bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЗМІШАНОЇ ФОРМИ НАВЧАННЯ СТУДЕНТІВ НА ФАКУЛЬТЕТІ ВЕТЕРИНАРНОЇ МЕДИЦИНИ
Authors: Петров Роман Вікторович , Фотіна Тетяна Іванівна , Шкромада Оксана Іванівна , Березовський Андрій Володимирович , Рисований Віталій Іванович , Бондаренко Павло Геннадійович
Published: February 2023

У статті описані результати досліджень особливостей змішаної форми освіти на факультеті ветеринарної медицини Сумського національного аграрного університету. Застосування змішаної дистанційної освіти є відповіддю на сучасні виклики, що постають перед освітньою галуззю за умов спалаху пандемії COVID-19 та воєнного стану на території України. Створення на базі університету адміністративних структур та відповідної технічної підтримки повинні бути обов’язковим елементом для успішної співпраці студента та викладача в освітньому середовищі. Для здійснення успішного впровадження змішаного навчання з елементами дистанційної освіти навчальний заклад повинен мати надійну та гнучку інформаційну інфраструктуру, яка підтримує різні типи взаємодії студента та викладача, а також забезпечує повсюдний доступ до технологічних інструментів, які дозволяють студентам навчатися. Доцільно перенесення інформаційного забезпечення в віртуальний простір (віртуальне сховище), що забезпечить збереження інформації та доступу до системи у випадку пошкодження обладнання. Використання на факультеті ветеринарної медицини при змішаній формі навчання системи «Мoodle» в більшості випадків вирішує завдання по організації освітнього процесу. Безперервність і якість навчального процесу для отримання фахової освіти є важливими цілями в умовах надзвичайного стану. Курси дистанційного навчання можуть проводитися як в синхронному, так і в асинхронному режимі, кожен з яких має свої переваги і недоліки, але при використанні будь якого курсу важливим є взаємозв’язок між викладачем та студентом. Особливу увагу необхідно звернути на якість матеріалів, що використовуються для дистанційних курсів. Акцент на швидкому переході на дистанційне навчання під час кризи потенційно несе ризик зниження якості курсів, що викладаються, і вимагає від викладачів більшого контролю над розробкою та впровадженням курсів. У вищому навчальному закладі необхідно встановити певний рівень контролю за проведенням занять та присутністю студентів, але з урахуванням можливої відсутності, як у студентів, так і у викладачів Інтернету та/або енергопостачання. Впровадження віртуальних класів не виключає необхідності асинхронної взаємодії між викладачем і студентом через форум або діалог електронної пошти.
Transformaciones hacia la sostenibilidad Validación de una ontología ecosistémica para los contextos urbanos
Authors:   Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México, Cotera Pablo , Fitch Jesús
Published: February 2023

Mientras los acuerdos internacionales apuntan hacia un incremento en los consensos hacia la sostenibilidad desde los contextos urbanos, existen problemas para lograr dichos incrementos en las aproximaciones para lograrlos. Se pretende entonces, comprender desde una perspectiva fenomenológica una ontologi?a transversal y multiescalar que permita identificar las características o rasgos en estos contextos urbanos que puedan incrementar o disminuir su conducivi- dad1 hacia la sostenibilidad. Para ello, se hacen planteamientos construidos a partir de una metodología deductiva con un enfoque axiomático no-cuantitativo donde se entrelazan las comprensiones de los términos conceptuales con distintas aproximaciones disciplinares que se consideran necesarias, como son: la ecología, el bienestar y los sistemas complejos. Desde este ejercicio se derivan modelos operativos que permiten establecer estructuras y características generales para los contextos urbanos y sus transformaciones hacia la sostenibilidad. A partir de estos fundamentos ontológicos se realiza entonces un procedimiento metodológico para validarlos, que consiste en una matriz de relaciones ponderadas que contrasta casos de éxito citados desde una consulta a expertos contra los fundamentos ontológicos, obteniendo resultados que apuntan hacia cuatro capacidades fundamentales en los (eco)sistemas urbanos: capacidades componenciales, capacidades de balance, capacidades de recursividad, y capacidades de integración. Aunque los resultados no se adscriben a una disciplina particular, se espera establecer las bases para la elaboración de enfoques metodológicos que aporten hacia la gestión pública y social de las transformaciones urbanas, incrementando la conducividad para estos contextos hacia la sostenibilidad global.
LEMBAGA KEUANGAN ISLAM NON BANK
Authors: Syamsuir Syamsuir
Published: February 2023

