Assessment of Imagination in Senior Preschoolers by Educators

Background. The relevance of this study is determined by the importance of timely assessment and development of imagination in preschoolers for their harmonious development and further successful schooling. Objective. The aim of the study was to develop a questionnaire for kindergarteners aimed at assessing the imagination in preschoolers. Methods. As a part of this study, a questionnaire to assess the characteristics of imagination in preschoolers was developed, which included 22 statements about children behavior, which teachers had to evaluate on a 5-point scale. Also, with a part of the sample, the “Complete the Drawing” technique was carried out. Sample. In the study, educators assessed 553 pupils of senior groups (M = 65.3; SD = 4.03 months; 48.1% of boys) attending kindergartens in 4 regions of Russia (37.1% of children from Moscow, 32.6% from the Tatarstan Republic, 22.3% from the Sakha Republic, 9.1% from the Perm Region) Results. As a result of the statistical analysis, a three-factor structure of the created questionnaire was revealed. It was found that educators rate the level of imagination development higher in girls than in boys. Comparison of teachers' assessments with the results of children's imagination assessment using the “Complete the Drawing” technique showed the relationship with such parameters of drawings as flexibility, originality and elaboration. Conclusion. The study showed the reliability of the developed questionnaire for educators, which indicates the possibility of its use in monitoring the development of modern senior preschoolers

Vitamin D and Female Reproduction

Vitamin D deficiency has an impact on the reproduction of more than 40% of reproductive age women globally. Fibroids are more common among African-American females owing to their decreased milk consumption and reduced absorption of ultraviolet rays, supporting the relation between vitamin D deficiency and fibroid development. Vitamin D has an inhibitory effect on leiomyoma cells by suppression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), BCL-2, BCL-w, CDK1, and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) protein levels. A growing evidence support the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and endometriosis through overexpression of vitamin D recseptor (VDR) and α-hydroxylase enzyme, however, it is still unclear if the endometriosis patients could benefit from vitamin D supplementation. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on the metabolic outcomes of polycystic ovary (PCO) has been studied and reveled that it is negatively correlated with fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, free androgen index, and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) and positively associated with quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG), whereas its impact on the ovarian function is still unclear. Vitamin D deficiency may worse the obstetrical outcomes, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, increased cesarean section rate, neonatal asthma, seizures, and preterm labor. The relationship between serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH) D) and pregnancy rates in ART is still debatable, with the need to conduct more clinical trials toward it. The in vitro antiproliferative and prodifferentiative effect of vitamin D might find a role in control of hyperplastic overactive bladder. Several studies support that vitamin D deficiency constitutes a risk factor for development of many types of cancer such as breast, ovarian, and colorectal

WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERIC IONIC 5-FLUOROURACIL COMPLEX BASED ON METHACRYLIC ACID COPOLYMERS

Objective: The objective of this work was to obtain a water-soluble 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) polymeric complex on the basis of a methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymer to be used as an injectable chemotherapeutic agent. Methods: A polymeric carrier was synthesized using tert-butyl methacrylate (TBMA) as a monomer, thioglycolic acid, and azobisisobutyronitrile as a radical polymerization initiator. The polymer was converted by acid hydrolysis into a water-soluble copolymer of TBMA and MAA of 20: 80 mass%, respectively. The copolymer of TBMA and MAA was modified with 5-FU. Their formation was proved using IR and UV spectroscopy. The particle size of the 5-FU polymeric complex was estimated by turbidimetry, which is based on measuring the intensity of light transmitted through a disperse system. The release of 5-FU from the obtained ionic complexes by dialysis in vitro was evaluated. Results: Polymeric carriers were obtained with different amounts of 5-FU (5, 15, 25, 50 mol%). A high peak at λ = 266 nm was observed in the UV spectrum of the polymeric carrier (characteristic of 5-FU). The particle size was estimated at 13 nm for the complex with 5 mol% 5-FU and 26.8 n for the complex with 50 mol% 5-FU. The 5-FU release was estimated in two parallel experiments at 37 °C. One utilized a phosphate-citrate buffer with pH 5.0 to model the intracellular space and the other, a phosphate buffer with pH 7.4 to model the intravascular space. Two systems, with 5 and 15 mol% 5-FU, were chosen for testing. In both phosphate buffer and phosphate-citrate buffer, 5-FU was released from the polymeric complex with 5 mol% 5-FU approximately 1.3 times faster than from the complex containing 5 mol% 5-fluorouracil. The kinetics of 5-FU release from the polymeric complex (5 mol% 5-fluorouracil) showed that the 5-FU release was 77.9% in phosphate-citrate buffer and 59.6% in phosphate buffer over 52 h of dialysis. When the 5-FU release kinetics was studied with the polymeric complex containing 15 mol% 5-FU, the 5-FU release was 100.0% in phosphate-citrate buffer and 75.1% in phosphate buffer over 57 h of dialysis. Conclusion: Water-soluble nanoscale complexes of 5-FU with TBMA–MAA copolymers extend application of 5-FU, while its general toxicity might be lower. The complexes are sufficiently stable at pH 7.4 and readily release 5-FU at pH 5.0

