34 research outputs found

    «ПЕСНЮ ДРУЖБЫ ЗАПЕВАЕТ МОЛОДЕЖЬ»

    Get PDF
    This article examines the main stages of the development of international youth tourism in the USSR in the period between the 1957 and 1985 World Festivals of Youth and Students. These were held in Moscow and marked the nodal points of international youth policy in general and international tourism in particular. The focus of this research is on the activities of the “Sputnik” International Youth Tourism Bureau as it welcomed foreign youth (primarily on excursions) and served them a diet of ideology. These young people represented a specific audience due to their age and psychological characteristics. The Bureau’s techniques of hospitality and propagandistic influence went beyond the formation of momentary positive impressions from the trip. The long-term effect was more important, since young foreign tourists (especially from Western countries) would potentially be joining the ranks of the political, economic and intellectual elite of their countries in the future; this could be the key to creating a more balanced attitude towards our country and the basis for improving the policy of “peaceful coexistence” between the two socio-political systems. International youth tourism, as a “synthetic” form of youth policy, was considered by the Soviet leadership as a promising branch of “people’s diplomacy”, an important channel for positioning the Soviet Union in the world community. It is noted that youth tourism took its first steps within the structure of Intourist, but over the years it acquired its own forms and mechanisms of presenting Soviet reality in the foreign youth environment

    Application of Antimicrobial Peptides of the Innate Immune System in Combination With Conventional Antibiotics—A Novel Way to Combat Antibiotic Resistance?

    Get PDF
    Rapidly growing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to conventional antibiotics leads to inefficiency of traditional approaches of countering infections and determines the urgent need for a search of fundamentally new anti-infective drugs. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of the innate immune system are promising candidates for a role of such novel antibiotics. However, some cytotoxicity of AMPs toward host cells limits their active implementation in medicine and forces attempts to design numerous structural analogs of the peptides with optimized properties. An alternative route for the successful AMPs introduction may be their usage in combination with conventional antibiotics. Synergistic antibacterial effects have been reported for a number of such combinations, however, the molecular mechanisms of the synergy remain poorly understood and little is known whether AMPs cytotoxicy for the host cells increases upon their application with antibiotics. Our study is directed to examination of a combined action of natural AMPs with different structure and mode of action (porcine protegrin 1, caprine bactenecin ChBac3.4, human alpha- and beta-defensins (HNP-1, HNP-4, hBD-2, hBD-3), human cathelicidin LL-37), and egg white lysozyme with varied antibiotic agents (gentamicin, ofloxacin, oxacillin, rifampicin, polymyxin B, silver nanoparticles) toward selected bacteria, including drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains, as well as toward some mammalian cells (human erythrocytes, PBMC, neutrophils, murine peritoneal macrophages and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells). Using “checkerboard titrations” for fractional inhibitory concentration indexes evaluation, it was found that synergy in antibacterial action mainly occurs between highly membrane-active AMPs (e.g., protegrin 1, hBD-3) and antibiotics with intracellular targets (e.g., gentamicin, rifampcin), suggesting bioavailability increase as the main model of such interaction. In some combinations modulation of dynamics of AMP-bacterial membrane interaction in presence of the antibiotic was also shown. Cytotoxic effects of the same combinations toward normal eukaryotic cells were rarely synergistic. The obtained data approve that combined application of antimicrobial peptides with antibiotics or other antimicrobials is a promising strategy for further development of new approach for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria by usage of AMP-based therapeutics. Revealing the conventional antibiotics that increase the activity of human endogenous AMPs against particular pathogens is also important for cure strategies elaboration

    Live cell immunogold labelling of RNA polymerase II

    Get PDF
    Labeling nuclear proteins with electron dense probes in living cells has been a major challenge due to their inability to penetrate into nuclei. We developed a lipid-based approach for delivering antibodies coupled to 0.8 nm ultrasmall gold particles into the nucleus to label RNA polymerase II. Focussed Ion Beam slicing coupled to Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB/SEM) enabled visualization of entire cells with probe localization accuracy in the 10 nm range

    Design, Performance, and Calibration of CMS Hadron Endcap Calorimeters

    Get PDF
    Detailed measurements have been made with the CMS hadron calorimeter endcaps (HE) in response to beams of muons, electrons, and pions. Readout of HE with custom electronics and hybrid photodiodes (HPDs) shows no change of performance compared to readout with commercial electronics and photomultipliers. When combined with lead-tungstenate crystals, an energy resolution of 8\% is achieved with 300 GeV/c pions. A laser calibration system is used to set the timing and monitor operation of the complete electronics chain. Data taken with radioactive sources in comparison with test beam pions provides an absolute initial calibration of HE to approximately 4\% to 5\%

