Disparate Groups Research Articles

Governing extension and extending governance for Pacific organic farming

AbstractOrganic farming in the Pacific region could provide higher‐than‐average premiums to small‐scale farmers. Thus, many farmers seek specific information on market access and internationally recognised global standards and third‐party certification. Agricultural extension work has changed in terms of formal and informal understanding and expression. Concomitantly, pluralist extension networks and innovation have replaced singular, publicly‐delivered extension services because of an increase in private commercial interests under prevailing neoliberal logics. Nevertheless, there are socio‐spatial barriers to farmers accessing extension and establishing relations with certifying bodies and some extension partners. Thus, agricultural extension experts will need to create new governance arrangements with local farmer groups as nodes within pluralist public–private–producer networks and regional information flows to support these groups and their accountability and trust with local constituents. In this article, we argue that geographically disparate local farmer groups should be supported by flatter governance of agricultural extension to better link local farmer nodes in comparable growing regions with other transnational local nodes, and with regional certification bodies. Aided by powerful supporting partners in such a plural extension network, this type of flat governance would build trans‐local connections that better situate small‐scale farming and food security as responsive to future uncertainties.

The DIARieS ecosystem – A software ecosystem to simplify discovery, implementation, analysis, reproducibility, and sharing of scientific results and environments in Heliophysics

The infrastructure of the Heliophysics discipline has promising components but with several missing gaps, drastically reducing research and development efficiency. Developing an online discovery and analysis software ecosystem will close several of these gaps. The five main focuses on this ecosystem should be Discovery, Implementation, Analysis, Reproducibility, and Sharing of results (DIARieS). In this paper, we give a detailed description of how the proposed software ecosystem should operate, and point out the large range of possible applications to benefit many disparate groups, such as researchers, operational staff, decision-makers, and educators. The infrastructure components and technological capabilities necessary for its completion are either currently available or in development, making such an ecosystem possible for the first time. One main focus of current infrastructure investments must be to adapt and connect these pieces together into a cohesive whole to increase our research and development efficiency.

Exploring pain experience and anxiety sensitivity among Latinx adults in a federally qualified health center.

The Latinx population is the largest minority group in the United States (U.S.) and is expected to continue to grow through at least 2050. Although there is growing recognition of the importance of pain among Latinx individuals, few studies have examined individualized psychological processes governing pain severity and disability in Latinx populations. One psychological factor that has shown promise in relation to pain experience specifically and clinical conditions more generally is anxiety sensitivity. The present investigation sought to (1) characterize the severity of pain among an unselected sample of adult Latinx individuals attending a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC); (2) evaluate the severity of anxiety sensitivity as a function of pain severity; and (3) test the potential explanatory relevance of anxiety sensitivity as an individual difference factor for pain intensity, pain disability, psychological inflexibility for emotional distress, and global life impairment. Participants included 406 adult Spanish-speaking Latinx persons (87.2% female; Mage = 40.26years, SD = 11.20, and 98.3% used Spanish as their first language) who attended an FQHC in Houston, Texas. Analyses revealed that 62.6% of the sample had at least some pain, and 21.9% of the same had high intensity, moderate interference, or severe interference chronic pain. Further, results provided evidence for anxiety sensitivity as a function of pain grade, such that individuals with grade 2 (high-intensity pain), grade 3 (moderate pain interference), and grade 4 (severe pain interference) chronic pain reported significantly higher levels of anxiety sensitivity than those with grade 0 pain (no chronic pain). Additionally, after controlling for age, gender, marital status, years of education, years living in the U.S., and generalized anxiety, anxiety sensitivity significantly accounted for significant variance in pain intensity, inflexibility in relation to emotional distress, and life impairment. Overall, the current study builds upon what is currently understood about anxiety sensitivity among the Latinx population and uniquely extends past work by linking individual differences in this construct to clinically relevant aspects of pain experience and life impairment among adults attending FQHC's. Additional clinical attention should be focused on anxiety sensitivity to offset pain disparities among this established health disparities group.

