Effects of Turbulent Mixing on the Critical Behavior

Effects of strongly anisotropic turbulent mixing on the critical behavior are studied by means of the renormalization group. Two models are considered: the equilibrium model A, which describes purely relaxational dynamics of a nonconserved scalar order parameter, and the Gribov model, which describes the nonequilibrium phase transition between the absorbing and fluctuating states in a reaction-diffusion system. The velocity is modelled by the d-dimensional generalization of the random shear flow introduced by Avellaneda and Majda within the context of passive scalar advection. Existence of new nonequilibrium types of critical regimes (universality classes) is established.Comment: Talk given in the International Bogolyubov Conference "Problems of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics" (Moscow-Dubna, 21-27 August 2009

A compendium of human genes regulating feeding behavior and body weight, its functional characterization and identification of GWAS genes involved in brain-specific PPI network

BACKGROUND: Obesity is heritable. It predisposes to many diseases. The objectives of this study were to create a compendium of genes relevant to feeding behavior (FB) and/or body weight (BW) regulation; to construct and to analyze networks formed by associations between genes/proteins; and to identify the most significant genes, biological processes/pathways, and tissues/organs involved in BW regulation. RESULTS: The compendium of genes controlling FB or BW includes 578 human genes. Candidate genes were identified from various sources, including previously published original research and review articles, GWAS meta-analyses, and OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man). All genes were ranked according to knowledge about their biological role in body weight regulation and classified according to expression patterns or functional characteristics. Substantial and overrepresented numbers of genes from the compendium encoded cell surface receptors, signaling molecules (hormones, neuropeptides, cytokines), transcription factors, signal transduction proteins, cilium and BBSome components, and lipid binding proteins or were present in the brain-specific list of tissue-enriched genes identified with TSEA tool. We identified 27 pathways from KEGG, REACTOME and BIOCARTA whose genes were overrepresented in the compendium. Networks formed by physical interactions or homological relationships between proteins or interactions between proteins involved in biochemical/signaling pathways were reconstructed and analyzed. Subnetworks and clusters identified by the MCODE tool included genes/proteins associated with cilium morphogenesis, signal transduction proteins (particularly, G protein-coupled receptors, kinases or proteins involved in response to insulin stimulus) and transcription regulation (particularly nuclear receptors). We ranked GWAS genes according to the number of neighbors in three networks and revealed 22 GWAS genes involved in the brain-specific PPI network. On the base of the most reliable PPIs functioning in the brain tissue, new regulatory schemes interpreting relevance to BW regulation are proposed for three GWAS genes (ETV5, LRP1B, and NDUFS3). CONCLUSIONS: A compendium comprising 578 human genes controlling FB or BW was designed, and the most significant functional groups of genes, biological processes/pathways, and tissues/organs involved in BW regulation were revealed. We ranked genes from the GWAS meta-analysis set according to the number and quality of associations in the networks and then according to their involvement in the brain-specific PPI network and proposed new regulatory schemes involving three GWAS genes (ETV5, LRP1B, and NDUFS3) in BW regulation. The compendium is expected to be useful for pathology risk estimation and for design of new pharmacological approaches in the treatment of human obesity

