THE ROLE OF THE COMMENTARIES IN GLAS KONCILA IN THE PROMOTION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF CROATIAN SOCIETY

U doktorskome radu analizirani su tekstovi objavljeni u rubrici Komentar katoličkoga (dvo)tjednika Glasa Koncila od pojave te rubrike 1968. do kraja 2014. godine, s ciljem propitivanja njihove uloge u promicanju slobode javne riječi i demokratizacije hrvatskoga društva, kako u vremenu komunizma, tako i nakon demokratskih promjena. U prvome, teorijskom dijelu disertacije – na temelju dviju teorija o tisku, sovjetsko-komunističke i teorije društvene odgovornosti – analiziran je povijesni (društveno-političko-medijski) kontekst druge polovice 20. i početka 21. stoljeća u Hrvatskoj. U njemu se pojašnjavaju pojmovi sloboda javne riječi i demokratizacija, te njihov medijski kontekst, te donosi osnovni pregled odnosa Katoličke Crkve prema medijima, nastanak i djelovanje Glasa Koncila, kao i specifičnosti rubrike Komentar u tome listu (uz prethodno tumačenje komentara kao novinarske vrste). U drugome, istraživačkom dijelu predstavljeni su i protumačeni rezultati provedenoga kvantitativnoga istraživanja analize sadržaja na uzorku od 600 komentara (300 iz razdoblja komunizma, te 300 iz razdoblja demokracije). Uz to, dodatno je kvalitativno analizirano 365 komentara koji su se bavili s deset bitnih povijesnih tema – ponovnom uspostavom diplomatskih odnosa između Svete Stolice i Socijalističke Federativne Republike Jugoslavije (SFRJ) 1970. godine, Hrvatskim proljećem, donošenjem novoga Ustava SFRJ-a 1974. godine, proslavom Trinaest stoljeća kršćanstva u Hrvata, Memorandumom Srpske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti (SANU) i jačanjem velikosrpske politike osamdesetih godina 20. stoljeća, prvim višestranačkim izborima i razdruživanjem Hrvatske od SFRJ-a, Domovinskim ratom, pretvorbom i privatizacijom hrvatskoga gospodarstva, smrću prvoga hrvatskog predsjednika dr. Franje Tuđmana i promjenom vlasti 2000. godine, te procesom pristupanja Hrvatske Europskoj uniji. Istraživanjem se došlo do zaključaka da komentatori Glasa Koncila nisu pratili isključivo religijske, nego i društveno-političke teme, da je u komentarima Glasa Koncila promicana sloboda javne riječi, da je od 1990. do 2014. Glas Koncila u najvećem broju komentara promicao implementaciju demokratskih načela u hrvatskome društvu, te da su komentari promovirali pluralizam.This doctoral thesis analyzes articles published in the Commentary section of the Catholic (bi)weekly newspaper Glas Koncila from the appearance of the section in 1968 until the end of 2014 with the aim to research its role in the promotion of the freedom of speech and the democratization of the Croatian society both during the Communist era and after the democratic changes. In the first, theoretical part of the dissertation, the historical (sociopolitical and media) context of the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century in Croatia was analyzed based on two theories of the press: The Soviet-Communist and Social Responsibility Theory. The concepts of the freedom of speech and democratization are explained as well as their media context. Also, this part provides a basic overview of the Roman Catholic Church's relationship with the media, the emergence and functioning of Glas Koncila as well as the specificity of the Commentary section (with the interpretation of the commentary as a journalistic form). The second, research part presents the results of a quantitative content analysis on a sample of 600 articles published in the Commentary section (300 from the Communist era and 300 from the period of democracy). Additionally, 365 commentaries on ten essential historical issues (re-establishing diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1970; the Croatian Spring movement; the adoption of the new Federal Constitution in 1974; the celebration of the Thirteen Centuries of Christianity among the Croats; the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the strengthening of the Greater Serbia politics in the 1980s; the first multiparty elections and Croatia’s disassociation from the Yugoslav Federation; the Homeland War; the transformation and privatization of the Croatian economy; the death of Dr. Franjo Tuđman, the first Croatian President, and the change of government in 2000; and the process of Croatia's accession to the European Union) were further analysed. The research led to the conclusion that the commentators of Glas Koncila did not deal only with religious but also with sociopolitical issues; that in the commentaries of Glas Koncila the freedom of speech was promoted; that in most of analysed texts from 1990 to 2014, Glas Koncila promoted the implementation of democratic principles in the Croatian society; and that the articles published in the Commentary section promoted pluralism

Bioindication of Environmental Conditions Using Solar Park Vegetation

Solar parks are currently considered a new source of carbon-free energy. At the same time, they encroach on our landscape and create new conditions for flora and fauna. Vegetation responds to changes in living conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil conditions induced by solar parks using vegetation bioindicators. A vegetation assessment was carried out in a solar park located in the cadastral territory of the municipality of Unín (Czech Republic). Among the soil conditions observed, this study focused on soil moisture, pH, nitrogen availability, phosphorus availability, and salinity. A total of 77 taxa of vascular plants were identified. Based on the bioindication of vegetation, it can be concluded that there are changes in the conditions between sites under photovoltaic panels (PV) and between rows of PV panels. Under PV panels, species with extreme values of the monitored soil criteria have a higher representation. These species can tolerate salinity, deficiency, or excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Different conditions under PV panels lead to diversity in species composition. This results in significant fragmentation of solar couplet vegetation. However, extreme conditions may create room for invasive plant species to establish themselves. Thus, it is necessary to monitor changes in vegetation, especially under PV panels, in the following years. The characterization of environmental conditions based on vegetation biomonitoring shows the diversity of solar park conditions. Diverse conditions are also important for landscape fragmentation.O

THE ROLE OF THE COMMENTARIES IN GLAS KONCILA IN THE PROMOTION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF CROATIAN SOCIETY

U doktorskome radu analizirani su tekstovi objavljeni u rubrici Komentar katoličkoga (dvo)tjednika Glasa Koncila od pojave te rubrike 1968. do kraja 2014. godine, s ciljem propitivanja njihove uloge u promicanju slobode javne riječi i demokratizacije hrvatskoga društva, kako u vremenu komunizma, tako i nakon demokratskih promjena. U prvome, teorijskom dijelu disertacije – na temelju dviju teorija o tisku, sovjetsko-komunističke i teorije društvene odgovornosti – analiziran je povijesni (društveno-političko-medijski) kontekst druge polovice 20. i početka 21. stoljeća u Hrvatskoj. U njemu se pojašnjavaju pojmovi sloboda javne riječi i demokratizacija, te njihov medijski kontekst, te donosi osnovni pregled odnosa Katoličke Crkve prema medijima, nastanak i djelovanje Glasa Koncila, kao i specifičnosti rubrike Komentar u tome listu (uz prethodno tumačenje komentara kao novinarske vrste). U drugome, istraživačkom dijelu predstavljeni su i protumačeni rezultati provedenoga kvantitativnoga istraživanja analize sadržaja na uzorku od 600 komentara (300 iz razdoblja komunizma, te 300 iz razdoblja demokracije). Uz to, dodatno je kvalitativno analizirano 365 komentara koji su se bavili s deset bitnih povijesnih tema – ponovnom uspostavom diplomatskih odnosa između Svete Stolice i Socijalističke Federativne Republike Jugoslavije (SFRJ) 1970. godine, Hrvatskim proljećem, donošenjem novoga Ustava SFRJ-a 1974. godine, proslavom Trinaest stoljeća kršćanstva u Hrvata, Memorandumom Srpske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti (SANU) i jačanjem velikosrpske politike osamdesetih godina 20. stoljeća, prvim višestranačkim izborima i razdruživanjem Hrvatske od SFRJ-a, Domovinskim ratom, pretvorbom i privatizacijom hrvatskoga gospodarstva, smrću prvoga hrvatskog predsjednika dr. Franje Tuđmana i promjenom vlasti 2000. godine, te procesom pristupanja Hrvatske Europskoj uniji. Istraživanjem se došlo do zaključaka da komentatori Glasa Koncila nisu pratili isključivo religijske, nego i društveno-političke teme, da je u komentarima Glasa Koncila promicana sloboda javne riječi, da je od 1990. do 2014. Glas Koncila u najvećem broju komentara promicao implementaciju demokratskih načela u hrvatskome društvu, te da su komentari promovirali pluralizam.This doctoral thesis analyzes articles published in the Commentary section of the Catholic (bi)weekly newspaper Glas Koncila from the appearance of the section in 1968 until the end of 2014 with the aim to research its role in the promotion of the freedom of speech and the democratization of the Croatian society both during the Communist era and after the democratic changes. In the first, theoretical part of the dissertation, the historical (sociopolitical and media) context of the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century in Croatia was analyzed based on two theories of the press: The Soviet-Communist and Social Responsibility Theory. The concepts of the freedom of speech and democratization are explained as well as their media context. Also, this part provides a basic overview of the Roman Catholic Church's relationship with the media, the emergence and functioning of Glas Koncila as well as the specificity of the Commentary section (with the interpretation of the commentary as a journalistic form). The second, research part presents the results of a quantitative content analysis on a sample of 600 articles published in the Commentary section (300 from the Communist era and 300 from the period of democracy). Additionally, 365 commentaries on ten essential historical issues (re-establishing diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1970; the Croatian Spring movement; the adoption of the new Federal Constitution in 1974; the celebration of the Thirteen Centuries of Christianity among the Croats; the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the strengthening of the Greater Serbia politics in the 1980s; the first multiparty elections and Croatia’s disassociation from the Yugoslav Federation; the Homeland War; the transformation and privatization of the Croatian economy; the death of Dr. Franjo Tuđman, the first Croatian President, and the change of government in 2000; and the process of Croatia's accession to the European Union) were further analysed. The research led to the conclusion that the commentators of Glas Koncila did not deal only with religious but also with sociopolitical issues; that in the commentaries of Glas Koncila the freedom of speech was promoted; that in most of analysed texts from 1990 to 2014, Glas Koncila promoted the implementation of democratic principles in the Croatian society; and that the articles published in the Commentary section promoted pluralism

The Digital World as a New Area of (Gospel) Proclamation

Prisutnost suvremenog čovjeka u virtualnom prostoru digitalnih medija i društvenih mreža neminovno implicira i aktivnu uključenost Crkve u »digitalnome svijetu« kao području novog naviještanja. Polazeći od te činjenice autori u radu analiziraju neke postavke tzv. digitalne antropologije, obrađuju zatim karakteristike navještaja vjere i uspoređuju ih s karakteristikama digitalnog okruženja, uz osvrt na mogućnosti komunikacije u virtualnom okružju. S obzirom na to da dinamika navještaja u »digitalnom svijetu« ima karakteristike misijskog poslanja Crkve, postavlja se pitanje inkulturacije – mogućnosti oblikovanja nove kulture – te načina na koje je moguće postojeće sadržaje pretočiti u digitalnu platformu. Budući da – kako piše papa Franjo – revolucija koja se događa u informacijsko‑komunikacijskim tehnologijama »predstavlja velik i uzbudljiv izazov, koji zahtijeva svježe snage i novu imaginaciju za prenošenje Božje ljepote drugima«, u radu se ukazuje i na važnost medijske pismenosti kao ključne vještine za snalaženje u digitalnom okruženju, jednako potrebne pastoralnim djelatnicima i samim vjernicima.The presence of the contemporary human being in virtual space of digital media and social networks necessarily also implies active inclusion of the Church in the »digital world« as an area of new proclamation. Starting from that fact, in this article the authors analyse some postulates of so‑called digital anthropology, discuss characteristics of the proclamation of faith, and compare them with characteristics of the digital en- vironment, while reflecting on possibilities of communication in the virtual environment. Given the fact that dynamics of proclamation in the »digital world« has characteristics of missionary activity of the Church, the question of inculturation is raised – possibility of forming a new culture – as well as ways in which it might be possible to transmit existing contents on the digital platform. Since – as Pope Francis writes – the revolution that is taking place in information‑communication technologies »represents a great and exciting challenge that demands fresh energies and new imagination in transmitting the beauty of God to others«, the article also points out the importance of media literacy as a key skill for finding one’s way in the digital environment. This skill is equally necessary for pastoral workers and the faithful

