Поховання на човнах у давніх слов'ян

У статті розповідається про ранньослов’янський обряд поховання на човнах. Наводяться данні археологічних розкопок на території України, середньовічні письмові джерела, елементи фольклору, що свідчать про наявність такого обряду.В статье рассказывается о древнеславянском обряде захоронения на лодках. Приводятся данные археологических раскопок на территории Украины, средневековые письменные источники, элементы фольклора, свидетельствующие о наличии такого обряда.In the article is told about the ancient-Slavonic ceremony of burial place on boats. Data of archaeological excavations on territories of Ukraine, medieval writing sources

Computer simulation of syringomyelia in dogs

Syringomyelia is a pathological condition in which fluid-filled cavities (syringes) form and expand in the spinal cord. Syringomyelia is often linked with obstruction of the craniocervical junction and a Chiari malformation, which is similar in both humans and animals. Some brachycephalic toy breed dogs such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) are particularly predisposed. The exact mechanism of the formation of syringomyelia is undetermined and consequently with the lack of clinical explanation, engineers and mathematicians have resorted to computer models to identify possible physical mechanisms that can lead to syringes. We developed a computer model of the spinal cavity of a CKCS suffering from a large syrinx. The model was excited at the cranial end to simulate the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the spinal cord due to the shift of blood volume in the cranium related to the cardiac cycle. To simulate the normal condition, the movement was prescribed to the CSF. To simulate the pathological condition, the movement of CSF was blocked

A multi-scale approach to facultative paedomorphosis of European newts (Salamandridae) in the Montenegrin karst: Distribution pattern, environmental variables, and conservation

peer reviewedFacultative paedomorphosis, a process in which newt larvae can opt for reproduction before or after metamorphosis, is geographically heterogeneous. Despite numerous ecological studies and recent evidence of declines in paedomorphic populations, however, no attempt to model environmental variables that explain the presence of paedomorphs has been made at a multi-scale level. Our aim was to fill this gap in studying three newt species (Lissotriton vulgaris, Mesotriton alpestris, and Triturus macedonicus) of the Montenegrin karst as model species. To this end, we used multivariate analysis on three scales of habitat: the breeding pond, the land use and the climatologic features. Results show that the study area is both an important hotspot for paedomorphosis and where intraspecific diversity is quickly disappearing (20-47% extirpation) because of fish introductions. Other habitat variables (water permanency, PH or the habitat origin) were shown to act on paedomorphosis but not consistently across species, confirming complexity of the evolutionary and ecological processes. This study appeals for more long-term and detailed landscape studies of polyphenisms, a neglected but promising topic, to better understand and protect alternative modes of development. Particularly, measures should be taken to identify hotspots of intraspecific diversity at a global scale and stop fish introductions before we reach a point of no-return. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Regional variations in water physicochemical properties and residual chlorine concentrations and incidence of cancer in Serbia

Individuals are exposed to local water sources through routine activities in their place of residence. Serbia consists of 26 districts with a population of approximately 6.8 million inhabitants. Individuals in different districts are exposed to varying physicochemical water quality. Irregularities in physicochemical water properties may be linked to malignant diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between the percentage of water which does not meet the standards for both physicochemical properties and residual chlorine, and standardized incidence of most common malignancies in Serbia. In 2013, 18.9 % of 76,758 water samples in Serbia were non-compliant (0 % in Kolubara, 97.4 % in Middle Banat), and in 2021, 16.5 % of 93,144 samples failed standards (0.9 % in Macva, 97.8 % in North Banat). A significant positive correlation was observed between the percentage of unsatisfactory physicochemical water samples from public water supply systems and water facilities and the standardized incidence of colon and rectal cancer in males and females, any cancer type in both sexes, and ovarian cancer in females. However, no significant correlation was observed for leukemia and pancreatic in males, brain tumors or lung cancer in both sexes. Bladder cancer in males was associated with exposure to residual chlorine which surpass recommended concentrations. Study findings suggest that exposure to water that does not meet adequate physicochemical standards may be associated with an increased risk of various cancer types, while residual chlorine above recommended standards seems associated with increased incidence of bladder cancer

CD95 maintains stem cell-like and non-classical EMT programs in primary human glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive types of cancer with limited therapeutic options and unfavorable prognosis. Stemness and non-classical epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (ncEMT) features underlie the switch from normal to neoplastic states as well as resistance of tumor clones to current therapies. Therefore, identification of ligand/receptor systems maintaining this privileged state is needed to devise efficient cancer therapies. In this study, we show that the expression of CD95 associates with stemness and EMT features in GBM tumors and cells and serves as a prognostic biomarker. CD95 expression increases in tumors and with tumor relapse as compared with non- tumor tissue. Recruitment of the activating PI3K subunit, p85, to CD95 death domain is required for maintenance of EMT-related transcripts. A combination of the current GBM therapy, temozolomide, with a CD95 inhibitor dramatically abrogates tumor sphere formation. This study molecularly dissects the role of CD95 in GBM cells and contributes the rational for CD95 inhibition as a GBM therapy

Cellular Differentiation of Human Monocytes Is Regulated by Time-Dependent Interleukin-4 Signaling and the Transcriptional Regulator NCOR2.

Human in vitro generated monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) and macrophages are used clinically, e.g., to induce immunity against cancer. However, their physiological counterparts, ontogeny, transcriptional regulation, and heterogeneity remains largely unknown, hampering their clinical use. High-dimensional techniques were used to elucidate transcriptional, phenotypic, and functional differences between human in vivo and in vitro generated mononuclear phagocytes to facilitate their full potential in the clinic. We demonstrate that monocytes differentiated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) resembled in vivo inflammatory macrophages, while moDCs resembled in vivo inflammatory DCs. Moreover, differentiated monocytes presented with profound transcriptomic, phenotypic, and functional differences. Monocytes integrated GM-CSF and IL-4 stimulation combinatorically and temporally, resulting in a mode- and time-dependent differentiation relying on NCOR2. Finally, moDCs are phenotypically heterogeneous and therefore necessitate the use of high-dimensional phenotyping to open new possibilities for better clinical tailoring of these cellular therapies

Investigation of fullerenol-induced changes in poroelasticity of human hepatocellular carcinoma by AFM-based creep tests

In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to investigate the alterations of the poroelastic properties of hepatocellular carcinoma (SMMC-7721) cells treated with fullerenol. The SMMC-7721 cells were subject to AFM-based creep tests, and a corresponding poroelastic indentation model was used to determine the poroelastic parameters by curve fitting. Comparative analyses indicated that the both permeability and diffusion of fullerenol-treated cells increased significantly while their elastic modulus decreased by a small amount. From the change in the trend of the determined parameter, we verified the corresponding alternations of cytoskeleton (mainly filaments actin), which was reported by the previous study using confocal imaging method. Our investigation on SMMC-7721 cell reveals that the poroelastic properties could provide a better understanding how the cancer cells are affected by fullerenol or potentially other drugs which could find possible applications in drug efficacy test, cancer diagnosis and secure therapies.EU Horizon 2020 projec