active, physically hardy, etc. The review was conducted by the method of content analysis of foreign scientific publications reflecting applied research on a given topic. The study showed that a significant condition for increasing the physical activity of the elderly is social interaction with family members – representatives of other, younger generations. Joint sports activities, participation (attendance and observation) in classes and competitions, assistance of children and grandchildren to their elderly parents in developing a system of exercises, as well as the development of digital assistants (fitness trackers and software applications) contribute to strengthening family ties, stimulate and motivate physical activity. The scientific value and practical significance of the work lies in the accumulation of scientific knowledge and their systematization for the development of concepts and policies to stimulate active longevity, the possibility of using foreign experience in the Russian practice of implementing programs involving older citizens in physical activity using intergenerational ties.
RELIGIOUS IDENTITY, RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE POPULATION OF RUSSIA’S ASIAN BORDERLANDS
Authors: Maximova Svetlana G. , Omelchenko Daria A. , Noyanzina Oksana E. , Maximov Maxim B.
Published: December 2023

The religious identity of Russian citizens in modern conditions is transformed under the influence of socio-cultural processes of a global nature, often taking individualized forms and combined with practices of reviving interest in religion and its protective, compensatory functions in conditions of uncertainty. In 2022-2023, with the support of the Russian Science Foundation, a sociological study was conducted to examine religious identity, religious practices and spiritual security in the border regions (Altai Territory, Altai Republic, Tyva Republic and Novosibirsk Region, 1868 people). The population of the border regions gravitates towards Orthodoxy (36%), however, significant differentiations in the regional refraction of the religious mosaic. Orthodoxy prevails in the Altai Territory and the Novosibirsk Region, shamanism prevails in Tyva (52%), Burkhanism is represented in the Altai Republic (16%). Moreover, an index of religiosity based on the Huber methodology was calculated in the study. The index is built on the integration of the five structural components of religiosity: intellectual, ideological, public and personal religious practices, and religious experience. The average index of religiosity was 2.41 points, the most religious is the population of the Tuva Republic (2.75), followed by the Altai Republic (2.52), index values below the test norm (2.45) were recorded in the Altai Territory (2.36) and the Novosibirsk Region (2.16). Ideas about religiosity and spirituality are changing and acquiring new meanings in the light of changing social relations between believers and non-believers, emerging new practices and religious organizations.
PROBLEMS OF PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT AMONG LAWYERS
Authors: Косорукова Ирина , Mrvich Nadezhda
Published: December 2023

The problem of professional burnout has been in the center of numerous research for the last decades. Their results facilitated diagnosing the causes and consequences of this professional dysphoria. The majority of this research was focused on social occupations connected with intensive contacts with people. However, practicing lawyers who have a lot of social contacts by the nature of service and therefore especially suffer from burnout, have not been studied  fully enough. The relevance of our study of this problem primarily lies in the need of further research of the professional burnout syndrome for its timely prevention and assistance to lawyers.

The investigation of the professional burnout syndrome among that category of workers was carried out with the help of the MBI survey to determine the level of  professional burnout according to the methods of Christina Maslach and Susan Jackson in adaptation of Natalia E. Vodopyanova based on the research of  psychologists Charles Figley, Simon Philip Baron-Cohen, as well as Russian scholars. The respondents’ survey  took place in the city of Vologda in February 2023 and the sampling population was more than 500 respondents.

As a result the relationship of professional burnout with age and gender was determined. It turned out that working women are more prone to burnout  than men, as they have additional emotional and physical burden connected with family chores. There is a description of depersonalization as a component of emotional burnout: inadequate attitude towards colleagues, irritability, loss of “idealism” and  withdrawal into oneself. At the same time it was revealed that the impact of the psychological state of an individual employee on the whole team is insignificant. Specific recommendations for the prevention of the emotional burnout syndrome are suggested; the impact of professional burnout on the respondents’ general state of health was studied.  Dependency of emotional burnout with empathy and features of the team are revealed. The most efficient ways of emotional burnout syndrome prevention are suggested. The results of the research can be used by psychologists who work with lawyers with emotional burnout symptoms and heads of  organizations.
Estrategias metacognitivas en estudiantes universitarios
Authors: Villalba Leinecker Andrea
Published: December 2023

El interés por conocer cómo piensan los estudiantes se centra, en este trabajo, en las estrategias metacognitivas y su frecuencia de uso como indicador del nivel de desarrollo de las mismas. Las estrategias son secuencias de acciones planificadas para lograr una meta y, en el contexto de la metacognición, son empleadas para pensar sobre el propio pensamiento, contribuyendo al proceso de comprensión inherente a la construcción de conocimiento. Para indagación de las mismas se propone el Cuestionario Metacognitivo de O'neil y Abedi (1996), organizado en dimensiones de consciencia, estrategias cognitivas, planificación y control; aplicado a un grupo de estudiantes universitarios de la Licenciatura en Biodiversidad y el Profesorado en Biología de la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias (Universidad Nacional del Litoral). Se encuentra una alta frecuencia de uso de estrategias metacognitivas, con desarrollo homogéneo de las mismas, y un subgrupo de estudiantes que las utiliza mínimamente. Se registran diferencias significativas con relación a edad, género y carrera que cursan, pero no al lugar de procedencia de los estudiantes. Un análisis de componentes principales (ACP) permite explicar el 75% de la variabilidad encontrada en seis componentes donde aparecen representadas todas las dimensiones metacognitivas o en diferentes combinaciones.
Differentiated approach to the treatment of musculoskeletal pain: higher doses of analgesics provide a better effect. A brief narrative review
Authors: Karateev A. E. , Lila A. M.
Published: December 2023

Effective pain control is one of the main goals in the treatment of patient with musculoskeletal disorders. The main suffering of patients is associated with pain: decrease in working capacity and quality of life, disability and severe psycho-emotional disturbances. The pathogenesis of musculoskeletal pain is complex and includes damage (due to an autoimmune process, mechanical or metabolic stress), inflammation, peripheral and central sensitization, degenerative processes (neoangiogenesis, heterotopic ossification, fibrosis), muscle tension, psychoemotional disorders (depression, anxiety), negative behavioral reactions. Pain treatment should be comprehensive and include pharmacotherapy as well as non-pharmacological therapy and rehabilitation methods.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are at the forefront of pain treatment. They are effective, convenient and affordable, but can cause a wide range of complications. A personalized approach to pain management is therefore based on the choice of the “right” NSAID. Based on the balance between efficacy and safety, celecoxib can be considered the first choice. It has an extensive evidence base confirming its therapeutic potential in acute pain, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, systemic rheumatic diseases and other pathologies, as well as a relatively low risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular complications. The prescription of celecoxib should be personalized: for severe pain and systemic rheumatic diseases, treatment should be started with a dose of 400 mg/day (600 mg can be used on the first day), followed by a transition to a maintenance dose of 200 mg/day once pain control is achieved.
Factors associated with achieving an acceptable health-related quality of life in the treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Tremaskina P. O. , Korotaeva T. V. , Loginova E. Yu. , Glukhova S. I. , Lila A. M.
Published: December 2023

Objective: to analyze factors associated with the achievement of acceptable health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) 7 years after the start of observation.

Material and methods. The study included 53 patients (28 women, 25 men) with PsA who met the 2006 CASPAR criteria. The mean age of patients was 45.7±12.0 years, the median duration of PsA was 90 [72; 99] months, and the observation period was 81 [61; 91] months. The study included patients in early stage of PsA (duration up to 2 years), who were treated according to the “treat-to-target” strategy (T2T) for 24 months. Subsequently, all patients continued therapy according to the standards of medical care under the supervision of the treating physician. Over time, a standard rheumatological examination was performed. Activity of PsA was assessed by DAPSA, psoriasis by BSA, HRQoL by Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease (PsAID-12); body mass index (BMI, kg/m2 ) and functional status by HAQ were also assessed. PsAID-12 ≤4 corresponded to achieving a Patient Acceptable State Status (PASS). The results were analyzed in two groups of patients: PsAID-12 ≤4 and PsAID-12 >4. The number of patients (%) who achieved minimal disease activity (MDA) after 1–2 years of active treatment and after 7 years was assessed. X-rays of the hands and feet (n=42) were performed using standard methods, changes were assessed using the Sharp/van der Heijde method modified for PsA (m-Sharp/van der Heijde).

