Структура и семантика этнического сознания

Стаття містить аналіз сучасної проблематики в галузі етнічної свідомості. Запропоновано новий підхід до вивчення структури етнічної свідомості, який будується на засадах етнічної психології, психосемантики та психосеміотики.The paper analyzes current issues in the area of ethnic perception and suggests a new approach to study the structure of ethic perception based on theoretical grounds of ethnic psychology, psychosemantics and psychosemantics.Статья содержит анализ современной проблематики в области этнического сознания. Предложен новый подход к изучению структуры этнического сознания, основывающийся на теоретическом базисе этнической психологии, психосемантики и психосемиотики

Laboratory assessment of the thyroid system in women working at concentrating factory

The purpose of the article is to examine the state of thyroid system in workers of mining and processing plant, working in harmful conditions. Materials and Methods: The working conditions of 407 workers of concentrator (study group) and 128 women workers of energy department (control group). The level of thyroid stimulating hormone and free thyroxine, anti-thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin has been determined in 88 women-workers of the main group and 82 women workers of control group. 80 women-workers of main group have been examined on the iodine content in the hair. Results: It has been found that the conditions of workers at enrichment of copper-zinc ore are characterized by the influence of these chemical factors, dust, industrial noise, adverse climate. In the study of blood serum and hair decreased levels of iodine in their hair and deviations due to decrease of thyroid function, and strengthening of the body»s autoimmune processes have been revealed. Conclusion: Harmful working conditions in concentrating factory cause the risk of pathology of the thyroid gland

Simulation of the Melting Process for Complex Nickel-containing Ferroalloys in Steel

In this study, the melting process simulation for the complex nickel-, silicon-containing ferroalloys in a steel melt was performed. For the study, complex ferroalloys samples (∼ 10% Ni, 5–56% Si) were selected, by composition corresponding to the alloys, which can be smelted from poor Russian oxidized nickel ores. It is shown that all the alloys under consideration belong to the group of low-melting ferroalloys, in which the liquidus temperature (

Glycine receptors in CNS neurons as a target for nonretrograde action of cannabinoids

At many central synapses, endocannabinoids released by postsynaptic cells act retrogradely on presynaptic G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors to inhibit neurotransmitter release. Here, we demonstrate that cannabinoids may directly affect the functioning of inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) channels. In isolated hippocampal pyramidal and Purkinje cerebellar neurons, endogenous cannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol, applied at physiological concentrations, inhibited the amplitude and altered the kinetics of rise time, desensitization, and deactivation of the glycine-activated current (

Frequency-Dependent Cannabinoid Receptor-Independent Modulation of Glycine Receptors by Endocannabinoid 2-AG

Endocannabinoids are known as retrograde messengers, being released from the postsynaptic neuron and acting on specific presynaptic G-protein-coupled cannabinoid (CB) receptors to decrease neurotransmitter release. Also, at physiologically relevant concentrations cannabinoids can directly modulate the function of voltage-gated and receptor-operated ion channels. Using patch-clamp recording we analyzed the consequences of the direct action of an endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), on the functional properties of glycine receptor channels (GlyRs) and ionic currents in glycinergic synapses. At physiologically relevant concentrations (0.1–1 μM), 2-AG directly affected the functions of recombinant homomeric α1H GlyR: it inhibited peak amplitude and dramatically enhanced desensitization. The action of 2-AG on GlyR-mediated currents developed rapidly, within ∼300 ms. Addition of 1 μM 2-AG strongly facilitated the depression of glycine-induced currents during repetitive (4–10 Hz) application of short (2 ms duration) pulses of glycine to outside-out patches. In brainstem slices from CB1 receptor knockout mice, 2-AG significantly decreased the extent of facilitation of synaptic currents in hypoglossal motoneurons during repetitive (10–20 Hz) stimulation. These observations suggest that endocannabinoids can modulate postsynaptic metaplasticity of glycinergic synaptic currents in a CB1 receptor-independent manner

The Correction Methods of the Intestinal Microflora in Chronic Colonic Stasis by Siphon Enema and Probiotics as a Means of the Hirschsprung-associated Enterocolitis Prevention

AIM: The purpose of the current article is to study the state of the intestinal microflora in the context of chronic colonic stasis and assesses the methods of its correction by means of siphon enema and probiotics’ implication (bifidumbacterin and lactobacterin) to prevent the development of HAEC. METHODS: This study was conducted in the Astana City Children’s Hospital No. 2 and involved 60 children who applied for medical help with symptoms of chronic constipation. They were admitted to the hospital in a planned or emergency manner with suspected Hirschsprung’s disease in the period from 2015 to 2017, after approval of the Ethics Committee. An X-ray contrast study of the large intestine (irrigography) was performed in all the children for a diagnostic purpose. The following parameters of the state of the large intestine were studied: The function of the ileocecal valve (Bauhin’s valve), the diameter and shape of the large intestine, the presence of pathological formations, and symptoms of intestinal obstruction. Statistical analysis was carried out using Student’s test for dependent and independent samples by means of the BioStat Software. RESULTS: After treatment, the bacteriological examination of stool samples demonstrated an increase in the number of beneficial microorganisms and a decrease in the number of opportunistic microorganisms. The growth in the number of patients with the normal intestinal microflora (14 patients – 70%) was observed along with the reduction in the number of patients with intestinal dysbiosis, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The developed method of correcting the quantitative composition of the intestinal microflora is very effective and can be implemented in clinical practice

Striatal dual cholinergic /GABAergic transmission in Parkinson disease: friends or foes?

The rule of one terminal and one transmitter acting on one synapse clearly fails to cover the complexity of chemical synapse operation in the brain. Compelling evidence now indicates that two transmitters can be released from the same terminal, acting in a complementary manner to generate complex electrical activity in the targets. Our laboratory now showed that a subpopulation striatal cholinergic neurons also release the classical inhibitory transmitter GABA with a balance between excitation and inhibition being provided by acetylcholine and GABA, respectively. An illustration of the importance of this dual release comes from the fact that when dopamine signals are absent such as in Parkinson disease (PD) the GABAergic inhibition in these dual cholinergic/GABAergic cells fails because of high intracellular chloride ((Cl–)I) levels rendering the cholinergic excitatory component unmet by a parallel inhibitory drive. Restoring low (Cl–)I with the NKCC1 chloride importer antagonist bumetanide attenuates the electrical and motor disturbance. In addition to illustrating the complex interactions between two transmitters acting at the same synapse, this study paves the way to novel conceptual treatment of PD based on restoration of GABAergic inhibition in keeping with our pilot clinical trial showing indeed that bumetanide together with levodopa attenuates axial motor disturbance. It is also in keeping with extensive investigations showing increased (Cl–)I levels and weakened inhibition in a wide range of pathological insults and their restoration by bumetanide. It raises fundamental issues related to the operation of the striatum and basal ganglia in health and disease

Animal Intelligence

So far as evolution is concerned, it really matters little\u27 at what point intelligence appears. Intelligence proper includes the reasoning power as its chief and distinguishing characteristic. Facts regarded as proving a degree of this power in animals were reviewed in detail, and shown to be susceptible of a lower interpretation in harmony with the general phenomena of animal life

Subthalamic lesion or levodopa treatment rescues giant GABAergic currents of PINK1-deficient striatum

Cellular electrophysiological signatures of Parkinson's disease described in the pharmacological 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) animal models of Parkinson's disease include spontaneous repetitive giant GABAergic currents in a subpopulation of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and spontaneous rhythmic bursts of spikes generated by subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons.Weinvestigated whether similar signatures are present in Pink1-/- mice, a genetic rodent model of the PARK6 variant of Parkinson's disease. Although 9- to 24-month-old Pink1-/-mice show reduced striatal dopamine content and release, and impaired spontaneous locomotion, the relevance of this model to Parkinson's disease has been questioned because mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons do not degenerate during the mouse lifespan. We show that 75% of the MSNs of 5- to 7-month-old Pink1-/- mice exhibit giant GABAergic currents, occurring either singly or in bursts (at 40 Hz), rather than the low-frequency (2 Hz), low-amplitude, tonic GABAergic drive common to wild-type MSNs of the same age. STN neurons from 5- to 7-month-old Pink1-/- mice spontaneously generated bursts of spikes instead of the control tonic drive. Chronic kainic acid lesion of the STN or chronic levodopa treatment reliably suppressed the giant GABAergic currents of MSNs after 1 month and replaced them with the control tonic activity. The similarity between the in vitro resting states of Pink1 MSNs and those of fully dopamine (DA)-depleted MSNs of 6-OHDA-treated mice, together with the beneficial effect of levodopa treatment, strongly suggest that dysfunction of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in Pink1-/-mice is more severe than expected. The beneficial effect of the STN lesion also suggests that pathological STN activity strongly influences striatal networks in Pink1-/- mic