Cooperative Activities Research Articles

Factors affecting members’ satisfaction with the quality of support activities of cooperatives: A case of horticultural cooperatives in Son La province, Vietnam

Factors affecting members’ satisfaction with the quality of support activities of cooperatives: A case of horticultural cooperatives in Son La province, Vietnam

Distinct Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) family proteins may assemble on the same tubule to regulate membrane organization in vivo

Intracellular membrane tubules play a crucial role in diverse cellular processes, and their regulation is facilitated by Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain-containing proteins. This study investigates the roles of Drosophila ICA69 (dICA69) (an N-BAR protein) and Drosophila CIP4 (dCIP4) (an F-BAR protein), focusing on their impact on in vivo membrane tubule organization. In contrast to the prevailing models of BAR-domain protein function, we observed colocalization of endogenous dICA69 with dCIP4-induced tubules, indicating their potential recruitment for tubule formation and maintenance. Moreover, actin-regulatory proteins such as Wasp, SCAR, and Arp2/3 were recruited at the site of CIP4-induced tubule formation. An earlier study indicated that F-BAR proteins spontaneously segregate from the N-BAR domain proteins during membrane tubule formation. In contrast, our observation supports a model in which different BAR-domain family members can associate with the same tubule and cooperate to fine-tune the tubule width, possibly by recruiting actin modulators during the generation of tubules. Our data suggests that cooperative activities of distinct BAR-domain family proteins may determine the length and width of the membrane tubule in vivo.

Functionally enhanced polyether-bridged amidopyridinium dicationic ionic liquids for highly efficient and sustainable fixation of CO2 to cyclic carbonates

Task-specific ionic liquids integrated with multi-active sites display promising potential for use in the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 and epoxides. Utilizing the functional enhancement strategy, we successfully synthesized a novel range of polyether-bridged amidopyridinium dicationic ionic liquids (PE-PyDILs) via efficient bisamidation and biquaternization reactions. Under relatively mild reaction conditions, PE-PyDILs can catalyze the coupling of CO2 with various epoxides to produce cyclic carbonates in quantitative yields, demonstrating an enhanced effectiveness and a longer service life compared to previous DILs. At a very low loading of 0.01 mol%, the TON value is as high as 7700. The excellent catalytic performance can be attributed to the intramolecular cooperative activation of epoxides with two amidopyridinium cations bridged by polyether, as supported by the spectroscopic analysis and kinetic studies. This mechanism led to a reduction in activation energy and improved the efficiency of the cycloaddition reaction.

Модель формування готовності майбутніх учителів музичного мистецтва до роботи в умовах змішаного навчання

The article justifies the necessity of the implementation of the formation model of future music teachers’ readiness as a factor of educational process optimization at a modern higher educational institution in the conditions of spreading of information technologies use. The article analyzes the contents of the following model blocks: purpose, methodological, contents, process and diagnostic-resultive. It is stated that the purpose component of the model includes the aim and tasks of the research. The characteristic is given to the methodological block which contains methodological approaches and basic principles of the process of future music teachers’ readiness formation in blended learning conditions. Much attention is drawn to prior for modern conditions methodological approaches: system, integrative, personally-oriented, activity and subject-environmental. The consideration of the peculiarities of structure–functional model of future music teachers’ readiness formation for work in blended learning conditions which reflect the combination of principles of traditional and blended learning let us concentrate on the following conceptually important principles: the principle of students’ activity and independence, the principle of cooperative activity, the principle of reliance on students’ life experience, individual approach principle, the principle of the actualization of studies’ results, reflective principle, the principle of personally mediate interaction, the principle of education systematicity and integrity, the principle of various kinds of communication combination. The contents block consists of motive, cognitive, personal and activity components of future music teachers’ readiness for work in blended learning conditions. The components of the processual model block described in the article are the following: special course “The Theory and Practice of Blended Learning organization” created and implemented by the author, the use of different forms and methods of teaching, both traditional and innovative at the course “The Theory of Music Interpretation”. The article highlights the contents of diagnostic-resultive block that includes the criteria base of the research which allows determining the degree of formation of future music teachers’ readiness for work in blended learning conditions and those changes that occurred as a result of purposeful work.

Construction and Function of Thiolate-Bridged Diiron NxHy Nitrogenase Model Complexes.

