Influence of exogenous urea on photosynthetic pigments, 14CO2 uptake, and urease activity in Elodea densa-environmental implications

This paper analyzes the effect of exogenous urea in increased concentration gradient (0, 100, 500 and 1,000 mg L-1) on photosynthetic pigments (measured spectrophotometrically), uptake of 14CO2 (using radioisotope), and urease activity (by measuring ammonia with Nessler's reagent) in leaves of Elodea densa Planch. We have observed that low concentration of urea (100 mg L-1) stimulates the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments and intensifies photosynthesis in E. densa, whereas high concentration (1,000 mg L-1) suppresses these processes. Urease activity increased by approximately 2.7 and 8 fold when exogenous urea concentrations were 100 and 500 mg L-1, respectively. However, exogenous urea in high concentration (1,000 mg L-1) decreased urease activity by 1.5 fold compared to the control. The necessity of mitigating urea and other nitrogen-containing compounds (NH3 from urea) in water bodies has been discussed with emphasis on the potential for phytoremediation of urea using common water weed viz. E. densa. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

The Importance of Conducting a Demonstration Exam in the Training of Mid-Level Specialists in the Field of Electric Power Industry

The article discusses the prospect of conducting a demonstration exam in the institutions of secondary vocational education. The concept of “demonstration exam” is revealed, the comparative analysis of knowledge and skills included in the WorldSkills Standard for the competence “Electrical installation” and in the Federal state educational standard of secondary vocational education for the specialty 13.02.11 Technical operation and maintenance of electrical and electromechanical equipment (by industry) is carried out. The article attempts to reveal the main administrative and managerial barriers to integrating WorldSkills requirements into the system of secondary vocational education.Рассматривается перспектива проведения демонстрационного экзамена на базе средних профессиональных образовательных организаций. Раскрыто понятие «демонстрационный экзамен», проведена сравнительная характеристика знаний и умений специалиста, выделенных в стандарте WorldSkills по компетенции «Электромонтаж» и в федеральном государственном образовательном стандарте среднего профессионального образования по специальности 13.02.11 Техническая эксплуатация и обслуживание электрического и электромеханического оборудования (по отраслям). Предпринята попытка раскрыть основные административно-управленческие барьеры интеграции требований WorldSkills в систему среднего профессионального образования

Melatonin in Th17/Treg differentiation: the contribution of the hormone's own production by T lymphocytes

The hormone melatonin is involved in regulation of functioning of almost all organs and systems of the organism. In the immune system, T lymphocytes are an important target of melatonin: they express specific melatonin receptors with different affinities – membrane MT1 and MT2 and nuclear RORa, as well as intracellular molecules that nonspecifically bind melatonin at high concentrations. Moreover, many in vitro studies reveal their own production of melatonin by T lymphocytes in response to polyclonal activation and its involvement as autocrine or paracrine factor in the induction of IL-2 and IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) synthesis by T cells, with melatonin receptors involvement in implementation of these effects. Since IL-2/IL-2R-dependent signal is a key event in T lymphocytes proliferative response induction, intrinsic melatonin seems to be directly involved at least in the clonal expansion of these cells. In this work, we investigated the contribution of T cells’ melatonin to regulation of the next stage of T lymphocyte activation, namely, the differentiation of T helper populations Th17 and Treg. It was shown that blockade of both membrane and nuclear melatonin receptors did not cause statistically significant changes in Th17 differentiation, although the trend was fixed for a decrease. Simultaneously, CD4+FoxP3+Т cells level decreased under the nonselective blockade of membrane hormone receptors, and Treg-associated cytokine TGF-b concentration in activated cultures supernatants decreased both in case of MT1/MT2 nonselective blockade and MT2 selective blockade. The data indicate that melatonin produced by T lymphocytes in culture can contribute to the control of naive CD4+T cell differentiation into Treg in vitro, and the hormone effects are mediated by membrane melatonin receptors. The presence of a large number targets with different affinities for melatonin in T lymphocytes determines the key role of the hormone concentration in its effects on these cells. And when interpreting data on melatonin-dependent regulation of Treg, it is important to take into account the hormone’s own production by lymphocytes, since T cells’ melatonin can mask the exogenous hormone effects or interfere with its action due to competitive binding to hormone receptors

