Addressing the Overrepresentation of the Maori in New Zealand\u27s Criminal Justice System at the Sentencing Stage: How Australia Can Provide a Model for Change

New Zealand’s 2002 Sentencing Act provides several ways a sentencing court may take an offender’s cultural or ethnic background into account. Given the disproportionate rate of recidivism among New Zealand’s indigenous Maori offenders and international and domestic concerns regarding this problem, the Act’s provisions offer one method for addressing and mitigating this issue. However, these sentencing provisions remain largely unknown or underused. This comment argues that in order to tackle these concerns, left unaddressed by the current Sentencing Act, New Zealand should restructure its sentencing provisions to follow the legislative model that is developing in Australian states, particularly the model in Victoria, which has specifically created indigenous sentencing courts as a separate division of their local court system. In fact, New Zealand should go one step further than the current Australian legislation establishing an independent indigenous court system by requiring judges (or magistrates) to allow Maori offenders to be sentenced in an indigenous sentencing court whenever they so request. New Zealand would benefit from adoption of a specific legislative framework implementing aspects of the indigenous sentencing courts found in Australia. In doing so, New Zealand would address criticism surrounding treatment of Maori offenders within New Zealand’s criminal justice system and the underuse of the current sentencing provisions that allow judges to consider an offender’s cultural background

Promotion of Polish cinema abroad as an element of nation branding : case study of "Cold War" (2018) by Pawel Pawlikowski

The subject of this article is nation branding in the culture market, namely the role cinematography plays in creating a nation brand. Sustainability and sustainable development in the film industry is conditioned by variety in cultural promotion channels. The aim of the authors is to prove that appropriately organised cinematography promotion abroad can positively influence the image of a given country. The first section deals with the relationship between media and sustainable development, as well as with theoretical definitions of branding and the nation brand. Subsequently, cinematography in the context of branding is discussed. The core of this work is a case study of film promotion abroad from the institutional perspective of the Polish Film Institute. The promotional strategy for "Cold War" (2018) directed by Paweł Pawlikowski has been analysed, as this motion picture is considered one of the biggest successes of post-1989 Polish cinematography. Factors positively influencing its popularity were analysed alongside their influence on the general perception of Polish cinema abroad. Based on the results of empirical studies, the authors present their discussion of the functional state and the role of Polish cinematography on the global circuit, as well as attempt to verify its importance in relation to sustainability

Repeated administration of imipramine modifies GABAergic transmission in rat frontal cortex

Alterations in the functions of brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory system and a distortion in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission have been hypothesized to be possible causes of mood disorders. Experimental evidence points to modifications of GABAergic transmission as a result of prolonged treatment with antidepressant drugs, however, the influence of the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine on inhibitory synaptic transmission in the rat cerebral cortex has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in the present study the effects of single and repeated administration of imipramine were evaluated ex vivo in slices of the rat frontal cortex using electrophysiological approach. In slices prepared 2 days after the last drug administration from animals receiving imipramine for 14 days (dose 10 mg/kg p.o., twice daily) the mean frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) recorded from layer II/III pyramidal neurons was decreased, while the mean amplitude of sIPSCs was increased. These effects were absent in slices obtained from rats which received imipramine once. Application of N,N′-dibenzhydrylethane-1,2-diamine dihydrochloride (AMN 082), a selective mGluR7 allosteric agonist, to the slice incubation medium resulted in a decrease in the mean frequency of sIPSCs in preparations obtained from repeated imipramine-treated animals, in contrast to slices originating from control rats where no AMN 082-induced effects were observed. Repeated imipramine treatment reduced protein density levels of the three tested GABA(A) receptor subunits: α(1), β(2) and γ(2). These data indicate that repeated treatment of normal rats with imipramine results in a modification of the release mechanism of GABA from presynaptic terminals and its modulation by mGluR7 receptors as well as in an alteration in GABA(A) receptor subunit protein levels in the rat cerebral cortex

Elektrofizjologiczne badania neuronalnych mechanizmów plastyczności kory baryłkowej myszy wywołanych uczeniem się

Awersyjne warunkowanie klasyczne, polegające na skojarzeniu stymulacji dotykowej jednego z rzędów wibrys, jako bodźca warunkowego (CS), z szokiem elektrycznym w ogon, jako bodźcem bezwarunkowym (UCS), wywołuje powiększenie rozmiarów funkcjonalnych reprezentacji stym ulowanych wibrys w korze somatosensorycznej myszy, co wykazano przy zastosowaniu pomiarów aktywności metabolicznej tkanki nerwowej [13]. Efekt ten ma charakter uczenia asocjacyjnego. Dane literaturowe wskazują, źe po zakończeniu treningu, w obszarach stanowiących reprezentacje stymulowanych wibrys dochodzi do wzrostu poziomu markerów GABAergicznego przekaźnictwa synaptycznego. Jak dotąd, brak jednak danych na temat modyfikacji funkcji neuronów korowych i ich połączeń, które mogą być efektem zmian plastycznych. Celem wykonanych badań było określenie, które elementy sieci neuronalnej kory somatosensorycznej ulegają modyfikacjom w efekcie awersyjnego warunkowania klasycznego. Badania prowadzone były metodami rejestracji elektrofizjologicznej ex vivo z pojedynczych neuronów whole-cell patch-clamp w skrawkach kory somatosensorycznej myszy, poddanych wcześniej warunkowaniu awersyjnemu. W pierwszym etapie badań przeprowadzono charakterystykę elektrofizjologiczną glutaminianergicznych neuronów pobudzających i GABAergicznych neuronów hamujących. Następnie rejestrowano postsynaptyczne prądy hamujące i pobudzające, powstające spontanicznie. Uzyskane wyniki wykazały, że warunkowanie awersyjne nie spowodowało zmian podstawowych parametrów elektrofizjologicznych komórek GABAergicznych i glutaminianergicznych. w skrawkach kory pochodzących z mózgów zwierząt poddanych uprzednio procedurze warunkowania klasycznego. Wykazano, że warunkowanie klasyczne nasiliło częstotliwość spontanicznych postsynaptycznych prądów hamujących (sIPSC) rejestrowanych w komórkach glutaminianergicznych w skrawkach kory pochodzących z mózgów zwierząt poddanych procedurze warunkowania klasycznego. W przeciwieństwie do tego, nie stwierdzono istotnych zmian w częstotliwości spontanicznych postsynaptycznych prądów pobudzających (sEPSC) rejestrowanych w komórkach GABA i glutaminianergicznych. Wyniki te potwierdzają hipotezę o nasileniu przekaźnictwa synaptycznego w połączeniach pomiędzy interneuronami GABAergicznymi a neuronami pobudzającymi, powstającym w efekcie treningu. Zaobserwowane nasilenie przekaźnictwa GABAergicznego stanowi, prawdopodobnie, wyraz adaptacyjnej modyfikacji sieci neuronalnej połączeń pomiędzy neuronami baryłki, której sens polega na zapewnieniu niezbędnej równowagi pomiędzy przekaźnictwem pobudzającym a hamującym w zmienionych warunkach, związanych z awersyjnym warunkowaniem klasycznym. Mechanizm zaobserwowanych zmian nie jest znany i wymaga dalszych badań.Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Short-term repeated corticosterone administration enhances glutamatergic but not GABAergic transmission in the rat motor cortex

It has been demonstrated that stress impairs performance of skilled reaching and walking tasks in rats due to the action of glucocorticoids involved in the stress response. Skilled reaching and walking are controlled by the primary motor cortex (M1); however, it is not known whether stress-related impairments in skilled motor tasks are related to functional and/or structural alterations within the M1. We studied the effects of single and repeated injections of corticosterone (twice daily for 7 days) on spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and sIPSCs) recorded from layer II/III pyramidal neurons in ex vivo slices of the M1, prepared 2 days after the last administration of the hormone. We also measured the density of dendritic spines on pyramidal cells and the protein levels of selected subunits of AMPA, NMDA, and GABAA receptors after repeated corticosterone administration. Repeatedly administered corticosterone induced an increase in the frequency but not in the amplitude of sEPSCs, while a single administration had no effect on the recorded excitatory currents. The frequency and amplitude of sIPSCs as well as the excitability of pyramidal cells were changed neither after single nor after repeated corticosterone administration. Treatment with corticosterone for 7 days did not modify the density of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons. Corticosterone influenced neither the protein levels of GluA1, GluA2, GluN1, GluN2A, and GluN2B subunits of glutamate receptors nor those of α1, β2, and γ2 subunits of the GABAA receptor. The increase in sEPSCs frequency induced by repeated corticosterone administration faded out within 7 days. These data indicate that prolonged administration of exogenous corticosterone selectively and reversibly enhances glutamatergic, but not GABAergic transmission in the rat motor cortex. Our results suggest that corticosterone treatment results in an enhancement of spontaneous glutamate release from presynaptic terminals in the M1 and thereby uncovers a potential mechanism underlying stress-induced motor functions impairmen

St. Ann's Unity House; Architecture as a Means of Supporting Family Structure

This thesis is a transitional housing program for young mothers or expectant mothers who are ready to take the next step in their independence. This facility is an extension of an existing Catholic charity called St. Ann’s Center for Children Youth and Families. Women who find themselves in threatening situations with their child can stay at St. Ann’s while they gain their strength. This thesis acts as a stepping stone between St. Ann’s structured and protective environment to complete self-sufficiency. The main focus for this thesis is providing a safe environment that fosters growth, health, independence and a supportive community for these women and their children

5-HT_{7} receptor modulates GABAergic transmission in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus and controls cortical release of serotonin

The 5-HT7 receptor is one of the several serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes that are expressed in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Some earlier findings suggested that 5-HT7 receptors in the DRN were localized on GABAergic interneurons modulating the activity of 5-HT projection neurons. The aim of the present study was to find out how the 5-HT7 receptor modulates the GABAergic synaptic input to putative 5-HT DRN neurons, and whether blockade of the 5-HT7 receptor would affect the release of 5-HT in the target structure. Male Wistar rats with microdialysis probes implanted in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) received injections of the 5-HT7 receptor antagonist (2R)-1-[(3-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonyl]-2-[2-(4-methyl-1-piperidinyl)ethyl]pyrrolidine hydrochloride (SB 269970), which induced an increase in the levels of 5-HT and its metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the PFC. In another set of experiments whole-cell recordings from presumed projection neurons were carried out using DRN slices. SB 269970 application resulted in depolarization and in an increase in the firing frequency of the cells. In order to activate 5-HT7 receptors, 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) was applied in the presence of N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinylcyclohexanecarboxamide (WAY100635). Hyperpolarization of cells and a decrease in the firing frequency were observed after activation of the 5-HT7 receptor. Blockade of 5-HT7 receptors caused a decrease in the mean frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs), while its activation induced an increase. The mechanism of these effects appears to involve tonically-active 5-HT7 receptors modulating firing and/or GABA release from inhibitory interneurons which regulate the activity of DRN serotonergic projection neurons