Russian Studies Research Articles

How Stress Causes Cancer and Alzheimer Disease: The Extracellular Space and the Role of the Lymph System

The article claims based on Russian studies that cancer is caused by crystallin formations in the spaces between the cells, which disconnect the cells. In a cut wound, the disconnected cells start to multiply fast to heal the wound fast and the healing regrowth is ruled by the current of regrow, which starts at the cut. In a cancerous tissue, the cells (disconnected by the crystallin formations) multiply senselessly because there is no current of regrowth to tell them where to go. Alzheimer disease is inability to memorize. It is caused by crystal-like formations in the space between the cells, called amyloid plaques, which make the communication of the neurons impossible. Since both diseases are caused by crystal formations in the space between the cells ruled by the lymph system, their cure or prevention would require flushing the lymph system. We all know that stress causes cancer, but we don’t know how. This article explains for the first time how stress causes cancer and Alzheimer disease.

Multimodal classifier of medical risk based on a multielectrode bioimpedance converter

The purpose of the research. The aim of the study is Russian and foreign studies have shown that malignant breast tumors have significantly different impedance from normal tissues. However, bioimpedance analysis has limitations in resolution, as well as in the imperfection of bioimpedance models required to generate input vectors for machine learning systems.Methods. The presented study proposes a multimodal classifier, the raw data for which are obtained through an electrode matrix. It also has three channels for processing the results of bioimpedance analysis, with subsequent aggregation of their solutions. An impedance model of biomaterial is proposed, which allows forming descriptors for medical risk classifiers.Results. Hardware and software for bioimpedance studies have been developed, which include a data collection device for bioimpedance spectroscopy based on an electrode matrix, a device for communication with the object of study, and a device for bioimpedance spectroscopy using an electrode matrix. The software includes interface windows for setting up the bioimpedance research program and training and testing fully connected neural networks. An experimental study of the multimodal classifier on a physical model was conducted using inclusions of higher conductivity (tumor imitation) of various types and sizes in the conductivity range from 1.1 to 1.9 of the background. Based on the obtained images in the two-level neural network of the first channel, the integral risk of breast cancer was determined for all pixels of the image. Statistical studies (ROC analysis) showed sufficient sensitivity and specificity for the screening method - > 0.75. Conclusion. Thus, a new model of intelligent support for medical decision-making has been created, integrating the capabilities of bioimpedance spectroscopy, convolutional neural networks and expert assessment of images generated by bioimpedance mapping. However, current data confirming the possibility of separating benign and malignant breast tumors using bioimpedancemetry methods are very limited, which requires further research in this direction.

TRANCE STEREOTYPIES IN HUMAN AND PRIMATE PANTOMIMICRY

The authors reviewed and analysed Russian and foreign experimental studies on pantomimic stereotypes. Initially, stereotypical behaviuor was negatively evaluated. Modern research considers adaptive functions and possibilities of self-stimulation as a way to harmonise emotional and mental state. A comparative analysis of circular, pendulum and diagonal movements in children and Old World monkeys was conducted using an ethological approach to the study of behavioural patterns. Human observations were conducted in the psychoneurological department of Silischeva Astrakhan Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital, 40 preschool children with mental dysontogenesis participated. Five laboratory macaques and a family of hamadryas baboons kept in an aviary with homologous kinesics were observed in Sukhumi nursery. According to the authors’ team, walking (running) in a circle and diagonally, swinging the body “right-to-leftˮ in the pantomimic production of children and monkeys are associated with self-stimulation of an altered state of consciousness. Trance stereotypes divert attention from external stressors and stimuli and harmonise mental homeostasis. The study may be of interest to anthropologists, primatologists, specialists in the study of the psyche and pathological behaviour of animals and Homo sapiens.

«National historiographies» on the history of Russia in the 16th–18th centuries, published in the Hungarian journal «RussianStudiesHu»

In 2021 and 2022, review articles on the latest international historiography on the history of Russia in the 16th-18th centuries were published in the Hungarian online scientific journal on historical Russian studies RussianStudiesHu. The journal issues also introduce readers to new research by Russian historians, but in this article I will primarily focus on the current state of Russian studies about the 16th-18th centuries in Central, Eastern and Western Europe and the United States. In review articles on the history of Russia from 1462-1689, historians from Hungary, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United States, as well as French-speaking scholars, call this period of Russian history the "late medieval", "pre-modern" or "early modern" era. Some researchers argue that until the mid-17th century, Muscovy had little in common with European states. And based on review articles of international historiography, it can be established that the central figures of the historiography of the 18th century in almost every country are Peter I and Catherine II, and there is still no consensus regarding the periodization of Russian history in the 18th century.

Who’s Afraid of Jadidism?: Reckoning with the Legacy of a Cold War Paradigm

Abstract Since the 1990s, scholars in the fields of Central Asian, Volga-Ural, North and South Caucasian, and Crimean history have debated the role of Jadidism in the study of the history of Muslim societies under Russia imperial rule. The concept of Jadidism – variously described as a program for teaching literacy in Turkic languages, a set of educational reforms, and a movement advocating a broad range of cultural, social, and legal reforms designed to “modernize” Muslim communities – made its first appearances in Soviet historiography in the 1920s–1930s. In the 1960s, as the Cold War reached new heights, the Jadid paradigm made its way into English- and French-language historical studies, whence it became the primary lens through which Western audiences encountered and interpreted the histories of Muslims in late imperial Russia. The opening of archival and library collections following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the embrace of new theories and paradigms in Russian studies broke the hold of the Jadid paradigm over Western scholarship. At the same time, a series of heated disputes began over the legacy of the Jadid paradigm and how best to research the intellectual history of Russia’s Muslims in a post-Cold War context. In this essay, I will present a history of the rise and fall of the old Jadid paradigm in European and American scholarship. I will consider how the study of Central Asian intellectual history has evolved since the paradigm’s decline and what this evolution and the contributions to this journal issue suggest about how historians can continue to examine the nature, extent, and meaning of Muslim reform movements without reviving the old Jadid paradigm.

"Dialectics of soul" and other psychological techniques in the novel "The Last Day" by Mikhail Naimy

The object of the study is the novel "The Last Day" by the Lebanese writer Mikhail Naimy. The subject of the study was the "dialectic of the soul" and "stream of consciousness", that is, techniques for describing the human condition borrowed from Leo Tolstoy masterpieces. For one day, the soul of Musa al-Askari overcomes severe suffering, it dies and is reborn in a new form. A small person turns into a strong personality. Psychological techniques for describing borderline human states, taken from Fyodor Dostoevsky, also helped the Lebanese writer to reveal the depths of the hero's personality. The scientific novelty of the article is that the Russian writers' techniques are found in the little-studied Arabic novel "The Last Day" that is an illustration of the Russian literature influence on Arab culture. For the first time in Russian literary study, this novel is analyzed from the "dialectic of the soul" perspective. The research was conducted on the basis of historical, literary, comparative methods, using scientific methods of observation and description, analysis and synthesis. As a result, it is noted that the novel narrative is organized according to the psychological realism, in which there is a psychological analysis passed through the stream of consciousness, an internal monologue and the dialectic of the soul. The authors conclude that Naimy took a humanistic approach and a special psychological manner of narration from Russian literature, including Tolstoy and Dostoevsky's works, to convincingly prove that a person is a fine–tuned mechanism, that kindness will save the world, and the secret of happiness lies in serving people. The practical significance of the research is that its results develop the topic of cultural ties between Lebanon and Russia. The article contributes to the development of Arabic literature, which remains poorly studied by Russian literary study.

BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING USING TELEMEDICINE TECHNOLOGIES IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

An urgent task of modern cardiology is to ensure continuous monitoring of cardiovascular patients' condition indicators. Monitoring of patients with heart failure (HF) is especially important due to the instability of the condition, extremely high prevalence of pathology and life-threatening. Currently, active search and development of optimal devices and programs for medical telemonitoring continues. The review presents the results of Russian and foreign studies on the introduction of invasive and non-invasive technologies for blood pressure (BP) monitoring and demonstrates their clinical significance. The comparison of clinical data of several studies using wireless remote monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure with the help of CardioMEMS sensor was carried out. Mobile applications and telephone monitoring are also considered as an alternative to invasive devices, and information about their effectiveness and impact on the quality of life of patients is given. The article also compares the effectiveness of treatment of hypertension and HF using remote monitoring with standard practice and demonstrates the dependence of the risk of hospitalization for HF and the presence of monitoring of the condition.

Surgical correction of posttraumatic triphalangeal joint flexion contractures of the fingers (systematic literature review)

Introduction Triphalangeal joint flexion contracture of the fingers is a common and challeging posttraumatic hand condition. The goal of surgical treatment is to correct finger deformity and increase interphalangeal range of motion.The objective was to systematize data on the causes of post-traumatic triphalangeal joint flexion contracture of the fingers and methods of surgical correction.Material and methods The original literature search was conducted on key resources including Scientific Electronic Library (www.elibrary.ru), the National Library of Medicine (www.pubmed.org), ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Ovid databases according to PRISMA recommendations. Literature searches included both Russian and English studies, with one or more cases of post-traumatic triphalangeal joint flexion contracture of the fingers with the deformity surgically corrected. Cases of non-traumatic flexion contractures were excluded. Etiological factors of flexion contractures, heterogeneity of definitions and methods for recording the range of motion in the joint, anatomical features, surgical correction of flexion contractures and postoperative complications were reviewed.Results Common causes of flexion contractures included burns (32.3 %), dislocations and fracturedislocations of the finger joints (23.5 %). The median postoperative follow-up period was 13.5 months after surgical treatment. Surgical correction was produced with external fixation device (EFD) in 40 % of cases, open procedures performed in 50 % and a combined technique employed in one case (10 %). Based on calculations of the odds ratios of postoperative complications, a weak positive linear relationship was revealed between EFD and pain syndrome, and a weak negative linear relationship was observed between the open procedure and pain.Discussion There is heterogeneity of approaches regarding methods for correcting flexion contractures, surgical approaches, techniques for mobilizing joints and releasing the anatomical structures of the finger with open procedures, the distraction rate with EFD, methods for repair of soft tissue defects following the treatment of flexion contractures of interphalangeal joint of a finger.Conclusion Open procedures are commonly used for precise elimination of all components of flexion contracture of the joint and repair of soft tissue defects of the finger. A weak positive linear relationship was revealed between EF and pain syndrome. There was no significant correlation between open techniques and complications. There were no correlations between the treatment method and the contracture type; there are no treatment regimens for patients with this pathology.

To the Сentenary of the Polonist Нistorian: Vladimir Alexandrovich Yakubsky

The article is devoted to the prominent Russian historian, specialist in the history of Poland Vladimir A. Yakubsky (1924–2013). In the context of the general characteristics of the scientist's creative heritage, a clear relationship between his social-economic research and observations on the general course of Polish history, including the most controversial issues, is shown. The contribution of V.A. Yakubsky, together with G.E. Lebedeva, to the creation of a collective portrait image of the Department of the History of the Middle Ages of Leningrad University, to the historiography of the history of Russian studies of Polish history is emphasized. It is particularly emphasized that the participation of V.A. Yakubsky's involvement in the implementation of major academic research projects was evidence of the inextricable scientific connections between Leniningrad-St. Petersburg Slavic studies and Moscow Slavic studies.

Special joint issue of Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema and Culture of Ukraine (Kul’tura Ukrainy)

Special joint issue of Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema and Culture of Ukraine (Kul’tura Ukrainy)

Родительская приверженность лечению детей с психическими расстройствами как клинико-психологическая проблема

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives. </strong>A child’s illness is a major challenge that imposes restrictions on all family members. Not all parents of sick children strictly follow medical prescriptions, which emphasizes the importance of developing recommendations to improve parental adherence to treatment. It is necessary to distinguish between the terms adherence and compliance, where the former emphasizes active participation, and the latter — the actual implementation of prescriptions without an emphasis on involvement. The purpose of the study is to systematize approaches to the problem of adherence to treatment to operationalize the concept of “parental adherence to treatment”.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods. </strong>The analysis of Russian and foreign studies of the concept of parental adherence was conducted. Russian works were selected based on relevance and availability of an evidence base for the study. Due to the low prevalence of the term in Russian studies, foreign sources had a great influence on the operationalization of the concept. Foreign sources were selected depending on the development depth of the problem and the representativeness of the sample to actualize the problematic of the phenomenon of parental treatment adherence in the field of clinical psychology. The following electronic resources were used for the analysis: eLIBRARY.ru, PubMed, ResearchGate, ConnectedPapers and others.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results. </strong>The main components of the phenomenon of parental adherence to treatment are identified: following the recommendations of doctors and establishing trusting relationships between parents, medical personnel and the child. Such relationships contribute to more effective treatment and accompany the child in the rehabilitation process. Given the possible difficulties with accepting treatment, interpersonal interaction between parents and doctors helps to individualize the treatment plan taking into account the characteristics of each family. The authors provide a definition of the phenomenon of “parental adherernce to treatment”.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusions. </strong>Currently, the problem of increasing the level of parental treatment adherence is emphasized by the parents’ lack of knowledge of child rehabilitation methods and their emotional rejection of the diagnosis. Therefore, operationalizing the concept of parental adherence to treatment will aid in formulating more useful recommendations on treating a child for parents.</p>

The place of strategic ecological communications in change management (based on the national project “Ecological Well-Being”)

Comprehensive improvement of the state of the environment is currently the subject of government decisions, programs and projects in Russia. This affects the interests of various audiences: business, the public, federal and regional influence groups, and hence requires strategic communications aimed at explaining, expanding the number of supporters, uniting efforts, legitimizing the governmental decisions, and changing the behavior of the audiences. The purpose of the study is to analyze the place of strategic environmental communications in the action program for the implementation of state environmental strategies. The author relies on theoretical studies of Russian and foreign authors on this issue. In the practical part, she analyzes communications in the process of forming the national project “Ecological Well-Being”. The results of the conducted study of the media and official resources of state authorities allow to consider several communicative models of behavior: public and non-public. The stage of formation of the national project is accompanied by non-public communication, which creates certain risks when information is released into the public space, since criticism and disagreement with the adoption of relevant decisions may arise from various groups. The author offers a list of possible conflict topics and examines the features of the formation of strategic environmental communications, based on M. Harvell’s matrix.

Nová hledání staré Rusi

The aim of this study is to provide an elementary overview of contemporary Russian research on the history of Russia up until the 15th century and to present some of the issues to which contemporary Russian medieval studies is currently devoting itself. After a period of enforced isolation, Russian scholars in the 1990s began concerning themselves intensively with the methodologies used in Western medieval studies and has been trying to apply them to Eastern European historical material which Western medieval studies has heretofore – with rare exceptions – largely ignored. Following the establishment of democracy in academia, the need to revise the landscape of the history of the Russia of the Kievan and "partition" periods became apparent. However, due to the character of Russian sources, it is not possible in any simple way to transfer the methods used in working with Western medieval materials to the study of these periods. This is why the new historical fields have devoted themselves primarily to the 16th and 17th centuries, which provide the richest and most varied sources materials. Although it is certain that Russian medieval studies has succeeded in overcoming the crisis it experienced in the 1990s, one of the central problems afflicting contemporary Russian and Western medieval studies remains: the absolute separation between research on the middle ages in Russia and in Western and indeed in Central Europe.

Study of Cultural and National Specifics of Russian and Kazakh Phraseological Phrases in University Language Classes

The article is devoted to the study of Russian and Kazakh phraseological units, which are products of linguistic folk consciousness as the materialization of the experience of generations and individual representatives of the ethnic group. It is revealed that the phraseological fund of a language records and reflects the social and cultural experience of a particular community, and is reflected both in the universal, common to all humanity, and in the unique, national-cultural picture of the world. The conceptual and phraseological aspect of the study of stable phrases through the national cultural code is highlighted in the light of modern linguocultural research, and a comparative description of phraseological units of the Kazakh and Russian languages is provided. The expediency of conducting experimental studies (questionnaires) is substantiated to reveal the degree of assimilation of phraseological units by recipients and the effectiveness of their use in speech. An educational longread has been created as a tool for digital linguodidactics in the study of Russian and Kazakh phraseological units, effective methods for introducing phraseological units into speech have been selected. The materials presented in the article can contribute to the construction of a productive intercultural dialogue, in which it is important not only to understand the language of another people, but also to master the cultural values of this people, perceive their national specifics, and assimilate those components that make up the national cultural code of the picture of the world under study.

Об актуальности наследия Вл.С. Соловьева

The general characteristics of the materials of the International “Round table” “Relevance of V.S. Solovyov's legacy: philosophy, philology, cultural studies (modernity calls and possible answers)” devoted to the discussion of the problems of V.S. Solovyov's legacy research are presented. The initiator and organizer of the scientific event was the editorial board of the journal “Solovyov studies”. The discussion was attended by Russian and foreign specialists – philosophers, philologists, cultural scientists from the largest universities and academic centers in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Kostroma, Saransk, Astrakhan. Foreign participants are researchers of V.S. Solovyov's legacy from Italy, Spain, and France. It is noted that the discussion participants focused on the problems of historiography and source studies of Russian philosophy in general and the legacy of V.S. Solovyov. The relevance of the ethical vector of his historiosophical ideas is pointed out to the philosophical unreasonableness and politicization of modern attacks on Solovyov's legacy, the lack of a fundamental scientific and philosophical research program. Attention is drawn to the need for further research into the historical and philosophical context of the formation of V.S. Solovyov's philosophical views and their influence on the subsequent development of culture, on the prospects of the projects “logic of unity” and “philosophy of neo-unity” being developed. The relevance of the idea of Christian unity by V.S. Solovyov is noted. Promising directions for further philological study of his work are revealed. The role of the journal “Solovyov Studies” in the development of Russian and foreign Solovyov studies is determined.

The RAS/BRAF genes status in patients with colorectal cancer (review)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third in prevalence among oncological diseases worldwide and second in the structure of oncological mortality. Genetic assessment of CRC is a necessary stage during selecting further treatment for patients. Many studies demonstrate a diverse distribution of mutations in the KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF genes in CRC. A critical literature review was conducted in order to systematize data on the mutational profile and genetic heterogeneity of these driver mutations in Russian patients with CRC. Articles were searched for in open databases. Totally 17 Russian studies and 3 English meta-analyses were analyzed for comparison with Russian data. Mutations in the KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF genes, according to Russian and international studies, are found in 40 %, 4 %, and 7 % in CRC patients, respectively. The frequency and specific localization of mutations may depend on the geographical location and nationality of the cohort. High intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity in CRC, especially in KRAS gene mutations, significantly influences the choice of further therapy and underscores the need for more detailed study of the mutational profile of the primary tumor, affected lymph nodes, and distant metastases. In Russia, several molecular genetic methods are used to determine somatic mutations in CRC with different sensitivity and specificity, the most common is real-time PCR. More accurate diagnostic methods include digital droplet PCR, Sanger sequencing, and next-generation sequencing, but each method has its limitations that must be considered when planning diagnostics and research. The promising directions in personalized oncology is the study of gene copy number variations, which may contribute to the development of new methods for treating CRC in the future. Despite the large number of studies, some aspects of the mutational profile of CRC in Russian studies remain poorly understood, which is why further research is needed on patients with colorectal cancer in Russia.

Mammals of Ethiopia: results and prospects of Russian studies

Mammals of Ethiopia: results and prospects of Russian studies

Образ Уильяма Шекспира в рассказе Э. Бёрджесса «Встреча в Вальядолиде»

The research aims to shed light on the image of William Shakespeare as presented in A. Burgess’s story “A Meeting in Valladolid”. The lack of scholarly attention to this work, which has never been explored in either Russian or foreign literary studies, contributes to the scientific novelty of both the research itself and its results. The article analyzes the key features of Shakespeare’s image within the context of Burgess’s concept of the creative personality. The paper also examines the role of other characters in the story to fully understand the main character. The research concludes that Burgess recreates and expands upon his concept of William Shakespeare in “A Meeting in Valladolid”. While Burgess’s typical portrayal of Shakespeare as a pragmatic Englishman and gifted writer is present, the story also highlights the humanist dimension of the English playwright. This is achieved through a contrast between the two literary geniuses of the Renaissance, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, and an exploration of the fundamental differences between Spanish and English cultures. These differences explain the clash between the two nations and their distinct cultural models, rooted in political, religious, and cultural conflicts between the nations.

Hyaluronic acid in the treatment of osteoarthritis: innovations in injection therapy. A review

The review briefly presents modern understanding heterogeneity of osteoarthritis (OA) which is based on pathophysiological features of its variants. The concept of the phenotypes and endotypes of OA reflects these differences. In clinical recommendations description the emphasis on the place of hyaluronic acid is made. The mechanisms of action of sodium hyaluronate with different molecular mass are studied in detail. The results of foreign and Russian studies on efficacy and safety of different forms of hyaluronic acid are given. Personalized treatment of patients with different phenotypes of OA is shown by an example of a line of Flexotron series.

Empirical Studies of Russian–Ukrainian War Related Fake News (Part 2)

The Russian–Ukrainian war, which broke out on 24 February 2022, resulted in several paradigm shifts in cyberwarfare. One aspect of these changes is psychological operations. Russia and Ukraine have conducted extensive psychological operations campaigns to fulfil their war aims, which have since been intense along modified objectives. This series of studies examines the impact of war-related fake news through various empirical research. In the first part of the paper, the authors read the emergence of psychological operations and related terms in the international academic literature using network analysis methodology. In the second part of the paper, the authors use sentiment and network analysis to investigate the spread of different fake news. In the third study, the authors measure the attitudes toward the perception of the Hungarian Defence Forces from the perspective of the war in the neighbouring country.