Pim-1 kinase enhances NFATc activity and neuroendocrine functions in PC12 cells

The activity of NFAR family transcription factors is tightly regulated in T cells via signaling pathways initiated by stimulation of the T cell receptor or its downstream effectors such as the Pim-1 serine/threonine kinase. Here, we demonstrate that NFATc-dependent transcription is inducible also in NGF-differentiated rat PC12 pheochromocytoma cells treated with phorbol esthers, calcium ionophores and/or forskolin and that the Pim-1 kinase can further potentiate the effects of these agents. PC 12 cells, share many characteristics with sympathetic neurons and can be induced to produce and release catecholamines, such as dopamine and noradrenaline, and inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 6. Interestingly, Pim-1 can synergize with forskolin-induced signaling pathways to stimulate also neuroendocrine functions of PC12 cells. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Functional state of the nigrostriatal system of Krushinsky – Molodkina rats during audiogenic seizure expression

Neurochemical mechanisms of initiation and expression of epileptic seizures are poorly explored, and there are no published data that could demonstrate the functional state of the neuromediator systems at the initial state of seizure in the animals genetically prone to seizure. In the current work, we studied the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) in the regulation of the nigrostriatal glutamate, GABA and dopamine neurons of Krushinsky – Molodkina rats at clonus-tonus and ataxia stages of audiogenic seizure. We demonstrated upregulation of ERK1/2 activity upon audio stimulation which was accompanied by increased activation of Synapsin I in the striatum and substantia nigra in comparison to intact Krushinsky – Molodkina rats. The observed exocytosis activation led to secretion of glutamate in the striatum and, as a result, to stimulation of seizures. However, at clonus-tonus stage in the striatum we revealed the changes that could participate in further inhibition of seizure activity, such as increased phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase upon increased ERK1/2 activity followed by activation of dopamine release in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra. At the same time, enhanced D2 and increased D1 dopamine receptor contents were observed. These data revealed attenuation of direct (pro-seizure) and indirect (anti-seizure) pathways of the regulation of the substantia nigra GABA neurons. We demonstrated activation of GABA in the substantia nigra pars reticulate, which probably results in the inhibition of glutamate neurons of the thalamus and could be one of the mechanisms inhibiting seizure activity during ataxia

Dynamics of Students’ Opinions in the Context of the Transition to Online Learning Based on Social Network Data

The article presents the results of the analysis of users’ sentiment in social networks, performed using big data tools. The research was aimed at developing the methodology, which enables to analyze the content of social networks, assess students’ attitude to the transition to online learning in conditions of COVID-19 pandemic, identify dynamics and main trends in student satisfaction with the quality of educational process. We explored about 2 million posts and comments posted in university social networks (more than 1000 university public pages) for the period from Sept 2020 to July 2021. Special attention was paid to the problems of communication between students and teachers, strategies to solve them, an emotional reaction. PolyAnalyst software was applied for data precleaning. It has been found that the main problem affecting the quality of education is a change in the mechanisms of interaction between students and teachers. Based on student publications in social networks, we have identified the strategies for adapting students to online learning. We came to a conclusion that teachers’ support of students is crucial in preventing and solving social and academic problems in conditions of online learning. One of the ways to improve interaction between students and teachers, raise students’ involvement is using discussion forums, chats in messengers for academic purposes, and providing teachers’ methodical support

Reduction of technogenic impact on the soil by increasing the stability of road trains movement within the field

The outcomes of assessing the possibility of reducing the technogenic impact on the soil during field operations in crop production are presented by increasing the stability of the transport movement and technological means in agricultural fields. An increase in the number of passes, a distortion of the tramline shape, an increase in slippage, wobbling and sliding of technical equipment on the field lead to a significant deterioration in the topography and structure of the soil layer, which causes soil destruction and a decrease in its productivity. Transport work performed on agricultural fields leads to a significant negative technogenic impact on the soil due to the numerous passes, large transported weight, and the application of trailers. The impact on the stability of the road trains movement is considered in the paper. Characteristics of damped oscillations are used to evaluate the efficiency of impacts on stability. The method of changing the inclination angle of the turntable kingpin of the road train trailer is chosen by the method of influencing the movement stability. It is established that changing the inclination angle of the turntable kingpin of the road train trailer allows reducing the average amplitude of oscillations of the trailer front side by 26.5-28%, increasing the period of oscillations by 33.3%, and also slightly changing the decrement of oscillations by 0.5-2.5%. Therefore, structural changes in the towing device of vehicles, by providing better directional stability, will reduce the technogenic load on the soil: decrease compaction and destruction of the soil layer. © 2023 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.This research was funded by the Indonesian Research Center of Marine and Fisheries Product Processing and Biotechnology. The authors thank Umi Anissah, Ajeng Kurniasari Putri, and Fairdiana Andayani for their assistance in sampling fresh Bombay ducks

Russia and the Arab Spring: supporting the counter-revolution

Russia’s response to the Arab Spring ranged from apprehension to deep anxiety and diverged significantly from the US and the EU responses. While initially welcoming the popular demands for political reform in North Africa, the Russian reaction rapidly became more critical as a result of Western military intervention into Libya and the threat of the spread of Islamist extremism. It was these twin fears which prompted the Russian leadership to adopt an uncompromizing stance towards Syria. While geopolitical factors certainly played a role in driving Russian strategy, domestic political factors were also more significant. As the Russian leadership felt internally threatened by the growing opposition within the country, conflict in the Middle East highlighted the perceived flaws of the imposition of Western liberal democracy and the virtues of Russia’s own model of state-managed political order. There was, as such, a significant ideational and ideological dimension to the Russian response to the Arab Spring

General issues of the exercise of jurisdiction in the process of application of law enforcement measures at sea

INTRODUCTION. Currently, states can apply a whole range of law enforcement measures at sea in order to prevent such unlawful phenomena as piracy, slave trade, drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, etc. However, the problem of the exercise of jurisdiction by states within various maritime areas is the main sticking point during the implementation of these measures. In an attempt to exercise the law enforcement function at sea, the state can't ignore the fact that its ability to create legal norms and ensure their effective implementation depends not only on its will as a sovereign, but also on the restrictions imposed by international law. Therefore, maintaining a balance between limiting the “territorialization” of maritime areas and the need to carry out a law enforcement function logically entails the need to determine the nature and content of the concept of “jurisdiction of the state” within different maritime areas, as well as to identify specific features of this legal category. The present article focuses on this and other related issues.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Historical and comparative analysis along with dogmatic research approach were used in the research process and the entire research is well grounded in focusing on the norms of international treaty law and customary law. In addition to that this research focuses on the norms of national law governing issues related to the application of law enforcement measurement at the sea. Apart from those given material and methodical inputs, the doctrinal works of the relevant jurists have been used in this research.RESEARCH RELULTS. The author comes to an alternative conclusion that territorial jurisdiction within the maritime territory is not absolute, which is due, apparently, the principle of freedom of the high seas which have a longer support by the international community. The definition of jurisdiction as extraterritorial is not self-sufficient, since in case of conflict of jurisdictions, additional legal criteria are required to resolve such a conflict. The classification of extraterritorial jurisdiction depending on the principles on which it is based also does not solve the problem, since some principles, such as protective or universal, in turn, require additional criteria in order to become a self-sufficient tool to overcome legal uncertainty. The author notes that the ability to exercise territorial jurisdiction within maritime areas, as a rule, determines the ability to exercise legislative and executive jurisdiction, which are also not absolute. The exercise of extraterritorial legislative or executive jurisdiction at sea is potentially permissible only on the basis of international law to solve a specific function, for example, law enforcement.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION. The main problem of the varieties of jurisdiction proposed by in- ternational legal science is that each of them only supplements each other, describing a possible choice, but not explaining why a particular choice should be preferred in case of conflict. It is obvious that current uncertainty has created some severe impacts upon the institution of law enforcement measures at sea as a result of the absence of standards for enforcement measures that could make a balance to the mechanism. Hence the law enforcer has to be cautious with a number of factors in deciding the implementation of law enforcement measures within the sea

Glutamatergic Fate of Neural Progenitor Cells of Rats with Inherited Audiogenic Epilepsy

Epilepsy is associated with aberrant neurogenesis in the hippocampus and may underlie the development of hereditary epilepsy. In the present study, we analyzed the differentiation fate of neural progenitor cells (NPC), which were isolated from the hippocampus of embryos of Krushinsky-Molodkina (KM) rats genetically prone to audiogenic epilepsy. NPCs from embryos of Wistar rats were used as the control. We found principal differences between Wistar and KM NPC in unstimulated controls: Wistar NPC culture contained both gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamatergic neurons; KM NPC culture was mainly represented by glutamatergic cells. The stimulation of glutamatergic differentiation of Wistar NPC resulted in a significant increase in glutamatergic cell number that was accompanied by the activation of protein kinase A. The stimulation of KM NPC led to a decrease in immature glutamatergic cell number and was associated with the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and protein kinase B/ glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (Akt/GSK3β), which indicates the activation of glutamatergic cell maturation. These results suggest genetically programmed abnormalities in KM rats that determine the glutamatergic fate of NPC and contribute to the development of audiogenic epilepsy

Translation-oriented reading of scientific-technical texts vs ordinary reading: Psychological and psycholinguistic aspects

Translation-oriented reading makes it possible to identify the differences and similarities of the professional reading and ordinary reading in psychological and psycholinguistic terms. The translator should comprehend both the meaning of the source text and its linguistic form of representation in order to produce an adequate translation. The analysis of translation-oriented reading based on the cognitive approach suggests that the translator arrives at a concept representing the content and meaning to be retrieved from the text. The obtained results may be used for the future research connected with the professional translator’s training. © 2018, Slovenska Vzdelavacia Obstaravacia. All rights reserved

Translation-oriented reading of scientific-technical texts vs ordinary reading: Psychological and psycholinguistic aspects

Translation-oriented reading makes it possible to identify the differences and similarities of the professional reading and ordinary reading in psychological and psycholinguistic terms. The translator should comprehend both the meaning of the source text and its linguistic form of representation in order to produce an adequate translation. The analysis of translation-oriented reading based on the cognitive approach suggests that the translator arrives at a concept representing the content and meaning to be retrieved from the text. The obtained results may be used for the future research connected with the professional translator’s training. © 2018, Slovenska Vzdelavacia Obstaravacia. All rights reserved