Enzymatic Activities, Characteristics of Wood-Decay and Wood Substrate Specificity within Genera of Some Wood-Rotting Basidiomycetes from Cameroon and Tropical Africa

A total of 72 species of wood-rotting Basidiomycetes belonging to 40 genera, 13 families and 5 orders, were investigated in this study of which 46 for the first time as far as type of wood-rot is concerned. 61 of the 72 cause white rot (W) representing 84.72 % of the total and 11 cause brown rot (B) or just 15.27 %, confirming the predominance already known of white rot (W) on brown rot (B) as shown in other studies. Results recorded show that even though most species belonging to same genera display the same type of rot (W or B), species of some few other genera were found to rather display different types of rot (W and B) in species within the same genera. Other results show that when determining the type of wood-rot caused by some species of fungi, in case of negative (-) test using tincture of guaiac which is known as the key test to determine the type of rot, syringaldazine must also be used as a differential test before concluding whether the species is a white (W) or brown rot (B) fungus. The level of activity of tyrosinase and peroxidase shows important variations between species of some genera, whereby some species of a given genus show varying potential level (+, ++, +++, ++++) of activities of these two enzymes, whereas other species of the same genus show no sign (-) of activity of the same enzymes. Therefore, our results led to the conclusion that the presence (+, ++, +++, ++++) or absence (-) of activity of peroxidase and tyrosinase can from now onwards also be used as an enzyme linked taxonomic criteria to distinguish between species of some genera. About detection of laccases activity, if a negative (-) result occurs during detection test in a wood-rotting fungus using syringaldazine, α-naphtol must also be used as a differential test before concluding on whether the species produces laccases or not. Based on the overall results recorded in the detection of enzymes activities, it appears necessary to use, where indicated, several substrates with different chemical sensitivities to detect the existence of an enzyme and its potential activity level in a fungal species. Additionally, preliminary lists of wood-decay fungi with potentially strong (+++, ++++) capacity to produce different types of polyphenol oxidases potentially usable in paper making industries, wastewater treatment and soil remediation, are provided. With regard to the study of substrate specificity which aimed at finding out the existence or not of a specificity between polyporales and tree wood species on which they grow, the first results recorded on a limited number of trees investigated led to the preliminary conclusion that, although some few tree species may serve as hosts for only a single species of polyporales, there is rather a greater tendency of finding several species growing on different species of wood as well as the same species of wood hosting several species of polyporales. These field observations led to the remark that a much larger inventory including a greater number of tree species in various tropical ecosystems is necessary in order to come out with a final conclusion.

Narrative essence of language content in the expression of the composer evaluation of their own creativity

The purpose of the article is to investigate the narratives of contemporary Ukrainian composers in the context of their assessment of their own work and the actual existing musicological components of each work: its purpose, the whole conglomeration of musical means of expression, and their multidimensional and multifunctional context. Attention is focused on the problem of inconsistency of the author's linguistic content in expressing his own ideas about his work, with the actual state of affairs, in terms of musicological logic, psychology, etc. The research methodology is based on the analysis of the sphere of expression of human thinking by R. Bart, K. Bremon, F. Jameson, T. Tytarenko, Ts. Todorov, E. Tshebinski and others. Also, studies by G. Gadamer, M. Heidegger, P. Reeker, R. Harre, which consider the narrative as a discursive structure, formed on the basis of their own experience. In the field of musical art, the problem of narratology is paid attention to in the works of N. Gerasimova-Persidskaya, O. Zinkevych, Y. Chekan, and some other musicologists. Scientific novelty. For the first time in the work a comparative analysis of the subjective-authorial understanding of composers of the narratives of their own work with the musicological, culturological, and socio-political context of the existence of the individual, to establish the artistic conceptuality of some of their works. Conclusions. It is established that the assimilation and awareness of meaning are possible only through certain messages that can have many meanings, and decoding them together can take any form. Thus, at the junction of the meanings of the narrator and the listener, his interpretive understanding appears, which becomes the basis of the final conclusion. Keywords: language content, creative narratives, artistic conceptuality, decoding.

