An overview of some manifestations of transnational organized crime in Ukraine

In the article, the authors express their view on the peculiarities of the use of certain territories in Ukraine in transnational organized criminal activity. The purpose of the study is to identify and structure the major trends in the impact of the political situation in Ukraine (from 2014 to 2019) on the emergence of new manifestations of transnational organized crime. Special attention is paid to the coverage and systematization of modern manifestations of criminal activity in the areas of drug trafficking, psychotropic substances, their analogs or precursors, the circulation of firearms, explosives, and devices, as well as the circulation and operation of vehicles. Through the use of systematic analysis and formal-logical methods, based on the processing of the results of the activities of law enforcement agencies, as well as the materials contained in the media, the authors analyzed the main ways of implementing the outlined manifestations of transnational organized criminal activity in Ukraine in recent years. As a result of the conducted research, a set of the most effective measures to counteract the outlined manifestations of transnational organized criminal activity, taking into account the changes taking place in Ukraine, on the background of step-by-step implementation of the Minsk agreements (agreements), was proposed

Коллизионно-правовое регулирование труда моряков

Белогубова О. А. Коллизионно-правовое регулирование труда моряков / О. А. Белогубова // Міжнародні читання присвячені пам’яті професора Імператорського Новоросійського університету П.Є. Казанського: матеріали Міжнародної конференції (м. Одеса, 22-23 жовтня 2010 року). - Одеса, 2010. - С. 364-366.Автор в своей статье рассматривает законодательные нормы права труда моряков в РФ и Украине. Несколько иная, чем в РФ норма содержится в КЗоТ Украины. В соответствии со ст. 8 КЗоТ Украины, трудовые отношения граждан Украины, которые трудятся за ее границами, регулируются законодательством государства, в котором осуществлено трудоустройство (наем) работника, и международными договорами Украины. Таким образом, при найме работника в Украине для работы под флагом, будут применяться нормы права Украины, что противоречит общепринятой практике. При этом, отсутствует право работника и работодателя на выбор права, применимого к трудовым отношениям, а также существуют определенные противоречия с положениями Закона Украины «О международном частном праве»

Коллизионно-правовое регулирование трудовых отношений, осложненных иностранным элементом, в международном судоходстве

Белогубова О. А. Коллизионно-правовое регулирование трудовых отношений, осложненных иностранным элементом, в международном судоходстве / О. А. Белогубова // Правове життя сучасної України : матеріали Міжнар. наук. конф. проф.-викл. та аспірант. складу (м. Одеса, 16-17 травня 2013 р.) / відп. за вип. В. М. Дрьомін ; НУ "ОЮА". Півд. регіон. центр НАПрН України. - Одеса : Фенікс, 2013. - Т. 1. - С. 364-366

Материально-правовое регулирование трудовых отношений, осложненных иностранным элементом, в международном судоходстве

Белогубова О. А. Материально-правовое регулирование трудовых отношений, осложненных иностранным элементом, в международном судоходстве / О. А. Белогубова // Міжнародні читання з міжнародного права пам’яті професора П.Є. Казанського : матер. третьої міжнар. наук. конф. (м. Одеса, 2–3 листопада 2012 р.) / відп. за випуск М.І. Пашковський ; НУ «ОЮА». – Одеса : Фенікс, 2012. – С. 554-557.Автор статьи в своей работе делает вывод о значимости международной материально-правовой унификации норм, регулирующих трудовые отношения иностранцев и о включении международных конвенций, содержащие указанные материально-правовые нормы в предметную сферу международного частного трудового права

Risk factors in fitness physical activities

Objective: to identify the dominant groups of risk factors when practicing fitness physical activities. Materials and methods: analysis of 110 websites of local fitness centres, workout facilities, sports clubs, wellness studios, dancing schools, fight clubs, Yoga centres etc. Results: the analysis revealed that modern fitness industry involves a wide range of additional risk factors (scarcely ever considered) in addition to conventional reasons for potential medical problems with enhanced physical activity. The focus points are as follows: lack of medical permission to participation in sports activities; specific motivation of fitness-goers in the vast majority of cases; progressive convergence of strength fitness programs with particular strength sports; wide use of a variety of means and methods (typically in strength programs) classified as doping; exercise loads along with health-promoting activities (each characterized by distinct physiological price); frequent combination of physical exercise with pathogenic nutrition and water consumption violation; etc. Conclusions: only a few trends of the analyzed fitness programs were considered to be actually health-improving ones (with correct biomechanics and competent dosing of exercises). Realization of other programs may have a number of negative consequences, especially for persons with border-line states of health. Some of trends in fitness are in greatest possible convergence with professional commercial sport where health of athletes occupies one of the last places in the list of priorities. Consideration of the identified risk factors dictates the need for a broad range of measures to prevent emergencies and sudden deaths in amateur athletes

