An approach to automated thesaurus construction using clusterization-based dictionary analysis

In the paper an automated approach for construction of the terminological thesaurus for a specific domain is proposed. It uses an explanatory dictionary as the initial text corpus and a controlled vocabulary related to the target lexicon to initiate extraction of the terms for the thesaurus. Subdivision of the terms into semantic clusters is based on the CLOPE clustering algorithm. The approach diminishes the cost of the thesaurus creation by involving the expert only once during the whole construction process, and only for analysis of a small subset of the initial dictionary. To validate the performance of the proposed approach the authors successfully constructed a thesaurus in the cardiology domain

Fungus Metarhizium robertsii and neurotoxic insecticide affect gut immunity and microbiota in Colorado potato beetles

Fungal infections and toxicoses caused by insecticides may alter microbial communities and immune responses in the insect gut. We investigated the effects of Metarhizium robertsii fungus and avermectins on the midgut physiology of Colorado potato beetle larvae. We analyzed changes in the bacterial community, immunity- and stress-related gene expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and detoxification enzyme activity in response to topical infection with the M. robertsii fungus, oral administration of avermectins, and a combination of the two treatments. Avermectin treatment led to a reduction in microbiota diversity and an enhancement in the abundance of enterobacteria, and these changes were followed by the downregulation of Stat and Hsp90, upregulation of transcription factors for the Toll and IMD pathways and activation of detoxification enzymes. Fungal infection also led to a decrease in microbiota diversity, although the changes in community structure were not significant, except for the enhancement of Serratia. Fungal infection decreased the production of ROS but did not affect the gene expression of the immune pathways. In the combined treatment, fungal infection inhibited the activation of detoxification enzymes and prevented the downregulation of the JAK-STAT pathway caused by avermectins. The results of this study suggest that fungal infection modulates physiological responses to avermectins and that fungal infection may increase avermectin toxicosis by blocking detoxification enzymes in the gut

Antitumor Activity of Auger Electron Emitter 111In Delivered by Modular Nanotransporter for Treatment of Bladder Cancer With EGFR Overexpression

Gamma-ray emitting 111In, which is extensively used for imaging, is also a source of short-range Auger electrons (AE). While exhibiting negligible effect outside cells, these AE become highly toxic near DNA within the cell nucleus. Therefore, these radionuclides can be used as a therapeutic anticancer agent if delivered precisely into the nuclei of tumor target cells. Modular nanotransporters (MNTs) designed to provide receptor-targeted delivery of short-range therapeutic cargoes into the nuclei of target cells are perspective candidates for specific intracellular delivery of AE emitters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of 111In attached MNTs to kill human bladder cancer cells overexpressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The cytotoxicity of 111In delivered by the EGFR-targeted MNT (111In-MNT) was greatly enhanced on EJ-, HT-1376-, and 5637-expressing EGFR bladder cancer cell lines compared with 111In non-targeted control. In vivo microSPECT/CT imaging and antitumor efficacy studies revealed prolonged intratumoral retention of 111In-MNT with t½ = 4.1 ± 0.5 days as well as significant dose-dependent tumor growth delay (up to 90% growth inhibition) after local infusion of 111In-MNT in EJ xenograft-bearing mice

Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Threats and opportunities

Madagascar's unique biota is heavily affected by human activity and is under intense threat. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the conservation status of Madagascar's terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity by presenting data and analyses on documented and predicted species-level conservation statuses, the most prevalent and relevant threats, ex situ collections and programs, and the coverage and comprehensiveness of protected areas. The existing terrestrial protected area network in Madagascar covers 10.4% of its land area and includes at least part of the range of the majority of described native species of vertebrates with known distributions (97.1% of freshwater fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals combined) and plants (67.7%). The overall figures are higher for threatened species (97.7% of threatened vertebrates and 79.6% of threatened plants occurring within at least one protected area). International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments and Bayesian neural network analyses for plants identify overexploitation of biological resources and unsustainable agriculture as themost prominent threats to biodiversity. We highlight five opportunities for action at multiple levels to ensure that conservation and ecological restoration objectives, programs, and activities take account of complex underlying and interacting factors and produce tangible benefits for the biodiversity and people of Madagascar

Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Evolution, distribution, and use

