Mid-20th Century Research Articles

Axiomatics and Abstraction in the Mid-20th Century

Axiomatics and Abstraction in the Mid-20th Century

Responses of insectivorous bats to different types of land-use in an endemic-rich island in Central West Africa

Land-use change underpins the ongoing biodiversity crisis. Although such impacts are particularly acute across endemic-rich oceanic islands, little is known for afro-tropical islands. Here we assessed insectivorous bat responses to different land-use types of the island of São Tomé, in Central West Africa. Since its human colonization in the mid-15th century, São Tomé lost over 70 % of its native habitat, mostly to shaded and oil palm plantations, agriculture, and urban areas, while part of that was abandoned allowing secondary forests to re-grow. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we surveyed insectivorous bats in 115 sites across each land-use type over one month. We then examined bat species richness and activity, and species-specific activity. Based on 5520 h of recordings, we obtained 19,744 bat passes from five of the six taxa known to occur on the island, three of which are endemics. Both species richness and activity were highest in the four non-forest land-use types, with activity further decreasing with altitude. Species-specific responses corresponded to foraging guild: the forest foragers Hipposideros ruber and Macronycteris thomensis showed higher activity in forests and shaded plantations, the activity of the open-space foragers Chaerephon spp. peaked in urban areas, while that of the edge forager Miniopterus newtoni was highest in oil palm plantations. The island's insectivorous bats are persisting despite land-use change, including island endemics. Maintaining the mosaic of land-use types, including native forests, is likely to help sustain insectivorous bat diversity in this tropical island.

Pulmonary Valve Fibroelastoma, Still a Very Rare Cardiac Tumor: Case Report and Literature Review

Background and Clinical Significance: Primary cardiac tumors are among the rarest types of tumor, and until the mid-20th century, they were diagnosed only post-mortem or during other surgical interventions. With the rapid evolution of cardiovascular imaging and the widespread use of echocardiography, the incidence of cardiac fibroelastoma has increased, though it remains one of the rarest primary cardiac tumors. Papillary fibroelastoma is a benign primary cardiac tumor that develops from endocardial tissue, is usually solitary, and can have multiple locations, with the pulmonary valve being one of the rarest sites. The symptoms and complications depend on the tumor’s location, ranging from asymptomatic patients to cerebral ischemic embolism or pulmonary embolism. We analyzed the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane and conducted a systematic review of pulmonary valve papillary fibroelastoma (PVPF). Additionally, we included a case from the Adult and Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic in Targu Mures. Case Presentation: We present the case of a 58-year-old patient who complained of exertional dyspnea. A transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed a tumor mass attached to the pulmonary valve and coronary angiography identified severe coronary lesions. Following discussions within the Heart Team, surgical myocardial revascularization and tumor excision were decided upon due to the thromboembolic risk. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of papillary fibroelastoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, with an improvement in dyspnea. The mean age of the patients was 60 years, with half being men (n = 26, 50%). Regarding symptoms, 34% (n = 18) of cases were incidentally identified, while over 30% (n = 17) presented with dyspnea. Pulmonary embolism (PE) was reported in only two patients, and the most common associated comorbidities included high blood pressure (HBP) in 33% (n = 16) and dyslipidemia in 18%. Tumor size ranged from 0.7 cm to 3 cm with the initial benign cardiac tumor; its occurrence in the pulmonary valve remains exceedingly rare. Due to its frequent overlap with other cardiac pathologies, the clinical presentation is often a nonspecific diagnosis or suspicion of a tumor predominantly established via transthoracic echocardiography in 62% of patients. From a surgical perspective, 63% (n = 33) underwent tumor resection with valve sparing, 25% (n = 12) required pulmonary valve repair, and three patients necessitated pulmonary valve replacement. Conclusions: Although the incidence of papillary fibroelastoma is increasing, making it the most common, there is a need to highlight the indispensable role of echocardiography in diagnosis. Although papillary fibroelastoma is benign, surgical intervention is recommended, particularly in symptomatic patients, or if the tumor exceeds 1 cm in size, exhibits increased mobility, or is present alongside other cardiac surgical procedures.

Influence of large-scale atmospheric circulation and Mediterranean sea surface temperature to extreme land precipitation: the case of storm Alex

Abstract Extreme (greater than 500 mm) amount of rain fell in southeastern France and northern Italy on 2nd and 3rd October 2020 during a "Mediterranean episode" triggered by the powerful extratropical cyclone Alex. Here we use a dynamical adjustment methodology based on constructed analogues to assess the contributions of different drivers to the magnitude of this extreme precipitation event. We first show that the mean effect of the observed atmospheric circulation pattern, an intense low-pressure system centered over the coasts of Western Europe associated with a cold pool and a secondary low-pressure system, can explain about 80 percent of the precipitation event magnitude. By contrasting the effect of Alex atmospheric circulation with an anomalously warm Mediterranean sea and eastern Atlantic ocean versus neutral sea surface temperature conditions, we show that the influence of September 2020 positive sea surface temperature anomalies can explain a large fraction of the 20 percent residual precipitation over southeastern France and northern Italy. Finally, based on a storyline approach, we find that the dynamic component, the atmospheric circulation contribution to the extreme precipitation event, was more extreme than it would have been, had it occurred during the mid-20th century. The increase in the magnitude of the dynamic component since 1950 follows a Clausius-Clapeyron scaling, in agreement with previous studies about the intensity changes of Mediterranean extreme precipitation episodes. (limit =300 words)

Ultrasonic Melt Processing: Progress, Applications, and Future Directions

Ultrasonic melt processing (UMP) has garnered significant attention from both academic and industrial communities as a promising solution to critical challenges in the metal casting industry. This technique offers a clean, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient approach to improving melt quality and achieving structural refinement. However, due to the opaque nature of metals, understanding the fundamental mechanisms governing the interactions among ultrasonic bubbles, acoustic streaming, and the melt remains still challenging. This review traces the evolution of UMP research, from its inception in the mid-20th century to recent advancements, with particular emphasis on the application of state-of-the-art synchrotron X-ray imaging and computational modeling. These approaches have been instrumental in unraveling the complex, multiscale dynamics occurring across both temporal and spatial scales. Key findings in various metallic alloy systems are critically reviewed, focusing on new insights into cavitation bubbles, acoustic streaming, and the interactions of growing solid phases in different alloys. Additionally, the review discusses the resulting phenomena, including grain refinement, fragmentation, and the mitigation of solidification defects, in detail. The review concludes by identifying critical research gaps and emerging trends, underscoring the indispensable role of in situ studies and robust theoretical frameworks in advancing UMP. These developments are poised to reshape the future of innovation in materials science and engineering.

Was the Virgin Lands Campaign a Venture? To the 70th Anniversary of the New Land Use

The issue of developing new lands continues to be relevant in our country and around the world. On a global scale, the world’s population is actively growing, people are increasingly bringing undeveloped lands into the agricultural cycle, thus increasing the space for living. On the world stage, Russia ranks first in terms of land resources that need to be further developed. Proper use of vacant land will give our country the opportunity to solve the problem of food security and become independent of food imports from abroad. In addition, it will be possible to increase the export of food products to other countries. The purpose of this work is a comprehensive review of the historical experience of the Soviet Union in the development of the virgin lands in the middle of the 20th century. In particular, the study pays attention to the problem of participation of the Upper Volga economic region in the development of the virgin lands. The study is based on scientific and research literature and on archival data. Using the method of regional research, it was possible to determine the volume of work done by the people of the Upper Volga region in the virgin lands of Kazakhstan in 1954–1956. The results of the study revealed that in the first years of the development of the new lands in the Kazakh SSR, the people of Ivanovo, Kostroma and Yaroslavl managed to organize 13 new grain farms on their own, to staff collective farms and state farms with qualified personnel, thereby laying the foundation for the development of virgin lands infrastructure. We came to the conclusion that the personnel from Upper Volga played a notable role in the development of the regions of Northern Kazakhstan. Today, the Republic of Kazakhstan is the largest producer and exporter of wheat, the gross harvest in 2022–2023 amounted to 16.4 million tons. In many ways, today’s success is based on the economic transformations of the mid-20th century, when agricultural and industrial infrastructure was built in the empty steppe.

Angola Prison’s Black Ecologies

This article fuses ethnography, spatial analysis, interviews, and archival research to explore the ways that people incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP) experience the uneven impacts of anthropogenic climate change. LSP, more commonly known as Angola Prison, is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States. The prison population is majority Black, and most of the people incarcerated at Angola will spend the majority of their lives imprisoned there. Angola was established post-Civil War with the consolidation of four plantations in northern Louisiana into a prison farm, built and maintained by the same regimes of forced labor, torture, sexual violence, and authoritarianism as the plantations which preceded it. Angola has always been a lucrative site of agricultural production due to its proximity to the floodplain at a bend in the Mississippi, the product of its rich soils routinely replenished by the river’s deluging of the land. However, anthropogenic climate change has increased the level of inundation in the lower Mississippi Delta, leading to an increase in catastrophic flooding in the region. The prison has been evacuated several times over the past 20 years due to flooding, leading to the deaths of several elderly inmates and intensified regimes of forced labor as inmates are forced to work harder every year to maintain a failing levee system. This essay utilizes a Black Ecologies framework to explore not only the lived experiences of people enduring the effects of these climate disasters while incarcerated but also the important political and intellectual contributions made by Angola’s prisoners since the mid-19th century. A Black Ecologies framework elucidates how, despite unlivable conditions, inmates at Angola have provided crucial critiques of the prison industrial complex that crystallize an emergent form of authoritarianism that articulates itself at the convergence of anthropogenic climate change, racial capitalism, and incarceration. Angola’s carceral ecologies have key implications for environmental justice scholarship, and this article argues that the lived experiences and political critiques of incarcerated people must become integrated into contemporary environmental justice struggles.

