Quasiparticle electronic band structure of the alkali metal chalcogenides

The electronic energy band spectra of the alkali metal chalcogenides M$_2$A (M: Li, Na, K, Rb; A: O, S, Se, Te) have been evaluated within the projector augmented waves (PAW) approach by means of the ABINIT code. The Kohn-Sham single-particle states have been found in the GGA (the generalized gradient approximation) framework. Further, on the basis of these results the quasiparticle energies of electrons as well as the dielectric constants were obtained in the GW approximation. The calculations based on the Green's function have been originally done for all the considered M$_2$A crystals, except Li$_2$O.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Conceptual approaches to estimate the efficiency of an enterprise development

Досліджено теоретичні та методичні аспекти ефективності розвитку підприємства. Розглянуто поняття «ефективність», наявні концептуальні підходи до оцінювання ефективності виробництва, ефективності діяльності та ефективності бізнесу, визначено категорію «ефективність розвитку підприємства». Ефективність розвитку підприємства, на переконання автора, характеризується системою показників, які знаходяться в межах факторів внутрішнього і зовнішнього середовищ. Отримані результати мають практичну цінність, оскільки можуть бути використані для формування системного методичного підходу до оцінювання ефективності розвитку як окремих підприємств, так і галузі в цілому, що дає можливість запропонувати рекомендації із підвищення ефективності їх розвитку.The article describes the theoretical and methodological aspects of the efficiency of an enterprise development. The author explores the concept of «efficiency», examines existing conceptual approaches to estimation of production efficiency, efficiency of activity and business efficiency and determines a category «efficiency of an enterprise development». Both domestic and foreign scientists’ analysis of scientific and applied researches gave an opportunity to investigate a concept «development of an enterprise» in complex and consistently, distinguishing the characteristic signs of this process, that became the initial condition of forming of the understanding of category «efficiency of an enterprise development». So, efficiency of an enetrprise development means the effectiveness of quantitative and qualitative changes of conditions of an enterprise functioning to achieve higher level, resulting from the use of present potential of an enterprise and achievement of certain level of competitiveness of business entity. The efficiency of an enterprise development, according to the author, is characterized by a system of indicators that exist within internal and external factors, and they are distinguished as follows: present resources and possibilities of their use; a competition between enterprises at the market; present infrastructural elements; an orientation of state influence to support the development of an entrepreneurship; investment-innovative activity of an enterprise; financial economic activity of an enterprise; foreign economic activity of an enterprise. The obtained results are of practical value, as they can be used for forming the systematic methodological approach to estimate the efficiency of development of both individual enterprises and industry on the whole. It will give an opportunity not only to estimate the method of achieving the objectives of a business entity, but also to offer recommendations to increase the efficiency of their development

The thermal effect of radiative transfer in the atomic oxygen line near 63 mu

Thermal effect of radiative transfer in atomic oxygen lin

Переклади Миколи Лукаша як джерело відтворення українсько-німецьких лексичних зв’язків (Mykola Lukash workʼs interpretation asa source of ukrainian-german lexical connections’ reproduction)

У статті на матеріалі перекладів Миколи Лукаша проаналізовано вживання слів, запозичених із німецької мови, що широко представлені у пам’ятках староукраїнської мови та сучасних лексикографічних джерелах. Встановлено стилістичні особливості германізмів. З’ясовано, що Микола Лукаш, добираючи мовні засоби, орієнтувався на мовнохудожні особливості оригіналу. (Based on the interpretations of Mykola Lukash the article analyzes the use of words borrowed from German, which are well represented in the works of old Ukrainian language and modern lexicographical sources. Stylistic features of German borrowings are established. It is found that Mykola Lukash, selecting language tools, focused on linguistic and literary images of the original work.

