(Un)Disciplined Bodies: Ascetic Transformation in Performance Art

This dissertation investigates different modalities of self-transformation enacted in ritualistic performance art by the examination of the work of three contemporary performance artists – Marina Abramović, Linda Montano and Ron Athey. Drawing on theoretical models of ritual, in particular the model of ascetic ritual developed in the works of Gavin Flood and Richard Valantasis, Georges Bataille’s theory of sacrifice, concepts of wounded healing by Laurence J. Kirmayer and Jess Groesbeck, and recent studies of ascetic self-injury in psychiatry and psychoanalysis, I argue that ritualistic performance provides a useful model of the therapy of the body that undermines rigid models of the individual self. Ritualistic performance employs a variety of methods of re-patterning of the dominant standard of individuality and formation of alternative model of the body associated with the ascetic self. In view of significance of the transcendence of the body in the work of these artists I employ a theory of “transformation” to reflect upon performative methodology developed in the artworks of Abramović, Montano, and Athey

Theoretical and methodological foundations of provision of well-balanced development of forest sector of economy under the conditions of climatic changes and increase of anthropogenic stress

Current climatic changes are a threat to effective development of forestry under the modern economic conditions, which is aggravated by increase of anthropogenic stress in the sphere of forest use. Formation of strategies of well-balanced development of forestry supposes not only analysis of popular methodological approaches but formation of organizational mechanism for managing this sphere, the realization of which is aimed at preventive elimination of emerging threats. Provision of well-balanced development of economic system is viewed from the positions of the theory of management. The authors substantiate the use of complex approach which takes into account tendencies of functioning of forest sector, as a constant process of using forest resources, their preservation and renewal. Complexity will provide the study of the managed sub-system of forest complex (forestry) as totality, consisting of separate interconnected spheres of activities which possess their own functions and goals, with ordered and interconnected activities. Preventive approach will ensure timely revelation of key problems and threats to provision of well-balanced development of forest complex. Reflection will allow choosing the most effective instrumentarium for prevention (levelling) of emerging threats on the basis of existing experience. Balance of development is viewed as a feature peculiar for all structural components of economic system. It is advisable to distinguish the following factors which influence well-balanced development of region: group of natural and ecological, socio-political, economic, and social factors. Key components of provision of well-balanced development of economic system (forestry) could be presented from the positions of study, firstly, of managing and managed sub-systems; secondly, from the position of sub-system of forecasting, monitoring, identification, and evening-out of threats to well-balanced development.peer-reviewe

Screening studies of POP levels in fish from selected lakes in the Paz watercourse

Appendix 8/15 of the publication "State of the environment in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border area 2007" (The Finnish Environment 6/2007)

The High–Low Arctic boundary: How is it determined and where is it located?

Geobotanical subdivision of landcover is a baseline for many studies. The High–Low Arctic boundary is considered to be of fundamental natural importance. The wide application of different delimitation schemes in various ecological studies and climatic scenarios raises the following questions: (i) What are the common criteria to define the High and Low Arctic? (ii) Could human impact significantly change the distribution of the delimitation criteria? (iii) Is the widely accepted temperature criterion still relevant given ongoing climate change? and (iv) Could we locate the High–Low Arctic boundary by mapping these criteria derived from modern open remote sensing and climatic data? Researchers rely on common criteria for geobotanical delimitation of the Arctic. Unified circumpolar criteria are based on the structure of vegetation cover and climate, while regional specifics are reflected in the floral composition. However, the published delimitation schemes vary greatly. The disagreement in the location of geobotanical boundaries across the studies manifests in poorly comparable results. While maintaining the common principles of geobotanical subdivision, we derived the boundary between the High and Low Arctic using the most up‐to‐date field data and modern techniques: species distribution modeling, radar, thermal and optical satellite imagery processing, and climatic data analysis. The position of the High–Low Arctic boundary in Western Siberia was clarified and mapped. The new boundary is located 50–100 km further north compared to all the previously presented ones. Long‐term anthropogenic press contributes to a change in the vegetation structure but does not noticeably affect key species ranges. A previously specified climatic criterion for the High–Low Arctic boundary accepted in scientific literature has not coincided with the boundary in Western Siberia for over 70 years. The High–Low Arctic boundary is distinctly reflected in biodiversity distribution. The presented approach is appropriate for accurate mapping of the High–Low Arctic boundary in the circumpolar extent

Structure- and interaction-based design of anti-SARS-CoV-2 aptamers

Aptamer selection against novel infections is a complicated and time-consuming approach. Synergy can be achieved by using computational methods together with experimental procedures. This study aims to develop a reliable methodology for a rational aptamer in silico et vitro design. The new approach combines multiple steps: (1) Molecular design, based on screening in a DNA aptamer library and directed mutagenesis to fit the protein tertiary structure; (2) 3D molecular modeling of the target; (3) Molecular docking of an aptamer with the protein; (4) Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the complexes; (5) Quantum-mechanical (QM) evaluation of the interactions between aptamer and target with further analysis; (6) Experimental verification at each cycle for structure and binding affinity by using small-angle X-ray scattering, cytometry, and fluorescence polarization. By using a new iterative design procedure, structure- and interaction-based drug design (SIBDD), a highly specific aptamer to the receptorbinding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, was developed and validated. The SIBDD approach enhances speed of the high-affinity aptamers development from scratch, using a target protein structure. The method could be used to improve existing aptamers for stronger binding. This approach brings to an advanced level the development of novel affinity probes, functional nucleic acids. It offers a blueprint for the straightforward design of targeting molecules for new pathogen agents and emerging variant

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Improving the Efficiency of Electrocatalysis of Cytochrome P450 3A4 by Modifying the Electrode with Membrane Protein Streptolysin O for Studying the Metabolic Transformations of Drugs

In the present work, screen-printed electrodes (SPE) modified with a synthetic surfactant, didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and streptolysin O (SLO) were prepared for cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) immobilization, direct non-catalytic and catalytic electrochemistry. The immobilized CYP3A4 demonstrated a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of −0.325 ± 0.024 V (vs. the Ag/AgCl reference electrode). The electron transfer process showed a surface-controlled mechanism (“protein film voltammetry”) with an electron transfer rate constant (ks) of 0.203 ± 0.038 s−1. Electrochemical CYP3A4-mediated reaction of N-demethylation of erythromycin was explored with the following parameters: an applied potential of −0.5 V and a duration time of 20 min. The system with DDAB/SLO as the electrode modifier showed conversion of erythromycin with an efficiency higher than the electrode modified with DDAB only. Confining CYP3A4 inside the protein frame of SLO accelerated the enzymatic reaction. The increases in product formation in the reaction of the electrochemical N-demethylation of erythromycin for SPE/DDAB/CYP3A4 and SPE/DDAB/SLO/CYP3A4 were equal to 100 ± 22% and 297 ± 7%, respectively. As revealed by AFM images, the SPE/DDAB/SLO possessed a more developed surface with protein cavities in comparison with SPE/DDAB for the effective immobilization of the CYP3A4 enzyme

Anti-Idiotypic Nanobodies Mimicking an Epitope of the Needle Protein of the Chlamydial Type III Secretion System for Targeted Immune Stimulation

The development of new approaches and drugs for effective control of the chronic and complicated forms of urogenital chlamydia caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which is suspected to be one of the main causes of infertility in both women and men, is an urgent task. We used the technology of single-domain antibody (nanobody) generation both for the production of targeting anti-chlamydia molecules and for the subsequent acquisition of anti-idiotypic nanobodies (ai-Nbs) mimicking the structure of a given epitope of the pathogen (the epitope of the Chlamydial Type III Secretion System Needle Protein). In a mouse model, we have shown that the obtained ai-Nbs are able to induce a narrowly specific humoral immune response in the host, leading to the generation of intrinsic anti-Chlamydia antibodies, potentially therapeutic, specifically recognizing a given antigenic epitope of Chlamydia. The immune sera derived from mice immunized with ai-Nbs are able to suppress chlamydial infection in vitro. We hypothesize that the proposed method of the creation and use of ai-Nbs, which mimic and present to the host immune system exactly the desired region of the antigen, create a fundamentally new universal approach to generating molecular structures as a part of specific vaccine for the targeted induction of immune response, especially useful in cases where it is difficult to prepare an antigen preserving the desired epitope in its native conformation

