Cryo-electron microscopy studies on ovine mitochondrial complex I

The main objective of this work is to determine the atomic structure of mammalian respiratory complex I. Mitochondrial complex I (also known as NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is one of the central enzymes in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. It couples electron transfer between NADH and ubiquinone to proton translocation across the inner mitochondrial membrane, contributing to cellular energy production. Complex I is the largest and most elaborate protein assembly of the respiratory chain with a total mass of 970 kilodaltons. It consists of 14 conserved ‘core subunits’ and 31 mitochondria-specific ‘supernumerary subunits’. Together they form a giant, Lshaped molecule, with one arm buried in the mitochondrial membrane and another protruding into the mitochondrial matrix. Here, a novel method for the purification of ovine (Ovis aries) complex I was developed and suitable conditions for cryo-EM imaging established, after extensive screening of detergents and additives. Cryo-EM images were acquired with the recently developed direct electron detector and processed using the latest software. This allowed the solution of the nearly complete atomic model of mitochondrial complex I at 3.9 Å resolution. The membrane part of the complex contains 78 transmembrane helices, mostly contributed by conserved antiporter-like subunits responsible for proton translocation. These helices are stabilized by tightly bound lipids (including cardiolipins). The hydrophilic arm harbours flavin mononucleotide and 8 iron–sulfur clusters involved in electron transfer. Supernumerary subunits build a scaffold around the conserved core, strongly stabilizing the complex. Additionally, subunits containing cofactors (NADPH, zinc ion and phosphopantetheine) may play a regulatory role. Two distinct conformations of the complex are observed, which may describe the active and deactive states or reflect conformations occurring during the catalytic cycle of the enzyme. Currently this is the most detailed model of this molecular machine, providing insight into the mechanism, assembly and dysfunction of mitochondrial complex I. It also allows molecular analysis of numerous disease-causing mutations, and so the structure may serve as a stepping-stone for future medical developments

“‘Pull Down Thy Vanity’: Post-Pastoral Subject in Ezra Pound’s Cantos”

Anglophone modernism is often interpreted as reflecting a crisis of modernity brought about, among other factors, by the trauma of World War One. The parameters of the crisis include the perception that things are “falling apart,” i.e. a growing sense of the fragmentation of reality and of the exhaustion of traditional teleological narratives such as religion or the myth of progress. Poetry written in the face of this condition must necessarily be paradoxical in that it combines the profound skepticism of the times with an almost religious faith in the redemptive power of art. The paradoxes of modern poetry and its frequent recourse to silence in general have been discussed from a number of perspectives. Seldom, though, have critics taken into consideration the role played by the silence of nature in modernist poetry. In the work of Ezra Pound, it is possible to trace a progress from pastoral representations of nature to what Terry Gifford has defined as the “post-pastoral” mode. The latter mode is especially present in the Pisan section of Pound’s great epic poem Cantos and in its concluding parts. However, the earlier pastoral model is always already complicated by the tension between what, after Lacan, can be called the “énoncé” (statement) and the “énonciation” (enunciation) within Pound’s text. The pastoral and post-pastoral modes of nature representation correspond to two different subject positions. The pastoral setting involves a rigid subject/object dichotomy and the subject’s dominion over nature. The post-pastoral requires a reconfiguration of subjectivity to make space for the silent presence of nature, which no longer serves as a bearer of man-made meanings

Economic and financial crises and changes in corporate governance in Russia (Part 2)

Motivation: Favourable conditions for the development of corporate governance in Russia emerged at the beginning of the 90s, together with the commencement of economic and political transformation. At the beginning, one of the main factors connected with building and developing a corporate governance system was the process of privatization of state-owned enterprises. In the subsequent years, more factors emerged, such as: further economic reforms, political transformations, corporate legislation as well as financial and economic crises.Aim: The article’s main thrust is to evaluate the impact of economic and financial crisis of 2008 and the posible impact of actual crisis on the evolution of selected internally and externally mechanisms of corporate governance in Russia.Results: The article uses theoretical analysis method based on a survey of literature and statistical data (especially from Russian Federal Statistics Service). The authors assume that the 2008 crisis caused less significant changes in the process of the evolution of corporate governance system in Russia (in comparison with 1998 crisis). The crisis of 2008 resulted mainly in the increase in the state’s role, either as the owner as well as participant of the external corporate governance mechanisms. The impact of the current crisis on the corporate governance is possible because of restrictions in the access to foreign financial markets for big companies and the increase of dependence on financial support from the state

Economic and financial crises and changes in corporate governance in Russia (Part 1)

Motivation: Favorable conditions for the development of corporate governance in Russia emerged at the beginning of the 90s, together with the commencement of economic and political transformation. At the beginning, one of the main factors connected with building and developing a corporate governance system was the process of privatization of state-owned enterprises and main market reforms. In the subsequent years, more factors emerged, such as: further economic reforms, political transformations, adequate corporate legislation as well as financial and economic crises.Aim: The article’s main thrust is to evaluate the impact of financial crisis of 1998 on the evolution of selected internally and externally mechanisms of corporate governance in Russia.Results: The article uses theoretical analysis method based on a survey of literature and statistical data (especially from Russian Federal Statistics Service). The authors assume that the financial crisis of 1998 was a turning-point in the process of the evolution of corporate governance system in Russia. The crisis gave rise to new process of redistribution and consolidation of the ownership, caused significant changes in ownership structure and the process of building the new type of business groups (holdings). It caused the significant development of the corporate control market (mergers and acquisitions) as well as changes in the bankruptcy law

Mammalian mitochondrial complex I structure and disease causing mutations

Complex I has an essential role in ATP production by coupling electron transfer from NADH to quinone with translocation of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Isolated complex I deficiency is a frequent cause of mitochondrial inherited diseases. Complex I has also been implicated in cancer, ageing, and neurodegenerative conditions. Until recently, the understanding of complex I deficiency on the molecular level was limited due to the lack of high-resolution structures of the enzyme. However, due to developments in single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), recent studies have reported nearly atomic resolution maps and models of mitochondrial complex I. These structures significantly add to our understanding of complex I mechanism and assembly. The disease-causing mutations are discussed here in their structural context

CURRENT TENDENCIES IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM IN RUSSIA

        The aim of this article is to analyze current selected tendencies in Russian corporate governance system that have been observed in the past few years. The corporate governance in Russia started formulating in the nineties of the 20th century as a result of the privatization process. It’s principal mechanism is a concentrated ownership structure. On the basis of a research conducted by the leading Russian research centers, the authors analyze changes concerning the ownership structure of Russia’s companies, including the model of companies’ owners, the role of the state both in the ownership structure and in corporate control and capital markets. The authors also try to define the probable further changes in corporate governance system in Russia

The evolution of the economic system in Russia: Circumstances, stages and perspectives of change

The political and economic reforms in Russia since the beginning of the 1990s have made it possible to build a new economic system. Over more than 25 years, this system has evolved under the influence of, among others, economic and financial crises, which resulted in changes in the role of the state, ownership structure and the specificity of the corporate sector. The main goal of the paper is to identify the key elements and features of the economic system in Russia in the specified stages of its evolution and to indicate the perspectives of changes. To achieve this goal, an in-depth analysis was made of the literature and statistical data. The author puts forward the thesis that there are still some premises of the evolution of the economic system in Russia which resulted from the need for structural changes and the exhaustion of the current model of economic growth. However, in the immediate future, the economic system in Russia will not evolve significantly because of the economic stability and the lack of political will to make significant reforms

Corporate social responsibility in the management of Norwegian government pension fund global

The book fits into a multidisciplinary research approach. The articles are the result of research conducted by eminent international economists, authors representing academic centres in different countries. The articles address current phenomena observed in the global economy. The authors do not aspire to comprehensively explain all the very complex and multi-dimensional economic developments, but illustrate many of these phenomena in an original way. The multi-threaded and multi-dimensional nature of the discussion in particular articles deserves attention. These include theoretical and methodological articles as well as the results of empirical research presented by the authors. The book is addressed to those persons interested in issues of economics, finance, regional economy, and the management sciences. It can be valuable for economic practitioners, members of management and supervisory boards of companies, and financial analysts, and the articles may also be useful for academicians and students.This article is an attempt to analysis socially responsible activities in the GPFG with reference to the specifics of the Norwegian economy. For this task was used the self-created tool dividing the dimensions of the concept of CSR and proposing suitable measurement methods for each of them. The phenomenal economic system in Norway (Scandinavian model, welfare state, egalitarianism, sustainable development) has a material impact on the quality and effectiveness of realisation responsible investment in the fund. The findings of the research can be used as a basis for more advanced analysing in other articles

Business Groups in Russia : Origin, Evolution and Development Perspectives

Gospodarka Rosji, podobnie jak innych krajów, zarówno rozwijających się, jak i wysoko rozwiniętych, charakteryzuje się znaczącą rolą grup kapitałowych. Ich rozwój (trwający od dwudziestu lat) został zapoczątkowany wraz z rozpoczęciem procesu prywatyzacji i doprowadził do dominacji grup w wielu gałęziach przemysłu. W artykule podjęto próbę wyodrębnienia i analizy głównych etapów rozwoju rosyjskich grup kapitałowych i zasadniczych tendencji rozwoju w pierwszej dekadzie XXI wieku i dalszych perspektyw.As is the case in many other developing and developed economies, a significant role of business groups is an important feature of the Russian economy. Their development started with the beginning of the privatisation process and has brought them to a dominant position in many industry branches. The paper attempts to distinguish and analyse the main stages in the development of Russian business groups, their development trends in the 2000s, and their future prospects.Monika Fiedorczuk: [email protected] Monika Fiedorczuk – Wydział Ekonomii i Zarządzania, Uniwersytet w Białymstoku;4(70)21223

The Specificity of Organizational Structure in the Integration Groups in the Former USSR Area

Goal – the main goal of the paper is to compare the institutional structure of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Economic Union and the Union State of Belarus and Russia. Research methodology – general scientific dialectical methods of cognition have been used in the article: analysis, synthesis, and deduction. The paper uses the analysis of legal acts of selected integration groups. Score/results – the author concluded that analysed groups have very different organizational structures. The Eurasian Economic Union has the simplest and most effective structure, which is helpful in achieving further steps in economic integration. Originality/value – the article is a comparative study of organizational structures in integration groups in the former USSR and contains author’s generalizations and conclusions. The paper is original, not previously [email protected] w BiałymstokuCzerewacz­‑Filipowicz K., Konopelko A., 2017, Regional Integration Processes in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Economic and Political Factors, Cham.Diec J., 2015, Geostrategiczny wybór Rosji. U zarania trzeciego tysiąclecia. Tom 1. Doktryna rosyjskiej polityki zagranicznej. 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Tom 1, T. Kapuśniak (red.), Lublin.Nashiralijyev Y., 2009, Economic integration in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Perspectives, Problems, Solutions, Massey University, Albany.Ob Ispolnitelnom komitete SNG || Об Исполнительном комитете СНГ, [электронный ресурс] http://www.cis.minsk.by/page/28 [дата доступа: 9.04.2020].Organy SNG. Ekonomicheskij sovet || Органы СНГ. Экономический совет, [электронный ресурс] http://cis.minsk.by/category/body?id=4 [дата доступа: 9.04.2020].Organy SNG. Sovet glav gosudarstv || Органы СНГ. Совет глав государств, [элек тронный ресурс] http://cis.minsk.by/page/19301 [дата доступа: 9.04.2020].Organy SNG. Sovet glav pravitelstv || Органы СНГ. Совет глав правительств, [элек тронный ресурс] http://cis.minsk.by/category/body?id=3 [дата доступа: 9.04.2020].Organy SNG. Sovet ministrov inostrannykh del || Органы СНГ. Совет министров иностранных дел, [электронный ресурс] http://cis.minsk.by/category/body?id=5 [дата доступа: 9.04.2020].Organy SNG. 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