Animal cognition (reasoning) in the light of genetic ideas

The historical overview is presented of genetic experiments in L.V. Krushinsky’s laboratory in Moscow State University. L.V. Krushinsky stated the three-component concept of animal behavior. He claimed that animal behavior has not only innate species specific behavior and the learning ability, but should be supplemented by another mental category, reasoning the ability for elementary logic operarions. Being rather lonesome at the beginning, Krushinsky got the spiritual support from D.K. Belyaev and B.L. Astaurov. The attempt to study the genetic bases of reasoning ability was performed in Krushinsky’s lab using the trait “extrapolation problem solving”, which meant the ability of an unexperienced naïve animal to find the food bait when it moved aside and disappeared from (not “in”) the view. The selection for high scores of this trait in the hybrid rat population (Norway rat × laboratory strain cross) was started. Initially the hybrid rats solved this problem in the statistically significant proportions, while the animals from further selection generations demonstrated the dramatic increase of anxiety (in spite of extensive handling of these animals), which made further experiments impossible. Much later another selection experiment started in which mice of a genetically heterogeneous population were selected for high scores of extrapolation problem and concomitantly for the lack-ofanxiety signs during the testing procedure. This selection for a cognitive trait produced some positive results, although the direct response to selection was very weak. The data obtained show the intricate connection between the mouse ability to solve the problem and the processes of anxiety, which in turn looks as non-uniform by its nature and mechanisms. The data from experiments performed in classical genetics should be combined with the new knowledge concerning the role of single genes determining animal behavior

Оподаткування юридичних осіб у країнах Західної Європи та Близького Сходу: порівняльно-правовий аналіз

Зоріна О. І. Оподаткування юридичних осіб у країнах Західної Європи та Близького Сходу: порівняльно-правовий аналіз / О. І. Зоріна // Актуальні проблеми держави і права : зб. наук. пр. / редкол.: С. В. Ківалов (голов. ред.), Ю. М. Оборотов (заст. голов. ред.), Л. Р. Біла (відп. секр.) [та ін.] ; ОНЮА. – Одеса : Юрид. л-ра, 2005. – Вип. 25. – С. 581-586

Право ЄС як самостійна правова система

Зоріна О. І. Право ЄС як самостійна правова система / О. І. Зоріна // Правове життя сучасної України : матеріали Міжнар. наук. конф. проф.-викл. та аспірант. складу (м. Одеса, 16-17 травня 2013 р.) / відп. за вип. В. М. Дрьомін ; НУ "ОЮА". Півд. регіон. центр НАПрН України. - Одеса : Фенікс, 2013. - Т. 1. - С. 401-404

New palynological data for Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) deep-marine sandstones of the Western Caucasus, southwestern Russia

Information on Jurassic palynomorphs from the Greater Caucasus is potentially of great importance, but its availability to the international research community is severely limited. New palynological data for Toarcian deposits of the Western Caucasus are recorded in the present paper. Particularly, dinoflagellate cysts are described for the first time from the Bagovskaja Formation; palynomorphs are found in sandstone levels within this unit. The most representative assemblage includes pollen (with predominant bisaccate pollen), spores (Cyathidites being commonest), and dinoflagellate cysts amongst which the predominant taxon is Nannoceratopsis spiculata. The dinocyst assemblage implies a late Toarcian age for the upper part of the Bagovskaja Formation. On the basis of these new palynostratigraphical results, the range of the formation is extended; previously, only the lower part had been dated on ammonite evidence

Profengineering: from Kindergarten to a Future Profession

В статье говорится о проекте «Профинжиниринг: от детского сада в будущую профессию» направленном на развитие инженерно-технологического образования и предпосылок ранней профориентации.The article talks about the project "Professional engineering: from kindergarten to the future profession" aimed at the development of engineering and technological education and prerequisites for early career guidance

Coprescription of levodopa with antipsychotics in a population of 84 596 psychiatric inpatients from 1994 to 2008