N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene polymorphisms in colon and lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND: N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) metabolizes arylamines and hydrazines moeities found in many therapeutic drugs, chemicals and carcinogens. The gene encoding NAT2 is polymorphic, thus resulting in rapid or slow acetylator phenotypes. The acetylator status may, therefore, predispose drug-induced toxicities and cancer risks, such as bladder, colon and lung cancer. Indeed, some studies demonstrate a positive association between NAT2 rapid acetylator phenotype and colon cancer, but results are inconsistent. The role of NAT2 acetylation status in lung cancer is likewise unclear, in which both the rapid and slow acetylator genotypes have been associated with disease. METHODS: We investigated three genetic variations, c.481C>T, c.590G>A (p.R197Q) and c.857G>A (p.G286E), of the NAT2 gene, which are known to result in a slow acetylator phenotype. Using validated PCR-RFLP assays, we genotyped 243 healthy unrelated Caucasian control subjects, 92 colon and 67 lung cancer patients for these genetic variations. As there is a recent meta-analysis of NAT2 studies on colon cancer (unlike in lung cancer), we have also undertaken a systematic review of NAT2 studies on lung cancer, and we incorporated our results in a meta-analysis consisting of 16 studies, 3,865 lung cancer patients and 6,077 control subjects. RESULTS: We did not obtain statistically significant differences in NAT2 allele and genotype frequencies in colon cancer patients and control group. Certain genotypes, however, such as [c.590AA+c.857GA] and [c.590GA+c.857GA] were absent among the colon cancer patients. Similarly, allele frequencies in lung cancer patients and controls did not differ significantly. Nevertheless, there was a significant increase of genotypes [c.590GA] and [c.481CT+c.590GA], but absence of homozygous c.590AA and [c.590AA+c.857GA] in the lung cancer group. Meta-analysis of 16 NAT2 studies on lung cancer did not evidence an overall association of the rapid or slow acetylator status to lung cancer. Similarly, the summary odds ratios obtained with stratified meta-analysis based on ethnicity, and smoking status were not significant. CONCLUSION: Our study failed to show an overall association of NAT2 genotypes to either colon or lung cancer risk

Five Glutathione S-Transferase Gene Variants in 23,452 Cases of Lung Cancer and 30,397 Controls: Meta-Analysis of 130 Studies

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are known to abolish or reduce the activities of intracellular enzymes that help detoxify environmental carcinogens, such as those found in tobacco smoke. It has been suggested that polymorphisms in the GST genes are risk factors for lung cancer, but a large number of studies have reported apparently conflicting results. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Literature-based meta-analysis was supplemented by tabular data from investigators of all relevant studies of five GST polymorphisms ( GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null, I105V, and A114V polymorphisms in the GSTP1 genes, and GSTM3 intron 6 polymorphism) available before August, 2005, with investigation of potential sources of heterogeneity. Included in the present meta-analysis were 130 studies, involving a total of 23,452 lung cancer cases and 30,397 controls. In a combined analysis, the relative risks for lung cancer of the GSTM1 null and GSTT1 null polymorphisms were 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–1.23) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02–1.16), respectively, but in the larger studies they were only 1.04 (95% CI: 0.95–1.14) and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.86–1.11), respectively. In addition to size of study, ethnic background was a significant source of heterogeneity among studies of the GSTM1 null genotype, with possibly weaker associations in studies of individuals of European continental ancestry. Combined analyses of studies of the 105V, 114V, and GSTM3*B variants showed no significant overall associations with lung cancer, yielding per-allele relative risks of 1.04 (95% CI: 0.99–1.09), 1.15 (95% CI: 0.95–1.39), and 1.05 (95% CI: 0.89–1.23), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of lung cancer is not strongly associated with the I105V and A114V polymorphisms in the GSTP1 gene or with GSTM3 intron 6 polymorphism. Given the non-significant associations in the larger studies, the relevance of the weakly positive overall associations with the GSTM1 null and the GSTT1 null polymorphisms is uncertain. As lung cancer has important environmental causes, understanding any genetic contribution to it in general populations will require the conduct of particularly large and comprehensive studies

Genome-Wide Profile of Pleural Mesothelioma versus Parietal and Visceral Pleura: The Emerging Gene Portrait of the Mesothelioma Phenotype

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is considered an almost incurable tumour with increasing incidence worldwide. It usually develops in the parietal pleura, from mesothelial lining or submesothelial cells, subsequently invading the visceral pleura. Chromosomal and genomic aberrations of mesothelioma are diverse and heterogenous. Genome-wide profiling of mesothelioma versus parietal and visceral normal pleural tissue could thus reveal novel genes and pathways explaining its aggressive phenotype.Well-characterised tissue from five mesothelioma patients and normal parietal and visceral pleural samples from six non-cancer patients were profiled by Affymetrix oligoarray of 38 500 genes. The lists of differentially expressed genes tested for overrepresentation in KEGG PATHWAYS (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and GO (gene ontology) terms revealed large differences of expression between visceral and parietal pleura, and both tissues differed from mesothelioma. Cell growth and intrinsic resistance in tumour versus parietal pleura was reflected in highly overexpressed cell cycle, mitosis, replication, DNA repair and anti-apoptosis genes. Several genes of the “salvage pathway” that recycle nucleobases were overexpressed, among them TYMS, encoding thymidylate synthase, the main target of the antifolate drug pemetrexed that is active in mesothelioma. Circadian rhythm genes were expressed in favour of tumour growth. The local invasive, non-metastatic phenotype of mesothelioma, could partly be due to overexpression of the known metastasis suppressors NME1 and NME2. Down-regulation of several tumour suppressor genes could contribute to mesothelioma progression. Genes involved in cell communication were down-regulated, indicating that mesothelioma may shield itself from the immune system. Similarly, in non-cancer parietal versus visceral pleura signal transduction, soluble transporter and adhesion genes were down-regulated. This could represent a genetical platform of the parietal pleura propensity to develop mesothelioma.Genome-wide microarray approach using complex human tissue samples revealed novel expression patterns, reflecting some important features of mesothelioma biology that should be further explored