Islamic financial Institutions is an important instrument in the development of Islamic economy, where societys or countries can not ignore the need to establish institutions. As from 1991, the existence of financial institutions Shari'ah Indonesia such Islamic bank (BMI and BPRS) is as an alternative to banking institutions that are free from the practice of development money. Similar practices is followed by the Shari'ah nonbank financial institutions like shariah BMT, Takaful insurance, Shariah saving and loan Unit (USPS) and cooperative Boarding (Kopotren). Cooperative is a form of Islamic teaching experience which has a principle of helping, cooperation, mutual help and mutual needs among members, therefore, the cooperative is in accordance with the teachings of Islam in order to improve the welfare of society. Understanding between insurance Shari'ah with conventional insurance is not much different, except that the difference lies in the operation, because the Shari'ah insurance is based on the operational principles of the Shari'ah of Islam with reference to the Qur'an and Sunnah. On the other hand, insurance Shari'ah known as takaful is a cooperative effort of mutual protection and help among members of the public in the face of catastrophe and disaster Lembaga keuangan syari’ah merupakan instrumen penting dalam pembangunan ekonomi Islam, dimana masyarakat atau negara tidak dapat mengabaikan kepentingan untuk mendirikan lembagalembaganya. Terhitung sejak tahun 1991, keberadaan lembaga-lembaga keuangan syari’ah Indonesia sejnis bank syari’ah (BMI dan BPRS) sebagai lembaga perbankan alternatif yang bebas dari praktek pembangunan uang. Praktek serupa diikuti pula oleh lembaga keuangan syari’ah non bank syaria’ah sejenis BMT, Asuransi Takaful, Unit Simpan Pinjam Syari’ah (USPS) dan koperasi Pondok Pesantren (Kopotren).Koperasi merupakan salah satu bentuk pengalaman ajaran Islam yang memiliki prinsip tolong menolong, kerjasama, saling membantu, serta saling memenuhi kebutuhan diantara sesama anggota, oleh karena itu koperasi sangat sesuai dengan ajaran Islam dalam rangka meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Pengertian antara asuransi syari’ah dengan asuransi konvensional tidak jauh berbeda, hanya saja perbedaan itu terletak pada operasionalnya, karena asuransi syari’ah adalah asuransi yang prinsip operasionalnya didasarkan pada syari’at Islam dengan mengacu pada Al-Qur’an dan Sunnah.Di sisi lain, asuransi syari’ah yang dikenal dengan istilah takaful merupakan usaha kerja sama saling melindungi dan menolong antara anggota masyarakat dalam menghadapi malapetaka dan bencana.
FINANCING EDUCATION SECTOR THROUGH EDUCATIONAL SUBVENTION: EUROPEAN PRACTICES
Authors:   SSI «Institute of Educational Analytics», Anisimova Olga , Tereshchenko Hanna ,   SSI «Institute of Educational Analytics»
Published: February 2023

The article examines the international best practices for financing the general secondary education system and assesses the possibility of their use in Ukraine. It has been established that at the current stage of development of the national education systems, financing of general secondary education is one of the priority directions of the state policy in the developed countries of the world. It has become extremely important to determine not only the sufficient amount of funds for the normal functioning of the education system, but also the most effective use of them. It was noted that there are two main tasks for most national education systems: improving the quality of education to increase labor productivity and economic growth; and searching for effective ways of using available financial resources, which may require educational reforms for the rational use of the available funding. In order to achieve those goals, it is extremely important to build an effective financing framework for general secondary education, which will allow for the most efficient and fair allocation of resources between schools and, at the same time, will ensure a high quality of student training. The authors analyzed various approaches and sources of funding of the general secondary education system. It has been established that the system of financing general secondary education can provide for the direct allocation of funds between various subjects of the educational process or the use of special formulas aimed at increasing the transparency and fairness of the allocation process. It was determined that when assessing the effectiveness of financing from the local budgets, a more thorough analysis is carried out, which allows for combining the assessment of both financial indicators, quantitative indicators and indicators of the quality of the education received. Funding at the local level allows to take into account the individual needs of schools depending on their location and encourages local communities to optimize the school network.
PROBLEMS OF EMPLOYMENT OF GRADUATES OF HIGHER EDUCATION ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS
Authors:   Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Stetsenko Bogdan , Buriachenko Andrii ,   Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Gaponiuk Mykola ,   Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman
Published: February 2023

The article examines the employment of graduates of higher education economic institutions. The aim of the article is to define the factors determining the competitiveness of economic higher education institutions’ graduates in the domestic labor market, their impact on employment, as well as to substantiate the directions of overcoming the existing problems in this area. It has been established that three groups of factors have a significant impact on the process of employment of economic higher education institutions’ graduates: the main trends of the domestic educational market; imbalances characteristic of the Ukrainian labor market; finally, the level of professional training of the graduate who is looking for a job. Over a long period of time, public consciousness has formed an idea about the «universal» nature of economic education. As a consequence, domestic HEIs (regardless of their main profile) actively offered various educational programs of economic orientation on the market. Under such conditions only in recent years, the reputation and prestige of HEIs have become a weighty factor influencing the choice of employers. Under the conditions of open armed aggression, the participants of the educational market faced complex tasks, connected both with the relocation of a number of institutions and with the change of priorities in the labor market, and with the significant migration of potential applicants and students outside Ukraine. Solving them largely depends on an effective public policy in the field of education (including optimization of the number of HEIs), as well as the ability of economic universities to transform their own strategy on the educational market in Ukraine.
Generation and Evaluation of CPT Data Using Kriging Interpolation Technique
Authors: Chala Ayele , Ray Richard
Published: February 2023