Patients on levodopa therapy frequently require additional antipsychotic pharmacotherapy. However, consideration must be given to antagonistic interactions on dopamine receptors between levodopa and antipsychotics, and efficacy and safety of such combinations. We therefore aimed to explore the practice and rationale of coprescription between levodopa and antipsychotics in psychiatric patients.A descriptive retrospective study based on cross-sectional prescription data repeatedly collected from psychiatric inpatients through the international Drug Safety in Psychiatry (AMSP) program between 1994 and 2008 was undertaken.Within a population of 84 596 psychiatric patients the prevalence of levodopa therapy was 1.0% (n=886). Among those patients on levodopa therapy 59.6% (n=528) also received antipsychotics. Quetiapine coprescription increased after its first marketing in 2000 to 45.9% in 2008. Coprescription of clozapine and olanzapine decreased from up to 25 and 22%, respectively, before to less than 10% after the introduction of quetiapine. Coprescribing of other antipsychotics remained approximately stable with average prevalences between 6 and less than 1%.Quetiapine has now replaced clozapine as the most frequently coprescribed neuroleptic in psychiatric patients with levodopa therapy. This is in accordance with recent data indicating a low potential for clinically relevant interactions with levodopa and efficacy against psychosis in levodopa-treated patients. The combined use of antipsychotics other than quetiapine and clozapine with levodopa is less common and generally not supported by appropriate evidence

Morphology and variability of the facial nerve trunk dependent on branching pattern, gender, anthropometric type and side of the head in Moldovan population

Background: Knowledge concerning variability of the facial nerve trunk (FNT) direction after its exit through the stylomastoid foramen is of a great clinical significance for maxillofacial surgeons, otorhinolaryngologists, oncologists, specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery. The aim of our study was to establish the variation of the FNT direction and its peculiarities dependent on branching pattern, gender, anthropometric type and side of the head. Materials and methods: The direction of the FNT and its branching pattern were studied on 75 dissected hemifaces of adult formalized cadavers (59 male/16 female), and the morphometry of the FNT length, width and bifurcation angle was carried out. Results: Seven branching patterns of the facial nerve were established: Type I – 18.7%, Type II – 14.7%, Type III – 20%, Type IV – 14.6%, Type V – 5.3%, Type VI – 18.7%, and Type-NI – 8% (bizarre types). The FNT had a descending direction in 73.3% of cases; ascending FNT – 9.3% (including 5.3% of very short diffuse branching trunks and 1.3% of arch-shaped FNT); horizontal FNT – 10.7%; number variants – 6.7%. The male/female ratio of the descending FNT was 69.5%/87.4%; ascending – 10.2%/6.3%; horizontal – 11.9%/6.3%; number variants – 8.4% (only in male). The right/left ratio of the descending FNT was 62.9%/82.5%; ascending – 11.4%/7.5%; horizontal – 11.4%/10%; number variants – 14.3% (only on the right side). The ratio of the descending FNT in mesocephalic type (MCT) / brachycephalic type (BCT) / dolichocephalic type (DCT) was respectively 70.6%/100%/66.7%; ascending – 12.1%/0%/0%; horizontal – 12.1/0%/11.1%. Numerical variants in MCT – 5.2%, in DCT – 22.2%. The mean number of FNT in MCT/BCT/DCT was respectively 1.07/1.0/1.22. Conclusions: Three main directions are characteristic for FNT: the descending, ascending and horizontal ones, which vary dependent on branching pattern, gender, shape and side of the head

Анализ эффективности фотодинамического отбеливания зубов с использованием фотосенсибилизатора хлорин е6