A systematic immunohistochemical survey of the distribution patterns of GH, prolactin, somatolactin, β-TSH, β-FSH, β-LH, ACTH, and α-MSH in the adenohypophysis of Oreochromis niloticus , the Nile tilapia

Fish pituitary plays a central role in the control of growth, development, reproduction and adaptation to the environment. Several types of hormone-secreting adenohypophyseal cells have been characterised and localised in diverse teleost species. The results suggest a similar distribution pattern among the species investigated. However, most studies deal with a single hormone or hormone family. Thus, we studied adjacent sections of the pituitary of Oreochromis niloticus, the tilapia, by conventional staining and immunohistochemistry with specific antisera directed against growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), somatolactin (SL), thyrotropin (β-TSH), follicle-stimulating hormone (β-FSH), luteinising hormone (β-LH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). The pituitary was characterised by a close interdigitating neighbourhood of neurohypophysis (PN) and adenohypophysis. PRL-immunoreactive and ACTH-immunoreactive cells were detected in the rostral pars distalis. GH-immunoreactive cells were present in the proximal pars distalis (PPD). A small region of the PPD contained β-TSH-immunoreactive cells, and β-LH-immunoreactive cells covered approximately the remaining parts. Centrally, β-FSH-immunoreactive cells were detected in the vicinity of the GH-containing cells. Some of these cells also displayed β-LH immunoreactivity. The pars intermedia was characterised by branches of the PN surrounded by SL-containing and α-MSH-immunoreactive cells.The ACTH and α-MSH antisera were observed to cross-react with the respective antigens. This cross-reactivity was abolished by pre-absorption. We present a complete map of the distinct localisation sites for the classical pituitary hormones, thereby providing a solid basis for future research on teleost pituitar

Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) Interfere With the Growth Hormone (GH)/Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I System in Developing Bony Fish

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether effects of environmental estrogens on fish growth and reproduction may be mediated via modulating the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) system. To this end, developing male and female monosex populations of tilapia were exposed to 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) at 5 and 25 ng EE2/l water from 10-day postfertilization (DPF) until 100 DPF. Under exposure to both EE2 concentrations, sex ratio shifted toward more females and body length, and weight were significantly reduced in males. The growth-reducing effect was associated with significant changes in hepatic IGF-I expression, both in males and females and with significant alterations of IGF-I mRNA and GH mRNA in the brain. The changes in IGF-I and GH mRNA were accompanied by altered estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression in brain and liver. These findings point to an influence of estrogenic exposure on the endocrine GH/IGF-I axis. In addition, the EE2 treatment resulted in significant changes of ERα and IGF-I expression in ovaries and testis, suggesting that the estrogens interact not only with the endocrine but also with the autocrine/paracrine part of the IGF-I system. Overall, our results provide evidence that EE2 at environmentally relevant concentrations is able to interfere with the GH/IGF-I system in bony fish and that the impairing effects of estrogens reported on fish growth and reproductive functions may rather result from a cross talk between the sex steroid and the IGF-I system than be toxicologica

Organ-specific expression of IGF-I during early development of bony fish as revealed in the tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry: indication for the particular importance of local IGF-I

The cellular sites of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) synthesis in the early developing tilapia (0-140 days post fertilization, DPF) were investigated. IGF-I mRNA and peptide appeared in liver as early as 4 DPF and in gastro-intestinal epithelial cells between 5-9 DPF. In exocrine pancreas, the expression of IGF-I started at 4 DPF and continued until 90DPF. IGF-I production was detected in islets at 6 DPF in non-insulin cells and occurred throughout life. In renal tubules and ducts, IGF-I production started at 8 DPF. IGF-I production in chondrocytes had its onset at 4 DPF, was more pronounced in growing regions and was also found in adults. IGF-I mRNA and peptide appeared in the cytoplasm of skeletal muscle cells at 4 DPF. In gill chloride cells, IGF-I production started at 6 DPF. At 13 DPF, IGF-I was detected in cardiac myocytes. IGF-I-producing epidermal cells appeared at 5 DPF. In brain and ganglia, IGF-I was expressed in virtually all neurones from 6 to 29 DPF, their number decreasing with age. Neurosecretory IGF-I-immunoreactive axons were first seen in the neurohypophysis around 17 DPF. Endocrine cells of the adenohypophysis exhibited IGF-I mRNA at 28 DPF and IGF-I immunoreactivity at 40 DPF. Thus, IGF-I appeared early (4-5 DPF), first in liver, the main source of endocrine IGF-I, and then in organs involved in growth or metabolism. The expression of IGF-I was more pronounced during development than in juvenile and adult life. Local IGF-I therefore seems to have a high functional impact in early growth, metabolism and organogenesi

