bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Framing a New Standard for Teaching in Alberta
Authors: Hull John E.
Published: December 2023

A research panel asked to frame the discussion for a new Teaching Quality Standard in Alberta assumes this task requires a paradigm shift away from the status quo efficiency movement. As a member of the panel, the author provides an analysis of paradigm shifts in education and recounts important lessons to be learned. The author challenges the notion that the alternative paradigm posed by an emerging knowledge society provides the best framework to define quality teaching. To accentuate the centrality of relationships, the author offers culture-making as a preferred paradigm where who teachers are is valued as much as what teachers do. Un groupe de recherche à qui on a demandé de délimiter une discussion sur une nouvelle norme pour la qualité de l’enseignement en Alberta part du principe que la tâche exige que l’on délaisse le mouvement actuel prônant l’efficacité. L’auteur, membre de ce groupe de recherche, analyse les changements de paradigme en éducation et rappelle les leçons importantes à tirer de cette évolution. L’auteur conteste la notion que le paradigme alternatif que pose la société de la connaissance émergeante constitue la meilleure base sur laquelle axer l’enseignement de qualité. Il propose plutôt un paradigme reposant sur la création de la culture selon lequel les enseignants sont appréciés pour ce qu’ils sont autant que pour ce qu’ils font.
Trades-Related Post-Secondary Educational Attainment among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Young Adults in Alberta
Authors: Hira-Friesen Parvinder Kaur , Haan Michael , Krahn Harvey
Published: December 2023

This paper examines trades-related and university educational attainment (by age 25) of immigrant and Canadian-born Alberta youth while controlling for gender, family socio-economic status, high school grades, and parental encouragement regarding higher education. Data from the longitudinal Alberta School-Work Transitions Study (1996 – 2003) reveal significant differences between immigrants and non-immigrant young adults in terms of trades-related post-secondary education (PSE). Multinomial logit analysis shows that Alberta immigrant youth are significantly more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to attain trades-related PSE credentials by age 25. Important factors explaining these differences include parental encouragement and high school grades. Cet article porte sur les réalisations relatives aux métiers et à l’éducation universitaire avant l’âge de 25 ans chez de jeunes immigrants d’une part et de jeunes albertains nés au Canada d’autre part. L’étude tient compte du sexe, du statut socioéconomique de la famille, des notes au secondaire et de l’appui parental en ce qui touche l’enseignement supérieur. Les données provenant d’une étude longitudinale albertaine portant sur le passage de l’école au travail (Alberta School-Work Transitions Study 1996 – 2003) révèlent des différences significatives entre les jeunes adultes immigrants et non-immigrants quant à l’éducation postsecondaire associée aux métiers. Une analyse logit multinomiale démontre que les jeunes albertains immigrants sont nettement plus susceptibles que leurs homologues nés au Canada à obtenir un diplôme d’éducation postsecondaire associée aux métiers avant l’âge de 25 ans. Parmi les facteurs importants qui expliquent ces différences notons l’appui parental et les notes au secondaire.
Desmonte do plano de cargos, carreiras e remuneração do magistério do município de São Gonçalo: plano de silenciamento da categoria
Authors: Rabibe Marta Beatriz Nani , Volotão Graciane de Souza Rocha
Published: December 2023

O Plano de Cargos, Carreira e Remuneração do Magistério Público do Município de São Gonçalo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, instituído pela Lei 008/2003, foi considerado desde sua publicação como um dos melhores planos de cargos da carreira do magistério público no estado. O documento, fruto de um exercício democrático de direito da categoria após muitas lutas, mobilizações e movimentos envolvendo instituições ligadas diretamente ao campo educacional do município, representava uma conquista em relação à valorização profissional. Contudo, no ano de 2021, com as mudanças advindas da posse do novo chefe do executivo, o Plano de Cargos, Carreiras e Remuneração (PCCR) foi revogado pela Lei 1304/2021, que instituiu um novo plano com medidas antidemocráticas, ocasionando um processo de desmotivação dos profissionais da educação e caracterizando uma descontinuidade nas políticas públicas de valorização profissional. Para a construção deste artigo, foi realizada uma pesquisa documental que possibilitou a elaboração de um estudo comparativo entre a lei 008/2003, a lei 1304/2021 com seus complementos dispostos pela Lei 1330/2022. A metodologia utilizada foi levantamento documental, teórico e estudo comparativo entre as leis que instituíram o PCCR dos servidores do município de São Gonçalo. No desenvolvimento do texto, são abordadas questões como perdas salariais e desvalorização profissional que caracterizam um retrocesso diante de toda a luta da categoria na construção do plano anterior. Assim, o texto traz uma análise sobre as mudanças ocorridas e retoma a velha (ou nova?) discussão em relação aos impactos negativos que as políticas públicas instituídas de cima para baixo produzem para os profissionais da educação. A análise é realizada fazendo um paralelo com enfoque nas relações de poder, saber e sujeitos de Foucault e a concepção de estado democrático de direito de Freire.
Instagram Automation Tool: Enhance Engagement, Multi-Account Management, ROI
Authors:   Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chandigarh University, Soni Gaurav , Gupta Shubh ,   Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chandigarh University
Published: December 2023

Instagram, a prominent social network, provides a fertile ground for influencers to engage with their followers. This paper proposes the concept of automating Instagram tasks for influencers, offering significant time and energy savings. Typically, influencers invest substantial effort in growing their Instagram presence. The proposed "Instagram Automation Tool" automates tasks such as bulk liking and commenting on posts, mass following accounts, curating trending niche-specific hashtags, gathering insights on popular accounts, and purging ghost accounts from their followers and followings.
Detailed Review about Street Fighter Game using Python
Authors: Journal IJSREM
Published: December 2023

This paper examines the varied cultural meanings of computer game play in competitive and professional computer gaming and live-streaming. A fighting game is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more characters. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter- attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos". Characters generally engage in battle using hand-to-hand combat—often some form of martial arts. The fighting game genre is related to, but distinct from, the beat 'em up genre, which pits large numbers of computer-controlled enemies against one or more player characters. The controls for Final Fight consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy Pressing the attack and jump buttons simultaneously allows the player to perform a special attack that strikes all surrounding enemies, but will drain a small portion of the player's health. Enemies can be grabbed simply by walking into one of them. When an enemy is grabbed, the player can perform a grab attack by pressing the attack button or perform a throw by tilting the joystick left or right. A thrown enemy can be tossed at another for additional damage. Items such as weapons, health recovery items, and items awarding extra points can be picked up by standing over one and pressing the attack button. Weapons have limited uses and will disappear if the player is disarmed by an enemy too much or when the player moves to a new area.
Comparative antifungal Evaluation of Azadirachta indica juss leaf extract against Rhizoctonia solani causing leaf blight of Turmeric
Authors:   Dept. of Botany, Azad M.Ausa.413520, K.Gurme Manisha
Published: December 2023

In the present study the aqueous and methanol leaves extracts of Azadirachta indica using different concentrations from 10 to 40% were tested in Vitro by following poisoned food technique against Rhizoctonia solani causing leaf blight of turmeric. The used concentrations of leaves extract were as 0.0 (control), 10, 20, 30 and 40%. The aqueous Azadirachta indica leaves extract at 30% concentration and methanolic leaves extract at 40% concentration were found to be best in reducing the mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani. Keywords: Azadirachta indica, Turmeric. Rhizoctonia solani.
Robust Credit Card Fraud Detection: A Model Comparison Study
Authors: Journal IJSREM
Published: December 2023

In this credit card fraud prediction project, we aimed to develop models capable of accurately identifying potentially fraudulent transactions. The dataset encompassed various attributes including transaction amount, gender, city population, age, transaction month and year, as well as geographical coordinates, which were used to train and evaluate the models. Two distinct machine learning algorithms, namely Logistic Regression and Decision Tree, were employed for this task. The models were fine-tuned using techniques such as feature selection and hyperparameter tuning to enhance their predictive accuracy. The Logistic Regression model demonstrated an accuracy of X% on the test set, showcasing its proficiency in distinguishing between fraudulent and nonfraudulent transactions. Additionally, the Decision Tree model exhibited a similar accuracy of Y%. Through an in-depth analysis of feature importance, it was revealed that attributes such as transaction amount, age, and latitudinal distance played pivotal roles in making accurate predictions. Furthermore, the project emphasizes the significance of employing soft computing techniques, which involve computational methods designed to emulate human cognitive processes, for credit card fraud detection. By leveraging machine learning algorithms and feature engineering, we were able to construct robust models capable of safeguarding financial transactions from potentially fraudulent activities. This project highlights the efficacy of modern data-driven approaches in enhancing security measures within the financial industry. Keywords— Intrusion detection, Machine learning, Optimization algorithms.
Topic Modelling of Web Pages with Latent Dirichlet Allocation Methods
Authors: Journal IJSREM
Published: December 2023

Topic modelling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is a popular technique used in natural language processing to uncover hidden thematic structures within a collection of documents. When applied to web pages, LDA can help in identifying prevalent topics or themes across these pages.. This study delves into the utilization of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) methods to extract underlying topics within web pages, a fundamental pursuit in understanding the multifaceted landscape of online information. Web content analysis presents unique challenges owing to its diverse nature—comprising text, images, videos, and structured HTML elements—mandating rigorous preprocessing strategies to homogenize the data. By adapting the LDA model to accommodate these challenges, this research tackles the task of uncovering latent thematic structures prevalent across web content. Methodologically, the study explores parameter tuning and model adaptation to optimize LDA for web page analysis, navigating complexities such as varied content formats, noise, and inherent biases in web data. Addressing these intricacies involves parsing HTML, extracting meaningful textual information, and refining tokenization processes. Evaluating the fidelity and interpretability of discovered topics becomes pivotal, prompting the utilization of coherence scores, perplexity metrics, and human assessment to gauge the quality of generated topics. Additionally, this research confronts the dynamic nature of web content, proposing strategies like continuous model retraining and dynamic topic modeling to accommodate evolving trends and updates. Practical applications of the extracted topics span a spectrum of domains, encompassing content recommendation systems, user behavior analysis, sentiment analysis, targeted advertising, and the enhancement of search algorithms for improved relevance and user engagement. Supported by illustrative case studies, this study elucidates how LDA serves as a potent mechanism to distill coherent and meaningful topics from web pages, offering invaluable insights into the hidden structures within the vast expanse of online information. St This comprehensive abstract encapsulates the depth and breadth of employing LDA for the analysis of web content, encompassing challenges, methodologies, evaluations, applications, and real-world implications.
ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM
Authors: Kaif Md , Haque Tausiful , Mishra Prakash Kumar , Bhushan Prof. Badal
Published: December 2023

The project is mainly aimed at providing a secured and user friendly Online Voting System. The problem of voting is still critical in terms of safety and security. This system deals with the design and development of a web based voting system using fingerprint and adhar card in order to provide a high performance with high security to the voting system. The proposed Online Voting System allows the voters to scan their fingerprint, which is then matched with an already saved image within a database that is retrieved from adhar card database of the government. The voting system is managed in a simpler way as all the users must login by adhar card number and click on his/her favorable candidates to cast the vote By using biometric fingerprint it provides enough security which reduces the dummy votes.
A Review Article-Pharmaceutical Creams and their use in Wound Healing
Authors: Vishnu Parkhe Vivek , Suchita Gadekar , Vaibhav Jadhav
Published: December 2023

Since the beginning of time, creams have been used as topical medicines because they are simple to apply to the skin and remove. Pharmaceutical creams are used for many different things. They may be used cosmetically for things like cleaning, beautifying, changing appearance, hydrating, etc., or they can be used to protect skin from bacterial and fungal infections and to treat cuts, burns, and wounds. While human skin frequently gets damaged, it is also capable of healing itself. However, infection is a possibility, particularly in the early stages of an injury, and the natural healing process may take some time. In this case, creams can be administered to the wounded site for faster healing and protect against infection. In this review we have studied pharmaceutical wound healing creams with wound healing process, methods of preparation of creams, classifications based on heir function, characteristics, ingredient of cream and their evaluation parameter.
Secure Scan -Analysis of Credit Card Fraud Detection Using Machine Learning
Authors: Journal IJSREM
Published: December 2023

Credit Card usage has been drastically increased across the world , now people believe in going cashless and are completely dependent on online transactions .The credit card has made the digital transaction easier and nowadays credit card frauds are drastically increasing in numbers compared to earlier times . A powerful fraud detection system is required to stop these frauds . Fraud detection is the process of monitoring the transaction behaviour of a cardholder to detect whether an incoming transaction is authentic and authorised or not otherwise it will be detected as illicit .Machine learning -based fraud detection systems rely on machine learning algorithms that can be trained with historical data and can perform classification , regression or finding the patterns among the data . Keywords: Credit card machine learning , fraud detection ,historical data, algorithms.
A COMPARISON OF STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS FOR THE CRUDE BIRTH RATE DATA
Authors: ÜNAL Ceren , ÖZEL Gamze
Published: December 2023

Population statistics and demographic are important indicators to show the country's quality of life, social and health, the status of the population, the change in the population structure, and its effect on economic life. In demography, the crude birth rate is used to measure the growth of a population. In this study, we perform the crude birth rate values by statistical regions in Türkiye with some statistical distributions. When the results are compared, the Gumbel distribution provides the best fit to model the crude birth rate values than Normal, Log-Normal, Exponential, Gamma, and Weibull distributions. Among compared distributions, the Gumbel model is the best model to present the CBR data since log likelihood (logL), Akaike information criteria (AIC) and Bayesian information criteria (BIC) values of the Gumbel distribution are the lowest among all models. In addition, the results with the compared distributions are supported by graphs.
YAPAY SİNİR AĞI VE ÇOKLU REGRESYON YÖNTEMLERİ İLE NH3 YOĞUŞMA ISI TRANSFERİ KATSAYISI TAHMİNİ
Authors: AYDOĞAN Hakan , ÖZDEMİR Mehmed Rafet
Published: December 2023

Soğutma sektöründe kullanılan halokarbon veya sentetik içerikli bileşiklerin çevreye olumsuz etkilerinden dolayı günümüzde kullanımları uluslararası protokollerle sınırlandırılmıştır. Bu sebeple, NH3 gibi düşük küresel ısınma ve ozon tüketme faktörlerine sahip organik bazlı soğutucu akışkanların kullanımı ön plana çıkmıştır. NH3, yüksek ısıl kapasitesi ve düşük viskozite gibi avantajlı termo-fiziksel özelliklerinden dolayı son yıllarda iklimlendirme endüstrisinde tercih edilmektedir. İklimlendirme sistemleri geliştirilirken, belli bağıntılarla sistemin ısı transfer katsayısı ve basınç düşüşü tahmin edilmelidir. Ancak NH3’ün diğer akışkanlardan farklı termo-fiziksel özelliklere sahip olması sebebiyle, literatürde NH3 için yoğuşma rejiminde ısı transfer katsayısını ve basınç düşüşünü yüksek doğruluk oranında veren bir model bulunmamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, yatay ve düz borularda yoğuşma rejiminde bulunan NH3 akışkanı ile yapılmış literatür çalışmalarından veriler alınarak çoklu regresyon ve yapay sinir ağları metotları ile ısı transferi katsayısı tahmini yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar literatürdeki bilgiler ışığında tartışılmış ve öneriler sunulmuştur.
Vlad Burlea – portrait of creation
Authors: Mardari Elena
Published: December 2023

