Controversial Research Articles

Controversial Issues of Immunopathogenesis of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis

Psoriasis (PsO) and atopic dermatitis (AD have much in common: both diseases are widespread, characterized by a chronic relapsing course, primarily affect the skin and lead to a quality reduction of life of patients, regardless of their age. The pathogenesis of these two dermatoses, which are the most common in the practice of a pediatric dermatologist, is quite different. PsO is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, the pathogenesis of which is associated with the involvement of the Th1 pathway: Th17 cells and the IL-23/IL-17 axis. AD, in turn, is usually associated with high levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-31 and IFN-γ produced by activated T-helper 2 (Th2) cells. The clinical symptoms and immunopathological responses of these two skin conditions tend to differ. However, patients with PsO may sometimes present with a skin rash resembling AD combined with intense itching and laboratory increase in immunoglobulin E (IgE) which may indicate the need to change the paradigm of dominance of only one type of T-inflammation in patients with these diseases.

Development of a clinical nomogram for prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in advanced gastric cancer (GC) is still a controversial issue. To find factors associated with chemosensitivity to NAC treatment and to provide the optimal therapeutic strategies for GC patients receiving NAC. The clinical information was collected from 230 GC patients who received NAC treatment at the Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine Affiliated Haikou Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression analysis was used to find the possible predictors. A nomogram model was employed to predict the response to NAC. In total 230 patients were finally included in this study, including 154 males (67.0%) and 76 females (33.0%). The mean age was (59.37 ± 10.60) years, ranging from 24 years to 80 years. According to the tumor regression grade standard, there were 95 cases in the obvious response group (grade 0 or grade 1) and 135 cases in the poor response group (grade 2 or grade 3). The obvious response rate was 41.3%. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis showed that four risk factors significantly related to the efficacy of NAC were tumor location (P < 0.001), histological differentiation (P = 0.001), clinical T stage (P = 0.008), and carbohydrate antigen 724 (P = 0.008). The C-index for the prediction nomogram was 0.806. The calibration curve revealed that the predicted value exhibited good agreement with the actual value. Decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram had a good value in clinical application. A nomogram combining tumor location, histological differentiation, clinical T stage, and carbohydrate antigen 724 showed satisfactory predictive power to the response of NAC and can be used by gastrointestinal surgeons to determine the optimal treatment strategies for advanced GC patients.

Sharing the multidisciplinary clinical approach to peri- and postmenopausal women: A Delphi consensus among Italian gynecologists, endocrinologists, and cardiologists for an integrated and optimal approach to clinical practice.

The critical phase of perimenopausal period is marked by a reduction in estrogen levels, leading to various clinical issues (vasomotor and neurodegenerative symptoms, increased osteoporosis risk and cardiovascular risk). These complex clinical scenarios pose challenges to clinicians in providing the right support for diagnosis and treatment. A group of Italian cardiologists, endocrinologists, and gynecologists conducted a survey among expert colleagues to assess consensus on controversial issues and best practices for screening and treating peri- and postmenopausal women. The Delphi methodology was used to analyze responses from a qualitative expert panel comprising 25 cardiologists, 25 endocrinologists, and 25 gynecologists, selected nationwide. Two consecutive questionnaires were proposed between February and May 2023. Agreement among experts was assessed following the Delphi method as developed by the RAND Corporation. The results of this Delphi Consensus have been shared by the leading scientific societies: Italian Society of Cardiology, Italian Society of Endocrinology, Italian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Italian Hospital Obstetricians Gynecologists Association. The experts highlighted comorbidities and hormone deprivation as crucial clinical problems to be evaluated in perimenopausal women, requiring investigation from cardiovascular and endocrinologic perspectives to assess cardiovascular risk, involving the use of BMI, standard blood samples, endocrine-metabolic tests, and lifestyle assessment, particularly in women with higher cardiovascular and metabolic risks candidates for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The experts also agreed on the benefits of HRT in improving lipid metabolism and reducing insulin resistance, thereby mitigating the metabolic risks associated with menopause. However, this therapy should be tailored considering individual women's comorbidities and thrombotic risk.

Cell cycle dynamics of food-entrapping cells of sponges: an experimental approach.

