Expression of rice OsMyb4 transcription factor improves tolerance to copper or zinc in canola plants.

The effects of copper and zinc salts on transgenic canola plants expressing rice transcription factor (TF) OsMYB4 were investigated. Transgenic plants (TPs), which showed a high OsMyb4 expression in response to either Cu or to Zn excess, were used for the current study. In leaves of TPs, the content of Cu was equal and the content of Zn was significantly higher than in non-transformed plants (NTPs). The TPs grown on an extremely high concentration of heavy metals (HMs; 150 mu De CuSO4 or 5 000 mu De ZnSO4) were able to survive for more than 15 d, while NTPs died after 7 - 9 d of incubation. This indicates that expression of OsMyb4 in canola plants improved their HM tolerance. The TPs tolerance to HMs was confirmed by a higher shoot biomass than that in NTPs. Excess of HMs caused oxidative stress (indicated by increase in malondialdehyde content) especially in leaves of NTPs. This data suggests a protective role of the OsMyb4 TF in oxidative stress. The HMs caused a lower decrease in activities of superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase in TPs than in NTPs. Higher tolerance of TPs to HMs was also suggested by a considerable increase in the content of low-molecular phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and anthocyanins, as well as proline (a potential antioxidant and chaperone). These data suggest that OsMYB4 may play a role as a positive regulator of phenylpropanoid pathway and proline synthesis. The created canola OsMyb4 TPs may be useful for future applications in phytoremediation of HM-polluted soils

О требованиях к специалистам по метрологии в наноиндустрии в проекте профессионального стандарта «Специалист по метрологии в наноиндустрии»

Development of the nano industry and emergence of new product types manufactured with the use of nanotechnologies raises an issue of accurate measurement of unique nano material parameters. One of the main conditions for metrological assurance of innovative nano productsis existence of a professional labour market providing specialists with knowledge and skills pertaining to nano material studies, production technology, control of nano materials and nano objects in the technological process and products, as well as pertaining to the formation of normative and methodological documents regulating the frame work of metrological assurance at the enterprise. The present paperis devotedto the description of main provisions outlined in the draft professional standard "A metrology specialist in the nano industry"Развитие наноиндустрии и появление новых видов продукции, произведенной с применением нанотехно-логий, ставит вопрос о точном измерении параметров уникальных образцов наноматериалов. Одним из основных условий метрологического обеспечения инновационной продукции наноиндустрии является наличие рынка труда квалифицированных специалистов, обладающих знаниями, навыками и умениями в области исследования наноматериалов, технологии ее производства, контроля наноматериалов и нанообъектов в технологическом процессе и в продукции, а также в области формирования нормативных и методических документов, регламентирующих основы метрологического обеспечения на предприятии. Настоящая статья посвящена описанию основных положений, изложенных в проекте профессионального стандарта «Специалист по метрологии в наноиндустрии»

Developing the Creative Potential of Future Engineers: Possibilities of Modern Education

В статье дан анализ современных представлений о развитии креативного потенциала человека. Авторы придерживаются позиции о необходимости преодоления узко технологического подхода, как в понимании креативности, так и в образовательном процессе, ориентированном на развитие креативного потенциала студентов, что становится возможным в рамках социокультурной модели креативности. Представлена структура социокультурной модели развития креативности в образовании. Опираясь на собственные исследования, а также на отечественный и зарубежный опыт, авторы делают вывод, что только в совместной креативной деятельности, завершающейся созданием креативного продукта, имеющего социальную значимость, возможно не абстрактно - академическое освоение форм креативной деятельности, но ее личностное присвоение. Особенно это значимо для будущих инженеров. В образовании для этого открываются новые возможности как в связи с вовлечением студентов в процесс развития креативных индустрий, так и с развитием конвергентной образовательной среды.The article analyzes modern ideas about the development of a person's creative potential. The authors adhere to the position on the need to overcome the narrowly technological approach, both in understanding creativity and in the educational process focused on the development of the creative potential of students, which becomes possible within the framework of the socio-cultural model of creativity. The structure of the socio-cultural model for the development of creativity in education is presented. Based on their own research, as well as on domestic and foreign experience, the authors conclude that only in joint creative activity, culminating in the creation of a creative product that has social significance, it is possible not abstractly - academic development of forms of creative activity, but its personal appropriation. This is especially important for future engineers. In education, new opportunities for this are opening up both in connection with the involvement of students in the development of creative industries, and with the development of a convergent educational environment

Thyroid cancer risk in Belarus among children and adolescents exposed to radioiodine after the Chornobyl accident

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed an increased risk of thyroid cancer among children and adolescents exposed to radioactive iodines released after the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) accident, but the effects of screening, iodine deficiency, age at exposure and other factors on the dose-response are poorly understood. METHODS: We screened 11 970 individuals in Belarus aged 18 years or younger at the time of the accident who had estimated (131)I thyroid doses based on individual thyroid activity measurements and dosimetric data from questionnaires. The excess odds ratio per gray (EOR/Gy) was modelled using linear and linear-exponential functions. RESULTS: For thyroid doses \u3c5 \u3eGy, the dose-response was linear (n=85; EOR/Gy=2.15, 95% confidence interval: 0.81-5.47), but at higher doses the excess risk fell. The EOR/Gy was significantly increased among those with prior or screening-detected diffuse goiter, and larger for men than women, and for persons exposed before age 5 than those exposed between 5 and 18 years, although not statistically significant. A somewhat higher EOR/Gy was estimated for validated pre-screening cases. CONCLUSION: 10-15 years after the Chornobyl accident, thyroid cancer risk was significantly increased among individuals exposed to fallout as children or adolescents, but the risk appeared to be lower than in other Chornobyl studies and studies of childhood external irradiation

