bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid Processing of Invisible Fearful Faces in the Human Amygdala
Authors: Wang Yingying , Luo Lu , Chen Guanpeng , Luan Guoming , Wang Xiongfei , Wang Qian , Fang Fang
Published: January 2023

Rapid detection of a threat or its symbol (e.g., fearful face), whether visible or invisible, is critical for human survival. This function is suggested to be enabled by a subcortical pathway to the amygdala independent of the cortex. However, conclusive electrophysiological evidence in humans is scarce. Here, we explored whether the amygdala can rapidly encode invisible fearful faces. We recorded intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) responses in the human (both sexes) amygdala to faces with fearful, happy, and neutral emotions rendered invisible by backward masking. We found that a short-latency intracranial event-related potential (iERP) in the amygdala, beginning 88 ms poststimulus onset, was preferentially evoked by invisible fearful faces relative to invisible happy or neutral faces. The rapid iERP exhibited selectivity to the low spatial frequency (LSF) component of the fearful faces. Time-frequency iEEG analyses further identified a rapid amygdala response preferentially for LSF fearful faces at the low gamma frequency band, beginning 45 ms poststimulus onset. In contrast, these rapid responses to invisible fearful faces were absent in cortical regions, including early visual areas, the fusiform gyrus, and the parahippocampal gyrus. These findings provide direct evidence for the existence of a subcortical pathway specific for rapid fear detection in the amygdala and demonstrate that the subcortical pathway can function without conscious awareness and under minimal influence from cortical areas.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAutomatic detection of biologically relevant stimuli, such as threats or dangers, has remarkable survival value. Here, we provide direct intracranial electrophysiological evidence that the human amygdala preferentially responds to fearful faces at a rapid speed, despite the faces being invisible. This rapid, fear-selective response is restricted to faces containing low spatial frequency information transmitted by magnocellular neurons and does not appear in cortical regions. These results support the existence of a rapid subcortical pathway independent of cortical pathways to the human amygdala.
Scoring the Original Soundtrack of an Escape Room
Authors: Délécraz Cyril
Published: January 2023

Through the example of Nobody – Vis et ressens (Nice, France, 2021), this article sheds light on the musical creation process involved in the conception of an automatized escape room, where participants experience a multimodal experience (sound, light, scenery, video) driven by an original scenario. As the composer, sound designer, and computer music designer, I propose to study Nobody as a playful game. I show how current ludomusicology insights can be used and adapted to a game that is played in a physical space. After first exposing considerations of both technical and aesthetic aspects, I explain the artistic choices made for creating the soundtrack of six interactive puzzles. Through practice-led research of these different mini music games, I analyze how the influence of electronic dance music (EDM) and related club culture are melded together into the development of the plot and its retro-futuristic theme. I show how constraints forced me to adapt the audio content yet also opened a wide range of musical possibilities. The analysis helps clarify how what I call “game music” differs from “background music”. Moreover, the discussion highlights compositional issues that are similar to video game music-making and shows that escape rooms need to be studied further within the field of ludomusicology. Although some of the analytical tools remain valid because of their technical aspect (transition types, typology of music games, transition speed quantization) or their theoretical aspects (ALI model, branching-layering concept, triple lock of synchronization), traditional concepts such as “immersion” or “game feel” need to be questioned for escape room games, as that type of game takes place in a physical space.
C. elegans molting requires rhythmic accumulation of the Grainyhead/LSF transcription factor GRH‐1
Authors: Meeuse Milou W M , Hauser Yannick P , Nahar Smita , Smith A Alexander T , Braun Kathrin , Azzi Chiara , Rempfler Markus , Großhans Helge
Published: January 2023

C. elegans develops through four larval stages that are rhythmically terminated by molts, that is, the synthesis and shedding of a cuticular exoskeleton. Each larval cycle involves rhythmic accumulation of thousands of transcripts, which we show here relies on rhythmic transcription. To uncover the responsible gene regulatory networks (GRNs), we screened for transcription factors that promote progression through the larval stages and identified GRH‐1, BLMP‐1, NHR‐23, NHR‐25, MYRF‐1, and BED‐3. We further characterize GRH‐1, a Grainyhead/LSF transcription factor, whose orthologues in other animals are key epithelial cell‐fate regulators. We find that GRH‐1 depletion extends molt durations, impairs cuticle integrity and shedding, and causes larval death. GRH‐1 is required for, and accumulates prior to, each molt, and preferentially binds to the promoters of genes expressed during this time window. Binding to the promoters of additional genes identified in our screen furthermore suggests that we have identified components of a core molting‐clock GRN. Since the mammalian orthologues of GRH‐1, BLMP‐1 and NHR‐23, have been implicated in rhythmic homeostatic skin regeneration in mouse, the mechanisms underlying rhythmic C. elegans molting may apply beyond nematodes.
Immunology of chronic low-grade inflammation: relationship with metabolic function
Authors: van de Vyver Mari
Published: January 2023