Sponges (phylum Porifera) exhibit surprisingly complex tissue dynamics, maintaining constant cell turnover and migration, rearranging internal structures, and regenerating after severe injuries. Such tissue plasticity relies on the activity of proliferating cells represented primarily by the food-entrapping cells, choanocytes. Although there are plenty of studies regarding the dynamics of regeneration and tissue rearrangement in sponges, cell cycle kinetics of choanocytes in intact tissues remains a controversial issue. This study is devoted to the comparative description of choanocyte cell cycle dynamics in intact tissues of two sponges, Halisarca dujardinii (class Demospongiae) and Leucosolenia corallorrhiza (class Calcarea). We have identified populations of proliferating cells and synchronized them in the S-phase to estimate the growth fraction of cycling cells. Using continuous exposure to labeled thymidine analog ethynyl deoxyuridine (EdU), we calculated choanocyte cell cycle duration and the length of the S phase. We also applied double labeling with EdU and antibodies against phosphorylated histone 3 to estimate the lengths of choanocyte M and G2 phases. Finally, flow-cytometry-based quantitative analysis of DNA content provided us with the lengths of G2 and G1 phases. We found that tissue growth and renewal in the studied sponges are generally maintained by a relatively large population of slowly cycling choanocytes with a total cell cycle duration of 40 h in H. dujardinii and 60 h in L. corallorrhiza. In both species, choanocytes are characterized by an extremely short M-phase and heterogeneity in the duration of the G2 phase.

Degradation versus fibrillogenesis, two alternative pathways modulated by seeds and glycosaminoglycans.

The mechanism that converts native human transthyretin into amyloid fibrils in vivo is still a debated and controversial issue. Commonly, non-physiological conditions of pH, temperature, or organic solvents are used in in vitro models of fibrillogenesis of globular proteins. Transthyretin amyloid formation can be achieved under physiological conditions through a mechano-enzymatic mechanism involving specific serine proteases such as trypsin or plasmin. Here, we investigate S52P and L111M transthyretin variants, both causing a severe form of systemic amyloidosis mostly targeting the heart at a relatively young age with heterogeneous phenotype among patients. Our studies on thermodynamics show that both proteins are significantly less stable than other amyloidogenic variants. However, despite a similar thermodynamic stability, L111M variant seems to have enhanced susceptibility to cleavage and a lower tendency to form fibrils than S52P in the presence of specific proteases and biomechanical forces. Heparin strongly enhances the fibrillogenic capacity of L111M transthyretin, but has no effect on the S52P variant. Fibrillar seeds similarly affect the fibrillogenesis of both proteins, with a stronger effect on the L111M variant. According to our model of mechano-enzymatic fibrillogenesis, both full-length and truncated monomers, released after the first cleavage, can enter into fibrillogenesis or degradation pathways. Our findings show that the kinetics of the two processes can be affected by several factors, such as intrinsic amyloidogenicity due to the specific mutations, environmental factors including heparin and fibrillar seeds that significantly accelerate the fibrillogenic pathway.

Remember lest we forget: the link between long-term memory and narrative, empathy and previous knowledge in Israel

ABSTRACT One of the most demanding challenges teachers and educators face is the need to engage their students with ‘difficult knowledge’ topics. The need to unwrap controversial issues that are the subject of cultural or historical debate, without oversimplifying them, making them accessible and their morals apparent, all while committing them to memory, is an ongoing challenge for most pedagogical approaches. How to teach difficult knowledge in the classroom, especially the topic of the Holocaust, is a question that all educators in Israel face during their career. A common teaching tool is the use of film in both first and third-person narrative. Focused on the effect of narrative perspective in the teaching of difficult knowledge, this article examines the effect of first-person and third-person narrative in film on both short- and long-term memory among a cohort of students enrolled at a college of education in Israel. It also seeks to provide news insights into this issue by looking at the connection between empathy, previous knowledge, and perspective taking.

The Burning of Black Wall Street: A Case Study on the Tulsa Race Massacre

Until the beginning of the 21st century, the Tulsa Race Massacre was omitted mainly from the social studies curriculum and state-mandated standards in the United States. However, the featured lesson provides a valuable springboard to explore the historical perspectives and injustices against the Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31, 1921. This lesson exemplifies how social studies teachers can effectively explore controversial issues, such as racial discrimination in U.S. history, by investigating the Tulsa Race Massacre. Students are encouraged to engage in a comprehensive analysis and discussion of newspaper articles to investigate the events prior to the Tulsa Race Massacre and the obstacles faced by the inhabitants of Tulsa in the aftermath of the tragedy. Through implementing the case study approach, this pedagogical lesson aims to foster higher-order thinking skills among students by providing an opportunity to analyze, compare, and contrast various reports in a secondary classroom setting.

Large-scale testing in the face of AI

Key digested messageThis article examines the expansive growth of ChatGPT and the implications for large-scale test design. The authors contend that the impressive test simulation results observed by Chat-GPT undergird ongoing construct validity concerns with student testing. In order to address these challenges, a set of strategies is proposed that emphasises authentic assessment, the importance of human elements in traditional paper-and-pencil questions, and the controversial issue of the stakes ascribed to test results. Collectively, these approaches are meant to help test developers more carefully consider existing limitations within traditional standardised and large-scale assessment programs. Ultimately, test design reforms that enhance validity are increasingly needed to address the challenges posed by AI applications.

Does reaction to controversy in corporate narratives depend on its significance for various stakeholders?

PurposeThe study aims to determine whether a relationship exists between the potential significance of corporate controversies for stakeholders and how organisations respond to them in their annual and sustainability reports.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs content analysis on annual and sustainability reports of 48 listed companies from the Refinitiv database. The logit regression was used to estimate the model.FindingsThe study revealed that the main factors increasing the probability of a controversial issue being addressed in a corporate report are the controversy’s potential significance, companies’ financial performance and lawsuits.Research limitations/implicationsOur study has three major limitations. These are a relatively small sample of companies and reports, focusing on disclosures made in corporate reports and omitting other channels of communication, for example, social media, and a certain amount of subjectivity in the process of coding information.Social implicationsFormer studies show that corporations face a serious risk of their hypocritical strategies becoming too evident for stakeholder groups. Our findings suggest that the risk is already materialising and may undermine the idea of CSR and sustainability reporting.Originality/valueOur research focuses on high-profile adverse incidents widely reported in the media, the omission of which from corporate reports seems to constitute a particular case of organised hypocrite. It also demonstrates that companies use an impression management strategy to defuse adverse publicity and that major controversies cause minor ones to be omitted from their reports.

Goods in wholesalers: Valuation at recognition, accounting considerations

Subject. This article deals with the issues of formation of the actual cost of goods when they are purchased in wholesale trade organizations. Objectives. The article aims to substantiate the method of formation of the actual cost of purchased goods of wholesale organizations, consider options for reflecting its components in the accounts, and highlight controversial issues in the valuation of goods when they are recognized. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of comparative analysis, content analysis, systematization, analogy, and generalization. Results. According to Federal Accounting Standard FSBU 5/2019 – Inventories, if goods are recognized in the accounting of a wholesale organization, there is a variability in the understanding of the actual cost. The article finds that the choice of components of the actual cost of purchased goods has a direct impact on many aspects of accounting. The article systematizes the methods of reflecting the received goods in accounting depending on the method of valuation, and formulates the peculiarities of their application. An analysis of regulatory documents shows that the procedure for calculating the write-off of deviations for goods has not been established yet. Conclusions and Relevance. Based on international practices, FAS FSBU 5/2019 – Inventories helps exercise professional judgment of an accountant in matters of valuation of goods of wholesale organizations upon recognition. The results obtained can be used both in theory and practice of reflecting commodity operations of wholesale organizations.

The Possibility of a Uniform Legal Language at the Interplay of Legal Discourse, Semiotics and Blockchain Networks

AbstractThis paper explores the possibility of a standard legal language (e.g. English) for a principled evolution of law in line with technological development. In doing so, reference is made to blockchain networks and smart contracts to emphasise the discontinuity with the liberal legal tradition when it comes to decentralisation and binary code language. Methodologically, the argument is built on the underlying relation between law, semiotics and new forms of media adding to natural language; namely: code and symbols. In what follows, I will concentrate on the study of factors that explain why such approach can be fruitful for the future of law and innovation. I have three reasons for selecting this topic. The first is a more pragmatic reason, based on my current research of law as a linguistic phenomenon. Secondly, the topic does also touch the matter on binary code language, rivalrous to legal alphabetic language. Lastly, the study aims at emphasizing the pivotal role of the jurist as an interpreter in a changing society accommodating diverging realms of reality. The study is structured as follows. Firstly, a quick exam of the traits of blockchain networks would provide the contextual link to establish the arguments in support of the need of a standard legal language. Secondly, a comparison between liberal legal institutions and theory of semiotics is set to perceive their functioning and ascertain their limits in the light of todays unprecedented changes. Thirdly, a summary on blockchain networks’ legal features would constitute the thrust behind the idea of a uniform legal language. Methodologically, the argument does also establish some relations with classical laws of physics and philosophy of media. Its aim is to demonstrate how the suggested legal interpretation and semiotic-based approach can contribute to overcome existing stumbling blocks including, but not limited to, the lack of cooperation at the international level as well as the gap in State norms when it comes to innovation. In this sense, the proposed strategies do not intend to replace current advances in the legal thought. In contrast, it seeks to harmonise their results providing a methodical approach that can concur to inform a new technique to address new controversial issues. In practice, the proposed method regarding the adoption of a uniform legal language would lower transactive costs in terms of normative coordination in the matter of international cooperation and in the definition of applicable law among different legal systems. Alternatively, it might contribute to the convergence of legal systems and/or their underlying concepts. Differently put, article’s contribution can be envisaged in fostering juridical consistency with regards to different forms of languages’ coexistence.

FINANCIAL INSTABILITY AND SHADOW BANKING RELATIONSHIP: THE CASE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The impact of shadow banking on financial stability remains a controversial issue today due to the size and complexity of these activities and the inadequate regulatory frameworks for systemic risks. In this context, shadow banking has become the focus of financial regulators due to its potential effects on financial stability. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand the impact of shadow banking on financial stability. In this study, the relationship between shadow banking and financial instability is examined using the VAR method for the example of the United States, covering the period 2000-2020. In order to create an accurate model, firstly unit root tests were performed, followed by autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity tests. The findings were found to be significant and Johansen cointegration test was applied. In the cointegration results, it was seen that the series were cointegrated, that is, they moved together in the long run. Finally, a Granger causality test was conducted between shadow banking and financial instability, and according to the empirical findings, it was concluded that there was a causality from shadow banking to financial instability for the period in question.

Contrasting drivers of aboveground woody biomass and aboveground woody productivity in lowland forests of Colombia

The relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors in shaping forest biomass stocks and fluxes remains a controversial issue. Here, using data gathered from 39 1 ha plots located in flooded and terra firme mature tropical lowland forests of the Amazon and Orinoquia regions of Colombia, we evaluated the importance of climate, soil fertility, and flooding, as well as tree taxonomic/phylogenetic diversity and forest structural properties, in determining the aboveground biomass stocks (AGB; Mg ha−1) and aboveground woody productivity (AWP; Mg ha−1 year−1). Using information‐theoretic multimodel inference and variance partitioning we found that forest structural features such as the number of trees with diameter at breast height ≥ 70 cm, and wood density, are the main drivers of variation in AGB. However, taxonomic diversity also contributes to AGB because it is associated with more large trees in these forests. In contrast, the key drivers of AWP in these forests were soil P and Mg concentrations, with no significant effects of diversity indices. These findings emphasize the need to include major soil cations other than N and P (e.g. Mg) in experimental studies to improve our understanding about the extent to which soil fertility can modulate increases in forest AWP due to climate change. Terra firme forests had higher AGB stocks than flooded forests, but both had similar AWP; and we found similar results for the drivers of AGB and AWP between flooded and terra firme forests. Our results provide limited evidence for strong effects of plant diversity on AGB or AWP. Therefore, we call for caution on generalizations of nature‐based initiatives aiming to preserve diversity based on maximizing carbon stocks and productivity, due to the complex nature of the processes controlling carbon accumulation and carbon fluxes in tropical forests.

