THE RANGE OF COMMUNICATION TOPICS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN THE INTERNET COMMUNITIES

Purpose of the study: This study discusses questions associated with the analysis of the most relevant communication topics of sight-disabled people in the Internet communities. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with a form of vision disorder. For solving a broad range of social problems of the sight-disabled, interest-based virtual social communities are created in the global internet network. By analyzing the content of these communities, one can judge about the most relevant topics of interest for sight-disabled people. Methodology: In this work, search and study of the Internet communities of sight-disabled people have been conducted in the VK (Russia)] social network. Using the Popsters service of analytics of social network posts and pages, the authors have analyzed the content of the said communities and identified the most relevant topics for this category of citizens. In the research, the hypothesis was used about a stable and significant statistical relation existing between the activity of users in the Internet communities associated with a particular topic and the level of significance of the selected topic for them. Main Findings: The development of information and communication technologies promotes socialization and integration of sight-disabled people into the civic society. The Internet communities of sight-disabled people focused on various topics are registered in the VK social network. The state has to more extensively support and develop technologies contributing to socialization and integration of sight-disabled people into the civic society. Applications of this study: The research findings can be of interest for specialists dealing with problems of socialization and social adaptation of people having vision limitations. Novelty/Originality of this study: It has been found that the Internet communities with the user-supplemented content have the highest quantity of users registered. The topics range of posts in these Internet communities is quite diverse. Posts asserting the traditional life principles: compassion, assistance, overcoming difficulties – win the highest users' response

Brand Platform as an Element of a Company Marketing Strategy

Abstract- The gist of this article boils down to the comprehensive understanding of the company brand by consumers of linguistic services in a turbulent competition. Development of a brand platform is a stage in building a marketing strategy, which is the foundation for creating a brand. The effective marketing strategy of the company should include the stage of developing a brand platform and be at the forefront in importance, among other issues. And how the company promotes itself in the market, how it promotes itself in the minds of consumers, partners, suppliers, and the media will determine the successful achievement of its strategic goals. Despite the crisis situation, difficult political situation and high rates of foreign currencies, there is still a need for the population to learn English. In this regard, the formation of a marketing strategy and its brand platform of the linguistic center in this market are important, because without it the market will belong exclusively to competitors. Based on the brand platform, the company management understands what consumers are interested in and plans a policy for further development. As part of the marketing strategy a brand platform was proposed for the company. Based on the selected target segment, positioning was carried out based on three points of differentiation: the result for everyone, the simplicity and uniqueness of the methodology and the learning speed. Final positioning concept is formulated in the paper

Glucocorticoid Negative Feedback in Regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Rhesus Monkeys With Various Types of Adaptive Behavior: Individual and Age-Related Differences

The study of the mechanisms underlying the increased vulnerability of the individual to stressful environmental factors in different age periods is of great relevance for prevention and effective treatment of stress-dependent diseases that are widespread in the population of aging individuals. The purpose of our study was to investigate the individual and age-related features of the glucocorticoid negative feedback in regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the key adaptive neuroendocrine system, in experiments with physically healthy young and old female rhesus monkeys with administration of mineracorticoid receptor (fludrocortisone) and glucocorticoid receptor (dexamethasone) agonists. We studied the monkeys with increased trait anxiety and depression-like behavior (DAB) characterized, as previously was shown, by the increased vulnerability to acute stress and the animals with normal standard behavior (SB) as the control. The pronounced individual differences in the reaction of HPA axis to fludrocortisone and dexamethasone in young animals were found. Young animals with DAB showed a lower sensitivity of HPA axis to the inhibitory effect of both fludrocortisone and dexamethasone compared with young animals with SB. At the same time, there were no significant intergroup differences in the concentration of ACTH and cortisol in response to placebo injection, i.e., in basal conditions. The old individuals with DAB demonstrated the essential relative resistance of HPA axis to fludrocortisone test and higher basal plasma levels of cortisol and ACTH in the evening (the period of HPA axis low circadian activity) compared to old SB animals. In the same time, the intergroup differences in the response of HPA axis to dexamethasone administration were leveled due to age-related increase in sensitivity of HPA axis to dexamethasone in animals with DAB. These data testify the pronounced intergroup and age differences in the feedback regulation of HPA axis, presumably resulting from unequal individual, and age-related changes in the activity of mineralcorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors in the brain structures supporting the functions of HPA axis. The maximum age disorders in functioning of the negative feedback mechanism in the regulation of HPA axis are characteristic of animals with DAB, which, apparently, underlie the increased vulnerability of these animals to stress exposure

Investing in nature: analysis of the relationship between environmental capital and economic growth

This paper analyzes an important and urgent problem that is the relationship between investments in nature, represented by environmental capital and economic growth. In the context of sustainable development and environmental conservation, interest in this topic is becoming increasingly significant. The paper examines the main theoretical concepts related to the impact of environmental capital on the economy, as well as presents the results of empirical studies confirming or refuting hypotheses about the positive impact of investments in nature on economic growth. This analysis allows us to identify key aspects of the interaction between environmental capital and economic development, which can serve as a basis for the development of effective strategies and policies in the field of sustainable development. The article also analyzes various approaches to measuring environmental capital and its impact on economic growth, taking into account the specifics of different regions and countries. Examples of successful investment strategies in nature are discussed, as well as obstacles and challenges facing the adoption of such measures

A 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative reduces DNA damage and stimulates DNA repair in human cells in vitro