The cone penetration test (CPT) has been the de facto field exploration method in geotechnical engineering for decades. Variations of CPT can measure parameters for seismic, environmental, and hydrological applications. Analyzing response often requires properties in areas that have little or no data. Therefore, given the limited CPT data, it is critical to understand how to accurately estimate the soil properties at unsampled locations. In this paper, we generated soil shear wave velocity profiles using the kriging interpolation technique and assessed their performance using site response analysis. Four kriging interpolation-based shear wave velocity profiles and four additional CPT-based shear wave velocity profiles defined site conditions for response analysis. We performed a series of 1-D equivalent linear site response analyses using STRATA software. The site response analysis results are presented as amplification factors (AF), peak ground acceleration (PGA) profiles, surface spectral acceleration, and surface acceleration time histories. Compared to CPT-based profiles, the results of kriging interpolation-based profiles were evaluated and discussed. The results confirmed the reliability of the kriging interpolation technique in predicting soil parameters at unsampled locations.
‘Womanhood on the Streets’: African Women at the Crossroads of Religious Violence and Social Justice
Authors: Vida Amwe Ruth
Published: February 2023

The proliferation of religious extremism and religiously motivated violence in Africa is increasingly eliciting scholarly interest though there remains a deficiency in the feminisation of such discourse. Nigeria has endured the explosion of such religious extremism and violence, eliciting mass civil unrest, particularly in the last two decades. Often women are especially at risk of victimisation, enduring diverse forms of human rights violations including rape, kidnap, assault, torture and murder. However, their participation and instrumentalisation in orchestrating such acts of violence complexifies the relationship between gender and religiously motivated violence in Nigeria. In addition, the exploration of their efforts to form part of the nexus of public discourse critiquing religious extremism and violence in the public sphere within scholarly discourse leaves room for more to be said, especially with respect to Nigerian and African women. Through the juxtaposition of two such women-led efforts, this paper seeks to engage contemporary scholarship on the intersection of religion, violence and gender by examining the resources Nigerian and African women utilise in their mobilising quest towards demanding accountability and justice for the oppressed. As postcolonial beings whose lived experiences are often rendered through a prejudiced Western lens, this paper will argue that Nigerian and African women's pursuits for social justice are often constructed in spaces of duality where their ability to operate within and through seemingly contesting variables is affirmed, such that their agency is firmly asserted and remains uncontested.
‘Embowered in a mass of vegetation’: Confinement and Predatory Plants in Fin-de-Siècle Fiction
Authors: Melissa Purdue
Published: February 2023

In our present moment of ecological crises, stories about nature fighting back take on new significance. This article looks back at fin-de-siècle stories about predatory plants that entrap people, examining texts such as Edmond Nolcini's ‘The Guardian of Mystery Island’ (1896), H.G. Wells’ ‘The Flowering of the Strange Orchid’ (1894), and Lucy H. Hooper's ‘Carnivorine’ (1889). These stories focus on killer plants that grab and confine characters with their tentacle-like branches and vines, ultimately suffocating them in their foliage. Like other gothic monsters, these plants reveal societal anxieties (colonialism, women, degeneration, and so on) at moments of transition. Given our twenty-first-century anxieties about environmental destruction, we need to look back at ecophobic moments in earlier literature to understand, as Simon C. Estok argues in ‘Theorizing the EcoGothic’, ‘how monstrosity is central to an environmental imagination that locates the human as the center of all things good and safe’ (34). Ideally, this historical interrogation can help us transition to new and healthier relationships with our environments in the present.
Drawing skills at the beginning of higher education: Teachers’ perspectives, expectations, and realities
Authors: da Silva Pedro Ramalho , Palaré Odete
Published: February 2023

For more than two decades, educational policies in Portugal have primarily focused on improving student outcomes, reducing school absenteeism, and preventing school abandonment. Another factor has been the overemphasis on literacy and numeracy, which has resulted in an unbalanced weighting of these school subjects on instructional time. As a result, instruction time for non-essential classes, such as music and visual arts, was reduced. What effect do these policies have on the drawing abilities and visual literacy of those who pursue visual arts studies in higher education? To date, there has been a plethora of studies on drawing in its didactic, neurological, and physiological components, with findings that strengthen and support the idea that drawing plays a central role in the development of conceptual thinking and abductive reasoning. These findings are significant when advocating for drawing as a learning tool in S.T.E.M., but also, for drawing to play a different role in education overall. To determine whether these policies impact the competencies, skills, and visual literacy of those who pursue visual arts studies, we surveyed higher education teachers regarding their perceptions of student drawing skills as they begin college degrees ranging from fine arts to design. Some survey findings point to weak areas, particularly in perspective drawing and preparatory drawings and sketches. The teachers suggested that the causes were mostly political. These findings should be investigated further, specifically through follow-up interviews and a survey of first-and second-year students enrolled in the courses taught at the educational institutions under analysis.
Structure, activity and function of the lysine methyltransferase SETD5
Authors: Li Mingyang , Hou Yanan , Zhang Ziwei , Zhang Bowen , Huang Ting , Sun Aiqin , Shao Genbao , Lin Qiong
Published: February 2023

