bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does COVID-19 Affects the Success of Dental Implantation, On Patients with Various Medical Conditions; A Retrospective Study?
Authors: Nabil Yasser , England FDSRCS , Edinburgh FDSRCS , Glasgow FDSRCS
Published: December 2023

The effect of COVID-19 on dental implant osteointegration was not studied thoroughly. In this retrospective study we compared the success rate of dental implants placed before and after the Pandemic, in patients with various medical conditions. The difference of both of immediate and delayed implantation in relation to COVID-19 was also investigated. Two groups of patients were retrospectively evaluated, the first group consisted of 325 patients who had dental implants before the epidemic of COVID-19, and for two years started from August 2017 till August 2019.The second group consisted of 406 patients who had implant placement after the epidemic from February 2020 to February 2022. This study showed that COVID-19 infection affects the success of dental implantation, there was decrease in the success of implantation placed at the era of Corona virus pandemic. Immediate implantation showed more successful results. Diabetic and ischemic heart patients were more affected with corona pandemic, the success of dental implantation in this group was decreased. Patients with no previous medical conditions, were also affected with this pandemic. In this study the success of dental implantation was decreased in this group of patients, this could be due to the fact were asymptomatic and did not know they were infected previously, or due to the change in life style with decrease in physical activity and decrease in calcium intake and Vitamin D.
Middle Mesial Canals Prevalence percentage and Its Configuration type with "Egyptian subpopulation" by CBCT
Authors: Rokaya Mohammed E , Kamel Wael Hussein , Hassan Khalid S
Published: December 2023

The Aims of This Study: were to detect the middle mesial canals (MMCs) prevalence in mandibular 1st molars, its configuration type, and its percentage of incidence with age by Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) analysis. Methods: CBCT scan of 1650 patients were observed between January 2021 to February 2022 were collected using the CBCT imaging system from the database of the department of oral radiology, faculty of dental medicine, Al-Azhar University - Assiut branch. CBCT scan images were analyzed by Sidexis software. CBCT images were examined to detect the following: (1) The percentage of incidence frequency of the MMCs, (2) MMCs classification, and (3) Frequency of occurrence of MMCs according to age. Results: The incidence frequency percentage of the presence of MMCs among the Egyptian population was 10.79 % (208/1926) with no statistically significant due to gender, While MMCs configuration types showed 77% (160/208) confluent anatomy merging with either the mesio buccal or mesio lingual canals, 16.3% (34/208) fin anatomy and only 6.7% (14/208) showed independent MMCs with separate orifices and apical foramen. lastly the incidence frequency percentage of the presence of MMCs decreases with age. Conclusions: The MMCs prevalence in mandibular 1st molars among some Egyptian population was 10.79%, and CBCT scan is helpful way to detect the presence of MMCs.
Determinants of Dental Care Utilization, Unmet Dental Care Need, and Barriers among Women of Reproductive Age in the United States
Authors: Taylor-Bishop Dorienne C , Mncube-Barnes Fatima M , Ameyaw Edmund Essah , Nesbitt Paula , Cherry-Peppers Gail , Grant-Mills Donna , Gamble Robert F , Jackson Andrea D
Published: December 2023

Introduction: Dental care is integral to general health but is often isolated from the healthcare system nor discussed as part of overall health. The barriers to accessing needed dental care vary among socioeconomic and demographic groups. This study examined the disparities in dental care access and identified the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with dental health needs among United States women. Methods: Using data from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), we conducted a Chi-square to assess the differences in the proportions of women who reported not getting their needed dental care and computed a weighted multivariate logistic regression to examine the factors associated with access to dental care use, unmet dental-care need, and reported reasons for unmet need. Results: Race, income, and education played a significant role in surveyed participants regarding dental care use and unmet dental care needs. Non-Hispanic Blacks and other minority racial-ethnic groups, including multi-racial groups, were likelier to have never used dental care than non-Hispanic Whites. Furthermore, non-Hispanic Whites with less than a high school education were likelier to have never used dental care than those with a high school education. Groups more likely to report an unmet need were women with PIR < 1.00. Moreover, between 1.00 and 1.99 compared to PIR ≥ 2.00 and women without health insurance compared to those with health insurance. Conclusion: Expanding insurance coverage for dental care and improving access for women with poor health may improve racial-ethnic and education-level disparities, specifically in African American women's unmet dental care needs.
RUŞEYM YAĞININ DİYABETE BAĞLI TESTİKÜLER HASAR ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİNİN OKSİDATİF STRES PARAMETRELERİ YÖNÜNDEN İNCELENMESİ
Authors: BALCI ÖZYURT Aylin , YILMAZ SARIALTIN Sezen
Published: December 2023