ConspectusBiological nitrogen fixation mediated by nitrogenases has garnered significant research interest due to its critical importance to the development of efficient catalysts for mild ammonia synthesis. Although the active center of the most studied FeMo-nitrogenases has been determined to be a complicated [Fe7S9MoC] hetero-multinuclear metal-sulfur cluster known as the FeMo-cofactor, the exact binding site and reduction pathway of N2 remain a subject of debate. Over the past decades, the majority of studies have focused on mononuclear molybdenum or iron centers as potential reaction sites. In stark contrast, cooperative activation of N2 through bi- or multimetallic centers has been largely overlooked and underexplored, despite the renewed interest sparked by recent biochemical and computational studies. Consequently, constructing bioinspired bi- or multinuclear metallic model complexes presents an intriguing yet challenging prospect. In this Account, we detail our long-standing research on the design and synthesis of novel thiolate-bridged diiron complexes as nitrogenase models and their application to chemical simulations of potential biological N2 reduction pathways.Inspired by the structural and electronic features of the potential diiron active center in the belt region of the FeMo-cofactor, we have designed and synthesized a series of new thiolate-bridged diiron nitrogenase model complexes, wherein iron centers with +2 or +3 oxidation states are coordinated by Cp* as carbon-based donors and thiolate ligands as sulfur donors. Through the synergistic interaction between the two iron centers, unstable diazene (NH═NH) species can be trapped to generate the first example of a [Fe2S2]-type complex bearing a cis-μ-η1:η1-NH═NH subunit. Significantly, this species can not only catalyze the reductive N-N bond cleavage of hydrazine to ammonia but also trigger a stepwise reduction sequence NH═NH → [NH2-NH]- → [NH]2-(+NH3) → [NH2]- → NH3. Furthermore, an unprecedented thiolate-bridged diiron μ-nitride featuring a bent Fe-N-Fe moiety was successfully isolated and structurally characterized. Importantly, this diiron μ-nitride can undergo successive proton-coupled electron transfer processes to efficiently release ammonia in the presence of separate protons and electrons and can even be directly hydrogenated using H2 as a combination of protons and electrons for high-yield ammonia formation. Based on combined experimental and computational studies, we proposed two distinct reductive transformation sequences on the diiron centers, which involve a series of crucial NxHy intermediates. Moreover, we also achieved catalytic N2 reduction to silylamines with [Fe2S2]-type complexes by ligand modulation.Our bioinspired diiron cooperative scaffold may provide a suitable model for probing the potential N2 stepwise reduction pathways from the molecular level. Different from the traditional alternating and distal pathways dominated by mononuclear iron or molybdenum complexes, our proposed alternating transformation route based on the diiron centers may not involve the N2H4 intermediate, and the convergence point of the alternating and terminal pathways is imide, not amide. Our research strategy could inform the design and development of new types of bioinspired catalysts for mild and efficient nitrogen reduction in the future.

Developing and introducing structured cooperative self-directed learning activities for undergraduate medical students

Developing and introducing structured cooperative self-directed learning activities for undergraduate medical students

Mechanism of how the universal module XMAP215 γ-TuRC nucleates microtubules.

It has become increasingly evident in recent years that nucleation of microtubules from a diverse set of MTOCs requires both the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) and the microtubule polymerase XMAP215. Despite their essentiality, little is known about how these nucleation factors interact and work together to generate microtubules. Using biochemical domain analysis of XMAP215 and structural approaches, we find that a sixth TOG domain in XMAP215 binds γ-TuRC via γ-tubulin as part of a broader interaction involving the C-terminal region. Moreover, TOG6 is required for XMAP215 to promote nucleation from γ-TuRC to its full extent. Interestingly, we find that XMAP215 also depends strongly on TOG5 for microtubule lattice binding and nucleation. Accordingly, we report a cryo-EM structure of TOG5 bound to the microtubule lattice that reveals promotion of lateral interactions between tubulin dimers. Finally, we find that while XMAP215 constructs' effects on nucleation are generally proportional to their effects on polymerization, formation of a direct complex with γ-TuRC allows cooperative nucleation activity. Thus, we propose that XMAP215's C-terminal TOGs 5 and 6 play key roles in promoting nucleation by promoting formation of longitudinal and lateral bonds in γ-TuRC templated nascent microtubules at cellular MTOCs.

