350 research outputs found
Polina Evgenievna Zakharova
No full textСтатья посвящена памяти Полины Евгеньевны Захаровой (12.03.1940—28.09.2020), нашего Учителя, звездного астронома, кандидата физико-математических наук, директора Коуровской астрономической обсерватории Уральского университета (1982—2016), вдохновителя и организатора Всероссийских студенческих научных конференций «Физика Космоса», автора учебно-наглядного пособия «Календарь ”Астрономия”», члена ряда профессиональных советов и обществ, человека, беззаветно преданного своему делу — развитию астрономии на Среднем Урале и в России.The article is dedicated to the memory of Polina Evgenievna Zakharova (12.03.1940—28.09.2020), our Teacher, stellar astronomer, Candidate of Science in Physics and Mathematics, director of the Kourovka Astronomical Observatory of the Ural University (1982—2016), inspirer and organizer All-Russian student scientific conferences ”Physics of Space”, the author of the teaching-visual aid Calendar ”Astronomy”, a member of a number of professional councils and societies, a person selflessly devoted to her work — the development of astronomy in the Middle Urals and in Russia
Replication Data for "Images and Perceptions of Human Rights Defenders in Russia: Examining Public Opinion in the Age of the ‘Foreign Agents’ Law"
No full textResults of the survey on Russians’ attitudes towards human rights defenders, conducted by the author in collaboration with the Levada Center, a Moscow-based independent polling agency. Interviewing was part of the Center’s monthly Omnibus surveys and took place in 20-23 of April 2015. The survey was administered as face-to-face interviews in respondents’ homes
Replication Data for "Images and Perceptions of Human Rights Defenders in Russia: Examining Public Opinion in the Age of the ‘Foreign Agents’ Law"
No full textResults of the survey on Russians’ attitudes towards human rights defenders, conducted by the author in collaboration with the Levada Center, a Moscow-based independent polling agency. Interviewing was part of the Center’s monthly Omnibus surveys and took place in 20-23 of April 2015. The survey was administered as face-to-face interviews in respondents’ homes
Designing a Geodata Repository Using Arc Editor
No full textCurrent short paper reports issues of of creation, structuring and formation of spatial data repository using ArcEditor software (ESRI) based on personal experience of author. The following questions are considered and briefly discussed: data storage, standardization of diverse data of various origin and created by different standards and formats, optimization of data management and data usage.P. Lemenkova. "Designing a Geodata Repository Using Arc Editor". Russian. In: Real Estate Cadastre and Monitoring Natural Resources Session 7: Using IT Tools. International Scientific Online Conference (Dec. 23–27, 2015). Tula, Russia, 2015. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare. 7210298. url: http://kadastr.org/conf/2015/pub/infoteh/repozir-arceditor.htm
Geomorphological modelling and mapping of the Peru-Chile Trench by GMT
No full textThe author presents a geospatial analysis of the Peru-Chile Trench located in the South Pacific Ocean by the Generic Mapping Tool (GMT) scripting toolset used to process and model data sets. The study goal is to perform geomorphological modelling by the comparison of two segments of the trench located in northern (Peruvian) and southern (Chilean) parts. The aim of the study is to perform automatic digitizing profiles using GMT and several scripting modules. Orthogonal cross-section profiles transecting the trench in a perpendicular direction were automatically digitized, and the profiles visualized and compared. The profiles show variations in the geomorphology of the trench in the northern and southern segments. To visualize geological and geophysical settings, a set of the thematic maps was visualized by GMT modules: free-air gravity anomaly, geoid, geology and bathymetry. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis of the bathymetry in both segments show that the most frequent depths for the Peruvian segment of the Peru-Chile Trench range from -4,000 to -4,200 (827 recorded samples) versus the range of -4,500 to -4,700 m for the Peruvian segment (1,410 samples). The Peruvian segment of the trench is deeper and its geomorphology steeper with abrupt slopes compared to the Chilean segment. A comparison of the data distribution for both segments gives the following results. The Peruvian segment has the majority of data (23%) reaching 1,410 (-4,500 m to -4,700 m). This peak shows a steep pattern in data distribution, while other data in the neighbouring diapason are significantly lower: 559 (-4,700 m to -5,000 m) and 807 (-4,200 m to -4,400 m). The Chilean segment has more unified data distribution for depths of -6,000 m to -7,000 m. This paper presents GMT workflow for the cartographic automatic modelling and mapping deep-sea trench geomorphology
Correlates of life-time history of purchasing sex services by men in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation
No full textBackground. Commercial sex workers (CSW) in Russian Federation are at high risk of HIV infection and transmission as a result of unsafe sexual and injecting behaviors. Their clients might be at increased risk of acquiring HIV; however, little is known about the population of men purchasing sex services. This study’s goal is to investigate factors associated with a history of purchasing sex services by men in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation
Current Development of Tourism and Recreation on Baltic Sea Coasts: New Directions and Perspectives
No full textResearch work analyzes current situation and development of tourism in the region of Baltic Sea. Specific case study of this paper is Pärnu Bay, Estonia. This region is known for unique environmental settings: mild maritime climate, broad beaches, coniferous pine forests on the coastal zone and high esthetic value of the surrounding landscapes. However, after the end of USSR, Estonia survived a difficult period of re-structuring of economic and social system. This affected touristic cluster, rapidly developing in new directions. Soviet touristic areas became abandoned and re-constructed, new hotels are being actively created, intensive privatization of recreation houses is actively ongoing. Main problem in the touristic cluster in Estonia consists in its specific location on the Baltic Sea with cold climate in summer period. It causes low popularity among tourists, comparing to Mediterranean. Another problem consists in ongoing development of the country, reflected in low investments into tourism, comparing to other European countries. Therefore, the main perspective for the tourism development in Estonia includes active redirection towards eco-style sustainable tourism: camping, biking, sea side recreation, construction of summer cottages for vacations, organized tours to Natural Parks. This paper, supported by fieldwork, has analytical character reviewing current Estonian tourism dynamics. Sociopolitical effects on current tourism directions are discussed, while modern touristic system in Estonia compared to Soviet. The overview of the recreation resort places was performed in Häädemeeste municipality, Pärnu district, and resulted in series of thematic author photos. The research was performed at the University of Tartu
‘Nuclear weapons are our best friends’: A Discourse-Historical Analysis of the Cold War Era Rhetoric of Nuclear Militarism
No full textThis contribution focuses on a case study involving two prominent conservative activists – Phyllis Schlafly and Chester Ward – who authored an extended election brochure, The Gravediggers (1964), in a bid to boost the 1964 election campaign of the Republican candidate Barry Goldwater. The main author of The Gravediggers, Schlafly was concerned with what she saw as the erosion of American nuclear capacity and the weakening of the nation’s security in the Cold War era of the 1960s. As a religious, anti-Communist and (later) anti-feminist activist, Schlafly was adamant that the Democratic Kennedy-Johnson Administration’s defence policy
and its disarmament mindset were making America vulnerable to nuclear attack and complete annihilation by the Soviet Union. She sought to protect America’s nuclear superiority by producing campaign literature that exhorted her conservative readers to vote for Barry Goldwater, who stood for the policy of nuclear superiority and strong strategic defence.
Schlafly’s powerful rhetorical style has been described as “militaristic” (Calahane 2022) and “bellicose” (Critchlow 2015). Using the Discourse-Historical Approach (Wodak 2015), the study combines linguistic analyses with historical and sociological methodologies in a bid to shed light on The Gravediggers as a pro-nuclear text representative of a sample of larger conservative defence literature of the period under investigation. The main focus of the investigation is on the role of argumentation strategies realised mainly as topoi of danger/threat, history, evil and (impeded access to) the people’s democratic participation, that Schlafly and Ward made use of to argue against the policy of nuclear disarmament and in favour of maintaining a confrontational attitude towards the USSR
Obesity and co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders in pregnancy and early manifestations of neurodevelopmental adversity in the offspring : Prediction and Prevention of Pre-eclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction (PREDO) Study
No full textThe prevalence of women entering pregnancy with overweight and obesity is growing worldwide reaching epidemic proportions. Apart from the risks of maternal and fetal morbidity associated with overweight and obesity, excessive weight is also an essential risk factor for diabetic and hypertensive disorders occurring before and during pregnancy. Maternal obesity and co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders affect fetal development and have been linked with compromised neurodevelopment of the offspring; however, previous findings are not entirely consistent. Further, due to high co-morbidity between maternal overweight/obesity and hypertensive and diabetic disorders, it is difficult to disentangle their individual effects on child neurodevelopment. In addition, the mechanisms underlying associations between maternal overweight/obesity and co-morbid disorders and child neurodevelopment remain elusive.
This thesis examines the effects of maternal overweight/obesity and co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders on early manifestations of neurodevelopmental adversity and on developmental delay in early childhood. It also examines whether DNA methylation (DNAm) biomarker of gestational age (GA) at birth reflects prenatal exposure to maternal overweight/obesity and co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders, and hence, has a potential to identify individuals at risk for neurodevelopmental adversity already at birth.
