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The microalga Haematococcus lacustris (formerly H. pluvialis) is able to accumulate high amounts of the carotenoid astaxanthin in the course of adaptation to stresses like salinity. Technologies aimed at production of natural astaxanthin for commercial purposes often involve salinity stress; however, after a switch to stressful conditions, H. lacustris experiences massive cell death which negatively influences astaxanthin yield. This study addressed the possibility to improve cell survival in H. lacustris subjected to salinity via manipulation of the levels of autophagy using AZD8055, a known inhibitor of TOR kinase previously shown to accelerate autophagy in several microalgae. Addition of NaCl in concentrations of 0.2% or 0.8% to the growth medium induced formation of autophagosomes in H. lacustris, while simultaneous addition of AZD8055 up to a final concentration of 0.2 µM further stimulated this process. AZD8055 significantly improved the yield of H. lacustris cells after 5 days of exposure to 0.2% NaCl. Strikingly, this occurred by acceleration of cell growth, and not by acceleration of aplanospore formation. The level of astaxanthin synthesis was not affected by AZD8055. However, cytological data suggested a role of autophagosomes, lysosomes and Golgi cisternae in cell remodeling during high salt stress.

In connection with global changes in the education system and introduction of Federal state educational standard for primary education (FSES PE), the issue of emotional development of primary school children acquires new emphasis. The central task of educational activity and the main system formation of primary-school age is now considered the child’s achievement of the level of formed emotional culture in the complex of its components by the end of the primary-school age period. Integrity of emotional development of primary school children is also one of the essential conditions for the effectiveness of the training and education of children in the following age periods. The aim of the research is to diagnose the cognitive component of emotional culture. The results of the study revealed the signs of insufficient development of the cognitive component of emotional culture. The children demonstrated inadequate response to the proposed emotional situations, immaturity of moral faculty, and had difficulty in distinguishing between different emotions (fear, anger and sadness). A distorted understanding of emotions of other people can become the reason for inadequate behavior of children and unfavourable emotional state. More precise differentiation of emotional states was observed when children were performing a task with a picture containing a plot. The plot and activity context facilitated children’s adequate perception and understanding of emotional states of other people – they identified easier the emotions of the characters depicted. The results of the study indicate the necessity of the development and testing of the programme aimed at formation and development of the cognitive component of emotional culture.