The Slovak Question in Foreign Policy Vision of the Second Rzeczpospolita Authorities (1938 – March 1939)

The Polish authorities had a negative attitude towards the central government of the Czechoslovak Republic at that time. Therefore, the Polish reprezentatives were in active contact with the opposition Glinka Slovak People’s Party. They had a number of common ideological values such as Slavic reciprocity, Catholicism, Anti-Bolshevism, and positive assessment of authoritarianism. The Polish politics assured that Warsaw supports state-building plans of the Slovak leaders and solemnly welcomed their delegation to Poland in May 1938. Polish-Slovak relations were marked by contradictions during and shortly after the Munich crisis. The Slovaks suggested state association and submitted a declaration on the Polish-Slovak union. But they did not receive an answer, so they agreed with the Prague government about granting Slovakia autonomy. The Polish authorities expected more pronounced separatism from the Slovaks. Warsaw made territorial claims for Slovak lands in the area of Spis and Orava because Poles wanted to push indecisive oppositionists. The ultimate form of the demands and the forceful nature of Polish actions demonstrated the real content of Warsaw’s policy towards Slovakia. These events resulted to the improvement of Czech-Slovak relations within the framework of Post Munich Czechoslovakia and also led to the appeal of Slovak politicians to Germany. Both sides tried to improve the atmosphere of bilateral relations during the winter of 1938-1939. Meetings of delegations were organized for discuss different ways to intensify positive cooperation. An influence of Nazi Germany was increasing in the region at that time. So, the realization of the danger, posed by Germans, was the main factor to Polish-Slovak rapprochement. In early March, Berlin organized a campaign to put pressure on Slovak politicians and persuaded them to secession. They tried in vain to put forward a Polish counterweight. The declaration of independence of Slovakia according to the German scenario marked the strategic failure of Polish foreign policy, because the southern border of the state became a zone of potential danger

WW Domain-Containing E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase 1: A Self-Disciplined Oncoprotein

WW domain-containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (WWP1) is a member of C2-WW-HECT E3 ligase family. Although it may execute carcinostatic actions in some scenarios, WWP1 functions as an oncoprotein under most circumstances. Here, we comprehensively review reports on regulation of WWP1 and its roles in tumorigenesis. We summarize the WWP1-mediated ubiquitinations of diverse proteins and the signaling pathways they involved, as well as the mechanisms how they affect cancer formation and progression. According to our analysis of database, in combination with previous reports, we come to a conclusion that WWP1 expression is augmented in various cancers. Gene amplification, as well as expression regulation mediated by molecules such as non-coding RNAs, may account for the increased mRNA level of WWP1. Regulation of enzymatic activity is another important facet to upregulate WWP1-mediated ubiquitinations. Based on the published data, we conclude that WWP1 employs interactions between multiple domains to autoinhibit its polyubiquitination activity in a steady state. Association of some substrates can partially release certain autoinhibition-related domains and make WWP1 have a moderate activity of polyubiquitination. Some cancer-related mutations can fully disrupt the inhibitory interactions and make WWP1 hyperactive. High expression level or hyperactivation of WWP1 may abnormally enhance polyubiquitinations of some oncoproteins or tumor suppressors, such as ΔNp63α, PTEN and p27, and ultimately promote cell proliferation, survival, migration and invasion in tumorigenesis. Given the dysregulation and oncogenic functions of WWP1 in some cancer types, it is promising to explore some therapeutic inhibitors to tune down its activity.

