Staged history: Concept of theatricality in the modern utopia (England, England by Julian Barnes)

The work explores the concept of theatre and the role of theatrical conventions in Julian Barnes’s utopian novel England, England. This article discusses theatricality as the principal artistic strategy of the novel, heavily influencing its formal and thematic structure. It outlines the main characteristics of the theatrical chronotope, and considers the similarities between theatricality and the conventions of the utopian novel per se. It examines closely the way Barnes exploits the various semantic implications of the chronotope in his critique of contemporary society. Methodologically the article is based on the findings of theatre semiotics and employs them as its theoretical framework (Alter, Fischer-Lichte, Pavis), while also considering sociological (Debord), anthropological (Milton Singer, Geertz Clifford), and psychological (Erving Goffman) approaches to the phenomena of theatre. Tightly intertwined with actual cultural and social strategies, theatre has always been an essential integrative part of social life. The author uses theatricality to take a reflective attitude towards the contemporary culture, to examine and display the political and social strategies which are considered as immanently theatrical. Under the theory of theatrical semiotics, the decisive aspects of theatre as an aesthetic system are theatrical space and time. The main characteristics of the theater are conceptualized primarily in the theatrical chronotope. On this ground, it can be argued that the significant structural element through which theatricality is incorporated in novelistic discourse is that of the artistic chronotope. The specific enclosure of the theatre universe manifested within the typical utopian locus serves to arrange it as the space of utopian social experiment perfecting the latent tendencies of the culture and exposing them to critical observation. Theatrical “a-temporality” correlates with utopian “a-historicity” and unfolds the rupture with the historical continuum which gives free rein to its purposeful reconstructions. Theatrical images are subjected to regrouping in eclectic totality and re-combinations of disrupted elements of the historical continuum. The cyclicity of the performances representing historical and mythical figures and the re-enacting events essential for national identity involves the spectators in pseudo-communication. It actually deprives them of experiencing real time and space, replacing it with the comfortable pseudoexperience of consuming surrogate images. Thus, the main characteristics of theatrical chronotope are employed to develop the novel’s essential concerns with such issues as reconstruction of individual and national identity and their subjection to distorting speculations. Theatricality reveals the nature of a forward-looking industrial society as a commercial spectacle turning national culture and history into a manipulated commodity

The effects of addition of mononucleotides on Sma nuc endonuclease activity

Examination of the effects of mononucleotides on Sma nuc endonuclease originated from Gram negative bacterium Serratia marcescens displayed that any mononucleotide produced by Sma nuc during hydrolysis of DNA or RNA may regulate the enzyme activity affecting the RNase activity without pronounced influence on the activity towards DNA. The type of carbohydrate residue in mononucleotides does not affect the regulation. In contrast, the effects depend on the type of bases in nucleotides. AMP or dAMP was classified as a competitive inhibitor of partial type. GMP, UMP, and CMP were found to be uncompetitive inhibitors that suggest a specific site(s) for the nucleotide(s) binding in Sma nuc endonuclease. Copyright © 2012 Julia Romanova and Maria Filimonova

DNA Repair is Involved in Mechanism of Drug Sensibilization to Ionizing Radiation of Different Quality

It was shown that chemical compounds inhibit the process of cell recovery irradiated with sparsely and densely ionizing radiations. For both types of radiation, it was demonstrated that the irreversible component of radiation damage increases with increasing in drugs concentration, while the recovery constant, characterizing the probability of recovery per unit time, does not depend on the conditions of irradiation. This means that DNA repair is involved in mechanism of drug sensibilisation to ionizing radiation of different quality, which is associated with the formation of additional irreversible damage but not with damage of recovery processes as it was traditionally suggested. The obtained data indicate the prospects of chemical compounds using after irradiation of cells with ionizing radiations of different quality. Keywords: ionizing radiation, survival, irreversible component, recovery constant, bleocin, doxorubicin, endoxan, fluorourozil, cisplatin

Activity dynamics of potential marker enzymes of Serratia marcescens cytoplasm and periplasm