Social Cooperatives – a Tool for a Prosperous National Economy

Abstract Cooperatives are gaining an increasingly important role in socio-economic development in both developed and developing countries. The article examines the specificity of these organizations. Their main characteristics, similarities and differences with other comparable organizational forms are studied as well. Special emphasis is placed on social cooperatives and their contribution to the social and economic environment. In the last decade, the role of social cooperatives has grown as an alternative solution to social problems of vulnerable groups which the state cannot address effectively due to lack of public resources. A brief comparative analysis of the activities of cooperatives in Bulgaria and Germany has been made, as both countries have long traditions in cooperative movement. The benefits to the national economy are discussed and a new focus for their activities relevant to contemporary economic realities is proposed.

몽골 문서보관소 자료를 통해 본 북한과 몽골의 문화교류

This study examined cultural exchange patterns between North Korea and Mongolia in the 1950s and 1960s based on materials from the Mongolian archives. The following characteristics emerged in the cultural exchange between North Korea and Mongolia at that time. First, In July 1952, a 72-member North Korean art troupe led by Choi Seung-hee visited Mongolia for two weeks to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the Mongolian People's Revolution. This was a very unusual move, and Mongolia was the only country where North Korea dispatched a North Korean art troupe with Choi Seung-hee during the height of the war. Second, on May 14, 1956, North Korea and Mongolia signed the first cultural agreement and established a basic framework for cultural exchange. At that time, along with the cultural agreement, North Korea signed an economic and cultural agreement with a country with close economic support and political solidarity, and Mongolia, along with Soviet Union and China, was one of the countries that signed the agreement. This shows that in North Korea's external relations, Mongolia had the same friendly relationship with Soviet Union and China. Third, as the visit of Choi Seung-hee and Anmag(安漠) to Mongolia in the 1950s and 1960s is newly revealed, their activity in cultural exchange cooperation between North Korea and Mongolia stands out. When the Pacific War broke out in the early 1940s, Choi Seung-hee toured the front lines in Manchuria and Mongolia and gave consolation performances, and after defecting to North Korea, she taught Mongolian students studying abroad in Beijing. Anmag reached her peak together with her wife, Choi Seung-hee, when she ascended to the position of Minister of Culture and Propaganda in 1956, but visited Mongolia in January of that year, just before her purge in 1958. Anmag participated as a representative of North Korea to conclude the ‘Cultural Exchange Plan between North Korea and Mongolia’ in 1958 and planned various cultural cooperation projects between the two countries.

Unusual cell-cell cooperative mechanical activity elucidates the process of tissue regeneration

We have studied wound contraction in three model wounds in animals: excised skin (guinea pig), transected peripheral nerve (rat) and the excised conjunctiva (rabbit). Wound contraction is driven by myofibroblasts bound together by adherens junctions (AJ) that confer cooperative activity to myofibroblasts during wound contraction and synthesis of scar. Grafting with the dermis regeneration template (DRT) cancels cell cooperativity by abolishing AJ connections in myofibroblasts, while also cancelling wound contraction, preventing synthesis of scar and inducing regeneration of excised tissues. The observed definitive prevention of scar synthesis suggests the exploration of DRT scaffolds to regenerate tissues in several other organs and to prevent fibrosis in humans.

Strategies for Reducing Anxiety in EFL Classroom: An Academic Review

Anxiety is a significant issue in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, impacting learners' performance and overall language acquisition. This theoretical review examines recent research findings and effective techniques for reducing anxiety in EFL settings. Drawing on qualitative methodologies and empirical studies from the past five years, the review highlights various factors contributing to anxiety, including low self-esteem, fear of mistakes, and pressure from peers and teachers. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) emerges as a valuable tool for measuring anxiety, focusing on exam anxiety, communication anxiety, and fear of poor grades. The review identifies several strategies to alleviate anxiety, such as creating a supportive environment, delaying error correction, providing ample speaking practice opportunities, and incorporating relaxation techniques. Additionally, interventions like game-based learning, music instruction, and cooperative learning activities demonstrate promise in reducing anxiety and enhancing motivation among EFL learners. The review underscores the pivotal role of teachers in mitigating anxiety by offering effective feedback, facilitating speaking practice, and fostering a welcoming classroom environment conducive to language acquisition. Ultimately, the review emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing anxiety to promote successful language learning outcomes in EFL classrooms.

