POETIC TEXT AND ITS ICONOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION: THE AKATHISTOS HYMN IN THE RUSSIAN AND CRETAN RELIGIOUS ART

This paper focuses on topics relevant to the visual interpretation of poetic verbal texts in their source culture as well as the target culture for which they were translated. The research was realized on fresco and icon cycles that illustrate the poetic text of the Akathistos Hymn. The Greek original text of the hymn is examined in contrast to its Slavonic translation through a parallel comparative analysis of their iconographic interpretations in Russian and Cretan religious art. Seeing as they have never been comparatively studied before, this analysis provides fertile ground for interesting discoveries and research. The Cretan tradition is studied through two complete Akathistos fresco cycles (from the church in the village of Roustica and the cathedral of Valsamonero Monastery), four incomplete Akathistos fresco cycles from the 14th – early 15th century, and the margin scenes on the icon of Panagia Galactotrofousa (1748) by G. Kastrofilakas. The Russian tradition is studied through a fresco cycle from the Ferapontov monastery (approx. 1500) by Dionisius, and the margin scenes on six Russian icons representing different iconographic schools of the 16th – early 17th century. The differences between these two iconographic traditions in regard to the text’s interpretation are divided into two categories: a) those related to the differences between the original text and its Slavonic translation; and b) those related to the different connotations of the original text and its Slavonic translation in the source and target cultures. Typical examples of both categories are presented. As far as the first category is concerned, we discuss whether the variations of the cycle structure in the Russian tradition were caused by the absence of the alphabet acrostic in the Slavonic translation. The second category is studied both through examples of different fragments of the same poetic text illustrated by painters and through different symbolic verbal image interpretations by means of visual art in both traditions. The results of the comparative analysis demonstrate that Cretan painters were more creative in the visual interpretation of the poetic text’s symbolic background due to the fact that they interpreted the original text of the hymn in the context of the culture in which it was created. This provides numerous verbal and non-verbal connotations for each verbal sign of the text. On the other hand, the Russian iconographic tradition did not have this direct contact with the text due to the translation process it had gone through, as well as due to the semiotic gap between the source and the target culture. This is why it failed to display an equally as large number of symbolic interpretations. However, it did discover and emphasize other messages and connotations of the same poetic text which became more important in the context of that other culture. Therefore, the comparative study of religious art traditions helps us understand the various ways a single text that has close ties to the semiotic features of different cultures can be perceived and interpreted in said cultures.This paper focuses on topics relevant to the visual interpretation of poetic verbal texts in their source culture as well as the target culture for which they were translated. The research was realized on fresco and icon cycles that illustrate the poetic text of the Akathistos Hymn. The Greek original text of the hymn is examined in contrast to its Slavonic translation through a parallel comparative analysis of their iconographic interpretations in Russian and Cretan religious art. Seeing as they have never been comparatively studied before, this analysis provides fertile ground for interesting discoveries and research. The Cretan tradition is studied through two complete Akathistos fresco cycles (from the church in the village of Roustica and the cathedral of Valsamonero Monastery), four incomplete Akathistos fresco cycles from the 14th – early 15th century, and the margin scenes on the icon of Panagia Galactotrofousa (1748) by G. Kastrofilakas. The Russian tradition is studied through a fresco cycle from the Ferapontov monastery (approx. 1500) by Dionisius, and the margin scenes on six Russian icons representing different iconographic schools of the 16th – early 17th century. The differences between these two iconographic traditions in regard to the text’s interpretation are divided into two categories: a) those related to the differences between the original text and its Slavonic translation; and b) those related to the different connotations of the original text and its Slavonic translation in the source and target cultures. Typical examples of both categories are presented. As far as the first category is concerned, we discuss whether the variations of the cycle structure in the Russian tradition were caused by the absence of the alphabet acrostic in the Slavonic translation. The second category is studied both through examples of different fragments of the same poetic text illustrated by painters and through different symbolic verbal image interpretations by means of visual art in both traditions. The results of the comparative analysis demonstrate that Cretan painters were more creative in the visual interpretation of the poetic text’s symbolic background due to the fact that they interpreted the original text of the hymn in the context of the culture in which it was created. This provides numerous verbal and non-verbal connotations for each verbal sign of the text. On the other hand, the Russian iconographic tradition did not have this direct contact with the text due to the translation process it had gone through, as well as due to the semiotic gap between the source and the target culture. This is why it failed to display an equally as large number of symbolic interpretations. However, it did discover and emphasize other messages and connotations of the same poetic text which became more important in the context of that other culture. Therefore, the comparative study of religious art traditions helps us understand the various ways a single text that has close ties to the semiotic features of different cultures can be perceived and interpreted in said cultures

Pneumonia in patients on the background of blood cancer.