Activity dynamics of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, β-galactosidase and β-lactamase in the course of growth and development of Gram-negative bacteria Serratia marcescens was studied. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase can serve as a marker of cytoplasm and be also used as a marker of plasma membrane continuity. Alkaline phosphatase is a marker of periplasm. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, β-lactamase and β-galactosidase can be additionally used as markers of the outer membrane continuity of microbial cells. © 2010 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Nuclease biosynthesis and growth of Serratia marcescens in the presence of 2-(p-aminobenzenesulfonamide)-thiazole

The biosynthesis of nuclease in Serratia marcescens has been studied under the conditions of purine synthesis inhibition with 2-(p-aminobenzenesulfonamide) -thiazole. The addition of this sulfonamide to S. marcescens at different growth stages is found to inhibit both culture growth and nuclease synthesis. © 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc

Optoacoustic spectroscopy for real-time monitoring of strongly light-absorbing solutions in applications to analytical chemistry

AbstractAn optoacoustic technique for solutions of strongly light-absorbing analytes at 0.1–0.01moll−1 is proposed. The technique is based on the wide-band forward mode detection of temporal profiles of laser-generated ultrasonic pulses (optoacoustic signals). The leading edge of the signal repeats the distribution of the laser fluence in the medium, which makes it possible to determine its optical absorption and investigate its dynamics during a reaction. The range of light-absorption coefficients starts from 1 to 5 and reaches 104 to 105cm−1. The determination of iron(II) as ferroin shows the possibility of probing 0.1moll−1 of iron(II), which was not previously achieved for this reaction by optical spectroscopy. To further prove the concept, kinetic measurements for ferroin decomposition at the level of 0.1moll−1 and at high pHs are performed. The results are compared with spectrophotometry at lower concentrations and show good reproducibility and accuracy of kinetic constants

Solving the problem of credit defaults in retail sector

The article analyzes dynamics of the volume and annual rate of loan delinquency of the country’s population for intermediate quarter dates, compares default retail credit portfolios with similar portfolio of organizations, and determines the main reasons for appearance of population’s debts before banks. It is concluded that it is necessary for banks to focus on development of their own tools and technologies of payment recovery, related to determination of early problematic debt for the purpose of taking preventive measures for preventing the appearance of past-due debts, which is possible under the condition of investing money assets into own analytical and technological tools. An approach to segmentation of debts and factors that could be used as indicators in the process of accompanying and servicing of credits are offered.peer-reviewe

Дія антимікробних препаратів і світлодіодного випромінювання на добові біоплівки S. aureus та E. coli

