bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of pulsed electromagnetic field and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on painful shoulder following stroke
Authors: Nimesh Aradhana , Singh Varun , Punia Sonu , Boora Mamta
Published: May 2024

INTRODUCTION: Shoulder pain after stroke, a complication with a prevalence of up to 16–84% usually occurs after 2–3 months and leads to patients withdrawing from rehabilitation programs, staying in the hospital longer, having less limb function and having a great negative impact on their quality of life. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of PEMF and NMES in reducing shoulder pain in patients with stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized controlled trial included 51 patients with shoulder pain following stroke. The patients were randomly assigned to three groups (17 people in each group): Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF), Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) and Control group. The outcome measures were Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Fugl Meyer Assessment–Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Active and Passive Range of Motion (AROM/PROM) assessed at the baseline, six weeks into the intervention, and one week into the follow-up. RESULTS: VAS score for pain showed a mean change of 1.60, 1.60 and 4.94 in PEMF, NMES, and control respectively after 20 sessions. It showed pain was significantly improved in all the groups (p<0.001), but the effectiveness of the PEMF and NMES groups was superior to the control group. CONCLUSION: The current literature showed that PEMF & NMES are effective in improving post-stroke shoulder pain, spasticity, range of motion and motor function and a novel method for stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.
Non-infectious exteriorization of femorofemoral bypass graft: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Zouizra Zahira , Macédoine Nijimbere , Abdoulaziz Thiombiano
Published: May 2024

Spontaneous exteriorization of a prosthetic vascular graft is a rare complication of vascular repair. It is even rarer when there is no evidence of an infective cause. We aim to highlight this unusual complication of vascular graft and to review the literature. We report a case of a middle-aged man who was managed for total occlusion of the left external iliac artery with a non-anatomic femorofemoral graft using Poly-Tetra-Flour-Ethylene (PTFE). Five years later, he presented with exposure to the graft without obvious signs of wound infection which is a rare complication of vascular repair. The graft was test-clamped and subsequently excised when no sign of limb ischemia was noted. The wound was refreshed and closed primarily. He is still on follow-up and has no symptoms or signs of limb ischemia. Exposure of femorofemoral bypass graft can occur due to skin erosion when the graft is in contact with the dermis. Good tunelisation and avoiding angulation of prosthesis are advised to avoid this complication.
An Experimental Research of the Algorithm for Extracting of a Boolean Function Subsystems for Joint Multilevel Optimization
Authors:   The United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220012, Belarus, Bibilo P. N. , Kirienko N. A. ,   The United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220012, Belarus, Romanov V. I. ,   The United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220012, Belarus
Published: May 2024

The results of an experimental comparison of programs for technologically independent minimization of complexity of multilevel representations of systems of fully defined functions based on the Shannon expansion are described. The main attention is paid to the effectiveness of using, when synthesizing logical circuits, a program that implements an algorithm for solving the problem of extracting from a system of functions such subsystems for which it is advisable to carry out joint minimization of multi-level representations of subsystems in the form of Binary Decision Diagrams, called BDD-representations, and in the form of Boolean net. The complexity of the representation is estimated by the total number of literals of Boolean variables in a set of interrelated logical equations that define a system of Boolean functions. After extracting the subsystems and their joint minimization, the synthesis of logic circuits is carried out in the design library of custom digital CMOS VLSIs, the results are compared in terms of chip area and speed (time delay) on a stream of 39 industrial examples of circuits. It was found that for 20 examples, the subsystem selection algorithm allows one to obtain better solutions than joint or separate minimization of multi-level representations based on Shannon expansion (13 examples). The three best solutions are obtained by applying the well-known Espresso program for minimizing functions in the DNF class, and the three solutions are obtained by the synthesizer using the original (non-optimized) matrix representations of DNF systems of Boolean functions.
Does transanal endomicrosurgery affects the results of “salvage mesorectumectomy” for patients with early rectal cancer? Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kirgizov Ph. I. , Chernyshov S. V. , Nagudov M. A. , Rybakov E. G.
Published: May 2024

Aim. Our systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare studies with primary mesorectumectomy (pME) and “salvage mesorectumectomy” (sME) after transanal endomicrosurgery for patients with early rectal cancer.

Materials and methods. We selected publications from 1 January 1999 to 1 April 2023. A total of 7 studies were included after screening. Following indicators were compared: quality of mesorectum, frequency of abdominoperineal resection, frequency of local recurrence and distant metastases, mortality, morbidity, time of surgery, post-operative stay, frequency of involvement of circular resection margin. Statistical data was processed using ReviewManager 5.3.

Results. Statistically significant differences were observed in probability of intraoperative damaging of mesorectal fascia (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.42; 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 0.24–0.72, р = 0.002). There were also a trend towards decreasing of number of sphincter-preserving operations after transanal endomicrosurgery (TEM) (OR 1.84; 95 % CI 0.96–3.52, р = 0,06). Other indicators didn’t reach statistical significance when compared.

Conclusion. sTME is a safe procedure and comparable with pME. However, previous TEM is considered a risk factor for damaging of mesorectum, intraoperative perforation and abdominoperineal resection.
Organ-preserving treatment of a patient with a trophoblastic tumor of the placental bed (clinical observation and literature review)
Authors: Tikhonovskaya M. N. , Rumyantsev A. A. , Kappusheva L. M. , Shevchuk A. S.
Published: May 2024

Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is а rare form of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), accounting 0,2 % of total cases of GTN. PSTTs occur in women of childbearing age and most of them have strong desire to preserve fertility. PSSTs are tumors with unpredictable biological behavior, high chemo-resistance and possibly fatal outcome in case of metastatic disease.

Hysterectomy is the primary treatment of choice in early disease. We report a rare clinical case of fertility sparing treatment for PSTT.
İlkokul 4. Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Finansal Tutum ve Davranışları ile Duygusal Zekâları Arasındaki İlişki: Finansal Okuryazarlığın Duygusal Yönü
Authors: Çelikten Lütfullah
Published: May 2024

Günümüzde gündelik yaşamda duygu yönetimine en çok ihtiyaç duyduğumuz alanlardan birisini finansal okuryazarlık oluşturmaktadır. Bu araştırmada ilkokul 4. sınıf öğrencilerinin finansal okuryazarlık tutum ve davranışları ile duygusal zekâları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi hedeflenmiştir. Araştırmanın amacı doğrultusunda betimsel ve ilişkisel tarama modelleri birlikte tercih edilmiştir. Araştırmada, öğrencilerin finansal okuryazarlık tutum ve davranışları ile duygusal zekâ puanları, bu puanların cinsiyet, aile türü ve ortalama gelir durumu değişkenlerine göre farklılaşma durumu ve öğrencilerin finansal okuryazarlık tutum ve davranışları ile duygusal zekâ puanları arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini İstanbul ili Bayrampaşa ilçesine bağlı bir devlet ilkokuluna giden 189 ilkokul 4. sınıf öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak “Marmara Finansal Okuryazarlık Tutum ve Davranış Ölçeği” ve “On Yaş Duygusal Zekâ Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Ulaşılan sonuçlara göre, öğrencilerin finansal okuryazarlık ile duygusal zekâ puanlarının yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin duygusal zekâ ve finansal okuryazarlıkları arasında orta düzeyde pozitif ve anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca gerçekleştirilen analiz sonuçları, duygusal zekânın finansal okuryazarlığın anlamlı bir yordayıcısı olduğunu göstermektedir. Buna göre finansal okuryazarlık becerisinin ediniminde duygusal ve sosyal faktörlerin göz ardı edilmemesi gerektiği ve duyuşsal özellikleri içeren finansal eğitim anlayışının yaygınlaşmasının bireysel ve toplumsal refahın artmasına katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.
Çocukların Ev İçi ve Ev Dışı Ortamlardaki Duygusal İfadeleri
Authors: Bozkurt Şeyma Sultan , Ulutaş İlkay
Published: May 2024

Bu araştırmada, annelerin okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının ev içi ve ev dışı ortamlardaki duygusal ifadeleri hakkındaki görüşlerini incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olgu bilim deseni kullanılan çalışmada veriler araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen anne görüşme formu ile toplanmıştır. Çalışmaya, Malatya ilinde ikamet eden ve çocuğu anaokuluna devam eden 20 anne katılmıştır. Anneler ile bireysel yapılan görüşmeler sonucunda çocukların ev içi ve ev dışı duygusal ifadeleri ile ilgili bulgular incelenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, çocukların ev içi ve ev dışı ortamlardaki huzurlu ve huzursuz duygu ifadelerinde benzerlikler ve farklılıklar olduğu görülmüştür. Çocukların ev ortamında huzurlu duygularını çoğunlukla dokunma ve sözel iletişim yoluyla ifade ettikleri, ev dışı ortamlarda ise coşkulu hareketlerle ve sözel iletişim yoluyla ifade ettikleri; ev ortamında huzursuz duygularını çoğunlukla ağlama, bağırma/öfke yoluyla gösterirken ev dışı ortamlarda çoğunlukla sözel iletişim ve bağırma/öfke yoluyla ifade ettikleri görülmüştür. Çocukların ev ortamında duygusal olarak en yakın oldukları kişilerin anne ve babalar olduğu ev dışı ortamda ise anne/büyükbaba gibi aile büyükleri ile arkadaşlar olduğu görülmüştür. Anneler ile çocukları arasında duygusal bağın genellikle konuşma ve dokunma yoluyla gerçekleştiği görülmüştür. Çocukların çoğunluğunun duyguları tanıma ve anlamada yeterli oldukları yönetmede ise yetersiz oldukları görülmüştür. Çocuklarda en fazla öfke-şiddet ve kıskançlık problemlerinin olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Annelerin çocuklarının duygusal problemlerine çözüm üretme konusunda kendilerini yeterli gördükleri ancak problem çözme yönteminden çoğunlukla pişman oldukları görülmüştür. Elde edilen bulgular literatür ışığında tartışılmış ve araştırma ile ilgili önerilere yer verilmiştir.
Quality in Preservice Teacher Education: Exploring the Perceptions of Teacher Candidates and Teachers
Authors: Yılmaz Salih , Konan Necdet
Published: May 2024

The main purpose of this research is to examine the perceptions of education faculty students and education faculty graduate teachers regarding the quality of education faculties within a systemic approach. A quantitative survey research was conducted for this purpose. The population of the research consists of students in education faculties and education faculty graduate teachers in Türkiye, while the sample consists of 784 participants, including 567 education faculty students and 217 education faculty graduate teachers. The data of the research were collected using a developed scale. The research results showed that the participants' overall perceptions of the quality of education faculties were at a moderate level. The perception was found to be high in terms of teacher educators and classroom, moderate in terms of non-educational personnel, the learning-teaching process, school and faculty collaboration, output, and environmental; however, it was found to be low in terms of the encouragement of the teaching profession and feedback dimensions. Moreover, those who choose teaching as a profession due to positive factors such as social interests, family and teacher influence, and working conditions with children, as well as female teachers, had a more positive perception towards the quality of their faculties. Recommendations have been developed for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to improve the quality of teacher preparation.
The Impact of Feature Exploitation and Exploration on Mobile Application Evolution and Success
Authors: Shuraida Shadi ,   Téluq University, Gao Qiang ,   City University of New York, Safadi Hani ,   University of Georgia, Jain Radhika ,   City University of New York
Published: May 2024

Mobile device applications are the largest segment of IS with an estimated 5 billion users. Yet despite their widespread and growing use, there is little research examining how these mobile applications evolve with each new release update. To ensure market success, developers need to satisfy their user base by incorporating users’ reviews and feedback on the one hand and exploring new features and content that allow them to stay competitive on the other. Drawing on the organizational learning and innovation literature, the findings of the present study suggest that a mix of these two activities of exploitation and exploration in consequent app updates is likely to result in the app’s success. We further contribute to this body of work by examining the influence of users’ online review characteristics on exploitation and exploration activities in app development. The findings suggest that users’ convergence on similar issues (review concurrence) is likely to favor an orientation prioritizing exploitation over exploration activities, while the number of user reviews (review volume) has a curvilinear relationship with it.
Aktif ve pasif kaynaklı yüzey dalgası verileri kullanılarak yer etkisine dayalı mikrobölgelendirme: Gümüşhane örneği
Authors: Beker Usta Yasemin , Sayıl Nilgün Lütfiye
Published: May 2024

Gümüşhane ili, sismik aktivite açısından sakin bir bölge olmakla birlikte Kuzey Anadolu Fay Zonu’na (KAFZ) yakın olması sebebiyle deprem tehlikesi altındadır. Dolayısıyla, hızlı ve yoğun bir yapılaşma süreci içerisinde olan Gümüşhane ili merkez ilçesinde, yerel zemin etkilerinin ortaya çıkarılması büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu amaçla, Yatay/Düşey Spektral Oran (HVSR) ve Çok Kanallı Yüzey Dalgası Analizi (MASW) uygulanarak yer etkilerinin tespitinde önemli parametreler olan baskın frekans/periyot, büyütme potansiyelini tanımlayan HVSR ve ilk 30 metreye ait ortalama S-dalgası hızı (VS30) hesaplanmıştır. Tek istasyonda toplanan mikrotremor verilerinden inceleme alanı için belirlenen baskın frekanslar 1.21-13.40 Hz, baskın periyotlar 0.07-0.82 sn, büyütme potansiyel değerleri 1.12-9.76 ve VS30 değerleri ise 300.2-677.2 m/sn arasında değişmektedir. Ayrıca hesaplanan VS30 değerleri kullanılarak inceleme alanı için TBDY (2018), NEHRP (2020) ve Eurocode-8 (2004)’e göre zemin sınıfları tanımlanmıştır. HVSR ve MASW yöntemlerinden elde edilen ölçüm parametreleri kullanılarak çalışma alanına ait baskın frekans, baskın periyot, büyütme potansiyel riski ve VS30 değerlerine ait mikrobölgelendirme haritaları oluşturulmuştur. Bu haritalara göre Gümüşhane ili merkez ilçesinde yüksek baskın frekans ve düşük baskın periyot bölgelerinin düşük büyütme potansiyeline ve yüksek VS30 değerlerine sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Bu çalışma ile Gümüşhane ili merkez ilçesi için farklı jeofizik yöntemlerden elde edilen zemin parametrelerinin birbirleriyle ve bölgenin jeolojik yapısıyla iyi bir uyum gösterdiği sonucuna varılmıştır.
THE PROBLEM OF THE SUBJECTIVITY OF FORCED MIGRANTS IN THE CONTEXT OF FULL-SCALE WAR IN UKRAINE
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, HOLOTENKO Anastasiia , UDOVENKO Yuliya ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

Background. The article is devoted to the study of the problem of substantive aspects of the subjectivity of forced migrants in the context of a full-scale war in Ukraine. The goal involved the study and analysis of the concept of "subjectivity" of forced migrants in the context of a full-scale war in Ukraine and the development of a theoretical model of the development of the subjectivity of forced migrants in a situation of forced migration. Methods. The goal was realized with the help of theoretical and methodological socio-psychological analysis, namely the following research methods: literature analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, systematization, modeling. Results. According to the results of the theoretical and methodological research within the framework of the socio psychological approach, a model of the development of subjectivity of forced migrants is proposed, according to which subjectivity is presented as an integrated formation of three main spheres of personality – value-semantic, cognitive, effective practical, which are subject to transformations and at the same time combine key personal characteristics that are decisive in the formation of subjectivity. Сonclusions. The value-meaning sphere contains such structural components as meaningfulness and goals; the cognitive sphere includes components of reflection and supra-situational activity, the effective-practical sphere is represented by the structural components of inclusion, environmental management, risk acceptance.
PECULIARITIES OF MOTHER'S PARENTAL BURNOUT IN WAR TIMES
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, BULATEVYCH Nataliya , LUKYANETS Victoria ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

Background. In the process of interaction with children, parents face various difficulties that affect their psycho-emotional state. In the conditions of the long war with Russia, in addition to daily routine difficulties, Ukrainian mothers faced the need to protect the life and health of their child in conditions of constant shelling and a real threat to life. Added to this are a number of stressors associated with serious losses: work, health, loved ones, moving to another city or to another country. Prolonged emotional stress associated with existential threat leads to exhaustion, which can lead to increased levels of parental burnout, affect family interpersonal relationships, and increase levels of child neglect and family violence. The aim of our study was to find correlates of parental burnout in women during the war, which are related to the peculiarities of the functioning of the family system and ways of coping with stress (coping strategies) of women. Methods. To achieve the goal of the study, a questionnaire was used, which included the collection of information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects, the "Parental Burnout Questionnaire" by M. Mikolajczak and I. Roskam, the codependency questionnaire by J. Weinhold, the FACES family adaptation and cohesion scale by D. Olson, the coping assessment questionnaire – COPE strategies by K. Carver. Results. The conducted research made it possible to assess the level and characteristics of the manifestation of parental burnout among Ukrainian women during the war. Among the four parameters of burnout, exhaustion from motherhood has the highest level of expression, a quarter of the respondents demonstrate high and very high levels of parental burnout in general. A significant relationship between the characteristics of coping behavior, codependence of a woman, the age of the youngest child and cohesion as a characteristic of the family system was revealed. The most significant predictors of a woman's parental burnout were the level of codependence of a woman, the age of her youngest (or only) child, and the strategy of active coping in difficult life situations. Сonclusions. The obtained results can serve as a basis for further studies of parental burnout of women in Ukraine, as well as for the development of tools for providing psychological assistance to women who have its signs, for the search for resource strategies for coping behavior and the factors underlying it.
Spatial Audio and Parameter Mapping Experiments for the Auditory Display of Coral Bleaching Data
Authors: Kalonaris Stefano
Published: May 2024

In this article, data relating to Hawaii’s 2019 coral bleaching are auditorily displayed using parameter mapping sonification and ambisonics. Although primarily an explorative endeavor, this undertaking is conceptually rooted in ecological sound art and neutrally positioned on an established Cartesian framework known as Aesthetic Perspective Space. Through iterative design, different versions are implemented using sound surrogates of coral reefs’ natural soundscapes derived from either (a) real undersea recordings of reef environments or (b) modeling via means of sound synthesis. These audio surrogates correspond to data clusters aggregated by geographical location and, after being represented as sound sources on an ambisonic sphere, all contribute to a final sonic environment in which each cluster is progressively altered as the corresponding coral location undergoes bleaching. To assess both the perceived aesthetic placement of these experiments and their potential for public engagement in the discourse around climate change, evaluation studies are carried out. Results align with the aesthetic goals of the author, while consecutive versions manage to improve on critical fronts relating to climate awareness, providing further motivation toward more immersive implementations in future editions to come.
Genetic Knowledge: a Gift or a Curse?
Authors: Przhilenskiy V. I.
Published: May 2024

The origins of genetic research in the molecular era are discussed along with the prospects for development of the system of the values underlying their legal regulation. Heredity and variability are included into a historically defined worldview as socially significant values respectively occupying alternate leading positions in archaic and modern societies. The article substantiates a connection between ideas about heredity and variability and the social structure, institutions and social practices of the two main types of the pre-molecular era societies. The article also discusses the significance of pre-scientific ideas concerning blood as a special substance ensuring biological, social and legal inheritance in the system of social action of the archaic society. Analysis is given to the conceptual foundations of the strategy of overcoming the ‘right of blood’ in modern societies, where the value of heredity is replaced by the value of variability to serve as a value-system basis for development and progress. Examples of coexisting worldviews and values inherent in both archaic and modern forms that still interact in present-day societies are presented and generalized. The example of the parascientific blood-type theory prevalent in today’s Japan is used to illustrate the ability of collective consciousness to integrate scientific ideas into deep underlying layers of pre-scientific thinking. The postmodern mixture of worldviews and values gives rise to ambiguity and uncertainty with regard to values in the era of discovery of the genetic mechanism of inheritance, creating additional difficulties for rule-makers (legislators) in course of forming a system for the legal regulation of genetic research. Finding a balance between prohibitions and permissions in the corpus of laws and by-laws regulating genetic knowledge development is all the more important given that the demarcation between representing and intervening in the research carried out by molecular biologists is losing its certainty (definiteness) even faster than in the physics of the microworld, let alone other subject areas of the modern science. Bioethics, which is currently providing a philosophical basis for the legal regulation of genetic research, requires theoretical elaboration and conceptualization. As one of the substantiation options, the article proposes the concept of supplementing instrumental rationality with social communication put forward by Jürgen Habermas within the framework of his theory of communicative action
International legal issues on biosafety: general overview
Authors: Gulyaeva E. E.
Published: May 2024

Objective: The legal concept and content of biosafety is discussed in the context of International Law. Biosafety issues are enumerated as part of a definition of concrete aspects related to responsibility of the states for using biological weapons. The latest trends in international law on ensuring the international biosafety are analysed. Legal issues concerning the definition of a just war are discussed in terms of international humanitarian law, the issues of fundamental principles in current international law (the principle of necessity governing the use of force, the right of states to self-defence in case of a bioattack, the principle of the peaceful settlement of international disputes, the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, arms control, and responsibility). The article presents an overview of new types of sovereignty such as biosovereignty, cyber sovereignty, and genomic sovereignty of states, along with the legal concept of international biocrime (genomocide), as well as classifications of bioterrorism, bioaggression, biopolitics and bioeconomics. Under current conditions, the importance of facilitating a broad interpretation of the concept of biosafety is emphasized.Methodology: The research uses general scientific and special cognitive techniques wherein legal analysis and synthesis, systemic, formal-legal, comparative-legal, historical-legal and dialectical methods are applied.Results: Despite the prohibition of biological weapons, urgent issues, such as establishing an international control mechanism for monitoring the non-proliferation of biological weapons, remain. Moreover, the Protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), which entered into force in 1975, is yet to be fully adopted and / or ratified by all member states. Identifying certain types of biomedical research that should be banned according to generally accepted principles, the study concludes that the problem of banning these research activities has yet to be solved by some states. The concept of biosafety is interpreted broadly in terms of issues arising in relevant industrial processes. Biosecurity and biosafety are directly related to ensuring environmental security, marine security, food security and the security of outer space. Principles governing effective legal regulation for ensuring environmental, biological, and food safety are presented.
Study of the role of chromatin-remodeling factor SWI/SNF in neuronal processes in Drosophila
Authors: Deev R. V. , Chmykhalo V. K. , Stepanov N. G. , Lebedeva L. A. , Shidlovskii Yu. V.
Published: May 2024

SWI/SNF complexes are ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes that regulate the expression of numerous genes through the use of at least 15 subunits. The composition of these complexes is diverse, a result of combinatory assembly of subunits from homologous families with a variety of additional functions. During neurogenesis, researchers have identified distinctive SWI/SNF complexes that are specific to various stages of development. These complexes were detected in stem cells, neuronal progenitor cells, and postmitotic differentiated neurons. Notably, SWI/SNF complexes specific to neuronal progenitor cells are essential for regulating their division. SWI/SNF complexes are critical for adult brain plasticity in neurons and contribute to the regulatory genetic mechanisms that underlie higher neural activity, especially in learning and memory processes. However, the epigenetic regulation of gene expression in neurons remains insufficiently understood.
Mutations in complex subunits result in the development of pathologies. For instance, ARID1A and ARID1B subunit mutations in humans cause Coffin–Siris syndrome, which is a rare congenital multisystem genetic disease primarily characterized by developmental disabilities and intellectual disability. Currently, there are challenges in creating model systems to study Coffin–Siris syndrome. Drosophila has shown promise as a model organism due to its extensive research and suitability in studying neurodevelopmental pathologies. It is a cost-effective species that facilitates tracking of both species-specific features and general patterns for abnormality types. Additionally, Drosophila serves as a model organism due to its abundance of orthologous genes that lead to neuronal developmental abnormalities in humans. Notably, the knockdown of genes that encode subunit complexes in Drosophila produces a noticeable decline in long-term memory formation.
In this study, we examine the involvement of SAYP and osa complex subunits in different molecular mechanisms in Drosophila brain neurons. We use multiple strategies to alter the levels of SAYP and osa factors, such as tissue-specific knockdown, tissue-specific protein degradation, and null allele production. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique, we generated novel alleles of the osa and SAYP genes that encode operational proteins which can be selectively degraded at specific times and in specific tissues. We examine the changes in gene expression profiles, chromatin states, and the participation of transcription factors on chromatin, as well as DNA integrity alterations, upon removal of these factors from neurons. We are conducting research on the long-term memory of adult flies and neurogenesis at different developmental stages. Our aim is to gain insight into the role of the epigenetic regulator SWI/SNF in the development of nervous system pathologies and its involvement in the development and functioning of higher eukaryotic nervous systems.
Engram for the complex signals in the mouse brain: distinct neuronal ensembles for compound conditioning stimulus and its components
Authors: Ivashkina O. I. , Toropova K. A. , Anokhin K. V.
Published: May 2024

Natural learning involves multiple sensory modalities receiving complex stimuli. Elemental learning theories suggest separate encoding and association of each component in a compound signal. Configural theories predict the formation of a representation of the entire complex signal, which is associated with the second event. We developed a mouse model of fear conditioning to a compound tone-light cue or its separate components to test these alternative theories. First, we investigated the memory dynamics of compound cues and their individual components and discovered that they mature at varying times following conditioning. We demonstrated that the memory of the components matures at different intervals after training: memory of the auditory stimulus and the auditory component of CCS is demonstrated behaviorally right after training, whereas memory of the light stimulus and the light component of CCS matures within three days. The memory of CCS, its components, and discrete conditioned stimuli persists for an extended period, up to one month. A similar dissociation was observed in extinction experiments, revealing that the extinction of memory for one CCS component did not affect the memory of the other component when the extinction procedure began a day after training. In addition, when the extinction procedure began seven days after training, while the memory was fully mature, the extinction of one component of contextual conditional stimuli led to the extinction of the other component. Next, c-Fos imaging was conducted to examine cellular activity across multiple brain regions, including the frontal, prelimbic, cingulate, retrosplenial, parietal, primary and secondary visual, primary and secondary auditory cortices, as well as the hippocampus and amygdala. This examination was performed following conditioning using either the entire compound cue or its individual components. We discovered different cortical activation patterns between compound-cue and single-cue conditioning. Conditioning to the compound cue activated prelimbic and frontal associative cortices, whereas single cues did not. Third, we demonstrated that retrieval of memory only through the entire compound cue, and not through single cues, activated the parietal cortex, primary visual cortex, mediolateral secondary visual cortices, and hippocampal CA1. Fourth, through in vivo two-photon imaging, we examined retrieval-induced c-Fos expression in the parietal cortex of fos-EGFP transgenic mice and identified at least three distinct neuronal populations with differential response specificity to the compound signal and its components. Taken together, our data suggest that intricate signals have the potential to establish both integral and elemental neuronal representations. These representations can be used separately in behavior and have different long-term memory dynamics.
Histone acetylation increase rescues a weak remote fear memory in rats
Authors: Vinarskaya A. Kh. , Zuzina A. B. , Balaban P. M.
Published: May 2024

According to multiple studies, inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) hinder the activity of HDACs, thus enhancing histone acetylation [1, 2]. This process can promote long-term memory and potentiation [3, 4], and even alleviate memory deficits [5]. Our recent findings demonstrate that sodium butyrate (an HDAC inhibitor) improves rat’s recent fear memory and serves as a cognitive enhancer.
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate to improve the weakening of remote fear memory in rats. The experiment was conducted on both male and female Wistar and Long Evans rats. The animals were routinely handled for a week prior to the start of the experiment. They underwent contextual fear conditioning, where the unconditioned stimulus (US) — an electrical shock to the foot — was connected with a conditioned stimulus (CS), a particular context. The duration of their freezing behavior was assessed during the test session T0. At 24 hours after conditioning (test session T1), the animals that were conditioned froze when in the conditioning environment, providing evidence of successful learning. Subsequently, their freezing responses were measured during retrieval sessions six months after conditioning (test session T2). Following T2, the control groups were administered sham injections of saline, while the experimental groups were given injections of sodium butyrate. Freezing duration was then evaluated in all groups during a subsequent trial (T3) 24 hours later.
After completing the training, all groups of rats displayed a longer duration of freezing, indicating the formation of context fear memory during the test session T1 compared to the test session T0. After six months (test session T2), all groups demonstrated a significant decrease in the duration of freezing compared to the T1 test session. The experimental groups were intraperitoneally injected with sodium butyrate immediately after T2, while the control groups received a vehicle injection of sterile saline. 24 hours after the third test session, results showed that rats treated with sodium butyrate had significantly higher freezing responses to the context compared to those receiving vehicle treatment. Additionally, the sodium butyrate-treated groups in the third test session exhibited similar levels of freezing as seen in the first test session. Male and female groups injected with sodium butyrate showed similar levels of freezing and did not display any differences throughout all test sessions. Thus, retrieving weakened remote contextual fear memory followed by immediate administration of the HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate resulted in a significant improvement of memory. Our findings demonstrate that the reactivated remote fear memory was enhanced when exposed to the HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate. This aligns with previous studies suggesting the role of HDAC inhibitors in facilitating contextual fear.
Dynamics of space coding by mouse hippocampal CA1 field neurons in a free navigation task in different environments
Authors: Sotskov V. P. , Plyusnin V. V. , Dokukin N. V. , Pospelov N. A. , Anokhin K. V.
Published: May 2024

The development of persistent cognitive adaptations in neurons is a key area of focus in contemporary neuroscience. A significant illustration of such adaptations occurs through spatial specializations in place cells with one or more receptive fields that are sensitive to spatial cues (place fields) [1].
In prior research, we extensively examined the dynamics of place field formation in granular layer neurons of the CA1 field in the hippocampus of mice during arbitrary free navigation in a circular track [2]. As the primary factor for maintaining stability in the spatial specialization of place cells, we have introduced dynamic selectivity. This approach enables us to monitor the latency of each place field’s formation and the selectivity dynamics of place cells to their respective fields throughout one or multiple shooting sessions. However, in one-dimensional settings, like the circular track referenced previously, place fields can demonstrate direction-specificity with regards to animal movement [3]. This factor considerably complicates the analysis for arbitrary movement trajectories of animals. In this study, additional experiments were conducted to capture the neural activity of mice in two-dimensional environments. The experiments were conducted in both a rectangular field with objects and a circular arena with a varying number of obstacles.
In this paper, we conduct a comparative analysis to examine the critical parameters governing the development of spatial specializations in a one-dimensional circle track and two-dimensional arenas. These parameters include specialization latency, average dynamic selectivity, initial increase in selectivity, and the proportion of “immediate” place fields that remain stable from the first animal visit. The study discovered that the mean selectivity of the place fields escalated in each session, with higher rates observed in subsequent sessions versus the initial session in a novel setting. Additionally, there was a significant occurrence of “immediate” place fields, representing 11% of all place fields in the rounded arena with obstacles, and 25% of all place fields in the circular track.
Additionally, a population analysis of neural activity was performed on the first session in a circular track and a round arena with obstacles. Using Laplace eigenmaps for the dimension reduction of population vectors, the trajectory of animals was reconstructed, and the accuracy of this reconstruction agreed with the average dynamic selectivity for each animal included in the analysis. Thus, dynamic selectivity was verified as a measure of the spatial coding quality of the entire registered population of neurons.
Temporal dynamics of the mirror neurons effect and its stimuli dependent modulation: TMS study
Authors: Nieto Doval C. , Ragimova A.  A. , Feurra M.
Published: May 2024

The study of mirror neurons (MN) has made significant progress since human studies commenced. However, when using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding stimulus presentation, duration of presentation, and timing of TMS pulses.
The study assessed the effects of stimuli presentations, using both pictures and videos of hand movements. To accomplish this, single-pulse TMS was applied to the dominant primary motor cortex (M1) during varying time frames (0, 320, 640 ms). Motor evoked potentials were then recorded from the FDI (index finger) and ADM (little finger) muscles of 29 healthy participants via adhesive electrodes. Subjects’ hands were positioned perpendicular to each other, and visual stimuli were presented under three varying conditions. The TMS coil was accurately repositioned using an Axilum Cobot robotic arm and navigation stimulation system to maintain consistency throughout the experiment.
The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of stimulus presentation and stimulation timeframes to achieve optimal settings. This paper describes the two most commonly used stimulus modalities, namely, picture and video [1–4], and the frequently employed timeframes for TMS: from movement initiation (picture and video condition) to offset (post-video condition), with different timings (0, 320, and 640 ms) [1, 2, 5]. Notably, the stimulation at the offset of the movement is a novel concept in literature. We conducted three distinct three-way repeated measures ANOVAs employing independent variables. The collected data indicate that the two types of stimulation during the onset of movement, i.e., photograph and video, display varying changes over time. At 320 ms, MEPs increase for the related muscles while nonrelated muscles exhibit inhibitory effects at 640 ms. In the condition of stimulation during movement offset (post-video), this double dissociation is present across all stimulation time frames. Hence, the majority of mirror response can be attributed to inhibition of nonrelated muscles. This study displays the temporal progression of the mirror effect and its impact on both related and unrelated muscles throughout time.
The obtained data illuminates unresolved inquiries in human mirror neuron research and details the impacts of diverse stimuli presentations and TMS stimulation durations. With this information, an ideal protocol can be established to examine the human mirror neuron system tailored to specific research needs. Furthermore, these outcomes can foster the creation of enhanced rehabilitation protocols for patients with movement disorders in clinical settings.
A positive allosteric modulator of TRPC6 promotes neuroprotective effects  in vitro
Authors: Zernov N. I. , Melentieva D. M. , Ghamaryan V. S. , Makichyan A. T. , Hunanyan L. S. , Popugaeva E. A.
Published: May 2024