SET domain-containing 5 (SETD5) is an uncharacterized member of the protein lysine methyltransferase family and is best known for its transcription machinery by methylating histone H3 on lysine 36 (H3K36). These well-characterized functions of SETD5 are transcription regulation, euchromatin formation, and RNA elongation and splicing. SETD5 is frequently mutated and hyperactive in both human neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer, and could be down-regulated by degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, but the biochemical mechanisms underlying such dysregulation are rarely understood. Herein, we provide an update on the particularities of SETD5 enzymatic activity and substrate specificity concerning its biological importance, as well as its molecular and cellular impact on normal physiology and disease, with potential therapeutic options.
Exosomal microRNAs in cancer: Potential biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets for immune checkpoint molecules
Authors: Alotaibi Faizah
Published: February 2023

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer structure secreted from different cell types which can be found in various body fluids including blood, pleural fluid, saliva and urine. They carry different biomolecules including proteins, metabolites, and amino acids such as microRNAs which are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and promote cell-to-cell communication. One main function of the exosomal miRNAs (exomiRs) is their role in cancer pathogenesis. Alternation in exomiRs expression could indicate disease progression and can regulate cancer growth and facilitate drug response/resistance. It can also influence the tumour microenvironment by controlling important signaling that regulating immune checkpoint molecules leading to activation of T cell anti-tumour immunity. Therefore, they can be used as potential novel cancer biomarkers and innovative immunotherapeutic agents. This review highlights the use of exomiRs as potential reliable biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, treatment response and metastasis. Finally, discuses their potential as immunotherapeutic agents to regulate immune checkpoint molecules and promote T cell anti-tumour immunity.
Circulatory proteins relate cardiovascular disease to cognitive performance: A mendelian randomisation study
Authors: Huang Jian , Gill Dipender , Zuber Verena , Matthews Paul M. , Elliott Paul , Tzoulaki Ioanna , Dehghan Abbas
Published: February 2023

Background and objectives: Mechanistic research suggests synergistic effects of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia pathologies on cognitive decline. Interventions targeting proteins relevant to shared mechanisms underlying CVD and dementia could also be used for the prevention of cognitive impairment.

Methods: We applied Mendelian randomisation (MR) and colocalization analysis to investigate the causal relationships of 90 CVD-related proteins measured by the Olink CVD I panel with cognitive traits. Genetic instruments for circulatory protein concentrations were obtained using a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from the SCALLOP consortium (N = 17,747) based on three sets of criteria: 1) protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL); 2) cis-pQTL (pQTL within ±500 kb from the coding gene); and 3) brain-specific cis-expression QTL (cis-eQTL) which accounts for coding gene expression based on GTEx8. Genetic associations of cognitive performance were obtained from GWAS for either: 1) general cognitive function constructed using Principal Component Analysis (N = 300,486); or, 2) g Factor constructed using genomic structural equation modelling (N = 11,263–331,679). Findings for candidate causal proteins were replicated using a separate protein GWAS in Icelanders (N = 35,559).

Results: A higher concentration of genetically predicted circulatory myeloperoxidase (MPO) was nominally associated with better cognitive performance (p < 0.05) using different selection criteria for genetic instruments. Particularly, brain-specific cis-eQTL predicted MPO, which accounts for protein-coding gene expression in brain tissues, was associated with general cognitive function (βWald = 0.22, PWald = 2.4 × 10−4). The posterior probability for colocalization (PP.H4) of MPO pQTL with the g Factor was 0.577. Findings for MPO were replicated using the Icelandic GWAS. Although we did not find evidence for colocalization, we found that higher genetically predicted concentrations of cathepsin D and CD40 were associated with better cognitive performance and a higher genetically predicted concentration of CSF-1 was associated with poorer cognitive performance.

Conclusion: We conclude that these proteins are involved in shared pathways between CVD and those for cognitive reserve or affecting cognitive decline, suggesting therapeutic targets able to reduce genetic risks conferred by cardiovascular disease.
Multi-omics analysis reveals genomic, clinical and immunological features of SARS-CoV-2 virus target genes in pan-cancer
Authors: Liao Yong , Wang Jiaojiao , Zou Jiami , Liu Yong , Liu Zhiping , Huang Zunnan
Published: February 2023

