Alkoxide complexes of rhenium, niobium and tantalum

This thesis describes two major methods for preparation of new mono-, bi- and trimetallic complexes on the basis of Rhenium, Niobium and Tantalum: (1) - the electrochemical method for the synthesis of Re4O4(OEt)12 and (2) - the interaction of Rhenium heptoxide, Re2O7, with alkoxo-derivates of Niobium and/or Tantalum, M2(OR)10 for the synthesis of bi- and trimetallic complexes of common formula (M1-xM'x)4O2(OR)14(ReO4)2 (M = Nb; M' = Ta; R = Me, Et), where x = 0–1. The structures of these complexes were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The products were also characterized by IR, NMR and X-ray powder diffraction. The influence of the increasing ligand size on the solubility and stability of the complexes Re4O4(OEt)12 and M4O2(OR)14(ReO4)2 (M = Nb, Ta; R = Me, Et) has been established. The effect of the ligand and metal ion ratio on the conditions and the chemical composition of the products of thermal treatment have been investigated. Nanosized Rhenium metal particles (approximately 3 nm in diameter) were obtained from Re4O4(OEt)12 by thermal decomposition in inert atmosphere at as low temperature as 380 °C. Semi-ordered macro porous monoliths with the pore size in the range 100 – 250 nm, with the crystal structure related to the block structures of the L-modification of Ta2O5, were produced from trimetallic complexes of the common formula (Nb1-xTax)4O2(OMe)14(ReO4)2 (x = 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) via thermal decomposition in air at the temperatures ≤ 1000 °C. The thermal decomposition in dry nitrogen atmosphere provides formation of solid solutions, which possess the structures related to the block structure of the H-modification of Nb2O5 for the Niobium-rich precursors and block structure of the L-modification of Ta2O5 for Ta:Nb ≤ 1:1 at the temperatures ≤ 1000 °C

The perception of G. Herwegh’s personality and work in Russian culture: from revolutionary spirit to a scandalous love affair

The article was submitted on 12.04.2016.Рассматривается динамика восприятия и трактовки личности и наследия немецкого поэта XIX в. Георга Гервега в России. Исследование вопроса показывает, что характер рецепции определялся культурно-исторической ситуацией в принимающей культуре, особенно в политической поэзии, которая основана на риторике духовного назидания. В научный оборот впервые вводится материал помет и автографов из архива Василия Андреевича Жуковского на страницах издания самой популярной книги Гервега. На основании данного материала выдвигается положение о том, что в начальный период восприятия поэзия Гервега осмыслялась только в контексте немецкой литературы от ее начала до середины XIX в., и ее рассмотрение давало материал для истории немецкой литературы. Второй этап активного обращения отечественной словесности к его наследию связан с приходом и воцарением в России того идейного пафоса, который был характерен для политических стихов, определивших скандальную популярность немецкого поэта. Начало этого периода связано с послереволюционным десятилетием 1820-х гг. Русская литература обратилась к наследию Гервега специально, обозначив новый этап рецепции крупной антологией свежих переводов его стихов «Избранное» и рядом литературоведческих трудов. Новый всплеск внимания к Гервегу в истории русской литературы и гуманитарной мысли ознаменовался выходом в 2009–2013 гг. сразу нескольких работ, посвященных отношениям немецкого поэта с А. И. Герценом и его супругой Натали. В постсоветской русистике неоднозначная и неординарная личность немецкого поэта приобрела новые черты, внимание сосредоточилось на любовном треугольнике Герцены – Гервег, послужившем главным прототипом конфликта для «Былого и дум». Парадигматический слом в осмыслении фигуры немецкого поэта, связанный со сменой текстуального дискурса на биографический, напрямую отразился и в русской массовой словесной культуре.This paper offers an overview of the perception of work and the evaluation of the personality of 19th century German poet Georg Herwegh. The research demonstrates that the character of perception is determined by the cultural and historical context in the receiving culture, and it is even more so with political poetry that is based on the rhetoric of spiritual edification. The analysis is made with reference to previously unstudied materials, namely, marks and notes from the archive of V. A. Zhukovsky made on the pages of Herwegh’s most popular book. On the basis of this material the authors conclude that this period was characterised by the initial attempt to represent Herwegh and his poetry within the framework of the history of German literature from its emergence to the mid-19th century. The second period of Russian authors’ reference to his poetry was dominated by the appearance in Russia of the ideological tonality typical of the political poems that won the German poet his fame. The beginning of this period was the post-revolutionary decade of the 1820s. Russian literature specially turned to Herwegh’s legacy, thus marking a new stage of perception by publishing Selected Poems, a new voluminous anthology of translations of his works, as well as a number of literary studies. A new burst of attention began between 2009 and 2013 when numerous articles on the relationship between the Herzens and Herwegh were published. Post-Soviet Russian scholars have examined the controversial personality of the German author through a lens which has brought new traits to the fore: the love triangle between Herwegh and the Herzens which was the main prototype of the conflict in Herzen’s My Past and Thoughts. The paradigmatic shift in the perception of the German poet connected with the change from the textual to the biographic discourse is directly reflected in Russian mass literary culture.The article is supported by the Russian Foundation for the Humanities (Project 16-04-50012) and a grant from the President of the Russian Federation (MD-4756.2016.6)