Ontogeny, Phylotypic Periods, Paedomorphosis, and Ontogenetic Systematics

The key terms linking ontogeny and evolution are briefly reviewed. It is shown that their application and usage in the modern biology are often inconsistent and incorrectly understood even within the “evo-devo” field. For instance, the core modern reformulation that ontogeny not merely recapitulates, but produces phylogeny implies that ontogeny and phylogeny are closely interconnected. However, the vast modern phylogenetic and taxonomic fields largely omit ontogeny as a central concept. Instead, the common “clade-” and “tree-thinking” prevail, despite on the all achievements of the evo-devo. This is because the main conceptual basis of the modern biology is fundamentally ontogeny-free. In another words, in the Haeckel’s pair of “ontogeny and phylogeny,” ontogeny is still just a subsidiary for the evolutionary process (and hence, phylogeny), instead as in reality, its main driving force. The phylotypic periods is another important term of the evo-devo and represent a modern reformulation of Haeckel’s recapitulations and biogenetic law. However, surprisingly, this one of the most important biological evidence, based on the natural ontogenetic grounds, in the phylogenetic field that can be alleged as a “non-evolutionary concept.” All these observations clearly imply that a major revision of the main terms which are associated with the “ontogeny and phylogeny/evolution” field is urgently necessarily. Thus, “ontogenetic” is not just an endless addition to the term “systematics,” but instead a crucial term, without it neither systematics, nor biology have sense. To consistently employ the modern ontogenetic and epigenetic achievements, the concept of ontogenetic systematics is hereby refined. Ontogenetic systematics is not merely a “research program” but a key biological discipline which consistently links the enormous biological diversity with underlying fundamental process of ontogeny at both molecular and morphological levels. The paedomorphosis is another widespread ontogenetic-and-evolutionary process that is significantly underestimated or misinterpreted by the current phylogenetics and taxonomy. The term paedomorphosis is refined, as initially proposed to link ontogeny with evolution, whereas “neoteny” and “progenesis” are originally specific, narrow terms without evolutionary context, and should not be used as synonyms of paedomorphosis. Examples of application of the principles of ontogenetic systematics represented by such disparate animal groups as nudibranch molluscs and ophiuroid echinoderms clearly demonstrate that perseverance of the phylotypic periods is based not only on the classic examples in vertebrates, but it is a universal phenomenon in all organisms, including disparate animal phyla.

Taking the lead in misinformation-related conversations in social media networks during a mass shooting crisis

PurposeMisinformation (i.e. information identified as false) spreads widely and quickly on social media – a space where crowds of ordinary citizens can become leading voices – during a crisis when information is in short supply. Using the theoretical lenses of socially curated flow and networked gatekeeping frameworks, we address the following three aims: First, we identify emergent opinion leaders in misinformation-related conversations on social media. Second, we explore distinct groups that contribute to online discourses about misinformation. Lastly, we investigate the actual dominance of misinformation within disparate groups in the early phases of mass shooting crises.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used network and cluster analyses of Twitter data that focused on the four most prevalent misinformation themes surrounding the El Paso mass shooting.FindingsA total of seven clusters of users emerged, which were classified into five categories: (1) boundary-spanning hubs, (2) broadly popular individuals, (3) reputation-building hubs, (4) locally popular individuals and (5) non-opinion leaders. Additionally, a content analysis of 128 tweets in six clusters, excluding the cluster of non-opinion leaders, further demonstrated that the opinion leaders heavily focused on reiterating and propagating misinformation (102 out of 128 tweets) and collectively made zero corrective tweets.Originality/valueThese findings expand the intellectual understanding of how various types of opinion leaders can shape the flow of (mis)information in a crisis. Importantly, this study provides new insights into the role of trans-boundary opinion leaders in creating an echo chamber of misinformation by serving as bridges between otherwise fragmented discourses.

