Reporting on Donald Trump in Croatian Television News before and after the American Presidential Election

Osnovna svrha ovog rada bila je pokazati kako je u hrvatskim televizijskim vijestima izvještavano o američkim izborima te Donaldu Trumpu. Analizirane su središnje informativne emisije, odnosno Dnevnici, triju televizija: HRT-a, Nove Tv te N1 televizije. U istraživanju su se koristili periodi uoči izbora te nakon inauguacije predsjednika Trumpa. Time se htjelo dobiti na vremenskom razmaku, koji je pokazao s kojih aspekata je izvještavano o Trumpu kad je bio u političkoj utrci te nakon izborne pobjede. Dio rada je posvećen i pojavi lažnih vijesti koje su se dolaskom Trumpa na medijsku pozornicu svijeta ponovno aktualizirale. Iako je tema lažnih vijesti vrlo zanimljiva, kao i njezino ponovno prizivanje od strane Donalda Trumpa, u hrvatskim se televizijskim vijestima malo govorilo o tome. Reporteri su s terena donosili atmosferu uoči izbora, no ne i konkretna programska načela predsjedničkih kandidata. O Trumpu se uoči izbori govorilo kao o čovjeku bez političkog zaleđa koji nema šanse pobijediti Hillary Clinton. Naposljetku je Trump porazio demokratsku kandidatkinju i šokirao cijeli svijet. Nakon pobjede osjetilo se kako su mediji ipak popustili u kritiziranju Trumpa, sve do inauguracije i prvih predsjednikovih poteza kada je opet počeo Trumpov rat s medijima. Ono što je važno naglasiti da je ovaj rad dobra podloga za daljnja istraživanja hrvatskog medijskog prostora, bilo tiskanih medija, bilo elektroničkih. Donald Trump je osoba koja će imati svoj utjecaj još mnogo godina, a obzirom da je već najavio kako će se kandidirati za novi mandat predsjednika SAD-a, zasigurno će u međuvremenu dati dovoljno materijala za neke nove analize.The main purpose of this study was to show how the Croatian TV news reported about US elections and Donald Trump. The central information shows of three television stations: HRT, Nova Tv and N1 television were analysed. The study used the periods ahead of the election and after the inauguration of President Trump. Intencion was to be gained in time, which showed from which aspect was reported about the Trump when he was in the political race and after the election victory. Part of the work is devoted to the introduction of fake news that has been re-actualized by the arrival of Trump on the world media stage. Though the topic of fake news is very interesting, as well as it recall by Donald Trump, reporters talked little about it in Croatian TV News. The reporters from the field brought the atmosphere ahead of the election, but not the specific program principles of the presidential candidates. Trump was presented as a man without a political hesitation and no chance of winning Hillary Clinton. Later Trump defeated the Democratic candidate and shocked the whole world. After the victory, the media felt that they were reluctant to criticize Trump until the inauguration and the first president's moves when Trump's war began again with the media. What is important to emphasize is that this work is a good basis for further research into Croatian media space, whether printed media, or electronic. Donald Trump is a person who will have his influence for many years, and since he has already announced that he will run for the new US president's mandate, he will surely provide enough material for some new analysis in the meantime

CK2 phosphorylation of the PRH/Hex homeodomain functions as a reversible switch for DNA binding

The proline-rich homeodomain protein (PRH/Hex) regulates transcription by binding to specific DNA sequences and regulates mRNA transport by binding to translation initiation factor eIF4E. Protein kinase CK2 plays multiple roles in the regulation of gene expression and cell proliferation. Here, we show that PRH interacts with the β subunit of CK2 in vitro and in cells and that CK2 phosphorylates PRH. Phosphorylation of PRH by CK2 inhibits the DNA binding activity of this protein and dephosphorylation restores DNA binding indicating that this modification acts as a reversible switch. We show that phosphorylation of the homeodomain is sufficient to block DNA binding and we identify two amino acids within this the domain that are phosphorylated by CK2: S163 and S177. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrates that mutation of either of these residues to glutamic acid partially mimics phosphorylation but is insufficient to completely block DNA binding whereas an S163E/S177E double mutation severely inhibits DNA binding. Significantly, the S163E and S177E mutations and the S163E/S177E double mutation all inhibit the ability of PRH to regulate transcription in cells. Since these amino acids are conserved between many homeodomain proteins, our results suggest that CK2 may regulate the activity of several homeodomain proteins in this manner

