An Alternative Pathway of Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation in the Absence of Interleukin-17 Receptor A Signaling

Topical application of imiquimod (IMQ) on the skin of mice induces inflammation with common features found in psoriatic skin. Recently, it was postulated that IL-17 has an important role both in psoriasis and in the IMQ model. To further investigate the impact of IL-17RA signaling in psoriasis, we generated IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA)–deficient mice (IL-17RAdel) and challenged these mice with IMQ. Interestingly, the disease was only partially reduced and delayed but not abolished when compared with controls. In the absence of IL-17RA, we found persisting signs of inflammation such as neutrophil and macrophage infiltration within the skin. Surprisingly, already in the naive state, the skin of IL-17RAdel mice contained significantly elevated numbers of Th17- and IL-17-producing γδ T cells, assuming that IL-17RA signaling regulates the population size of Th17 and γδ T cells. Upon IMQ treatment of IL-17RAdel mice, these cells secreted elevated amounts of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and IL-22, accompanied by increased levels of the chemokine CXCL2, suggesting an alternative pathway of neutrophil and macrophage skin infiltration. Hence, our findings have major implications in the potential long-term treatment of psoriasis by IL-17-targeting drugs

FEATURES OF COGNITIVE ACTIVENESS OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS IN RUSSIA

There has been a decrease of the activeness in the sphere of self-improvement among specialists. It can be assumed that this happens with university teachers as well, and the reason for this might be the fall of their cognitive activeness. The author of the article determines the particularity of the cognitive activeness, its most valuable indicators, as well as their psychological factors. The objective is to reveal the peculiarities of cognitive activeness for further scientific justification of the ways of its development. The questionnaire and the experiment methods were used, the cognitive activeness of the teachers was measured with the scale-type survey, worked out by J. J. Zhukov; the satisfaction with the performance was measured with the expert assessments survey, worked out by G. V. Lozovaja; the pedagogical abilities, the motives of professional activity, the successfulness of the performance and the adaptation to it were determined by the A. N. Nikolaev´s surveys. The main results are the following: the components of cognitive activeness dominate – the integration of educational material, supra-situational activity, the interest in cognition. The components of cognitive activeness have an impact on all indicators of teachers' adaptability. Three types of teachers have been identified: those motivated to the success of their activity; those motivated to the process itself; and those who are passionate about their activities. These types correspond to the results of the factor analysis with factors that are focused on the profession and self-improvement through cognitive activeness, on the activity preference based on one´s interests, and on the success of the activity according to one´s abilities.