Turkic burial accompanied by horses from the Upper Irtysh River region

The second half of the 1st millennium AD is associated with the development and formation of the culture of ancient Turkic peoples, who repeatedly developed several large ethnopolitical associations in the steppe zone of Central Asia. Political and cultural influences of the Turkic state formations were perceived not only by the seden-tary population of the states that existed in the territory of East and Central Asia, but also by further north peoples who lived in the steppe and taiga zones. Under the Turkic influence, or with their direct participation, the Kimako-Kipchak proto-state association began taking shape in the Upper Irtysh River region in the 7th century AD. The initial stage of this process, features of the funeral rite, and characteristic elements of the material culture of the population living in the region are almost unknown due to insufficient exploration of the monuments of the devel-opmental stage of this polyethnic formation. The paper describes the materials of the barrow cemetery of Menov-noye XII, located in the territory of the Upper Irtysh River, 2.1 km southeast of the village of Menovnoye, Tavrichesky district, East Kazakhstan Province. Under the barrow mound, there was a fence with outbuildings containing burials of a man, two horses, and two dogs. The central burial was robbed. The sacrificial pit, located north of the main grave, contained the burial of two horses, laid on their stomachs with their legs tucked under their bodies and with their heads oriented to the east. The buried person was accompanied by two dogs: one was laid across the ceiling of the grave, while the other was buried in a separate pit in an additional annex. The grave goods found with the deceased represented by astragali, a bronze ring, and a fragment of an iron arrowhead. The horse harness included stirrups and iron bits. The bridle belts were adorned with bronze items: bells, triplet plaques, bronze onlays, and belt tip ends. Bronze buckles with iron tongues, which were tucked into clips, were used to adjust the tension of the headband straps. The funeral rite features and analysis of the materials collected during the study of the memorial complex make it possible to associate the burials of the 3rd barrow of the Menov-noye XII with the Early Kimak antiquities within the framework of the Turkic era and to date them to the second half of the 7th — 8th century AD.

Building Public Health Capacity through Organizational Change in the Sport System: A Multiple-Case Study within Australian Gymnastics

Sports clubs increasingly are settings for health promotion initiatives. This study explored organizational change processes and perceived facilitators and barriers relevant to implementing a health promotion initiative within gymnastics settings in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A multiple-case design investigated the experiences of the state association (Gymnastics NSW) and five clubs from one region of NSW in a participatory Health-Promoting Gymnastics Clubs (HPGC) program. The program aimed to build the capacity of Gymnastics NSW to support affiliated clubs to become health-promoting settings. Interviews with organizational representatives explored their experiences of the program and identified factors that enabled or inhibited program adoption, implementation and sustainability. Facilitators and barriers identified included leadership and champions; organizational capacity and culture; priorities and timing; and characteristics of the HPGC framework. This multi-level, organizational change intervention demonstrated potential to create health-promoting gymnastics settings. Tailoring strategies in diverse club contexts required involvement of organizational leaders in program development and action planning. Despite positive impacts, pre-existing organizational culture inhibited integration of health promotion as a core value. Sustained organizational change may result from professional regulatory requirements (e.g., accreditation and affiliation), and policy directives and funding (for organizational change, not program delivery) from relevant government departments.

Identification of organophosphorus simulants for the development of next-generation detection technologies

Using low-level computational modelling to predict solution state association constants and binding modes for the identification of appropriate CWA simulants.

At the origins of the idea of the Caucasian Muslim confederation: on the union of Azerbaijan, Dagestan, and the Mountainous Republic in 1917–1918

On the basis of a significant amount of documentary and archival material, the article examines the background and development of the idea of creating a political and state association of the territories inhabited by the Muslim peoples of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. It is shown how the idea of cultural and national autonomy of the national outskirts arose in the course of the democratic movement in Russia in 1917, and how after the Bolshevik Coup in Russia, that idea was transformed into plans for the creation of independent political entities in Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. The leaders of the Azerbaijani faction of the Transcaucasian governments repeatedly raised at various levels the question of the accession of the North Caucasus Muslim state entities to Transcaucasia, but the unstable political and military situation in the Caucasus made the resolution of this issue impossible. Until the middle of 1918, there were two opposing authorities in Azerbaijan – the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the Baku Commune. The North Caucasus was even more fragmented, both ethnically and politically. At the same time, the anti-Bolshevik forces of the mountainous peoples received almost no material support from outside but competed with the White movement that had emerged in the South of Russia for influence in the region. The fall of the Baku Commune and the seizure of Baku by the Turkish-Azerbaijani troops revived the ideas of the Caucasian Muslim confederation for a short time. However, being disunited, the forces of the North Caucasus “independent” entities were unable to resist the pro-Bolshevik forces in the region. The defeat of Turkey and Germany in the First World War at the end of 1918 made a serious change in the balance of power in the Caucasus region and marked a new stage in the development of the idea of the Caucasian Muslim confederation, associated with the attempts of the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to achieve recognition of its sovereignty by the victorious Entente countries at the Paris Peace Conference.