Problematic issues of etiologic diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia are being studied actively. At the same time specific features of pneumonia in patients with severe immune defects, against blood cancer including are studied insufficiently. By the result of microbiological examinations of 149 patients with pneumonia on the background of blood cancer, who have undergone treatment in hematological center of CE “Dnipropetrovsk local multi-field clinical hospital №4” in 2010-2012, bacterial causative agents were determined in 59,7% of accidents, among which gram-negative microorganisms made up 69,7%, gram-positive – 30,3%. In 63% of accidents the asso­ciations of causative agents were determined: the combination of fungal flora made up 58, 4% bacterial associations – 25, 8%. Invasive methods of research have demonstrated a considerably bigger informativeness in determination of possible etiological diagnosis of pneumonia. In determination of causative agent in fluid of brochoalveolar lavage the part of positive results made up 77,4% against 30,3% in examination of sputum

Signature of a silver phase percolation threshold in microscopically phase separated ternary Ge0.15Se0.85-xAgx (0 <= x <= 0.20) glasses

Temperature modulated Alternating Differential Scanning Calorimetric (ADSC) studies show that Se rich Ge0.15Se0.85-xAgx (0 <= x <= 0.20) glasses are microscopically phase separated, containing Ag2Se phases embedded in a Ge0.15Se0.85 backbone. With increasing silver concentration, Ag2Se phase percolates in the Ge-Se matrix, with a well-defined percolation threshold at x = 0.10. A signature of this percolation transition is shown up in the thermal behavior, as the appearance of two exothermic crystallization peaks. Density, molar volume and micro-hardness measurements, undertaken in the present study, also strongly support this view of percolation transition. The super-ionic conduction observed earlier in these glasses at higher silver proportions, is likely to be connected with the silver phase percolation.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF WORKING WITH UNIVERSITY ENTRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Organizational and socio-psychological aspects of work with university entrants are considered. The phenomenon of cognitive dissonance, connected with the problem of choosing a university, is being considered and social and psychological recommendations for overcoming this phenomenon in work with applicants are offered

SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF WORKING WITH UNIVERSITY ENTRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Organizational and socio-psychological aspects of work with university entrants are considered. The phenomenon of cognitive dissonance, connected with the problem of choosing a university, is being considered and social and psychological recommendations for overcoming this phenomenon in work with applicants are offered

Irregular HF radio propagation on a subauroral path during magnetospheric substorms

The impact of the main ionospheric trough, sporadic structures, gradients and inhomogeneities of the subpolar ionosphere during substorms on the signal amplitude, azimuthal angles of arrival, and propagation modes for the radio path Ottawa (Canada)-St.&amp;nbsp;Petersburg (Russia) was considered. This subauroral path with the length of about 6600 km has approximately an east-west orientation. The main goals are to carry out numerical modeling of radio propagation for the path and to compare the model calculations with experimental results. Wave absorption and effects of focusing and divergence of rays were taken into consideration in the radio wave modeling process. The following basic results were obtained: The signal amplitude increases by 20&amp;ndash;30 dB 1&amp;ndash;1.5 h before the substorm expansion phase onset. At the same time the signal azimuth deviates towards north of the great circle arc for the propagation path. Compared with quiet periods there are effects due to irregularities and gradients in the area of the polar edge of the main ionospheric trough on the passing signals. Propagation mechanisms also change during substorms. The growth of signal amplitude before the substorm can be physically explained by both a decrease of the F2-layer ionization and a growth of the F2-layer height that leads to a decrease of the signal field divergence and to a drop of the collision frequency. Ionospheric gradients are also important. This increase of signal level prior to a substorm could be used for forecasting of space weather disturbed conditions

The forecast of lethal outcome in chronic leukemia patients with pneumonia

Цель исследования - создание математической модели прогноза летального исхода пневмонии у больных на фоне хронических лейкозов для определения и своевременной оптимизации лечения. Исследовано 323 больных с пневмониями, которые розвились на фоне хронических лейкозов. Все показатели, полученные в результате исследования, внесены в электронную базу данных формализованных историй болезней в виде таблицы «объект-признак», которую подвергали поэтапной многоплановой статистической обработке методами непараметрического дисперсионного анализа Краскела-Уоллиса, корреляционного анализа с расчетом коэффициента ранговой корреляции Спирмена, Roc-анализа. Статистически достоверным считалось значение уровня значимости p<0,05 (5%). Выявлено, что с летальным исходом больных различными формами пневмонии, которые развились на фоне хронических лейкозов ассоциированы показатели лейкоцитов, лимфоцитов, нейтрофилов, тромбоцитов, эритроцитов, гемоглобина и показатели иммунитета (B(CD19+), Т (СD4+), (СD4+/СD8+), IgG). В результате проведенного исследования создана математическая модель прогноза возникновения летального исхода пневмонии у больных на фоне хронических лейкозов: ПЛИ = exp(-0,073-0,994*(лейкоциты) + 4,842 * (Р. Aerogиnosa)) / [1 + exp (-0,073-0,994 * (лейкоциты) + 4,842 * (Р. aerogиnosa)]. Использование в клинической практике разработаной математической модели позволит определить место лечения больных пневмонией в сочетании с хроническим лейкозом, что позволит своевременно оптимизировать программу лечения. The aim of the study - to create a mathematical model for forecasting of poor pneumonia outcome in patients with chronic leukemia in order to optimize treatment. Study included 323 patients with pneumonia and chronic leukemia. All indicators obtained in the study were entered into electronic database of formalized medical histories like a table "object-feature". These results were subjected to stepwise multidimensional statistical processing using non-parametric dispersive analysis by Kruskal-Wallis, correlation analysis with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and ROC - analysis. The statistically significant level was p < 0,05 (5%). We determined that the forecast of pneumonia poor outcome in patients with chronic leukemia is associated with: leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, platelets, erythrocytes, hemoglobin and immunity: B (CD19+) (G/L), T (CD4+) (%), immunoregulatory index (CD4+/СD8+) and IgG (g/l). A mathematical model for predicting the pneumonia poor outcome in patients with chronic leukemia was created in our study: PPO=exp (-0.073-0.994*(leukocytes) + 4.842*(P.aeroginosa)) / [1 + exp (-0.073-0.994*(leukocytes) + 4.842*(R. aeroginosa)]. Using in clinical practice the proposed mathematical model of prediction pneumonia poor outcome in patients with chronic leukemia will allow determining the treatment place and timely optimizing the treatment program

Optimized refractive surgery in keratoconus

Purpose: The aim of the study is to compare the refractive results after simultaneous TransPRK and Cross-linking procedure for treatment of keratoconus with optimized and non-optimized customized ablation profiles; to introduce the concept of optimization in keratoconus and discuss its clinical significance; to find predictive factors for better refractive outcomes in simultaneous combined procedures and to propose therapeutic algorithm.Methods: Syrius schimpflug aberrometer (Schwind) was used to create non-optimized custom and optimized custom ablation profiles in keratoconic corneas. TransPRK ablation was performed with Schwind Amaris Eximer Laser (500 Hz). Cross-linking was done with Avedro cross-linking suit. Analysis of preoperative and postoperative refraction, visual acuity, keratometric and aberometric data was done for both groups. Correlative analysis of the preoperative and postoperative variables was done with Pierson statistical analysis.Results: 44 patients (70 eyes), age 19-67, 29 eyes with optimization, 41 eyes without optimization were followed for 18 months. A positive correlation was found between CCT and the amount of postoperative flattening in patients over 40 years of age. No correlation was found with Kavg.Conclusions: Long term results after simultaneous TransPRK + Cross linking show stability and safety. Optimization of refraction brings better refractive results compared to non-optimized procedure. It can be safely performed in thinner corneas and compensates for the hypermetropic shift generated by the cross-linking procedure