Місто як екзистенційна пастка (на матеріалі сучасної поезії)

Осмислюється специфіка екзистенційно зумовленого сприймання урбаністичного простору в творчості сучасних українських поетів. Окреслюється своєрідне осмислення символів дороги, лабіринту, човна, мосту, що є елементами просторової символіки художнього світу. Стверджується, що урбаністичний простір сприймається сучасними митцями як екзистенцій на пастка, духовно мертвий простір “недоіснування”, вихід з якого потребує духовного зусилля. Ключові слова: хронотоп, топос, екзистенційний, ліричний герой, постмодернізм, символ.Осмысливается специфика экзистенциально преопределенного восприятия урбанистического пространства в творчестве современных украинских поэтов. Анализируется своеобразное осмысление символов дороги, лабиринта, лодки, моста, который является элементами пространственной символики художественного мира. Утверждается, что урбанистическое пространство воспринимается современными художниками как экзистенциальная ловушка, духовно мертвое пространство “недосуществования”, выход из которого требует в духовном усилии. Ключевые слова: хронотоп, топос, экзистенциальный, лирический герой, постмодернизм, символ.A specific is comprehended ekzistenciаl the predefined perception of urbanism space in creation of the modern Ukrainian poets. The original comprehension of symbols of road, labyrinth, boat, bridge which is the elements of spatial symbolism of the artistic world is outlined. It becomes firmly established that urbanism space is perceived modern artists as ekzistencial on trap, spiritually dead ground, an exit from which needs spiritual effort. Keywords: khronotop, topos, ekzistencial, lyric hero, postmodernizm, symbol

Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I alter Hippocampal Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Young and Old Rats

Cataloged from PDF version of article.In rats, as in humans, normal aging is characterized by a decline in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory, as well as in glutamatergic function. Both growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels have been reported to decrease with age, and treatment with either GH or IGF-I can ameliorate age-related cognitive decline. Interestingly, acute GH and IGF-I treatments enhance glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the rat hippocampus of juvenile animals. However, whether this enhancement also occurs in old rats, when cognitive impairment is ameliorated by GH and IGF-I (des-IGF-I), remains to be determined. To address this issue, we used an in vitro CA1 hippocampal slice preparation and extracellular recording techniques to study the effects of acute application of GH and IGF-I on compound field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs), as well as AMPA- and NMDA-dependent fEPSPs, in young adult (10 months) and old (28 months) rats. The results indicated that both GH and IGF-I increased compound-, AMPA-and NMDA-dependent fEPSPs to a similar extent in slices from both age groups and that this augmentation was likely mediated via a postsynaptic mechanism. Initial characterization of the signaling cascades underlying these effects revealed that the GH-induced enhancement was not mediated by the JAK2 signaling element in either young adult or old rats but that the IGF-Iinduced enhancement involved a PI3K-mediated mechanism in old, but not young adults. The present findings are consistent with a role for a GH-or IGF-I-induced enhancement of glutamatergic transmission in mitigating age-related cognitive impairment in old rats. © 2012 American Aging Association

Growth hormone modulates hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in old rats

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Alterations in the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptor (AMPA-R) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) have been documented in aged animals and may contribute to changes in hippocampal-dependent memory. Growth hormone (GH) regulates AMPA-R and NMDA-R-dependent excitatory transmission and decreases with age. Chronic GH treatment mitigates age-related cognitive decline. An in vitro CA1 hippocampal slice preparation was used to compare hippocampal excitatory transmission and plasticity in old animals treated for 6–8 months with either saline or GH. Our findings indicate that GH treatment restores NMDA-Rdependent basal synaptic transmission in old rats to young adult levels and enhances both AMPA-R-dependent basal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation. These alterations in synaptic function occurred in the absence of changes in presynaptic function, as measured by paired-pulse ratios, the total protein levels of AMPA-R and NMDA-R subunits or in plasma or hippocampal levels of insulin-like growth factor-I. These data suggest a direct role for GH in altering age-related changes in excitatory transmission and provide a possible cellular mechanism through which GH changes the course of cognitive decline. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Imaging Radiation-Induced Normal Tissue Injury

Technological developments in radiation therapy and other cancer therapies have led to a progressive increase in five-year survival rates over the last few decades. Although acute effects have been largely minimized by both technical advances and medical interventions, late effects remain a concern. Indeed, the need to identify those individuals who will develop radiation-induced late effects, and to develop interventions to prevent or ameliorate these late effects is a critical area of radiobiology research. In the last two decades, preclinical studies have clearly established that late radiation injury can be prevented/ameliorated by pharmacological therapies aimed at modulating the cascade of events leading to the clinical expression of radiation-induced late effects. These insights have been accompanied by significant technological advances in imaging that are moving radiation oncology and normal tissue radiobiology from disciplines driven by anatomy and macrostructure to ones in which important quantitative functional, microstructural, and metabolic data can be noninvasively and serially determined. In the current article, we review use of positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR spectroscopy to generate pathophysiological and functional data in the central nervous system, lung, and heart that offer the promise of, (1) identifying individuals who are at risk of developing radiation-induced late effects, and (2) monitoring the efficacy of interventions to prevent/ameliorate them