NORMATIVE-COMPETENCE MODEL OF THE TEACHER OF THE ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM

Introduction. The growth of requirements for the quality and effectiveness of educational activities, identified in a number of government documents, determines the need to normalize the professional activities of teaching staff. The aim of this article is to present the normative-competence model of the teacher of additional professional education developed by the Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy of the Nizhny Novgorod Institute of Education Development, and to substantiate the potential of this model as an effective mechanism of intracorporate support of continuous professional development of the institutes of advanced training of specialists teaching staff. Methodology and research methods. The general theoretical basis for the design of the normative-competence model of the teacher consists of the system-activity, competency-based, andragogical, comparative general scientific approaches. The methods of the qualification and dispersive analysis, expert estimations, participant observation, stratified sampling were used to determine the efficiency of the model and diagnostics of professional competences of teachers of additional professional education. Processing of the data obtained was performed by the methods of mathematical statistics – the analysis of reliability of mathematical expectation differences and hypotheses checking on the basis of fitting criterion. Results and scientific novelty. The presented model contains a set of key qualities that provide the pedagogical worker with the ability to be successful in achieving the strategic educational goals. The structure of the model includes the clusters of universal, general professional and professional competencies; maps and indicators of competencies divided into three levels – monodisciplinary, multidisciplinary, metadisciplinary. The advantage of the model is that it can serve as a framework for objective assessment of professionalism of teachers of additional professional education as well as a standard framework to upgrade teachers’ qualification and self-development. The hypothesis on the conditions of the model realization was tested in the course of the project experiment conducted by the authors. The conditions of three types presented: content-activity, organizational-managerial, and the ability to transform the conditions of the first and second types for professional development of the teachers. The inputs and outputs research results on teachers’ competencies by the end of the three-year intra-corporate training curriculum “Andragogical School of Eventual Education” have shown the efficiency of application of the developed model in the format of self-training organization. Practical significance. The normative-competence model is universal and fully consistent with the requirements of the teachers’ career development system. The model presented provides the groundwork for scientific and educational activity of the teacher of additional professional education and can be used by everyone who is engaged in educational activity in the conditions of continuous pedagogical education.Введение. Декларируемые в целом ряде правительственных документов требования к качеству и эффективности функционирования образовательной сферы актуализируют необходимость нормирования профессиональной деятельности педагогических работников. Цель публикации – представить созданную на кафедре педагогики и андрагогики Нижегородского института развития образования нормативнокомпетентностную модель преподавателя дополнительного профессионального образования (ДПО) и обосновать ее потенциал как действенного механизма внутрикорпоративной поддержки непрерывного совершенствования профессионализма специалистов системы повышения квалификации. Методология и методы. Общетеоретической базой проектирования предлагаемой вниманию модели были положения системно-деятельностного, компетентностного, андрагогического и сравнительно-сопоставительного подходов. Для определения эффективности модели и диагностики профессиональных компетенций преподавателей ДПО использовались методы квалификационного и дисперсионного анализа, экспертных оценок, включенного наблюдения, стратифицированного отбора. Обработка полученных результатов производилась методами математической статистики – посредством анализа достоверности различий математических ожиданий и проверки гипотез на основе критерия согласия.Результаты и научная новизна. Описанная в статье модель содержит набор ключевых качеств, обеспечивающих преподавателю успешное достижение стратегических образовательных целей. Структура модели включает кластеры универсальных, общепрофессиональных и профессиональных компетенций; их карты и индикаторы, распределенные по трем уровням – монопредметному, полипредметному и метапредметному. Достоинство модели состоит в том, что она может служить как матрицей для объективной оценки профессионализма преподавателей ДПО, так и нормативной рамкой повышения их квалификации и стимулирования саморазвития. Авторами статьи был проведен проектный эксперимент, в ходе которого проверялась гипотеза о выделенных условиях реализации модели: содержательно-деятельностных, организационно-управленческих и возможности их интеграции для профессионального развития преподавателя ДПО. Обследование компетентности педагогов на «входе» и «выходе» трехлетнего внутрикорпоративного обучения по программам куррикулума «Андрагогическая школа событийного образования» показало эффективность применения разработанной модели в формате самообучающейся организации. Практическая значимость. Нормативно-компетентностная модель универсальна и полностью соответствует требованиям развития системы повышения квалификации педагогических работников. Модель закладывает методологическую основу продуктивной научно-образовательной деятельности преподавателя ДПО и может быть распространена на всех, кто занимается непрерывным педагогическим образованием

Disease-associated genetic variants in the regulatory regions of human genes: mechanisms of action on transcription and genomic resources for dissecting these mechanisms

Whole genome and whole exome sequencing technologies play a very important role in the studies of the genetic aspects of the pathogenesis of various diseases. The ample use of genome-wide and exome-wide association study methodology (GWAS and EWAS) made it possible to identify a large number of genetic variants associated with diseases. This information is accumulated in the databases like GWAS central, GWAS catalog, OMIM, ClinVar, etc. Most of the variants identified by the GWAS technique are located in the noncoding regions of the human genome. According to the ENCODE project, the fraction of regions in the human genome potentially involved in transcriptional control is many times greater than the fraction of coding regions. Thus, genetic variation in noncoding regions of the genome can increase the susceptibility to diseases by disrupting various regulatory elements (promoters, enhancers, silencers, insulator regions, etc.). However, identification of the mechanisms of influence of pathogenic genetic variants on the diseases risk is difficult due to a wide variety of regulatory elements. The present review focuses on the molecular genetic mechanisms by which pathogenic genetic variants affect gene expression. At the same time, attention is concentrated on the transcriptional level of regulation as an initial step in the expression of any gene. A triggering event mediating the effect of a pathogenic genetic variant on the level of gene expression can be, for example, a change in the functional activity of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) or DNA methylation change, which, in turn, affects the functional activity of promoters or enhancers. Dissecting the regulatory roles of polymorphic loci have been impossible without close integration of modern experimental approaches with computer analysis of a growing wealth of genetic and biological data obtained using omics technologies. The review provides a brief description of a number of the most well-known public genomic information resources containing data obtained using omics technologies, including (1) resources that accumulate data on the chromatin states and the regions of transcription factor binding derived from ChIP-seq experiments; (2) resources containing data on genomic loci, for which allele-specific transcription factor binding was revealed based on ChIP-seq technology; (3) resources containing in silico predicted data on the potential impact of genetic variants on the transcription factor binding sites

Effects of turbulent mixing on critical behaviour in the presence of compressibility: Renormalization group analysis of two models

Critical behaviour of two systems, subjected to the turbulent mixing, is studied by means of the field theoretic renormalization group. The first system, described by the equilibrium model A, corresponds to relaxational dynamics of a non-conserved order parameter. The second one is the strongly non-equilibrium reaction-diffusion system, known as Gribov process and equivalent to the Reggeon field theory. The turbulent mixing is modelled by the Kazantsev-Kraichnan "rapid-change" ensemble: time-decorrelated Gaussian velocity field with the power-like spectrum k^{-d-\xi}. Effects of compressibility of the fluid are studied. It is shown that, depending on the relation between the exponent \xi and the spatial dimension d, the both systems exhibit four different types of critical behaviour, associated with four possible fixed points of the renormalization group equations. The most interesting point corresponds to a new type of critical behaviour, in which the nonlinearity and turbulent mixing are both relevant, and the critical exponents depend on d, \xi and the degree of compressibility. For the both models, compressibility enhances the role of the nonlinear terms in the dynamical equations: the region in the d-\xi plane, where the new nontrivial regime is stable, is getting much wider as the degree of compressibility increases. In its turn, turbulent transfer becomes more efficient due to combined effects of the mixing and the nonlinear terms.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure

TECHNOLOGY OF SELF-DETERMINED LEARNING AS A NEW FORMAT OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF TEACHERS

Introduction. Continuing professional education (CPE) is a strategic resource of cardinal transformations, which are currently taking place in education. The essence of such transformations generally consists in necessary rejection of a subject-information learning model and transition to designing the model of vocational self-development and self-determination.The aim of this research was to reveal the essence of teachers’ professional development as the process of positional self-determination and formation of managerial position. The hypothesis of the study consists in the assumption that the technology of self-determined learning is the institutional form of mastering and implementing the practice of CPE for teachers as a practice of human potential development in the professional and anthropological self-determination of an adult learner.Methodology and research methods. The methodological basis of the study was the comparative educational strategy of CPE, which is embodied in the model of self-determined adult education, focused on the formation of the human ability to manage their own development in an unstable world through the development of new types of cultural thinking and behaviour. The methods of research of teachers’ management position included the system of the following initiatives: interviews, results of group reflections, content-analysis, methods of included observation using video recording of training sessions and educational products.Results and scientific novelty. The complex of diagnostic technologies allowed the authors to establish management positions of teachers (implementer, leader or strategist) and their ability to design the paths of own development and to organise the system of managerial challenges. As the most adequate technological scheme of self-determined learning, the authors tested the mechanism of projectresource management, which regulates the learner’s movement in the educational space from actions carried out in a particular situation in accordance with the circumstances to an activity determined by a local goal, then to the reflection of own activity elevating to the status of a new norm, and, finally, to the reflection of changes in their own position. It was established that the developmental trajectory of human potential in professiogenesis starts from mastering the subject and means of activity (implementer) and passes through building up funds in transforming a special subject of activity (leader) towards designing new standards of means and subject of activity (strategist).The authors introduce the concept of “anthropological self-determination of an adult in the educational process” as the process and the result of formation of own managerial position and development of a new identity in changing life circumstances.Practical significance of the present research is determined by the possibility of designing educational programmes, which ensure co-organisation of adult students in a single event-activity space based on the mechanisms of project-resource management through the system of managerial challenges.Введение. Дополнительное профессиональное образование является стратегическим ресурсом кардинальных трансформаций, которые происходят в настоящее время в сфере образования и суть которых в общем виде заключается в необходимых отстранении и отказе от предметно-информирующей образовательной модели обучения и переходе к конструированию модели профессионального саморазвития и самоопределения.Цель статьи – раскрыть суть дополнительного профессионального развития педагога как процесса самоопределения и становления его управленческой позиции. Гипотеза исследования состояла в предположении о том, что технология соответствующего обучения выступает институциональной формой освоения и реализации практик дополнительного профессионального образования педагогов как поэтапного становления «Человека возможного» в профессиогенезе и антропологического самоопределения взрослого обучающегося. Методология и методы. Методологической основой работы послужила компаративная образовательная стратегия дополнительного профессионального образования, которая воплощается в модели самоопределяющегося образования взрослых, ориентированного на формирование способности человека управлять собственным развитием в нестабильном мире посредством освоения новых типов культуры мышления и поведения. Методы исследования управленческой позиции педагогов включали систему мероприятий: интервью, результаты групповых рефлексий, контент-анализ, использование методик включенного наблюдения с видеозаписью учебных занятий и образовательных продуктов. Результаты и научная новизна. Комплекс диагностических методик позволил выявить управленческие  позиции педагогов («исполнитель», «лидер», «стратег»), а также их способность проектировать ситуации собственного развития и выстраивать систему управленческих задач. В качестве наиболее адекватного технологической схеме самоопределяемого обучения в исследовании апробирован механизм проектно-ресурсного управления, регламентирующий движение обучающегося в образовательном пространстве от действий, осуществляемых в конкретной ситуации в соответствии с существующими обстоятельствами к деятельности, детерминированной локальной целью; затем – к рефлексии собственной деятельности, чтобы придать ей статус новой нормы; и, наконец, – к рефлексии изменений своей позиции. Установлено, что траектория развития «Человека возможного» в профессиогенезе начинается от освоения предмета и средств деятельности (исполнитель), пролегает через наращивание средств в преобразовании специального предмета деятельности (лидер) к конструированию новых эталонов предмета и средств деятельности (стратег). Авторы вводят в научный оборот новое понятие «антропологическое самоопределение взрослого человека в образовательном процессе» как этапы и результат становления собственной управленческой позиции, выработки новой личностной идентичности в изменяющихся жизненных обстоятельствах. Практическая значимость исследования состоит в продемонстрированных возможностях проектирования образовательных программ, обеспечивающих соорганизацию взрослых обучающихся в едином событийно-деятельностном пространстве благодаря запуску механизмов проектно-ресурсного управления через систему управленческих задач

Online resources on gene networks containing human and animal data

Gene networks are molecular genetic systems that ensure the formation of phenotypic characteristics of organisms (molecular, biochemical, structural, morphological, behavioral, etc.) based on  information encoded in their genomes. Reconstruction of gene networks provides a methodological basis for modern systems biology. In this regard, the information on the structural and functional organization of gene networks accumulated in modern databases is extremely valuable. This review characterizes a number of Internetaccessible information resources oriented to humans and animals and containing data on gene networks and their functional modules. Without pretending to fully cover all information resources containing data related to humans and animals on the subject, the current review was created to report the current status of the problem and to present the criteria according to which we propose to evaluate the utility of webresources for specific research tasks. On this basis, we compiled and characterized a collection of databases containing information on metabolic and signaling pathways, as well as pathways of regulation of biological processes at the cellular and organismal levels. In addition, we observed the characteristics of several well­known databases containing data on interactions between biomolecules of various types. The following characteristics of databases were considered: (1) the types of information accumulated in the databases; (2) methods of data presentation; (3) methods of data collection; (4) data sources; (5) special search tools and options for data analysis. A comparison of the above characteristics showed that the databases are very heterogeneous according to their scopes, sources and types of data, interfaces, as well as according to their search options and data analysis tools. It was concluded that at the first step of the gene network reconstruction it is important to form a full set of information resources from which the data can be obtained. The web portals accumulating information about the databases that may be useful for the reconstruction and analysis of gene networks are specified

Haplotype analysis of APOE intragenic SNPs

BACKGROUND: APOE epsilon4 allele is most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) and cognitive decline. However, it remains poorly understood why only some carriers of APOE epsilon4 develop AD and how ethnic variabilities in APOE locus contribute to AD risk. Here, to address the role of APOE haplotypes, we reassessed the diversity of APOE locus in major ethnic groups and in Alzheimer\u27s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset on patients with AD, and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and control non-demented individuals. RESULTS: We performed APOE gene haplotype analysis for a short block of five SNPs across the gene using the ADNI whole genome sequencing dataset. The compilation of ADNI data with 1000 Genomes identified the APOE epsilon4 linked haplotypes, which appeared to be distant for the Asian, African and European populations. The common European epsilon4-bearing haplotype is associated with AD but not with MCI, and the Africans lack this haplotype. Haplotypic inference revealed alleles that may confer protection against AD. By assessing the DNA methylation profile of the APOE haplotypes, we found that the AD-associated haplotype features elevated APOE CpG content, implying that this locus can also be regulated by genetic-epigenetic interactions. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that SNP frequency profiles within APOE locus are highly skewed to population-specific haplotypes, suggesting that the ancestral background within different sites at APOE gene may shape the disease phenotype. We propose that our results can be utilized for more specific risk assessment based on population descent of the individuals and on higher specificity of five site haplotypes associated with AD

The Cases of Use of Obscene Language in Media Texts

Авторы тезисно излагают случаи употребления обсценной лексики в медиатекстах. Особое внимание уделяется целям включения грубой лексики в современные публичные тексты. Кроме того, авторы предлагают несколько алгоритмов, объясняющих принцип использования нецензурных слов в медиа.The authors present cases of using obscene vocabulary in media texts. Special attention is paid to the purpose of including coarse language in modern public texts. In addition, the authors offer several algorithms that explain the principle of using obscene words in the media

INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS OF UNIVERSITY TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Purpose of the study: Conditions of qualifications’ dynamic development, rapid obsolescence of existing competencies actualize the need to create a system of continuous professional growth of teachers on staff training. The purpose of the article is to develop organizational mechanisms that contribute to the professional growth of the teacher inflexible response conditions of education to socio-economic changes. Methodology: The research methodology relies on the lifelong education concept, defining the design principles of a teacher professional growth system: consistency, continuity, self-development, participative nature, pedagogical reflexing Results: The system of the teacher’s professional growth in the educational institution possessing properties of hierarchy, flexibility, and dynamism is developed. The principles and organizational mechanisms for this system’s implementation are revealed: corporatism as a way to create targeted educational platform based on digital technology; tutoring as the insurance of the teacher’s and the educational organization’s interests  through the accompany of career advancement; branding as a result of the teacher’s and the educational organization’s competitiveness in the market of educational services; road maps for planning, monitoring and support of the teacher’s career development. Applications of this study: The article is intended for teachers, managers, employees of personnel services of educational organizations. Novelty/Originality of this study: For the first time the self - learning system of the teacher professional growth is offered which is capable to exist and productively function in modern dynamic conditions at the expense of adaptive organizational mechanisms of reaction to social and economic changes