Theoretical Aspects of Integrating Special Investigations in the Criminal Process in the Republic of Moldova

This article is devoted to the issue of integrating special investigation activities in the criminal process. The paper comments on the contradictory visions regarding the researched subject. The legal nature of the special investigative measures and the results obtained from them are analysed. The final conclusion is that integrating special investigations into criminal proceedings generates serious problems that undermine respect for the rights and freedoms of participants in criminal proceedings. The issues related to carrying out special investigative measures outside the limits of the criminal investigation and capitalizing on them remain remarkably current.

THE CONCEPT OF THE POWERS OF THE PROSECUTOR IN THE EXERCISE OF PROSECUTORIAL SUPERVISION OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURAL ACTIVITIES OF THE BODIES OF INQUIRY

The article deals with the issues of the concept of the powers of the prosecutor in the exercise ofprosecutorial supervision of the criminal procedural activities of the bodies of inquiry. The authors havecome to the following conclusions. The powers of a prosecutor in criminal proceedings are a set of his rightsand obligations provided for by criminal procedural norms aimed at implementing his functions in criminalproceedings in order to achieve his appointment. In essence the powers are a form of expression of the willof the prosecutor as a public authority. An important feature of the concept of «prosecutor’s authority» is thatit can be defined and established only in a law or other normative legal act that has binding force. Often in the special literature the concepts of powers and legal means of the prosecutor are interpreted as equivalent.In the opinion of the authors it is wrong to identify these concepts. The powers represent the rights of theprosecutor provided for by law. In fact these are the possibilities of the prosecutor regulated by law. Thepowers of the prosecutor are broader than legal means since they cover a larger range of prosecutorialactivities. As a final conclusion the authors define the powers of the prosecutor in the supervision of thecriminal procedural activities of the bodies of inquiry which is understood as the totality of his rights andobligations provided for by criminal procedural norms aimed at the implementation of his functions incriminal proceedings in order to achieve his appointment

Oldies but Goldies! Twenty Years After, the Journal of Sports Economics at a Crossroads?

The present article first delineates core sport economics and compares the content of the Journal of Sports Economics (JSE) in different periods of time, then with other core publications in sport economics. Finally, a comparison is undertaken with articles in sport economics which have been published in generalist economics journals over the past two decades. A major conclusion is that the JSE appears to be the mainstream journal in quantitative sport microeconomics. Other strengths and weaknesses are exhibited and tentatively explained, including a marginal attention paid to non-microeconomic issues in sport and some other unheeded topics. A final conclusion is geared toward options for the editorial policy in the decades to come.

COVID-19 and RAAS inhibitors: is there a final conclusion?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the first pandemic caused by a human infecting coronavirus, has drawn global attention from the first time it appeared in Wuhan city of China in late December 2019. Detection of the responsible viral pathogen, named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by WHO, and its possible pathogenesis lead to the forming of many hypotheses about the factors that may affect the patients’ outcome. One of the SARS-CoV-2 infection concerns was the potential role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) in COVID-19 patients’ morbidity and mortality. Studies demonstrated that because SARS-CoV-2 uses human ACE2 cell receptors as an entry receptor to invade the cells, there might be an association between antihypertensive drugs such as RAAS inhibitors (specifically ACEIs and ARBs) and the COVID-19 disease. Data are scarce and conflicting regarding ACEI or ARB consumption and how it influences disease outcomes, and a single conclusion has not been reached yet. According to the literature review in our article, the most evidentially supported theory about the use of RAAS inhibitors in COVID-19 is that these medications, including ACEI/ARB, are not associated with the increased risk of infection, disease severity, and patient prognosis. However, further studies are needed to support the hypothesis.