Effects of the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid on Notch signalling in human neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma (NB), a sympathetically derived childhood tumour, shows characteristics of neuronal precursor cells, suggesting a halted differentiation process. We have previously shown that the Notch signalling cascade, a key player during normal neurogenesis, also might be involved in NB differentiation. Valproic acid (VPA), a well-tolerated antiepileptic drug, has been shown to induce differentiation and cell death of NB cells, possibly associated with its recently described HDAC inhibiting activity. Stimulation of NB cells with VPA led to increased cell death and phenotypic changes associated with differentiation, that is, neurite extension and upregulation of neuronal markers. VPA treatment also led to an activated Notch signalling cascade as shown by increased levels of intracellular Notch-1 and Hes-1, mimicking the initial phase of induced differentiation. These results reinforce that VPA potentially could be used in differentiation therapy of NB and that the effects in part could be a consequence of interference with the Notch signalling cascade

AES/GRG5: More Than Just a Dominant-Negative TLE/GRG Family Member

The human Transducin-like Enhancer of Split (TLE) and mouse homologue, Groucho gene-related protein (GRG), represent a family of conserved non-DNA binding transcriptional modulatory proteins divided into two subgroups based upon size. The long TLE/GRGs consist of four pentadomain proteins that are dedicated co-repressors for multiple transcription factors (TF). The second TLE/GRG subgroup is composed of the Amino-terminal Enhancer of Split (AES) in humans and its mouse homolog GRG5 (AES/GRG5). In contrast to the dedicated co-repressor function of long TLE/GRGs, AES/GRG5 can both positively or negatively modulate various TF as well as non-TF proteins in a long TLE/GRG-dependent or -independent manner. Therefore, AES/GRG5 is a functionally dynamic protein that is not exclusively defined by its role as a long TLE/GRG antagonist. AES/GRG5 may function in various developmental and pathological processes but the functional characteristics of endogenous AES/GRG5 in a physiologically relevant context remains to be determined. Developmental Dynamics 239:2795–2805, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc

The Germ Cell Nuclear Proteins hnRNP G-T and RBMY Activate a Testis-Specific Exon

The human testis has almost as high a frequency of alternative splicing events as brain. While not as extensively studied as brain, a few candidate testis-specific splicing regulator proteins have been identified, including the nuclear RNA binding proteins RBMY and hnRNP G-T, which are germ cell-specific versions of the somatically expressed hnRNP G protein and are highly conserved in mammals. The splicing activator protein Tra2β is also highly expressed in the testis and physically interacts with these hnRNP G family proteins. In this study, we identified a novel testis-specific cassette exon TLE4-T within intron 6 of the human transducing-like enhancer of split 4 (TLE4) gene which makes a more transcriptionally repressive TLE4 protein isoform. TLE4-T splicing is normally repressed in somatic cells because of a weak 5′ splice site and surrounding splicing-repressive intronic regions. TLE4-T RNA pulls down Tra2β and hnRNP G proteins which activate its inclusion. The germ cell-specific RBMY and hnRNP G-T proteins were more efficient in stimulating TLE4-T incorporation than somatically expressed hnRNP G protein. Tra2b bound moderately to TLE4-T RNA, but more strongly to upstream sites to potently activate an alternative 3′ splice site normally weakly selected in the testis. Co-expression of Tra2β with either hnRNP G-T or RBMY re-established the normal testis physiological splicing pattern of this exon. Although they can directly bind pre-mRNA sequences around the TLE4-T exon, RBMY and hnRNP G-T function as efficient germ cell-specific splicing co-activators of TLE4-T. Our study indicates a delicate balance between the activity of positive and negative splicing regulators combinatorially controls physiological splicing inclusion of exon TLE4-T and leads to modulation of signalling pathways in the testis. In addition, we identified a high-affinity binding site for hnRNP G-T protein, showing it is also a sequence-specific RNA binding protein

The Stress Response Factors Yap6, Cin5, Phd1, and Skn7 Direct Targeting of the Conserved Co-Repressor Tup1-Ssn6 in S. cerevisiae

Maintaining the proper expression of the transcriptome during development or in response to a changing environment requires a delicate balance between transcriptional regulators with activating and repressing functions. The budding yeast transcriptional co-repressor Tup1-Ssn6 is a model for studying similar repressor complexes in multicellular eukaryotes. Tup1-Ssn6 does not bind DNA directly, but is directed to individual promoters by one or more DNA-binding proteins, referred to as Tup1 recruiters. This functional architecture allows the Tup1-Ssn6 to modulate the expression of genes required for the response to a variety of cellular stresses. To understand the targeting or the Tup1-Ssn6 complex, we determined the genomic distribution of Tup1 and Ssn6 by ChIP-chip. We found that most loci bound by Tup1-Ssn6 could not be explained by co-occupancy with a known recruiting cofactor and that deletion of individual known Tup1 recruiters did not significantly alter the Tup1 binding profile. These observations suggest that new Tup1 recruiting proteins remain to be discovered and that Tup1 recruitment typically depends on multiple recruiting cofactors. To identify new recruiting proteins, we computationally screened for factors with binding patterns similar to the observed Tup1-Ssn6 genomic distribution. Four top candidates, Cin5, Skn7, Phd1, and Yap6, all known to be associated with stress response gene regulation, were experimentally confirmed to physically interact with Tup1 and/or Ssn6. Incorporating these new recruitment cofactors with previously characterized cofactors now explains the majority of Tup1 targeting across the genome, and expands our understanding of the mechanism by which Tup1-Ssn6 is directed to its targets

The General Transcriptional Repressor Tup1 Is Required for Dimorphism and Virulence in a Fungal Plant Pathogen

A critical step in the life cycle of many fungal pathogens is the transition between yeast-like growth and the formation of filamentous structures, a process known as dimorphism. This morphological shift, typically triggered by multiple environmental signals, is tightly controlled by complex genetic pathways to ensure successful pathogenic development. In animal pathogenic fungi, one of the best known regulators of dimorphism is the general transcriptional repressor, Tup1. However, the role of Tup1 in fungal dimorphism is completely unknown in plant pathogens. Here we show that Tup1 plays a key role in orchestrating the yeast to hypha transition in the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis. Deletion of the tup1 gene causes a drastic reduction in the mating and filamentation capacity of the fungus, in turn leading to a reduced virulence phenotype. In U. maydis, these processes are controlled by the a and b mating-type loci, whose expression depends on the Prf1 transcription factor. Interestingly, Δtup1 strains show a critical reduction in the expression of prf1 and that of Prf1 target genes at both loci. Moreover, we observed that Tup1 appears to regulate Prf1 activity by controlling the expression of the prf1 transcriptional activators, rop1 and hap2. Additionally, we describe a putative novel prf1 repressor, named Pac2, which seems to be an important target of Tup1 in the control of dimorphism and virulence. Furthermore, we show that Tup1 is required for full pathogenic development since tup1 deletion mutants are unable to complete the sexual cycle. Our findings establish Tup1 as a key factor coordinating dimorphism in the phytopathogen U. maydis and support a conserved role for Tup1 in the control of hypha-specific genes among animal and plant fungal pathogens

The analysis of digital skills in EU

Ovaj rad bavi se analizom digitalnih vještina u Europskoj uniji. Razvojem tehnologije digitalne vještine postale su nužan preduvjet za uspješno i efikasno obavljanje radnih zadataka ili obrazovanje. U radu su opisani oblici digitalnih vještina i primjeri korištenja kao i koncept digitalne pismenosti i povezani koncepti. Korištenjem dostupnih podataka izrađena je klaster analiza digitalnih vještina i napravljena usporedba položaja Hrvatske u odnosu na druge zemlje Europske unije. Osim korištene klaster analize, u radu su opisane i druge metode koje se mogu koristiti za otkrivanje znanja iz baza podataka. Također, navode se i neki od primjera korištenja metoda otkrivanja znanja u bazama podataka

Load water system of reservoir HPP north with pesticides in 2012.

Početkom 21. stoljeća razvija se svijest o važnosti očuvanja okoliša, pa tako i uporabi pesticida. Pesticidi su se intenzivno primjenjivali kao insekticidi i fungicidi u poljoprivredi, za zaštitu drvene građe, te u javnom zdravstvu za suzbijanje prenositelja malarije i tifusa. Stoga se tragovi ovih spojeva redovito detektiraju u različitim dijelovima okoliša ne samo kao posljedica lokalnih izvora onečišćenja već i kao rezultat globalnog onečišćenja okoliša. Pesticidi su svuda oko nas – u zraku, zemlji, vodi. Zbog prekomjerne primjene pesticidi dospijevaju u žive organizme. Tako ulaze i u pojedine članove hranidbenih lanaca i dugo se zadržavaju zbog svoje postojanosti i spore razgradnje. Zbog toga su završni članovi lanaca, pa i čovjek, vrlo ugroženi. Urbanizacija, intenzivna poljoprivreda, opterećenje podzemnih voda onečišćivačima, zagađenje otpadnih voda iz industrije i domaćinstava, divljih i nesaniranih odlagališta, činitelji su ugroženosti pitke vode. Predmet ovog rada su ispitivanja površinske vode rijeke Drave u sastavu podzemnih voda proizvodnog područja hidroelektrane Sjever. Istraživanje je provedeno u 2012. godini kroz četiri uzorkovanja, a ispitani su fizikalno – kemijski pokazatelji kakvoće voda, točnije pesticidi. Proizvodno područje Sjever nalazi se na rijeci Dravi koja obuhvaća tri hidroelektrane: HE Čakovec, HE Dubrava i HE Varaždin. Hidroelektrane se protežu kroz Međimursku i Varaždinsku županiju. Donošenjem Direktive 91/414/EEZ kojom se regulira stavljanje u promet sredstava za zaštitu bilja započelo se s detaljnom procjenom aktivnih tvari i regulacijom stavljanja sredstava u promet na području Europske unije