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder and the primary cause of dementia among elderly individuals. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, a TRPC6-mediated intracellular signaling pathway was discovered, which plays a vital role in memory formation by regulating dendritic spine stability. Knockdown of TRPC6 expression was found to prevent store-operated calcium entry. The overexpression of TRPC6 or its pharmacological activation restores store-operated calcium entry in hippocampal neurons affected by Alzheimer’s disease [1, 2]. TRPC6 overexpression rescues mushroom spine loss in presenilin and APP knock-in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease [1] and protects neurons from ischemic brain damage. Mice that overexpress TRPC6 in the brain exhibit improved cognitive function and increased excitatory synapse formation. These findings propose TRPC6 as a promising molecular target for the treatment of synaptic deficiency. We recently demonstrated that compound 51164 (N-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-phenylpiperazine-1-yl) acetamide), a piperazine derivative, enhances TRPC6 channels and induces an upregulation of postsynaptic neuronal store-operated calcium entry. Furthermore, it increases mushroom spine percentage and recovers synaptic plasticity in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease that have an amyloidogenic nature [2]. However, additional investigations of 51164 have demonstrated that the compound is unstable in plasma and cannot penetrate the blood-brain barrier (unpublished data). As such, the aim of this study is to discover a new piperazine derivative that functions as a positive modulator for TRPC6-specific and showcases neuroprotective qualities.
In this study, we present in silico and in vitro investigations of a novel TRPC6 specific modulator. Based on our in silico research, we narrowed down the selection to 14 compounds through the piperazine derivative 51164 that met all drug-lead likeness criteria and showed a high affinity for the active center of TRPC6. Calcium imaging technique was usedto establish that the compound z12_30 triggered the activation of TRPC6 but not the structurally linked TRPC3 channel. In addition, a molecular dynamics approach revealed that z12_30 forms a stable complex with the TRPC6 active site. As a result, z12_30 was selected as the lead compound for further investigation. Studies showed that z12_30 safeguards hippocampal mushroom spines from amyloid toxicity in vitro and effectively restores synaptic plasticity in brain slices from aged 5xFAD mice. Preclinical trials demonstrate that z12_30 remains stable in both human and mouse plasma samples.
We suggest that z12_30 is a promising prototype of a TRPC6-selective drug suitable for treating synaptic deficiency in hippocampal neurons affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Control of nitrogen defects in carbon nanotubes for self-powered memristive systems
Authors: Il’in O. I. , Homlenko D. N. , Khubezhov S. A. , Rudyk N. N. , Il’ina M. V.
Published: May 2024

Recent studies show that the additional introduction of heteroatoms into the structure of CNTs makes it possible to change their electronic and physical properties [1]. Of great interest is the process of doping CNTs with nitrogen atoms [2]. The introduction of nitrogen defects into a lattice of carbon atoms makes it possible to modify the CNT structure up to the demonstration of anomalous properties that are not appropriate for this material [3]. It has been shown that multi-walled N-CNTs can exhibit memristive and piezoelectric properties [4].
The parameters of CNTs during synthesis can be controlled by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The addition of ammonia (NH3) to the carbonaceous gas in the PECVD process allows CNTs to be doped directly during growth. At the same time, the dopant concentration and the type of nitrogen defects have a significant effect on the properties of CNTs. The memristive properties of CNTs have already been sufficiently studied [5], however, for their application in self-powered systems, additional studies of the parameters of the piezoelectric module of N-CNTs are required. The aim of this work is to study the effect of ammonia flow on the concentration, type of nitrogen defects, and the value of the piezoelectric modulus during growth of CNTs by the PECVD.
Silicon (100) substrates were used as samples with films of a buffer (Mo, 100 nm) sublayer and a catalytic layer (Ni, 15 nm). CNTs were grown at a temperature of 550 °C in an atmosphere of acetylene (C2H2, 35 sccm) and NH3. The C2H2 flow was kept constant, while the NH3 flow was changed in the C2H2:NH3 ratio from 1:1 to 1:10.
Based on the obtained SEM images, it was found that with an increase in the ratio of C2H2:NH3 flowes, an increase in the density of nanotubes in the array were observed. This occurs due to more active growth of N-CNTs on small nickel catalytic centers due to the accelerated process of hydrogen desorption and its binding with ions in ammonia plasma, which leads to an increase in the growth rate of nanotubes on smaller catalytic centers. Thus, the area of the catalytic center is one of the limiting factors of the growth rate and allows one to control the aspect ratio and density of CNTs in the array. An analysis of the XPS spectra showed that with an increase in the ratio of C2H2:NH3 flows from 1:1 to 1:10, a nonlinear change in the concentration of the nitrogen dopant in N-CNTs from 8.4 to 12 at % is also observed. This led to a nonlinear change in the piezoelectric modulus of nanotubes from 8.7 to 20.6 pm/V and a change in their memristive properties. It has been established that an increase in the concentration of doping nitrogen leads to an increase in the piezoelectric modulus of N-CNTs, which is the source of the memristive effect. The obtained results can be used in the development of energy-efficient piezoelectric nanogenerators based on an array of vertically aligned N-CNTs for autonomous memristive systems.