Cladding and community

The longstanding housing crisis in the UK, and London in particular, has been exacerbated in recent years by an increased understanding of the flammability of buildings and the arrival of what activists term ‘The Cladding Scandal’. In this paper, I show how in response to the health and financial risks of The Cladding Scandal, disparate groups come together to challenge the dominant politics of expertise through the enrolment of traditionally ‘expert’ forms of knowledge within community groups. I analyse community building practices, especially the lines of communication, to show a means by which the social reproduction of the city is sustained, to argue that such practices constitute an important but under-recognised form of expertise. Drawing together geographies of emotion and social reproduction theory, I demonstrate the productive possibilities of thinking through the social reproduction of the city and its politics of expertise by questioning the role, types and circulation of particular emotions.

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Factors Influencing Disparity in Perceptions of Breast Reconstruction Aesthetic Outcomes.

Patient-reported outcomes are the primary measurement of breast reconstruction success, but results may be affected by nontechnical factors such as socioemotional determinants. Third-party observers provide an independent assessment of aesthetic outcomes. Factors associated with disparity between patient and observer perceptions of outcomes are not well understood. One hundred forty-seven patients underwent breast reconstruction at the authors' institution between 2009 and 2011, completed the BREAST-Q, and had photographs graded by a diverse panel using the Validated Breast Aesthetic Scale. Patient satisfaction with breasts scores that aligned with observer scores were categorized as group 2; patient satisfaction that exceeded observer scores were group 1; and those lower than observer scores were group 3. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with values of p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Twenty-eight patients (19 percent) were categorized as group 1, 93 (63 percent) in group 2, and 26 (18 percent) in group 3. Median overall appearance was highest in group 3 (median, 4.0; interquartile range, 4 to 4) and lowest in group 1 (median, 3.0; interquartile range, 2 to 3) ( p < 0.001). Psychosocial, sexual, and physical well-being were significantly associated with disparity (group 1 or 3 status) ( p < 0.01). Satisfaction with outcomes, nipples, abdomen, and breasts were significantly associated with disparity. Factors not significantly associated with disparity include age, body mass index, autologous or implant-based, adjuvant therapies, and timing of reconstruction. Incongruously high patient satisfaction with breast reconstruction aesthetics relative to third-party perception of aesthetic outcomes is associated with high quality-of-life scores. Incongruously low patient satisfaction with breast cosmesis compared with higher third-party perceptions was associated with low quality-of-life scores. Risk, II.

Perceptions and care Recommendations from Previvors: Qualitative analysis of female BRCA1/2 mutation Carriers’ experience with genetic testing and counseling

IntroductionIt is estimated that 12.5% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 1.10% with ovarian cancer during their lifetime. Although less common, women with these mutations have a 11–72% increased risk of breast/ovarian cancers and are hereditary. Genetic testing/counseling presents the opportunity to identify carriers of BRCA1/2 genetic mutations before a cancer diagnosis. MethodsThirty-four BRCA1/2-positive women (with and without histories of breast/ovarian cancers) were recruited through online national support groups to gain a better understanding of their genetic testing/counseling perceptions and experiences. After confirming eligibility, they were invited to participate in either a telephone or webcam interview. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic text analysis and descriptive coding techniques. ResultsSix major themes emerged, capturing the perceptions and experiences of genetic testing/counseling for these women: 1) Emotional Reactions to Results and Genetic Counseling, 2) Future Recommendations, 3) Family Solidarity and Support, 4) Experiences with the Healthcare System, 5) Preventive Concerns and Decisions, and 6) Sources Affecting Perceived Risk. Two subthemes also emerged within the first theme, which are termed “Pre-vivor,” and “Testing Intuition.” ConclusionsParticipants indicated that genetic testing/counseling improvements would be helpful for women in this population surrounding quality care, including sensitivity training for healthcare professionals involved in testing/counseling, additional educational resources, and increased emotional and financial support. Although these recommendations may be beneficial, more widespread research with greater generalizability to disparate groups may be necessary prior to implementation.

“That City Af loat”

Abstract Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, millions of migrants from every corner of the earth spent weeks and sometimes months at sea. Yet these ubiquitous voyages appear as little more than blank pages in the annals of human migration. Maritime social history has grown considerably over the past thirty years, offering brilliant new insights into the lived experiences of sailors, pirates, and slaves. But the lowly emigrant has been largely ignored. At the same time, scholars carefully tracing the development of migrant communities at the local, national, and transnational levels have tended to reify the historiography’s traditional terracentrism. Using the letters, diaries, and printed guides of those who left Ireland during the Great Famine, this article seeks to understand how the journey itself shaped community building in the Irish diaspora. It argues that the hardships of life at sea encouraged disparate groups of people to expand their traditional ideas of belonging. Localism and ethnic identity did not dissolve at sea, they changed—making room for new and heterogeneous links of solidarity anchored in shared experience.

Increased Colorectal Cancer Rate in Turner Syndrome: A Case Control Study

Female sex hormonal supplementation had been shown to be protective against Colorectal cancer (CRC). Turner syndrome (TS) is a rare X lined chromosomal disorder associated with sex hormonal deficiency. Hence, we hypothesized that that females with TS would be at an increased risk of CRC. From the Truven Health Marketscan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database, female patients who had colonoscopy with TS were compared to aged matched to controls. For these patients we obtained demographic variables, risk factors (diabetes, morbid obesity, smoking, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and statins) and endoscopic results (adenoma and cancer detection) from the database. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the cancer detection rates in both groups. Of the 7,77,36,681 patients of age 35 or older in the database 3265 had TS. Of those 546 (17%) patients had a colonoscopy that was reported. These patients were compared to 1059 age matched controls. Prevalence of diabetes (14.3 vs 8.4, P&lt;0.001), and smoking (2.6 vs 0.9, p=0.01) was higher in patients with TS. Cancer detection rate was higher in patients with TS (1.1% vs 0.2%, p=0.01). After adjustment for the above variables, patients with TS have an adjusted odds ratio of 9.5 for CRC at any colonoscopy (95% CI 1.7-52.8, p =0.008). Hence, we concluded that in the studied cohort of TS patients there was a higher colorectal cancer detection rate at any colonoscopy when compared to their age matched female counterparts. TS patients represent a ‘disparity group’ who warrant enhanced CRC screening.

New records of injured Cambrian and Ordovician trilobites

AbstractRecords of abnormal fossil arthropods present important insight into how extinct forms responded to traumatic damage and developmental complications. Trilobites, bearing biomineralized dorsal exoskeletons, have arguably the most well-documented record of abnormalities spanning the Cambrian through the end-Permian. As such, new records of malformed, often injured, trilobites are occasionally identified. To further expand the documentation of abnormal specimens, we describe malformed specimens of Lyriaspis sigillum Whitehouse, 1939, Zacanthoides sp. indet., Asaphiscus wheeleri Meek, 1873, Elrathia kingii (Meek, 1870), and Ogygiocarella debuchii (Brongniart, 1822) from lower Paleozoic deposits. In considering these forms, we propose that they illustrate examples of injuries, and that the majority of these injuries reflect failed predation. We also considered the origin of injuries impacting singular segments, suggesting that these could reflect predation, self-induced damage, or intraspecific interactions during soft-shelled stages. Continued examination of lower Paleozoic trilobite injuries will further the understanding of how trilobites functioned as prey and elucidate how disparate trilobite groups recovered from failed attacks.

Assessing Bayesian Phylogenetic Information Content of Morphological Data Using Knowledge From Anatomy Ontologies.