Amaç: Ruşeym yağının (RY) diyabetin neden olduğu testiküler hasar üzerinde oksidatif stres aracılı etkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: 42 erkek Wistar albino sıçan randomize 6 gruba ayrılmıştır: kontrol, kontrol düşük doz (100 mg/kg/gün), kontrol yüksek doz (1000 mg/kg/gün), diyabet kontrol, diyabet düşük doz (100 mg/kg/gün), diyabet yüksek doz (1000 mg/kg/gün). Diyabet ve kontrol gruplarına 28 gün süre ile gavajla RY uygulanmıştır. Her hafta kan glukoz düzeyleri ölçülmüştür. Ötenazinin ardından testis dokuları çıkartılmıştır. Dokular homojenize edilmiş ve Bradford yöntemi ile total protein düzeyleri ölçülmüştür. Lipit peroksidasyonunun göstergesi olarak dokularda MDA düzeyleri, oksidatif stresin göstergesi olarak glutatyon düzeyleri ölçülmüştür.
Sonuç ve Tartışma: Kontrol grubunda hem düşük, hem de yüksek doz RY uygulaması rölatif testis ağırlığında azalmaya neden olmuştur. Diyabetik yüksek doz RY grubunun rölatif testis ağırlığı diyabet kontrol grubuna göre azalmıştır. Kan glukoz düzeyleri ve vücut ağırlıklarında RY’ye bağlı olarak anlamlı farklılık görülmemiştir (p>0.05). Diyabetik hayvanlar arasında en düşük testis MDA düzeyleri diyabet yüksek doz grubunda bulunmuştur. Kontrol düşük doz grubunda glutatyon düzeyleri artmıştır. Ancak gruplar arasında MDA ve glutatyon düzeyi bakımından anlamlı farklılık bulunmamıştır (p>0.05). Halk arasında kullanımı ve antioksidan aktivitesi olan RY’nin seksüel hormonlar ve diğer moleküler yolaklar üzerindeki etkisinin araştırılacağı yeni çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.
Employer Branding Dalam Pelayanan Publik Bidang Kesehatan di Rsud Banten
Authors: Widyastuti Yeni , Rizkiyani Tiwi , Rahayu Sierfi
Published: December 2023

Grand Design Reformasi Birokrasi di Indonesia berdasarkan Keputusan Presiden No.81/2010 bertujuan agar reformasi menjadi fokus dan berkelanjutan. Pencapaian strategis bahwa negara bebas dari korupsi, meningkatkan kapasitas dan akuntabilitas serta memperkuat orientasi terhadap peningkatan pelayanan publik. Kepentingan publik pada dasarnya adalah tujuan tertinggi bagi pemerintah. Peran pemerintah adalah memberikan pelayanan publik terbaik kepada masyarakat, pelayanan yang manusiawi, menempatkan pengguna jasa (masyarakat) sebagai pusat kepentingan, standar pelayanan yang profesional. Urgensi employer branding dalam pelayanan publik, khususnya pelayanan kesehatan, merupakan bagian dari mewujudkan kondisi ini.
 
Kata kunci : employer branding, sektor kesehatan
A Novel additive manufacturing process for multi-matrix fiber reinforced composites
Authors: Konze Simon , Lisbôa Tales V. , Bruk Sascha , Bittrich Lars , Stommel Markus , Wildemann Martin , Herold Johannes , Spickenheuer Axel
Published: December 2023

Integrating different matrices into fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) offers great potential for general tailored functionalities. By locally integrating flexible matrix zones in otherwise stiff FRPs, both very stiff and flexible areas with properties such as bending and damping behavior can be achieved. A novel method for manufacturing these so-called multi-matrix composites (MMC) is presented in this work. Either manually or in an automated fashion a first matrix system is locally applied to fiber preforms. After curing these zones, all fiber areas that are still dry can be infiltrated with a second matrix system. In this manner a composite structure with different and defined matrix zones of almost any size and shape can be created. Experimentally, the integration of flexible polyurethane and stiff epoxy resin into glass fiber preforms was investigated, considering material compatibility and process precision. For an established process-chain, good infiltration quality with distinct transition zone between the matrices was verified, resulting in bending specimens showing deformation only in the regions of polyurethane elastomer matrix.
Judicial self-government in Ukraine
Authors: Pivovar I. V.
Published: December 2023

This article is devoted to the study of judges in Ukraine, the order of their employment in administrative positions. Being a judge of the relevant court is not only a profession, it is an observance of the rules of conduct that must be observed every day both in one’s work and in one’s personal life. The judicial profession differs from other professions, a judge must be guided only by procedural law.