THE ROLE OF THE CHANGED PRODUCTION OF INTRACELLULAR REGULATORS IN PATHOGENESIS OF PRETERM DELIVERY

Purpose: To determine the influence of the changed production of bioactive components on the trophoblast invasion disorders and as a result development of preterm delivery.Materials and methods: 69 pregnant women were under observation, among them there were 48 women with the threatened miscarriage in the 1st trimester and preterm delivery and 21 women with physiological gestation. The determination of the content of glycodelin-A, follistatin, IL-1β and TNF-α in the blood serum during the 1st trimester and in case of preterm delivery in the 34th - 37th weeks was realized by means of immunoenzyme method.Results: An evident imbalance of intracellular bioregulators that determine nidation of the ovum and chorion formation was revealed.Summary: A high level of TNF-α causes the disorder of calcium ion concentration in myometrium cells that leads to initiation of preterm delivery

Dibenzo[ f,h]furazano[3,4- b]quinoxalines: Synthesis by Intramolecular Cyclization through Direct Transition Metal-Free C-H Functionalization and Electrochemical, Photophysical, and Charge Mobility Characterization

Herein, we describe the synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted dibenzo[f,h]furazano[3,4-b]quinoxalines by intramolecular cyclization through direct transition metal-free C-H functionalization. The electrochemical and photophysical properties for several polycycles have been measured. In thin films of the dibenzo[f,h]furazano[3,4-b]quinoxalines, hole mobility is in the order of 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1. The results show that the HOMO and LUMO energy levels are appropriate for using the compounds as hole-transport materials in thin-film devices, in particular, organic and perovskite solar cells. Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.Russian Foundation for Basic Research, RFBR: 18-33-00103-mol_aRussian Science Foundation, RSF: 18-13-00409The research was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 18-13-00409). Y.A.K would like to acknowledge the financial support for the part of the synthetic section from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (research project no. 18-33-00103-mol_a). The authors are grateful to Grigory A. Kim for carrying out the DFT calculations, which were performed by using “Uran” supercomputer of the Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. NMR experiments were carried out by using equipment of the Center for Joint Use “Spectroscopy and Analysis of Organic Compounds” at the Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

THE FACTORS OF CELLULAR REGULATION OF THE UTERUS CONTRACTIVE ACTIVITY BY PHYSIOLOGICAL ACT OF DELIVERY AND BY UTERINE INERTIA

Purpose. To develop a method of prediction of primary uterine inertia on the basis of study of cytokine and vasoactive bioregulator content dynamics.Materials and methods. The material for the research was blood of women taken in the end of gestation (38-40 weeks) and also in the I period of delivery over time from 23 women with physiological act of delivery and from 19 – with uterine inertia.Results. By primary uterine inertia there is an increase of relaxin production by 2 times and a decrease of TNF-α production: before delivery – by 1.5 times, during delivery – by 2 times, relative to the data by physiological delivery. Differently directed changes of TGF-β1 and IL-1β content – increase of the first one and decrease of the second one – are one of the reasons of low generation of nitric oxide as a result of reduction of NO-synthase activity under the action of these cytokines. High level of relaxin neutralizes the endogenous oxytocin action and the decrease of TNF-α and nitric oxide production causes changes in the content of intracellular calcium in myometrium cells.Summary: The detected character of the intracellular regulation disturbance of the uterus contractive activity is a basis for the development of uterine inertia

Применение гуселькумаба при псориатическом артрите: данные реальной клинической практики

