Extreme Manifestation Research Articles

Orientation mapping linked to fractal analysis: A method for studying abnormal grain growth in nanocrystalline PdAu

In a nanocrystalline alloy, we recently discovered a novel form of abnormal grain growth involving the emergence of grain boundaries having fractal-like morphologies. Although abnormal growth has long presented a challenge to materials scientists, new insights into this phenomenon might be gained from a study of its extreme manifestation in nanocrystalline Pd90Au10, where some grains not only grow to much larger sizes than their neighbors but also take on dendritic, highly convoluted shapes. To unravel the origin and mechanism of grain growth in this case, it is essential to determine the fractal dimension of the resulting grain boundaries with high accuracy. To achieve this goal, we turn to orientation mapping based on electron backscatter diffraction, the output of which is subjected to image processing and subsequent box-counting analysis. The robustness, reproducibility, and accuracy of this protocol are ensured by optimizing parameters related to sample preparation, orientational imaging, image processing, and the box-counting algorithm. We have validated the approach against non-fractal Euclidean structures as well as a mathematical fractal, finding that the method yields values for the fractal dimension that are precise up to three decimal places. Moreover, the parameters of the methodology can be adapted readily to other scenarios in which elements of a given microstructure manifest a fractal character.

NCMP-20. A RETROSPECTIVE SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE WITH NONBACTERIAL THROMBOTIC ENDOCARDITIS AND STROKE - OUTCOMES, ANTICOAGULATION STRATEGIES, AND INCORPORATION OF NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING DAT

Abstract BACKGROUND Acute ischemic stroke is a common neurologic complication of cancer and contributes to worse prognosis. Hypercoagulable state is an important stroke mechanism in cancer. Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) represents an extreme manifestation of such hypercoagulability. Evidence comparing LMHW to unfractionated heparin or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for secondary stroke prevention is lacking in cancer patients. It is also unknown whether certain tumor mutations are associated with increased risk of NBTE. METHODS We reviewed clinical documents at MD Anderson Cancer Center using a RichSearch Natural Language Processing application to search for terms related to marantic endocarditis. Each patient was assessed for documentation of both valvular thickening or vegetations on echocardiogram, and negative blood cultures. Targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) information was interrogated using the PROACTIVE database. RESULTS 100 patient records were reviewed and of these 41 patients were determined to have likely NBTE based on the above criteria. 12 patients had recurrent strokes despite anticoagulation, two of whom had two recurrent strokes despite different anticoagulation strategies (4 strokes through therapeutic dose LMWH, 4 through rivaroxaban, 3 through apixaban, 1 through fondaparinux). The most common primary malignancies were non-small cell lung cancer (n=14) and pancreatic cancer (n=11). NGS data was available for 13 patients, and the most common mutations were KRAS (n=8), TP53 (n=7), EGFR (n=4), and BRAF (n=2) CONCLUSIONS NBTE is an important stroke mechanism in cancer, and the optimal secondary prevention strategy is unknown. These results confirm that NBTE is common in NSCLC and pancreatic cancer. These cancer types commonly harbor mutations such as KRAS, TP53 and EGFR, and work is ongoing to clarify how such mutations might contribute to hypercoagulability. Recurrent stroke is possible with all anticoagulation strategies. Further analysis of outcomes, serum biomarkers (ex. D-dimer), and comorbid medical diagnoses known to confer increased cardiovascular risk is underway.

Вопросы местного значения по профилактической работе с лицами, подверженными воздействию идеологии терроризма в этнических общинах и прибывшими в потоках трудовых мигрантов

The present study considers the issues of organization of activities aimed at prevention of manifestations of extremism and terrorism among migrant workers by local governments. The tasks assigned to local authorities are determined by national policy priorities and the local operational situation. There are specified a number of social effects that arise as a result of the influx of migrants, especially in the labor sphere. It is also noted that labor migrants may, under certain circumstances, become disseminators of extremism and terrorism ideology. Special attention is paid to the processes of involvement of migrants from Central Asia in illegal activities. In connection with the above stated circumstances, there are determined complex tasks concerning prevention of extremism manifestations in places of compact settlement of migrants, as well as the tasks of interdepartmental interaction, general, complex and additional preventive activities, targeted work with certain individuals. In conclusion it is emphasized that competent preventive work with labor migrants and the local community will allow to maintain peaceful interaction between different confessions and nationalities within a municipality.