Abstract Compounds of the 1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) series have been shown to reduce spontaneous, alkylation-and radiationinduced mutation rates in animal test systems. Here we report studies using AV-153, the 1,4-DHP derivative that showed the highest antimutagenic activity in those tests, to examine if it modulates DNA repair in human peripheral blood lymphocytes and in two human lymphoblastoid cell lines, Raji and HL-60. AV-153 caused a 50% inhibition of growth (IC 50 ) of Raji and HL-60 cells at 14.9 ± 1.2 and 10.3 ± 0.8 mM, respectively, but did not show a cytotoxic effect at concentrations <100 M. Alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assays showed that AV-153 reduced the number of DNA strand breaks in untreated cells and also in cells exposed to 2 Gy of gamma-radiation, 100 M ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS), or 100 M H 2 O 2 . DNA damage was reduced by up to 87% at AV-153 concentrations between 1 and 10 nM, and a positive dose-effect relationship was seen between 0.01 and 1 nM. Comparison of the kinetics of DNA strand-break rejoining in the presence and absence of AV-153 revealed a considerable influence on the rate of repair. In view of the resemblance of this compound's structure to that of dihydronicotinamide, a substrate for poly(ADP-rybose)polymerase, the modulation of DNA repair by AV-153 could involve an influence on poly(ADP)ribosylation

Kratki pregled genotoksičnoga i genoprotektivnoga djelovanja derivata 1,4-dihidropiridina

This review summarises current knowledge about the genotoxic and genoprotective effects of 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHP) with the main focus on the water-soluble 1,4-DHPs. Most of these water-soluble compounds manifest very low calcium channel blocking activity, which is considered “unusual” for 1,4-DHPs. Glutapyrone, diludine, and AV-153 decrease spontaneous mutagenesis and frequency of mutations induced by chemical mutagens. AV-153, glutapyrone, and carbatones protect DNA against the damage produced by hydrogen peroxide, radiation, and peroxynitrite. The ability of these molecules to bind to the DNA may not be the only mechanism of DNA protection, as other mechanisms such as radical scavenging or binding to other genotoxic compounds may take place and enhance DNA repair. These uncertainties and reports of high 1,4-DHP concentrations damaging the DNA call for further in vitro and in vivo preclinical research, pharmacokinetic in particular, as it can help pinpoint the exact mechanism(s) of the genotoxic and/or genoprotective action of 1,4-DHPs.Ovaj pregledni rad donosi sažetak onoga što smo dosad naučili o genotoksičnom i genoprotektivnom djelovanju 1,4-dihidropiridina (DHP), s posebnom pažnjom na 1,4-DHP-ove topljive u vodi. Većina tih u vodi topljivih spojeva slabo aktivira blokiranje kalcijevih kanala, što se smatra “neuobičajenim” za 1,4-DHP-ove. Glutapiron, diludin i AV-153 ublažavaju spontanu mutagenezu i učestalost mutacija prouzročene kemijskim mutagenima. AV-153, glutapiron i karbatoni štite DNA od oštećenja prouzročenih vodikovim peroksidom, zračenjem i peroksinitritom. Sposobnost tih molekula da se vežu za DNA vjerojatno nije jedini mehanizam njegove zaštite, budući da su mogući i drugi mehanizmi, poput uklanjanja radikala ili vezanja za druge genotoksične spojeve koji pospješuju popravak DNA. Zbog tih nepoznanica i izvještaja da visoke koncentracije 1,4-DHP-ova oštećuju DNA, potrebno je napraviti daljnja neklinička istraživanja in vitro i in vivo, napose ona farmakokinetička, budući da mogu pomoći razaznati točne mehanizme genotoksičnoga i/ili genoprotektivnoga djelovanja derivata 1,4-dihidropiridina

Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology

We present an extensive, large-scale, long-term and multitaxon database on phenological and climatic variation, involving 506,186 observation dates acquired in 471 localities in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The data cover the period 1890-2018, with 96% of the data being from 1960 onwards. The database is rich in plants, birds and climatic events, but also includes insects, amphibians, reptiles and fungi. The database includes multiple events per species, such as the onset days of leaf unfolding and leaf fall for plants, and the days for first spring and last autumn occurrences for birds. The data were acquired using standardized methods by permanent staff of national parks and nature reserves (87% of the data) and members of a phenological observation network (13% of the data). The database is valuable for exploring how species respond in their phenology to climate change. Large-scale analyses of spatial variation in phenological response can help to better predict the consequences of species and community responses to climate change.Peer reviewe

Phenological shifts of abiotic events, producers and consumers across a continent

Ongoing climate change can shift organism phenology in ways that vary depending on species, habitats and climate factors studied. To probe for large-scale patterns in associated phenological change, we use 70,709 observations from six decades of systematic monitoring across the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Among 110 phenological events related to plants, birds, insects, amphibians and fungi, we find a mosaic of change, defying simple predictions of earlier springs, later autumns and stronger changes at higher latitudes and elevations. Site mean temperature emerged as a strong predictor of local phenology, but the magnitude and direction of change varied with trophic level and the relative timing of an event. Beyond temperature-associated variation, we uncover high variation among both sites and years, with some sites being characterized by disproportionately long seasons and others by short ones. Our findings emphasize concerns regarding ecosystem integrity and highlight the difficulty of predicting climate change outcomes. The authors use systematic monitoring across the former USSR to investigate phenological changes across taxa. The long-term mean temperature of a site emerged as a strong predictor of phenological change, with further imprints of trophic level, event timing, site, year and biotic interactions.Peer reviewe