ВАРИАНТЫ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ПЕРЕПРОФИЛИРОВАНИЯ ЛЕКАРСТВЕННЫХ ПРЕПАРАТОВ ДЛЯ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ В ТЕРАПИИ ОНКОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ

Recently many new approaches for repurposing or repositioning of the clinically used drugs have been developed. Drug repurposing  allows not only to use known schemes for the synthesis of  biologically active compounds, but also to avoid multiple studies that  are necessary for drug approval process – analysis of  pharmacokinetics, carcinogenicity, acute and chronic toxicity,  including cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, allergenicity etc. It makes  possible to reduce the number of experimental studies as well as  costs of investigations. In cancer research drug repurposing includes screening for medicines used nowadays for the treatment of patients with non-cancer diseases which possess anticancer activity or able to enhance the effects of the standard anticancer chemotherapy, and  search for new applications of known anticancer drugs for the  treatment of different cancer types. Scientific rationale for the search of the compounds with potential anticancer properties among drugs  with different applications is based on the multiple cross-talks of  signaling pathways, which can inhibit cell proliferation. Modern  advances in genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, development  of permanently improving databases of drug molecular effects and  high throughput analytical systems allow researchers to analyze  simultaneously a large bulk of existing drugs and specific molecular targets. This review describes the main approaches and  resources currently used for the drug repurposing, as well as a  number of examples.В настоящее время появились новые программы по перепрофилированию или перепозиционированию лекарственных средств, используемых в медицинской практике.  Перепрофилирование препаратов позволяет не только использовать отработанные схемы  синтеза биологически активных соединений, но и избежать проведения исследований,  необходимых для внедрения новых лекарственных препаратов в медицинскую практику, по  фармакокинетике, канцерогенности, острой и хронической токсичности, в том числе  кардиотоксичности, нефротоксичности, аллергенности и т.д. Это создает возможность сократить объем необходимых исследований и снизить затраты на них. В онкологии  программы перепрофилирования лекарственных средств включают как поиск препаратов,  обладающих противоопухолевой активностью или потенцирующих действие  противоопухолевых препаратов, среди известных и широко применяемых лекарственных  средств, используемых для лечения неонкологических заболеваний, так и анализ  возможности использования уже известных противоопухолевых препаратов для лечения  каких-либо новых нозологических форм заболевания. Основанием для поиска  противоопухолевых свойств среди препаратов иного назначения является тот факт, что  сигнальные пути в клетке характеризуются большим количеством перекрестных  взаимодействий и некоторые из них могут ингибировать пролиферацию опухолевых клеток.  Современные достижения геномики, протеомики, биоинформатики, появление объемных баз данных по молекулярным эффектам лекарственных препаратов, мощных аналитических систем и их постоянное совершенствование уже позволяет исследователям  одновременно проанализировать большое количество существующих препаратов в  применении к конкретной молекулярной мишени. В обзоре рассмотрены основные подходы  и ресурсы, использующиеся в настоящее время для перепрофилирования лекарственных  препаратов, а также приведен ряд примеров

ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations

Sports nutrition is a constantly evolving field with hundreds of research papers published annually. For this reason, keeping up to date with the literature is often difficult. This paper is a five year update of the sports nutrition review article published as the lead paper to launch the JISSN in 2004 and presents a well-referenced overview of the current state of the science related to how to optimize training and athletic performance through nutrition. More specifically, this paper provides an overview of: 1.) The definitional category of ergogenic aids and dietary supplements; 2.) How dietary supplements are legally regulated; 3.) How to evaluate the scientific merit of nutritional supplements; 4.) General nutritional strategies to optimize performance and enhance recovery; and, 5.) An overview of our current understanding of the ergogenic value of nutrition and dietary supplementation in regards to weight gain, weight loss, and performance enhancement. Our hope is that ISSN members and individuals interested in sports nutrition find this review useful in their daily practice and consultation with their clients

On requirements for the metrology specialists in the nano industry in the draft professional standard "a metrology specialistin the nano industry"

Development of the nano industry and emergence of new product types manufactured with the use of nanotechnologies raises an issue of accurate measurement of unique nano material parameters. One of the main conditions for metrological assurance of innovative nano productsis existence of a professional labour market providing specialists with knowledge and skills pertaining to nano material studies, production technology, control of nano materials and nano objects in the technological process and products, as well as pertaining to the formation of normative and methodological documents regulating the frame work of metrological assurance at the enterprise. The present paperis devotedto the description of main provisions outlined in the draft professional standard "A metrology specialist in the nano industry

New valuable plant species in phytoremediation of copper polluted lands

The data obtained during screening among several plant species from three different families are present here. It was shown that in seedling stage all of three species (common ice plant, rape and vica) were characterized as relatively high tolerant plants when incubated under excess copper. All of investigated species could be recommended as highly effective phytoremediators for territories with medium to high level of toxic metals

Can the physiological process of teething in babies be abnormal?

The article discusses the problem of teething in babies, the related mechanisms and factors. The research findings demonstrate the importance of different clinical symptoms of teething in infants, the relationship of the process with the baby's body type. Questions of the current therapy of pathological teething are considered