Stakeholder engagement processes for the made in Italy small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises: Value co‐creation in the stakeholder network

AbstractThis article aims to explore the role of stakeholder engagement in partnerships and the effects that it has on small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises' (SMEs) competitiveness and their ability to expand into foreign markets. This study employs a qualitative approach to research by gathering empirical data from nine SMEs that have engaged in a partnership fostered by a digital platform that operates as an online sales channel. Our study reveals that SMEs engaging in cooperative activities are able to leverage external stakeholders to improve their competitive advantage and increase their capabilities to permeate into foreign markets and better their structural costs and product variety. The insights derived from this study prove useful to both theory and practice. First, the obtained findings underline the significance of cooperative activities in enhancing SMEs' likelihood of growth and thriving amidst the ever‐changing global market. Second, the present article underlines the impact partnerships have on all three dimensions of stakeholder engagement, namely strategic, pragmatic and moral. Third, the present manuscript corroborates the influence of digital platforms in fostering collaborative initiatives. Finally, the findings carry insights supporting the significance of shared values, norms and objectives amongst businesses as crucial elements of the stakeholder engagement process.

A research on the people’s perception and expectations and the behaviours of the cooperative partners in Balıkesir

<p>The study attempts to learn the perceptions of people living in Balıkesir about cooperatives and their expectations from cooperatives. It also aims to learn the thoughts of cooperative members about cooperative activities and the behavior of each member. Within the scope of the research, 724 people from Balıkesir were interviewed. Meetings were held for discussions. The public’s perception of cooperatives in Balıkesir is generally positive. However, unsuccessful attempts and the difficulty of establishing a joint business also cause negative criticism. The public expects supervision and educational assistance from the government and financial support from the municipality. There are many reasons to become a member of cooperatives. However, the first thing to do is to facilitate the work related to the activity. Acting in solidarity with other people is also an important motivation for becoming a member. In Balıkesir, it is not regular for cooperative members to attend cooperative general assembly meetings. At the same time, their desire to take part in cooperative management and control bodies is low. The success level of cooperatives varies according to the expectations of the members. In Balıkesir, 36.7% of the members find the technical information provision activity of the cooperative sufficient, while 32.7% find the product marketing activity sufficient. The majority of cooperative members in Balıkesir find the financial aid activities of cooperatives incomplete. At the same time, they generally find the product purchase price of cooperatives inadequate.</p>

Концептуальные основы устойчивости потребительской кооперации

Sustainability is the main criterion for the performance of any economic system. In modern scientific publications, there is no unified approach to understanding its essence, which must be considered from the perspective of its dual nature: the sustainability of the state of the system and the sustainability of its development. The modern concept of the sustainability of economic systems is based on the characteristics of sustainability, which have been deeply studied by scientists and disclosed within the framework of the theory of systems. Consumer cooperation, being an original economic system, differs from traditional commercial structures by the presence of a social purpose in society, its social mission. The state of consumer cooperation is assessed on the basis of volume indicators – the number of shareholders and consumer societies in the system, as well as the total volume of activity. The specific features are identified, and the main criteria for a sustainable cooperative organization are defined. The selection of criteria and indicators for the formation of an approach to assessing the sustainability of consumer cooperation was carried out taking into account the specifics of the activities and structure of cooperative organizations. Another feature of the activity of consumer cooperatives is their functioning on the basis of a certain way of organizing consumers interested in creating a consumer cooperative so that the effect of participation in it significantly exceeds the costs of its organization.

ROLE AND POSITION OF INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Problems regarding global environmental issues have become the focus of attention of developed and developing countries. Because the issue of environmental damage certainly has quite a broad impact, namely regarding the exploitation of Natural Resources (SDA) on land, sea and air on a massive scale which then arises threats such as the depletion of the atmosphere and uncertain climate change, especially as the rate increases. population growth that is increasingly unmanageable transnationally. This destruction certainly requires an alternative solution through international legal instruments to be later adopted by other countries through international environmental institutions. Like the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as an organization originating from the United Nations (UN) in the environmental sector and several other institutions have the ability to handle global environmental problems by inviting each country to study dominant problems, such as forest fires, water pollution, or degradation of soil quality. Through international environmental institutions, of course it has become the focus of in-depth studies regarding its position and role in influencing environmental prevention and preservation in all countries around the world. The results of this research show that international institutions through their respective authorities are able to suppress policies in each country in cooperative activities to achieve global environmental protection programs.

SOX4 exerts contrasting regulatory effects on labor-associated gene promoters in myometrial cells.