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has raised great threats to humans. The connection between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and cancer is currently unclear. In this study, we thus evaluated the multi-omics data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database utilizing genomic and transcriptomic techniques to fully identify the SARS-CoV-2 target genes (STGs) in tumor samples from 33 types of cancers. The expression of STGs was substantially linked with the immune infiltration and may be used to predict survival in cancer patients. STGs were also substantially associated with immunological infiltration, immune cells, and associated immune pathways. At the molecular level, the genomic changes of STGs were frequently related with carcinogenesis and patient survival. In addition, pathway analysis revealed that STGs were involved in the control of signaling pathways associated with cancer. The prognostic features and nomogram of clinical factors of STGs in cancers have been developed. Lastly, by mining the cancer drug sensitivity genomics database, a list of potential STG-targeting medicines was compiled. Collectively, this work demonstrated comprehensively the genomic alterations and clinical characteristics of STGs, which may offer new clues to explore the mechanisms on a molecular level between SARS-CoV-2 virus and cancers as well as provide new clinical guidance for cancer patients who are threatened by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Clinicopathological features, therapeutic options, and significance of CD103 expression in 15 patients with follicular mucinosis
Authors: Wang Jiaqi , Wang Yanqing , Zhou Hongyu , Wang Ping , Zhu Mengyan , Li Liuyu , Shen Hong
Published: February 2023

Background

Follicular mucinosis (FM) is generally divided into a primary benign idiopathic form and a secondary form associated with mycosis fungoides.

Objective

To analyze the clinical and pathological features of FM and explore the pathological significance of CD103 expression.

Methods

In this case series, we retrospective analysis the clinical, pathological, treatment and follow-up treatment of 15 cases of FM. The expression of CD103 in all cases was detected by immunohistochemistry.

Result

A total of 15 patients were enrolled, 7 were primary follicular mucinosis (P-FM) and 8 were mycosis fungoides-associated follicular mucinosis (MF-FM). Lesions of both P-FM and MF-FM are difficult to distinguish, present with red or dark red plaques and follicular papules. Pathologically, MF-FM showed more significant infiltrates of folliculotropic lymphoid cells, and the amount and proportion of CD103+ cells were significantly higher than that in P-FM. Follow-up data were available for 13 patients. Three cases were resolved after surgical resection, two patients were marked improved after oral administration of hydroxychloroquine and three times ALA photodynamic therapy respectively. The rest patients showed only modest efficacy.

Conclusion

FM should be differentiated based on pathological characteristics and treatment response, CD103 is helpful in differential diagnosis of FM.
Cancer immunotherapies: A hope for the uncurable?
Authors: Hamdan Firas , Cerullo Vincenzo
Published: February 2023

The use of cancer immunotherapies is not novel but has been used over the decades in the clinic. Only recently have we found the true potential of stimulating an anti-tumor response after the breakthrough of checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer immunotherapies have become the first line treatment for many malignancies at various stages. Nevertheless, the clinical results in terms of overall survival and progression free survival were not as anticipated. Majority of cancer patients do not respond to immunotherapies and the reasons differ. Hence, further improvements for cancer immunotherapies are crucially needed. In the review, we will discuss various forms of cancer immunotherapies that are being tested or already in the clinic. Moreover, we also highlight future directions to improve such therapies.
Age-related ultrastructural changes in spheroids of the adipose-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells from ovariectomized mice
Authors: Kyryk Vitalii , Tsupykov Oleg , Ustymenko Alina , Smozhanik Ekaterina , Govbakh Iryna , Butenko Gennadii , Skibo Galyna
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Adipose-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) are widely used for cell therapy, in particular for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system. An important issue is to predict the effectiveness and safety of such cell transplants, considering disorders of adipose tissue under age-related dysfunction of sex hormones production. The study aimed to investigate the ultrastructural characteristics of 3D spheroids formed by ADSCs of ovariectomized mice of different ages compared to age-matched controls.

Methods: ADSCs were obtained from female CBA/Ca mice randomly divided into four groups: CtrlY—control young (2 months) mice, CtrlO—control old (14 months) mice, OVxY—ovariectomized young mice, and OVxO—ovariectomized old mice of the same age. 3D spheroids were formed by micromass technique for 12–14 days and their ultrastructural characteristics were estimated by transmission electron microscopy.

Results and Discussion: The electron microscopy analysis of spheroids from CtrlY animals revealed that ADSCs formed a culture of more or less homogeneous in size multicellular structures. The cytoplasm of these ADSCs had a granular appearance due to being rich in free ribosomes and polysomes, indicating active protein synthesis. Extended electron-dense mitochondria with a regular cristae structure and a predominant condensed matrix were observed in ADSCs from CtrlY group, which could indicate high respiratory activity. At the same time, ADSCs from CtrlO group formed a culture of heterogeneous in size spheroids. In ADSCs from CtrlO group, the mitochondrial population was heterogeneous, a significant part was represented by more round structures. This may indicate an increase in mitochondrial fission and/or an impairment of the fusion. Significantly fewer polysomes were observed in the cytoplasm of ADSCs from CtrlO group, indicating low protein synthetic activity. The cytoplasm of ADSCs in spheroids from old mice had significantly increased amounts of lipid droplets compared to cells obtained from young animals. Also, an increase in the number of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of ADSCs was observed in both the group of young and old ovariectomized mice compared with control animals of the same age. Together, our data indicate the negative impact of aging on the ultrastructural characteristics of 3D spheroids formed by ADSCs. Our findings are particularly promising in the context of potential therapeutic applications of ADSCs for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
Seasonality of human sleep: Polysomnographic data of a neuropsychiatric sleep clinic
Authors: Seidler Aileen , Weihrich Katy Sarah , Bes Frederik , de Zeeuw Jan , Kunz Dieter
Published: February 2023