Morphology remains a primary source of phylogenetic information for many groups of organisms, and the only one for most fossil taxa. Organismal anatomy is not a collection of randomly assembled and independent “parts”, but instead a set of dependent and hierarchically nested entities resulting from ontogeny and phylogeny. How do we make sense of these dependent and at times redundant characters? One promising approach is using ontologies—structured controlled vocabularies that summarize knowledge about different properties of anatomical entities, including developmental and structural dependencies. Here, we assess whether evolutionary patterns can explain the proximity of ontology-annotated characters within an ontology. To do so, we measure phylogenetic information across characters and evaluate if it matches the hierarchical structure given by ontological knowledge—in much the same way as across-species diversity structure is given by phylogeny. We implement an approach to evaluate the Bayesian phylogenetic information (BPI) content and phylogenetic dissonance among ontology-annotated anatomical data subsets. We applied this to data sets representing two disparate animal groups: bees (Hexapoda: Hymenoptera: Apoidea, 209 chars) and characiform fishes (Actinopterygii: Ostariophysi: Characiformes, 463 chars). For bees, we find that BPI is not substantially explained by anatomy since dissonance is often high among morphologically related anatomical entities. For fishes, we find substantial information for two clusters of anatomical entities instantiating concepts from the jaws and branchial arch bones, but among-subset information decreases and dissonance increases substantially moving to higher-level subsets in the ontology. We further applied our approach to address particular evolutionary hypotheses with an example of morphological evolution in miniature fishes. While we show that phylogenetic information does match ontology structure for some anatomical entities, additional relationships and processes, such as convergence, likely play a substantial role in explaining BPI and dissonance, and merit future investigation. Our work demonstrates how complex morphological data sets can be interrogated with ontologies by allowing one to access how information is spread hierarchically across anatomical concepts, how congruent this information is, and what sorts of processes may play a role in explaining it: phylogeny, development, or convergence. [Apidae; Bayesian phylogenetic information; Ostariophysi; Phenoscape; phylogenetic dissonance; semantic similarity.]

Genomic analysis and long-term outcomes of a phase 1 clinical trial on cytoreductive radical prostatectomy.

PurposeApproximately 7% of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) in the US will have have metastatic disease. The dogma that there is no role for surgery in this population has been questioned recently. Here we report long-term outcomes of a phase 1 clinical trial on cytoreductive radical prostatectomy.Materials and methodsThis is a multicenter phase 1 trial. The major inclusion criterion was biopsy proven N1M0 or NxM1a/b PCa. Primary end point was the Clavien-Dindo-based major complication rate. Secondary outcomes were biochemical progression and overall survival. RNA-seq correlative study was conducted in nine select cases as a pilot study.ResultsFinal accrual was 32 patients of which 25 and 7 were cNxM1 and cN1M0, respectively. With the median follow-up of 46 months (interquartile range 31.7 - 52.7 months), 25 out of the 32 patients (75%) were alive at the time of last contact. There were three disparate groups based on the oncologic outcome: favorable, intermediate, and poor. In seven men with favorable response, androgen deprivation therapy was switched to intermittent approach and five remain free of any evidence of disease after more than two years off all systemic therapy with the normalization of serum testosterone. Of these five patients, three had M1 disease. Long-term use of one pad or less per day was 80%. RNA-seq analysis revealed an enriched downregulation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α signature in the favorable group.ConclusionOverall long-term oncologic outcome of cytoreductive radical prostatectomy was significantly higher than historical results. Importantly, the combination of surgery with systemic therapy may result in a long durable response in a minority of men who present with metastatic PCa.

