Media texts: main structures and values from the perspectives of intercultural communication

The aim of the paper is to indicate main techniques of modeling the media text structure for the purpose of finding practical solutions for their description and to identify essential characteristics i.e. functional and stylistic features of the media genres etc. The paper deals with a wide range of media text issues as a cultural object where current views on its nature and criteria for an adequate understanding are given. The problem of "Other" and "Foreign" in the reflection of modern media by all evidence is one of the most difficult to comprehend. The article is devoted to the modern manifestations of national-specific information encoded within the media text. The paper also focuses on the problems of the cultural transfer as a key question that manifests the values of media texts which can be reconstructed through the trans-cultural analyses. The forms of cultural specifics are analyzed, whereas the concept of cultural intertextuality is introduced and discussed as an important fact for pragmatic and cultural text retrieval. The defined forms of cultural specifics are illustrated by several examples taken from media texts that may have practical and didactical implications. Based on comparative analysis the study of cultural connotations reflects current opportunities and solutions for intercultural information policy and especially for emotional impact on the audience in a multicultural and globalizing world

Visual attention is a single, integrated resource

AbstractRecent evidence for separate forms of attention for different visual attributes seems to conflict with Duncan’s “integrated competition” theory of visual attention. To resolve this conflict, we established attention-operating characteristics for four pairs of visual discriminations. While one task was common to every pair, the other tasks were different and concerned different visual attributes. In all pairs, the common task exhibited the same performance-resource function, whether the other tasks involved entirely similar, partially similar, or entirely dissimilar visual attributes. These results confirm that visual attention conforms exactly to the predictions of a single, integrated resource

Cumulative history quantifies the role of neural adaptation in multistable perception

Neural adaptation plays an important role in multistable perception, but its effects are difficult to discern in sequences of perceptual reversals. Investigating the multistable appearance of kinetic depth and binocular rivalry displays, we introduce cumulative history as a novel statistical measure of adaptive state. We show that cumulative historyVan integral of past perceptual states, weighted toward the most recent statesVsignificantly and consistently correlates with future dominance durations: the larger the cumulative history measure, the shorter are future dominance times, revealing a robust effect of neural adaptation. The characteristic time scale of cumulative history, which may be computed by Monte Carlo methods, correlates with average dominance durations, as expected for a measure of neural adaptation. When the cumulative histories of two competing percepts are balanced, perceptual reversals take longer and their outcome becomes random, demonstrating that perceptual reversals are fluctuation-driven in the absence of adaptational bias. Our findings quantify the role of neural adaptation in multistable perception, which accounts for approximately 10% of the variability of reversal timing

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in permafrost peatlands

The concentrations of 15 individual PAHs in 93 peat cores have been determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography methods. In the profile the qualitative and quantitative composition of PAHs was non-uniform estimated in a wide range: from 112 to 3673 ng/g with mean 1214 ± 794 ng/g. Among 15 identified individual PAHs, the main contribution to their total amount was made by heavy highly condensed PAHs in the Eastern European peat plateaus, in particular, 6-nuclear benzo[ghi]perylene (1021 ± 707 ng/g), whereas in West Siberian permafrost peatlands, light PAHs were dominating, mostly naphthalene and phenanthrene (211 ± 87 and 64 ± 25 ng/g, respectively). The grass-equisetum peat contained the maximum of heavy PAHs and the dwarf shrub-grass—the minimum. In grass-dwarf shrub, grass-moss and moss peat, the share of 2-nuclear PAHs was most significant: naphthalene and fluorene, as well as 6-nuclear benzo[ghi]perylene. The presence of benzo[ghi]perylene in the entire peat strata, including its permafrost layer, was a marker of the anaerobic conditions that persisted throughout the Holocene and they were necessary for the synthesis of this compound

Analysis of Bearing Assemblies Refit in Agricultural PTO Shafts

The paper analyzes the problems of the most commonly used cardan shafts in agricultural machinery through a theoretical review and tests on a laboratory test bench. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to define the justification of a new method for retrofitting universal joint bearing units compared to the traditional methods of retrofitting. The new approach is based on energy efficiency (saving energy, raw materials and labor) compared to the conventional methods of retrofitting. The presented investigation to justify the proposed refit was carried out after the investigation of the extent of damage to the elements of the bearing assembly, which lasted 4.02 minutes per sample, with the aim of obtaining information essential for the purpose of our work. The proposed diagnosis and refit of the cardan bearings can help to extend the service life and improve the reliability of the universal joint shafts already in service. The results of the research have shown that the method with replaceable bushings (installation of undamaged surfaces in the load transfer zone) is 6.24 to 7.54 times cheaper than the complete repair of the elements of the bearing assembly, 2.11 to 2.83 times cheaper than the refit method, in which the damaged joints are replaced with new ones, and 1.62 to 2.74 times cheaper than the purchase of new double PTO (Power Take-Off) shafts

The Role of Attention in Ambiguous Reversals of Structure-From-Motion

Multiple dots moving independently back and forth on a flat screen induce a compelling illusion of a sphere rotating in depth (structure-from-motion). If all dots simultaneously reverse their direction of motion, two perceptual outcomes are possible: either the illusory rotation reverses as well (and the illusory depth of each dot is maintained), or the illusory rotation is maintained (but the illusory depth of each dot reverses). We investigated the role of attention in these ambiguous reversals. Greater availability of attention – as manipulated with a concurrent task or inferred from eye movement statistics – shifted the balance in favor of reversing illusory rotation (rather than depth). On the other hand, volitional control over illusory reversals was limited and did not depend on tracking individual dots during the direction reversal. Finally, display properties strongly influenced ambiguous reversals. Any asymmetries between ‘front’ and ‘back’ surfaces – created either on purpose by coloring or accidentally by random dot placement – also shifted the balance in favor of reversing illusory rotation (rather than depth). We conclude that the outcome of ambiguous reversals depends on attention, specifically on attention to the illusory sphere and its surface irregularities, but not on attentive tracking of individual surface dots

Impact of Plasmonic Nanoparticles on Poikilocytosis and Microrheological Properties of Erythrocytes

Plasmonic nanoparticles (NP) possess great potential in photothermal therapy and diagnostics. However, novel NP require a detailed examination for potential toxicity and peculiarities of interaction with cells. Red blood cells (RBC) are important for NP distribution and the development of hybrid RBC-NP delivery systems. This research explored RBC alterations induced by noble (Au and Ag) and nitride-based (TiN and ZrN) laser-synthesized plasmonic NP. Optical tweezers and conventional microscopy modalities indicated the effects arising at non-hemolytic levels, such as RBC poikilocytosis, and alterations in RBC microrheological parameters, elasticity and intercellular interactions. Aggregation and deformability significantly decreased for echinocytes independently of NP type, while for intact RBC, all NP except Ag NP increased the interaction forces but had no effect on RBC deformability. RBC poikilocytosis promoted by NP at concentration 50 μg mL−1 was more pronounced for Au and Ag NP, compared to TiN and ZrN NP. Nitride-based NP demonstrated better biocompatibility towards RBC and higher photothermal efficiency than their noble metal counterparts

A Prokaryotic S1P Lyase Degrades Extracellular S1P In Vitro and In Vivo: Implication for Treating Hyperproliferative Disorders

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) regulates a broad spectrum of fundamental cellular processes like proliferation, death, migration and cytokine production. Therefore, elevated levels of S1P may be causal to various pathologic conditions including cancer, fibrosis, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and aberrant angiogenesis. Here we report that S1P lyase from the prokaryote Symbiobacterium thermophilum (StSPL) degrades extracellular S1P in vitro and in blood. Moreover, we investigated its effect on cellular responses typical of fibrosis, cancer and aberrant angiogenesis using renal mesangial cells, endothelial cells, breast (MCF-7) and colon (HCT 116) carcinoma cells as disease models. In all cell types, wild-type StSPL, but not an inactive mutant, disrupted MAPK phosphorylation stimulated by exogenous S1P. Functionally, disruption of S1P receptor signaling by S1P depletion inhibited proliferation and expression of connective tissue growth factor in mesangial cells, proliferation, migration and VEGF expression in carcinoma cells, and proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. Upon intravenous injection of StSPL in mice, plasma S1P levels rapidly declined by 70% within 1 h and then recovered to normal 6 h after injection. Using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane model we further demonstrate that also under in vivo conditions StSPL, but not the inactive mutant, inhibited tumor cell-induced angiogenesis as an S1P-dependent process. Our data demonstrate that recombinant StSPL is active under extracellular conditions and holds promise as a new enzyme therapeutic for diseases associated with increased levels of S1P and S1P receptor signaling

Vulnerability of the Ancient Peat Plateaus in Western Siberia

Based on the data of the plant macrofossil and palynological composition of the peat deposits, the evolution and current state of polygonal peatlands were analyzed at the southern limit of continuous permafrost in the Pur-Taz interfluve. Paleoreconstruction shows that peat accumulation began in the Early Holocene, about 9814 cal. year BP, in the Late Pre-Boreal (PB-2), at a rate of 1 to 1.5 mm year−1. Intensive peat accumulation continued in the Boreal and early Atlantic. The geocryological complex of polygonal peatlands has remained a stable bog system despite the predicted warming and increasing humidity. However, a rather rapid upper permafrost degradation and irreversible changes in the bog systems of polygonal peatlands occur with anthropogenic disturbances, in particular, a change in the natural hydrological regime under construction of linear objects

Reliable Top-Left Light Convention Starts With Early Renaissance: An Extensive Approach Comprising 10k Artworks

Art history claims that Western art shows light from the top left, which has been repeatedly shown with narrow image sets and simplistic research methods. Here we employed a set of 10,000 pictures for which participants estimated the direction of light plus their confidence of estimation. From 1420 A.D., the onset of Early Renaissance, until 1900 A.D., we revealed a clear preference for painting light from the top left—within the same period, we observed the highest confidence in such estimations of the light source.One sentence summaryThis study demonstrates a robust preference for painting light from the top left for Western art history, starting from Early Renaissance until 1900