While short-term effects of artificial light on human sleep are increasingly being studied, reports on long-term effects induced by season are scarce. Assessments of subjective sleep length over the year suggest a substantially longer sleep period during winter. Our retrospective study aimed to investigate seasonal variation in objective sleep measures in a cohort of patients living in an urban environment. In 2019, three-night polysomnography was performed on 292 patients with neuropsychiatric sleep disturbances. Measures of the diagnostic second nights were averaged per month and analyzed over the year. Patients were advised to sleep “as usual” including timing, except alarm clocks were not allowed. Exclusion criteria: administration of psychotropic agents known to influence sleep (N = 96), REM-sleep latency > 120 min (N = 5), technical failure (N = 3). Included were 188 patients: [46.6 ± 15.9 years (mean ± SD); range 17–81 years; 52% female]; most common sleep-related diagnoses: insomnia (N = 108), depression (N = 59) and sleep-related breathing disorders (N = 52). Analyses showed: 1. total sleep time (TST) longer during winter than summer (up to 60 min; not significant); 2. REM-sleep latency shorter during autumn than spring (about 25 min, p = 0.010); 3. REM-sleep longer during winter than spring (about 30 min, p = 0.009, 5% of TST, p = 0.011); 4. slow-wave-sleep stable winter to summer (about 60–70 min) with 30–50 min shorter during autumn (only significant as % of TST, 10% decrease, p = 0.017). Data suggest seasonal variation in sleep architecture even when living in an urban environment in patients with disturbed sleep. If replicated in a healthy population, this would provide first evidence for a need to adjust sleep habits to season.
Integrative genetic and single cell RNA sequencing analysis provides new clues to the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis neurodegeneration
Authors: Liu Hankui , Guan Liping , Deng Min , Bolund Lars , Kristiansen Karsten , Zhang Jianguo , Luo Yonglun , Zhang Zhanchi
Published: February 2023

Introduction

The gradual loss of motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and spinal cord is a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in ALS are still not fully understood.

Methods

Based on 75 ALS-pathogenicity/susceptibility genes and large-scale single-cell transcriptomes of human/mouse brain/spinal cord/muscle tissues, we performed an expression enrichment analysis to identify cells involved in ALS pathogenesis. Subsequently, we created a strictness measure to estimate the dosage requirement of ALS-related genes in linked cell types.

Results

Remarkably, expression enrichment analysis showed that α- and γ-MNs, respectively, are associated with ALS-susceptibility genes and ALS-pathogenicity genes, revealing differences in biological processes between sporadic and familial ALS. In MNs, ALS-susceptibility genes exhibited high strictness, as well as the ALS-pathogenicity genes with known loss of function mechanism, indicating the main characteristic of ALS-susceptibility genes is dosage-sensitive and the loss of function mechanism of these genes may involve in sporadic ALS. In contrast, ALS-pathogenicity genes with gain of function mechanism exhibited low strictness. The significant difference of strictness between loss of function genes and gain of function genes provided a priori understanding for the pathogenesis of novel genes without an animal model. Besides MNs, we observed no statistical evidence for an association between muscle cells and ALS-related genes. This result may provide insight into the etiology that ALS is not within the domain of neuromuscular diseases. Moreover, we showed several cell types linked to other neurological diseases [i.e., spinocerebellar ataxia (SA), hereditary motor neuropathies (HMN)] and neuromuscular diseases [i.e. hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)], including an association between Purkinje cells in brain and SA, an association between α-MNs in spinal cord and SA, an association between smooth muscle cells and SA, an association between oligodendrocyte and HMN, a suggestive association between γ-MNs and HMN, a suggestive association between mature skeletal muscle and HMN, an association between oligodendrocyte in brain and SPG, and no statistical evidence for an association between cell type and SMA.

Discussion

These cellular similarities and differences deepened our understanding of the heterogeneous cellular basis of ALS, SA, HMN, SPG, and SMA.
Case report: A case of rectal metastatic squamous cell carcinoma from the esophagus
Authors: Chen Junni , Zhang Shuai , Chen Jiawei
Published: February 2023

Esophageal cancer is prone to distant metastasis, and the prognosis is very poor; the occurrence of intestinal metastasis is extremely rare, with atypical clinical manifestations. We report a case of rectal metastasis after surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was a 63-year-old male who was admitted to the hospital due to progressive dysphagia. He was diagnosed with moderately differentiated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after the surgery. He was not treated with chemoradiotherapy after surgery and had recurrent blood in his stool at 9 months post-surgery; rectal metastasis of esophageal squamous carcinoma was diagnosed based on postoperative pathology. Because the patient had a positive rectal margin, we used adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and carrelizumab immunotherapy, achieving very good short-term efficacy. The patient is currently in a state of tumor-free survival and is still being closely followed up and treated. Through this case report, we hope to deepen understanding of rare metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and actively promote local radiotherapy plus chemotherapy and immunotherapy to improve survival.
RETRACTED: The efficacy and adverse effects of anlotinib in the treatment of high-grade glioma: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Shen Fangcheng , Li Jing , Liu Feng , Sun Ni , Qiu XiangNan , Ding Wei , Sun XiangDong
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Anlotinib, a novel multi-kinase inhibitor, was found to improve progression-free survival (PFS) in brain metastases.

