LIVE BROADCAST: DEVELOPING PERCEPTUAL SKILLS

The article is targeted at the difficulties arising in English-language class while working with the TV news content in live broadcast. The article describes some necessary competences and skills, which students should have at various stages for an effective perception of the TV news and other programs transmitted life. Gradual methodology is offered as to acquiring skills by the students regarding comprehension of the above TV programs

Electrochemical Properties of Carbon Aerogel Electrodes: Dependence on Synthesis Temperature

A series of carbon aerogels (C-AGs) were prepared by the pyrolysis of resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels at 700–1100 °C as potential supercapacitor electrodes, and their texture and electrochemical properties were determined. The specific surface area of all C-AGs was in the range of 700–760 m2/g, their electron conductivity increased linearly from 0.4 to 4.46 S/cm with an increase of the pyrolysis temperature. The specific capacitance of electrode material based on C-AGs reached 100 F/g in sulfuric acid and could be realized at a 2 A/g charge-discharge current, which makes it possible to use carbon aerogels as electrode materials

3D Neuronal Cell Culture Modeling Based on Highly Porous Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene

Cell culturing methods in its classical 2D approach have limitations associated with altered cell morphology, gene expression patterns, migration, cell cycle and proliferation. Moreover, high throughput drug screening is mainly performed on 2D cell cultures which are physiologically far from proper cell functions resulting in inadequate hit-compounds which subsequently fail. A shift to 3D culturing protocols could solve issues with altered cell biochemistry and signaling which would lead to a proper recapitulation of physiological conditions in test systems. Here, we examined porous ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) as an inexpensive and robust material with varying pore sizes for cell culturing. We tested and developed culturing protocols for immortalized human neuroblastoma and primary mice hippocampal cells which resulted in high rate of cell penetration within one week of cultivation. UHMWPE was additionally functionalized with gelatin, poly-L-lysine, BSA and chitosan, resulting in increased cell penetrations of the material. We have also successfully traced GFP-tagged cells which were grown on a UHMWPE sample after one week from implantation into mice brain. Our findings highlight the importance of UHMWPE use as a 3D matrix and show new possibilities arising from the use of cheap and chemically homogeneous material for studying various types of cell-surface interactions further improving cell adhesion, viability and biocompatibility

(Table 1) Mean annual ground temperatures and description of permafrost boreholes in Russia

The results of the International Permafrost Association's International Polar Year Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) project are presented based on field measurements from Russia during the IPY years (2007-09) and collected historical data. Most ground temperatures measured in existing and new boreholes show a substantial warming during the last 20 to 30 years. The magnitude of the warming varied with location, but was typically from 0.5°C to 2°C at the depth of zero annual amplitude. Thawing of Little Ice Age permafrost is ongoing at many locations. There are some indications that the late Holocene permafrost has begun to thaw at some undisturbed locations in northeastern Europe and northwest Siberia. Thawing of permafrost is most noticeable within the discontinuous permafrost domain. However, permafrost in Russia is also starting to thaw at some limited locations in the continuous permafrost zone. As a result, a northward displacement of the boundary between continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones was observed. This data set will serve as a baseline against which to measure changes of near-surface permafrost temperatures and permafrost boundaries, to validate climate model scenarios, and for temperature reanalysis