Phytochrome A and its Functional Manifestations in Etiolated and Far-red Light-grown Seedlings of the Wild-type Rice and its Hebiba and Cpm2 Mutants Deficient in the Defense-related Phytohormone Jasmonic Acid.

Interaction between phytochromes and hormones is becoming one of the major issues in plant photophysiology. In this work, effects of defense-related jasmonic acid (JA) on phytochrome A (phyA) were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy making use of two JA biosynthesis mutants of rice: cpm2 with the inactivated gene allene oxide cyclase and hebiba with additional genes deleted. Constant far-red light (FRc) mediated by phyA reduced its content in the wild type (WT) and mutants, and brought about domination of its light-stable pool (phyA″) in WT and light-labile pool (phyA') in the mutants. Pulsed FRp was much less effective. This FR effect classifies as primarily HIR with a low fluence threshold; it comprises inhibition of phyA biosynthesis, stimulation of phyA″→phyA' transformation and phyA' destruction. In the mutants, phyA suppresses [Pchlide] under FRp (VLFR) and stimulates it under FRc (HIR); these effects are lacking in WT. Similarly, phyA suppresses roots'growth under FRp in the mutants but not in WT. These JA mutant features suggest that JA reduces the phyA functional activity primarily in its phyA″ form mediating HIR. This modulating JA action on phyA functions under FR limiting their extreme manifestations may have contributed to the evolutionary advances of the land plants.

Cutaneous Pedal Manifestations in Patient With Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Cryoglobulinemia: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Cryoglobulinemia is an uncommon blood dyscrasia that can manifest itself in the lower extremity. Due to the insidious nature of this disease, dermatological symptoms and ulcerations can easily be mistaken for more common entities. The authors present an overview of cryoglobulinemia and a case report of a patient with lower extremity manifestations of this disorder. This can provide specific guidance on the steps necessary to accurately establish the diagnosis of cryoglobulinemia or rule it out and pursue other etiologies causing lower extremity ulceration.

The vaginal bacterial dysbiosis severity predicting model according to the normobiota index

The local and systemic immunodeficiency is the main mechanism for vaginal bacterial dysbiosis and its extreme manifestation – bacterial vaginosis (BV) development. The complex immune response study and the establishment of the main mechanisms and factors, reflecting it and corresponding to the microbiocenosis severity disorder are relevant. Aim – to develop a neural network model of the severity of vaginal bacterial dysbiosis based on the assessment of normobiota. Divided into the following groups according to the Conditionally pathogenic microflora index (CPMI) and normobiota index (NBI): normocenosis (n=53), dysbiosis I (n=128) and II degree (n=117) among the latter 83 patients with PNB>1 lg GE/sample were identified, in whom BV was established. Molecular genetic studies of the epithelium scraping from the vagina posterolateral wall were carried out by Polymerase chain reaction (“DNK-Technologiia” LLC, RF). Facultative and obligate anaerobes, myco- and ureplasmas, and yeast-like fungi were quantified. The content of immunoglobulins, lysozyme, cytokines, complement, phagocytosis activity of leukocytes, hormones, the number of lymphocytes and their fractions, as well as the vaginal discharge pH (a total of 58 indexes) were identified in blood and vaginal discharge. For statistical and mathematical analysis, the Statistica 10 software (StatSoft, Inc., USA) was used. Using neural network modeling, it was revealed that among all the factorial signs for determining the bacterial dysbiosis degree, the complement component C4 and γ-INF content in the vaginal discharge and circulating immune complexes (CIC) and TNFα in the blood were important. A linear neural network model was built on the selected set of factor signs (the Cohen’s kappa coefficient consent index on the training set was k=0.87 (95% CI 0.82-0.91) for confirming plurality – k=0.89 (95% CI 0.77-1.00). With normocenosis, the complement activation PNB was decreased, and γ-INF and TNFα content was increased. The CIC levels blood increase corresponded to the opportunistic microflora growth and reflected the humoral immune response activation, which suggests that this indicator is an early dysbiosis marker. With I degree dysbiosis all factors had positive relationship with NBI, which reflected the immune system stress state. In case of II degree dysbiosis, NBI had a negative relationship with γ-INF content in the vaginal discharge, and CIC in the blood, while positive – with C4 content in vaginal discharge, and TNFα in the blood, which proved the immune system dysregulation and caused its further suppression with the BV-association immunodeficiency development. The immune system reaction during the BV development evolved from non-specific resistance reactions to cytokine-induced reactions of specific humoral immunity in response to the BV-associated microbiota growth, which subsequently experienced depletion and loss of immune control.

برنامج مقترح من منظور طریقة العمل مع الجماعات وتنمیة الوعی الأمنی للاخصائیین الاجتماعیین العاملین مع الطلاب لوقایتهم من التطرف الفکری

The study in hand is meant to design a proposed program in terms of the scope of group work method to develop security awareness of social workers engaging with high school students to protect them against intellectual extremism. Given this, a combination of analytical descriptive studies and a comprehensive social survey methodology was applied to a sample of (44) social workers. Based on the questionnaires applied, a set of significant findings were inferred. First, the concept of security awareness for social workers means their awareness of students' rights and duties towards society. Second, one of the most important manifestations of intellectual extremism among students is their tendency to intolerance of personal opinions and not considering those of others. Third, one of the most important roles that a social worker plays is helping students to engage in several camps which train them in serving the environment and society. Finally, social workers may confront a range of barriers, including the absence of school control techniques that negatively affects students' ethics and makes them vulnerable to extremist ideas, the lack of training courses that enhance the security awareness of social workers, the lack of incorporating topics on ideological extremism hazards among academic programs, and the deficiency of central programs that support the security awareness of social workers. Key words: Program, Group Work Method, Security Awareness, Intellectual Extremism, Secondary schools. الملخص الملخص: تهدف الدراسة الى تصميم برنامج مفترح من منظور طريقة العمل مع الجماعات لتنمية الوعي الأمني للاخصائيين الاجتماعيين العاملين مع طلاب المرحلة الثانوية لوقايتهم من التطرف الفکري، لذلک تم استخدام نمط الدراسات الوصفية التحليلية ومنهج المسح الاجتماعي الشامل لعينة قوامها (44) اخصائي اجتماعي، وتم تطبيق الاستبيان عليهم، وقد تم التوصل الى مجموعة من النتائج من أهمها: أن مفهوم الوعي الأمني للاخصائيين الاجتماعيين هو ادراک حقوق وواجبات الطلاب تجاه المجتمع، ومن أهم مظاهر التطرف الفکري لدى الطلاب هو الميل الى التعصب في الرأي ولايعترف بوجود آخرين، ومن أهم الأدوار التي يقوم بها الاخصائي الاجتماعي هو الاهتمام بمساعدة الطلاب على تنفيذ العديد من المعسکرات لخدمة البيئة والمجتمع، وان من اکثر المعوقات التي تواجه هي غياب أساليب الضبط المدرسي والتي تؤثر على أخلاقيات الطلاب وتجعله عرضه للأفکار المتطرفة، قلة الدورات التدريبية التي تعزز الوعي الأمني للاخصائيين الاجتماعيين، عدم تضمين البرامج الدراسية موضوعات عن مخاطر التطرف الفکري، قصور البرامج المرکزية التي تدعم الوعي الأمني للاخصائيين الاجتماعيين. الکلمات المفتاحية: البرنامج، طريقة العمل مع الجماعات، الوعي الأمني، التطرف الفکري، المرحلة الثانوية.

СОЦИАЛЬНЫЕ ПРЕДПОСЫЛКИ ЭКСТРЕМИЗМА В МОЛОДЁЖНОЙ СРЕДЕ

This article examines the main causes and social prerequisites of extremism among young people. The problem of youth ex- tremism and its spread in Russia is very relevant for the modern state and society. The article presents statistics that reflect crimes of an extremist nature. Examples of various youth associations (subcultures) that engage in illegal anti-social activi- ties, professing the cult of force and carrying out destructive behavior towards people with a different skin color, religious or gender affiliation are considered. This article identifies the social background of youth extremism, including the processes of modernization and urbanization, the processes of cultural decline, as well as the political and ethno-confessional situation. The main characteristics of the concept of "extremism" are given. The Strategy of countering extremism in the Russian Fed- eration until 2025, approved by the President of the Russian Federation, has not been ignored, where uncontrolled migra- tion and violations that it causes in regions with a well-established ethno-confessional climate are specifically highlighted as factors that provoke the manifestation of youth extremism. This article discusses the main approaches to the study of the stated topic from a sociological perspective. The main socially significant factors that have a certain impact on the for- mation of extremist moods in the minds of young people are also highlighted. The study of this problem leads to the conclu- sion that extremist youth movements are most widespread in major cities. In this regard, comprehensive work is needed not only to prevent extremism among young people at the preventive level, but also to eliminate the influence of those social factors that contribute to its emergence in modern conditions.

Role of Women in Inclusive Growth and Sustainability: An Indicative Study

The economic face of gender inequality is not new; it existed in extreme forms and manifestations in the past also. Over the years, gender inequality has been translated in several forms, which include invisibility, glass ceiling, pink ceiling, wage gap, hindrances in career growth and access to capacity building. The developed world is also struggling to address issues of gender inequality and sustainable economic growth. Countries that have overcome this, are on high growth trajectories. Pakistan poses a dismal picture, low female labor force and economic participation remains a major contributor to Pakistan's low GDP. The issue of economic gender parity, if addressed, can therefore become a catalyst for Pakistan's future growth target. The acknowledgment of women's contribution to the society is undervalued. In addition, the proportion of women in informal sector is higher than in formal sector of economy. Thus, women are not showcased in inclusive growth and sustainability paradigms. Marriages, societal constraints, mobility issues, security situations, lack of encouragement of entrepreneurial start-ups, insufficient exposure to decision making roles and poor awareness about career growth are some of the factors that impede women's contribution to inclusive growth. The consensus is to increase women's visibility, participation and access, create equal opportunities and nurture a healthy work environment. This research attempts to contribute to the intellectual discourse through an indicative study in an urban setting, an indicative survey and interviews were conducted to ascertain the current mindset and status of women in workforce and their contribution to economic growth and sustainability. The sample size is 100+ females who have completed higher education degree in the last ten years. The hypothesis is backed by the Feminist Economic theory which demands wage and role equality in economic policy making and also questions division of labor at homes and in societies.

Этнический экстремизм в студенческой среде: опыт эмпирического исследования

The article is devoted to the actual problem of prevention of extremist moods of students in modern conditions of functioning of educational organizations of higher education. The development of prevention programs that ensure the effectiveness of the corresponding preventive activities of higher education institutions should be based on empirically confirmed and scientifically based information about the patterns and factors of occurrence and development of extremist moods of ethnic and religious orientation among students.
 The article presents the results of an empirical study that reveals the current state of the problem of the spread of extremist moods among modern students and the level of their propensity to extremist activities. Based on the results of the conducted empirical research, the author constructs a predictive model of possible manifestations of extremism among students studying in modern Russian universities, thereby determining the need and feasibility of developing effective measures to prevent the development of extremism in the youth environment.
 The empirical study involved 563 students of 2-3 courses of a number of Russian universities that carry out educational activities and implement educational programs in various areas of training (law, Economics, psychological, psychological-pedagogical and pedagogical education, etc.). Based on the identification of indicators of a person's propensity to ethnic extremism and the development of appropriate diagnostic tools, the author conducts a study, which concludes that it is necessary to search for effective measures to prevent extremist manifestations in the student environment in the process of organizing the educational process of the University. The revealed level of students ' propensity to extremism and its manifestation in their life activity is the main indicator of the relevance of the problem of preventing ethnic extremism among students in the process of their education at the University.

Hepatorenal syndrome: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), the extreme manifestation of renal impairment in patients with cirrhosis, is characterized by reduction in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. Hepatorenal syndrome is diagnosed when kidney function is reduced but evidence of intrinsic kidney disease, such as hematuria, proteinuria, or abnormal kidney ultrasonography, is absent. Unlike other causes of acute kidney injury (AKI), hepatorenal syndrome results from functional changes in the renal circulation and is potentially reversible with liver transplantation or vasoconstrictor drugs. Two forms of hepatorenal syndrome are recognized depending on the acuity and progression of kidney injury. The first represents an acute impairment of kidney function, HRS-AKI, whereas the second represents a more chronic kidney dysfunction, HRS-CKD (chronic kidney disease). In this review, we provide critical insight into the definition, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of hepatorenal syndrome.

Metabolic and Endocrine Challenges.

This review aims to provide an overview of metabolic and endocrine challenges in the setting of intensive care medicine. These are a group of heterogeneous clinical conditions with a high degree of overlap, as well as nonspecific signs and symptoms. Several diseases involve multiple organ systems, potentially causing catastrophic dysfunction and death. In the majority of cases, endocrine challenges accompany other organ failures or manifest as a complication of prolonged intensive care unit stay and malnutrition. However, when endocrine disorders present as an isolated syndrome, they are a rare and extreme manifestation. As they are uncommon, these can typically challenge both with diagnosis and management. Acute exacerbations may be elicited by triggers such as infections, trauma, surgery, and hemorrhage. In this complex scenario, early diagnosis and prompt treatment require knowledge of the specific endocrine syndrome. Here, we review diabetic coma, hyponatremia, hypercalcemia, thyroid emergencies, pituitary insufficiency, adrenal crisis, and vitamin D deficiency, highlighting diagnostic tools and tricks, and management pathways through defining common clinical presentations.

Dialogics of idea form-creation as a means of thinking

Theoretical problems mostly arise in a situation of collision of mutually unacceptable provisions of a separate theory, which are in a state of active confrontation. Possible ways or methods of solving these problems are usually indicated by ideas – a kind of psychological tools of thinking, the structure and functional purpose of which allow reflecting the object of comprehension in many ways and holistically, thus preventing the prospect of its extreme manifestations as mutually contradictory concepts of one-sided theoretical ideas-approaches. The peculiarity of the idea form-creation process is determined by the fact that thinking, stimulating the functional purpose of the idea, uses while its development improved rules of concepts derivation and changed principles of proving their truth, which are different from those that caused the theoretical problem occurrence. The improvement of these rules and the change of principles is carried out by taking into account the function of the operational component of thinking as a such, which leaves behind its categorical component only the function of the source of links to be reorganized. Mental operations that carry out this reorganization are triadic inferences, the use of which through thinking as psychological tools is possible by providing the content of the conceivable form of dialogics, i.e. a kind of dialogue logic of two logics, which meets the requirements of dialogical essence of thinking and principles of dialectics. Dialogics considers formally mutually contradictory understanding positions of one and the same object of comprehension, organizing them as a positively significant form of a theoretical problem statement. To solve it successfully, dialogics uses the idea as a mental tool, which is given the form of a dialectical-logical concept that can reflect the essence of a particular theoretical problem, manifested in the form of dialectical unity of formally opposite theoretical positions. Most importantly, the idea as a mental tool of reflecting the essence of the problem raises the theoretical comprehension of the investigated object over the functional degree of finding its place in a particular concept or paradigmatic model and opens the prospect of its objectification at the metaparadigmatic level in an exhaustive category-methodological completeness.

Natural Killer Cell Dysfunction and Its Role in COVID-19.

When facing an acute viral infection, our immune systems need to function with finite precision to enable the elimination of the pathogen, whilst protecting our bodies from immune-related damage. In many instances however this “perfect balance” is not achieved, factors such as ageing, cancer, autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease all skew the immune response which is then further distorted by viral infection. In SARS-CoV-2, although the vast majority of COVID-19 cases are mild, as of 24 August 2020, over 800,000 people have died, many from the severe inflammatory cytokine release resulting in extreme clinical manifestations such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Severe complications are more common in elderly patients and patients with cardiovascular diseases. Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in modulating the immune response and in both of these patient groups, NK cell effector functions are blunted. Preliminary studies in COVID-19 patients with severe disease suggests a reduction in NK cell number and function, resulting in decreased clearance of infected and activated cells, and unchecked elevation of tissue-damaging inflammation markers. SARS-CoV-2 infection skews the immune response towards an overwhelmingly inflammatory phenotype. Restoration of NK cell effector functions has the potential to correct the delicate immune balance required to effectively overcome SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Counter-narratives for the prevention of violent radicalisation: A systematic review of targeted interventions.

