A Love Story by a Distinguished Russian Old-Believer Storyteller from Latgalia

The strong and vibrant Russian Old Believer community of Eastern Latvia (Latgalia district) produced many gifted artists, writers, poets and storytellers. Some of them went beyond the traditional topical limitations of Orthodox Christianity and wrote poetry and fiction on non-religious matters, such as love, family relations, history and the like. This research aims to bring to light one particular short story The Forced Love written by a self-madeauthor of Old Believer origin, Maria Pakhomovna Blokhina (1926-2010) to a broader readership. The story has been heavily influenced by Russian folk tales and contains valuable insights of the local ethnography and dialect. This study offers an examination of the story's origins, plot, characters and language and aims to demonstrate the literary and folk heritage of the story, to demonstrate the story’s ethnographic relevance of the period and to examine how the deliberate use of the local dialect by the author reveals her creativity in producing a text close to the style of a folk tale

(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

A process-based approach to management of the enterprise

Establishing an efficient management system is an especially pressing issue for machinery industry as a basic sector of economy in a country. The present paper considers establishing a management system oriented towards increasing enterprise value and customer satisfaction through the integration of process-based management and a Balanced Scorecard. An integrated management system enables structuring of organization processes, redesigning them with regard to external changes as well as applying a balanced scorecard connecting functional units by means of defining strategic objectives and measurable indicators detailing and controlling these objectives and thus increasing the efficiency of processes orienting an organization towards a customer

A process-based approach to management of the enterprise

Establishing an efficient management system is an especially pressing issue for machinery industry as a basic sector of economy in a country. The present paper considers establishing a management system oriented towards increasing enterprise value and customer satisfaction through the integration of process-based management and a Balanced Scorecard. An integrated management system enables structuring of organization processes, redesigning them with regard to external changes as well as applying a balanced scorecard connecting functional units by means of defining strategic objectives and measurable indicators detailing and controlling these objectives and thus increasing the efficiency of processes orienting an organization towards a customer

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

Качество жизни больных ревматоидным артритом на фоне терапии ритуксимабом

Objective: to evaluate the effect of rituximab (RTM) on quality of life (QL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the results of EQ-5D questionnaire total scores. Subjects and methods. Ninety-eighty patients with a valid diagnosis of RA were followed up. All the patients were randomized to two groups according to the basic therapy option: 1) 56 patients on combination therapy with methotrexate (MT; mean dose 13.72±0.06 mg weekly) and rituximab (RTM) by the standard regimen; 2) 42 patients receiving only MT (mean dose 12.6±0.08 mg weekly). The follow-up was 24 months. The international EQ-5D questionnaire was employed to assess QL. Results. While filling out the EQ-5D questionnaire, all the patients with RA mentioned baseline health problems to one extent or another. One year after therapy, there was a statistically significant increase in health index in both Groups 1 and 2: 0.61±0.04 and 0.63±0.07 (р<0.05 and р<0.05, respectively). Group 1 showed a statistically significant rise in VAS scores at 12 (46.7±6.3 mm; р<0.05) and 24 (49.3±11.4 mm; р<0.05) months versus at baseline. Conclusion. There was a satisfactory therapeutic effect only in the MT + RTM combination group whereas there was a minimal one in the MT monotherapy group.Цель исследования — оценить влияние ритуксимаба (РТМ) на качество жизни (КЖ) больных ревматоидным артритом (РА) по результатам общего опросника EQ-5D. Материал и методы. Под наблюдением находилось 98 пациентов с достоверным диагнозом РА. Все больные были рандомизированы в две группы в зависимости от варианта базисной терапии: 1-я группа — 56 больных, находившихся на комбинированной терапии метотрексатом (МТ; средняя доза — 13,72±0,06 мг/нед) и ритуксимабом (РТМ) по стандартной схеме; 2-я группа — 42 пациента, получавших монотерапию МТ (средняя доза — 12,6±0,08 мг/нед). Период наблюдения составил 24 мес. Для оценки КЖ использовали международный опросник EQ-5D. Результаты исследования. При заполнении опросника EQ-5D исходно проблемы со здоровьем отметили в той или иной степени все больные РА Через 1 год терапии установлено статистически значимое увеличение индекса здоровья как в 1-й, так и во 2-й группе: 0,61±0,04 и 0,63±0,07 (р<0,05 и р<0,05 соответственно). Выявлено статистически значимое увеличение показателя визуально-аналоговой шкалы у больных РА в 1-й группе через 12 мес (46,7±6,3мм, р<0,05) и 24 мес (49,3±11,4мм; р<0,05) относительно исходных данных. Заключение. Удовлетворительный терапевтический эффект отмечен только в группе пациентов, получавших комбинированную терапию МТ и РТМ, тогда как в группе, находившейся на монотерапии МТ, он был минимальным

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

Characterization and overproduction of cell-associated cholesterol oxidase ChoD from Streptomyces lavendulae YAKB-15

Cholesterol oxidases are important enzymes with a wide range of applications from basic research to industry. In this study, we have discovered and described the first cell-associated cholesterol oxidase, ChoD, from Streptomyces lavendulaeYAKB-15. This strain is a naturally high producer of ChoD, but only produces ChoD in a complex medium containing whole yeast cells. For characterization of ChoD, we acquired a draft genome sequence of S. lavendulaeYAKB-15 and identified a gene product containing a flavin adenine dinucleotide binding motif, which could be responsible for the ChoD activity. The enzymatic activity was confirmed in vitro with histidine tagged ChoD produced in Escherichia coli TOP10, which lead to the determination of basic kinetic parameters with K-m 15.9 mu M and k(cat) 10.4/s. The optimum temperature and pH was 65 degrees C and 5, respectively. In order to increase the efficiency of production, we then expressed the cholesterol oxidase, choD, gene heterologously in Streptomyces lividans TK24 and Streptomyces albus J1074 using two different expression systems. In S. albus J1074, the ChoD activity was comparable to the wild type S. lavendulaeYAKB-15, but importantly allowed production of ChoD without the presence of yeast cells

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