Characteristics of homocysteine-induced multidrug resistance of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and human A2780 ovarian cancer cells

Aim:To study the influence of homocysteine on the mechanisms of drug resistance formation. Methods: In current study human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and A2780 ovarian cancer cells sensitive to anticancer drugs were used. To access the viability of cells, we applied 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2–1]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay (MTT-test). Expression of Bcl-2, p-glycoprotein (P-gp), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and E-cadherin was studied by immunocytochemistry. Results: A2780 and MCF-7 cells were treated by homocysteine. It was shown that every next treatment with homocysteine (up to 5th) decreased the sensitivity of A2780 and MCF-7 cells to cytotoxic drugs. Immunocytochemical study of molecular profile of A2780 and MCF-7 cells after long-term cultivation with homocysteine has been carried out and has revealed that such treatment resulted in the induction of Bcl-2, P-gp, GST and E-cadherin expression. This indicates that incubation of studied cells with homocysteine leads to simultaneous induction of expression of drug resistance markers to cisplatin and doxorubicin. Conclusion: Cultivation of MCF-7 and A2780 cells with homocysteine leads to simultaneous development of resistance to doxorubicine and cisplatin. The development of drug resistance is diverse for different drugs and varies among cell lines

Free attributive phrases as regulatory settings (based on the contemporary British newspaper discourse)

This article presents research of descriptive individual and psychological attributive phrases, referents of which are represented by the persons of masculine or feminine sex. The paper reveals semantic, ideographic and cognitive characteristics of gender marked free attributive phrases which supply them with stereotypical potential and regulative function. Comparative analysis of the units under research establishes that conceptual and evaluative matter of the descriptive phrases of male and female reference discourse subject of which is unknown reflects both traditional and alternative concept of the desired gender roles

PRODUCT STAN DARDISATION IN THE USSR: LEGAL ISSUES

The article offers a comprehensive overview of academic views on the strategy and issues of the  legal regulation of the Soviet state standardisation system as it formed and evolved. The USSR had a ramified system of legislative acts and codes of practice that thoroughly governed all aspects of quality and safety assurance across all stages of the product lifecycle. They were collectively known as the state system of standardisation. Yet at the turn of the 21st century, this system was largely dismantled under the influence of economic liberalisation ideas, and its underlying documents lost their binding nature. Russia is currently phasing out of the so-called “market romanticism” period shaped by the idea of minimal state interference in the economy, when any imperative provisions of public law specific to the economy were perceived as administrative hurdles. We are witnessing the emergence of a new mechanism of state control over the Russian economy – one based on the principles of the optimisation of state regulation of economic activity. One of the manifestations of this process involves rebuilding the Russian standardisation system on a new footing. Making this process more effective calls for revisiting the Soviet experience and exploring both its strengths and pitfalls. The article looks into the origins of standardisation in Russia, the key milestones in the history of Soviet standardisation, and the relevant legal regulation. Particular attention is devoted to how state standardisation institutions were established and how changes in the system of state agencies having jurisdiction over the matters of standardisation have influenced the efficiency of this system. The distinguishing features of the Soviet standardisation system, compared to those of other countries, are identified for each stage of system formation  and evolution. A fair amount of attention is given to an analysis of the Soviet paradigm of state regulation of the economy, as well as its historical and ideological underpinnings and key aspects. The way standardisation has been influenced by this paradigm, along with other paradigms implemented in Russia in recent decades, is analysed. Correlations are drawn between  specific aspects of the Soviet paradigm of state administration of the economy, legal issues of  standardisation in the USSR and issues of Russian standardisation. The study was undertaken to  explore the idiosyncrasies of the Soviet standardisation system attributable to the specifics of the  entire economic, administrative, and legal system and ideology of the USSR. This will help identify  the positive aspects of this system that were undeservedly discarded upon the transition to the  new economic conditions, along with the unresolved legal issues that stand in the way of an effective standardisation system in the Russian Federation. The study explores standardisation  issues through a systemic and structural analysis of Soviet standardisation laws in conjunction with Russian and international legislation and practices. It incorporates a critical review of the major findings of academic and analytical studies focusing on standardisation issues. The study calls for  an integrated approach that is indispensable to exploring the conditions under which the Soviet standardisation system formed and evolved in conjunction with changes in the academic community’s perception of the legal nature of standards. A comparative law study of international  experiences concerned with the regulation of standardisation issues primarily focuses on the  legislation of the biggest economies. This made it possible to draw a general correlation between the evolutionary trends and specifics of the Soviet standardisation system and the corresponding  systems in these countries. The legalistic, systemic and structural, comparative law, and historical  law methods of study helped determine the optimal course for legislative improvements in this field