Also, when administering justice, a judge cannot depend on the legislative and executive bodies as a whole. It will be appropriate to consider the issue of a judge in an administrative position. And determine their order of appointment to the relevant position in the court. Today, the issue of judges in administrative positions is very extensive and requires additional research.

The draft law “On restoring trust in the judicial system of Ukraine” was developed with the aim of ensuring the implementation of guarantees of the independence of judges, as well as reducing illegal influence on judges who hold administrative positions, the relevant courts, restoring trust in society, as well as in the judiciary. Therefore, the achievement of the goal is proposed through the adoption of the specified law.

It provides for the term of holding an administrative position in the courts of cassation up to three years, and also establishes restrictions on the possibility of the same person occupying the position of the head of the court for two consecutive terms. But the main Law of Ukraine for regulating the appointment of judges to administrative positions is the Law of Ukraine “On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges”, which regulates issues related to all judges.

Well, let’s summarize the above-mentioned law, which entered into force on March 28, 2015. Part 4 of Article 20 of Law No. 2453, as amended by Law No. 192, stipulates that a judge elected to an administrative position in the manner specified by this article cannot hold one administrative position of the corresponding court for more than two terms in a row.

In connection with the adoption of this draft law, on January 4, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered an alternative draft law 8296-1 on the election of court presidents, in which it is proposed to provide for the possibility of early dismissal of the court president from office by the Council of Judges of Ukraine, in case of non-compliance with the restrictions on holding the office the chairman of the court is a judge who has already been elected for more than two terms in a row.

This Draft Law proposes that judges of all courts of the country (from local courts to the High Anti-Corruption Court and Cassation Courts as part of the Supreme Court) elect presidents and deputy presidents of courts for a period of 4 years, but only the head of the Supreme Court will personally approve them.

Key words: state, judge, procedure for appointing judges, administrative position, judicial power, justice, legal status of judges.
Local rule-making in Ancient Rus’
Authors: Rominskyi Ye. V.
Published: December 2023

The subject of this study is the ways and methods of regulating legal relations at the local level in medieval Ukraine. The main attention is paid to the state formations of the East Slavic legal-cultural and political space of the 11th–14th centuries.

The legal reality of Ancient Rus’ was characterized by limited centralized legal regulation. In contrast to the Middle Ages of Western Europe, rulers in Ancient Rus’ did very little to create laws. As a result of this policy, a significant part of legal relations had to be settled at the local level. The unique social structure of Ancient Rus’, which did not know self-governing urban communities, did not know self-governing craft guilds, etc., also contributed to this.

The complex structure of the society of Ancient Rus’, its characteristic features and basic elements is revealed. Family and pseudo-family corporate structures served as the basis of society. These structures included certain families, clans, large and small families, as well as numerous «people of the house», that is, people who were in various types of legal dependence. Attention is drawn to how these corporations, as rule-making subjects, regulated relations within themselves and among themselves. The contractual nature of pseudo-family corporate structures, whose counterpart in Western Europe is «conjuratio», is revealed.

Ancient Rus’ was characterized by the lack of legal formalization of the division of society into estates. At the same time, a significant number of types of forms of early feudal and ministerial dependence, as well as slavery, are known. There is no record of the existence of proper laws, or of the regulation of such relations of dependence through tradition. Thus, dependency relations in all their forms were mostly to be regulated by local law acts, in particular by law-making treaties. And the more complex the form of dependence was, the more complex was the legal act regulating it.

A separate subject of research is church institutions and monasteries, which formed separate corporate structures with their own regulatory system, which combined both downward normative legal regulation and local rulemaking, which could come into conflict with such centralized legal regulation.

Attention is also paid to terminological problems and their solution at the modern stage. It is necessary both to update the existing scientific terminology and to be cautious about the terminology of the past. The peculiarities of the use of the word «custom» (zwychay) in the medieval society of Ancient Rus’. Examples from church literature illustrate how this word was used precisely in a legal sense, which is quite different from the modern legal understanding of legal custom.

Key words: Medieval Ukraine, East Slavic state formations, Ancient Rus’, Medieval Law, Ancient Rus’ Law, law-making treaty, Source of Law, Legal history.
Criminal law regulation of private military and security companies in the USA
Authors: Savka O. I.
Published: December 2023

The article examines the criminal law regulation of private military and security companies in the United States. The genesis of the emergence of private military and security companies, their functions and principles of activity are considered. The author analyzes the legislative framework that defines the status and position of private military and security companies in the United States.

The legal relations of US government agencies with private military and security companies are studied.

The author analyzes the US regulations on the joint activities of the US Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and the Department of State on the joint policy governing the powers of private military and security companies, namely, the mechanism of command and control over employees of private military and security companies, including in the collection and analysis of intelligence information.

The author identifies topical issues of criminal law regulation of activities and liability of private military and security companies in the United States.

The article examines the doctrines of liability that have, in one way or another, provided private military and security companies with the opportunity to protect themselves from prosecution in American courts. Some of the liability rules relate to the immunity of the State from prosecution in any court, both domestic and foreign, which have been repeatedly applied by the United States.

Key words: private military companies in the USA, private security companies in the USA, criminal law regulation, regulatory acts of the USA, principles of activity.
Problems of defining the basic principles (principles) of legal regulation of mortgage relations in the civil legislation of Ukraine
Authors: Sevryukova I. F.
Published: December 2023

Іntroduction. Problematic issues of systematization of the main principles of mortgage, definition of their content, comparison with the principles of property law, principles of mortgage lending, it is proposed to formulate the content of the relevant legislative provisions to which the research is devoted, have always been debatable. Normative provisions of modern mortgage legislation not only do not contribute to solving problems regarding the definition of the basic principles of mortgage legal relations, but, on the contrary, contain certain contradictions and shortcomings.

The existence of disputed legislative constructions does not allow to properly systematize the basic principles of the mortgage institution and to provide full protection of violated rights to subjects of mortgage legal relations.

Purpose and objectives of the study. The main common feature of such agreements is the study of conceptual provisions and general theoretical foundations, which are aimed at solving legal problems related to the definition of the main legal foundations of mortgage relations, as well as the formulation of scientifically based theoretical provisions and conclusions of an applied nature, aimed at ensuring the protection of the rights of participants in mortgage relations. It seems necessary to specify the main legal principles aimed at the formation of mortgage legal relations, their definition, characteristics, classification. Improvement of the civil law regulation of mortgage relations also requires a thorough analysis of the relevant regulatory provisions.

Research methods. The research carried out in the article is based on the evaluation of generally accepted approaches to identifying the signs of problematic issues of the main principles of legal regulation of mortgage relations and their reflection in the civil legislation of Ukraine. It should be emphasized that these issues are debatable due to the lack of clear legislative structures, which leads to the imperfection of legal regulation and violation of the rights of participants in property turnover.

Research conclusions. As a result of the research, the opinion is expressed that there is no system of mortgage principles in the current legislation of Ukraine. Due to the lack of a clear system of principles of legal regulation of mortgage relations, as well as the contradictory content of some norms that proclaim these principles, for example, the principle of publicity, the principle of authenticity, negative consequences arise when applying the relevant legislative provisions in judicial practice, which has as a consequence the imperfection of the protection of subjective rights participants in mortgage legal relations.

Key words: mortgage, basic provisions (principles) of mortgage, mortgage relations, principles of property law, principles of mortgage lending.
Legal thanatology and the right to death: problems and prospects for studying somatic human rights
Authors: Tarasevych T. Yu.
Published: December 2023

The article examines the somatic rights of a person through the prism of «discourse of death». Emphasis is placed on the problems of legal thanatology as a science about death. Philosophical, religious and cultural differences in concepts and definition of human death. It is noted that an important component of medical thanatology is the concept of thanatogenesis – the causes and mechanisms of the onset of death, a set of interdependent pathological processes that lead to the onset of clinical or biological death. Knowledge of the basic patterns of thanatogenesis and detection of changes that trigger the process of thanatogenesis are necessary for timely and adequate correction of critical conditions that occur in patients. The time of death of a person is the moment of his brain death or his biological death (irreversible death of a person). Brain death can occur with complete and irreversible cessation of all its functions, which is registered with a working heart and artificial ventilation of the lungs. The methodology for diagnosing death is not related to the concept that there are different types of death. Loss of cardiovascular and respiratory function can lead to death only when ischemia and anoxia are prolonged enough to cause irreversible brain damage. Legal thanatology should be considered as an independent direction in modern jurisprudence within the framework of general theoretical jurisprudence. It is related to medical bioethics, medical law, and, from this point of view, it identifies the gaps that exist in jurisprudence and medicine and, if possible, eliminates them. Legal thanatology is a kind of «bridge» and «filter» of achievements in the field of medicine and legal science, which further helps law to «go hand in hand» with medicine. It was concluded that in the conditions of an increase in the number of donor centers, the extreme ethical importance of diagnosing brain death determines the need for high accuracy, speed and safety of its establishment. The above data show that the problem of brain death, as before, remains an open scientific problem. The concept of brain death continues to develop, refine, and improve. Any new circumstances (clinical observations, scientific facts) have to be tested again and again as arguments in defense of life or in defense of death.