Atrial remodelling in hypertensive heart disease: role of Na+ homeostasis and contractility

Arterial hypertension causes hypertensive heart disease. Constant mechanical stress and activation of neurohormonal systems cause structural and functional changes in the myocardium termed “remodelling”. Remodelling is beneficial in the beginning of the disease development; however, with time it becomes detrimental and impairs cardiac function. Remodelling of the myocardium occurs in hypertension, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. These cardiac diseases are tightly linked by the mechanisms of pathological remodelling and induce development and maintenance of one another. Ventricular remodelling has been studied intensively in hypertensive heart disease, however, atrial remodelling has been studied much less and is only poorly understood. Physiology of cardiac myocytes relies on balanced intracellular Na+ homeostasis. Na+ is involved in many cellular processes, such as action potential initiation, Ca2+ homeostasis, intracellular pH, metabolism and contractility. In the first part of the thesis I investigated ionic (Na+ homeostasis) and functional (contractility) atrial remodelling in an animal model of hypertensive heart disease – spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In early hypertension, SHR exhibited elevated blood pressure and isolated left ventricular hypertrophy. The atria were not hypertrophied. Contractility of atrial myocytes and intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) were both unaltered. Expression of most Na+-handling proteins was unaffected in the atria of SHR. In advanced hypertension, SHR exhibited further progression of left ventricular hypertrophy and signs of heart failure. Left atria were hypertrophied. The contractility of atrial myocytes was reduced. [Na+]i was significantly decreased together with increased expression of the α 1 subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase. Expression of Na+/H+-exchanger was increased, suggesting activation of pro-hypertrophic pathways. Comparison of SHR with and without signs of heart failure (i.e. increased lung weight) revealed development of right ventricular hypertrophy and progression of bi-atrial hypertrophy in SHR with heart failure. Moreover, the impairment of atrial myocyte contractility progressed. However, [Na+]i and the expression of major Na+-handling proteins were not changed during the transition to heart failure. In addition to studies on atrial myocytes, we performed measurements of [Na+]i and contractility of ventricular myocytes from old SHR. In contrast to our findings in the atria, no impairment of contractility or changes in [Na+]i were observed in the ventricular myocytes, indicating atria-specific remodelling. Taken together, the presented results indicate that in early hypertension no significant signs of atrial remodelling in terms of contractility and Na+ homeostasis were found. However, in advanced hypertensive heart disease there was atria-specific functional atrial remodelling, which might contribute to the transition from compensated left ventricular hypertrophy to heart failure. Atrial ionic remodelling is an important factor in the development and maintenance of atrial fibrillation. The role of intracellular Na+ homeostasis in these processes is not understood. In the second part of the thesis, I investigated expression of Na+-handling proteins in right atrial tissue of patients suffering from paroxysmal and chronic atrial fibrillation compared to patients with sinus rhythm. The results indicated that the expression of Na+-handling proteins, including Na+ channels, Na+/H+ exchanger, alpha subunits of Na+/K+-ATPase, phospholemman, was not altered in either paroxysmal or chronic atrial fibrillation. The expression of β 1 subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase was significantly reduced in chronic atrial fibrillation. However, the functional consequences of this change require further investigation. Endothelin-1 plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiac physiology. Enhancement of endothelin-1 system activity contributes to cardiac maladaptive remodelling, including disturbances in Ca2+ and Na+ homeostasis in cardiac myocytes. At the age of 7 months, SHR exhibit enhanced endothelin-1 signalling and altered Ca2+ handling. Therefore, in the third part of the thesis we investigated the effect of endothelin-1 receptor blockage on blood pressure and expression and phosphorylation of Ca2+-handling proteins, as well as the expression of proteins involved in endothelin-1 signalling in the atria of SHR. The results revealed that the blockage of endothelin receptors by 8 weeks treatment with macitentan (novel dual endothelin A and endothelin B receptor antagonist) did not lower blood pressure in SHR. Expression and phosphorylation of major Ca2+-handling proteins and endothelin-1 signalling proteins were both unaffected. Thus, the blockage of endothelin receptors did not cause any major changes in atrial Ca2+ remodelling in SH

The language immersion in Estonia: a copy of the Canadian model or one of its own kind?

http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2654517~S1*es

The poetic works of Sergey Yesenin in Germany: translations, editions, and research