    XXII letnie olimpiiskie igry

    No full text
    Dans cet article l’auteur étudie les Jeux olympiques de 1980 par le prisme des succès et des échecs de la politique sportive et culturelle de l’URSS. Sur la base de documents d’archives totalement inédits et des études les plus récentes, l’auteur montre que les JO 1980, mégaprojet du socialisme développé, ont su transmettre à l’auditoire étranger les objectifs de base de la propagande. Le boycott des JO 1980 n’a pas véritablement affecté le développement du tourisme international en URSS et, à partir de 1982, un processus de rétablissement des contacts sportifs internationaux s’est mis en place. Mais les JO de Moscou ne pouvaient constituer en eux‑mêmes un projet commun pour l’ensemble du camp socialiste. La situation était beaucoup plus difficile en ce qui concernait la mise sur le marché international des marchandises soviétiques, l’attractivité du marché soviétique pour les investisseurs étrangers et l’acquisition de nouveaux alliés politiques. L’étude des JO de Moscou en tant que mégaprojet dont la réalisation s’est étalée sur un cycle olympique permet de mettre au jour les singularités de la diplomatie (nationale) culturelle soviétique et de montrer en quoi celle‑ci se distinguait de celle des pays occidentaux.This article studies the 1980 Olympic Games from the viewpoint of the Soviet sport and cultural policy. Using unpublished archival documents and the latest studies on the topic, the author demonstrates that the 1980 Summer Olympics, a megaproject of developed socialism, succeeded in conveying its basic propagandistic objectives to a foreign audience. Despite the boycott, whose consequences hardly affected the development of international tourism in the Soviet Union, international sports contacts started to be restored in 1982. However, the Moscow Olympics could not be a common project for the countries of the socialist camp. The situation was worse as concerns the promotion abroad of Soviet goods, the attraction of international investors and the acquisition of new political allies. Showing the 1980 Olympics as a megaproject whose implementation lasted over the course of an Olympic cycle allows the author to reveal the characteristics that distinguished Soviet cultural (national) diplomacy from that of Western countries

    Transnational Recreation Industry and the Modern State

    No full text
    The article based on the touristic transnational corporations’ activity in Russian is dedicated to not only negative but also positive sides of interaction between Russian business and power institutions. Talking about transnational corporation in toutistic sphere we should consider at least three factors: internationalization and globalization of intertational tourism; connected with this factor tranformation of transnational corporations’ structure and functions in recreational industry; specificity of so-called «soft power» implementation in the area of state and transnational business interaction. Unification of consumers’ attitudes equally as common cultural values coming from globalization are able to not only simplify the organization of international touristic business but also put to use this business as the channel of “cultural diplomacy”. Herewith the authors are invocating to treat with caution with the concept of “soft power”: commercial aims of touristic companies’ activity predominate over humanitarian duties and balance between state and private interests is not an easy course. This fact set the whole complex of obstacles in analysis of peer interaction especially in forming (or redesigning) and promoting of state image on the world stage. The authors try to overcome these obstacles and show why and whereby resource potential of foreign (needless to say about Russian ones) transnational corporations could be used for forming and promoting of Russian Federation’s positive image on the world stage

    Революция и социальная справедливость : Ожидания и реальность (« Письма во власть » 1917-1927 годов)*

    No full text
    Aleksandr Ia. Livshin, Igor' B. Orlov, Revolution and social justice: expectations and reality ("Letters to the authorities" 1917-1927). The phrase "letters to the authorities" refers to the various forms of appeal to the powers that be by the people during the post-revolutionary period (letters, complaints, petitions, denunciations). These letters constitute an important source for the study of social history and for the history of how people think. They were a means of dialogue between society and the authorities, an important means of communication within the "state — people" relationship during the Soviet period. The extent to which so basic a concept as that of justice is represented in people's minds is indicative of the changes that took place within popular consciousness during the first post-revolutionary decade. The perception of justice in various social groups was globally unstable, contradictory, and fluctuating. This reflected the deep social, political and cultural changes of the time.Aleksandr Ja. Livšin, Igor' B. Orlov, Révolution et justice sociale : espérances et réalité (Les « lettres aux dirigeants », 1917-1 927). Les « lettres aux dirigeants » — terme qui désigne différentes formes d'adresse aux autorités de la part des citoyens pendant la période postrévolutionnaire (lettres, doléances, requêtes, dénonciations) — sont des documents importants pour l'étude de l'histoire sociale et de l'histoire des mentalités. Elles ont constitué un mode de gestion du dialogue entre la société et l'État, un moyen essentiel de communication à l'intérieur du rapport « dirigeants — population », ainsi qu'une forme spécifique de rapports de pouvoirs pendant la période soviétique. La façon dont un concept aussi fondamental que celui de la justice se reflète dans les mentalités montre les changements qui étaient survenus dans la conscience collective pendant la première décennie qui suivit la révolution. Dans son ensemble, la perception de la justice par les différents groupes sociaux était instable, contradictoire et changeante, reflétant ainsi le processus des profondes transformations sociales, politiques et culturelles de l'époque.Orlov Igor' B., Livshin Aleksandr Ja. Революция и социальная справедливость : Ожидания и реальность (« Письма во власть » 1917-1927 годов)*. In: Cahiers du monde russe : Russie, Empire russe, Union soviétique, États indépendants, vol. 39, n°4, Octobre-décembre 1998. pp. 487-513

