INFLUENCE OF SEASON PATTERN ON PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, FUNCTION OF HEMOSTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC HEART DESEASE OF CLIMATE AREA OF MIDDLE VOLGA REGION

The aim of this study is to evaluate season pattern, severity and outcome of acute myocardial infarction in dependence of yearly patterns of function of hemostasis in middle Volga Region. Season pattern of prevalence myocardial infarction with winter peak was discovered, be accompanied of increase platelet aggregation, deterioration of blood viscosity, fibrinolysis depression. Most serious clinical course of summer myocardial infarction was observed with prosperity of hemostasis

Nephroprotective effect of the cardiotonic steroid ouabain

It has been shown that Na,K-ATPase (NKA) is a signal transducer. Our group described the anti-apoptotic effect of ouabain to the signaling function of NKA. Exposure of renal cells to low concentrations of the highly specific NKA ligand, ouabain, will trigger a signaling cascade that involves interaction between the catalytic subunit of NKA and the inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate receptor (IP3R), intracellular calcium oscillations and activation of the NF-κB p65 subunit. It has been demonstrated that in nM ouabain can provide protection against apoptosis in fetal rat kidneys exposed to malnutrition. In this thesis we studied whether ouabain can prevent apoptosis in kidney tissue induced by Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2). We found that Stx2 at concentrations in the range of 3-4 ng/mL gave a reproducible level of apoptosis of rat proximal tubular cells (RPTC). In cells co-incubated with Stx and ouabain 5 nM the apoptotic effect was almost completely abolished. Stx2-induced apoptosis was due to stimulation Bax and the intrinsic apoptotic pathway activation. We show that the Stx2-induced down-regulation of the survival factor Bcl-xL in Stx2-treated renal epithelial cells was almost completely abolished by ouabain treatment. Treatment with ouabain protects kidneys from apoptosis by reversing an imbalance between Bcl-xL and Bax in mice inoculated with Stx2. In this thesis we tested whether other cardiotonic steroids (CTS) beside ouabain can play role in NKA-triggered Ca2+ oscillations. We found that cardenolide digoxin and the bufadienolide marinobufagenin may also trigger Ca2+ oscillations of similar frequency as ouabain. Binding of cardiotonic steroids to NKA will also stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation (Kometiani et al., 1998; Haas et al., 2000). We show that Src phosphorylation but not extracellular-signal-regulated (Erk) kinase is required for the initiation of the CTS evoked Ca2+ signaling pathway. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the 12th most common cause of death and the incidence is increasing worldwide. The albuminuria is a predictor of the progressive loss of kidney function, and is also considered a major cause of the progression of CKD (Anderson et al., 2009). In this thesis we tested whether ouabain can protect against albumin-induced apoptosis in vitro and on in vivo model of CKD. We found a time- and dose-dependent increase in apoptotic index in RPTC incubated with albumin. Observed apoptosis is an early sign of RPTC damage and precedes fibrosis. Co-incubation with ouabain resulted in substantial reduction of the apoptotic index and a fibroric marker TGF-beta 1 expression in cells incubated with albumin. We found that albumin enters the RPTC. We documented almost immediate translocation of Bax to the mitochondria accompanied by a depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. Here we present evidence that ouabain counteracts the translocation of apoptotic factor Bax to mitochondria and the change in mitochondrial membrane potential in albumin-exposed RPTC. Treatment with ouabain restored albumin-induced down-regulated expression of the antiapoptotic factor Bcl-xL. To examine whether ouabain will also protect from loss of renal cells in proteinuric CKD, we have used a well known model of a proteinuric disease, Passive Heymann Nephritis (PHN). We found that chronic treatment with ouabain decreases the value of albuminuria, the apoptotic index (AI) in glomerular-tubular junction, glomerular-tubular disconnection, loss of podocytes as an indicators of permanent renal damage, expression of fibrotic markers. Serum creatinine, which was used as an end-point parameter in this study, was significantly lower in PHN rats treated with ouabain that in PHN rats treated with vehicle. In conclusion we have described a new downstream effect of the ouabain-induced NKA signaling mechanism preventing apoptosis throught regulation of mitochondrial intrinsic apoptotic pathway in acute and chronic kidney diseases

Problem Alcohol Use in Ukrainian Children: Association with Family Factors, Peer Drinking and Child Externalizing Behavior Problems.

The purpose of this three study dissertation was to assess risk and protective factors associated with child alcohol problems. Family systems theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model constituted the framework used for building and testing analytic models. Quantitative data were collected during face-to-face interviews with 320 parent-child dyads in 11 communities in Eastern, Southern and Central Ukraine. Children were 9-16 years of age and 50% were males. The first study assessed the association between parent sociodemographic variables, alcohol use, domestic violence and family cohesion and flexibility, and parenting behaviors. Results indicated that higher violence in the home, higher alcohol use and unbalanced family functioning were related to more frequent use of negative parenting and less frequent use of positive parenting practices. Additionally, lower parent education was associated with negative parenting. The second study estimated the relationship between parenting practices and child externalizing behaviors, such as aggression, delinquency and attention problems. Results revealed that positive parenting, child monitoring and avoidance of corporal punishments were associated with fewer child externalizing symptoms. Results also indicated that child male gender, parent unemployment and single parenting had significant and positive association with child externalizing behaviors. The third, final study assessed child alcohol problems and their association with child gender and age, externalizing behaviors, parental IPV, parenting practices, and peer and parent alcohol use. Children reported that they had alcohol related problems in multiple areas of life and mostly alcohol use affected their relationships with other people, school life and led to rule-breaking behaviors. Alcohol problems were more prevalent among males than among females. Results also revealed that children’s alcohol problems were significantly related with older child age, higher peer drinking and more symptoms of externalizing behavior. This dissertation made an important contribution to the global psychosocial research on children and families. These findings can be used to design alcohol prevention programs and policies in Ukraine.PhDSocial Work and PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113330/1/vburlaka_1.pd

Соціальні мотиви у літературній творчості Михайла Грушевського (Social Motives in Literary Works of Mykhailo Hrushevskyi)

Важливе місце в творчості М.С. Грушевського займає література. У тексті йдеться про соціальні мотиви художніх творів вченого, відображених у віршах, повістях, оповіданнях, розповідях. Соціальні мотиви його творів різноманітні, а саме: життя і праця вчителя початкової школи, роль жінки в громадському та сімейному житті, політична та філософська проблематика, питання життя і смерті. Зауважено, що М.С. Грушевський розуміючи, що українська література на той час ще не виховала читача, який би зміг оцінити філософську прозу, був першопрохідцем в цьому жанрі. Перед нами постає постать не вченого та політика, а талановитого та в дечому новаторського письменника. (Literature plays an important role in the works of Mykhailo Hrushevskyi. The research refers to the scholar’s works social motives reflected in poems, narratives, tales, and stories. Social motives of his works are varied, namely the life and work of an elementary school teacher, the role of women in social and family life, political and philosophical issues, a matter of life and death, etc. In this article it is noted that Mykhailo Hrushevskyi was the first in the genre who realized that Ukrainian literature at that time had not yet educated the reader who would be able to assess philosophical prose. According to the author of the research, when we assess Mykhailo Hrushevskyi we face not a scholar or politician, but in some ways a talented and innovative writer.

Стратегія розвитку світового ПЕК та його регіональні особливості

На основі аналізу формування світового ПЕК в умовах світової фінансово-економічної кризи з використанням останнього прогнозу Міжнародного енергетичного агентства (МЕА) уточнено пріоритетні напрями розвитку ПЕК України з урахуванням сучасних тенденцій підвищення ролі та значення відновлюваної енергетики, альтернативних видів палива та прискорення темпів зростання енергоефективності. Ключові слова: структура енергетичного сектору, нафта, природний газ, вугілля, гідроелектроенергія, відновлювані джерела енергії.На основе анализа формирования мирового ТЭК в условиях мирового финансово-экономического кризиса с использованием последнего прогноза Международного энергетического агентства (МЭА) уточнены приоритетные направления развития ТЭК Украины с учетом современных тенденций повышения роли и значения возобновляемой энергетики, альтернативных видов топлива и ускорения темпов роста энергоэффективности. Ключевые слова: структура энергетического сектора, нефть, природный газ, уголь, гидроэлектроэнергия, возобновляемые источники энергии.Based on analysis of the the world fuel-and-energy complex formation, and using the recent fore-casts made by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the author defines the priority development of Ukraine's fuel-and-energy complex taking into account modern tendencies of increasing the role and significance of renewable power industry, alternative fuels, and increased rates of energy efficiency. Keywords: structure of power sector, oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectricity, renewable energy sources

Модели реструктуризации электроэнергетики в разных странах мира: опыт для Украины

У статті проаналізовано моделі реструктуризації електроенергетики в різних країнах світу. В результаті проведеного аналізу зроблено висновки щодо особливостей переходу електроенергетики в різних країнах світу на нові моделі реструктуризації.The article analyzes various restructuring models used in the power industry in different countries. As a result of the analysis, the author makes conclusions as to the peculiar features in the transition of the power industry in different countries taking place in accordance with the new restructuring models.В статье проанализированы модели реструктуризации электроэнергетики в разных странах мира. В результате проведенного анализа сделаны выводы об особенностях перехода электроэнергетики в разных странах мира на новые модели реструктуризации

New method and algorithm of three-dimensional turbine guide blade rim optimization

The new method and algorithm of three-dimensional turbine guide blade rim optimization were proposed using CFD-calculations, guide blade deformation and reasonable computation time consuming optimization approach. Verification of three-dimensional CFD-calculations results are presented by comparison with experimental data. The reasonableness of the isolated guide blade rim optimization of a turbine stage is justified. Two methods of the complex tangential lean implementation are compared. The parametric model is developed allowing conservation of the mass flow rate through the blade passage during optimization process. Both a bowing method and computational grids construction are realized in specialized program TOpGrid. The gained grids has been written in formatCGNS(CFDGeneral Notation System). The optimization approach is grounded on a combination of the DOE theory and Monte-Carlo method. The algorithm of optimization of guide blade rim is described. The examination of aerodynamic optimization efficiency with the developed algorithm of a guide blade rim at different a/l (a-throat of the channel, l-height of a blade) was carried out. The analysis of the results of the computation and physical explanation of reasons of a turbine blade passage efficiency rise is given