Development of cross-border tourist and recreational regions on the Karelian section of the Russian-Finnish border

Despite that fact that cross-border tourism and recreation in the Baltic Sea Region have been extensively studied, there are still areas, which require further research. The aim of this article is to identify regions having active cross-border tourism and recreation in the adjacent territories of Finland and the Republic of Karelia. The authors propose to use an indicator characterizing the volume of incoming tourist flows. The number of tourists is not only indicative of the development of cross-border tourism and recreation; it is also one of the main criteria for determining the degree of the formation of cross-border regions. Using the statistics for Finland, the authors analyzed the geography of tourism in Finland's border areas and identified the degree of intensity of cross-border tourism exchange between the neighbouring administrative units of the two countries. The article also examines other tendencies indicative of the formation and development of cross-border tourism and recreation regions along the Russian-Finnish border. The authors identified three cross-border tourism and recreation regions of different development levels: South Karelia, Middle Karelia and North Karelia. South Karelia is a mesoregion with the average annual tourist exchange of about 100 thousand people, which is the average level of tourism development. The total volume of cross-border tourist flows from and to other cross-border tourist and recreation regions is about 30 thousand people per year. Middle Karelia microregion ranks second and is followed by the North Karelian microregion. The authors conclude that these two microregions are at the initial stage of their formation and, therefore, can be regarded as parts of one microregion - Russian-Finnish Northern microregion

Marketing activity in the context of the digital economy

Purpose: The presented article aims to identify and assess the prospects of construction companies' marketing activities in the digital economy. Design/Methodology/Approach: For the description of the construction companies'marketing activities prospects in the digital economy it is necessary: first, to determine the specifics of the construction companies marketing activities; second, to assess the trends in the digital economy development in relation to the construction product promotion; third, to determine the directions of construction marketing development. Findings: For the estimating of the construction companies'marketing activities prospects in the digital economy the basic principles of the choice of the construction product making by the target consumers have been identified, the analysis of the efforts of construction companies marketing activities and potential buyers in the digital space has been carried. The authors systematized the basic directions of the development of construction companies' marketing activities in the digital economy. Practical Implications: The research results may be implemented into managerial practices in order to improve and increase the efficiency of construction companies' marketing activities. Originality/Value: The main contribution of this study is the assessment of the basic trends of development of construction companies'marketing activities in the digital economy, on the basis of which specific events of marketing policy can be implemented.peer-reviewe

Tools to improve the efficiency of import substitution in the agro-industrial complex under economic sanctions

Purpose: This article is concentrated on the creation of a uniform risk management system in agro-industrial complex which can increase efficiency of control over compliance with non-tariff restrictions and will strengthen protection of agricultural producers against importing sanctions. Structure/Methodology/Approach: If it is necessary to evaluate the prospects of increasing efficiency of import substitution in agro-industrial complex in the conditions of sanctions first, you need to allocate types of import dependence of various branches. Second, you need to analyze the main instruments of implementation of import substitution policy. Third, you need to create a uniform risk management system in the Eurasian customs' territory for increasing efficiency of import substitution. Findings: The authors offer creation of a uniform risk management system which application will increase efficiency of control over compliance with non-tariff restrictions. Practical Implamentation: Results can be implemented in administrative practice for the purpose of increasing efficiency of import substitution in the agro- industrial complex. Originality/value: The main contribution of this research consists in development of the system of increasing effective risk management in member states of EEU.peer-reviewe

Schistosoma mansoni : use of a fluorescent indicator to detect nitric oxide and related species in living parasites

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Experimental Parasitology 113 (2006): 130-133, doi:10.1016/j.exppara.2005.12.013.Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized enzymatically by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Several groups have previously presented evidence for NOS activity and immunoreactivity in several parasitic platyhelminths, including schistosomes. Here, we use 4,5-diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2 DA), a fluorescent indicator of NO, to detect NO in living schistosomes. In adult worms, DAF-2 fluorescence is found selectively in epithelial-like cells. Fluorescence increases when worms are incubated in L-arginine, the precursor of NO synthesis, and decreases dramatically in the presence of the NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), indicating that predicted NO release may be NOS-dependent, and that enzymatic NO signaling pathways may play an important role in schistosome physiology.This work was supported by NIH grant NS 39103 and NSF grants 0304569 (LLM), and NIH grant AI 40522 and the Neal Cornell Research Fund at the Marine Biological Laboratory (RMG)

The Republic of Belarus and Ukraine: Contrasts of Ethnic and Linguistic Identity

The Republic of Belarus is the only state of the Near Abroad, where, with a reduction in the share of the Russian population, since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been an increase in the proportion of citizens who called Russian their native language and actively used it in everyday life. Ukraine, despite the signifcant similarity with the Republic of Belarus in the linguistic structure of the population, is the direct opposite of the latter in the course of linguistic processes. The purpose of the article is to compare the course of ethnolinguistic processes in these two neighboring countries. The study assesses the change in the size of the main ethnic communities and linguistic groups of Ukraine in the period from 2001 to 2021, depending on the scenario of ethnolinguistic dynamics — actually “Ukrainian” and “Belarusian”. The study revealed that in the population of Ukraine the main shifts took place within the groups of bilinguals (or biethnophores) that changed their identity depending on the political situation. Despite Ukraine’s notable successes in “titulating” and linguistic assimilation of the non-Ukrainian population, in the transition to the “Belarusian” version of the national policy, due to the high proportion of bilinguals in the population, these processes can reverse

A QTL on rat chromosome 7 modulates prepulse inhibition, a neuro-behavioral trait of ADHD, in a Lewis x SHR intercross

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with a substantial genetic component. The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), considered as a good animal model of ADHD, also show less anxiety-like behaviors than Lewis (LEW) rats. The use of these inbred rat strains led us to the mapping of two quantitative trait loci (QTL), named Ofil1 (on chromosome 4) and Ofil2 (on chromosome 7), related to locomotion in the central and aversive area of an open field. Herein, we examined whether LEW and SHR rats differ in the acoustic startle reflex, a test used to study the neurobiology of anxiety, and in the prepulse inhibition of the startle response, which is known to be impaired in ADHD patients. The effect of the two aforementioned loci on these behavioral responses was also studied. METHODS: For this latter purpose, rats deriving from an F2 intercross between the LEW and SHR strains were selected according to their genotype at markers flanking the QTLs and bred to obtain lines of rats homozygous LEW/LEW or SHR/SHR for each of the two loci, thus generating 4 genotypic combinations. RESULTS: The SHR rats displayed decreased startle and prepulse inhibition levels when compared to LEW rats. Ofil2 affected prepulse inhibition in female rats only. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the LEW and SHR strains are appropriate for studying mechanisms of sensorimotor gating and indicate that the locus Ofil2 on rat chromosome 7 contain genes controlling prepulse inhibition, a neuro-behavioral trait of ADHD

Genetic Contribution to Initial and Progressive Alcohol Intake Among Recombinant Inbred Strains of Mice

We profiled individual differences in alcohol consumption upon initial exposure and during 5 weeks of voluntary alcohol intake in female mice from 39 BXD recombinant inbred strains and parents using the drinking in the dark (DID) method. In this paradigm, a single bottle of 20% (v/v) alcohol was presented as the sole liquid source for 2 or 4 h starting 3 h into the dark cycle. For 3 consecutive days mice had access to alcohol for 2 h followed by a 4th day of 4 h access and 3 intervening days where alcohol was not offered. We followed this regime for 5 weeks. For most strains, 2 or 4 h alcohol intake increased over the 5-week period, with some strains demonstrating greatly increased intake. There was considerable and heritable genetic variation in alcohol consumption upon initial early and sustained weekly exposure. Two different mapping algorithms were used to identify QTLs associated with alcohol intake and only QTLs detected by both methods were considered further. Multiple suggestive QTLs for alcohol intake on chromosomes (Chrs) 2, 6, and 12 were identified for the first 4 h exposure. Suggestive QTLs for sustained intake during later weeks were identified on Chrs 4 and 8. Thirty high priority candidate genes, including Entpd2, Per3, and Fto were nominated for early and sustained alcohol intake QTLs. In addition, a suggestive QTL on Chr 15 was detected for change in 2 h alcohol intake over the duration of the study and Adcy8 was identified as a strong candidate gene. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that early and sustained alcohol intake is likely driven by genes and pathways involved in signaling, and/or immune and metabolic function, while a combination of epigenetic factors related to alcohol experience and genetic factors likely drives progressive alcohol intake.Peer Reviewe

Влияние эндогенных FMRFАМИД-подобных пептидов на мускулатуру дистального отдела репродуктивной системы самки нематоды ASCARIS SUUM