The uterine muscular layer, or myometrium, undergoes profound changes in global gene expression during its progression from a quiescent state during pregnancy to a contractile state at the onset of labor. In this study, we investigate the role of SOX family transcription factors in myometrial cells and provide evidence for the role of SOX4 in regulating labor-associated genes. We show that Sox4 has elevated expression in the murine myometrium during a term laboring process and in two mouse models of preterm labor. Additionally, SOX4 differentially affects labor-associated gene promoter activity in cooperation with activator protein 1 (AP-1) dimers. SOX4 exerted no effect on the Gja1 promoter; a JUND-specific activation effect at the Fos promoter; a positive activation effect on the Mmp11 promoter with the AP-1 dimers; and surprisingly, we noted that the reporter expression of the Ptgs2 promoter in the presence of JUND and FOSL2 was repressed by the addition of SOX4. Our data indicate SOX4 may play a diverse role in regulating gene expression in the laboring myometrium in cooperation with AP-1 factors. This study enhances our current understanding of the regulatory network that governs the transcriptional changes associated with the onset of labor and highlights a new molecular player that may contribute to the labor transcriptional program.

Cooperative activities of a podolian Mykola Oleksiyovych Litvitsky during the period of emigration in Poland (1921-1923)

Cooperative activities of a podolian Mykola Oleksiyovych Litvitsky during the period of emigration in Poland (1921-1923)

RURAL WOMEN FARMERS PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN BAUCHI AND TAFAWA BALEWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF BAUCHI STATE

The Study analyzed rural women farmers’ participation in agricultural cooperative societies in Bauchi and Tafawa Balewa local government areas of Bauchi State. A Multi-Stage Sampling Technique was used to select 195 women farmers. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the average age of women farmers was 36.5 years and majority (55.4%) were married with an average household size of 13 persons. While most (81.0%) had crop farming as primary occupation and (29.1%) of the farmers had attained secondary education. The results showed that women farmers had average farming experience of 13 years with an average farm size of 6.6 hectares. The coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.723 implying that 72.3% of the variation participation in cooperative societies in the study accounted by the factors included in the model. Education, household size, membership duration, extension visit and access to credit were significant at p<0.001 in the level of participation while, primary occupation, amount of loan obtained and adult education were significant at p<0.05. Constraints affecting agricultural activities were; high cost of inputs (66.4%), inadequate capital (82.8%), and high cost of labour (91.1%). The study concluded that, It was discovered from the study that the majority of the women farmers were not too aged, meaning they are still active and productive, they were mainly married and were literate at least up to primary education level. However, their participation is limited by pressure from household head in the study. The study recommended that, cooperative principles like continuous education and training should be arranged in order to improve women’s participation in cooperative activities. More female extension workers should be trained to help female farmers.

Cooperative activation of CRISPR-Cas12a based on optimization of nucleic acid hybridization kinetics and thermodynamics: More specific, flexible and controllable

The high efficiency of CRISPR-Cas12a is highly beneficial for rapid and sensitive detection of low-concentration markers. However, its sloppy identification and uncontrollable high activity lead to a significant loss in specificity, flexibility, and expandability. In this paper, we present a cooperative activation strategy that is both simple and powerful, based on the kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms of nucleic acid hybridization reactions. Using the EGFR T790M and L858R mutant as models, we study base by base in detail and demonstrate that the cooperative activation strategy has strong general properties that can be applied to various sequence systems. Utilizing the sub-stable state of hybridization to effectively improve the specificity of single-base mismatches of activators, and also dramatically improves the design flexibility and utilization efficiency of crRNAs by cooperating with different sequences. In addition, this strategy also creatively uses the strand displacement reaction to terminate the trans-activity at any time, and more importantly, such inhibition is reversible, which undoubtedly greatly improves the controllability of the CRISPR-Cas12a system, and enables it to have a more and more abundant functional expansion space. Overall, our strategy has obvious advantages, which will unleash the potential for expanding and deepening the application of CRISPR technology in molecular biology.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ЕДИНОЙ СИСТЕМЫ КООПЕРАЦИИ

The article reveals the essence, principles, and features of the adopted federal laws on cooperation. Based on the analysis of revenue from the sale of goods, works and services from non-agricultural activities of agricultural consumer and production cooperatives in the federal districts and Russia as a whole, trends and the need for changes in legislation on cooperation are highlighted, measures are proposed to form a unified cooperation system that will eliminate obstacles to cooperation of various forms of management in rural areas.