Modern Studies Research Articles

КОМПЛЕКСНЫЙ ПОДХОД К ПУБЛИКАЦИИ ФОЛЬКЛОРНЫХ ПАМЯТНИКОВ: ИЗ ОПЫТА ПОДГОТОВКИ 25-ТОМНОГО АКАДЕМИЧЕСКОГО ИЗДАНИЯ «ТАТАРСКОЕ НАРОДНОЕ ТВОРЧЕСТВО»

This article is devoted to the experience of systematization and publication of folklore, implemented in the academic publication “Tatar Folk Art” in 25 volumes. The paper substantiates the need for an integrated approach based on the most syncretic nature of folklore and the state of modern folklore studies. Having analyzed the features of the classification of folklore texts containing mythological representations of the Tatars and data from the ritual tradition, the authors conclude that only with such a methodological approach folklore can be revealed in all its diversity as a single ideological complex.

S. Stauffer’s theory of the interdependence of mobility and distance as a basis for modern migration studies

This article analyzes the scientific legacy of S. Stouffer, one of the founders of migration studies. The main value of his work lies not so much in the data he received, but in questions he formulated about migration, which still remain relevant. The article substantiates the need for modern researchers to refer to the works of the classics of migration studies, and consistently examines the questions that S. Stouffer tried to answer in his works. Particular attention is paid to data sources for the analysis of migration processes, S. Stouffer’s arguments about the subjectivity of migrants and the existence of various strategies of migration behavior, as well as the concepts of “assumed” and “real” migration opportunities are analyzed. In conclusion, the article formulates the main theses that seem relevant to migration researchers today, and also describes a theoretical framework that suggests a connection between mobility and distance. Basing on the key thesis of this article that: “the lost value of research with Stouffer’s today is the devaluation of answers to fundamental and applied questions of migration, but the acquired value is the revaluation of the very questions posed by him”, the authors of the text demonstrate the continuity and evolution of scientific thought about migration processes from the middle of the 20th century up to the present day.

THE EMPEROR AND THE HISTORIAN: AN ANALYSIS OF ELA-GABALUS’ IMAGE CONSIDERING CASSIUS DIO’S TRAJECTORY AND POINT OF VIEW

In the work Roman History (Ῥωμαϊκὴ Ἱστορία), the historian and senator Cassius Dio constructs a highly negative image of the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (218-222), traditionally known as Elagabalus. This image of Elagabalus reverberated in modern uncritical historiographical studies and was passed down through a long tradition in a resignified form, arriving as a feminine and anarchic image of Elagabalus in artistic works. Knowing the importance that Cassius Dio's work seems to have had in the construction of the image of Elagabalus that will reach our contemporary times, it draws our attention to think about the relationship that Dio had with Elagabalus. In view of this, the objective of this text is to construct, as far as possible, the political trajectory of Cassius Dio, his cursus honorum, as well as to analyze some characters that he mentions in his work taking a prominent role in certain functions of Elagabalus' government. Having done this, we will seek to question possible relationships between Cassius Dio's career, his view on the rise of certain agents alongside Elagabalus and his highly negative construction of this emperor's political image.

Design, QSAR Methodology, Synthesis and Assessment of Some Structurally Different Xanthone Derivatives as Selective Cox-2 Inhibitors for their Anti-inflammatory Properties.

Inflammation can be defined as a complex biological response that is produced by body tissues to harmful agents like pathogens, irritants, and damaged cells and thereby acts as a protective response incorporating immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators. Histamine, serotonin, bradykinin, leukotrienes (LTB4), prostaglandins (PGE2), prostacyclins, reactive oxygen species, proinflammatory cytokines like IL-1, IL-11, TNF- anti-inflammatory cytokines like IL-4, IL-10, IL-11, IL-6 and IL-13, etc. all have different effects on both pro and anti-inflammatory mediators. Incorporation of combinatorial chemistry and computational studies have helped the researchers to design xanthones moieties with high selectivity that can serve as a lead compound and help develop potential compounds that can act as effective COX-2 inhibitors. The study aims to design and develop different series of substituted hydroxyxanthone derivatives with anti-inflammatory potential. The partially purified synthetic xanthone derivatives were orally administered to the carrageenan induced paw oedemic rat models at the dose of 100 mg/kg, and their effect in controlling the degree of inflammation was measured at the time interval of 30 min, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 hrs. respectively. Further, these compounds were also subjected to modern analytical studies like UV, IR, NMR and mass spectrometry or their characterization. The results drawn out of the in silico, in vitro, in vivo and analytical studies concluded that the hydroxyxanthone derivatives can obstruct the enzyme COX-2 and produce anti-inflammatory action potentially. With the aim to evaluate the compounds for their anti-inflammatory activity, it was observed that the newly designed xanthonic compounds also possess a safe toxicity margin and hence can be utilized by the researchers to develop hybrid xanthonic moieties that can specifically target the enzyme COX-2.

Ціннісний компонент у структурі мотиваційної сфери особистості військовослужбовця

B a c k g r o u n d . The article presents an analysis of modern theories and studies of the motivational sphere of personality, its structure, psychological features of functioning, and, in particular, in the context of combat activity, with the aim of outlining the value component in the structure of the motivational sphere of a serviceman's personality, defining it, and clarifying how values influence the motivation of a serviceman to combat activity. M e t h o d s . To solve the tasks set in this paper, theoretical research methods were used: analysis of scientific sources on the research topic, system analysis, synthesis, generalisation of scientific approaches, classification and specification of the system of values that determine the combat motivation of military personnel. R e s u l t s . The results indicate the key role of values in shaping the motivation of servicemen to fight, perform daily combat tasks and the desire to return to the battlefield. The analysis of scientific works shows that the motivational and value sphere is unique for each individual and a complex structure that inspires a person, encourages and gives strength to overcome life՚s difficulties. The analysed studies have also made it possible to state that the motivational and value sphere of personality as an integral psychological formation is currently represented through the phenomena of the value-sense sphere, personal values, goals of life, personal, social, and professional significance. In order to determine the motivational and value determinants of military personnel's combat activity, the characteristic features of such activity are analysed. The key definitions reflecting the relationship between values and motivation and their influence on the activity of the serviceman's personality in combat conditions are formulated. С o n c l u s i o n s . The motivational and value sphere enables the serviceman՚s personality to compare his own needs and motives with the values and social norms he has learned and understood, and regulates his activity. At the same time, it not only determines the ways and conditions for achieving goals, but also becomes a source of goals. In addition, the motivational and value sphere reflects the subjective attitude of a serviceman՚s personality to social reality, which manifests itself as a motivation for combat activity, behaviour in different situations and spheres of life. In the structure of a serviceman's personality, the motivational and value sphere characterises the internal readiness for combat activity and determines the direction of behavioural activity.

Relations between theater and drama in modern theater studies (based on the work of Aydin Talibzadeh)

Relations between theater and drama in modern theater studies (based on the work of Aydin Talibzadeh)

Literary Modernism and Animal Studies in Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse"

Literary Modernism and Animal Studies in Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse"

Fabricating modernity: female dress production, typology, and use in rural Cyprus (late 19th-early 20th century)

In modern Cyprological studies, the British Period (1878-1960) is widely acknowledged as crucially important for the advent of modernity. During this period, the radical transformation of Cypriot society was strongly expressed via the emergence and widespread adoption of novel cultural expressions and identities, largely adherent to Western/European lifestyle ideals. Processes of sociocultural change were initially and principally manifested in urban settings and among the middle and upper social classes. Nonetheless, by the dawn of the 20th century rural populations were set on their own path towards modernisation. Unfortunately, the introduction of new lifestyle elements among the wider social strata, the mechanisms involved, and the significance of changing behaviour patterns at the level of self-identification are yet to be fully examined, documented, and interpreted by scholarly research. The present analysis focuses on Greek-Cypriot female rural populations as an understudied segment of Cypriot society and aims to explore the potential of a dress study approach in the examination of British period modernisation processes. Dress comprises one of the strongest, non-verbal self-communicative mechanisms, and as such it is considered as a critical domain for the visual and tangible manifestation, but also the symbolic production and definition of sociocultural change. Drawing on evidence from the examination of extant dress items, oral testimonies, written accounts and visual materials, the current research endeavours to document the evolving female visual identity in late 19th‑early 20th century rural Cyprus; to trace new versus past and enduring elements in rural dress production, typology, and consumption/social use; and to discuss how basic modifications in the image of the clothed and adorned female body reflect identity transformations in rural society.

'Risk-benefit' assessment for comprehensive safety evaluation of Chinese patent medicines containing four common toxic ingredients: an analysis of clinical risk factors.

Chinese patent medicines are specialty preparations in China that are produced using traditional prescriptions processed by modern pharmaceutical technology. They contain complex ingredients and much attention is paid to their clinical safety. Demonstrating the clinical safety of Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients in modern pharmacological studies has become one of the urgent issues to be solved for the safe use of clinical medicines. The aim of this research is to evaluate the safety of Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients by applying the risk-benefit assessment method. Additionally, a database of 'toxic ingredients-toxic Chinese herbal medicines-adverse reactions' will be established to explore the relationship between toxic ingredients and adverse reactions. This will lay the foundation for the rational clinical use of Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients. 1) Establish a database of 'toxic Chinese herbal medicines-toxic ingredients-toxic Chinese patent medicines' to count the Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. 2) Filtered the clinical studies, extracted the drug-related ADEs, and analyzed the characteristics and correlations of these ADEs. 3) Finally, this section summarizes the causes of ADEs related to Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients and extracts the main risk factors to provide a reference for further study. 1) There are four main types of Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients. These include medicines with diester aconitine metabolites, mineral composition, Araceae metabolites, and hydrogen cyanide. 2) Digestive system, skin and its appendages, and allergic reactions were the main types of ADEs related to four types of Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients. 3) There are four primary risk factors associated with the clinical use of Chinese patent medicines containing toxic ingredients: medicine, medication, individual and regulatory factors.

Analysis of Data-Driven Modeling of Cycloconverters for Efficient Electromagnetic Transient Simulations of Electrified Ship Propulsion Systems

Simulation studies of modern electrified ship propulsion systems using the discrete switching models of cycloconverters are very time-consuming and require expertise and accuracy in modeling all the details of the ship’s electric power system. Alternatively, data-driven models of cycloconverter-based Variable-Frequency-Drive (VFD) systems are proposed, which may simplify the modeling and improve simulation efficiency and speed. The data-driven models can be established based on several measurements or a few runs of the detailed simulations, but their subsequent use enables very fast and efficient systemlevel studies. In this paper, the data-driven models of cycloconverter-based VFDs are analyzed in terms of their accuracy and numerical efficiency with respect to their detailed switching model counterparts for harmonic studies of an example ship propulsion system. The advantages and drawbacks of both modeling techniques are demonstrated through time-domain and frequency-domain electromagnetic transient simulations conducted in MATLAB/Simulink using the Simscape Electrical toolbox.

Modernismul queer în circulație: omologii și divergențe între Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu și Virginia Woolf

If the relationship between Romanian and world literature is becoming an increasingly present topic in current research, due to materialist-based theoretical tools of Immanuel Wallerstein and further the WReC research, the role played by queer studies in understanding networks of cultural circulation often remains neglected. An example of this is the notion of queer modernism, which could prove to be an indispensable tool in mapping the cultural relations of exchange between Romanian literature and that of Western centers in the first half of the 20th century. Feminist and queer modernist studies show that the subject of queerness, centered especially around the crisis of gender definition, constitutes one of the major forces in the development and circulation of literary modernism, where the expansion language’s limits in prose is underpinned, in subtext, by the attempt to transgress the cisheteronormativity of the era. Starting from Eugen Lovinescu’s attempt to establish a structural homology between Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu and Marcel Proust, I use the concept of queer modernism to propose, rather, an ideological homology between the Romanian writer and Virginia Woolf. Confronting two contexts marked, on the one hand, by similar patriarchal conditions and, on the other hand, by important local specificities, I aim to trace what kind of response to these conditions each author’s prose embodies, directing my attention to strategies of encoding queerness in their novels. I will observe the main point of divergence in the two authors’ representations of queerness: where Virginia Woolf conceives of a character who openly disrupts the stability of the dichotomous sex-gender system in Orlando, Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu almost opaquely encodes the lesbian relationship between two female characters in Drumul ascuns [The Hidden Road]. I will argue that one of the impediments to the wider circulation of queer modernism in Romanian literature is the imperative to construct a legitimate national culture, incompatible with elements that question traditional values, especially in the post-1918 political context. The comparison with Virginia Woolf will function as a means to delineate the diverse manifestations of queerness within various contexts related to modernity, conceived as a global phenomenon.

The use of antibacterial drugs for the treatment of inflammatory periodontal diseases (review)

The high prevalence of inflammatory periodontal diseases worldwide is a pressing issue in dentistry. One of the etiologic factors in the development of periodontitis is periodontopathogenic bacteria, which provoke the development of inflammation accompanied by destructive processes in the bone and connective tissue of the periodontium. The main goal of periodontal treatment is to restore the microbiological balance of periodontal tissues, eliminate periodontopathogens, prevent disease progression and restore the level of clinical attachment. The systematic review presents the results of modern studies on the use of drugs based on chlorhexidine, metronidazole and tetracycline antibiotics for the treatment of periodontitis. In view of the short-term effect of the active substance on periodontopathogenic microflora, it is necessary for domestic manufacturers to develop drugs with antibacterial activity that have a prolonged effect in periodontal tissues for the effective treatment of periodontitis.

The modern comic theories in the light of literary translation. Multidisciplinary approach.

The article investigates and systematizes modern theories of comic as a culturally specific phenomenon based on multidisciplinary approach. The comic as an interesting and multifaceted phenomenon has been of interest to researchers since antiquity. However, defining the concept of “comic” and its belonging to a certain scientific discipline still poses certain difficulties for scientists. In the light of modern studies, researchers prefer to study this phenomenon at the intersection of several sciences with the involvement of the theoretical base of such disciplines as linguistics, cultural studies, cognitive studies, pragmatics, etc. The article analyzes and determines the expediency of applying the approach of modern theories in the study of the comic in view of its complexity and cultural conditioning, specifically on the base of literary texts and their translations. It was found that for the most successful study of the mechanisms of emergence and the specifics of the rendering of this phenomenon in literary translation. It is necessary to conduct research at the intersection of translation studies and other disciplines, the object of which is the comic. The article suggests that the results of such interdisciplinary cooperation can become the basis for a more in-depth translational analysis of the comic. Such an analysis makes it possible to cover different levels of research on this phenomenon and to open up new perspectives for the study of the nature of the comic in literary texts and the strategies of its rendering in literary translation. Due to the fact that the difficulties faced by the translator of a literary text when rendering humor are not considered by scientists as a purely linguistic problem, there is a need to consider the comic in literary texts, taking into account the mechanisms of creation of this phenomenon and its cultural specificity. The research contributes to the development of the modern theory of artistic translation, the results of the research can be used in teaching theoretical and practical translation courses.

Роль цинка в здоровой предстательной железе и при хроническом простатите

The review article discusses modern aspects of the physiological role of zinc in the prostate gland, as well as the consequences for the prostate gland of deficiency of this one of the most important vital trace elements. The mechanisms of intracellular zinc transport, as well as various physiological processes in prostate tissue requiring the mandatory presence of zinc, are covered in more detail. In a separate section of the literature review, the modern evidence base of the relationship of zinc deficiency in the prostate gland with chronic prostatitis is presented and the results of modern studies showing the need for zinc replacement therapy in the framework of complex pharmacotherapy of chronic prostatitis occurring against the background of zinc deficiency are summarized.

A Quest for the Historical Christ: "Scientia Christi" and the Modern Study of Jesus by Anthony Giambrone, O.P. (review)

A Quest for the Historical Christ: "Scientia Christi" and the Modern Study of Jesus by Anthony Giambrone, O.P. (review)

Recent advances in oxidative degradation of plastics.

Oxidative degradation is a powerful method to degrade plastics into oligomers and small oxidized products. While thermal energy has been conventionally employed as an external stimulus, recent advances in photochemistry have enabled photocatalytic oxidative degradation of polymers under mild conditions. This tutorial review presents an overview of oxidative degradation, from its earliest examples to emerging strategies. This review briefly discusses the motivation and the development of thermal oxidative degradation of polymers with a focus on underlying mechanisms. Then, we will examine modern studies primarily relevant to catalytic thermal oxidative degradation and photocatalytic oxidative degradation. Lastly, we highlight some unique studies using unconventional approaches for oxidative polymer degradation, such as electrochemistry.

Сравнительная оценка устойчивого развития промышленных предприятий в Арктических территориях Российской Федерации

Introduction. The work updates the situation with the enhanced sustainability of industrial enterprises in the Arctic territories of the Russian Federation since they are characterized with resources’ high potential associated with high environmental risks due to their exploration. Purpose. The paper aims at comparing the key indicators for sustainable development of the leading industrial enterprises in the Russian Federation in terms of their environmental impact. Materials and Methods. The authors reviewed modern studies related to the assessment of industrial development in the Arctic from the standpoint of technology, environmental friendliness, the formation of a data system, which reflect the trends in environmental load on the territory from the activities of industries. The identified trends in the sustainable development of industrial enterprises in the Arctic zone were analyzed and analytically interpreted. Methodologically, the paper synthesizes the methods of retrospective analysis and identifies the trends by analyzing rated key sustainability indicators defined by the data of industrial enterprises. Results. The paper proves the need for an in-depth analysis and detailed analysis of indicators of industrial load on the environment in the Arctic territories. The database for comparing key indicators was compiled, and the key trends in the sustainable development of industrial enterprises were identified. The analysis of their dynamics showed the multidirectionality in the development of industrial enterprises. The trajectories of enterprises’ efforts in achieving sustainability parameters were described: when the growth of expenditures is associated with a decrease in emissions and waste from production activities; when production and environmental indicators show multidirectional dynamics; when the enterprise growth rate decreases, environmental indicators improve. Conclusions. Thus, the authors substantiated the need to develop and implement a mechanism for regulating environmental policy at the state level, which would provide for measures aimed at active and systematic reduction of the environmental load on the environment in the Arctic territories.

Emotive units in the cinematic discourse from the position of linguistic creativity (the case study of films in English, Russian and Chinese)

The article aims at developing the approach to the study of the interlanguage specifics of the realization of the creative potential of emotive vocabulary in multimodal (cinematic) discourse. The starting point is the identification of a range of key issues in the modern study of various means and ways of conceptualizing emotions in language and discourse. The principles of selection of film material, which are films in English, Russian and Chinese, are described in detail. Special attention is paid to the description of the method of parametrization of linguistic creativity in discourse and the justification for the allocation of such a linguocreative parameter as “emotive and expressive units”. The frequency of activation of the parameter under study is determined. Word-formation (or structural), grammatical and semantic characteristics of units representing emotions and feelings of film characters are consistently analyzed. The use of the developed complex methodology has resulted in establishing the role of units denoting emotions and feelings in the construction of the verbal system of films in English, Russian and Chinese. Based on the comparison an interlanguage emotive profile is formed. The profile reflects the methods, aspects and criteria for evaluating the manifestation of the creative potential of emotive vocabulary relevant to films in languages of different systems. The dependence of the manifestation of the creative potential of emotive units on their structural, grammatical and semantic properties due to the specifics of the language system that is used to create a specific film production is established.

Dispersing the Devil’s Stench: Shifting Perceptions of Sulfuric Miasma in Early Modern English Literatures

Abstract: From approximately 1500 to 1650, English references to sulfur’s stench focused on sensory indications of hell, demons, and wickedness in worldly environments. Thereafter, most English references to the pungent rock turned proportionately to technics, medicine, and progress. The increasing presence of sulfuric miasma within secularizing applications for fumigations, gunpowder, and industry led to a limiting of the role of sulfur as a signifier of hell within English environments. Due to economic incentives, supernatural discourses on brimstone atmospheres faced semantic dispersion, as sulfur took on a growing number of connotations instead of remaining a significant environmental signifier of the scent of the devil and his toadies. These shifting literary associations for sulfur exemplify the fluctuating powers of the market, religious voices, biopolitical networks, and the state to define what is matter out of place , or what can be considered too environmentally toxic for economic consumption. Revising the prominence of synchronic work in Early Modern Studies that critiques the dis-enchantment thesis, and redeploying theory from Douglas, Jameson, Greenblatt, Eagleton, and Rancière, this essay highlights connections between the History of Ideas, Environmental Studies, and literary criticism through asserting that the sheer abundance of sulfuric substances in the environment, caused by increased uses for the rock in the coal-fired furnaces of the 18th century, added to a literary dislodgment of mystical definitions of sulfur’s smell as signifying evil. As the Industrial Revolution stuffed chimneys with additional sulfur compounds, material encounters with brimstone became common. Continuously taught that sulfur meant profit and purity, reformed English noses found less sin in the smell of acrid sulfur smoke. This analysis portrays that within literatures that included associations to sulfur, the impending Anthropocene was tested, greenwashed, and approved by the masses of the disenchanting English public sphere.

Can ocean heat content regulate Indian summer monsoon rainfall?

Abstract Modern studies suggest that the upper ocean heat content (OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) is a better qualitative predictor of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). But it is still unknown how the OHC is mechanically linked to ISMR and whether it can be applied to long-term climate changes. By analyzing reanalysis datasets across the 20th century, we illustrate that in contrast to those anomalies associated with stronger ISM westerlies, higher ISMR is accompanied with summer surface high pressure and east wind anomalies from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal (BOB), and is loosely related to increased western TIO OHC during decayed phases of positive Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and of El Niño. Except for 1944–1968 AD, this interannually lagged ISMR response to winter OHC is insignificant, probably suppressed by those simultaneous effects of positive IOD and El Niño on ISMR. In our paleoclimatic simulations, this modern observed lagged response is interrupted by seasonally reversed insolation anomalies at the 23,000-year precessional band. Our sensitivity experiments further prove that, the ISMR can be simultaneously reduced by positive IOD-like summer OHC anomalies both for modern and precessional situations. This damping effect is mainly contributed by the warmer western TIO that triggers anomalous surface high pressure, easterly winds, and drastically reduced rainfall from BOB to Arabian Peninsula, but with slightly increased rainfall in the northern ISM region. And the cooler southeastern TIO will only moderately increase rainfall in the southern ISM region.