The Role of Strong Electron-Electron Correlations in Forming of the Electron Energy Spectrum and Magnetic Properties of the Mn-Doped ScN Crystal.

Розраховано повні й парціальні щільності електронних станів й електронні енергетичні спектри кристала ScN, легованого Mn, із градієнтними поправками у функціоналі обмінно-кореляційної енергії, без урахування і з урахуванням сильних локальних кореляцій 3d-електронів Sc і Mn. Розрахунки виконані методом проекційних приєднаних хвиль. Отримані результати вказують на важливість врахування локальних кореляцій, без яких кристал є немагнітним металом. Результати, отримані із включенням сильних електронних кореляцій, показують, що кристал є феромагнітним напівметалом. ; Partial density of electronic states and electronic energy spectra of the Mn-doped ScN crystal with gradient corrections in the exchange-correlation energy functional, without and with taking into account the strong local correlations of the 3d-electrons of Sc and Mn, have been evaluated. Calculations are performed by the projector augmented waves method. The results indicate the importance of taking into account local correlations, without which the considered crystal is the nonmagnetic metal. The results obtained with inclusion of strong electronic correlations show that the crystal is ferromagnetic semimetal

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in a growth-enhanced transgenic (GH-overexpressing) bony fish, the tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ): indication for a higher impact of autocrine/paracrine than of endocrine IGF-I

Several lines of growth hormone (GH)-overexpressing fish have been produced and analysed for growth and fertility parameters. However, only few data are available on the growth-promoting hormone insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) that mediates most effects of GH, and these are contradictory. Using quantitative real-time RT-PCR, radioimmunoassay, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and radiochromatography we investigated IGF-I and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) in an adult (17 months old) transgenic (GH-overexpressing) tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The transgenics showed an around 1.5-fold increase in length and an approximately 2.3-fold higher weight than the non-transgenics. Using radioimmunoassay, the serum IGF-I levels were lower (6.22±0.75ng/ml) in transgenic than in wild-type (15.01±1.49ng/ml) individuals (P=0.0012). Radioimmunoassayable IGF-I in transgenic liver was 4.2-times higher than in wild-type (16.0±2.21 vs. 3.83±0.71ng/g, P=0.0017). No hepatocytes in wild-type but numerous hepatocytes in transgenic liver contained IGF-I-immunoreactivity. RT-PCR revealed a 1.4-times higher IGF-I mRNA expression in the liver of the transgenics (10.51±0.82 vs. 7.3±0.49pg/μg total RNA, P=0.0032). In correspondence, in situ hybridization showed more IGF-I mRNA containing hepatocytes in the transgenics. A twofold elevated IGF-I mRNA expression was determined in the skeletal muscle of transgenics (0.33±0.02 vs. 0.16±0.01pg/μg total RNA, P<0.0001). Both liver and serum of transgenics showed increased IGF-I binding. The increased IGFBP content in the liver may lead to retention of IGF-I, and/or the release of IGF-I into the circulation may be slower resulting in accumulation of IGF-I in the hepatocytes. Our results indicate that the enhanced growth of the transgenics likely is due to enhanced autocrine/paracrine action of IGF-I in extrahepatic sites, as shown here for skeletal muscl