Vlad Burlea is a prominent personality of the local musical culture. He is prodigiously active in the field of musical creation, signing works of great artistic value. He is involved in the musical life of the Republic, both by organizing various events, concerts, and directly participating in them. He manifests himself prodigiously in the sphere of musical pedagogy, educating generations of young musicians within the Ștefan Neaga Center of Excellence in Artistic Education and the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts. The works of composer Vlad Burlea are successfully performed in concert halls in our country and abroad. The prestigious New Music Days International Festival organized annually in Chisinau has an important role in revealing the musical personality of maestro Vlad Burlea and his manner of composing.
Excentric dances by Vitaly Verhola: a young composer in search of his own style
Authors: Cosciug Svetlana , Melnic Victoria
Published: December 2023

The Eccentric Dances No.1 and No.2 by Vitaly Verhola present a piano cycle for four hands. Original in their own way, contrasting in tempo, character, and artistic content, both miniatures show the influence of Igor Stravinsky's music (the ballets The Rite of Spring and Petrushka, intonations of the Concerto for piano and wind instruments). At the same time, thanks to the use of techniques such as ostinato, dissonant multiphonic chords, rhythm overlays, timbre harmonies, combination of heterogeneous stylistic elements, etc., the music of the two dances is infused with a personal spirit and eloquently illustrates the self-expression searches of a young composer at the beginning of his career. The piano writing for four hands gives both Eccentric Dances an orchestral sound.
Ways of arrangement of folkloric instrumental pieces for voice, men’s choir and folk music orchestra
Authors: Amihalachioaie Mihai
Published: December 2023

One of the basic ideas in this discourse is experimentation in the arrangement process. The author aims to argue the need of developing the knowledge of some ways of arranging folk music material in a modern version, applied to an orchestral score in the context of the local musical art modernization through the prism of his own experience as a practitioner. Especially in vocal pieces, but also instrumental ones, the author comes up with some newer arrangement features in the process of developing the sound material. One of the essential features of this experiment is the use of the male choir during the development of the folk music material in the vocal, instrumental or orchestral pieces, the introduction of brass band interventions in the folk music orchestra score, which lead to an even wider development of the musical material.
Concerto for voice and orchestra by Oleg Negruta: recommendations for study and interpretation
Authors: Cosciug Tatiana
Published: December 2023

The Concerto for voice and orchestra by Oleg Negruta, the first creation of this kind in the history of Moldovan music, consists of two movements. The first movement, written in the f moll tone, in the Andante tempo, is a sad „story”, described in gloomy colors, with melancholic nuances. The second movement a light waltz, which, through its major key (B dur, Andantino) is meant to illuminate the atmosphere created by the music of the first movement. The vocal part of the Concerto lacks a literary text, being an expressive vocalization, but this is not an obstacle to distinguish the lyrical character and the ideational content of the creation. Although, from the position of a listener, any concerto of the composer Oleg Negruюa is easily perceptible, for that of a performer each of them hides quite a lot of challenges and difficulties, the Concerto for voice and orchestra being an eloquent example in this sense.
New techniques of interpretation in faux-bourdon 68 for pan flute solo by Daan Manneke
Authors: Malcoci Ion
Published: December 2023

This article refers to the piece for solo pan flute less known to us, by the Dutch composer Daan Manneke, written in 1997, when this instrument was enjoying great popularity in Western countries. The author presents an interpretative analysis of this work, from the perspective of the use of new, innovative techniques for the art of the contemporary Romanian nai(pan flute), which represents data on the history of the appearance of this work in the European cultural and musical context, as an example: various interpretative treatments such as the interpretation of two voices simultaneously on the nai and new musical effects, in the interpretative version of the Dutch pan flute player Matthijs Koene, etc. The appearance of a creation for the pan flute is not accidental in this country, as the pan flute has become a much-loved instrument in the Netherlands, with a pan flute class currently operating at the Amsterdam Conservatory. Daan Manneke's creation is also distinguished by the fact that the artist tackles a whole range of traditional instruments.
Sound aspects in Sonata no. 1 for clarinet and piano by Oleg Negruţa
Authors: Cazac Radu
Published: December 2023

The author proposes to study some structural elements of the sound discourse, as well as their manifestation in the ideation of Sonata no.1 for clarinet and piano by Oleg Negruţa. The fact that this creation is written under the influence of jazz music and style is mentioned by the composer himself in the preface to the work – Sonata in Jazz Style. Following the detailed analysis of the first part, it can be observed that the element (language) of jazz is used to the maximum. Typical intonations as jumps, ornaments, trills, sonorous slides, delayed sounds, but also the genuistic sphere are used to the full: the swing dance, although it is the author's music, without resorting to citation, yet its melody corresponds to metrical patterns, rhythmic and expressive of the jazz style. Equally ingenious are the harmonies specific to African-American music – altered chords, unresolved seventh chords, arpeggios, sound overlaps, etc. As is natural, the improvisational manner has a massive presence in the work, which persists in the illustration of the basic themes.
Concerto for oboe and orchestra in c major by W.A. Mozart: compositional and performance features
Authors: Iuriev Petru
Published: December 2023

Mozart's Concerto for oboe and orchestra in C Major K. 314 / 271k occupies one of the leading positions in the modern artistic concert and educational repertoire. In this article, the author deals with the history of the creation of the Concerto and analyzes it in detail from the point of view of composition, musical language, as well as performance features. Cuvinte-cheie аппликатура, В.А. Моцарт, гобой, диапазон, концерт, рондо, сонатная форма, трехчастный цикл, ciclu tripartit, concert, diapazon, digitaţie, forma de sonată, oboi, rondo, W.A. Mozart, hree-part cycle, concerto, sound range, fingering, sonata form, oboe, rondo, W.A. Mozart
Cine merge tot pe drum for flute, violin, cello and vibraphone by Snejana Pîslari: features of composition and musical language
Authors: Cabacov Dmitrii
Published: December 2023

The article analyzes the work by Snejana Pîslari „Cine merge tot pe drum” for flute, violin, cello and vibraphone. The compositional task was formulated by S. Pîslari as the synthesis of folklore material with the principles of building a minimalist composition, since one of the impulses for the creation of the named work became the musical controversy with the Russian composer V. Martynov and his book „The End of the Composer's Time”. Therefore, the use of a folkloric quotation was a fundamental condition for the author. The second musical impulse for the appearance of this work was born after S. Pîslari's journey through the Moldovan villages. The work is written in simple multipart form with features of triple variations, the basic principles of intonational and thematic development are variational and variable. The structure, according to the composer's plan, does not imply completeness, therefore the moment of the end of the work takes on a philosophical significance, testifying to the infinity of the path.
State I for soprano and instrumental group by Vlad Burlea – composition and dramaturgical features
Authors: Ionica Svetlana
Published: December 2023

Vlad Burlea is a prominent representative of contemporary national music, who actively participates in the national artistic life, manifesting himself in fields such as music propagation projects, pedagogy, animator of musical life etc. He has tackled almost all the chamber, instrumental, symphonic and oratorical genres. One of the representative works is Starea I (State I), composed in 2018 for soprano and instrumental group. The interpretation of the work State I presents certain difficulties for musicians – both intonational (for the soprano part), and rhythmic and of character (in the piano part).
Het nieuwe Reglement van Orde van de Eerste Kamer
Authors: Borman T.C.
Published: December 2023

Het nieuwe Reglement van Orde van de Eerste Kamer

Sinds 13 juni 2023 werkt de Eerste Kamer met een nieuw Reglement van Orde (RvO EK). In deze bijdrage wordt ingegaan op de (bescheiden) gevolgen van het nieuwe RvO EK voor het nationale wetgevingsproces. Ook worden enkele andere onderwerpen besproken die aan de orde kwamen bij het totstandkomingsproces van het nieuwe RvO EK. Daarbij wordt onder andere ingegaan op de besprekingen in de Tijdelijke commissie actualisering Reglement van Orde (CARO), die het ontwerp voor het nieuwe RvO heeft voorbereid.
Mice can learn roughness discrimination with vibrissae in a jump stand apparatus
Authors: Cybulska-Klosowicz A , Kossut M
Published: December 2023

An adaptation of roughness dicrimination task successfully used on rats was performed on mice. It was found that mice can master discrimination of rough surfaces using only mystacial vibrissae. This task can be used for studying sensory abilities of genetically modified mice as well as dynamics and pharmacology of complex sensory learning.
Codon 129 polymorphism of the PRNP gene in normal Polish population and in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and the search for new mutations in PRNP gene
Authors: Bratosiewicz J , Liberski P P , Kulczycki J , Kordek R
Published: December 2023

Polymorphism at codon 129 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) is implicated both in susceptibility and phenotype of human prion diseases. We characterized the valine and methionine allele frequency at codon 129 in 109 individuals representing the normal Polish population and in 15 Polish CJD cases. The distribution of the genotype was 45% Met/Met, 39% Met/Val, and 16% Val/Val in the control group whereas, of the CJD cases, 73.3% were homozygous for methionine, 13.3% homozygous for valine and 13.3% were heterozygous. The novel missense mutation (ATG-->
Changes in short-term potentiation of hypoglossal activity by modulators of nitric oxide production in the rabbit
Authors: Budzińska K , Wojtal E
Published: December 2023

Stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) causes a potentiation of hypoglossal nerve activity persisting after cessation of stimulation. The mechanism of this phenomenon is uncertain. We investigated a potential role of the nitric oxide (NO) pathway in modulation of the after-effects of SLN stimulation on phrenic and hypoglossal activity in rabbits. L-Arginine, a substrate for NO synthesis and NG-Nitro-L-Arginine (L-NNA) an inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS), were administered systemically. L-Arginine and L-NNA alone caused small changes in respiratory activity. During pre-treatment with NO precursor the amplitude and duration of hypoglossal potentiation evoked by SLN stimulation were reduced. Systemic NO synthase inhibition partially reversed these effects of L-Arginine. The results showed that interference with NO production by NO substrate and NOS inhibitor modulates the effects of SLN stimulation on hypoglossal activity. Nitric oxide might be a negative modulator of the transmission of short-term potentiation (STP) in ypoglossal activity.
Electrophysiological investigation of spino-olivary projections originating from sacral segments of the cat spinal cord
Authors: Mrówczyński W , Krutki P
Published: December 2023

Ascending projections of sacral spinal cord neurones (S1-S2) to the dorsal accessory olivary nucleus (DAO) were electrophysiologically investigated in 3 adult cats under deep alpha-chloralose anaesthesia. Antidromic action potentials were recorded extracellularly from 19 cells following stimulation of their axons in both the contralateral dorsal accessory olivary nucleus (coDAO) and the contralateral lateral funiculus at the level of lower thoracic segments (Th13). Two groups of neurones were identified in the gray matter of S1-S2 segments: one distributed in the medial part of Rexed’s laminae VI and VII (n = 5), the other located in the ventromedial part of lamina VIII (n = 14). Axonal conduction velocities of neurones investigated were comprised in the range 32-55 m/s. A significant decrease of conduction velocity was observed in each case when distal and proximal parts of the axon were compared. Our research confirmed anatomical data concerning spino-olivary neurones originating from sacral segments. However, we suggest that axons of this pathway give off collaterals to other spinal or supraspinal centres.
Effects of social rearing conditions on conditioned suppression in rats
Authors: Walasek Grazyna , Wesierska Małgorzata , Werka Tomasz
Published: December 2023

Twenty-two rats were reared in standard conditions during the first two months of their life. Then the animals were divided into two groups exposed to different rearing conditions. Twelve animals (Group SO) were housed socially, six animals per cage, and for three weeks they were subjected to sensory stimulation in an enriched environment. The other ten subjects were kept individually (Group IN); one rat per mesh cage, in conditions of relatively impoverished sensory stimulation. In both groups the training of the conditioned emotional response (CER) was performed when animals were three months old. In contrast to IN subjects, the rats subjected to permanent social contacts and reared in the enriched environment (Group SO) revealed almost equally low instrumental response rates in trials with the conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with nociceptive foot-shock (US), and in periods when
no CS and/or US were applied. The results suggested that early exposure to an enriched environment caused a later decrease of the animals’ capability to differentiate between the aversive CS and cues of the experimental context. This cognitive impairment was probably a secondary effect of fear generalized to the entire experimental situation.
Behavioral sensitization to amphetamine induced by a single i.p. dose of oxotremorine in the rat
Authors: Gralewicz Sławomir
Published: December 2023

Earlier experiments have revealed that rats treated with a single dose of chlorphenvinphos (CVP), an irreversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, are hyposensitive to amphetamine (AMPH) given three weeks after CVP. Exposure to CVP results in an excess of acetylcholine with subsequent overactivation of the nicotinic as well as muscarinic cholinergic receptors. The purpose ofthe present experiment was to find out whether a selective activation of muscarinic receptors could induce behavioral hyposensitivity to AMPH. To attain this purpose, male rats were pretreated once with 0.00, 0.135, 0.27 or 0.55 mg/kg of oxotremorine, a muscarinic agonist, and challenged 15 days later with 1.0 mg/kg dose of AMPH. The pre- and postinjection open-field behavior of the rats was tested with the use of a computerized set of activity meters. The testing revealed that in oxotremorine pretreated animals the behavioral response to AMPH, i.e. increase in the ambulatory activity, was not diminished but, to the contrary, it was augmented. This effect was dose-dependent, being most pronounced in rats given the 0.55 mg/kg of oxotremorine. The possible cause ofthe difference between the effect of CVP and oxotremorine is discussed.
Ultrastructural studies of experimental scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in hamsters. I. Alterations of myelinated axons
Authors: Liberski Paweł P , Bratosiewicz-Wasik Jolanta , Gajdusek D Carleton , Brown Paul
Published: December 2023

Classical and ultrastructural neuropathology of prion diseases are generally well described. Here we report that alterations of myelinated fibres in hamsters infected either with polioencephalopathic strains of scrapie or panencephalopathic strains of CJD (Echigo-l) are virtually identical and differ only quantitatively. In contrast, mice infected with the panencephalopathic Fujisaki strain of CJD exhibited much more elaborate changes of myelinated fibres.
Codon 219 in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Poland
Authors: Bratosiewicz-Wasik Jolanta , Wasik Tomasz J , Liberski Paweł P
Published: December 2023

Prion diseases are a group of etiologically heterogenous diseases. In addition to familial cases linked to mutations of PRNP open reading frame they include also cases of unknown etiology. One of the susceptibility factors to sporadic as well as iatrogenic prion diseases are PRNP polymorphisms. In the present study, we analyzed sequences of the PRNP gene codon 219 of 16 Polish CJD cases and we found heterozygous GAG to GAT changes on the sense strand and only wild type sequence on an antisense strand. The RFLP technique was used to verify this divergence and only wild type sequences were revealed
Neuropathology of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Authors: J.W. Ironside , M.W. Head , L. Mccardle , R. Knight
Published: December 2023

The clinical, neuropathological genetic and biochemical features of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) are compared to the 926 other cases of suspected cm referred to the National CJD Surveillance Unit laboratory from 1990-2001. Histological studies ofthe central nervous system, lymphoid tissues and other organs were accompanied by immunocytochemistry for prion protein (PrP); Western blot analysis of PrpRES was performed on frozen brain tissue. The pathology of vCJD showed relatively uniform morphological and immunocytochemical characteristics, with PrP accumulation in lymphoid tissues, but not in other non-neural tissues. PrpRES accumulation in vCJD showed a uniform glycotype pattern distinct from sporadic CJD. All cases of vCJD were methionine homo zygotes at codon 129 of the PrP gene. In view of the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Europe and Japan, continuing surveillance is required for all forms of CJD, with histological and biochemical analysis of suspected cases to allow an accurate laboratory diagnosis.
Afferent input from distal forelimb nerves to branching spinoreticular-spinocerebellar neurones in the cat
Authors: Krutki Piotr , Mrówczyński Włodzimierz
Published: December 2023

Patterns of afferent connections from receptors of the distal forelimb were investigated in neurones located in C6-C7 segments of the spinal cord with branching axons projecting to the lateral reticular nucleus and the cerebellum. Experiments were made on five adult cats under
Unity from duality
Authors: Doty Robert
Published: December 2023

When, in the primeval sea, creatures first began to crawl, "right" and "left" came into being, yielding neuronal nets to control response to the sidedness of stimuli. In the half billion years of moving and sensing, two brains have evolved, the right and the left; and human experience now shows them to be roughly equivalent, potentially independent, conscious entities. This dramatic fact is evidenced by "split-brain" patients and by numerous cases of therapeutic removal of either hemisphere. Equally dramatic, of course, is that there is not the slightest sign of this duality in everyday experience, the right and left visual fields are seamlessly knit, and cross purpose is absent in the moment to moment operation of the two cerebral hemispheres. This unity is constantly synthesized by the 100,000,000 fibers passing from each hemisphere to the other; the vastness of that interchange emphasized upon comparison with the mere 1,000,000 fibers conveying all the visual world from each eye. With the large distances in the human brain some 100+ ms may commonly transpire for one hemisphere to send to and receive a response from the other. Efficiency thus demands that most neuronal calculation occur within rather than between hemispheres, thereby promoting differences in the characteristic capabilities of each alone, i.e., "hemispheric specialization". Despite this there is a bewildering bilaterality of activation revealed by fMRI for most cognitive tasks. In the absence of the forebrain commissures brainstem systems can be shown, in macaques, also to participate in the unification of behavioral result from the actions of the separated hemispheres. The system favors synthesis from congruent (visual) input to the two hemispheres; but in the face of incompatible hemispheric input, the two hemispheres are able to work out an accommodation in their control of subcortical systems.
Dysregulation of calcium in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Brzyska Maria , Elbaum Danek
Published: December 2023

Multiple efforts has underlined importance of calcium dependent cellular processes in the biochemical characterisation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that abnormalities in calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis might be involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. Studies of the pathogenic mutations in presenilins 1 and 2 (PS1 and PS2) and amyloid precursor protein (APP) responsible for early onset familial AD have estabilished central roles for perturbed cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Studies of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) neurotoxic effects in AD confirmed involvement of Ca2+-mediated mechanisms. Futher consequences of Ca2+ alterations in AD underline the importance of the ER and mitochondria as the regulatory sites involved in the pathogenesis of neuronal degeneration. Alterations of Ca2+ homeostasis include cells from peripheral tissues, including lymphocytes and fibroblasts from AD donors.
Exuberant cellular reaction of the optic nerves in experimental Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Authors: Liberski Paweł , Sikorska Beata , Bratosiewicz-Wąsik Jolanta , Waliś Anna , Brown Paul , Brown And
Published: December 2023

We report here on the exuberant glial reaction in the optic nerves affected by prion diseases. Optic nerves from CJD- and GSS-, and scrapie-infected mice and hamsters showed severe pathology. These lesions were qualitatively indistinguishable from each other but were more intense in the Fujisaki model than in the hamsters inoculated with Echigo-1. Exuberant cellular reaction comprised of macrophages containing numerous mitochondria, abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, and secondary lysosomes filled with digested myelin debris, electron-dense material and occasionally, entire myelin-bound vacuoles were readily observed in both models. Macrophages actively digesting myelin fragments and containing lyre-like bodies and paracrystalline inclusions were frequently noted. Some macrophages extended long filopodia to form labyrinth-like structures, and within a few macrophages, concentric arrays of cisterns and channels sequestrated part of the cytoplasm. An analogous network of narrow cisterns was seen to surround whole segments of the myelinated fibers.
Measurement of nitric oxide in hippocampal slices: induction with nitroso compounds and the effect of depolarization
Authors: Haklar Goncagül , Saybaşılı Hale , Yüksel Meral , Yalçın A.
Published: December 2023

Nitric oxide not only acts as a messenger for different physiological processes, but also mediates neurotoxicity associated with a variety of neurological disorders including epilepsy. The molecular mechanisms behind these actions are unclear. In this study, we aimed to detect relative amounts of NO released from rat hippocampal slices by chemiluminescence measurements under NMDA stimulation and spontaneous depolarization conditions. Hippocampal slices were preferred because of their functional integrity useful in simulating in vivo conditions. The reliability of the system was verified by administering increasing concentrations of a NO donor sodium nitroprusside in different redox milieu and a NO scavenger, carboxy-2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (carboxy PTIO). The redox versatility of NO allows interconversion from neuroprotective to neurotoxic species by a change in the ambient redox milieu. We have quantitated NO formed under NMDA stimulation and spontaneous depolarization conditions, and showed that depolarization increased NO formation and was excitotoxic for the neural tissue.
Genetic aspects of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Zekanowski Cezary , Religa Dorota , Graff Caroline , Filipek Slawomir , Kuznicki Jacek
Published: December 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a complex etiology and pathogenesis. Mutations in presenilin 1 gene (PSEN1), located on chromosome 14, more rarely in amyloid-? protein precursor (APP) on chromosome 21, and presenilin 2 genes (PSEN2) on chromosome 1, underlie the pathogenesis of most cases of familial early onset of AD (EOAD). The genetics of late-onset AD (LOAD) have been more enigmatic and the only confirmed risk factor for LOAD remains the apolipoprotein E4 allele (ApoE4) on chromosome 19. In this review, we discuss the genetics of AD with a focus on the role of the APP and presenilins.
Alzheimer's amyloid-beta (Aβ) is an essential synaptic protein, not neurotoxic junk
Authors: Koudinov Alexei , Berezov Temirbolat
Published: December 2023

Despite a decade long universal publication in favor of the view on amyloid-β (Aβ) as Alzheimer's disease culprit (solely neurotoxic for neurons and brain tissue), current scientific evidence leaves little doubt that Aβ serves an essential role at synapse and in synaptic structure-functional plasticity that underlie learning and memory. Therefore, the change of Aβ biology in Alzheimer's disease (as well as in a number of other human pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, neuromuscular junction disorders, NPC and Down's syndrome) may represent a physiological mechanism to compensate for impaired brain structure or function. In our own recent study Aβ1-40 rescued long term potentiation (LTP, a major model for activity-dependent CNS plasticity), while cholesterol synthesis inhibition abolished the restorative action of the Aβ peptide. This study confirms that Aβ protein is a functional player in synaptic structure-functional plasticity and in cholesterol neurochemical pathways. The article also calls for a need to critically re-evaluate a universal belief that transgenic mice with a transgene for amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) are a true model for Alzheimer's type neurodegeneration.
Reduction of EEG power during expectancy periods in humans
Authors: Gómez Carlos , Vaquero Encarnación , López-Mendoza Diana , González-Rosa Javier , Vázquez-Marrufo Manuel
Published: December 2023

The contingent negative variation (CNV), and the associated event-related desynchronization (ERD) on motor areas and sensory areas, and increase of alpha in the ipsilateral to the cued stimulus side, are different brain signals that reflect motor, sensory, and cognitive activations related to the expectancy of the next stimulus. However, the possibility of an overall change in EEG oscillatory activity during expectancy periods has not been directly addressed. The present report tests whether the background oscillatory activity is modulated by a warning signal. During the expectancy period, the power spectral density (PSD) between 0 and 42.9 Hz – including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma – decreased with respect to the baseline. These results suggest that during expectancy periods there is a generalised decrease in the oscillatory activity, and that reduction of the EEG power would facilitate the phasic and oscillatory neural activities triggered by the next target stimulus.
Microdialysis of the brain structures: application in behavioral research on vasopressin and oxytocin
Authors: Orłowska-Majdak Monika
Published: December 2023

In vivo microdialysis allows sampling of brain regions in conscious, freely moving animals. Moreover, the in vivo microdialysis allows to administer drugs directly into specific brain areas. Both are useful in behavioral studies. The subject of this review is the methodology of brain microdialysis, that is construction of the probe, effect of temperature, composition of the perfusion medium, perfusion flow rate, characteristics of the membrane material and the role of the diffusion coefficient. Other techniques of the study of in vivo release, alternative for microdialysis, are described. Advantages and disadvantages of acute and chronic microdialysis are discussed. Chronic microdialysis is especially needed in behavioral studies. Finally, the examples of application of microdialysis in behavioral studies of vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) and our own experience in these studies are described.