Refinement of the methodology for assessing the resistance of hazel (hazelnuts) to stress factors

The aim of the research is to clarify the methodology for assessing the resistance of hazel (hazelnuts) to stress factors on the basis of uniform approaches adopted in walnut farming. The assessment of resistance to biotic and abiotic factors has been carried out according to the methods recommended for the walnut, and the state of the vegetative and generative organs of hazel (hazelnuts) has been correlated with the program requirements. The result has been the development of 7 point assessment scales and the numerical values of the degree of damage correlated with them. Score 0 corresponds to the absence of lesions, 1 – lesions up to 5%, 2 – lesions up to 6–10%, 3 – lesions up to 11–25%, 4 – lesions up to 26–50%, 5 – lesions up to 51–75%, 6 – lesions more than 75% or death of the whole plant (depending on the studied indicator). The assessment scale for the winter hardiness of vegetative organs takes into account the degree of damage to the apical buds, annual shoots, branches of two years and older, the stem and the whole plant. Damage to male inflorescences is determined by the length of their dead part, to the female flowers – by the number of damaged ones, expressed as a percentage. The degree of drought resistance is revealed on the basis of studying the state of the entire plant, the percentage of damaged and fallen leaves. The influence of drought on the loss of food part is established by the degree of shrinkage of the kernel. Susceptibility to diseases and pests is estimated in percentage points separately for leaves by area, shoots in length, nuts by the ratio of damaged and undamaged ones. We have distinguished 6 groups of resistance, depending on the degree of vulnerability of varieties and forms of hazel (hazelnuts). It has been proposed to draw conclusions on the basis of at least three years of observations, and the final conclusion should be focused on specific breeding goals.

From being “disadvantaged” to becoming the most advantaged

Since Merton defined the self-fulfilling prophecy in 1948, it has been adopted to several disciplines, and yet, only a small proportion of researches was built on its original complete notion accurately. Empirical papers even met challenges in proving an important part of it, notably that the initial expectation, that came true unwittingly through the behaviour of participants, had to be “false”. That crucial point is the Achilles heel of self-fulfilling prophecy researches, including its special cases, the Galatea, Golem and Pygmalion effect experiments. The research gave an overview on the self-fulfilling prophecies’ related themes in Educational Research, Psychology and Sociology: interactions/stereotypes–stigmas and performance/ achievement; and aimed to examine the (aggregate) role/potential of “disadvantaged” people (i.e. people with mental, physical, psychological problems, disadvantaged socioeconomic/ familial backgrounds) in inducing the special cases of self-fulfilling prophecy – compared to other participants’ aggregate role/potential across all formerly reviewed studies. To this end, an umbrella review method was implemented, that has been unprecedented in social science. A research evidence-based inclusion–exclusion criteria, a PRISMA 2020-based search strategy, and a two-phase quality appraisal ((1) an author-led PRISMA 2020 assessment, (2) a two-researcher 10-step protocol; results: 4.3–4.4/5) were carried out, leading to a sample of two meta-analyses. The data collection and summary were based on qualitative and quantitative findings. The results showed that the effect sizes in “disadvantaged” experiments (d between 1.38–2.20) exceeded overall effect sizes of meta-analyses (d1 = 0.81, d 2 = 1.13) and of most studies in their samples. With regard to that Merton’s “initially false conceptions” can/could be completely incorporated into the research design only when the “disadvantaged” are/were the subject of these experiments – i.e. indeed a self-fulfilling prophecy is/was measured –, the final conclusion is that the “disadvantaged” are actually “the most advantaged” people in inducing the positive cases of self-fulfilling prophecy, particularly Pygmalion effect.

Assess the Level of Stress during Covid-19 Pandemic among 10th and 12th Standard Students

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on school children especially in their academic performance which may affect their mental health. The College students bear more pressure and have more serious physical and mental health problems. Due to the recent social changes in the education domain (e.g., the sharing of educational resources and advances in communication technology), the use of distance education is more and more, which changes the communication patterns between teachers and students, increases the isolation and independence of students, and thus becomes an important source of pressure for students [1]. Aim of the Study: To assess the level of stress during COVID-19 pandemic among the students of 10th and 12th standard. 2. To associate the level of stress during COVID-19 pandemic among the students of 10th and 12th standard with demographic variables. Methodology: An descriptive study will be use to assess the level of stress during COVID-19 pandemic among the 10th and 12th standard students in Wardha, Maharashtra. A purposive sampling technique will be use to pick the sample. A total 100 students who met the inclusion criteria will be select for this study. A Perceived Stress Scale was created to assess the stress. Expected Results: This study is mainly planned to assess the level of stress in students of 10th and 12th standard with the help of Perceived Stress Scale and demographic variables. Conclusion: Final conclusion will be drawn from final result of the statistical review.