Significance of ethnic values in the process of the youth self-definition in Northern Caucasus

В статье выявляются факторы, воздействующие на этническую социализацию в поликультурном пространстве Северного Кавказа. Рассматривается специфичность этнической идентичности юности.In this paper factors, affecting the increasing significance of ethnic socialization in policultural space of North Caucasus are considered. The specificity of the youth ethnic identity forming is shown and the necessity of other identity kinds development, allowing to develop constructive forms of intergroup reciprocity is demonstrated

An Evaluation of Leaf Biomass : Length Ratio as a Tool for Nondestructive Assessment in Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.)

The characterization of biomass and its dynamics provides valuable information for the assessment of natural and transplanted eelgrass populations. The need for simple, nondestructive assessments has led to the use of the leaf biomass-to-length ratio for converting leaf-length measurements, which can be easily obtained, to leaf growth rates through the plastochrone method. Using data on leaf biomass and length collected in three natural eelgrass populations and a mesocosm, we evaluated the suitability of a leaf weight-to-length ratio for nondestructive assessments. For the data sets considered, the isometric scaling that sustains the weight-to-length proxy always produced inconsistent fittings, and for leaf-lengths greater than a threshold value, the conversion of leaf length to biomass generated biased estimations. In contrast, an allometric scaling of leaf biomass and length was highly consistent in all the cases considered. And these nondestructive assessments generated reliable levels of reproducibility in leaf biomass for all the ranges of variability in leaf lengths. We argue that the use of allometric scaling for the representation of leaf biomass in terms of length provides a more reliable approach for estimating eelgrass biomass

Relationship between atomic structure and excellent glass forming ability in Pd42.5Ni7.5Cu30P20 metallic glass

International audienceTo understand the relation of the glass-forming ability (GFA) to the local atomic configurations of a PdNiCuP (PNCP) metallic glass having the best GFA at present, the local structures were investigated by combining data obtained from anomalous X-ray scattering, X-ray and neutron diffraction, and applying reverse Monte Carlo modeling. By comparing the results of PNCP with PdNiP (PNP) and PdCuP (PCP) having a slightly and much worse GFAs, respectively, characteristic features were observed in the hyper-ordered atomic structures. Firstly, the concentration inhomogeneity of Ni/Cu in PNCP is larger than that of Ni in PNP and Cu in PCP. Secondly, a Voronoi tessellation showed that the fraction of pure icosahedral arrangements around the Cu atoms increases significantly in PNCP by adding icosahedral-preferred Ni atoms in PCP. Finally, a persistent homology (PH) analysis reveals the largest intermediate-size Cu PH rings in PNCP among the PH rings in these Pd-based BMGs. The structural heterogeneity for the excellent GFA of PNCP would be considered by an incompatible mixture of specific Pd-P configurations and icosahedral clusters around the secondary Ni and Cu metals

Partial structure investigation of the traditional bulk metallic glass Pd40Ni40 P20

Local structures of Pd40Ni40P20 bulk metallic glass were investigated by combining anomalous x-ray scattering close to the Pd and Ni K absorption edges, x-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and reverse Monte Carlo modeling, from which partial structure factors Sij(Q) and partial pair distribution functions gij(r) as well as three-dimensional atomic configurations were carefully obtained around the constituent elements. A disagreement is found in the local structures with an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation by Guan et al., i.e., the existence of the P-P nearest-neighboring configurations is clarified in the present experimental result. From the Voronoi tessellation analysis, a preference of the pure icosahedral configurations is observed around the Ni atoms, whereas the local configurations around the Pd and P atoms are rather distorted icosahedra. A persistent homology analysis was carried out to identify meaningful shape characteristics of the intermediate-range atomic configuration of large rings.</p

Irinotecan Plus Mitomycin C as Second-Line Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer Resistant to Fluoropyrimidine and Cisplatin: A Retrospective Study

Background. S-1 plus cisplatin has been established to be standard first-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer in Japan. The optimal second-line treatment refractory to S-1 plus cisplatin remains unclear. Methods. We retrospectively studied the efficacy, toxicity, and survival of irinotecan plus mitomycin C in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin. Results. Twenty-four patients were studied. Prior chemotherapy was S-1 plus cisplatin in 15 patients, S-1 plus cisplatin and docetaxel in 8, and 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin with radiotherapy in 1. The overall response rate was 17.4%. The median overall survival was 8.6 months, and the median progression-free survival was 3.6 months. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included leukopenia (33%), neutropenia (50%), anemia (33%), thrombocytopenia (4%), anorexia (13%), diarrhea (4%), and febrile neutropenia (13%). Conclusion. A combination of irinotecan and mitomycin C is potentially effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin

Variable and complex food web structures revealed by exploring missing trophic links between birds and biofilm.Ecol.Lett

Abstract Food webs are comprised of a network of trophic interactions and are essential to elucidating ecosystem processes and functions. However, the presence of unknown, but critical networks hampers understanding of complex and dynamic food webs in nature. Here, we empirically demonstrate a missing link, both critical and variable, by revealing that direct predator-prey relationships between shorebirds and biofilm are widespread and mediated by multiple ecological and evolutionary determinants. Food source mixing models and energy budget estimates indicate that the strength of the missing linkage is dependent on predator traits (body mass and foraging action rate) and the environment that determines food density. Morphological analyses, showing that smaller bodied species possess more developed feeding apparatus to consume biofilm, suggest that the linkage is also phylogenetically dependent and affords a compelling re-interpretation of niche differentiation. We contend that exploring missing links is a necessity for revealing true network structure and dynamics