The Evolution and Biogeography of Wolbachia in Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Wolbachia bacteria are widely distributed across invertebrate taxa, including ants, but several aspects of this host-associated interaction are still poorly explored, especially with regard to the ancestral state association, origin, and dispersion patterns of this bacterium. Therefore, in this study, we explored the association of Wolbachia with Formicidae in an evolutionary context. Our data suggest that supergroup F is the ancestral character state for Wolbachia infection in ants, and there is only one transition to supergroup A, and once ants acquired infection with supergroup A, there have been no other strains introduced. Our data also reveal that the origin of Wolbachia in ants likely originated in Asia and spread to the Americas, and then back to Asia. Understanding the processes and mechanisms of dispersion of these bacteria in Formicidae is a crucial step to advance the knowledge of this symbiosis and their implications in an evolutionary context.

Some Issues of the Humara Fortress Planning and Fortification

Introduction. The territory of Karachay-Cherkessia since ancient times was a densely populated region. Life was especially intense in the era of the Early Middle Ages. In the period from the 8th to the 10th centuries the territory of modern Karachaevo-Cherkessia was in the sphere of interests of a powerful state association – the Khazar Khaganate. To protect their northern borders from the onslaught of the Arab caliphate and to protect the caravan routes in the upper reaches of the river Kuban, Khaganate built Humara fortress – one of the largest fortresses in Eastern Europe. Methods and materials. Based on materials from the excavations of the 70s – 80s of the 20th century (E.P. Alekseeva, Kh.K. Bidzhiev), as well as new materials obtained during the research of recent years (2007–2018) (U.Yu. Kochkarov), we can say that the main population of the site was a military garrison consisting mainly of the Alano-Bulgarians. The Bulgarian population dissolved after the dissolution of the Khaganate in the local environment. The fortresses is a 25 hectare area protected by a strong (4–7 m wide and 10 m high) wall of well-hewn stone blocks that has been preserved in the form of earthen ramparts that keep the remains of walls and battle towers under them. In the process of the work at Humara settlement, a high-precision three-dimensional computer model of the surface of the settlement was created by photogrammetric processing of the results of low-altitude aerial photography of the territory of the monument carried out by an unmanned aerial vehicle over an area of about 50 hectares. Analysis and Results. During the computer processing of aerial photography materials carried out automatically in the software of Agisoft Photoscan Pro, a cloud of high-density points (about 0.8 billion units) was obtained, which characterizes, with a high degree of accuracy, the microrelief of the surface of the settlement. The computer model of the microrelief of the Humara settlement does not only allow to realize three-dimensional visualization of the monument in various views and perspectives, but is also a productive analytical tool that makes it possible to reveal the characteristic features of the layout and spatial organization of the settlement hidden in its microrelief.

Income Inequality and White-On-Black Racial Bias in the United States: Evidence from Project Implicit and Google Trends

Several theories predict that income inequality may produce increased racial bias, but robust tests of this hypothesis are lacking. We examined this relationship at the U.S. state level from 2004 to 2015 using Internal Revenue Service–based income-inequality statistics and two large-scale racial-bias data sources: Project Implicit (N = 1,554,109) and Google Trends. Using a multimethod approach, we found evidence of a significant positive within-state association between income inequality and Whites’ explicit racial bias. However, the effect was small, with income inequality accounting for 0.4% to 0.7% of within-state variation in racial bias, and was also contingent on model specification, with results dependent on the measure of income inequality used. We found no conclusive evidence linking income inequality to implicit racial bias or racially offensive Google searches. Overall, our findings admit multiple interpretations, but we discuss why statistically small effects of income inequality on explicit racial bias may nonetheless be socially meaningful.