The plasmamembrane calmodulin–dependent calcium pump: a major regulator of nitric oxide synthase I

The plasma membrane calcium/calmodulin-dependent calcium ATPase (PMCA) (Shull, G.E., and J. Greeb. 1988. J. Biol. Chem. 263:8646–8657; Verma, A.K., A.G. Filoteo, D.R. Stanford, E.D. Wieben, J.T. Penniston, E.E. Strehler, R. Fischer, R. Heim, G. Vogel, S. Mathews, et al. 1988. J. Biol. Chem. 263:14152–14159; Carafoli, E. 1997. Basic Res. Cardiol. 92:59–61) has been proposed to be a regulator of calcium homeostasis and signal transduction networks of the cell. However, little is known about its precise mechanisms of action. Knock-out of (mainly neuronal) isoform 2 of the enzyme resulted in hearing loss and balance deficits due to severe inner ear defects, affecting formation and maintenance of otoconia (Kozel, P.J., R.A. Friedman, L.C. Erway, E.N. Yamoah, L.H. Liu, T. Riddle, J.J. Duffy, T. Doetschman, M.L. Miller, E.L. Cardell, and G.E. Shull. 1998. J. Biol. Chem. 273:18693–18696). Here we demonstrate that PMCA 4b is a negative regulator of nitric oxide synthase I (NOS-I, nNOS) in HEK293 embryonic kidney and neuro-2a neuroblastoma cell models. Binding of PMCA 4b to NOS-I was mediated by interaction of the COOH-terminal amino acids of PMCA 4b and the PDZ domain of NOS-I (PDZ: PSD 95/Dlg/ZO-1 protein domain). Increasing expression of wild-type PMCA 4b (but not PMCA mutants unable to bind PDZ domains or devoid of Ca2+-transporting activity) dramatically downregulated NO synthesis from wild-type NOS-I. A NOS-I mutant lacking the PDZ domain was not regulated by PMCA, demonstrating the specific nature of the PMCA–NOS-I interaction. Elucidation of PMCA as an interaction partner and major regulator of NOS-I provides evidence for a new dimension of integration between calcium and NO signaling pathways

The melanoma-associated antigen 1 (MAGEA1) protein stimulates the E3 ubiquitin-ligase activity of TRIM31 within a TRIM31-MAGEA1-NSE4 complex

The MAGE (Melanoma-associated antigen) protein family members are structurally related to each other by a MAGEhomology domain comprised of 2 winged helix motifs WH/A and WH/B. This family specifically evolved in placental mammals although single homologs designated NSE3 (non-SMC element) exist in most eukaryotes. NSE3, together with its partner proteins NSE1 and NSE4 form a tight subcomplex of the structural maintenance of chromosomes SMC5–6 complex. Previously, we showed that interactions of the WH/B motif of the MAGE proteins with their NSE4/EID partners are evolutionarily conserved (including the MAGEA1-NSE4 interaction). In contrast, the interaction of the WH/A motif of NSE3 with NSE1 diverged in the MAGE paralogs. We hypothesized that the MAGE paralogs acquired new RING-finger containing partners through their evolution and form MAGE complexes reminiscent of NSE1-NSE3-NSE4 trimers. In this work, we employed the yeast 2-hybrid system to screen a human RING-finger protein library against several MAGE baits. We identified a number of potential MAGE-RING interactions and confirmed several of them (MDM4, PCGF6, RNF166, TRAF6, TRIM8, TRIM31, TRIM41) in co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Among these MAGE-RING pairs, we chose to examine MAGEA1-TRIM31 in detail and showed that both WH/A and WH/B motifs of MAGEA1 bind to the coiled-coil domain of TRIM31 and that MAGEA1 interaction stimulates TRIM31 ubiquitin-ligase activity. In addition, TRIM31 directly binds to NSE4, suggesting the existence of a TRIM31-MAGEA1-NSE4 complex reminiscent of the NSE1-NSE3-NSE4 trimer. These results suggest that MAGEA1 functions as a co-factor of TRIM31 ubiquitin-ligase and that the TRIM31-MAGEA1-NSE4 complex may have evolved from an ancestral NSE1-NSE3-NSE4 complex