Results and discussion. After 7 years, 38 (71.7%) of 53 patients were found to have PASS. Patients who achieved PASS had significantly lower PsA and psoriasis activity, lower CRP levels, lower m-Sharp/van der Heijde scores, better functional status and HRQoL, and lower BMI at baseline. Factors associated with achieving PASS were identified: absence of nail psoriasis, BSA ≤3%, CRP ≤5 mg/l, number of swollen joints ≤3, number of painful joints ≤5, HAQ ≤0.5 at baseline and after 24 months, and achievement of MDA during the first 12 months of treatment.

Conclusion. The majority of PsA patients treated at an early stage according to T2T principles had PASS, which is associated with low disease activity, fewer joint erosions, better functional status and achievement of MDA during the first 12 months of therapy. These factors should be considered when predicting disease progression.
Evaluation of the impact of a course of therapy with an injectable form of chondroitin sulfate on the duration of remission and quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis
Authors: Kovalenko P. S. , Dydykina I. S. , Alekseeva O. G. , Shakhramanova E. L. , Potapova A. S. , Glukhova S. I. , Zotkin E. G.
Published: December 2023

Ensuring a long-lasting effect of the therapy and its safety are important tasks in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Parenteral forms of chondroitin sulfate (CS) used for the background therapy of OA are characterized by proven efficacy and safety and, compared to oral forms, have greater bioavailability, faster onset of symptom-modifying effect and maintenance of more stable remission, which can significantly improve patients' quality of life.

Objective: to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of two-month therapy with injectable CS and the duration of positive dynamics after the end of treatment in patients with knee OA (KOA).

Material and methods. The open prospective observational study involved 35 patients (mainly women) aged 50–75 years with stage II–III KOA. All patients were prescribed intramuscular therapy with a CS solution (Mucosat® solution), with the first three injections of 1 ml, followed by 2 ml every second day (25 injections in total). Standard indices and questionnaires were used to assess the main clinical indicators at baseline and over time (14, 30, 60 days, 5 and 8 months after the start of treatment), as well as the results of ultrasound examination of the knee at baseline and at the end of treatment.

Results and discussion. 14 days after the start of therapy, a statistically significant decrease in pain was observed applying the visual analogue scale (VAS), and after 2 months, 94% of patients had a significant decrease in knee pain according to VAS, Lequesne index and WOMAC index (total score and components). The KOOS parameters and quality of life according to EQ-5D-3L improved significantly. There was no pain or only minor pain (VAS ≤40 mm) in 54% of patients. The number of patients who had to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) constantly fell threefold, while occasional use fell fivefold. The thickness of the synovial membrane of the knee joint and the number of patients with signs of synovitis decreased significantly. At 3 and 6 months after the end of therapy, most patients (60%) still had minor pain (≤40 mm according to VAS) and a significantly lower need for NSAIDs compared to baseline. The injectable CS was well tolerated and no adverse drug events were noted.

Conclusion. We demonstrated both safety and efficacy and long-term maintenance of the clinical effect (6 months after the end of therapy) of injectable CS in the majority of OA patients, against the background of a low need for NSAIDs.
Marxian Ecology and Sustainable Human Development
Authors: Foster John Bellamy , Maskey Mahesh
Published: December 2023

Mahesh Maskey, editor of Bampanth (Nepal), interviews John Bellamy Foster about the growing emphasis on Marxian ecology among socialists in the Global South and North and the history of solidarity between MR and Nepali leftists.
Corporate Media, Political Elites, and Perpetual War
Authors: Smith David Michael
Published: December 2023

David Michael Smith reviews journalist Norman Solomon's War Made Invisible, an eloquent moral call to end the bloody state of perpetual war that the United States has engaged in since the advent of the "war on terror."
heaven is a place on earth
Authors: - Arson
Published: December 2023

An new poem by arson.
NANOCRYTALLINE GLASS CERAMICS BASED ON PERLITE: SYNTHESIS AND RESEARCH
Authors: Petrosyan S. G. , Grigoryan L. N. , Petrosyan P. G.
Published: December 2023

From a cheap perlite as the basic raw material an opaque glass-crystalline material was synthesized containing nanosized crystals of wollastonite and gehlenite with an average size of 100 nm. The phase composition, microstructure and strength properties of the material were investigated. Changes in the composition and size of crystal grains caused by varying the amount of catalyst and the content of quartz in the initial mixtures make it possible to control the physico-mechanical properties of the obtained material. High strength and hardness allow using this material for protection against high-speed impact, including small arms bullets.
Regionale Arbeitsmarktbilanzen 1978 bis 1984
Authors: Bröcker Johannes
Published: December 2023

Nicht nur die Höhe der Arbeitslosigkeit, gemessen an Arbeitslosenquoten, sondern auch der Zuwachs an Arbeitslosen seit den 70er Jahren weist in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ein markantes Nord-Süd-Gefälle auf. Hiervon darf jedoch nicht unmittelbar auf die Beschäftigungsdynamik der Regionen geschlossen werden, weil die regionalen Unterschiede auch zu einem erheblichen Teil auf demographische Einflüsse zurückzuführen sind. In dem Beitrag wird über den Versuch berichtet, die Beschäftigungsstatistik, die Bevölkerungsstatistik, die Statistik der registrierten Arbeitslosen und andere statistische Quellen so zusammenzuführen, daß sich ein Bild über den Beitrag der Arbeitsangebots- und Arbeitsnachfragekomponente zur Entwicklung regionaler Arbeitslosigkeit gewinnen läßt. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, daß regionale Unterschiede in der Entwicklung beider Seiten in etwa gleichem Maße das Gesamtbild bestimmen. Von der Angebotsseite her wurden Regionen mit ungünstiger Beschäftigungsentwicklung – insbesondere die industriellen Zentren – tendenziell relativ wenig belastet, während andererseits Regionen mit recht günstiger Beschäftigungsentwicklung außerhalb der Verdichtungsräume erhebliche Erwerbspersonenzuwächse auf den regionalen Arbeitsmärkten zu verkraften hatten. Aus diesem Grunde schlagen sich auch die Beschäftigungszuwächse in einigen norddeutschen Regionen nicht in der Arbeitslosenstatistik nieder.
Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung auch für Regionalpläne?
Authors: Eberle Dieter
Published: December 2023

Die „Projekt-UVP“ der EG-Richtlinie und des zu erwartenden deutschen UVP-Gesetzes bleibt eine „amputierte UVP“, wenn ihr nicht eine „Plan-UVP“ und insbesondere eine UVP für Regionalpläne zur Seite gestellt wird. Die Raumordnung hat sich bisher zu sehr auf das Thema „Integration einer 1. Stufe der UVP in Raumordnungsverfahren“ konzentriert und sich zu wenig für die Durchführung von UVPs bei der Aufstellung bzw. Fortschreibung von Regionalplänen engagiert. Die bislang durchaus schon praktizierte „Berücksichtigung ökologischer Belange“ bei der Aufstellung von Regionalplänen ist nicht als UVP zu interpretieren, da das, was üblicherweise in der Praxis gemacht wird, nicht den qualitativ-inhaltlichen Anforderungen der EG-Richtlinie zur UVP genügt.Überraschenderweise hat sich bei der Verbandsanhörung zum Referentenentwurf des deutschen UVP-Gesetzes eine nicht zu unterschätzende Lobby für eine Plan-UVP herauskristallisiert, die jedoch nicht von der Raumordnung ausgeht. Vor dem Hintergrund einiger skeptischer Argumente der Planungspraxis zur Regionalplan-UVP, die sehr erst genommen werden, wird dann ein Vorschlag für einen Praxis-Test einer solchen Regionalplan-UVP in einigen Modell-Regionen gemacht. Die dabei zu gewinnenden Erfahrungen sollten dann, bei einer späteren Verankerung der Regionalplan-UVP im Rahmen einer – zweifellos zu erwartenden – Novellierung sowohl der EG-Richtlinie zur UVP als auch des deutschen UVP-Gesetzes, einfließen.
Wirtschaftsschwache Gebiete: Politik der offenen Hand oder Strategie der staatlich gestützten regionalen Eigenentwicklung?
Authors: Wolf Folkwin
Published: December 2023

Aktuelle Forschungsberichte signalisieren, daß die regionalen Entwicklungs- und Strukturdisparitäten auch in Zukunft – unter Umständen sogar verstärkt – fortbestehen werden, begünstigt u. a. durch weit- und binnenwirtschaftliche Strukturverschiebungen, technologische Entwicklungsprozesse und die Überlegenheit der dominierenden Wirtschaftszentren mit ihren institutionell und infrastrukturell überragenden Ausstattungen. Trotz überproportionaler finanzieller Förderung der wirtschaftsschwachen Regionen – vor allem im Bereich der regionalen Wirtschaftsförderung – ist es nicht gelungen, die regionalen Ungleichgewichte auf den Arbeitsmärkten entscheidend und nachhaltig zu verringern oder gar zu beseitigen. Ein Grund liegt mit darin, daß die staatlichen Fördermaßnahmen zu wenig die eigentlichen Ursachen regionaler Entwicklungs- und Strukturprobleme berücksichtigen und die regionalspezifischen Defizite und Engpässe nicht gezielt durch z. B. ressortkoordinierte Maßnahmen unter Beachtung der regionalen Prioritätserfordernisse angehen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird aufgezeigt, welche konkreten Möglichkeiten bestehen, auf Basis des vorhandenen (Planungs‑, Organisations- und Förderungs‑) Instrumentariums eine wirksamere und umfassendere regionale Entwicklungspolitik als bisher durchzusetzen, die nicht nur globalen staatlichen Zielvorstellungen, sondern auch den Prioritätsüberlegungen der betroffenen Regionen gerecht werden.Ausgangspunkt einer solchen Politik ist eine Strategie der staatlich gestützten regionalen Eigenentwicklung, d. h. eine Mobilisierung, Nutzung und Stärkung des in der Region ansässigen Potentials bei gleichzeitiger flankierender staatlicher finanzieller und institutioneller Förderung. Von entscheidender Bedeutung sind hierbei sowohl die institutionalisierte Zusammenarbeit der insbesondere arbeitsmarktpolitisch bedeutsamen regionalen Organisationen als auch die Koordinierung von Planungen und Maßnahmen auf horizontaler Ebene (Fachressorts) und in vertikaler Richtung (Kommunen/Regionen/Land). Das zur Durchsetzung dieser Strategie geeignete planerische, organisatorische/institutionelle und förderpolitische Instrumentarium ist bereits existent. Es kann jedoch erst dann seine Wirkung entfalten, wenn die politische Bereitschaft und die administrative Fähigkeit zu seiner Anwendung gegeben sind und der Wille zur Konsensbildung der Beteiligten – unter Zurückstellung ressort- und gruppenspezifischen Konkurrenzdenkens – besteht.
Externe Kontrolle in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Authors: Gräber Heinrich , Holst Mathias
Published: December 2023

Der Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit der räumlichen Dimension des Konzentrationsprozesses, indem Ahhängigkeits- und Beherrschungsbeziehungen zwischen Betrieben/Untemehmen auf die regionale Ebene projiziert und damit zu Ahhängigkeits- und Beherrschungsbeziehungen zwischen Regionen werden. Als Oberbegriff für diese Tatbestände verwenden wir den Begriff „Kontrolle“. Im räumlichen Kontext steht dabei die sogenannte externe Kontrolle – abhängige und beherrschende Einheiten haben ihren Standort in unterschiedlichen Regionen – im Vordergrund. Mit der Kontrollstruktur wird damit ein Strukturmerkmal in die Regionalforschung eingeführt, das zumindest im deutschsprachigen Raum noch neu ist.Zunächst werden die definitorischen Grundlagen gelegt und der Kontrollbegriff abgeklärt. Wir unterscheiden nach verschiedenen Abhängigkeits- und Beherrschungsarten und danach, ob eine Kontrollmöglichkeit besteht (potentielle Kontrolle) bzw. von dieser Möglichkeit auch Gebrauch gemacht wird (faktische Kontrolle). Anschließend stellen wir die empirischen Quellen zur Kontrolle, ihren Informationsgehalt und ihre Probleme vor. Zu nennen sind hier die amtliche Statistik – insbesondere die Kartei im Produzierenden Gewerbe –, Untemehmenshandbücher, die Fusionsdaten des Kartellamtes sowie die Informationen aus Primärerhebungen.Im letzten Abschnitt werden dann ausgewählte empirische Befunde zum Stand und zur Entwicklung räumlicher Kontrollverflechtungen im Verarbeitenden Gewerbe der Bundesrepublik Deutschland vorgestellt. Das räumliche Bezugsraster besteht aus den siedlungsstrukturellen Raumtypen bzw. den Arbeitsmarktregionen.Insgesamt kann gezeigt werden, daß die externe Kontrolle quantitativ bedeutend ist und ihre Einbeziehung in die regionale Strukturforschung von daher geboten erscheint. Vorliegende Wirkungsuntersuchungen zeigen deutlich, daß es vor allem sehr enge Zusammenhänge zwischen der Funktionalstruktur einer Region und der in diesem Beitrag behandelten Kontrollstruktur gibt, wobei die Kontrolle im theoretischen Wirkungsmodell die unabhängige (erklärende) Variable darstellt.
Histopathological study and molecular characterization of Infectious Bronchitis virus circulating in broilers in Basrah governorate, Iraq
Authors: Megdad N. H. , Seger W. M. , Mohammed Y. J.
Published: December 2023

The poultry industry plays an important role in the food economics and the food industry in both their layer and broiler chicken. Poultry diseases on the other way impact in the poultry industry especially diseases from virus sources since it does not have a specific treatment except for vaccines with routine prevention and control. This study was designed for the assessment of histopathological changes, molecular diagnosis and phylogenetic analyses of the Infectious Bronchitis virus circulating in broilers in Basrah province in the south of Iraq. The tissue samples were (trachea, lung and kidney). One hundred samples were studied with clinical signs and lesions related to IB. The histopathological changes caused by the virus were studied with hematoxylin and eosin stain, and the causative agent Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) was identified using a polymerase chain reaction combined with explaining the phylogenetic analysis. The results of molecular diagnosis and identification showed the twelve Iraqi field strains of IBV were closely related and shared a high identity of 98.44 %- 99.69 % of each other. Variant 2(IS/1494 like) was a predominant genotype of IBV in the present study, and has high similarity with the variant 2(IS/1494) like a strain of IBV circulating in Iran and in the Kurdistan region north of Iraq. The histopathological findings were desquamation of the cilia of the mucosa layer of the trachea, infiltration of inflammatory cells, hyperplasia of goblet cells with thickening of mucosal layer in some areas infiltration of inflammatory exudate within capillaries and Para bronchus, where the microscopic results in kidney were showed interstitial hemorrhage, necrosis of the renal tubular epithelium, infiltration of inflammatory cell. The present results provided useful information on target organs damaged by IBV and the genetic epidemiology of such virus strains circulating in Basrah governorate Iraq during this year that would be helpful to develop a local vaccine.
The biological role of clove oil in the diet of mature male rabbits on the physiological body functions, oxidative stress and physical semen properties
Authors: Habeeb A. A. M. , Atta M. A. A. , Elhanafy A. I. A. , Sharaf A. K.
Published: December 2023

