Preface

Proceedings of the II All-Russian Conference with International Participation «Evolution of Biosphere and Technogenesis» «Biosphere and Technogenesis – 2021» Dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS Chita, Russian Federation, 30 August – 2 September, 2021 On behalf of the Organising Committee and the Editors of this volume, we are delighted to present the Proceedings of the IInd National conference with international participation, titled “The Evolution of the Biosphere and Technogenesis”, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Institute of Natural Resources Ecology and Cryology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which was held in the city of Chita, Russia (August 30 – September 2, 2021). The Conference was organized by the Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS, with the support of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Daursky Nature Reserve and other organizations. The main subjects of the conference were as follows: 1. The Evolution of the biosphere (geological, paleontological, biological and climatic aspects). 2. Technogenesis and the evolution of the environment (ecological, economic and social aspects). Within the framework of the conference, the VIIIst National Symposium with international participation “Mineralogy and geochemistry of the landscape of mining areas” was been organized. A dynamic balance in the biosphere is based on a system of cycles created and maintained by it. These gyres cover not only the near-surface zone of the Earth – the exosphere, but also the deep horizons. The evolution of the biosphere as a self-developing system is part of the evolution of the Earth from the origin of life to the appearance of man and the formation of the technosphere. Understanding both the general trend of evolution and its individual stages is important not only in terms of fundamental knowledge, but also in practical terms for predicting the future of humanity and the entire biosphere. The intensification of the technogenic impact on the biosphere, which, as V.I. Vernadsky wrote, by the beginning of the 20th century had reached the scale of geological processes, threatens its stability. List of Conference Organizers is available in this pdf.

Land and mortgage registers as a cornerstone of real estate transactions in Polish law — a historical and legal outline (On the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Land and Mortgage Registers and Mortgage Act)

With its core purpose of establishing the legal status of immovable property, the system of land and mortgage registers (perpetual books) operating in Poland plays a paramount social and economic role in ensuring legal security of real estate conveyancing, and thereby contributes to implementing the constitutional principle of democratic state ruled by law. The foundations for a uniform land and mortgage register law were laid down in the 1930s by the Codification Commission of the Republic of Poland, appointed after the Polish State regained independence in 1918, following the period of partitions. The works of the Commission were interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. In the early years of the post-war communist regime, the Commission’s draft provisions on land and mortgage registers served as the basis of the unified legislation that entered into force. Shortly thereafter, however, the very usefulness of the institution of land and mortgage register was contested by communist authorities, as it was considered contrary to the ideological assumptions underlying the socialist system. As a consequence, although not abolished, the land and mortgage register law’s relevance was diminished substantially for several decades, as manifested by the fact that it was not incorporated into the Civil Code of 1964. The significance of land and mortgage registers was restored to a certain degree only upon adopting the Land and Mortgage Registers and Mortgage Act of 1982, which, after being appropriately amended, is still in force. Subsequently, land and mortgage registers were subject to systemic reforms as part of the democratic transition process in Poland, and in recent years, advanced computerisation and informatisation actions have been undertaken bringing about noteworthy modernisation effects. In view of the forthcoming 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Land and Mortgage Registers and Mortgage Act, it is worth providing deeper insights into contemporary Polish land and mortgage register law against the historical background. The article is aimed at outlining the evolution of legislative and doctrinal approaches to the position of land and mortgage registers in the legal system in Poland — from the period of the interwar Codification Commission’s activity, through the decades of the totalitarian domination of the communist system, until the present time. In this respect, particular reference will be made to basic rules underpinning the organisation of land and mortgage registers. Based on the overview of the development of land and mortgage register law, with special consideration of its legislative marginalisation in the People’s Republic of Poland, conclusions will be drawn as to the current legal position of land and mortgage registers in the context of recognising the vital importance thereof for property law relations.

Harry Harlow – mezi obdivem a nenávistí

This article aims to commemorate the lifelong work of Harry Harlow (31.10. 1905 – 6. 12. 1981) on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his death. Although Harry Harlow is best known mainly for his experiments with maternal separation and social isolation, his research in the field of cognitive abilities of primates also received great scientific acclaim. The results of his work contributed to the revolution in childcare as well as to the shift in the prevailing approaches of psychology, but the ethics of his experiments is questionable from the contemporary point of view.

TO THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF IPREK SB RAS

The article is devoted to the 40th anniversary of IPREK SB RAS. The history of the institute’s creation and tasks set for it by the Presidium of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences are briefly described. Modern research directions are reflected in reports of the anniversary conference held in August-September 2021. The most striking results of world significance are presented, as well as the geography of applied environmental works performed in the Trans-Baikal Territory. The list of advanced research directions included in the plans of the Institute is given.

Hepatitis E, to the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the virus by academician of the RAMS M.S. Balayan

2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the hepatitis E virus by an outstanding Russian virologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Mikhail Surenovich Balayan. This date is an occasion to remember this remarkable scientist and person, to analyze the current state of the problem of viral hepatitis E, to sum up the research results and to correct the prospects of scientific directions, the development of which is largely related to the basic foundations laid by M.S. Balayan.The scientific heritage of M.S. Balayan is associated with the study of poliomyelitis, hepatitis A and hepatitis E. The main contribution of Mikhail Surenovich Balayan to world science was the discovery of the hepatitis E virus. This is, in first place, associated with the significance of the results obtained and the high moral value of the experimental selfinfection with hepatitis E.The paper presents data on the study of virology, epidemiology, clinical course, diagnosis and prevention of hepatitis E. The main concepts and directions of studying hepatitis E are overviewed.