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, spine and enthesis from the group of spondyloarthritis that develops in patients with psoriasis. Guselkumab is a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, an inhibitor of interleukin 23, which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of plaque psoriasis and PsA.Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of guselkumab treatment in PsA patients.Patients and methods. The study included 16 patients with PsA. All patients received 100 mg of guselkumab subcutaneously at weeks 0, 4, 12, 20. Disease activity and treatment efficacy were assessed at weeks 0, 12 and 24 using the DAS28, ASDAS, BASDAI, DAPSA activity indices, the index of the extent and severity of psoriasis PASI.Results and discussion. During treatment, patients with PsA showed a pronounced positive dynamics of the indices of disease activity and an improvement in the skin condition. Before the treatment with guselkumab, the mean value of the DAS28 index was 4.26±0.64, DAPSA – 37.94±9.45, ASDAS – 2.7±0.65, and BASDAI – 5.49±1.39, after 12 weeks of treatment these indicators decreased to 3.03±0.49; 17.06±4.58; 1.64±0.33 and 3.48±0.66, respectively, and after 24 weeks (after the 4th injection) – to 2.32±0.18; 11.31±2.18; 1.22±0.27 and 2.62±0.78, respectively (p<0.05 for all cases). Before treatment, the average PASI index reached 30.99±15.43, after 12 weeks – 4.55±4.82, and after 24 weeks – 1.05±1.46 (p<0.05). During treatment, a significant improvement in the main manifestations of the disease was noted: regression of peripheral arthritis, spondylitis, and skin rashes.The treatment was well tolerated during the 24 weeks of the study, and no serious adverse events were reported.Conclusion. The data from real clinical practice indicate that guselkumab is highly effective and safe in the treatment of PsA.Псориатический артрит (ПсА) – хроническое воспалительное заболевание суставов, позвоночника и энтезисов из группы спондилоартритов, развивающееся у больных псориазом. Гуселькумаб – генно-инженерный биологический препарат, ингибитор интерлейкина 23, показавший эффективность в терапии бляшечного псориаза и ПсА.Цель исследования – оценка эффективности лечения гуселькумабом больных ПсА.Пациенты и методы. В исследование включено 16 пациентов с ПсА. Все пациенты получали гуселькумаб в дозе 100 мг подкожно на неделях 0, 4, 12, 20. Оценка активности заболевания и эффективности лечения осуществлялась на неделях 0, 12 и 24 с применением индексов активности DAS28, ASDAS, BASDAI, DAPSA, индекса распространенности и тяжести псориаза – PASI.Результаты и обсуждение. В ходе лечения у больных ПсА наблюдались выраженная положительная динамика индексов активности заболевания и улучшение состояния кожи. Если до начала лечения гуселькумабом среднее значение индекса DAS28 составляло 4,26±0,64, DAPSA – 37,94±9,45, ASDAS – 2,7±0,65 и BASDAI – 5,49±1,39, то через 12 нед произошло снижение этих показателей до 3,03±0,49; 17,06±4,58; 1,64±0,33 и 3,48±0,66 соответственно, а через 24 нед (после 4-й инъекций) – уже до 2,32±0,18; 11,31±2,18; 1,22±0,27 и 2,62±0,78 соответственно (p<0,05 для всех случаев). До начала лечения среднее значение индекса PASI достигало 30,99±15,43, через 12 нед – 4,55±4,82 и через 24 нед – 1,05±1,46 (p<0,05). На фоне лечения отмечено значительное улучшение основных проявлений заболевания: регресс периферического артрита, спондилита и кожных высыпаний.На протяжении 24 нед исследования переносимость терапии была хорошей, серьезных нежелательных явлений не зарегистрировано.Заключение. Данные, полученные в условиях реальной клинической практики, свидетельствуют о высокой эффективности и безопасности гуселькумаба при лечении ПсА

On the Issue of Universal Practical Skills of Teachers of Secondary Vocational Education

В условиях массовой цифровизации и четвертой промышленной революции перед системой среднего профессионального образования (СПО) в Российской Федерации стоят задачи по подготовке специалистов, готовых к будущим изменениям в профессиональной сфере. В статье рассматриваются универсальные навыки, необходимые педагогам СПО для создания эффективного образовательного процесса при подготовке специалистов рабочих профессий. Авторы выделяют такие ключевые фигуры процесса обучения как педагог теоретического обучения и мастер производственного обучения и обосновывают необходимость профессионального взаимодействия между специалистами.In the context of mass digitalization and the fourth industrial revolution, the system of secondary vocational education (SVE) in the Russian Federation is faced with the task of training specialists who are ready for future changes in the professional field. The article discusses the universal skills necessary for teachers of secondary vocational education to create an effective educational process in the preparation of blue-collar workers. The authors identify such key figures in the learning process as a teacher of theoretical training and a master of industrial training and substantiate the need for professional interaction between specialists

The change in the inclination angle of the non-eclipsing binary SS Lacertae: future eclipses

Eclipses in the 14.4-day period double-lined binary SS Lac were observed photographically and visually early in the 20th century, but stopped some 50 or 60 years ago. This has been explained by the presence of a distant third star in the system, which has now been detected spectroscopically with a period of 679 days. The plane of the orbit of the binary is changing relative to the line of sight in response to perturbations from this third object. A recent analysis by Milone et al. (M00) of all photometric material available for the system, including a re-measurement of original Harvard plates, has confirmed earlier reports of changes in the depth of the eclipses as a function of time, which are due to the third star. In this paper we discuss our detailed analysis of the eclipse amplitude measurements, and extract from them information on the change in the inclination angle of the binary over the last century. Our use of a much improved ephemeris for the system by Torres & Stefanik was found to be crucial, and prompted us to re-determine all the amplitudes from the historical data at our disposal, including the Harvard material used by M00. Systematically lower measurements on the branches of the minima were properly accounted for, and we made use of both a linear approximation to the time variation of the inclination angle and a more realistic model based on the theory of three-body interactions ("regression of the nodes" effect). The nodal cycle is found to be about 600 yr, within which TWO eclipse "seasons" occur, each lasting about 100 yr. The non-eclipsing status of the system is expected to continue until the beginning of the 23rd century.Comment: 32 pages, including figures and tables. Accepted for The Astronomical Journal, April 200