In the field of terrorism research, the violent radicalisation of individuals towards perpetrating acts of terror has been the subject of academic enquiry for some time. One core focus by social scientists has been the role of narratives in this process. Narratives have the ability to present a socially constructed version of reality which serves the interest of the narrator(s). In the context of terrorism, by depicting violence as a viable antidote to individual vulnerabilities, the narratives purported for propagandistic purposes have the potential to thwart perceptions of instrumentality (a key characteristic of violent radicalisation). In order to prevent this from happening, researchers and counter-terrorism practitioners have increasingly sought to explore the potential for counter-narratives; targeted interventions that challenge the rationalisation(s) of violence purported in dominant narratives which, in turn, reconstructs the story. However, there is overwhelming consensus in both government and academic spheres that the concept of the counter-narrative is underdeveloped and, to date, there has been no synthesis of its effectiveness at targeting violent radicalisation-related outcomes. The objective of this review was to provide a synthesis of the effectiveness of counter-narratives in reducing the risk of violent radicalisation. After a scoping exercise, the literature was identified through four search stages, including key-word searches of 12 databases, hand searches of reference lists of conceptual papers or books on the topic of counter-narratives, as well as direct contact with experts and professional agencies in the field. Studies adopting an experimental or quasiexperimental design where at least one of the independent variables involved comparing a counter-narrative to a control (or comparison exposure) were included in the review. Accounting for duplicates, a total of 2,063 records were identified across two searches. Nineteen studies across 15 publications met the inclusion criteria. These studies were largely of moderate quality and 12 used randomised control trial designs with varying types of controls. The publication years ranged from 2000 to 2018, with the majority of studies published after 2015. The studies represented a range of geographical locations, but the region most heavily represented was North America. In most cases, the dominant narrative(s) "to-be-countered" comprised of hostile social constructions of an adversary or "out-group". The majority of studies challenged these dominant narratives through the use of stereotype-challenging, prosocial, or moral "exemplars". Other techniques included the use of alternative accounts, inoculation and persuasion. In terms of risk factors for violent radicalisation, there was some disparity on intervention effectiveness. Overall, when pooling all outcomes, the intervention showed a small effect. However, the observed effects varied across different risk factors. Certain approaches (such as counter-stereotypical exemplars) were effective at targeting realistic threat perceptions, in-group favouritism and out-group hostility. However, there was no clear reduction in symbolic threat perceptions or implicit bias. Finally, there was a sparse yet discouraging evidence on the effectiveness of counter-narrative interventions at targeting primary outcomes related to violent radicalisation, such as intent to act violently. The review contributes to existing literature on violent radicalisation-prevention, highlighting the care and complexity needed to design and evaluate narrative-based interventions which directly counter existing, dominant narratives. The authors note the challenges of conducting high-quality research in the area, but nonetheless encourage researchers to strive for experimental rigour within these confines.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Treatment in Pregnancy: Case Study

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with high prevalence in female in reproductive age. In recent years the prognosis of pregnant patients with SLE has improved significantly. Even though the treatment options have improved, the risk of flares, preeclampsia, pregnancy loss, and premature labours remains high compared to healthy women. The aim of this article is to offer a review of current treatment options in pregnant patients with SLE and to present a case report of 32-year-old patient with newly diagnosed acute outbreak of SLE, who experienced a life-threatening multisystem flare at 24 weeks of gestational age. This case represents one of the most extreme manifestations of lupus disease activity associated with pregnancy that has been reported in literature and emphasizes the importance of preconception evaluation and counseling and amultidisciplinary management approach in cases with a complex and evolving clinical course.

Extreme Manifestation of a Familial Case of Treacher Collins Syndrome in an Infant with Arhinia, Eyelid Colobomas and Single Kidney

Extreme Manifestation of a Familial Case of Treacher Collins Syndrome in an Infant with Arhinia, Eyelid Colobomas and Single Kidney

The General Characteristics of Extremism and Analysis of the Current State of the Fight Against Extremist Crimes

Introduction: the Constitution of the Russian Federation and other Federal laws in this country guarantee the protection of the population against crimes, including criminal attacks of extremist orientation. However, recently there has been a steady trend towards an increase in the number of committed crimes of extremist orientation, which determines the need to improve the quality of protection of individual rights, and along with them, the constitutional framework of the state, since demonstratively committed extremist crimes cause a great public response and contribute to the undermining of state power. The crime statistics show a significant increase in the number of extremist crimes; there is a natural tendency to spread the ideas of extremism among the population. Unfortunately, only some of the extremist crimes are counted as such in the official statistics. The crimes of this category are often registered without taking into account the qualifying feature – the motive of national, racial, religious hatred or enmity, and, as a result, are not considered in the group of crimes of extremism. Another reason for not fully accounting for these crimes is their latency: not all victims of such criminal actions declare this for various objective and subjective reasons. The public danger of crimes of the group in question is due, on the one hand, as usual, to their group character, and on the other hand, such illegal actions incite interethnic and other hatred, which is very harmful in the context of the efforts being made to build a civil society. Currently, the legislative bodies do not clearly pay enough attention to the organization of counteraction to extremism as an anti-social phenomenon. For example, over the past ten years, the problems of countering extremism have been resolved through the adoption of only four normative legal acts of a national nature. In this regard, the authors aim to give a general description of such a phenomenon as extremism and the state of the fight against such crimes. Methods: the methodological framework for this research is a set of methods of scientific knowledge, among which the main ones are the methods of information processing and logical analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction and generalization. Results: the authors’ content of the general characteristics of extremism and analysis of the current state of the fight against crimes of extremist orientation actualizes the problem of the need to improve the state of the theoretical base, prepare recommendations based on it, which would contribute to improving the efficiency of the state authorized bodies in the fight against various manifestations of extremism, and primarily in order to solve and investigate crimes of extremist orientation. Conclusions: the study has given the general characteristics of extremism and the analysis of the current state of the fight against extremist crimes in order to inform law students, and the teaching staff of law schools and practitioners to better understand the characteristics and dangers of this phenomenon.

The Integration of the State and Civil Society Activities to Prevent Youth Extremism in the Context of Legal Socialization

Introduction: the involvement of the citizens’ associations in solving the problems of preventing extremism among young people should become an important trend in the development of partnership relations between the state and civil society. In the context of the problematics, the issues related to increasing the level of legal socialization of Russian youth are of no small importance. The purpose of the study: to characterize the activities of the state and citizens’ associations to prevent extremism among young people in the context of legal socialization. The research objectives: to assess the joint activities of the state and civil institutions engaged in the prevention of extremism among young people in the context of legal socialization; to identify the problems of legal socialization of Russian youth and suggest the ways to solve them; to justify the productivity of network crowdsourcing technologies in the joint activities of the state and civil society in the context of prevention of youth extremism. The methodological framework for this research is represented by a system of methods of scientific knowledge, which should include: general scientific, systemic, institutional and sociological methods. Results: in order to combat the manifestations of extremism among young people and successfully socialize young citizens, a complex systematic work of the state and civil society is necessary, which objectively requires the implementation of certain technologies, such as network crowdsourcing. In the paper, when determining the efficiency of this technology, the projects “Cyberdruzhina”, “MediaGuard” and “STOPTERROR” were evaluated. Conclusions: it is revealed that the network crowdsourcing technologies act as an optimal mechanism for supporting the system of prevention of youth extremism. Their widespread introduction into the Russian social space can “socialize” the system of preventing extremism among young people, provided that its most important subjects are not only the state structures, but also the constructive associations of citizens.

The Philosophical Category of the Ideal in the Models of the Future State of the Religious Extremists

The article analyzes the philosophical category of the ideal in the models of the future state structure, which are developed by the religious extremists in the context of modern social reality as the implementation of the ideal. The research is based on the activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami terrorist organization in Siberia. It is aimed at identifying the components of the religious extremist associations’ ideology of constructing a model of an ideal state. The socio-philosophical analysis of the ideology provisions and the hermeneutical approach to the manifestations of extremism serve the basis of the research methodology. The extremist ideas in religion are deviations from the norm and can arise in any religious tradition, thus expanding the scope of interpretations of religious law and positioning the existing situation in the religious community as untrue and distorted. The future state is represented by the extremists as an ideal social structure established on the principle of justice and in accordance with sacred precepts. The conflict of such worldview ideas as “it should be so” and “it is so” as well as the “perfectionist illusion” about an ideal society imply the possibility of creating an ideal world in modern social reality. Violence is understood as a necessary means to achieve this goal if other methods are ineffective. The authors characterize the similarities between the models of an ideal society developed by the religious extremism and the utopias in terms of content and interpretation, as well as religious extremist consciousness and utopian thinking in terms of structure and orientation. The ideologies of extremist associations embrace the understanding of the principle of justice, the idea of exclusivity, the model of the ideal, and the theological foundations of social actions. The tendency of thinking to utopian ideas, the intuitive assumption of the existence of an ideal, just society, and the conflict between “the proper” and “the existing” contribute to the spread of extremist ideas. Extremism uses the properties of consciousness: religiousness and thinking in absolute categories (in a destructive aspect in order to add naturalness to its ideas) and religious ideas (in order to justify illegal activities with a sacred will). The actions of the members of the extremist associations are given the status of free personal choice regarding the fulfillment of religious prescriptions and the divine will to create a world just society