Teeth whitening is one of the most sought-after procedures in aesthetic dentistry. Discolorites that are difficult to whiten, caused by dentin changes or enamel defects, can be eliminated by oxidizing the chromogens with chemical agents that penetrate to the enamel and dentin. In recent years, the method of photodynamic bleaching (PDB) is considered to be minimally invasive. It does not use hydrogen peroxide that leads to increased sensitivity of teeth, and is relatively effective over time. A convenient solution for PDB would be to use chlorin e6 as a photosensitizer, which has a high quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation, low phototoxicity, rapid elimination, on the one hand, and photobleaching capability, on the other. This paper presents quantitative data on the study of the effectiveness of PDB with chlorine e6: color change for 100 teeth after the procedure, chlorine e6 penetration into the tooth tissues, evaluation of the interstitial efficiency of the generation of singlet oxygen and photobleaching of chlorine e6 during laser exposure. It has been statistically established that for one PDB procedure, the tooth color saturation (C) varies on average by 0.5 tones on the VITA scale, and the lightness of color (L) in some cases increases by more than 10 units.Отбеливание зубов является одной из самых востребованных процедур в эстетической стоматологии. Трудно поддающиеся отбеливанию дисколориты, вызванные изменениями дентина или дефектами эмали, могут быть устранены путем окисления хромогенов с помощью химических агентов, проникающих в эмаль и дентин. В последние годы фотодинамическое отбеливание зубов (ФДОЗ) рассматривается как минимально инвазивный и относительно эффективный по времени метод, при котором не используется перекись водорода, применение которой приводит к повышенной чувствительности зубов. Для ФДОЗ может использоваться фотосенсибилизатор (ФС) хлорин е6, обладающий высоким квантовым выходом генерации синглетного кислорода, низкой фототоксичностью, быстрым выведением, с одной стороны, и способностью к фотообесцвечиванию, с другой. В настоящей работе представлены количественные данные исследования эффективности ФДОЗ с хлорином е6: изменение цвета для 100 зубов после процедуры, оценка проникновения ФС в ткани зуба, оценка внутритканевой эффективности генерации синглетного кислорода и интенсивности фотообесцвечивания ФС при лазерном воздействии. Статистически установлено, что за одну процедуру ФДОЗ насыщенность цвета зубов (С) изменяется в среднем на 0,5 тона по шкале VITA, а светлота цвета (L) в отдельных случаях повышается более чем на 10 единиц

Personality profiles and the "russian soul": Literary and scholarly views evaluated

Many domestic and foreign observers have claimed that Russians have a unique constellation of personality traits that mirrors their distinctive historical and cultural experience. To examine the hypothesized uniqueness of Russian personality, members of the Russian Character and Personality Survey collected data from 39 samples in 33 administrative areas of the Russian Federation. Respondents (N = 7,065) identified an ethnically Russian adult or college-aged man or woman whom they knew well and rated the target using the Russian observer-rating version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. The mean personality profile of Russians was very similar to the international average based on 50 different countries, debunking the myth of a unique Russian soul.The small variations from world norms did not converge with depictions of Russian national character in fiction and the scholarly literature. New items intended to capture distinctive, emic aspects of Russian personality provided no new information beyond the familiar Big Five dimensions. Religion, ethnicity, and beliefs about the uniqueness of the Russian character and the malleability of personality traits had little effect on personality ratings. Perceptions of the Russian soul do not seem to be based on the personality traits of Russians

Hot Spots for the Use of Intranasal Insulin: Cerebral Ischemia, Brain Injury, Diabetes Mellitus, Endocrine Disorders and Postoperative Delirium

A decrease in the activity of the insulin signaling system of the brain, due to both central insulin resistance and insulin deficiency, leads to neurodegeneration and impaired regulation of appetite, metabolism, endocrine functions. This is due to the neuroprotective properties of brain insulin and its leading role in maintaining glucose homeostasis in the brain, as well as in the regulation of the brain signaling network responsible for the functioning of the nervous, endocrine, and other systems. One of the approaches to restore the activity of the insulin system of the brain is the use of intranasally administered insulin (INI). Currently, INI is being considered as a promising drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. The clinical application of INI is being developed for the treatment of other neurodegenerative diseases and improve cognitive abilities in stress, overwork, and depression. At the same time, much attention has recently been paid to the prospects of using INI for the treatment of cerebral ischemia, traumatic brain injuries, and postoperative delirium (after anesthesia), as well as diabetes mellitus and its complications, including dysfunctions in the gonadal and thyroid axes. This review is devoted to the prospects and current trends in the use of INI for the treatment of these diseases, which, although differing in etiology and pathogenesis, are characterized by impaired insulin signaling in the brain