Methods

This paper retrospectively analyzed 26 newly diagnosed or recurrent high-grade gliomas from 2017 to 2022, and the patients received oral anlotinib during concurrent postoperative chemoradiotherapy or after recurrence. Efficacy was evaluated according to the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria, and the main study endpoints were PFS at 6 months and overall survival (OS) at 1 year.

Results

After the follow-up, until May 2022, 13 patients survived and 13 patients died, with a median follow-up time of 25.6 months. The disease control rate (DCR) was 96.2% (25/26), and the overall response rate (ORR) rate was 73.1% (19/26). The median PFS after oral anlotinib was 8.9 months (0.8–15.1), and the PFS at 6 months was 72.5%. The median OS after oral anlotinib was 12 months (1.6–24.4), and the OS at 12 months was 42.6%. Anlotinib-related toxicities were observed in 11 patients, mostly grades 1–2. In the multivariate analysis, patients with Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) above 80 had a highermedian PFS of 9.9months (p = 0.02), and their sex, age, IDH mutation, MGMTmethylation, and whether anlotinib was combined with chemoradiotherapy or maintenance treatment had no effect on PFS.

Conclusion

We found that anlotinib combined with chemoradiotherapy in treating high-grade central nervous system (CNS) tumors can prolong PFS and OS and that it was safe.
Comparative transcriptome-wide identification and differential expression of genes and lncRNAs in rice near-isogenic line (KW-Bph36-NIL) in response to BPH feeding
Authors: Xue Yanxia , Muhammad Sajid , Yang Jinlian , Wang Xuan , Zhao Neng , Qin Baoxiang , Qiu Yongfu , Du Zhimin , Ulhassan Zaid , Zhou Weijun , Liu Fang , Li Rongbai
Published: February 2023

Brown planthopper (BPH) is the most devastating pest of rice in Asia, causing substantial yield losses and has become a challenging task to be controlled under field conditions. Although extensive measures have been taken over the past decades, which resulted in the evolution of new resistant BPH strains. Therefore, besides other possible approaches, equipping host plants with resistant genes is the most effective and environment-friendly technique for BPH control. Here, we systematically analyzed transcriptome changes in the susceptible rice variety Kangwenqingzhan (KW) and the resistant near-isogenic line (NIL) KW-Bph36-NIL, through RNA-seq, depicting the differential expression profiles of mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in rice before and after BPH feeding. We observed a proportion of genes (1.48%) and (2.74%) were altered in KW and NIL, respectively, indicating different responses of rice strains against BPH feeding. Nevertheless, we characterized 384 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs) that can be impacted by the two strains by alternatively changing the expression patterns of the respective coding genes, suggesting their certain involvement in response to BPH feeding. In BPH invasion, KW and NIL responded differently by modifying the synthesis, storage, and transformation of intracellular substances, adjusting the nutrient accumulation and utilization inside and outside the cells. In addition, NIL expressed stronger resistance by acutely up-regulating genes and other transcription factors related to stress resistance and plant immunity. Altogether, our study elaborates valuable insights into the genome-wide DEGs and DELs expression profiles of rice under BPH invasion by high throughput sequencing and further suggests that NILs can be utilized in BPH resistance breeding programs in developing high-resistance rice lines.
Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) restore photosynthesis and essential oil content by upgrading enzymatic antioxidant metabolism in lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) under salt stress
Authors: Mukarram Mohammad , Khan M. Masroor A. , Kurjak Daniel , Lux Alexander , Corpas Francisco J.
Published: February 2023

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) has great relevance considering the substantial commercial potential of its essential oil. Nevertheless, the increasing soil salinity poses an imminent threat to lemongrass cultivation given its moderate salt-sensitivity. For this, we used silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) to stimulate salt tolerance in lemongrass considering SiNPs special relevance to stress settings. Five foliar sprays of SiNPs 150 mg L-1 were applied weekly to NaCl 160 and 240 mM-stressed plants. The data indicated that SiNPs minimised oxidative stress markers (lipid peroxidation, H2O2 content) while triggering a general activation of growth, photosynthetic performance, enzymatic antioxidant system including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), and osmolyte proline (PRO). SiNPs amplified stomatal conductance and photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate by about 24% and 21% in NaCl 160 mM-stressed plants. Associated benefits contributed to pronounced plant phenotype over their stressed counterparts, as we found. Foliar SiNPs sprays assuaged plant height by 30% and 64%, dry weight by 31% and 59%, and leaf area by 31% and 50% under NaCl 160 and 240 mM concentrations, respectively. SiNPs relieved enzymatic antioxidants (SOD, CAT, POD) and osmolyte (PRO) in lemongrass plants stressed with NaCl 160 mM (9%, 11%, 9%, and 12%, respectively) and NaCl 240 mM (13%, 18%, 15%, and 23%, respectively). The same treatment supported the oil biosynthesis improving essential oil content by 22% and 44% during 160 and 240 mM salt stress, respectively. We found SiNPs can completely overcome NaCl 160 mM stress while significantly palliating NaCl 240 mM stress. Thus, we propose that SiNPs can be a useful biotechnological tool to palliate salinity stress in lemongrass and related crops.
Global, regional, and national burden of multiple sclerosis from 1990 to 2019: Findings of global burden of disease study 2019
Authors: Qian Zhen , Li Yuancun , Guan Zhiqiang , Guo Pi , Zheng Ke , Du Yali , Yin Shengjie , Chen Binyao , Wang Hongxi , Jiang Jiao , Qiu Kunliang , Zhang Mingzhi
Published: February 2023

Background

The global rising prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been reported during the past decades. However, details regarding the evolution of MS burden have not been fully studied. This study aimed to investigate the global, regional, and national burden and temporal trends in MS incidence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019 using the age-period-cohort analysis.

Methods

We performed a secondary comprehensive analysis of incidence, deaths, and DALYs of MS by calculating the estimated annual percentage change from 1990 to 2019 obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study. The independent age, period, and birth cohort effects were evaluated by an age-period-cohort model.

Results

In 2019, there were 59,345 incident MS cases and 22,439 MS deaths worldwide. The global number of incidences, deaths, and DALYs of MS followed an upward trend, whereas the age-standardized rates (ASR) slightly declined from 1990 to 2019. High socio-demographic index (SDI) regions had the highest ASR of incidences, deaths, and DALYs in 2019, while the rate of deaths and DALYs in medium SDI regions are the lowest. Six regions which include high-income North America, Western Europe, Australasia, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe had higher ASR of incidences, deaths, and DALYs than other regions in 2019. The age effect showed that the relative risks (RRs) of incidence and DALYs reached the peak at ages 30–39 and 50–59, respectively. The period effect showed that the RRs of deaths and DALYs increased with the period. The cohort effect showed that the later cohort has lower RRs of deaths and DALYs than the early cohort.

Conclusion

The global cases of incidence, deaths, and DALYs of MS have all increased, whereas ASR has declined, with different trends in different regions. High SDI regions such as European countries have a substantial burden of MS. There are significant age effects for incidence, deaths, and DALYs of MS globally, and period effects and cohort effects for deaths and DALYs.
Downsizing of rectal cancer following neoadjuvant radiotherapy (5 × 5 Gy) and long interval surgery evaluated using MRI semiautomated volumetric measurements, a retrospective study
Authors: Albrecht Hendrik Christian , Wagner Sophie , Sandbrink Christoph , Gretschel Stephan
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Neoadjuvant conventional chemoradiation (CRT) is the standard treatment for primary locally non-curatively resectable rectal cancer, as tumor downsizing may allow R0 resectability. Short-term neoadjuvant radiotherapy (5x5 Gy) followed by an interval before surgery (SRT- delay) is an alternative for multimorbid patients who cannot tolerate CRT. This study examined the extent of tumor downsizing achieved with the SRT-delay approach in a limited cohort that underwent complete re-staging before surgery.

Methods

Between March 2018 and July 2021, 26 patients with locally advanced primary adenocarcinoma (>uT3 or/and N+) of the rectum were treated with SRT-delay. 22 patients underwent initial staging and complete re-staging (CT, endoscopy, MRI). Tumor downsizing was assessed by staging and re-staging data and pathologic findings. Semiautomated measurement of tumor volume was performed using mint Lesion™ 1.8 software to evaluate tumor regression.

Results

The mean tumor diameter determined on sagittal T2 MRI images decreased significantly from 54.1 (23–78) mm at initial staging to 37.9 (18–65) mm at re-staging before surgery (p <0.001) and to 25.5 (7–58) mm at pathologic examination (p <0.001). This corresponds to a mean reduction in tumor diameter of 28.9 (4.3–60.7) % at re-staging and 51.1 (8.7–86.5) % at pathology. Mean tumor volume determined from transverse T2 MR images mint LesionTM 1.8 software significantly decreased from 27.5 (9.8 – 89.6) cm3 at initial staging to 13.1 (3.7 – 32.8) cm3 at re-staging (p <0.001), corresponding to a mean reduction of 50.8 (21.6 – 77) %. The frequency of positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) (less than 1mm) decreased from 45,5 % (10 patients) at initial staging to 18,2 % (4 patients) at re-staging. On pathologic examination, the CRM was negative in all cases. However, multivisceral resection for T4 tumors was required in 2 patients (9%). Tumor downstaging was noted in 15 of 22 patients after SRT-delay.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the observed extent of downsizing is broadly comparable to the results of CRT, making SRT-delay a serious alternative for patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy.