A classification of peasants attached to land in Byzantium of the 14th century

Cluster analysis was used to classify peasants attached to land in the 14th century Byzantium on the basis of 1321 property-tax cadastre that registered the landed property of St. Athanasius Lavra in Athos. Peasant households were grouped according to their demographic and economic structures and the taxes they had to pay. We also identified a complex non-single connection between the household groups and their distribution over an administrative unit

Influence of the European Court of Human Rights on the National Legal Systems in Central and Eastern Europe

Europejski Trybunał Praw Człowieka przeszedł znaczną transformację w zakresie swoich kompetencji od momentu powstania do chwili obecnej. Z jednej strony wywołało to krytykę i ostrożność starych członków. Z drugiej strony, transformacja wynikała z konieczności dostosowania Trybunału do wymagań nowych członków o słabo rozwiniętych mechanizmach ochrony praw człowieka. Artykuł oceni główne zmiany w mechanizmie funkcjonowania Trybunału i dostarczy empiryczną analizę jego postępów w internalizacji norm praw człowieka w systemach prawnych państw Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. W tym celu artykuł wskaże poważne systemowe niedostosowanie się wybranych państw do wymogów Europejskiej Konwencji Praw Człowieka, systemowe zmiany w ciągu ostatniej dekady oraz zgodność działań tych państw z wyrokami Trybunału. Z artykułu wynika, że pomimo krytyki ETPC udowodnił swoją skuteczność we wskazywaniu i rozwiązywaniu niepowodzeń systemowych w państwach prawa Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej.The European Court of Human Rights has undergone substantial transformation in its competence from the times of its creation to nowadays. From one side, it induced criticism and wariness from its members. From the other side, however, such measures were encouraged by the necessity to adjust the Court to numerous new members with underdeveloped human rights protection mechanisms. Thus, this paper will assess the major changes in the machinery of the court and provide empirical analysis of the Court’s progress in internalisation of the human rights norms in the legal systems of the states of Central and Eastern Europe. For that purpose, it will indicate major systemic failures to meet the requirements of the European Convention of Human Rights, their changes over the past decade, and states’ compliance with the Court’s judgements. It concludes that despite the criticism, ECtHR has proved its effi ciency in indicating and dealing with the systemic failures in the legal systems of the states under analysis

Music as a Communication Factor in Foreign Policy

The relevance of this study is conditioned by the increasing importance of cultural channels of communication in the context of the globalisation of international socio-cultural space. The realities of the 21st century require a comprehensive analysis, considering the new foreign policy environment where multidirectional flows of international communication, including of media character, such as cinematography, theatre, TV, streaming, and music, are playing a qualitatively new role. This paper will therefore focus on the growing role of “cultural diplomacy” (hereafter without the quotes), expressed through the media interaction of sovereign and supranational actors at the international level. The purpose of the study is to establish or deny the impact of cultural diplomacy, including through musical performance, on foreign policy and political discourse at the international level. In the course of the study, primary data from original research by European and American authors was analysed and the heterogeneous structure of cultural diplomacy theory, expressed through the dialectical nature of positivism and theory criticism, was represented. The methodological basis used during the study is expressed in general scientific methods, which include the method of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, deduction and induction, and special – sociocultural, cultural-anthropological, and cultural-historical. The theoretical approach to the study of the multidimensional phenomenon of cultural diplomacy was based on constructivism, which best meets the objectives. Conclusions regarding the effectiveness of cultural diplomacy were drawn from the research. The field of music and diplomacy is far from being exhausted by the recent surge in scholarly attention and has the potential to grow exponentially. Coordinating a better understanding of past practices with an innovative and flexible approach to contemporary policy-making will create new opportunities to reconsider and redefine the role of music in the pursuit of sustainable diplomatic ties in the international arena

«Священной памяти двенадцатого года…»: Отечественная война 1812 года. Эпоха в документах, воспоминаниях, иллюстрациях

On the history of the creation of the website “The Patriotic War of 1812. The Epoch in the Documents, Memoirs and Illustrations”, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Russian victory over Napoleon in the War of 1812.Об истории создания интернет-сайта «Отечественная война 1812 года. Эпоха в документах, воспоминаниях, иллюстрациях», приуроченного к 200-летию победы в Отечественной войне с Наполеоном

Политика Китая в странах Центральной Азии в области освоения полезных ископаемых

China’s steadily growing mineral resource requirements actualize its need to ensure continuous access to a reliable resource base. Central Asia with its ample fuel and energy raw materials, ore deposits, and renewables is viewed a viable option in this regard. The article provides analysis of the PRC’s current policy in each of the fi ve regional countries (Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan). It singles out both diff erences and similarities inherent in the policy conducted and studies the instruments through which it is being realized. Besides, the paper considers such policy’s implications for regional development as well as its place in the overall Chinese foreign strategy.Потребности Китая в полезных ископаемых неуклонно растут, что актуализирует необходимость обеспечения надежного доступа к ресурсной базе. В этом контексте одним из вариантов для Китая является Центральноазиатский регион, обладающий значительными запасами топливно-энергетического сырья, руд, а также возобновляемых ресурсов. В статье изучается современная политика Китая в отношении каждой из пяти стран региона (Таджикистан, Киргизия, Узбекистан, Казахстан, Туркменистан). Выявляется ряд общих черт и различий, присущих проводимой политике. Исследуются инструменты, с помощью которых она реализуется. Кроме того, политика Китая рассматривается с точки зрения регионального развития и в контексте общей внешнеполитической стратегии КНР

Affective disorders in patients with metabolic syndrome

The research was conducted among 625 patients aged from 25 to 70years with abdominal obesity (51,2 % women and 48,8 % men). Affective disorders (depressed mood) were revealed in 42,9 % of patients with various metabolic syndrome (MS) components. Affective disorders caused appearance and further advance of MS components, having negative influence on its course. At the increase of duration of existence of separate MS components the depressions were diagnosed more often

Phase equilibria, crystal structure and oxygen nonstoichiometry of the complex oxides in Sm – (Sr, Ba) – (Co, Fe) – O systems

Received: 18.01.2018. Accepted: 14.02.2018. Published: 10.05.2018.Present paper contains available information on the phase equilibria in the Sm – (Sr, Ba) – (Co, Fe) – O systems, including the synthesis routes used, crystal structure, which is often depended on oxygen nonstoichiometry, the data on thermodynamic stability of complex oxides, the obtained results on the homogeneity ranges of solid solutions, formed in the systems, and graphical presentation of phase relations in a form of phase diagrams

Comparative analysis of fodder legumes in Murmansk Province

Background. Dairy farming is one of the main segments in the agricultural sector of Murmansk Province. Expanding the range of cultivated legume fodder crops and their cultivars is one of the ways to comprehensively solve the problem of feed in the Kola Peninsula. Introduction of perennial legumes into the feed production practice will reduce the production cost of feeds and improve their quality.Materials and methods. Fodder galega, variable and yellow alfalfa (2005–2009), bird’s-foot trefoil (2006–2007), and sweet clover (2007–2008) were studied at the Polar Experiment Station of VIR. Weather conditions during the years of study differed in temperature and water regimes. Observations and records were made according to VIR’s guidelines. Statistical data processing included the calculation of the main variation parameters and the construction of a generalized linear model of the variance structure.Results. The data are presented on the study of the collection of four perennial fodder legumes in Murmansk Province, Russia, in 2005–2009. Alfalfa surpassed fodder galega, sweet clover and bird’s-foot trefoil in winter hardiness, height and bushiness, showed medium leafiness, and (for the entire study cycle) had low air-dry mass yield. Biennial bicarpic sweet clover stood out for its air-dry mass yield on average per year, had medium height and foliage, but low winter hardiness and bushiness. Bird’sfoot trefoil was significantly inferior to the rest of the studied crops in all agronomic characteristics. Galega had the highest leafiness; in winter hardiness, bushiness and plant height it was slightly inferior to alfalfa, and in yield to white clover. Seeds under the conditions of Murmansk Province can be obtained only from galega accessions.Conclusion. According to a set of agronomic characters, the most promising crop is fodder galega, especially its adapted naturalized accessions selected in 1991–1993

MODERN APPROACH TO MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF PROSTATE TUMORS

The aim of the study was the development of a cell biosensor system based on the fact that AR activator stimuli lead to redistribution of AR from cytoplasm to the nucleus. These changes could be measured and used for the diagnostics and personalized treatment of prostate cancer patient. The stably transfected cell lines with fluorescently tagged AR were generated. For the stable cell expression the non AR expressing HeLa cell line was used. The constructs of chimeric fluorescent proteins wild type AR or mutant ART877A were used for the transfection. The changes of the CFP-AR-YFP and CFP-ART877A-YFP proteins in the nucleus of HeLa cells under different concentrations steroids treatment was investigated. Moreover, the quantity of activated receptor in the nucleus was carried