On the Rule of Law in the Context of Russian Foreign Policy

The article is an attempt to analyze the Russian school of law features and history of development over the last century, characterized by the priority of the positivist theory of law over the natural law approach. In particular, the author examines the differences in interpretation of such concepts as ‘rule of law,’ ‘rule by law’ and ‘Law-Bound State’ by Russian and foreign lawyers and concludes that these concepts are mixed and misunderstood. Based on the differences of interpretation, the author concludes that there is a significant difference in mentality not only between Russian and foreign lawyers, but also between lawyers in Russia: law enforcers on the one hand and human rights activists, advocates and some independent scientists on the other and, consequently, there are specific criteria for the specialist selection in competent state bodies. As an example of the differences of interpretation, the author analyzes in detail the decision of the Russian Federation Constitutional Court of March 19, 2014, on the constitutionality of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on the admission of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation and the establishment of new subjects within the latter

The Use of Plasmapheresis in Treatment of Patients with Infertility, Peritoneal Endometriosis and Nat2 Gene Polymorphism

It is known that 30–40 % of patients with peritoneal endometriosis suffer from infertility. Half of the patients with endometriosis are identified point mutation in NAT2 – gene, which plays an important role in the acetylation of aromatic and heterocyclic amines, in the accumulation of endotoxins, activation of free radical oxidation, impaired microcirculation. These factors involve the use of methods of gemapheresis which have detoxification, the blood rheology corrective and immune corrective effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic plasma exchange in treatment of patients with peritoneal form of endometriosis, infertility and point mutations in the gene NAT2. The study included 140 patients with infertility, peritoneal form of endometriosis and point mutations in the gene NAT2. All patients are performed laparoscopy, coagulation foci of endometriosis. In the following 93 (66.4 %) patients were treated with a the course of therapeutic plasmapheresis using the apparatus «PCS-2» with the removal of 20–25 % the volume of circulating plasma with replacement plasma of crystalloid and colloid solutions. Before treatment were shown the signs of endotoxemia, activation of oxidative stress. After treatment with the use of plasmapheresis was revealed the significant reduction of endogenous intoxication parameters and oxidative stress. Also is noted the increase in the pregnancy rate, both independently and in IVF programs, especially during the first 3 months after treatment. The findings suggest that the efficiency of the proposed comprehensive treatment techniques (laparoscopy and subsequent course of therapeutic plasmapheresis) of patients with peritoneal endometriosis and infertility and with point mutations in the gene NAT2. The use of plasmapheresis is pathogenetically justified in patients of the studied group

Skills shortages and training in Russian enterprises

In the transition to a market economy, the Russian workforce underwent a wrenching period of change, with excess supply of some industrial skills coexisting with reports of skills shortages by many enterprises. This paper uses data from the Russia Competitiveness and Investment Climate Survey and related local research to gain insight into the changing supply and demand for skills over time, and the potential reasons for reported staffing problems and skills shortages, including labor turnover, compensation policies, and the inhibiting effects of labor regulations. It discusses in-service training as an enterprise strategy for meeting staffing and skills needs, and presents evidence on the distribution, intensity, and determinants of in-service training in Russia. It investigates the productivity and wage outcomes of in-service training, and the supportive role of training in firms'research and development and innovative activities. A final section concludes with some policy implications of the findings.Education For All,Access&Equity in Basic Education,Labor Markets,Primary Education,Teaching and Learning

Russian Agricultural Industry under Sanction Wars

The motivation for focusing on economic sanctions is the mixed evidence of their effectiveness. We assess the role of sanctions on the Russian international trade flow of agricultural products after 2014. We use a differences-in-differences model of trade flows data for imported and exported agricultural products from 2010 to 2020 in Russia. The main expectation was that the Russian economy would take a hit since it had lost its importers. We assess the economic impact of the Russian food embargo on agricultural commodities, questioning whether it has achieved its objective and resulted in a window of opportunity for the development of the domestic agricultural sector. Our results confirm that the sanctions have significantly impacted foodstuff imports; they have almost halved in the first two years since the sanctions were imposed. However, Russia has embarked on a path to reduce dependence on food imports and managed self-sufficient agricultural production.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure