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Adult learning is a field that has so far been neglected in education and training reforms in South Eastern European countries and territories but which is beginning to emerge as an important policy area. Further efforts are needed to foster national policy debate about the importance of lifelong learning (and adult education as a vital component of it) for increasing the employability and competitiveness of the people and the countries in the SEE region, and for strengthening social cohesion, active citizenship and personal development. The peculiar post-war situation in the region requires additional efforts from all actors involved in terms of new skills to build trust and reconciliation between divided communities. Against this background, the regional office of DVV International initiated a new project in 2008, aimed at promoting lifelong learning in the region by empowering adult education experts in the region to conduct more effective lobbying and advocacy for lifelong learning, using in particular the upcoming International Conference on Adult Education--CONFINTEA VI--as both an advocacy tool and a mid-term goal. (Contains 6 notes.)

INTRODUCTION In June 1990, in the first free multi-party elections in post-communist Bulgaria, the former Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP), recently renamed Socialist (BSP), won 211 seats in the Grand National [...]

Journalism and mass communication students and professors feel that technological innovations in the mass media will require curricular changes for journalism courses. Q-sorting statements were used to determine four attitudinal types. The Champion of Change are excired about the changes and feel unthreatened by the developments. The Pessimistic Prophet feels there are moral problems connected to technology and that it is destructive to society. The Laid-Back Liberals think the new media will benefit individuals but will have a negative social impact. The Skeptical Optimist believes in technology's potential but is not convinced.

I. INTRODUCTION 'We do the best war in the world!,' ex-ABC executive Rick Kaplan and the architect of CNN's Iraq coverage told US News and World Report in 1997. At [...]

Introduction: Melatonin, the principal secretory product of the pineal gland, has antioxidant functions as a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Objectives of the present study were to investigate the effect of melatonin against inflammatory response, burn-induced oxidative damage and apoptotic changes of rat liver.Methods: Melatonin (10 mg /kg, i.p.) was applied immediately after 30% of total body surface area (TBSA) burns on male Wistar rats. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of an oxidative stress was quantified by thiobarbituric method. Hepatic TNFα and IL-10 as inflammatory markers were assayed by ELISA. Using light immunochistochemistry the expression Ki67 proliferative marker was investigated. Results: Hepatic MDA and TNF-α levels increased significantly following burns without any change in IL-10 level. Intracellular vacuolization, hepatic cell degeneration and apoptosis occurred in rats after burns. The number of apoptotic cells was increased whereas no significant increase in Ki67 proliferative marker. Melatonin decreased the MDA and TNF-α content and increased the IL-10 level. It also limited the degenerative changes and formation of apoptotic cells in rat liver but did not increase expression of the marker of proliferation. In conclusion, our data show that melatonin relieves burn-induced hepatic damage associated with modulation of the proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance, mitigation of lipid peroxidation and hepatic apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of zinc on the activity of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD), the lipid profile, the arterial blood pressure and the morphological changes of the aorta in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)., Materials and Methods: The study included 52 male SHR animals. The animals were randomly asigned into three groups to be fed one of three zink diets--in group one animals (G1, control group) the zinc content was 50 mg/kg, in group two (G2)--155 mg/kg and in group three (G3) 250 mg/kg. The laboratory chow zinc content and the zinc and copper serum levels were measured by a direct flame atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. The Cu/Zn SOD activity was measured in the erythrocytes using a reagent from RANSOD (RANDOX Laboratories). Systolic arterial blood pressure was measured on the rat's tail (tail cuff) by an indirect method without anesthesia (Ugo Basile). The lipid profile was determined with ABX reagents (France). Histological investigations of the aortas were performed using histochemical and electron microscopic methods., Results: Statistically significant increase of Cu/Zn SOD activity (p < 0.05) was found in G2 (2276.88 +/- 145.53) and G3 (2337.31 +/- 146.25) in comparison with the control group of animals (2099.46 +/- 111.73). There was significant decrease of serum LDL levels (p < 0.05) in G3 (1.09 +/- 0.32) compared with G2 (1.19 +/- 0.42) and G1 (1.62 +/- 0.28). Increased number of migrated smooth muscle cells was found in G1 animals. Lipid drops were increased in the aortic wall of SHR animals and then decreased after zinc diet was applied., Conclusions: The results indicate that high zinc content in the diet has a protective effect as it increases Cu/Zn SOD activity, decreases the LDL serum levels and the lipid infiltration of the aorta in male SHR animals.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of zinc on the activity of Cu/ZnSOD, lipid profile and arterial blood pressure in male Wistar rats., Material and Methods: The study included 53 male Wistar rats with basal weight 190-210 g. The animals were divided into three groups and put on diets with different zinc content. Group I animals (G1, n = 18) were on a diet with zinc content 52 mg/kg, group II animals (G2, n = 18) were on a diet with zinc content 155 mg/kg corresponding to standard food and group III animals (G3, n = 17) received zinc supplementation (236 mg/kg diet). The activity of Cu/ZnSOD was measured in erythrocytes with RANSOD reactive (RANDOX). Zinc content in the laboratory chow and serum concentration of zinc and copper were analyzed by direct flame atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. Lipid profile was determined with reactives of ABX (France). Arterial blood pressure was measured on the rat's tail by an indirect method without anesthesia., Results: Statistically significant decrease (p < 0.05) was found in the activity of Cu/ZnSOD in G1 animals (1993.51 +/- 303.01) compared with G2 animals (2307.07 +/- 240.23). There was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) of serum LDL in G3 (1.52 +/- 0.21) compared with G1 animals (1.09 +/- 0.27) and statistically significant increase in the serum triglycerides in G1 animals (1.19 +/- 0.22) compared with G3 animals (0.75 +/- 0.17)., Conclusions: The results indicate that the activity of Cu/ZnSOD changes in relation to zinc diet and this correlates with the change in the arterial blood pressure. Lipid variables also are influenced and zinc supplementation leads to increase in the serum LDL and decrease in the serum triglycerides in Wistar rats.