A Single Conserved Amino Acid Residue as a Critical Context-Specific Determinant of the Differential Ability of Mdm2 and MdmX RING Domains to Dimerize

Mdm2 and MdmX are related proteins serving in the form of the Mdm2 homodimer or Mdm2/MdmX heterodimer as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for the tumor suppressor p53. The dimerization is required for the E3 activity and is mediated by the conserved RING domains present in both proteins, but only the RING domain of Mdm2 can form homodimers efficiently. We performed a systematic mutational analysis of human Mdm2, exchanging parts of the RING with the corresponding MdmX sequence, to identify the molecular determinants of this difference. Mdm2 can also promote MdmX degradation, and we identified several mutations blocking it. They were located mainly at the Mdm2/E2 interface and did not disrupt the MdmX-Mdm2 interaction. Surprisingly, some mutations of the Mdm2/E2 interface inhibited MdmX degradation, which is mediated by the Mdm2/MdmX heterodimer, but did not affect p53 degradation, mediated by the Mdm2 homodimer. Only one mutant, replacing a conserved cysteine 449 with asparagine (C449N), disrupted the ability of Mdm2 to dimerize with MdmX. When we introduced the cysteine residue into the corresponding site in MdmX, the RING domain became capable of forming dimers with other MdmX molecules in vivo, suggesting that one conserved amino acid residue in the RINGs of Mdm2 and MdmX could serve as the determinant of the differential ability of these domains to form dimers and their E3 activity. In immunoprecipitations, however, the homodimerization of MdmX could be observed only when the asparagine residue was replaced with cysteine in both RINGs. This result suggested that heterocomplexes consisting of one mutated MdmX RING with cysteine and one wild-type MdmX RING with asparagine might be less stable, despite being readily detectable in the cell-based assay. Moreover, Mdm2 C449N blocked Mdm2-MdmX heterodimerization but did not disrupt the ability of Mdm2 homodimer to promote p53 degradation, suggesting that the effect of the conserved cysteine and asparagine residues on dimerization was context-specific. Collectively, our results indicate that the effects of individual exchanges of conserved residues between Mdm2 and MdmX RING domains might be context-specific, supporting the hypothesis that Mdm2 RING homodimers and Mdm2-MdmX heterodimers may not be entirely structurally equivalent, despite their apparent similarity

5-deazaflavin derivatives as inhibitors of p53 ubiquitination by HDM2

Based on previous reports of certain 5-deazaflavin derivatives being capable of activating the tumour suppressor p53 in cancer cells through inhibition of the p53-specific ubiquitin E3 ligase HDM2, we have conducted an structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis through systematic modification of the 5-deazaflavin template. This analysis shows that HDM2-inhibitory activity depends on a combination of factors. The most active compounds (e.g., 15) contain a trifluoromethyl or chloro substituent at the deazaflavin C9 position and this activity depends to a large extent on the presence of at least one additional halogen or methyl substituent of the phenyl group at N10. Our SAR results, in combination with the HDM2 RING domain receptor recognition model we present, form the basis for the design of drug-like and potent activators of p53 for potential cancer therapy