Clashes of cultures during crises: coordinating firefighter, police and paramedic interactions

PurposeThe purpose is to expand our understanding of different organizational group interactions in crises and extend the Competing Values Framework of organizational culture into three first responder groups – firefighters, police and emergency medical technicians. Because unique organizational culture is a critical element in the success or failure of any organization, when organizations combine during crisis, failure often results. The authors examined the cultures of first responders in a crisis to determine whether differences in cultural type might explain some failures.Design/methodology/approachUsing the Competing Values Framework for organizational culture, the authors examined literature on the three first responder cultures. The literature is available on the failure of these organizations to work together in crisis, but little on the deep organizational reasons for these failures.FindingsIn view of the different challenges each profession faces and ways they organize to address those challenges, self-directed coordination of these three distinct groups may be optimal, rather than an overall system of command and control. This can be visualized when the authors examine the three cultures using the Competing Values Framework. The authors discuss specific reasons for problems in crisis coordination and give suggestions on coping with three or more different cultures.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a literature review and conceptual paper. A meta-analysis of incidences would be helpful.Practical implicationsWhen disparate organizations work together, culture may interfere with cooperation and coordination. Taking organizational culture into account will enable operations with less friction. In this paper, the authors explain why.Social implicationsLack of cooperation and coordination among firefighters, police and EMTs could create loss of life or property. Understanding potential cultural differences will help the disparate groups work together better.Originality/valueThe authors examine organizational culture differences in detail as a reason for the failures of coordination of first responders in crisis. In addition, the authors extend the Competing Values Framework to these essential groups of first responders. The authors are the first to propose a taxonomy of culture for these three groups, based on the Competing Values Framework.

Nationalism in the New World: An Assessment of Nigeria’s Nationalist Drive Towards Independence

Nationalist movement in Nigeria or the Nigerian nationalism became formally felt after the end of British colonial rule within the country. The purposes of the movement were majorly to achieve both political and economic emancipation for the disparate groups who had come together courtesy of the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates in 1914, from the British colonialists. Its origin or early segment dates back to the 19th century wherein resistance struggles have been hooked up against the British penetration and activities in different territories that make up the modern-day Nigeria. This paper, consequently, examines the impacts of this movement on the actualization of Nigerian independence. A number of these affects, as discovered in this paper, have endured to bedevil the political environment of Nigeria in her efforts towards gaining political independence. Nigerians were very united in mobilizing all available resources to dislodge the colonialist that was the national enemy of the country without prejudice. It has been recommended among others that the resurgence of latest nationalist spirit in Nigerians within the face of the neocolonial global exploitations is a necessity and the battle for freedom needs to be won through the modern agents by the 21st century’s nationalists.

Disparate groups share cancer disparities

Due to historical and structural factors, underserved rural and racial/ethnic minorities suffer a disproportionate cancer burden based in part on common disparities they share. The time is ripe for cancer researchers to engage with these underserved populations to build trust in science and improve care for those they serve.

Unplanned links, unanticipated outcomes: Urban refugees in Halba (Lebanon)

Much of the literature covering forced population displacement has neglected spatial implications, dealing with place as mere context. Building on a case study of the city of Halba (Lebanon) where it maps a process of contingent encounters through which disparate resources, individuals, and groups are stitched together to generate large-scale housing projects that shelter refugees, this paper demonstrates the importance of studying displacement through a grounded reading of the spatial transformations it implicates. The paper maps multiple private and public actors who exploit cracks and connect seemingly disparate material flows (e.g., humanitarian aid, public housing subsidies) and institutional systems (e.g., humanitarian, public, private, religious) in ways that catalyze and accelerate the production of housing in order to derive profit from the opportunities afforded by the refugee crisis. Thus, developers, buyers, residents, brokers, public agents, and other actors all support a flow of informal profitable exchanges that are far from seamless economic transactions, mixing instead capitalist profiteering with human solidarity, religious morality, or kinship obligations that all buttress the possibility of these encounters and their materialization into new configurations of urban quarters. The arrangements formed through these processes, the paper shows, are strongly reflective of existing social hierarchies and inequalities.

Mercer's Belles and Sarmiento's Teachers: Female Pedagogues within Two Transcontinental Emigration Projects of the Nineteenth Century

AbstractSituating the endeavors of Asa Shinn Mercer and Domingo Faustino Sarmiento within the broader settler colonial histories of the US and Argentina, this study provides two cases in which men representing prominent settler groups in the Americas attempted to regulate via internal educational colonialism populations they considered divergent from the nations’ ideals. Both projects recruited women to serve as civilizing agents who would help align disparate groups with the desired standards of citizenship. The female participants, however, did not blindly conform to their leaders’ expectations of behavior, instead asserting their own will at key points during the projects’ execution. Examining the groups’ dynamics in tandem provides new examples of the gendered processes at play within the settler colonialist structures of two nineteenth-century American countries.

University Collages Sri Lanka: Are We in the Right Direction?

The National Vocational Qualification Framework of Sri Lanka (NVQSL) makes it easier for people to pursue higher education, including degrees, based on their vocational credentials. In order to boost the country’s supply of midlevel labor as well as increase access to qualification upgrading for NVQ holders, six University colleges (UCs) were founded. UCs offer diploma credentials and welcome students who hold both National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) holders and General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (G.C.E. A/L.) students. These two disparate groups are taking the same class at the same time to learn. To lessen gaps in entry-level competencies, foundation programs were established. Rates of the programs run by UCs have reportedly been quite low. As a result, this study was carried out to determine how the administrative team perceived the resources’ accessibility and the goals of UC students. More than 95% of students who enroll in UCs with G.C.E. A/L. do so with the intention of earning a bachelor’s degree from a university of vocational technology. After receiving their diploma, they do not want to take on middle-level jobs in the sector. Additionally, just 5% of people have followed the process for upgrading their NVQ qualifications. This is counter to the reasons why UCs were founded. The majority of students enroll in UCs following GCE A/ to earn a degree, which requires them to spend roughly 3 years at the UCs and another two to three years at UoVT. As a result, the strategy has gone wrong. Students feel demotivated when they realize their goal is too far away, which can result in indiscipline and subpar academic performance. In order to get the most out of UCs, this issue needs to be studied in greater detail.

Военная действительность начала Великой Отечественной войны на фоне судьбы офицера-окруженца. Дело полковника М. Г. Кириллова. 1942 г.

In the midst of severe defeats of the initial period of the war, many units and formations of the Red Army were surrounded. Both private and command corps who broke out of the encirclement, as well as those who were captured and escaped, were thoroughly checked. This measure seems reasonable and legitimate. The absolute majority, after passing this “filter,” were sent to the front, against others charges were brought under the laws of wartime. Among the latter was the commander of the 38th Rifle Division, Colonel Maxim Gavrilovich Kirillov, who was shot by court verdict in 1942. Commanding his division, M. G. Kirillov was surrounded in the Vyazma defensive operation (October 2-13, 1941) to the west of Vyazma. Several times, the colonel placed disparate groups under his under command, making unsuccessful attempts to break out. Later, he was captured by the enemy, escaped, commanded a partisan detachment. In March 1942 Kirillov was summoned to the “mainland,” accused of treason and shot; only in 1991, he was rehabilitated. The personality of Colonel Kirillov is much discussed in press and in the Internet. His personal tragedy is considered an example of illegal repressions against the servicemen who were surrounded and held captive. The facts provided in the article detail and clarify Kirillov's actions in the occupied territory. It is shown that charges against him were mostly proven and fell under current statutory provisions. Information on Kirillov is given against the background of mass repressions against senior Red Army officers at the beginning of the war. Investigative documents record some changes in the work of the punitive apparatus in contrast with the period of 1937–38. However, physical coercion and attempts to bring his action under the article 58 of the criminal code remained. The conclusions on Colonel Kirillov’s sentence are another evidence of tragical and inconsistent fate of the Soviet encircled servicemen and prisoners of war. The facts indicate a need for a thorough study of the fate of each serviceman who was surrounded or captured from the standpoint of military realities of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War.