Kryzys uchodźczy jako kwestia feministyczna - francuskie studium przypadku

Kryzys uchodźczy z 2014 roku stał się nowym wyzwaniem dla Unii Europejskiej, przyciągając uwagę opinii publicznej i państwa. Jak każda kwestia społeczna i polityczna, kryzys jest zagadnieniem złożonym i wielowarstwowym, z wieloma subtelnościami i ciemnymi plamami, ale to właśnie łamanie podstawowych praw człowieka oraz brak mechanizmów ochrony i odpowiedniego systemu wsparcia dla kobiet-uchodźców budzą największy niepokój. Kobiety są obecnie jedną z najbardziej wrażliwych grup społecznych, napotykającą na wiele różnych barier na każdym etapie swojej integracji. W swoim artykule szczegółowo przyglądam się historii ruchu feministycznego w Europie, a w szczególności we Francji, jak również głównym osiągnięciom i trudnościom, które przed nim stoją. Następnie zagłębiłam się w kryzys uchodźczy i problem kobiet-uchodźców próbujących wyemigrować do kraju. Wreszcie, spojrzałam na kryzys jako na ogromne wyzwanie dla ruchu feministycznego i podjęłam próbę wydobycia pewnych propozycji dla polityki wrażliwej na płeć, które mogłyby znacznie poprawić sytuację, pozostając jednocześnie uważną na kobiety i ich doświadczenia.Problemy kobiet nie są wystarczająco dyskutowane: państwo robi bardzo niewiele, ignorując dane i poziom zagrożenia, na jakie narażone są kobiety przed i po przybyciu do Francji. Chociaż Francja jest bardzo aktywnym uczestnikiem dialogu UE na temat uchodźców, jej obecne działania są nie tylko bardzo powolne w promowaniu polityki płci w tej kwestii, ale ostatnio forsuje coraz bardziej ksenofobiczne, islamofobiczne i mizoginiczne prawa, wymierzone w kobiety. Nawet jeśli chodzi o badania na ten temat, istnieje niedobór danych, a większość statystyk dotyczących kobiet uchodźców po prostu nie jest zbierana. Wolontariusze i organizacje pozarządowe, jak również różne organizacje kobiece, są odpowiedzialne za większość ich ochrony, pomoc prawną i szerzenie świadomości. Dostępne statystyki wskazują na przerażające dane dotyczące napaści, wykorzystywania seksualnego, porwań i utrudniania życia kobietom, które są całkowicie nieproporcjonalne nawet w porównaniu z migrantami płci męskiej, co sugeruje instytucjonalną dyskryminację, z którą właśnie walczy feminizm. Praktyki dyskryminacyjne mają swoje konsekwencje w dzisiejszych czasach i musimy je uznać.The 2014 refugee crisis became a new challenge for the European Union, attracting public and state attention. As with any social and political issue, the crisis is a complex and multilayered issue with many subtleties and dark spots, but it is the violation of basic human rights and the lack of protection mechanisms and a proper system to support refugee women that are of greatest concern. Women are currently one of the most vulnerable groups of the population, facing many different barriers at every stage of their integration. In my paper, I take a detailed look at the history of the feminist movement in Europe, and France in particular, as well as the major accomplishments and difficulties that lie ahead. I then delve into the refugee crisis and the problem of refugee women trying to immigrate to the country. Finally, I looked at the crisis as a huge dare to the feminist movement and attempted to extract some proposals for gender-sensitive politics that might greatly improve the situation while still remaining attentive to women and their experiences.Women's problems are not discussed enough: the state does very little, ignoring data and the level of danger to which women are subjected prior to and after their arrival in France. Although France is a very active participant in the EU dialogue on refugees, its current actions are not only very slow in promoting a gender policy on the issue, but have recently been pushing increasingly xenophobic, Islamophobic and misogynistic laws, targeting women. Even for a study of the subject, there is a scarcity of data, and most refugee women statistics are simply not collected. Volunteers and NGOs, as well as various women's organizations, are responsible for the majority of their protection, legal help, and awareness spreading. Available statistics indicate horrifying figures on assault, sexual exploitation, kidnapping, and obstruction of women, which are completely disproportionate even when compared to male migrants, implying institutional discrimination, which is precisely what feminism fights against. The discriminatory practices have ramifications nowadays, and we must recognize them

Synthesis of Molybdenum Blue Dispersions Using Ascorbic Acid as Reducing Agent

Stable molybdenum blue nanoparticles dispersions were synthesized using ammonium heptamolybdate and ascorbic acid. The effect of molar ratios of reducing agent/Mo and acid/Mo on the speed of formation and stability of the disperse system has been demonstrated. The particles were characterized by UV/vis, infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method confirmed the presence of reduced MoV in the structure of molybdenum oxide nanoclusters, the proportion of which was 30%

The Role of Russian Parents’ Education in the Development of Intuitive Theories of Parenting

Previous research in English-speaking countries has shown that parental education predicts significantly parental attitudes and theories about parenting which, in turn, guide parental interaction with their child and might impact the child’s mental development. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no research aimed at studying the role of parental education in shaping the views of Russian parents on their children’s education and development. The current study aimed to analyze the role of Russian parents’ education in their intuitive theories of parenting, by controlling for the region where the families live, and taking into account the age and sex of their child. Intuitive theories of parenting were studied using the Early Parental Attitudes Questionnaire (EPAQ). The sample consisted of 995 parents who have children aged 1 to 7 and live in Moscow, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Republic North Ossetia in Russian Federation. Two profiles of intuitive theories of parenting were identified. Differences and similarities in intuitive theories of parenting between regions, when controlling for parents' level of education were also identified. The results characterize modern parenthood in three geographically distant Russian regions and can be useful in understanding the profile of a modern parent, as well as for developing educational programmes aimed at self-development and increasing parental competence in Russian parents

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Dance Classes in Preschool Age Children

The development of executive functions is of the utmost importance for academic success at school and the social adaptation of children. Dance class attendance is one of the factors promoting the development of these functions in children. This study was aimed to explore the relationship between extra dance class attendance and executive functions in preschool age children. The executive function level was assessed using NEPSY-II subtests “Sentences Repetition”, “Memory for Designs”, “Inhibition”, “Statue”, and “Dimensional Change Card Sort”. The data on extra dance classes were collected by means of a questionnaire for parents. In the study, 86 typically developing 5–6-year-old children participated. No statistically significant differences in executive functions’ levels were discovered in children taking only extra dance classes for at least 6 months and children taking no extra classes. The obtained data plays an important role for the design of further investigations of the topic

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Dance Classes in Preschool Age Children

The development of executive functions is of the utmost importance for academic success at school and the social adaptation of children. Dance class attendance is one of the factors promoting the development of these functions in children. This study was aimed to explore the relationship between extra dance class attendance and executive functions in preschool age children. The executive function level was assessed using NEPSY-II subtests “Sentences Repetition”, “Memory for Designs”, “Inhibition”, “Statue”, and “Dimensional Change Card Sort”. The data on extra dance classes were collected by means of a questionnaire for parents. In the study, 86 typically developing 5–6-year-old children participated. No statistically significant differences in executive functions’ levels were discovered in children taking only extra dance classes for at least 6 months and children taking no extra classes. The obtained data plays an important role for the design of further investigations of the topic

«Пересборка митинга»: Интернет в протесте и протест в интернете

Митинг как устойчивая форма публичного городского ритуала заметно трансформируется под влиянием интернета и социальных сетей. В ситуации, когда социальные сети оказываются важным источником информации об офлайн­реальности, митинг или пикет можно провести, не выходя из дома или развернув плакат только для того, чтобы с ним сфотографироваться. При этом одной из важных тем рефлексии участников и зрителей подобных акций оказывается проблема «подлинности» виртуальной реальности и производимых в ней политических действий. Пользователи социальных сетей задаются вопроса­ ми о том, насколько значима акция, частично или полностью проведенная в интернете, выполнение каких условий делает ее «реальной» или «состоявшейся»,—иными словами, пытаются определить статус виртуальной реальности и границу между «реальным» и «виртуальным», «оригиналом» (в терминах И. Гофмана) и «фальсификацией». Результатом этого рефрейминга становится переопределение того, что активисты, горожане и правоохранительные органы считают «политической акцией». В статье авторы рассматривают, как, с одной стороны, изменяется восприятие публичной политической акции в социальных сетях, а с другой—какие конфликты порождает это изменение

Связано ли понимание эмоций детьми с представлениями их воспитателей об эмоциональном развитии?

Introduction. Beliefs of preschool teachers about specific characteristics of children’s emotional development have been studied mainly in the context of the used methods for teaching children. However, the relationship with the development of emotion understanding in preschoolers remains underexplored. Children’s emotion understanding includes such components as recognizing emotions, understanding the effect of external causes, the role of desires, beliefs, memories, and moral rules in the formation of emotions, and understanding that emotions may be hidden and mixed and that they may be regulated. This study aims to identify the influence that teachers’ beliefs about the development of certain components of children’s emotion understanding exerts on the actual level of emotion understanding in 5–6-year-olds. Methods. The study involved 16 senior kindergarten groups; in total 16 preschool teachers we interviewed, and 324 children were assessed. To identify teachers’ beliefs about children’s emotion understanding, we used the method of structured interview. Children’s emotion understanding was assessed using the Test of Emotion Comprehension. Results. Preschool teachers were quite accurate in their estimation of the age when children master the majority of components of emotion understanding (except for understanding the role of beliefs, the role of moral rules in the formation of emotions, and mixed emotions). At the same time, in groups where teachers believed that understanding of these aspects was not yet available to children, preschoolers coped with the tasks testing these abilities more successfully than children in groups where teachers believed that these skills had already been formed. Discussion. We can assume that preschool teachers who believed that children in their groups had not yet mastered these skills were more focused on teaching children these components of emotion understanding.Введение. Представления воспитателей об особенностях эмоционального развития детей изучались в исследованиях преимущественно в связи с используемыми ими методами обучения детей, тогда как взаимосвязь с развитием понимания эмоций у дошкольников остается малоизученной. Понимание эмоций детьми включает в себя распознавание эмоций, понимание влияния внешних причин, роли желаний, убеждений, воспоминаний, моральных правил в возникновении эмоций, а также понимание того, что эмоции могут быть скрытыми и смешанными, и их можно регулировать. Цель исследования заключалась в выявлении влияния представлений педагогов о развитии у их воспитанников тех или иных аспектов понимания эмоций на уровень развития понимания эмоций у детей 5–6 лет. Методы. В исследовании приняли участие 16 старших групп детского сада, в которых были опрошены 16 основных воспитателей и продиагностированы 324 ребенка. Для выявления представлений воспитателей о понимании эмоций детьми был применен метод структурированного интервью, для оценки понимания эмоций у детей был использован «Тест на понимание эмоций». Результаты. Воспитатели были довольно точны в определении возраста, в котором дошкольники овладевают большей частью показателей понимания эмоций (кроме осознания роли убеждений, роли моральных правил в возникновении эмоций, смешанных эмоций). При этом в группах, где педагоги считали, что детям еще недоступно понимание этих аспектов, дошкольники справились с заданиями теста на данные способности успешнее, чем дети в группах, где воспитатели предполагали, что эти способности уже сформированы. Обсуждение результатов. Можно предположить, что воспитатели, по представлению которых воспитанники еще не овладели данными способностями, были больше ориентированы на обучение детей этим аспектам понимания эмоций