Key words: human rights, right to death, somatic rights, legal thanatology, death, human body, time of death, brain death.
Historical and legal aspects of the transformation of the legal status of labor inspection in Ukraine
Authors: Terela H. V.
Published: December 2023

The article examines the process of transformation for the legal status of labor inspection in independent Ukraine, taking into account the political and legal determinants that condition it. As a basis for distinguishing the conditional stages of development there were drawn normative and legal acts determined in historical retrospect and establish (in modern Ukraine) the legal status of the labor inspectorate as a specialized body for supervision and control over compliance with labor law. As a result of the conducted research there were determined five stages of labor inspection development in independent Ukraine: the first stage (September 23, 1991 – August 2, 1996) – the formation of special state bodies for supervision of compliance with labor and occupational safety law while simultaneously preserving the function of state supervision for legal and technical labor inspections as part of trade unions; the second stage (August 2, 1996 – November 29, 2000) – creation and functioning of the state inspection of the Labor Ministry in the status of a structural division for central apparatus of the Labor Ministry and territorial state inspections; the third stage (November 29, 2000 – April 6, 2011) – formation and functioning of the State Department for Supervision of Compliance with Labor Law (Derzhnaglyadpratsi) as a governmental body of state administration within the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in Ukraine; the fourth stage (April 6, 2011 – February 11, 2015) formation and activity of the State Labor Inspectorate of Ukraine (State Labor) in the status of a central body for executive power; the fifth stage (from February 11, 2015) – formation and functioning of the State Labor Service of Ukraine in the status of a central body for executive power, endowed with broad powers to supervise and control compliance with labor law, employment of the population, mandatory state social insurance.

It is emphasized that in the process of transformation there is a change in the organizational and legal status of the labor inspection together with the formation of an integrated system for supervision and control, which in theoretical sense implies a coherent and flexible concept structurally including administrative, procedural and technical integration. In practice, such a policy of labor management involves further improvement of the law enforcement practice for inspection, combining it with informational, advisory, analytical measures within the framework of the implementation for a comprehensive approach. It has been found out that functional integration, or the concentration of functions in a single state labor inspection service, is the predominant trend in the formation of the supervision and control system, capable of ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of control and supervision activities.

Key words: labor law, transformation, legal status, labor inspection, control, supervision, inspection, international standards, principle of functional integration.
Legal acts in the theory of constitutional and legal policy
Authors: Ternavska V. М.
Published: December 2023

The quality of legal life can be considered as the main criterion for the effectiveness of legal policy. Legal acts are the main form of manifestation of legal life. Today, the theory of legal acts in all its aspects does not lose its theoretical and practical significance. There studied legal acts-documents in the aspect of instrumental theory of constitutional and legal policy, which are the means of forming and implementing the constitutional and legal policy.

The main provisions of the theory of legal acts are analyzed in the article: the notion and nature of legal acts, their ratio with closely-related concepts; the notion of legal acts’ system, interaction within the integral complex of doctrinal legal, political-legal, normative legal, law-enforcing, legal-interpretative acts; theoretical and practical significance of the problem. Thus, normative legal acts are the main legal means of forming the legal policy of the state, since they contain legal norms that have a general effect nature, a certain legal force and their implementation is ensured by a system of state guarantees, including means of state coercion. At the same time, the doctrinal legal acts (concepts, strategies, doctrines) and political-legal acts (resolutions, declarations, appeals, statements) are exactly the most important means for the forming the constitutional and legal policy, because the formers are scientifically grounded and encourage the adoption of normative legal acts, and others determine the vectors of development of national constitutional legislation and stipulate the content of normative legal acts and normative legal agreements. The normative legal agreement is a new, somewhat unconventional legal instrument for regulating social relations in the sphere of public law in Ukraine, but which is gradually gaining more importance in the conditions of decentralization of legal regulation that significantly contributes to the development of civil society. Law-enforcement acts, despite their individual and personalized nature, play an important role in the mechanism of implementation of constitutional and legal policy because they are indicators of the quality of legal policy. Legal interpretative acts as a result of normative delegated and doctrinal interpretation play a leading role in the process of implementing the constitutional and legal policy, because they contribute not only to the adequate embodiment of its provisions in life, but also to the formation of the appropriate legal interpretative policy.

It is concluded that there needed a systematic approach to the study of the nature of legal acts as legal means of forming and implementing the constitutional and legal policy as a strategic direction of the state’s legal policy, as well as the normative definition of the concept and system of legal acts in a special law.

Key words: constitutional and legal policy, legal means, legal act, system of legal acts.
The practice of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the protection of rights in the field of social security
Authors: Trunova H. A.
Published: December 2023

The article is devoted to the issue of protection of rights in the field of social security by the European Court of Human Rights. The evolution of the spread of the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms to the category of social rights in the practice of the Court has been considered. The positions of domestic experts regarding the protection of the rights of the ECHR in the field of social security have been analyzed. The provisions of the Convention under which social rights are protected have been highlighted. The procedure defined by the ECHR for analyzing whether a property right has been interfered with in breach of the Convention has been represented. The main provisions of the decision in the case «Stec and others v. the United Kingdom» have been reflected in the context of the broad protection of rights in the field of social security. Attention has been focused on the doctrine of legitimate expectations of property protection in accordance with the guarantees provided by Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention in the context of the protection of rights in the field of social security. The decision in the case «Belane Nagy v. Hungary» regarding the definition of legitimate expectations in matters of protection of rights in the field of social security has been analyzed. Relevant conclusions have been drawn regarding the ECHR’s protection of rights in the field of social security, in particular, regarding the broad protection of the corresponding category of rights, as well as the application of the «legitimate expectations» category of property protection in accordance with the guarantees provided for in Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention.

Key words: European Court of Human Rights, social security, social protection, social rights, protection of rights, pension, social insurance, legitimate expectations.
Generation of somatic de novo structural variation as a hallmark of cellular senescence in human lung fibroblasts
Authors: Woronzow Valentina , Möhner Jonas , Remane Daniel , Zischler Hans
Published: December 2023

Cellular senescence is characterized by replication arrest in response to stress stimuli. Senescent cells accumulate in aging tissues and can trigger organ-specific and possibly systemic dysfunction. Although senescent cell populations are heterogeneous, a key feature is that they exhibit epigenetic changes. Epigenetic changes such as loss of repressive constitutive heterochromatin could lead to subsequent LINE-1 derepression, a phenomenon often described in the context of senescence or somatic evolution. LINE-1 elements decode the retroposition machinery and reverse transcription generates cDNA from autonomous and non-autonomous TEs that can potentially reintegrate into genomes and cause structural variants. Another feature of cellular senescence is mitochondrial dysfunction caused by mitochondrial damage. In combination with impaired mitophagy, which is characteristic of senescent cells, this could lead to cytosolic mtDNA accumulation and, as a genomic consequence, integrations of mtDNA into nuclear DNA (nDNA), resulting in mitochondrial pseudogenes called numts. Thus, both phenomena could cause structural variants in aging genomes that go beyond epigenetic changes. We therefore compared proliferating and senescent IMR-90 cells in terms of somatic de novo numts and integrations of a non-autonomous composite retrotransposons - the so-called SVA elements—that hijack the retropositional machinery of LINE-1. We applied a subtractive and kinetic enrichment technique using proliferating cell DNA as a driver and senescent genomes as a tester for the detection of nuclear flanks of de novo SVA integrations. Coupled with deep sequencing we obtained a genomic readout for SVA retrotransposition possibly linked to cellular senescence in the IMR-90 model. Furthermore, we compared the genomes of proliferative and senescent IMR-90 cells by deep sequencing or after enrichment of nuclear DNA using AluScan technology. A total of 1,695 de novo SVA integrations were detected in senescent IMR-90 cells, of which 333 were unique. Moreover, we identified a total of 81 de novo numts with perfect identity to both mtDNA and nuclear hg38 flanks. In summary, we present evidence for possible age-dependent structural genomic changes by paralogization that go beyond epigenetic modifications. We hypothesize, that the structural variants we observe potentially impact processes associated with replicative aging of IMR-90 cells.
The prevalence and clustering of metabolic syndrome risk components in Chinese population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhao Xu , Lu Cihang , Song Bo , Chen Deshi , Teng Di , Shan Zhongyan , Teng Weiping
Published: December 2023

Objective

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is diagnosed upon the manifestation of ≥ 3 out of 5 specific components. The present study evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of the MetS components and their clustering condition among Chinese adults.

Methods

68383 participants aged 18-80 years from TIDE were scored on a six-point (0–5) MetS severity score (MSSS), which quantified their cumulative amount of MetS risk components. We evaluated the epidemiological characteristics of these components and their clustering conditions. Additionally, we examined the relation of age with the prevalence of different MSSSs or specific MetS components using restricted cubic splines.

Results

Among 68383 participants, 26113 men and 24582 women had abnormal MetS components. There were significant differences in most epidemiological characteristics between the 6 MSSS groups. The top three prevalence of abnormal metabolic components were high systolic blood pressure (SBP) (9.41%, n=6568), high waist circumference (WC) (8.13%, n=6120), and the cooccurrence of high SBP and high WC (6.33%, n=4622). Participants were more likely to have all five MetS components when HDL-C was low. Restricted cubic splines showed that when the MSSS ≥3, the MetS prevalence of male peaked and that of the female population increased most rapidly at 40-60 age group.