Proposed Etiotypes for COPD: Controversial issues.

The 2023 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) revised the definition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to broadly include a variety of etiologies. A new taxonomy, composed of etiotypes, aims to highlight the heterogeneity in causes and pathogenesis of COPD, allowing more personalized management strategies and emphasizing the need for targeted research to understand and manage COPD better. However, controversy arises with including some diseases under the umbrella term of COPD, as their clinical presentations and treatments differ from classical COPD, which is smoking-related. COPD due to infection (COPD-I) and COPD due to environmental exposure (COPD-P) are classifications within the new taxonomy. Some disease entities in these categories show distinct clinical features and may not benefit from conventional COPD treatments, raising questions about their classification as COPD subtypes. There is also controversy regarding whether bronchiectasis with airflow limitations should be classified as an etiotype of COPD. This article discusses controversial issues associated with the proposed etiotypes for COPD in terms of COPD-I, COPD-P, and bronchiectasis. While the updated COPD definition by GOLD 2023 is a major step towards recognizing the disease's complexity, it also raises questions about the classification of related respiratory conditions. This highlights the need for further research to improve our understanding and approach to COPD management.

MicroRNAs: The Missing Link between Hypertension and Periodontitis?

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, and arterial hypertension is a recognized cardiovascular risk factor that is responsible for high morbidity and mortality. Arterial hypertension is the result of an inflammatory process that results in the remodeling and thickening of the vascular walls, which is associated with an immunological response. Previous studies have attempted to demonstrate the relationship between oral disease, inflammation, and the development of systemic diseases. Currently, the existence of an association between periodontitis and hypertension is a controversial issue because the underlying pathophysiological processes and inflammatory mechanisms common to both diseases are unknown. This is due to the fact that periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the interface of teeth and surrounding tissues. However, the most likely explanation for understanding this association is related to low-grade chronic inflammation. An initial path in the study of the relationship between the mentioned pathologies is the possibility of an epigenetic influence, mediated by noncoding RNAs as microRNAs. Thus, in the present review we describe the role of microRNAs related to arterial hypertension and/or periodontitis. In addition, we identified 13 common microRNAs between periodontitis and hypertension. According to the predictions of the DIANA-mirPath program, they can regulate genes involved in 52 signaling pathways.

A controversial issue in adolescents: Is the effect of digital games on creative personality traits positive or negative?

AimThis study aimed to determine the effect of digital games on the creativity of adolescents. MethodsThis study was designed as a cross-sectional study using simple random sampling following the STROBE checklist. It was conducted with 384 adolescents between January and June 2022. Data were collected using the Digital Game Addiction Scale for Children and the Creative Personality Traits Scale. ResultsThe adolescents were at risk for digital game addiction and had moderate creativity levels. The adolescents who had a male sex, had mothers who received primary education, started playing digital games before the age of 6 years, were using the internet for >5 h a day, had no activity other than playing digital games, and preferred action, adventure, and fighting games had higher digital game addiction levels than the other adolescents. In addition, the male adolescents had higher creativity levels than the female adolescents. There was a significant negative relationship between digital game addiction and creative personality traits among the adolescents. Digital game addiction had a negative effect on creativity. ConclusionsAdolescents are at risk for digital game addiction and have moderate creativity levels. Digital game addiction negatively affects the development of creative personality traits. Interventions should be planned to prevent digital game addiction among adolescents, and adolescents should be guided to increase awareness of the effects of digital games on their creativity.

