Features of sociocultural adjustment of Chinese students studying in Russian universities

© 2017. The purpose of this article is determining the sociocultural features of adjustment of Chinese students to study in Russian universities. The expansion of bilateral economic relationship between Russia and China has led to a growing interest of Chinese young people towards receiving higher education in Russian universities. Simplified procedure of admission of foreign students leads to complication of their cultural adjustment to a new sociocultural environment. The article presents the results of sociological survey of Chinese students studying in the technical university. It is concluded that the transition of a foreign student to a new society is accompanied by culture shock. Symptoms of culture shock and phases of cultural adjustment process are highlighted in the present article on the bases of K.Oberg methodology. According to U-curve cultural adjustment model proposed by Lysgaard S., the adapting person overcomes three main phases: initial adjustment, crisis state, and final adjustment. The analysis of the conducted survey has confirmed that adjustment to a new culture takes place according to the U-curve by Lysgaard. Determination of ways to solve the problem of foreign students' adjustment to study in Russian universities is associated by the author with the identification of sociocultural characteristics of a specific country. It is revealed that the peculiarities of adjustment of Chinese students to study in Russian universities include sociocultural, psychological, and didactic features. In this connection, it is necessary to determine the extent of the impact of these characteristics on the adjustment process of Chinese students

PHARMACOGENETIC STUDY OF THE ACETYLATION PHENOTYPE IN A BULGARIAN POPULATION

N-acetyltransferase, an enzyme involved in the metabolic inactivation of drugs like isoniazide, some sulfonamides and others is well-known to he under polymorphic genetic control. The acetylation phenotype of the patients may serve as an important guide in foretelling the therapeutic efficacy or tolerahility of a particular drug. In the present study we investigated the distribution of the acetylaiion phenotypes in a group of 100 healthy volunteers of both sexes using sulfadimidine as a substrate. The distribution was found to follow a bimodal pattern, as aspected, with a slight predominance of the "slow" acetylators - in 58 % of the cases, a finding similar to literature data from neighbouring and other European countries. In the men's group the distribution was approximately the same as that in the whole group whilst in the women's one the "rapid" inactivators prevailed. This work represents the first modest attempt in Bulgaria for phenotyping the population according to the individual acetylaiion status

Features of sociocultural adjustment of Chinese students studying in Russian universities

© 2017. The purpose of this article is determining the sociocultural features of adjustment of Chinese students to study in Russian universities. The expansion of bilateral economic relationship between Russia and China has led to a growing interest of Chinese young people towards receiving higher education in Russian universities. Simplified procedure of admission of foreign students leads to complication of their cultural adjustment to a new sociocultural environment. The article presents the results of sociological survey of Chinese students studying in the technical university. It is concluded that the transition of a foreign student to a new society is accompanied by culture shock. Symptoms of culture shock and phases of cultural adjustment process are highlighted in the present article on the bases of K.Oberg methodology. According to U-curve cultural adjustment model proposed by Lysgaard S., the adapting person overcomes three main phases: initial adjustment, crisis state, and final adjustment. The analysis of the conducted survey has confirmed that adjustment to a new culture takes place according to the U-curve by Lysgaard. Determination of ways to solve the problem of foreign students' adjustment to study in Russian universities is associated by the author with the identification of sociocultural characteristics of a specific country. It is revealed that the peculiarities of adjustment of Chinese students to study in Russian universities include sociocultural, psychological, and didactic features. In this connection, it is necessary to determine the extent of the impact of these characteristics on the adjustment process of Chinese students

Features of sociocultural adjustment of Chinese students studying in Russian universities

© 2017. The purpose of this article is determining the sociocultural features of adjustment of Chinese students to study in Russian universities. The expansion of bilateral economic relationship between Russia and China has led to a growing interest of Chinese young people towards receiving higher education in Russian universities. Simplified procedure of admission of foreign students leads to complication of their cultural adjustment to a new sociocultural environment. The article presents the results of sociological survey of Chinese students studying in the technical university. It is concluded that the transition of a foreign student to a new society is accompanied by culture shock. Symptoms of culture shock and phases of cultural adjustment process are highlighted in the present article on the bases of K.Oberg methodology. According to U-curve cultural adjustment model proposed by Lysgaard S., the adapting person overcomes three main phases: initial adjustment, crisis state, and final adjustment. The analysis of the conducted survey has confirmed that adjustment to a new culture takes place according to the U-curve by Lysgaard. Determination of ways to solve the problem of foreign students' adjustment to study in Russian universities is associated by the author with the identification of sociocultural characteristics of a specific country. It is revealed that the peculiarities of adjustment of Chinese students to study in Russian universities include sociocultural, psychological, and didactic features. In this connection, it is necessary to determine the extent of the impact of these characteristics on the adjustment process of Chinese students

Структура и биологическое действие аналогов и производных биогенных полиаминов

Objectives. Biogenic polyamines are widely present in nature. They are characteristic of both protozoan cells and multicellular organisms. These compounds have a wide range of biological functions and are necessary for normal growth and development of cells. Violation of polyamine homeostasis can cause significant abnormalities in cell functioning, provoking various pathological processes, including oncological and neuropsychiatric diseases. The impact on the “polyamine pathway” is an attractive basis for the creation of many pharmacological agents with a diverse spectrum of action. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of the studies devoted to understanding the biological activity of compounds of the polyamine series, comparing their biological action with action on certain molecular targets. Due to the structural diversity of this group of substances, it is impossible to fully reflect the currently available data in one review. Therefore, in this work, the main attention is paid to the derivatives, acyclic saturated polyamines.Results. The following aspects are considered: biological functionality, biosynthesis and catabolism, cell transport, and localization of biogenic polyamines in the living systems. Structural analogs and derivatives of biogenic polyamines with antitumor, neuroprotective, antiarrhythmic, antiparasitic, antibacterial, and other biological activities are represented; the relationship between biological activity and the target of exposure is reflected. It was found that the nature of the substituent, the number of cationic centers, and the length of the polyamine chain have a great influence on the nature of the effect.Conclusions. At present, the use of polyamine structures is restrained by cytotoxicity and nonspecific toxic effects on the central nervous system. Further research in the field of biochemistry, cell transport, and a deeper understanding of receptor interaction mechanisms will help making polyamines as the basis for potential drug formulation.Цели. Биогенные полиамины широко представлены в живой природе. Они характерны как для клеток простейших, так и для многоклеточных организмов. Данные соединения обладают широким спектром биологической активности и необходимы для нормального роста и развития клеток. Нарушение гомеостаза полиаминов может вызывать существенные отклонения в функционировании клетки, провоцируя протекание патологических процессов различного рода, включая онкологические и психоневрологические заболевания. Воздействие на «полиаминовый путь» является привлекательным базисом для создания ряда фармакологически активных веществ с различным спектром действия. Целью данного обзора является обобщение результатов исследований, посвященных изучению биологической активности соединений полиаминового ряда; сопоставление биологического действия с воздействием на определенные молекулярные мишени. В виду структурного многообразия данной группы веществ невозможно в полной мере отразить имеющиеся на сегодняшний момент данные в одном обзоре. Поэтому в настоящей работе основное внимание уделено производным насыщенных полиаминов ациклического строения.Результаты. В общем виде рассмотрены следующие аспекты: биологическая активность, биосинтез и катаболизм, клеточный транспорт и локализация биогенных полиаминов в живых системах. Представлены структурные аналоги и производные биогенных полиаминов, обладающие противоопухолевой, нейропротекторной, антиаритмической, противопаразитарной, антибактериальной и некоторыми другими видам биологической активности; отражена взаимосвязь между биологической активностью и мишенями воздействия. Установлено, что на характер воздействия большое влияние оказывает природа заместителя, количество катионных центров, а также длина полиаминовой цепи.Выводы. В настоящее время применение структур полиаминового ряда сдерживается наличием цитотоксичности, а также неспецифического токсического воздействия на ЦНС. Дальнейшие исследования в области биохимии, клеточного транспорта, а также более глубокое понимание механизмов рецепторного взаимодействия позволят использовать полиамины в качестве основы для создания потенциальных лекарственных препаратов

Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light levels in CLN2 disease patients treated with enzyme replacement therapy normalise after two years on treatment [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]

Classic late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN2 disease) is caused by a deficiency of tripeptidyl-peptidase-1. In 2017, the first CLN2 enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) cerliponase alfa (Brineura) was approved by the FDA and EMA. The CLN2 disease clinical rating scale (CLN2 CRS) was developed to monitor loss of motor function, language and vision as well as frequency of generalised tonic clonic seizures. Using CLN2 CRS in an open label clinical trial it was shown that Brineura slowed down the progression of CLN2 symptoms. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a protein highly expressed in myelinated axons. An increase of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood NfL is found in a variety of neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative, traumatic, and cerebrovascular diseases. We analysed CSF NfL in CLN2 patients treated with Brineura to establish whether it can be used as a possible biomarker of response to therapy. Newly diagnosed patients had CSF samples collected and analysed at first treatment dose and up to 12 weeks post-treatment to look at acute changes. Patients on a compassionate use programme who were already receiving ERT for approximately 1yr had CSF samples collected and NfL analysed over the following 1.3 years (2.3 years post-initiation of ERT) to look at long-term changes. All newly diagnosed patients we investigated with classical late infantile phenotype had high NfL levels >2000 pg/ml at start of treatment. No significant change was observed in NfL up to 12 weeks post-treatment. After one year of ERT, two out of six patients still had high NfL levels, but all patients showed a continued decrease, and all had low NfL levels after two years on ERT. NfL levels appear to correspond and predict improved clinical status of patients on ERT and could be useful as a biomarker to monitor neurodegeneration and verify disease modification in CLN2 patients on ERT

Spectroscopic determination of hole density in the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga1−x_{1-x}Mnx_{x}As

The measurement of the hole density in the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$As is notoriously difficult using standard transport techniques due to the dominance of the anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report the first spectroscopic measurement of the hole density in four Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$As samples ($x=0, 0.038, 0.061, 0.083$) at room temperature using Raman scattering intensity analysis of the coupled plasmon-LO-phonon mode and the unscreened LO phonon. The unscreened LO phonon frequency linearly decreases as the Mn concentration increases up to 8.3%. The hole density determined from the Raman scattering shows a monotonic increase with increasing $x$ for $x\leq0.083$, exhibiting a direct correlation to the observed $T_c$. The optical technique reported here provides an unambiguous means of determining the hole density in this important new class of ``spintronic'' semiconductor materials.Comment: two-column format 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review