Conclusion

The 40-60 age group can be regarded as the high-risk period of MetS, and elderly women have a higher risk of multiple metabolic disorders than men. The top three clustering of abnormal metabolic components were high SBP, high WC, and their combination. Multiple components aggregation was more likely to occur when HDL-C decreased.
Co-evolution analysis of novel power system based on Brusselator model
Authors: Wang Yunling , Su Yunche , Liu Fang , Liu Yang , Xie Tianxiang , Li Ao , Xu Ke
Published: December 2023

The evolution of power system is a dynamic and complex process. Whether the evolution of power system can adapt to the macro environment and develop with all subsystems within the system depends on the matching and integration development among different evolutionary subjects. Based on the dissipation theory and Brusselator model, this paper constructs an evolutionary synergy model of the power system, and quantitatively analyzes the evolutionary synergy relationship between the evolving subjects of the power system and the overall evolutionary process of the power system. Then, from the socio-technical system transformation theory, we analyze the evolutionary elements of macro-environmental level, meso-institutional level and micro-beneficial level in the process of system transformation in China and the interaction among them. Finally, by comparing the entropy changes of the evolutionary participant subjects and the overall power system at each stage, the endogenous mechanism of the power system, the external elements and their interactions on the system development are studied in order to reveal the evolutionary synergistic law of China’s power system and make suggestions for the development of the new power system.
Comprehensive human health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in urban soils: insights from selected metropolitan zones
Authors: Ayaz Harris , Nawaz Rab , Nasim Iqra , Irshad Muhammad Atif , Irfan Ali , Khurshid Iram , Okla Mohammad K. , Wondmie Gezahign Fentahun , Ahmed Zulkifl , Bourhia Mohammed
Published: December 2023

Introduction: This study aims to assess the extent of heavy metal contamination in urban soils in sixteen selected cities of Pakistan, encompassing the elements cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu).

Methods: The data utilized for this study was collected from online literature during the period 2005 to 2019. This study investigated potential threats to human health through a comprehensive analysis, considering standards such as Enrichment Factors (EF), Geo-accumulation Indices (Igeo), and Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA).

Results: Geo-accumulation Index results indicated varied risk intensities, with Cu, Pb, Co, Mn, and Fe exhibiting “no pollution” levels, while other elements show “moderate to extremely contaminated” values. EF analysis provided evidence of heavy metal presence, revealing a spectrum from “no pollution” to “moderate to extremely high pollution” for Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Cu. The health risk assessment identified both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic dangers for adults and children.

Discussion: These findings highlighted the substantial contribution of identified sources such as industrial processes, vehicular emissions, sewage sludge, urban flooding, and the production and use of metallic materials that have elevated heavy metal levels in the urban soils. This established the link between urban industrial zones, human health, and long-term economic sustainability. This study provides essential guidance for decision makers to develop effective strategies for soil remediation, enhanced industrial practices, and regulatory measures to address heavy metal contamination in urban areas, ensuring the wellbeing and sustainable environmental quality management in cities.
Sustained beneficial infections: priority effects, competition, and specialization drive patterns of association in intracellular mutualisms
Authors: Hill Malcolm , Lawson Barry , Cain John W. , Rahman Nasheya , Toolsidass Shiv , Wang Tongyu , Geraghty Sara , Raymundo Eberardo , Hill April
Published: December 2023

Intracellular symbioses provide a useful system for exploring evolutionary and ecological forces that shape mutualistic partnerships. Within- and among-host competitiveness driven by different strategies that symbionts adopt as they transfer materials to the host across a sub-cellular membrane might explain patterns of host:symbiont association observed in natural systems. We tested the hypothesis that different translocation strategies employed by symbionts affect their ability to occupy host habitats using two distinct modeling approaches. The first involved constructing a deterministic, Lotka-Volterra-type model with two symbiont species competing for access to a single host. The model recovered expected behaviors of co-occupancy/coinfection as well as competitive exclusion. However, a specialization coefficient allowed advantages to accrue to one of the symbionts and permitted otherwise inferior competitors to displace superior competitors. The second approach involved developing and implementing a detailed, highly configurable, and realstic agent-based model (ABM), facilitating experimentation of multiple symbiont strategies in competition simultaneously. The ABM emphasizes bidirectional movement of materials between symbiont and host (e.g., photosynthate from algae to heterotrophic host). Competitive interactions between symbionts based on simple strategies led to exclusion of the inferior symbiont or co-occupancy of the host. As in the first model, inferior competitors could overtake superior competitors when “affinity” terms (i.e., specialization) were included in the model. Both models lay bare the importance of coevolutionary specialization as a selectively advantageous strategy, and they offer a new conceptual framework for interpreting the dynamic patterns observed in extant host and mutualist associations by challenging the idea of “host control” of outcomes, and identifying specific points where coevolutionary specialization might accrue.
The landscape of actionable genomic alterations in lung adenocarcinomas in India
Authors: Sharma Rakesh , Kamireddy Aruna Priya , Hussaini Syed Meera , Chatterjee Soma , Hasan Qurratulain , Jain Jugnu
Published: December 2023

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the most prevalent form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), remains a leading cause of cancer-related death globally, including in India, with a 5-year survival rate below 10%. Despite these grim statistics, recent advances in the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for identifying genetic alterations and the emergence of targeted therapies have opened new possibilities for personalized treatment based on distinct molecular signatures. To understand the molecular pattern of NSCLC, a retrospective study was conducted with 53 Indian LUAD patient samples, using a targeted NGS panel of 46 cancer-relevant oncogenes to identify clinically relevant variants. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were detected in 94% of the 53 cases. Non-synonymous mutations, rearrangements, copy number alterations, insertions, and deletions of functional relevance were observed in 31 out of 46 genes. The most frequently mutated genes included TP53 (52.8%) and EGFR (50.9%), followed by RET, PIK3CA and ERBB2; some patients had multiple alterations in the same gene. Gender-based enrichment analysis indicated that ALK and IDH2 alterations were more prevalent in females, while TP53 and PTEN were more common in males. No significant correlation was found between mutations and other clinicopathological attributes, such as age, stage, and subtype. A higher prevalence of EGFR, RET, PIK3CA, ERBB2 and ALK mutations were observed compared to previous LUAD genetic studies coupled with a lower frequency of KRAS mutations. Clinically actionable variants were annotated using OncoKB and categorized into the four therapeutic levels based on their clinical evidence. Seventy-nine percent of cases had at least one clinically actionable alteration. Most patients (39.6%) had the highest level of actionability (Level 1) wherein an FDA-approved drug is available specifically for the observed mutation in lung cancer patients. EGFR Exon19 in-frame deletions and EGFR L858R were the most frequent among targetable variants (20.7%). These findings emphasize the importance of a selective NGS panel in enabling personalized medicine approaches by identifying actionable molecular alterations and informing the choice of targeted therapy for more effective treatment options in Indian NSCLC patients.
Unveiling the power of microenvironment in liver regeneration: an in-depth overview
Authors: Hu Yuelei , Wang Ruilin , An Ni , Li Chen , Wang Qi , Cao Yannan , Li Chao , Liu Juan , Wang Yunfang
Published: December 2023

The liver serves as a vital regulatory hub for various physiological processes, including sugar, protein, and fat metabolism, coagulation regulation, immune system maintenance, hormone inactivation, urea metabolism, and water-electrolyte acid-base balance control. These functions rely on coordinated communication among different liver cell types, particularly within the liver’s fundamental hepatic lobular structure. In the early stages of liver development, diverse liver cells differentiate from stem cells in a carefully orchestrated manner. Despite its susceptibility to damage, the liver possesses a remarkable regenerative capacity, with the hepatic lobule serving as a secure environment for cell division and proliferation during liver regeneration. This regenerative process depends on a complex microenvironment, involving liver resident cells, circulating cells, secreted cytokines, extracellular matrix, and biological forces. While hepatocytes proliferate under varying injury conditions, their sources may vary. It is well-established that hepatocytes with regenerative potential are distributed throughout the hepatic lobules. However, a comprehensive spatiotemporal model of liver regeneration remains elusive, despite recent advancements in genomics, lineage tracing, and microscopic imaging. This review summarizes the spatial distribution of cell gene expression within the regenerative microenvironment and its impact on liver regeneration patterns. It offers valuable insights into understanding the complex process of liver regeneration.
Tumour microenvironment influences response to treatment in oesophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Belle Clemence J. , Lonie James M. , Brosda Sandra , Barbour Andrew P.
Published: December 2023

The poor treatment response of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) leads to low survival rates. Its increasing incidence makes finding more effective treatment a priority. Recent treatment improvements can be attributed to the inclusion of the tumour microenvironment (TME) and immune infiltrates in treatment decisions. OAC TME is largely immunosuppressed and reflects treatment resistance as patients with inflamed TME have better outcomes. Priming the tumour with the appropriate neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy treatment could lead to higher immune infiltrations and higher expression of immune checkpoints, such as PD-1/PDL-1, CTLA4 or emerging new targets: LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT or ICOS. Multiple trials support the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors to the current standard of care. However, results vary, supporting the need for better response biomarkers based on TME composition. This review explores what is known about OAC TME, the clinical significance of the various cell populations infiltrating it and the emerging therapeutical combination with a focus on immune checkpoints inhibitors.