The measurement of intercultural sensitivity in the Polish conditions

W USA, Guo-Ming Chen i William J. Starosta opracowali narzędzia badawcze w postaci Skali Wrażliwości Międzykulturowej do pomiaru wrażliwości międzykulturowej jako głównego wymiaru kompetencji komunikacji międzykulturowej. W Niemczech Wolfgang Fritz, Antje Möllenberg oraz Guo-Ming Chen, na próbie 541 studentów potwierdzili jego trafność, rekomendując je dla populacji Europy Zachodniej. W artykule zaprezentowano polską wersję kwestionariusza do pomiaru wrażliwości międzykulturowej wraz z jego własnościami psychometrycznymi i wynikami analizy normalizacyjnej. Ponadto w opracowaniu przedstawiono podstawy teoretyczne kwestionariusza oraz jego budowę i zasady posługiwania się narzędziem. Polska wersja kwestionariusza (identycznie jak oryginalna) składa się z 24 pozycji testowych zawartych w obrębie pięciu podskal (α-Cronbacha 0,85) oraz spełnia wszystkie warunki tzw. dobroci psychometrycznej testu. Narzędzie pozwala w sposób szybki, trafny i rzetelny dokonywać pomiaru podstawowych czynników wrażliwości międzykulturowej, takich jak: Zaangażowanie w interakcję, Szacunek dla różnic kulturowych, Pewność w interakcji, Przyjemność z interakcji, Uwaga/Pilność w interakcji. Narzędzie może być stosowane przez naukowców i praktyków we wszystkich sytuacjach, w których mamy do czynienia z interakcją w środowiskach zróżnicowanych kulturowo (biznes, edukacja, turystyka itd.). Do artykułu załączono kwestionariusz wraz z kluczem, ułatwiającą praktykom analizę i interpretację uzyskanych wyników.Guo-Ming Chen and William J. Starosta have invented a research tool to measure the level of intercultural sensitivity as a major dimension of intercultural communicative competence. The tool is known as The Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. Its accuracy was confirmed in Germany in a study conducted by Wolfgang Fritz, Antje Möllenberg oraz Guo-Ming Chen on a group of 541 students. As a result, the method was recommended for the Western European Societies. The article presents a Polish version of the questionnaire measuring intercultural sensitivity together with its psychometrical properties and the results of normalization analysis. What is more, the theoretical basis of the questionnaire, its structure and conditions of use are also described. The Polish version (just like the original) consists of 24 positions grouped into 5 sub-scales (Cronbach’s α 0,85) and meets all the requirements of the so-called psychometrical accuracy. The test allows one to quickly and precisely measure the basic elements of intercultural sensitivity such as: Engagement in interaction, Attention/Diligence in interaction. The tool can be used by scholars and practitioners in all situations that involve interaction in culturally diversified environments (business, education, tourism etc.) The article includes the questionnaire with the key, which shall make the analysis and interpretation of the results much easier

Extension of furopyrimidine nucleosides with 5-alkynyl substituent: Synthesis, high fluorescence, and antiviral effect in the absence of free ribose hydroxyl groups.

A novel methodology to access alkynyl nucleoside analogues is elaborated. Highly fluorescent 5-alkynylfuropyrimidines were synthesized (97-46%) and their antiviral properties investigated in vitro. Regiochemistry of the functionalization was achieved with the aid of 5-endo-dig electrophilic halocyclization of acetyl 5-p-tolyl- or 5-p-pentylphenyl-2'-deoxyuridine. Structure of one of the resulting nucleosides, 6-p-tolyl-5-iodo-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl-furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one, was confirmed by X-ray crystallography, and its conformation was compared to related nucleosides. Diverse alkynyl substituents were introduced at the heterobicyclic base C-5 position via Sonogashira coupling of 5-iodo-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl-furo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-ones. The resulting compounds had fluorescence emissions of 452-481 nm. High quantum yields of 0.53-0.60 were observed for 9-ethynyl-9-fluorenol and propargyl alcohol/methyl ether-modified furopyrimidines. These modified nucleosides, designed in the form of ribose acetyl esters, are potential tools for fluorescent tagging, studying nucleoside metabolism, 2'-deoxyribonucleoside kinase activity, and antiviral activity. Antiviral assays against a broad spectrum of DNA and RNA viruses showed that in human embryonic lung (HEL) cell cultures some of the compounds posess antiviral activity (EC50 1.3-13.2 μM) against varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The alkynyl furopyrimidine with two p-pentylphenyl substituents emerged as the best compound with reasonable and selective anti-VZV activity, confirming p-pentylphenyl potency as a pharmacophore.status: Published onlin

One Way Traffic: Base‐to‐backbone Hole Transfer in Nucleoside Phosphorodithioates

International audienceDirectionality of the hole transfer processes between DNA-backbone and -base was investigated using phosphorodithioate [P(S−)=S] components. ESR spectroscopy in homogeneous frozen aqueous solutions, pulse radiolysis in aqueous solution at ambient temperature confirmed initialformation of G•+-P(S−)=S. The ionization potential of G-P(S−)=S was calculated to be slightly lower than that of guanine in 5’-dGMP. Subsequent thermally-activated hole transfer from G•+ to P(S−)=S led to dithiyl radical (P-2S•) formation on μs timescale. In parallel, ESR spectroscopy andpulse radiolysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed P-2S• formation in abasic phosphorodithioate model compound. ESR investigations at low temperatures and higher G-P(S−)=S concentrations showed a bimolecular conversion of P-2S• to the σ2-σ*1-bonded dimeranion radical [-P-2S∸2S-P-]− [ΔG (150 K, DFT) = −7.2 kcal/mol]. However, [-P-2S∸2S-P-]−formation was not observed by pulse radiolysis [ΔG° (298 K, DFT) = −1.4 kcal/mol]. Neither P-2S• nor [-P-2S∸2S-P-]− oxidized guanine base; base-to-backbone hole transfer occurs in phosphorodithioate