Inflammation is part of the body’s innate immune response and is an essential process that not only defends against harmful bacteria and pathogens but also plays a key role in the maintenance and repair of tissues. Under pathological conditions, there is bilateral crosstalk between immune regulation and aberrant metabolism resulting in persistent inflammation in the absence of infection. This phenomenon is referred to as sterile metabolic inflammation (metainflammation) and occurs if the initiating stimulus is not removed or if the resolution process is disrupted. Disruption of this tightly regulated immune response and its failure to resolve as is evident in metabolic disorders is not only associated with disease progression but also leads to immune senescence and should not be neglected in the clinical management of patients. This review gives an overview of the mechanisms underlying chronic metabolic inflammation, the aberrant metabolic activation of innate immune cells (neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cells), and its role in disease progression using obesity–diabetes as a prime example. Addressing the underlying subclinical metabolic inflammation in addition to achieving glucose control may contribute significantly towards therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing the onset of co-morbidities in diabetic patients.
Evolution of pyrolysis characteristics and gas components of biochar prepared by either mixing or layering rice husk with inert aluminum oxide
Authors: Liu Wenfeng , Liu Bichen , Zhang Yaohua , Yi Baojun , Hu Hongyun , Fan Qizhou , Li Chenqiao , Liu Hui
Published: January 2023

A comparison of pyrolysis characteristics and gas product evolution of biochar with different packing arrangements was investigated. Pyrolysis properties and released gas products of rice husk char were obtained by particles in two different modes of packing. The results of the combustion characteristics of rice husk/char showed that the maximum pyrolysis rate of the rice husk decreased and the pyrolysis curve shifted to higher temperatures when the biomass was covered by Al2O3. The volatilization analysis of char from the covered biomass had a larger characteristic index and a lower activation energy. The 2D Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results showed that layering hindered gaseous products from being released during rice husk pyrolysis, and there was no obvious release peak of C=O-containing organic matter. The 3D FTIR results showed that gaseous product absorption peak of solid product char pyrolysis gradually decreased while the rice husk conversion rate increased. The amount of H2O, CO2, CO, CH4, and C=O-containing organic components released during combustion of pyrolyzed char when blended with Al2O3 decreased gradually. However, the pyrolysis gaseous product release was increased by the layering procedure.
Health damage and repair mechanism related to formaldehyde released from wood-based panels
Authors: Gao Fan , Yue Xiaohen , Yang Hongqi , Yang Yafeng , Lam Su Shiung , Peng Wanxi , Chen Xiangmeng
Published: January 2023

Wood-based panels, which contain wood raw materials along with urea-formaldehyde (UF) or phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins, can increase the indoor air concentration of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can stimulate the upper respiratory mucosa and cross-linking reaction with cell proteins and DNA, and this can result in degeneration and necrosis of respiratory cells and damaged cell proliferation. Formaldehyde can induce health hazards such as nasal cancer, leukemia, and destruction of the reproductive system. Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 5 (ADH5) in the body cooperates with Fanconi anaemia complementation group D2 (FANCD2) to quickly metabolize formaldehyde into formate and maintain the balance of endogenous formaldehyde. However, when both ADH5 and FANCD2 proteins have defects or mutations, damaged DNA repair failure and cell proliferation induce a variety of health diseases. The damage has been found in the upper respiratory area, not on distal body tissues such as liver, kidney, and bone marrow. Meanwhile epidemiological survey has not shown a positive correlation between formaldehyde and health hazards. It is recommended that the use of wood formaldehyde-based products should be reduced, and pathogenesis genes and damage repair mechanism should be studied systematically and deeply to develop gene drugs to remove excess formaldehyde and activate the damage gene repair mechanism in the future.
An Improved Rank Order Centroid Method (IROC) for Criteria Weight Estimation: An Application in the Engine/Vehicle Selection Problem
Authors: Hatefi Mohammad Ali
Published: January 2023

The focus of this paper is on the criteria weight approximation in Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). An approximate weighting method produces the weights that are surrogates for the exact values that cannot be elicited directly from the DM. In this field, a very famous model is Rank Order Centroid (ROC). The paper shows that there is a drawback to the ROC method that could be resolved. The paper gives an idea to develop a revised version of the ROC method called Improved ROC (IROC). The behaviour of the IROC method is investigated using a set of simulation experiments. The IROC method could be employed in situations of time pressure, imprecise information, etc. The paper also proposes a methodology including the application of the IROC method in a group decision making mode, to estimate the weights of the criteria in a tree-shaped structure. The proposed methodology is useful for academics/managers/decision makers who want to deal with MCDM problem. A study case is examined to show applicability of the proposed methodology in a real-world situation. This case is engine/vehicle selection problem, that is one of the fundamental challenges of road transport sector of any country.
Time-Varying and Quantile-Based Relationship among Geopolitical Risks, Oil and Gold Prices
Authors: Kara Erkan , Gök Remzi
Published: January 2023

This paper probes the relationship between geopolitical risks (GPR), WTI oil, and gold prices utilizing the time-varying causality and quantile regression approaches. The sample period spans from January 1986 to January 2022, comprising 433 monthly observations and representing the longest common period of data availability. The results show that there is no causality between the pairs of GPR–WTI, and GPR–gold prices for the full sample period, while the causality between gold and WTI is unidirectional, running from gold to WTI. Using the rolling causality test, however, the findings show that the dynamic causal relations strengthen over time. The Granger causality from the gold prices to GPR and WTI is stronger than the other way around, suggesting that the gold market dominates the other two variables in terms of strength of the lead-lag structure of causality. Besides, the findings reveal the strongest causation effects between GPR and WTI spot prices. Before 2009, the causal relationship between WTI and GPR is mostly unidirectional while also a bidirectional linkage emerges, coinciding with the crisis periods including the Dot-Com and 2007 US Subprime crises. During the causal periods, these variables respond negatively to changes in others. For the COVID19 period, the direction of causality considerably changes in favor of WTI for the GPR–WTI pair whereas it is unchanged for the WTI–gold pair. The results indicate that WTI has positive and negative predictive powers for GPR and gold while it receives negative and positive causation effects from GPR and gold during the pandemic, respectively. The results, in overall, may offer important insights for investors and regulatory authorities in building portfolio and risk management strategies as well as pricing and trading activities and constructing monetary policies over various market conditions.
The Challenges of Originalism as a Theory of Constitutional Interpretation Today
Authors: Borusevičiūtė Miranda
Published: January 2023

This paper analyzes originalism, which is considered to be the opposing constitutional theory to “living” constitutionalism, and presents and evaluates the main arguments of originalism and its approach on how the constitution should be interpreted, including the shortcomings of this constitutional theory. In the author’s opinion, it is important to start developing constitutional theories that would be considered more suitable in the context of the European tradition of statutory law. The paper does not search for possibilities of using originalism to interpret the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, which is considered to be a fundamental error.
Sociodemographic and labor characteristics of health personnel who responded to the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ballesteros Gomez Emilio Esteban , Arciniegas Valentina Pinilla , Campos Guzman Nelson Rolando , Portela Escandon Nancy Yaneth
Published: January 2023

Introduction: This article describes the sociodemographic, occupational, and occupational risk factors of health personnel from four hospital institutions who provided frontline emergency care in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this work was to characterize the health personnel of four institutions that provided frontline care for the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in which sociodemographic and labor variables of 362 frontline health workers who faced the COVID-19 pandemic were explored. Data collection was carried out through digital self-completion. Results: Health technicians and nursing professionals represent 61% of the population studied, in relation to sex it was found that of 100% of those infected by COVID-19, 66% correspond to women; A statistical association was found between the work performance unit and the daily hours worked. Conclusions: The health workers who participated in the study, according to the work carried out, the highest prevalence within the sample belongs to technicians and nursing professionals; being the female sex the one that predominates in these institutions and the same group with the highest frequency of contagion by COVID-19. Likewise, it was shown that in the Emergency services and in the Intensive Care Unit the shifts are extensive since they work ≥ 12 hours for 4 days a week, these being the most contagious services.
Different spatial and temporal arrangements for validating the latent heat flux obtained using the MOD16 product in a forest in the Western Amazon
Authors: de Andrade Nara Luisa Reis , Sanches Luciana , Zeilhofer Peter , de Souza Ribeiro João Gilberto , Barbino Gutieres Camatta , DeMusis Carlo Ralph
Published: January 2023

The Amazon rainforest is an important source of evapotranspiration and is essential in the global atmospheric circulation and hydrological cycle. However, measurements on vegetated surfaces are difficult, and methods such as remote sensing are promising in the micrometeorological data area. We aimed to assess the applicability of the MOD16 product to estimate evapotranspiration in a vegetated area. MOD16 data (LEMOD) derive from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensor. For comparison, we used data from the eddy covariance system (LEEC) of the tower of the Large-scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Program in the Amazon of the Jaru Biological Reserve. To measure the linearity among variables, the Pearson correlation test (α=0.05) was used, and the T test was applied to assess the statistical significance between LEMOD and LEEC means (α=0.05); the root mean square error was also calculated. Regarding LEMOD, a similarity was found between the annual means of model and data, in which the best LEMOD estimates were obtained for annual averaging, when mean values were 96.51 W m–2 (0.7% lower than LEEC). LEMOD overestimates ranged from 1.05 W m–2 (1%) in 2007 to 15.78 W m–2 (18%) in 2005. Variations in short periods were not represented by the LEMOD product.
Food Allergy Management for Adolescents Using Behavioral Incentives: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Dupuis Roxanne , Feuerstein-Simon Rachel , Brown-Whitehorn Terri F. , Spergel Jonathan M. , Volpp Kevin G. , Marti Xochitl Luna , Troxel Andrea B. , Meisel Zachary F. , Mollen Cynthia J. , Kenney Erica L. , Block Jason , Gortmaker Steven L. , Cannuscio Carolyn C.
Published: January 2023

OBJECTIVE

We sought to evaluate the use of behavioral economics approaches to promote the carrying of epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) among adolescents with food allergies. We hypothesized that adolescents who receive frequent text message nudges (Intervention 1) or frequent text message nudges plus modest financial incentives (Intervention 2) would be more likely to carry their epinephrine than members of the usual care control group.

METHODS

We recruited 131 adolescents ages 15 to 19 with a food allergy and a current prescription for epinephrine to participate in a cohort multiple randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to participate in Intervention 1, Intervention 2, or to receive usual care. The primary outcome was consistency of epinephrine-carrying, measured as the proportion of checkpoints at which a participant could successfully demonstrate they were carrying their EAI, with photo-documentation of the device.

RESULTS

During Intervention 1, participants who received the intervention carried their EAI 28% of the time versus 38% for control group participants (P = .06). During Intervention 2, participations who received the intervention carried their EAI 45% of the time versus 23% for control group participants (P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

Text message nudges alone were unsuccessful at promoting EAI-carrying but text message nudges combined with modest financial incentives almost doubled EAI-carriage rates among those who received the intervention compared with the control group. However, even with the intervention, adolescents with food allergies carried their EAI <50% of the time. Alternative strategies for making EAIs accessible to adolescents at all times should be implemented.
A modified Φ-Sobolev inequality for canonical Lévy processes and its applications
Authors: Sakuma Noriyoshi , Suzuki Ryoichi
Published: January 2023

A new modified Φ-Sobolev inequality for canonical ${L^{2}}$-Lévy processes, which are hybrid cases of the Brownian motion and pure jump-Lévy processes, is developed. Existing results included only a part of the Brownian motion process and pure jump processes. A generalized version of the Φ-Sobolev inequality for the Poisson and Wiener spaces is derived. Furthermore, the theorem can be applied to obtain concentration inequalities for canonical Lévy processes. In contrast to the measure concentration inequalities for the Brownian motion alone or pure jump Lévy processes alone, the measure concentration inequalities for canonical Lévy processes involve Lambert’s W-function. Examples of inequalities are also presented, such as the supremum of Lévy processes in the case of mixed Brownian motion and Poisson processes.
Humour and teasing in gay Taiwanese men’s mediatised interaction on an LGBTQ-oriented YouTube entertainment variety show
Authors: Chen Li-Chi
Published: January 2023

This study illustrates and discusses how young gay Taiwanese men interact with straight and nonstraight people through humour and teasing on an LGBTQ-oriented YouTube entertainment variety show in Taiwan. The analytical framework of the study is informed by multimodal discourse analysis and interactional sociolinguistics. Four strategies used to create humour are identified: performing wúlítóu ‘nonsense’, using quadrisyllabic (non)formulaic expressions, using gender subversion and using indirect insults (towards close female friends). The analysis suggests that all four strategies rely on indexical disjuncture and are used by young gay Taiwanese men not only to create humour, but also as a means of voicing themselves through online media in an environment where they still face many obstacles. The study argues that, as a discursive strategy, indexical disjuncture is at the very heart of Taiwanese camp.
Feminine accent, masculine rapper
Authors: Wang Tianxiao
Published: January 2023

The localisation of hip hop authenticity in non-African American communities across the globe is an enduringly controversial topic. This study provides evidence of hip hop authenticity construction in the Chinese context through an analysis of seemingly contradictory social meanings of fronted palatals in the Beijing dialect. While these sounds are considered to convey ‘soft’ femininity (i.e. so-called ‘feminine accent’), Beijing-based male rap artists utilise their acoustic character to evoke the iconic record scratch sound of rap music, and rely on the sounds’ sensory qualities – such as sharpness and harshness – to construct masculine and aggressive hip hop personas. By forging iconic links across multiple modalities, these rappers make the stylistic use of a variable traditionally associated with femininity a key element of their performance register, and reinforce the link between rap music and the performance of masculinity within the Chinese hip hop community.
Representing Group Rituals
Authors: Putra Idhamsyah Eka
Published: January 2023

In Harvey Whitehouse’s book (2021), he argues that humans are ritual animals, and that rituals can be the glue shaping group bonds. Whitehouse argues further that rituals are embedded in our routines and have become habitual. In this article, I add the idea of embodiment and social representations as a supplement to Whitehouse’s studies of rituals, group identities, and their interactions in society. In my view, these ideas may answer the following questions: 1) why people still practice group rituals, even though they are not attached to the group; 2) why people are ready to die defending their group even though they are not active in the community and rarely practice group rituals; and 3) why people are so fanatical about their religion that they are ready to die defending it, and how to alleviate such fanaticism.
Ritual Animals also Require Pedagogy, Communication, and Social Reasoning
Authors: Umbreș Radu
Published: January 2023

Harvey Whitehouse offers a complex and stimulating theory of rituals that bind people together and propagate via affiliative imitation. The Ritual Animal argues that fundamental problems of group cooperation can be solved by causally opaque and goal-demoted behaviors which produce arbitrary cultural conventions, honest signals of membership, and collective fused identities. This amply evidenced and compelling account explains a broad variety of prominent examples, yet other key causal mechanisms emerge from the ethnographic literature and analytical reflection on affiliation and groups. Taking a glance at some widespread and unusual rituals, this paper highlights the importance of cultural transmission via pedagogy with or without copying, costly signaling and coordination without coalitional groups, and meta-representations of impenetrable ritual efficacy. Future research can explain how bonding rituals become central features of social interaction without relying upon a quite debatable adaptive function of ritual behavior for cooperation – or anything else.
Self-Concept and English Oral Proficiency of Senior High School Students
Authors:   Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, Dadulla Jovenel B. , Potane Joel D. ,   Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
Published: January 2023

The study intended to determine if self-concept predicts senior high school students’ English oral proficiency level. The correlational research design was used to describe the relationship of the variables. Forty (40) students were randomly chosen as a sample from the population. A self-concept questionnaire and an oral proficiency interview were administered. The data were analysed using frequency count, computation of mean, Pearson product-moment correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and simple linear regression analysis. The findings revealed that the respondents have an above-average self-concept in the social and family dimensions. Further study showed that only the physical, psychological, academic, and family dimensions predict oral proficiency in the English language. On the contrary, it was statistically determined that the social dimension does not predict oral proficiency. With the study’s findings, it can be concluded that speech development programmes must be holistic to cater not only the communicative abilities of the students but also their affective domains. It could help improve the quality of English language education in the country in terms of oral proficiency development.
Favoring Eagerness for Remaining Items: Designing Efficient, Fair, and Strategyproof Mechanisms
Authors: Guo Xiaoxi , Sikdar Sujoy , Xia Lirong , Cao Yongzhi , Wang Hanpin
Published: January 2023

In the assignment problem, the goal is to assign indivisible items to agents who have ordinal preferences, efficiently and fairly, in a strategyproof manner. In practice, first-choice maximality, i.e., assigning a maximal number of agents their top items, is often identified as an important efficiency criterion and measure of agents' satisfaction. In this paper, we propose a natural and intuitive efficiency property, favoring-eagerness-for-remaining-items (FERI), which requires that each item is allocated to an agent who ranks it highest among remaining items, thereby implying first-choice maximality. Using FERI as a heuristic, we design mechanisms that satisfy ex-post or ex-ante variants of FERI together with combinations of other desirable properties of efficiency (Pareto-efficiency), fairness (strong equal treatment of equals and sd-weak-envy-freeness), and strategyproofness (sd-weak-strategyproofness). We also explore the limits of FERI mechanisms in providing stronger efficiency, fairness, or strategyproofness guarantees through impossibility results.
NONLINEAR WAVE DYNAMICS OF LIQUID-SATURATED POROUS MEDIA
Authors: Erofeev Vladimir , Leonteva Anna
Published: January 2023

The propagation of plane longitudinal waves in a liquid-saturated porous media with cavities is considered in a linear elastic approximation. We show that, as distinct from the classical porous medium (Biot's medium) where two longitudinal nondispersive waves (a fast wave and a slow wave) can propagate, in a cavity-porous medium three dispersive longitudinal waves propagate, one of which is solely induced by available cavities in the material. The study of wave behavior is carried out by obtaining and analyzing the dispersion equation, a phase velocity and a group velocity. The frequency spectrum density is considered, which enables us to determine the degree of dispersion. At specific values of the system parameters with some regions of strong and weak dispersion, regions of normal and anomalous dispersion are identified. The propagation of nonlinear periodic (cnoidal) plane longitudinal waves and solitons in the liquid-saturated porous medium with cavities is studied on the assumption that the wave energy dissipation in the medium may be neglected. The effect of the nonlinear periodic wave velocity on the wave amplitude and wavenumber is shown. The influence of the system parametersminus;in particular, the size of spherical cavities on the main parameters (the amplitude and width) of localized waves-is identified. The obtained results are compared to classic soliton behavior.
The Effect of Short Term Alkalinity on Photosynthesis Apparatus in Soil Cyanobacterium Fischerella sp. FS 18 - Ecophysiological Approach
Authors: Yadollahi Fatemeh , Shokravi Shadman , Mahmoudjanlo Mehrali , Ebadi Mahdi
Published: January 2023

The possibility of change in the phycobilisome status, photosynthetic pigments, ratios and light parameters of soil cyanobacteria Fischerella sp. FS 18 has been investigated by two pre-treatment factors, with neutral and extreme alkaline pH (7 and 9) over a short period. After purification, cyanobacteria were subjected to extreme alkaline treatment for under one hour at 20 min intervals (20, 40 and 60 min). A sample was selected as a control without pre-treatment. Colorimetric assays (phycocyanin, alophycocyanin, phycoerythrin, chlorophyll) and a comparison of the combined effect of time and alkalinity on photosystemic ratios were performed through photophysiology. The photosynthesis - light curves were compared with direct measurements. The results showed that the combination of time and alkalinity after 20 min of inoculation significantly increased the performance of the photosystem and stability of the phycobilin system. The 40 min time interval, under both neutral and alkaline conditions, significantly increased the yield of photosystem II, increased the production of the first photosystem compared to the second system, increased the linear fraction of the photosynthesis-light curve, and reduced the energy needed to achieve maximum photosynthesis. Maximal photosynthesis was entirely different at 40 min pretreatment conditions versus without pretreatment. Concerning the 20 and 60 min time intervals, the results show no specific regularity or trend. Production of light collecting antennas is influenced by both time and alkalinity. Two important conclusions from this study include: applying pre-treatment times, even at 60 min or less, cause a significant change in the structure and performance of the photosynthetic apparatus; as well as,-using simple alkaline pretreatments in a very short time period, saving energy whilst, photosynthesis and cyanobacterial materialization can be significantly increased.
Morbidity of Children in the RSFSR in the 1970s–1980s
Authors: Aralovets N.
Published: January 2023

The paper examines the features and patterns of morbidity of children in the RSFSR in the 1970s-1980s. Using mainly archival sources, as well as statistical, demographic and historical methods, the study showed that the indicators of the health status of children were generally good in the 1970s and 1980s in the RSFSR. However, in the structure of morbidity of children, along with traditional diseases of the respiratory and digestive organs, infectious and parasitic diseases, new diseases of the circulatory system, cancer (including malignant) neoplasms, as well as accidents, poisoning and injuries, were noted. The appearance of new diseases in the RSFSR, previously unusual for children, confirmed the development of epidemiological transition. Since this phenomenon has not been sufficiently investigated in Russian and foreign historiography, the paper presents new scientific data.
Universal Education (Vseobuch) as a System for the Preservation of Children Contingents in 1941–1945: On the Materials of Molotov and Sverdlovsk Oblasts
Authors: Lapteva Yu.
Published: January 2023

In the conditions of the Great Patriotic War, secondary schools in the Urals faced problems with the children’s education due to the lack of resources. Thus, the implementation of the law on universal education (Vseobuch) was considered as one of the most important tasks. The paper aims to examine the transformation of universal education during the war years from a programme of providing mass education to a system of preserving children contingents. Based on a systematic approach, the main activities within the framework of universal education contributing to the preservation of health and lives of children are investigated. The analysis of archival materials demonstrated the importance of universal education for the preservation of student contingents.
Demographic Aspects of Epidemics in the USSR in Modern Historiography
Authors: Baranov E.
Published: January 2023

The paper attempts to identify the main approaches to the study of epidemics in the USSR, which have been developed in modern historical and demographic research, as well as to determine the results of a study of the demographic aspects of epidemics during the period of forced modernisation and the active stage of social transformation in Russia in the 1930s. The study allows a deeper understanding of historical trends in the evolution of public health, the development of morbidity and epidemics. Formulation of the issue of analysing approaches to the historical and demographic studies on the topic of epidemics in the USSR determines the paper novelty. The main historiographical sources were historical and demographic studies pub lished at the present stage of development of Russian historiography. It is shown that the topic of epidemics in the USSR was developed in the framework of studies on demographic catastrophes and crises and in the course of the implementation of attempts at historical generalisations and identification of demographic patterns. Epidemics were characterised as a demographic factor. Works on the «epidemiological transition» are deemed to be of historiographical significance. The article concluded that the examined studies characterised the role of epidemics in the occurrence of demographic upheavals, revealed the leading role of infectious diseases in the causes of death in the 1930s, and established the negative impact of epidemics on modernisation processes in the demographic sphere
Demographic Processes in the Transition Zone from Industrial to Agricultural Provinces in the Central Russia at the Beginning of the 20th Century (On the Example of Oryol and Kaluga Provinces)
Authors: Zhirov N.
Published: January 2023

The article analyses the main demographic processes, namely, fertility, mortality, natural population growth and marriage on the example of Oryol and Kaluga provinces of the Central Russia. It is hypothesised that the provinces were in the transition zone from an industrial zone to a typically agricultural one; as a result, they could combine different variants of demographic behaviour of the population. The paper aims to study the peculiarities of demographic processes at the micro- (individual Orthodox parishes and settlements) and meso-levels (counties and provinces as a whole). Methods of mathematical statistics, as well as traditional methods of humanitarian research were used. Primary parish statistics (metric books), as well as surveys of provinces and other demographic studies were taken as the main source. It was concluded that the population of the studied provinces at the beginning of the 20th century has entered the zone of demographic transition from the traditional model of population re-production to the modern one. This process was considered in detail at the «grassroots level» based on the microdemographic analysis of individual Orthodox parishes.
Achieving the Goals of European and Eurasian Integration: Impact on the Welfare of the Population
Authors: Ishukov A.
Published: January 2023

The article examines integration processes, the purpose of which is to strengthen international economic relations. It is hypothesised that the development of integration processes contributes to the growth of the welfare of the population. This hypothesis is tested on the socio-economic indicators identified for the three common goals of the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. It was revealed that, in recent years, these integration associations partially reached a new level of integration, did not achieve comprehensive cooperation, and improved the welfare of the population.
Socio-Psychological Factors Influencing Procreative Behaviour: Results of an All-Russian Sociological Survey
Authors: Kulkova I
Published: January 2023

The article analyses the results of a sociological survey concerning the influence of certain socio-psychological factors on the decision-making process of Russian women to give birth to a/another child. The survey was conducted by the author in all federal districts of the Russian Federation in 2021. It was determined that socio-psychological factors of close-knit family, love between spouses and psychological readiness to have a child have a strong influence on procreative behaviour; the grandparents’ willingness to provide assistance looking after the child/children has a medium impact. It was also revealed that the ideal number of children in the family according to the respondents cannot ensure the simple population reproduction in the country.
Demographic and Migration Problems in Tajikistan
Authors: Ulmasov R. , Nosirzoda A.
Published: January 2023

The article reveals demographic and migration problems after the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience of other countries in this area is studied. Nowadays, many countries are discussing the growing number of people of retirement age, the rapid ageing of the population. However, in order to correctly assess the problem of ageing, it is necessary to take into account the number of children and people of working age. The increasing burden on pension funds will be combined with the growing demand of the population for expensive medical care.
Patterns of Ongoing Migration Processes and the Problem of Personnel Loss in the Republic of Tajikistan
Authors: Babaev A. , Subkhonov A.
Published: January 2023

The paper examines the regularities of ongoing migration processes in the Republic of Tajikistan at the present stage. The study aims to determine and analyse various motives for the migration movement of the population and numerous patterns. Based on the experience of Tajikistan, the article draws a parallel between legal and natural laws, while studying the sensitive issue of mass migration of personnel from Tajikistan to other countries of the world and the damage done to the state, which also have their own laws. It is hypothesised that the continuing emigration of specialists from the republic can provoke a socio-economic decline and a sharp deterioration in the well-being of families with unpredictable consequences. The work uses various methods of collecting and analysing information, sociological and correlation approaches. For the first time in the national demographic science, the legal and natural patterns of the ongoing migration processes in the Republic of Tajikistan have been studied and practically substantiated. The conclusions and scientific results of the research can be used in the practical activities of the relevant government authorities and the scientific community that studies the field of migration.
Будни технологической минералогии
Authors: Ожогина Елена , Якушина Ольга
Published: January 2023

Прикладная минералогия уже давно в геологических науках заняла лидирующее положение. Еще В. И. Вернадский отмечал, что «…значение минералогической основы учения о рудных ископаемых чрезвычайно усилилось. Учение о полезных ископаемых является сейчас в своей основе, прикладной минералогией…». Он подчеркивал, необходимость создания базы для изучения полезных ископаемых, которые «неизбежно должны вестись на минералогической основе, а не на геологической»
Минералого-технологические особенности графитовых руд Фенноскандинавского щита
Authors: Щипцов Владимир , Бубнова Татьяна , Никифоров Александр , Фролов Frolov
Published: January 2023

Графит характеризуется как важный минерал для использования в современных высоких технологиях. Показана история исследований графитовых руд на Фенноскандинавсом щите. Месторождения и проявления чешуйчатого графита Фенноскандинавского щита переживают второе рождение за счет важной потенциальной базы, внимание к которой стало актуальным на примере динамики развития и оценки в Норвегии, Финляндии и Швеции. Территория Карелии (Приладожье) представляет собой потенциальную область проведения исследований с использованием современных аналитических методов по оценке графитовой формации на суперчистоту.
Формы апатита в рудах Хибинского массива и их влияние на обогащение
Authors: Нерадовский Юрий , Компанченко Алёна , Чернявский Алексей
Published: January 2023

В статье рассмотрены основные формы зерен апатита в апатит-нефелиновых рудах, структуры которые он образует и особенности раскрытия минерала при измельчении руды. Показано, что апатит как главный рудный минерал, слагает основу руды и кристаллизуется как магматический минерал в панидиоморфнозернистой структуре. Эта структура является главной в рудах и характеризует их как легко разрушающиеся, вследствие слабых физических свойств апатита. Вместе с тем, в составе руды присутствуют более сложные ассоциации, представленные пойкилитовыми кристаллами более прочных, нежели апатит, минералов – нефелином, пироксеном и титанитом. Пойкилитовые кристаллы содержат включения мелких зерен апатита. Присутствие «пойкилитового» апатита усложняет процесс измельчения и раскрытия апатита.
Перовскит и титанит − возможные нетрадиционные источники титана (на примере месторождения Африканда)
Authors: Соколов Станислав
Published: January 2023

Стратегический элемент титан находит широкое применение в разных сферах промышленности Российской Федерации. Однако месторождения традиционных типов титановых руд с учтёнными запасами (коренные ильменит-титаномагнетитовые ±апатит, титаномагнетитовые, лейкоксен-кварцевые и россыпные с цирконом, рутилом, ильменитом) пока не достигли стадии промышленного освоения. Поэтому ставится задача использования нетрадиционных минеральных типов руд (например, перовскитовых и титанитовых). Месторождение Африканда является одним из крупнейших по ресурсам титана на Кольском полуострове. В статье излагаются результаты изучения отобранной на этом месторождении технологической титаномагнетит-перовскитовой пробы, полученного в процессе флотационного обогащения титанитсодержащего перовскитового концентрата и его переработки до конечных продуктов способом автоклавного азотнокислотного вскрытия. Полученные результаты показали практически полное разложение перовскита и титанита при селективном отделении Ti от Ca, Fe, Nb, Ta и REE.
Defining the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Comments on Moll (S Afr J Sci. 2023;119(1/2), Art. #12916)
Authors: Ntlatlapa Ntsibane
Published: January 2023

Moll (S Afr J Sci. 2023;119(1/2), Art. #12916) argues that we are not currently living in the Fourth Industrial Age (4IR). In this response to Moll, I contest that Moll’s argument does not correctly reflect the understanding or definition of the 4IR as presented in the pivotal texts of the leading global and South African 4IR advocates. I believe that, had Moll focused on the definition of the 4IR presented initially by Schwab, that is, around the fusion of technologies across the digital, physical and biological worlds, he could have come to a different conclusion about the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The prevalence and predictors of household food insecurity among adolescents in Canada
Authors: Liu Ruojun , Urquia Marcelo L. , Tarasuk Valerie
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Household food insecurity is almost four times more prevalent among adolescents than among older adults in Canada, and it adversely affects their health. Our objective was to describe the sociodemographic and geographic patterning of household food insecurity among adolescents.

Methods

Our analytic sample comprised all 12–17-year-old respondents to the 2017–2018 Canadian Community Health Survey with complete data on household food insecurity (n = 8416). We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models to identify respondent- and household-level sociodemographic characteristics associated with household food insecurity.

Results

The prevalence of household food insecurity among adolescents was 20.7%. The adjusted odds of food insecurity were significantly elevated among adolescents who identified as Black or Indigenous (aOR 1.80), those living with a single parent (aOR 1.60), those living with a greater number of children ≤ 5 years (aOR 1.45) or 12–17 years (aOR 1.25), those in rented accommodation (aOR 1.98), those in households with only secondary school education (aOR 1.38), and those in households reliant on social assistance (aOR 2.03). Higher before-tax income was protective (aOR 0.99). In comparison with Ontario, the adjusted odds of food insecurity among adolescents were higher in Nunavut (aOR 6.77), Northwest Territories (aOR 2.11), and Alberta (aOR 1.48), and lower in Manitoba (aOR 0.66).

Conclusion

The markedly higher odds of exposure to household food insecurity among adolescents who are Black or Indigenous and those living in households characterized by markers of social and economic disadvantage highlight the need for more effective policy interventions to protect vulnerable families from this hardship.
About the connection of the electron binding energy of a single carbon anion with binding energies of an electron attached to carbon molecules
Authors: AS Baltenkov , I Woiciechowski
Published: January 2023

We demonstrate that the model of zero-range potentials can be successfully employed for the description of attached electrons in atomic and molecular anions, for example, negatively charged carbon clusters. To illustrate the capability of the model we calculate the energies of the attached electron for the family of carbon cluster anions consisting of two-, three- (equilateral triangle) and four (tetrahedron) carbon atoms equidistant from each other as well as for a C3 molecule having a chain structure. The considered approach can be easily extended to carbon clusters containing an arbitrary number of atoms arranged in an arbitrary configuration.