Некоторые меры государственной и негосударственной поддержки для семей с детьми: роль организаций некоммерческого сектора

&lt;p&gt;The study aims to clarify the status of state support measures for children and families with children and the role of organizations of the non-profit sector in providing comprehensive support to families. The purpose of the article is to summarize the data and theoretically analyze various measures to support families with children. The main research method is theoretical analysis. Results of the study demonstrate the main directions of state support and activities of organizations of the non-profit sector, as well as controversial issues and contradictions in access to data, were identified. In the course of the theoretical analysis, a number of diverse factors have been identified that influence the process and result of supporting families with children. It is noted that the involvement of NGOs in the system of proactive preservation with the preservation of health status would increase the strengthening of the effectiveness of the implementation of social policy in the Russian Federation and double care for those who need it.&lt;/p&gt;

Media Salience Shifts and the Public’s Perceptions About Reality: How Fluctuations in News Media Attention Influence the Strength of Citizens’ Sociotropic Beliefs

ABSTRACT This article examines whether shifts in news media attention to societal issues matter for how strong beliefs citizens have about those issues. Based on an issue signal approach, in which media salience is conceptualized as signal strength, the study analyzes whether sociotropic beliefs become more prevalent, extreme, and certain when news media salience rises, and less prevalent, extreme, and certain when media salience drops. Using a four-wave panel survey dataset collected over a two-year period, the empirical analysis links media content analyses of issue salience to panel survey data, comparing four issues with different levels of baseline salience and political controversy: violent crimes, immigration, climate change, and antibiotic resistance. The analysis shows that issue-specific news media exposure and issue-specific use of alternative media offer two different pathways to the formation of beliefs. The hypothesized relationship with news media salience was supported for the two controversial issues with high baseline salience (immigration and violent crimes), but not for climate change and antibiotic resistance. The results indicate that issue attributes matter and that audiences may respond differently to salience shifts depending on the level of controversy of the issue.

Contrastive analysis on the safety of brand and generic nebivolol: a real-world pharmacovigilance study based on the FDA adverse event reporting system.

Background: The equivalence of generic drugs to their brand-name counterparts is a controversial issue. Current literature indicates disparities between the generic nebivolol (GN) and the brand nebivolol (BN). Aim: The study is designed to investigate the safety difference between GN and BN and provide reference information for clinical practice. Methods: We reviewed adverse event (AE) reports that recorded nebivolol as the primary suspect drug in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2004 to 2022, conducted a disproportional analysis to detect signals for the GN and BN respectively, and compared the AE heterogeneity between them using the Breslow-Day test. Results: A total of 2613 AE reports of nebivolol were recorded in the FAERS database from 2004 to 2022, of which 2,200 were classified as BN, 346 as GN, and 67 unclassifiable AE reports were excluded. The signals of 37 AEs distributed in cardiac, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, and nervous systems were detected in disproportional analysis. 33 out of 37 AEs were positive signals, with 21 not previously listed on the drug label, indicating an unrecognized risk with nebivolol. In the heterogeneity analysis of AE signals between GN and BN, the GN generally showed a higher AE signal value than BN, especially 15 AEs distributed in the cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric systems that showed statistically significantly higher risk by taking GN. Conclusion: Our study shows some previously overlooked adverse effects of nebivolol. It suggests that the risk of GN's adverse effects may be higher than those in BN, which deserves further attention and investigation by healthcare professionals, regulators, and others.

IMAGOPOETICS AS AN IMAGOLOGICAL VISION OF A CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL WORK

The academic paper considers the imagological approach to musical works, characterized by priority attention to the identification of stereotypes used by the author. Imagology entered the postmodern discourse in the middle of the XX century; however, it was limited to the literary sphere for a long time. The present research explores the possibility of applying an imagological approach to musical art and its specifics. In contrast to literature, music operates with its own semiotic system based on intonation, a complex of pitch, rhythmic, and other features that determine the semantic content of musical constructions. This feature suggests supplementing the transduction of the concept of “imagology” with the transduction of the literary concept of “poetics” to the immanent features of a musical composition. From the perspectives outlined, the definition of the concept of imagopoetics in relation to musical art is derived in the academic paper. It is revealed that both the author’s European audience’s perception of non-European musical cultures and a wider range of images, which in the imagological discourse are called “imagothemes” and “imagotypes”, can be considered as stereotypes in the modern scientific discourse. At the same time, the issue of the correlation between the author’s authentic immersion in the relevant figurative sphere and the orientation to the stereotypical perception of the relevant figurative spheres by the author’s audience is actualized for each “imagotheme” and “imagotype”. The author also touches upon the controversial issue of the possibility of using the imagological approach to deny the existence of an objective difference between artifacts of different peoples, which is most clearly manifested in the musical art.