Development of drug resistance in parasitic organisms, including nematodes, makes it necessary, on one side to study molecular mechanisms of such resistance formation, on the other side, to find new biological targets to reduce the spread of infections. One of such targets in parasitic nematodes may be a distal section of nematode female reproductive system - vagina or ovijector. It is a critically important muscle organ of nematodes reproductive system with main physiological functions of ejecting infective eggs into host intestine and catching male sperm. The goal of the article is review and analysis of literature data on effects of some endogenous neuropeptides (FMRF-like peptides) on muscles of distal part of vagina vera of Ascaris suum parasitic nematode. The article also considered possibilities for using a distal part of reproductive system of female nematodes as one of biological targets for potential anthelmintics synthesized on the basis of FMRFamide-like neuropeptides to fight against nematodosis of humans, animals and plants.Возникновение устойчивости к лекарственным веществам у паразитических организмов, включая паразитических нематод, вызывает необходимость, с одной стороны, изучение молекулярных механизмов формирования этой устойчивости, а с другой стороны, поиска новых биологических мишеней для управляемого сдерживания распространения паразитарной инвазии. У паразитических нематод одной из таких мишеней может быть конечный отдел репродуктивной системы самок нематод - вагина или яйцемет (ovijector). Вагина является жизненно важным мышечным органом репродуктивной системы нематод, основной физиологической функцией которой является выделение половозрелых яиц в кишечник хозяина, а также захват спермы самца. Цель - обзор и анализ данных литературы, описывающих воздействие ряда эндогенных нейропептидов (FMRFамид-подобных нейропептидов) на мускулатуру дистальной части вагины (vagina vera) паразитической нематоды Ascaris suum. В статье также рассматривается возможность использования конечного отдела репродуктивной системы самок паразитических нематод в качестве одной из биологических мишеней для воздействия потенциальных антигельминтиков, синтезируемых на основе структуры FMRFамид-подобных нейропептидов, для борьбы с нематодозами человека, животных и растений

ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЕ FMRFАМИД-ПОДОБНЫХ ПЕПТИДОВ НА МУСКУЛАТУРУ ФАРИНКСА НЕМАТОД

FMRFamide-like peptides play an important physiological role in the enteric nervous system of nematodes.This is confirmed by immunocytochemical data on the presence and localization of neuropeptides in the pharynx of parasitic nematode Ascaris suum; identification of flp-gene in free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans expressing in pharyngeal neurons of the nervous system and encoding a number of FMRFamide - like neuropeptides; high sensitivity of the radial muscle of the pharynx nematodes towards a variety of  FMRFamide - like neuropeptides isolated from the nematode tissues.This review is devoted to a comparative analysis of data on the effects of some relatively short FMRFamide - like neuropeptides isolated from the nematode tissues, on pharyngeal pumping behavior in parasitic and free-living nematodes.The question about the possible use of some neuropeptides as potential anthelmintics inhibiting or completely turning off the work of the pharyngeal pump in parasitic nematodes is being discussed.FMRFамид – подобные нейропептиды играют важную физиологическую роль в энтерической нервной системе нематод. Об этом свидетельствуют иммуноцитохимические данные о наличии и локализации нейропептидов в фаринксе паразитической нематоды Ascaris suum, выявление flp-генов у свободноживущей нематоды Сaenorhabditis еlegans, экспрессирующихся в нейронах фарингальной нервной системы и кодирующих ряд FMRFамид – подобных нейропептидов, а также высокая чувствительность радиальной мускулатуры фаринкса нематод к целому ряду FMRFамид – подобных нейропептидов, выделенных из тканей нематод. Обзор посвящен сравнительному анализу данных о воздействии некоторых относительно коротких FMRFамид – подобных нейропептидов, выделенных из тканей нематод, на двигательную активность фарингеального насоса паразитических и свободноживущих нематод. Обсуждается вопрос возможности использования некоторых нейропептидов в качестве потенциальных антигельминтиков, тормозящих или полностью выключающих работу фарингеального насоса у паразитических нематод

The cortisol response to ACTH in pigs, heritability and influence of corticosteroid-binding globulin

In the search for biological basis of robustness, this study aimed (i) at the determination of the heritability of the cortisol response to ACTH in juvenile pigs, using restricted maximum likelihood methodology applied to a multiple trait animal model, and (ii) at the study of the relationships between basal and stimulated cortisol levels with corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), IGF-I and haptoglobin, all important players in glucose metabolism and production traits. At 6 weeks of age, 298 intact male and female piglets from 30 litters (30 dams and 30 boars) were injected with 250 µg ACTH(1–24) (Synacthen). Blood was taken before ACTH injection to measure basal levels of cortisol, glucose, CBG, IGF-I and haptoglobin, and 60 min later to measure stimulated cortisol levels and glucose. Cortisol increased 2.8-fold after ACTH injection, with a high correlation between basal and stimulated levels (phenotypic correlation, rp=0.539; genetic correlation, rg=0.938). Post-ACTH cortisol levels were highly heritable (h2=0.684) and could therefore be used for genetic selection of animals with a more reactive hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis. CBG binding capacity correlated with cortisol levels measured in basal conditions in males only. No correlation was found between CBG binding capacity and post-ACTH cortisol levels. Basal IGF-I concentration was positively correlated with BW at birth and weaning, and showed a high correlation with CBG binding capacity with a strong sexual dimorphism, the correlation being much higher in males than in females. Basal haptoglobin concentrations were negatively correlated with CBG binding capacity and IGF-I concentrations. Complex relationships were also found between circulating glucose levels and these different variables that have been shown to be related to glucose resistance in humans. These data are therefore valuable for the genetic selection of animals to explore the consequences on production and robustness traits, but also point at pigs as a relevant model to explore the underlying mechanisms of the metabolic syndrome including the contribution of genetic factors