In an eight-week experiment conducted throughout the months of January and February, 2023, the goal of this study was to determine how changing the diet of mature male rabbits to include clove oil affected their body's physiological processes and the quality of their sperm. In this study, 24 mature rabbit bucks that were 8 months old and weighed an average of 2.650 g in the first production year were used. In a final randomized plan, the bucks were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, each with twelve rabbits. Bucks served as the control group in the first group and were fed a commercial pelleted food without any supplements. Each buck in the second group received one milliliter of clove along with the daily diet requirement from commercial pellets. Every two weeks, values for weight gain, feed consumption, testosterone levels, blood constituents, libido, and semen quality were assessed. The findings demonstrated that including clove oil in the diet of bucks rabbits resulted in a significant (P<0.01) improvement in each of daily feed intake, daily weight gain, testosterone hormone, and γ-globulin and a significantly (P<0.01) reduced glucose, cholesterol fraction levels in comparison to the control group. Additionally, adding clove oil increased (P<0.01) the rabbit bucks' physical semen attributes values. It was determined that including clove oil in the diet of male rabbits improved physiological body processes, produced hypercholesterolemia, and raised the quality of the rabbits' sperm without having a negative impact on liver or kidney function.
The improvement of meat nutrient composition in broiler chickens fed diets containing rice bran tempeh supplemented with cellulose
Authors: Santoso U. , Brata B. , Kususiyah K. , Dani M.
Published: December 2023

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of cellulase supplementation in diets containing rice bran tempeh on body conformation, fat deposition, nutritional composition of broiler meat and blood biochemical concentrations in broiler chickens. This research was carried out for 3 weeks from 15 days to 35 days of age. Two hundred broilers aged 15 days were divided into 4 treatment groups with 5 replications (8 broilers for each replication) for each treatment, as follows: T1 = 0% cellulase; T2 = 0.05% cellulase; T3 = 0.1% cellulase, and T4 = 0.15% cellulase. Body conformation, chemical meat composition, fat deposition, blood pH, glucose and uric acid were measured. The addition of 0.05% or 0.15% cellulase significantly reduced leggedness (P<0.05), whereas 0,1% or 0,15% cellulase addtion significantly reduced the content of meat fat and ash plus carbohydrate. In addition, the inclusion of 0.05% cellulase increased the content of meat protein (P<0.01). The inclusion of cellulase from 0.05-0.15% did not decrease fat deposition, blood concentration of uric acid, cholesterol, glucose and pH. In conclusion, the addition of 0.1% or 0.15% cellulase improved meat nutrient composition without improving body conformation.
SNPs in splicing region and miRNA binding region of Bos taurus TREM-1 gene reveals its association with mastitis
Authors: Pandupuspitasari N. S. , Khan F. A. , Setiaji A. , Lestari D. A. , Shujun Z.
Published: December 2023

Proper splicing is important for the functioning of a gene, and any interruption in splicing causes several deleterious events. Triggering receptors present on myeloid cells, TREM-1, are implicated in inflammation and act as amplifiers by mediating the release of proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines in response to fungal and bacterial infections. In bovines, mastitis is an inflammatory disease in which mammary gland inflammation is generally caused by bacteria. We found rs109937179 and rs208224995 SNPs in the splicing and miRNA binding region of TREM-1 gene in Chinese Holstein cows. The genotype distribution of the alleles for TREM-1 (rs109937179 and rs208224995) gene polymorphisms was investigated in 364 and 320 Chinese Holstein cows, respectively. We found that the GG genotype of the rs109937179 polymorphism and rs208224995 genotype of CA within the TREM-1 gene were associated with an increased risk of mastitis. Importantly, rs109937179 was found in the splicing region of TREM-1, and rs208224995 has a miRNA binding region for bta-miR- 2329-3p in the 3'UTR, which determines its effective roles in gene expression regulation.