Origin of the Rare Hybrid Genus ×<i>Trisetokoeleria</i> Tzvelev (<i>Poaceae</i>) According to Molecular Phylogenetic Data

In our article, we analyzed new data on the origin of the hybrid genus ×Trisetokoeleria. According to the morphological criteria ×T. jurtzevii is a hybrid between Koeleria asiatica s. l. and Trisetum spicatum, ×T. taimyrica, and originated from Koeleria asiatica s. l. and Trisetum subalpestre, ×T. gorodkowii, a hybrid between Koeleria asiatica and Trisetum ruprechtianum. Later ×T. taimyrica was transferred to Koeleria. Parental taxa are prone to active hybridization themselves, thus, new methods of next-generation sequencing (NGS) were needed to clarify the relationships of these genera. For NGS we used the fragment 18S rDNA (part)–ITS1–5.8S rDNA (totally 441 accessions). We analyzed ITS1–5.8S rDNA–ITS2 region, trnL–trnF and trnK–rps16 from eight samples of the five species, using the Sanger method: ×Trisetokoeleria jurtzevii, ×T. taimyrica, Koeleria asiatica, Sibirotrisetum sibiricum (=Trisetum sibiricum), and Trisetum spicatum. We also studied the pollen fertility of ×Trisetokoeleria and its possible progenitors. Our data partly contradicted previous assumptions, based on morphological grounds, and showed us a picture of developed introgression within and between Koeleria and Trisetum. ×T. jurtzevii, a totally sterile hybrid formed rather recently. We can suppose that ×T. jurtzevii is a hybrid between K. asiatica and some Trisetum s. str. Species, but not T. spicatum. ×T. gorodkowii, a hybrid in the stage of primary stabilization; it has one unique ribotype related to T. spicatum s. l. The second parental species is unrelated to Trisetum ruprechtianum. ×T. taimyrica and is a stabilized hybrid species; it shares major ribotypes with the T. spicatum/T. wrangelense group and has a minor fraction of rDNA related to genus Deyeuxia s. l

Homocystamide Conjugates of Human Serum Albumin as a Platform to Prepare Bimodal Multidrug Delivery Systems for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Boron neutron capture therapy is a unique form of adjuvant cancer therapy for various malignancies including malignant gliomas. The conjugation of boron compounds and human serum albumin (HSA)—a carrier protein with a long plasma half-life—is expected to extend systemic circulation of the boron compounds and increase their accumulation in human glioma cells. We report on the synthesis of fluorophore-labeled homocystamide conjugates of human serum albumin and their use in thiol-‘click’ chemistry to prepare novel multimodal boronated albumin-based theranostic agents, which could be accumulated in tumor cells. The novelty of this work involves the development of the synthesis methodology of albumin conjugates for the imaging-guided boron neutron capture therapy combination. Herein, we suggest using thenoyltrifluoroacetone as a part of an anticancer theranostic construct: approximately 5.4 molecules of thenoyltrifluoroacetone were bound to each albumin. Along with its beneficial properties as a chemotherapeutic agent, thenoyltrifluoroacetone is a promising magnetic resonance imaging agent. The conjugation of bimodal HSA with undecahydro-closo-dodecaborate only slightly reduced human glioma cell line viability in the absence of irradiation (~30 μM of boronated albumin) but allowed for neutron capture and decreased tumor cell survival under epithermal neutron flux. The simultaneous presence of undecahydro-closo-dodecaborate and labeled amino acid residues (fluorophore dye and fluorine atoms) in the obtained HSA conjugate makes it a promising candidate for the combination imaging-guided boron neutron capture therapy