Financial science at Kazan University in the 19th century

This article presents the results of a survey of the origins and development of the Kazan school of financial law at Kazan University during the era of significant transformations in the interplay between Russia’s legal, state, and economic systems. The critical role of reforms in the first half of the 19th century, which were a response to the evolving economic and political landscape of Russia, in shaping the principles of financial law as a science was demonstrated. A detailed analysis of the pioneering views and works of such financial scholars as I.Ya. Gorlov, E.G. Osokin, D.M. Lvov, and P.A. Nikolsky was performed, highlighting their pivotal impact on the emergence of financial science at Kazan University. It was concluded that, by the mid-19th century, Kazan University had established a distinct financial law school, thus contributing considerably to the financial law doctrine of pre-revolutionary Russia.

Neoconstitucionalismo teórico

Context: Since the mid-20th century, legal theory has questioned the paradigms of positivism. Problem: There are doubts as to whether this new vision effectively structures a new theory for law, as opposed to theoretical positivism. Objective: This text aimed to demonstrate that neoconstitutionalism – derived from the phenomenon of constitutionalization and modern constitutionalisms – truly reveals the consolidation of a new theory for law. Method: Supported by a narrative review, this paper explores the theoretical bases of the neoconstitutional vision of law, establishing counterpoints to positivism. Result: The positivist theory of law is currently threatened by a series of claims that undermine its postulates: the thesis of coactivity and the source of qualification, the theories of norm, ordering and interpretation. Final considerations: Theoretical neoconstitutionalism, supported by internationalized coercion, the preeminence of rights, principle-norms, a ius commune, and a model of progressive concretization, establishes the theoretical bases for the Constitutional Theory of Law.

Communists and Black liberation movements: divergent trajectories in the United States and South Africa, 1939–1969

Abstract In the 1920s, the Moscow-based Comintern began to promote a Black Communist movement, with specific emphasis on the United States and South Africa. Despite this common point of departure, the United States and South African Communist parties followed opposite trajectories. By the mid-20th century, the former dwindled as it grew increasingly detached from Black movements, while the latter developed a close relationship with the African National Congress, setting the stage for the party’s explosive growth in the post-apartheid period. To explain this divergence, we focus on what we call movement politics: the dynamic interaction among movements as they pursue particular political orientations and strategies. In the instances examined here, movement politics takes the form of a triangular relationship among three sets of actors: the international Communist movement, Black movements, and national Communist parties. We examine this dynamic interaction in two key conjunctures: first, during World War II, when loyalty to the Soviet Union proved to be an asset for the CPSA and a liability for the CPUSA; and second, during the Cold War, when South African Communists and Black movements converged on a politics of national liberation, while in the United States, Black movements turned to Third World liberation or anti-Communism as two alternatives to the CPUSA. These divergent trajectories reveal the period considered here, 1939 to 1969, as a critical juncture when American Communists became alienated from Black movements, while their counterparts in South Africa developed a lasting alliance with Black movements that persists to this day.

Полемика как форма коммуникации в славянофильско-западническом дискурсе XIX в.

The purpose of the study is to prove that polemics is a defining form of communication in the public discourse of the mid-19th century. It serves as a special marker of the era. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the semantics and usage of the lexeme "polemic" are the subject of analysis for the first time. The lexeme is missing from historical dictionaries devoted to the literary language of the 18th and 19th centuries, and therefore the results of the analysis fill a certain gap in lexicographic practice. As a result of the research, it was found that the original meaning changes significantly, moving from the religious sphere and theology to the socio-political one. In the article, the semantics of a word is revealed in contexts and supplemented taking into account compatibility with other units. It is established that as a form of communication, polemics turned out to be an important aspect of the ideological struggle between Slavophiles and Westerners and contributed to the crystallization of the views of both. The battlefield turned out to be mainly literary and critical articles in magazines and newspapers, since an open discussion on censorship grounds was impossible. Nevertheless, the veiled nature of the controversy did not prevent the identification of the author's views and his identification as a supporter of one or another ideological camp.

IDENTITATEA CONFESIONALĂ A ROMÂNILOR GRECO-CATOLICI ÎN PERIOADA INTERBELICĂ – ELEMENTE ALE DISCURSULUI IDENTITAR

The Confessional Identity of Greek-Catholic Romanians in the Interwar Period - Elements of Identity Discourse. The paper analyzes the evolution of the confessional identity of the Greek-Catholic Church from Romania, in the Inter-Wars period. The discourse of identity of the Romanian Uniate Church has many themes originated in the works of the ecclesiastical elite from the mid 18th century. On the other hand, the period after the union of Transylvania with Romania placed the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in a very different political, social and cultural context, becoming a minority inside the wider Romanian national community of an Orthodox majority. Thus, new elements were added to the confessional discourse of identity, strengthening the theme of belonging to the Catholic, Western, spiritual environment.

An Analysis of the Role of Aluminum-based Bulking Agents in Food Products

The food industry's evolution has witnessed a significant shift in consumer preferences and regulatory approaches towards food additives. The mid-20th century was characterized by the prevalent use of food additives, frequently without thorough examination. In contrast, contemporary trends prioritize "clean labels" that highlight descriptors such as "gluten-free," "organic," and "additive-free." This shift reflects growing consumer awareness of potential health risks associated with certain additives, particularly bulking agents. This article explores the function of aluminum-based bulking agents in food items, emphasizing their prevalence, modes of action, possible health implications, and existing regulatory frameworks. This paper will analyze the potential long-term health implications of aluminum exposure and explore the feasibility of developing alternative bulking agents with minimal adverse effects. This study underscores the essential equilibrium between improving the characteristics of food products and ensuring public health protection. The primary objective is to advance the comprehension of the intricate issues related to food additive regulations and to support informed decision-making in the advancement of food safety.

Weapons of the Weak: Technological Change, Guerrilla Firepower, and Counterinsurgency Outcomes

What explains counterinsurgency outcomes? Existing scholarship points to characteristics and strategies of incumbents and insurgents but neglects the role of insurgents’ weapons. Some studies discuss the effects of the firepower of insurgents relative to incumbents. Focusing on relative firepower, however, is problematic given the asymmetric nature of guerrilla warfare, with insurgents eschewing decisive engagements where incumbents would bring to bear their material superiority. We turn the spotlight, instead, on guerrilla firepower, i.e., insurgents’ absolute ability to inflict casualties on incumbents using small arms in hit-and-run attacks. We argue that technological innovations dating to the mid-19th century sowed the seeds for cumulative increases in lethality of insurgents' small arms – the standard tools of guerrilla warfare – over the following 150 years, enhancing tactical effectiveness of hit-and-run attacks and thus insurgents’ prospects of strategic success. Statistical analysis of novel data on guerrilla firepower in counterinsurgency campaigns from 1800 to 2005 corroborates our argument.

Барокко (середина XVI – середина XVIII столетия). Коллизии контрастов. Эссе II

This work is a continuation of the publication: Demchenko A. I. Baroque (the mid-16th to mid-18th centuries): Collisions of contrasts. Essay 1 // Pan-Art. 2024. Vol. 4. Iss. 4. The essay systematically reveals the key contrasts and antitheses characteristic of the Baroque era. In this part, the author draws attention to the Baroque temperament, in particular, its characteristic inclination towards hyperbolization. The opposition and “cooperation” of the Baroque style with classicism and realism, as well as “the grand style” that emerged at the intersection of Baroque and classicism, receive separate consideration. The essay also highlights the common aspects of the artistic world of the Baroque epoch: conceptualism, the reproduction of life of a great mass of people, a sense of a large space, problematicity, a deep comprehension of human nature, the creation of “eternal images”, the evolution of opera, and Baroque humanism.

Plutonium Marker for the Great Acceleration by Intensified Human Activities.