The article was submitted on 21.01.2017.This article considers the perception of Sergey Yesenin’s creative work in Germany. Having become acquainted with his works in its own language as early as the 1920s, Germany played the leading role in incorporating Yesenin into Germanlanguage culture. This research is based on the rich history of translation reception (made up of over 300 texts by over 60 translators), criticism and literary studies, and publication history. The article focuses on topical issues of modern literary studies, such as the aesthetics of reception, the dialogue of cultures, comparative studies, and imagology. The perception of the poet reflects the development of Russo-German literary connections in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is possible to single out three stages in the translation reception of Yesenin’s works: acquaintance (1920s), popularisation (1950s–1980s), and the modern period. During the third stage, the reader came closer to understanding the authentic concepts of Yesenin’s poetic semantics and techniques and a better knowledge of his creative work. The peculiarities of the publication history of the poet’s works are to a large extent determined by the above stages, as well as the cultural and historical factors caused by the division of Germany. German-language Yesenin studies are characterised by a vast scope, multiple research strategies, and prominent researchers (D. Chizhevsky, D. Gerhardt, F. Mierau, etc.). The receptive character of the perception determines the combination of literary and translation strategies, which are mutually complementary. Hence, it is quite appropriate to consider German Yesenin studies a separate branch of the world literary studies. The results of German scholars’ work are of significant importance to the history of Russian literature. The final stage of the perception model is the creative perception of the image of the poet as part of one’s native linguistic culture. Dedication poems devoted to Yesenin written by G. Vesper and H. Czechowski in the 1990s are proof of a contemporary German dialogue with the Russian poet.Рассмотрено восприятие творчества Сергея Есенина в Германии. Познакомившись с его наследием на своем родном языке уже в 1920 г., Германия является лидером по объему и масштабу включения Есенина в немецкоязычную культуру. Богатая история переводческой рецепции, которую составляют более 300 текстов и свыше 60 переводчиков, самостоятельность критических и литературоведческих изысканий, разнообразная и масштабная эдиционная история – все это составляет основу исследования. Интерес современного литературоведения к рецептивной эстетике, диалогу культур, компаративистике и имагологии обусловливает актуальность статьи. Восприятие поэта отражает развитие русско-немецких литературных связей в ХХ–ХХI вв. В истории переводческого восприятия поэзии Есенина в Германии выделяется три периода: знакомство (1920-е гг.), популяризация творчества (1950–1980-е гг.), приближение читателя к пониманию аутентичных концептов поэтической семантики и стиховой техники Есенина, к более подробному знакомству с его жизнетворчеством (современный период). Специфика эдиционной истории во многом определяется данной периодизацией, а также культурно-историческим фактом разделения Германии. Немецкоязычное есениноведение характеризуется большим охватом материала, разнообразием исследовательских подходов и знаковостью имен их авторов (Д. Чижевский, Д. Герхардт, Ф. Мирау и др.). Рецептивный характер восприятия обусловливает слияние литературоведческой и переводческой практики, которые взаимно дополняют друг друга. Правомерно рассматривать немецкое есениноведение в качестве самостоятельной ветви мирового литературоведения. Результаты работы немецких ученых имеют высокое значение для истории русской литературы. Итоговым этапом в модели восприятия становится творческое усвоение образа поэта в рамках родной словесности. Созданные в 1990-х гг. стихотворения-посвящения Есенину Г. Веспера и Х. Чеховски отражают творческий диалог современных немецких авторов с русским поэтом.Статья подготовлена при поддержке гранта Президента РФ для молодых российских ученых – докторов наук (проект № МД-4756.2016.6)

Don't do it: Safer Reinforcement Learning With Rule-based Guidance

During training, reinforcement learning systems interact with the world without considering the safety of their actions. When deployed into the real world, such systems can be dangerous and cause harm to their surroundings. Often, dangerous situations can be mitigated by defining a set of rules that the system should not violate under any conditions. For example, in robot navigation, one safety rule would be to avoid colliding with surrounding objects and people. In this work, we define safety rules in terms of the relationships between the agent and objects and use them to prevent reinforcement learning systems from performing potentially harmful actions. We propose a new safe epsilon-greedy algorithm that uses safety rules to override agents' actions if they are considered to be unsafe. In our experiments, we show that a safe epsilon-greedy policy significantly increases the safety of the agent during training, improves the learning efficiency resulting in much faster convergence, and achieves better performance than the base model

Internet project as a form of life-long education

The article discusses the new opportunities for the design of lifelong education, opening up with the development of information and communication technologies. Then ovelty of the author’s approach lies in the analysis of such a form of lifelong education in the electronic environment, such as the Internet project, which is still not widely used in teaching practiceВ статье рассматриваются новые возможности проектирования непрерывного образования, открывающиеся с развитием информационных и коммуникационных технологий. Новизна подхода автора заключается в анализе такой еще недостаточно широко применяемой в педагогической практике формы непрерывного образования в электронной среде как Интернет-проек

Taking Snapshots of Ciliary Signaling

Although the primary cilium critically influences signaling in development and disease, the organelle’s small size and the dynamic nature of signaling events have posed obstacles to dissecting critical mechanisms. Reporting in Developmental Cell, Mick and colleagues (2015) describe cilia-APEX as an approach to provide dynamic “snapshots” of the ciliary proteome