    Systematics and biogeography of the subantarctic <i>Leptusa</i> (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Homalotini)

    No full text
    Leptusa atriceps and L. antarctica, flightess representatives of the nearly global genus Leptusa in the remote and widely distributed subantarctic islands, are taxonomically revised. Identity and the widely disjunct distribution of L. atriceps on Falkland, South Georgia, Marion, Crozet and Kerguelen Islands are confirmed. Leptusa antarctica is found to be a complex of five species restricted to the subantarctic islands of New Zealand. Two of these species, L. sparsepunctata and L. nesiotes are here reinstated from synonymy and two others, Leptusa insulae sp. nov. and Leptusa steeli sp. nov., are described as new to science. The monophyly of subantarctic Leptusa species united in the subgenus Halmaeusa was determined by a phylogenetic study of five exemplar homalotine genera and 17 representatives of Leptusa from South America and the Holarctic based on 76 adult morphological characters. Phylogenetic placement of Halmaeusa was not firmly established. Nanoglossa, a temperate South American subgenus of Leptusa was found as a possible sister group to Halmaeusa. The distribution of Halmaeusa species with two to four species that occur sympatrically on Campbell and Auckland Islands, and other species distributed across several remote islands, provides a framework for future biogeographic study of the subantarctic Leptusa. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:82509B9D-4BF6-47E1-B6F7-396ED193A0FA; http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:40A3D6FC-27FF-4070-88CA-1B519ABE760A</p

    Climate change in Eastern Taimyr over the last 80 years and the warming impact on biodiversity and ecosystem processes in its territory

    No full text
    The analysis of long-term changes of mean annual temperatures and the active temperature sum over 80 years was carried out using data of the Khatanga meteorological station. Since the 1990s, an essential warming was observed, especially after 2000. The warming influence on vegetation takes place immediately (the ecosystem composition changes due to the degradation of cryogenic processes) as well as directly by increasing the time of the vegetation period and the total amount of heat on plants. As a result, in the last few years, the lead of phenological phenomena terms is observed – the time of foliage expansion and efflorescence of plants-indicators, geese arriving, mosquitos appearance, ice thawing. By long term monitoring data, the moving of some north-taiga plant species to forest tundra and tundra is observed, as well as their establishing in vegetation communities. However, at this moment, the character of the vegetation is stable. The occurrence of taiga animals is increased in tundra and forest tundra. An active revival of larch is observed in forest tundra and north sparse forests. A removing forest border to the north is not observed, but in the southern mountains of Taimyr its replacing on higher levels could be seen. A decreasing summer precipitation quantity increases the possibility of forest fires, spring and bog drying. It influences negatively on bog flora and near-water fauna. It is possible, that the main reason of the local climate change at the East of Taimyr is less connected to the global planet change, but much more to pulsations of the strong Siberian anticyclone

    First Data on the Age and Growth of Schmidt’s cod <i>Lepidion schmidti</i> (Moridae) from Waters of the Emperor Seamounts (Northwestern Pacific)

    No full text
    This study presents the first data of growth and age of Schmidt’s cod Lepidion schmidti, a rare and poorly studied member of the Moridae family (Gadiformes, Teleostei). The research was focused on the Emperor Seamounts area with the aim of investigating the age, growth rates, and longevity of this species. The analysis involved examining annual growth increments on sagittal otoliths. Data were taken from longline catches in 2014 and 2016, resulting in the collection of 140 individuals and the use of 70 otoliths for age determination. The results revealed that Schmidt’s cod can live for up to 49 years, with a mean age of 31.5 years in the catches. The relationship between body weight and total length was described by a power function, indicating positive allometric growth. The most suitable growth model for this species was determined to be the Von Bertalanffy growth equation. These results provide valuable insights to add to the limited knowledge of growth and age in the Moridae family and emphasize the long lifespan and slow growth of Schmidt’s cod
    corecore