This thesis capitalizes on the Prediction and Prevention of Pre-eclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction (PREDO) birth cohort comprising 4777 women and their singleton children born in Finland between 2006 and 2010. Data on maternal early pregnancy BMI, pre-pregnancy and gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were derived from the Finnish Medical Birth Register (MBR). DNAm gestational age (DNAm GA) was calculated using the method based on the methylation profile of 148 selected cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites on DNA. Regulatory behavior problems in infancy were measured using Neonatal Perception Inventory (NPI) at the infant’s mean age of 16.9 (SD=7.6) days. Developmental milestones were measured using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Third edition at the child’s mean age of 42.1 (SD=8.2) months.
In comparison to the infants born to normal weight mothers, infants born to overweight/obese mothers displayed more regulatory behavior problems and were more likely to display regulatory behavior problems in multiple areas of self-regulation. These effects were independent of the co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders (Study II). Children of overweight and obese mothers were more likely to display more severe and pervasive developmental delay in comparison to the children on normal weight mothers. The effects of maternal overweight and obesity on severity and pervasiveness of developmental delay in early childhood were also independent of the co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders (Study III). Infant regulatory behavior problems partially mediated the association between maternal overweight/obesity and child neurodevelopmental milestones (Study II). Maternal pre-eclampsia was marginally associated with infant regulatory problems in multiple areas of self-regulation in normal weight non-diabetic women, but its effect was not significant in overweight/obese women and/or women with GDM (Study II). Maternal pre-eclampsia increased the odds of more severe and pervasive developmental delay in early childhood, and these effects were lower in the presence of overweight/obesity and diabetic disorders (Study III). GDM was not associated with infant regulatory behavior problems (Study II). The effect of GDM on severity and pervasiveness of developmental delay in early childhood was partially driven by maternal overweight/obesity and/or pre-eclampsia (Study III). Gestational and chronic hypertension were not associated with infant regulatory behavior problems and developmental delay(Studies II and III). Maternal BMI was not associated with variation in DNAm GA (Study IV). Maternal pre-eclampsia was associated with DNAm GA acceleration (Study IV). GDM in index pregnancy was not associated with variation in DNAm GA, however, insulin treated GDM in previous pregnancy was associated with DNAm GA deceleration (Study IV).
These study findings suggest that maternal overweight and obesity affect child neurodevelopment independently of the co-morbid hypertensive and diabetic disorders, and that the trajectory of this effect can partially be traced from infant regulatory behavior problems to developmental delay in early childhood. Hence, infant regulatory behavior problems may represent an early manifestation of neurodevelopmental adversity due to prenatal exposure to maternal overweight/obesity. Pre-eclampsia increases the risk of developmental delay in early childhood independently of maternal overweight, obesity and diabetic disorders and its adverse effects on child neurodevelopment have a potential to be detected already at birth by assessing DNAm GA. Adverse effects of gestational diabetes on child neurodevelopment can be partially accounted for by highly co-morbid maternal overweight/ obesity and pre-eclampsia. Efforts aimed at weight management among women of reproductive age and prevention of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy are likely to reduce the burden of neurological morbidity in the future.Yhä useampi hedelmällisessä iässä oleva nainen ympäri maailmaa on ylipainoinen tai lihava. Ylipaino on tärkeä diabeteksen ja verenpainesairauksien riskitekijä sekä yleisesti että raskauden aikana, ja näitä häiriöitä voidaankin kuvata ylipainon ja lihavuuden liitännäissairauksiksi. Aiempien tutkimusten perusteella äidin lihavuus ja nämä liitännäissairaudet vaikuttavat sikiön kehitykseen ja voivat mahdollisesti lisätä lapsen käytös- ja tunnehäiriöiden ja muiden kehityksellisten ongelmien riskiä, mutta nämä aiemmat tulokset ovat osin ristiriidassa keskenään. Lisäksi on vaikeaa arvioida, mikä on yksittäisten riskitekijöiden itsenäinen merkitys lapsen kehityksen kannalta, sillä äidin lihavuus ja ylipaino, diabetes ja verenpainesairaudet esiintyvät usein yhdessä. On myös huomattava, että mekanismit, jotka selittävät äidin ylipainon tai lihavuuden ja sen liitännäissairauksien yhteyttä lapsen kehitykseen ovat edelleen varsin epäselviä.
Tässä väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan äidin ylipainon ja lihavuuden sekä diabeteksen ja verenpainehäiriöiden vaikutusta lapsen varhaisiin käytös- ja tunnehäiriöiden ilmentymiin sekä kehitysviivästymiin. Lisäksi väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan vastasyntyneen perimäaineksen epigeneettisiä muutoksia, eli DNA:ssa ennen syntymää tapahtuneita muokkauksia, joiden johdosta emäsjärjestys ei muutu, mutta jotka voivat vaikuttaa solujen toimintaan. Epigeneettisten muutosten osalta selvitetään, ovatko ne yhteydessä äidin raskauden aikaiseen lihavuuteen, ylipainoon ja liitännäissairauksiin. Lisäksi selvitetään, voitaisiinko epigeneettisiä muutoksia tutkimalla auttaa tunnistamaan mahdollisimman varhaisessa vaiheessa ne lapset, joilla on kohonnut kehityksen häiriöiden riski.