Estimating the results of the antimicrobial action and the LED radiation on diurnal S. aureus and E. coli biofilms it has been found that under the complex effects using optical emission of the orange spectrum and β-lactam antimicrobial drugs the density of biofilms was 1.5 times higher than the control values; under the action of the drug from the group of fluoroquinolones levofloxacin and the orange LED emission spectrum the density of daily S. aureus biofilm was 42.8 times reduced, and E. coli decreased by 18.9 times compared to the control. When determining the impact of the green radiation spectrum together with β-lactam antimicrobial drugs on daily biofilms of multiresistant strains there is inhibition of the density of isolates biofilm of both S. aureus and E. coli compared to the control. In a complex application of levofloxacin and the green LED emission spectrum the destruction of daily biofilms of multiresistant isolates of S. aureus by 2.4 times and E. coli by 3.1 times has been determined compared to the control. The similar results have been reported in determining the ability of irradiated planktonic cells to form the secondary biofilms: the lowest density of the secondary biofilm is registered in application of the optical radiation of the violet spectrum in combination with levofloxacin: the density of the secondary S. aureus biofilm reduced by 52.4, and the density of the E. coli biofilm reduced by 39.3 times compared to the control. As a result of this study the possibility of using the incoherent optical radiation of the violet spectrum with levofloxacin, which is a photosensitizer and contributes to decrease in the proliferative activity and the ability to form biofilms of multiresistant isolates of S. aureus and E. coli and increase their antibiotics resistance, in the treatment of inflammatory processes has been substantiated.Оценивая результаты действия противомикробных препаратов и светодиодного излучения на суточные биопленки S. aureus и E. coli, было установлено, что под комплексным воздействием с применением оптического излучения оранжевого спектра и β-лактамных противомикробных препаратов плотность биопленок была в 1,5 раза выше контрольных значений, препарата из группы фторхинолонов левофлоксацина и светодиодного излучения оранжевого спектра наблюдалось снижение плотности суточной биопленки S. aureus в 42,8 раза; а E. coli – в 18,9 раза по сравнению с контролем. При определении влияния излучения зеленого спектра вместе с β-лактамными антимикробными препаратами на суточные биопленки полирезистентных штаммов наблюдается угнетение плотности биопленки изолятов как S. aureus, так и E. coli по сравнению с контролем. А при комплексном применении левофлоксацина и светодиодного излучения зеленого спектра установлено разрушение суточных биопленок полирезистентных изолятов S. aureus в 2,4 раза, а E. coli в 3,1 раза по сравнению с контролем. Аналогичные результаты были зафиксированы при определении способности облученных планктонных клеток образовывать вторичные биопленки: наименьшая плотность вторичной биопленки зарегистрирована при применении оптического излучения фиолетового спектра комплексно с левофлоксацином: плотность вторичной биопленки S.aureus снижена в 52,4 и в 39,3 раза – снижена плотность вторичной биопленки E.coli сравнению с контролем. В результате данного исследования обоснована возможность применения в комплексной терапии гнойно-воспалительных процессов низкоинтенсивного некогерентного оптического излучения фиолетового спектра с левофлоксацином, который является фотосенсибилизатором и способствует подавлению пролиферативной активности и способности к формированию биопленок полирезистентных изолятов S. aureus и E. coli и повышению их антибиотикочувствительности.Оцінюючи результати щодо визначення дії антимікробних препаратів і світлодіодного випромінювання на добові біоплівки S. aureus і E. coli було встановлено, що під комплексним впливом із застосуванням оптичного випромінювання помаранчевого спектра та β-лактамних антимікробних препаратів щільність біоплівок була у 1,5 рази вища за контрольні значення, препарату з групи фторхінолонів левофлоксацину і світлодіодного випромінювання помаранчевого спектра зниження щільності добової біоплівки S. aureus у 42,8 рази а E. coli – у 18,9 рази порівняно з контролем. При визначенні впливу випромінювання зеленого спектра разом з β-лактамними антимікробними препаратами на добові біоплівки полірезистентних штамів спостерігається пригнічення щільності біоплівки ізолятів як S. aureus, так і E. coli порівняно з контролем. А при комплексному застосуванні левофлоксацину і світлодіодного випромінювання зеленого спектра встановлено руйнування добових біоплівок полірезистентних ізолятів S. aureus у 2,4 рази, а E. coli у 3,1 рази порівняно з контролем. Застосування антимікробних препаратів і світлодіодного випромінювання фіолетового спектра призвело до зниження щільності добових біоплівок S. aureus у 17,4 рази при застосуванні амоксиклаву, у 13,4 рази при застосуванні цефтриаксону та у 42,8 рази в комплексі з левофлоксацином. Аналогічні результати були зафіксовані при визначенні здатності опромінених планктонних клітин утворювати вторинні біоплівки: найменша щільність вторинної біоплівки зареєстрована при застосуванні оптичного випромінювання фіолетового спектра комплексно з левофлоксацином: щільність вторинної біоплівки S. aureus знижена у 52,4 та у 39,3 рази – знижена щільність вторинної біоплівки E. coli порівняно з контролем. У результаті цього дослідження обґрунтовано можливість застосування у комплексній терапії гнійно-запальних процесів низькоінтенсивного некогерентного оптичного випромінювання фіолетового спектра з левофлоксацином, який є фотосенсибілізатором та сприяє пригніченню проліферативної активності і здатності до формування біоплівок полірезистентних ізолятів S. aureus та E. coli і підвищенню їх антибіотикочутливості

Polydispersity of Serratia marcescens Nuclease at Optimum pH

Treatment with dimethyl suberimidate, a cross-linking bifunctional agent, showed that Sm1 and Sm2 nucleases of Serratia marcescens B10M1 are polydisperse in solution and consist of monomers and dimers at the level of pH optimal for the enzyme activity. The data suggest that nucleases from the strain B10M1 and any other strain are polydisperse at pH optimum if their amino acid sequences are identical