Madagascar's biota is hyperdiverse and includes exceptional levels of endemicity. We review the current state of knowledge on Madagascar's past and current terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity by compiling and presenting comprehensive data on species diversity, endemism, and rates of species description and human uses, in addition to presenting an updated and simplified map of vegetation types. We report a substantial increase of records and species new to science in recent years; however, the diversity and evolution of many groups remain practically unknown (e.g., fungi and most invertebrates). Digitization efforts are increasing the resolution of species richness patterns and we highlight the crucial role of field- and collections-based research for advancing biodiversity knowledge and identifying gaps in our understanding, particularly as species richness corresponds closely to collection effort. Phylogenetic diversity patterns mirror that of species richness and endemism in most of the analyzed groups. We highlight humid forests as centers of diversity and endemism because of their role as refugia and centers of recent and rapid radiations. However, the distinct endemism of other areas, such as the grassland-woodland mosaic of the Central Highlands and the spiny forest of the southwest, is also biologically important despite lower species richness. The documented uses of Malagasy biodiversity are manifold, with much potential for the uncovering of new useful traits for food, medicine, and climate mitigation. The data presented here showcase Madagascar as a unique living laboratory for our understanding of evolution and the complex interactions between people and nature. The gathering and analysis of biodiversity data must continue and accelerate if we are to fully understand and safeguard this unique subset of Earth's biodiversity

International Legal Rules of the Temporary Entry (Admission) of Goods into the Territory of States

The multifaceted economic cooperation of States among themselves is not possible without the establishment of international rules of such cooperation in various areas. In order to promote the development of foreign trade, the States elaborate national legislation in such a manner that all procedures to be simple, easy for understanding, predictable and corresponding to generally accepted international standards. The article reviews international legal rules of movement of goods from one state to another on a transitory basis with the provision of exemption

Trade Liberalization within the Eurasian Economic Union (the Case of the EAEU-Vietnam Agreement)

The countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (further - EAEU) make great efforts to develop the export of goods and to become part of regional and global production chains. Free-trade agreements are the most effective tool, which enables the expansion and simplification of access to foreign markets for domestic producers. The EAEU has made use of the right to make a global free-trade agreement (further - the Agreement) for the first time, and Vietnam has been chosen to be such a state. The article examines the innovative ideas, incorporated in the agreement; obligations ofthe EAEU countries are compared to the ones arising from the WTO membership of several EAEU countries. These are questions of trade liberalization, a wide range of aspects, connected with intellectual property, compensatory and anti-dumping measures, tariff and non-tariff barriers, technical, sanitary and phytosanitary regulation, economic advantages of the agreement for the EAEU countries, mutual obligations regarding reduction or zeroing of customs tariff rates

WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: ON THE FACILITATION OF CUSTOMS PROCEDURES FOR TRADE. PART II

INTRODUCTION. Considering close attention of the states to the work of the World Trade Organization, the interest is undoubtedly attracted by new agreements, adopted by it and based on current trends of trade development and aspiration of the states to conduct foreign economic activity more productively and without barriers. In particular, the article concerns Agreement on Trade Facilitation, adopted in 2014. The article tackles peculiarities of providing privileges for developing and least developed countries with respect to application of Agreements’ provisions, as well as tariff preferences concerning goods originating in these countries on the example of the EEU.MATERIALS AND METHODS. During the research the author has used international conventions, adopted within both the World Trade Organization, and World Customs Organization, modern doctrinal research of Russian and foreign authors. The methodological basis of the research constitute method of the systematical and logical analysis, dialectic method, legal-historical, comparative law and technical juridical methods.RESEARCH RESULTS. In the course of the conducted research the author notes that the Agreement’s provisions relating to the special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries are very progressive. An innovation is the possibility of application of obligations under the Agreement by least developed countries only in part, which corresponds to their individual level of development, financial and trade needs. Unlike Section I of the Agreement, concerning which the author drew very skeptical conclusions in the previous article, Section II is rather innovative and provides actual mechanisms of support for the least developed countries.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. The author analyzes provisions of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (further – the Agreement) that was adopted in 2013 and came into force in 2017, which is directly included in the Appendix 1A of the WTO Agreement, after the Agreement on Safeguards. The article tackles provisions, relating to the special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries. Besides, the author analyzes theoretical aspects of categorizing states as such. The author gives examples of providing tariff preferences for goods originating in developing and least developed countries, of conditions and application standard of the EEU uniform system of tariff preferences, the list of such countries. Comparing and analyzing international agreements on these matters, the author comes to the following conclusions. Provisions of Section II of the Agreement differ from earlier established ones concerning developing and least developed countries, provide more preferential terms of application of the Agreement, taking into account potentialities of the country. At the same time, very important is the principle of individual approach to each such country, which independently defines a possibility of application of the Agreement provisions. Besides, an opportunity to simultaneously demand help for capacity-building is, of course, quite progressive for such agreements. The author notes that the EEU provisions concerning goods, originating in developing and the developed countries – users of the Union uniform system of tariff preferences, meet international standards and promote economic progress of developing and least developed countries

The State and Prospects of the Customs Union of the Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation

The integration processes in the modern world develop continually: states associate in different economic organizations, they broaden or stay in stagnation. At present the process of new members’ accession to the Customs Union and Single Economic Space of the Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation takes place. In this article the author analyzes the legal basis of the Customs Union, offers the model (structure) of a Program on the accession of candidate states to the Customs Union, describes the required measures and examines the conception of “the roadmap”