Väitöskirja on toteutettu osana suomalaista Predo-tutkimusta. Predo (Pre-eklampsian ennustaminen ja ehkäisy) on seurantatutkimus, johon kuuluu 4777 äitiä sekä heidän lastaan, jotka syntyivät Suomessa 2006-2010. Äidin varhaisraskauden painoindeksiä, diabetesta ja verenpainesairauksia koskeva tieto kerättiin Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinnin laitoksen ylläpitämästä kansallisesta Syntyneiden lasten rekisteristä. Epigeneettisten muutosten osalta tarkasteltiin syntymän yhteydessä otettuja napanuoran verinäytteitä, joista on mahdollista tutkia vastasyntyneen soluja. Tutkimuksessa valittiin vastasyntyneen DNA:sta 148 sytosiini-fosfaatti-guaniini-kohtaa, joiden metylaatioaste heijastelee raskauden kestoa, ja näiden kohtien metylaatioastetta tarkasteltiin suhteessa äidin painoon, sairauksiin sekä lapsen kehitykseen. Itsesäätelyvaikeuksia imeväisiässä mitattiin Neonatal Perception Inventory -kyselylomakkeella, jonka vastasyntyneiden äidit täyttivät keskimäärin 17 päivää synnytyksen jälkeen. Kehitysviivästymiä arvioitiin Ages and Stages -kyselylomakkeella, jonka äidit täyttivät lapsen ollessa keskimäärin 42 kuukauden ikäinen.
Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että äidin ylipaino ja lihavuus vaikuttavat lapsen kehitykseen riippumatta liitännäissairauksista eli myös silloin, kun diabeteksen ja verenpainesairauksien vaikutus lapseen on huomioitu. Äidin ylipaino ja lihavuus olivat tutkimuksessa yhteydessä sekä vastasyntyneen varhaisiin itsesäätelyn vaikeuksiin että kehitysviivästymiin varhaislapsuudessa. Tutkimuslöydösten perusteella vastasyntyneen itsesäätelyvaikeudet voivat olla äidin ylipainon ja lihavuuden haittavaikutusten varhainen ilmentymä lapsessa. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin lisäksi, että pre-eklampsia – raskaushäiriö, joka aiheuttaa muun muassa verenpaineen nousua ja jota on kutsuttu Suomessa myös raskausmyrkytykseksi – lisää lapsen varhaisen kehitysviivästymän riskiä riippumatta äidin ylipainosta, lihavuudesta tai diabeteksesta. Tulosten perusteella on mahdollista, että pre-eklampsian haitalliset vaikutukset lapsen kehitykseen voidaan havaita jo varhain tutkimalla vastasyntyneen perimäaineksessa tapahtuneita epigeneettisiä muutoksia. Hedelmällisessä iässä olevien naisten painonhallintaan ja pre-eklampsian ehkäisyyn tähtäävät toimet voisivat vähentää psykiatristen ja neurologisten sairauksien kuormaa tulevaisuudessa.ei saavutettav
Climatic influence on the lake drainage processes and vegetation dynamics in arid ecosystems of southern Africa
No full textDroughts and climate fluctuations can lead to seasonal drying in Etosha Lake, located in northern Namibia. Repetitive rises in temperature and lack of precipitation affect the hydrology and ecosystem health of using landscape of the Etosha Pan. Land cover dynamics of this salt ephemeral basin, located in Namibia, are subject to the climate and meteorological setting. To date, the spatiotemporal monitoring of this specific region of southern Afri-ca, including the driving factors of salinity and the water cycle, and the drainage dynamics of the lake, remains unclear. The remote location of this area and the extreme desert climate make fieldwork in this region a challenge. Using a series of six multi-spectral Landsat 8-9 OLI/TIRS satellite images and cartographic products (CORINE and GEBCO for thematic and topographic mapping), we identify seasonal variations in the surface of the Etosha National Park affecting drainage events in the lake basin. Extreme heat periods (summer-early autumn) resulted in the drying of the basin, which was covered by the crust of salt and minerals, while wet periods in winter and early spring favour the growth of vegetation. Technically, this paper presents the use of the Machine Learning (ML) methods of GRASS GIS by libraries of Python Scikit-Learn for image classification by an ensemble learning approach with a Random Forest (RF) classifier. Land cover types were identified using ML modules of GRASS GIS and scripting techniques. The methodology of scripts is presented in the GitHub repository of the author. The results demonstrated seasonal landscape dynamics in Etosha Pan. The ML method of image classification proved to be an effective tool for monitoring changes in the landscapes of northern Namibia, Africa
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