There has been a sharp rise in the extent and scale of human activities since the mid-20th century, termed the "Great Acceleration", and nuclear activities are one of the defining technological processes for this period. 239,240Pu released by atmospheric nuclear weapons tests provides an ideal chronostratigraphic marker for labeling this change due to its global fallout feature, temporal mutation, and long half-lives. However, the accumulation dynamics of plutonium from atmospheric deposition to preservation in the sediment is still controversial. Three sediment cores collected from two maar lakes with high-quality chronology were analyzed for 239,240Pu. The first high-yield thermonuclear test (31st October 1952) and the highest global tests in 1961-1962 were identified, respectively, as the first rapidly increased 239,240Pu in 1953 and peaked in 1963. In anoxic Lake Sihailongwan (SHLW), scavenging Pu from the water to sediment was accelerated due to the major particulate associated forms of Pu(III) and Pu(IV) and rapidly elevated dust flux when ice-melting occurred in every spring. The desorption of Pu from beneath sediment to the lake water and resorption by sediment particles were stronger in shallow and oxic Lake Huguangyan. Therefore, the first rapid increase of 239,240Pu in 1953 and peak in 1963 accompanied by rapid scavenging and well preservation of plutonium provide a robust time marker for the "Great Acceleration", and this marker nearly permanently exists in such kind of lake sediment similar to Lake SHLW.

Intergenerational trends in body size among Moscow's young adults: socio-demographic influences of the 20th century.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of socio-demographic and epidemiological factors on the secular changes in body size indicators (height, weight, and BMI) among young adults aged 17-22 years in Moscow from the early 20th century to the present. Published average anthropometric data from screening surveys conducted from 1880/1925-26 to 2020-21 were analysed (4,823 males and 5,952 females), along with demographic data from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. Findings revealed consistent anthropometric trends and strong associations between secular changes in body size of Moscow youth and socio-demographic indicators such as population size, life expectancy, and infant mortality rates. An increase in height and weight was noted against the backdrop of urbanisation, increased life expectancy, and reduced infant mortality. These results indicate that the urbanisation process and the transformation of the epidemiological landscape in 20th-century Russia - marked by enhancements in public health, modernisation of the healthcare system, and medical advancements - have had a significant impact on changes in body size across generations. Notably, from the mid-20th century onwards, with the exception of the final decade, conditions favourable to growth and development were established, culminating in a significant increase in definitive anthropometric parameters across successive generations. The findings underscore the imperative for policymakers to bolster investments in urban development, healthcare, and education. Such strategic investments are essential for sustaining and amplifying the positive physical development trends witnessed.

Relationality With the Dead in Chinese Sufism: Relics' Agency and Self-Annihilation in the Afterlives of Two Jahriyya Shaykhs.

This paper interrogates what place do dead exemplars and saintly relics occupy in the ritual repertoire of Jahriyya Sufism - a mystical revivalist movement that emerged in mid-18th century Northwest China as a sectarian offshoot of the Yemeni Naqshbandi tradition. Since its inception, the Jahriyya played a leading role in the Muslim uprisings against the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). The paper proposes a model of relationality with the dead where mortuary practices are not aimed solely at memorializing the shaykhs who fell as martyrs in the uprisings, but, most importantly, at aiding Sufi initiates in their inner-directed effort to transcend egoistic desires and eventually uncover God's qualities within themselves - a practice that in classical Sufism is called fanā' fir-Allah (lit. "self-annihilation in God").

Thoracic Ultrasound in Cattle: Methods, Diagnostics, and Prognostics.

Thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) has emerged as a critical tool in the diagnosis and management of respiratory diseases in cattle, particularly bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which is one of the most economically significant health issues in feedyard operations. The objective of this review is to explore TUS in veterinary medicine, including the historical development, methodologies, and clinical applications for diagnosing and prognosing respiratory diseases. This review also emphasizes the importance of operator training, noting that even novice operators can achieve diagnostic consistency with proper instructions. Ultrasound was introduced in the mid-20th century for back-fat thickness measurements; TUS has evolved to offer a non-invasive, real-time imaging modality that allows for the detection of lung and pleural abnormalities such as consolidations, pleural effusions, and B-lines. These features are vital indicators of respiratory disease, and their early identification through TUS can significantly improve clinical outcomes. Compared to traditional diagnostic methods like auscultation or radiography, TUS provides superior accuracy in detecting both subclinical and advanced respiratory conditions, particularly in high-risk populations. Furthermore, TUS has demonstrated strong prognostic value, with studies showing that the extent of lung consolidation correlates with higher relapse risk, reduced growth performance, and increased mortality.

The educational potential of the documentary film genre

As cinematography was gaining momentum in the mid 20th century, historians and sociologists started to question the rigid narrative of classic textbooks, as the pace of social change accelerated and old learning tools proved insufficient. In the Republic of Moldova, documentary film has been validated as a trustworthy resource for education relatively late, yet many valuable works were created more than half a century ago. With the opening to the European path, new opportunities arose for the documentary film to establish itself as a trustful means of learning and teaching. This article aims to identify the possibilities and challenges of documentary in its attempt to establish itself as a contemporary learning method.