Assessing social cognitive functions in elementary school children: or problems of motor activity disorders

The urgency of the research issue is due to the tendency of an increase in the number of children with disorders of the muscle-skeleton system and motor skills. In this regard, these children have problems in learning activities, relationships with peers and adults. The purpose of the research presented in the paper was to study the social and psychological peculiarities of the personality of elementary school children with motor activity (motor skills) disorder. To solve the tasks set in the study and test the hypothesis, a number of methods and techniques were used: theoretical analysis of scientific literature, empirical methods: observation, experiment, questionnaire, technique of N.I. Ozeretsky; children's version of S. Rosenzweig's test; "school-based anxiety” test. The study revealed that two options are possible in the development of the personality of elementary school children with motor activity disorders: favorable and unfavorable. An unfavorable variant of the child's personality development is associated with “non-constructive” behavior, which manifests in the inability to withstand difficult social situations. A favorable variant of personal development is characterized by the predominance of “constructive” behavior, which allows one to overcome life difficulties

LOGICAL ASPECT OF ARGUMENTATION IN ECONOMIC DISCOURSE

Цель. Статья посвящена актуальной теме лингвистической аргументации. Предметом анализа выступает логико-коммуникативная организация текстов экономического дискурса с позиции проявления в них универсальной категории аргументации. Авторы ставят целью установить и классифицировать типы логико-семантических отношений, создающих логический аспект аргументации в сверхфразовых единствах (СФЕ) современного экономического текста, а также показать их функционирование на примере соединительного типа отношений.Метод или методология проведения работы. Теоретической основой исследования послужили работы отечественных и зарубежных исследователей в области лингвистической аргументации. Методологической базой исследования выступили методы контекстуального и сравнительного анализа, а также индуктивный и дедуктивный методы научного познания.Результаты. Результаты работы заключаются в том, что авторы провели инвентаризацию и описали логико-семантические отношения, создающие каркас логического аспекта текстовой аргументации в экономическом дискурсе; проанализировали средства выражения этих отношений, соединяющие самостоятельные предложения (или группы предложений) в сверхфразовых единствах (СФЕ) современного экономического текста, а также функционирование одного из трех основных типов логико-семантических отношений – соединительных отношений и их семантических разновидностей.Область применения результатов. Результаты исследования могут быть использованы в спецкурсе по лингвистике текста, при подготовке учебных пособий, а также при написании курсовых и дипломных работ студентов.Purpose. The article is devoted to the topical issue of linguistic argumentation. The subject of analysis is the logical and communicative organization of texts of economic discourse in terms of their ability to manifest a universal category of argumentation. The authors aim to establish and classify the types of logical-semantic relations that create the logical aspect of argumentation in the superphrase unity (SPU) of the modern economic text, as well as to show their functioning by the example of the connecting type of relations.Methodology. The works of national and foreign researchers in the field of linguistic argumentation make up formed the theoretical basis of the study, while the methods of contextual and comparative analysis, as well as inductive and deductive methods of scientific cognition are the methodological basis of the study.Results. The results of the work are that the authors conducted an inventory and described the logical-semantic relations that create the framework of the logical aspect of the textual argument in economic discourse; analyzed the means of expressing these relations, connecting independent sentences (or groups of sentences) in the superphrase unity (SPU) of the modern economic text, as well as the functioning of one of the three main types of logical-semantic relations-connecting relations and their semantic varieties.Practical implications. The results of the research can be used in a special course on text linguistics, for the preparation of textbooks, as well as in writing student’s course and diploma papers

Role of mitochondrial raft-like microdomains in the regulation of cell apoptosis

Lipid rafts are envisaged as lateral assemblies of specific lipids and proteins that dissociate and associate rapidly and form functional clusters in cell membranes. These structural platforms are not confined to the plasma membrane; indeed lipid microdomains are similarly formed at subcellular organelles, which include endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi and mitochondria, named raft-like microdomains. In addition, some components of raft-like microdomains are present within ER-mitochondria associated membranes. This review is focused on the role of mitochondrial raft-like microdomains in the regulation of cell apoptosis, since these microdomains may represent preferential sites where key reactions take place, regulating mitochondria hyperpolarization, fission-associated changes, megapore formation and release of apoptogenic factors. These structural platforms appear to modulate cytoplasmic pathways switching cell fate towards cell survival or death. Main insights on this issue derive from some pathological conditions in which alterations of microdomains structure or function can lead to severe alterations of cell activity and life span. In the light of the role played by raft-like microdomains to integrate apoptotic signals and in regulating mitochondrial dynamics, it is conceivable that these membrane structures may play a role in the mitochondrial alterations observed in some of the most common human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's chorea and prion-related diseases. These findings introduce an additional task for identifying new molecular target(s) of pharmacological agents in these pathologies

Formin1 Mediates the Induction of Dendritogenesis and Synaptogenesis by Neurogenin3 in Mouse Hippocampal Neurons

Neurogenin3, a proneural transcription factor controlled by Notch receptor, has been recently shown to regulate dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis in mouse hippocampal neurons. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in these actions of Ngn3. We have used a microarray analysis to identify Ngn3 regulated genes related with cytoskeleton dynamics. One of such genes is Fmn1, whose protein, Formin1, is associated with actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. Overexpression of the Fmn1 isoform-Ib in cultured mouse hippocampal neurons induced an increase in the number of primary dendrites and in the number of glutamatergic synaptic inputs at 4 days in vitro. The same changes were provoked by overexpression of Ngn3. In addition downregulation of Fmn1 by the use of Fmn1-siRNAs impaired such morphological and synaptic changes induced by Ngn3 overexpression in neurons. These results reveal a previously unknown involvement of Formin1 in dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis and indicate that this protein is a key component of the Ngn3 signaling pathway that controls neuronal differentiation

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

The psychological science accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data

The Psychological Science Accelerator’s COVID-19 rapid-response dataset

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e. a controlling message) compared to no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly-internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared to the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly-internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing: Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges