Biological Foundations Research Articles

Foundations of the Principles of Non-Contradiction and Identity

Aristotle finds “why a thing is itself” to be “a meaningless inquiry,” (Aristotle, 2000, VII - 17) Hume says about the propositions that express that one thing is identical with itself “we really should mean nothing” (Hume, 2019, p. 230) and, according to Wittgenstein (1922), they say nothing (5.5303). However, I would like to ask here, how can it be so obviously true for a healthy adult person, who has no idea about science, mathematics or logic, that one thing is not another one, but the thing itself? I believe that the tautology, A is not non-A, but A, or short expressed “A is A,” seems so obviously true that it may help to find the origin of so-called “the laws of thought” through the medium of the clues that are given by its self-evidence. 
 The purpose of this work is to claim that the principles of non-contradiction and identity are first based not on human reasoning or thought, but on the biological foundations , namely reception, sensation and perception, which every known living being has. To begin, these principles and then their origin, the discerning faculty, will be explained from the point of view of John Locke. After that, with the help of some examples from biology, it will be indicated that not only human but also every known life form that doesn’t have cognition as human has has this fundamental faculty in its perception and thereby can discern its perceptibilia . Finally, due to this fact, the biological roots of these principles will be demonstrated.

Männer sterben früher, Frauen leiden mehr

Männer leben im Durchschnitt mehrere Jahre weniger als Frauen. Dies gilt in allen Kulturen. Aufgrund der Universalität des Phänomens wurden lange Zeit biologische bzw. genetische Ursachen als selbstverständlich erachtet. Erst mit den quasiexperimentellen Analysen der sog. Kloster- und Lebensstilstudien wurden Sozialisationsbedingungen als wesentlicher Grund für die geschlechtsspezifische Mortalität belegt. Geschlecht wurde damit dekomponiert, von einem auf genotypischen und phänotypischen Merkmalen beruhenden Dimorphismus hin zu einem auf der Interaktion zwischen „Sex“ und „Gender“, also den biologischen Grundlagen und der Identitätsbildung, beruhenden eher kontinuierlichen Konstrukt. Die Pole „männlich“ und „weiblich“ werden durch eine sich über die Zeit von traditionell nach modern wandelnde Auffassung von Geschlechterrolle in Bezug auf die Dimensionen Gesellschaft, Sexualität, Persönlichkeit und Körperbau charakterisiert. Auch wenn die Polung selbst heute durch die immer stärkere Bedeutung von Transidentität und Neubewertung der Störungen der Geschlechtsentwicklung möglicherweise in Auflösung begriffen ist, sind die tradierten Geschlechterrollen nach wie vor wirkmächtig – nicht nur im Hinblick auf die Mortalität, sondern auch unter Berücksichtigung der geschlechtsspezifischen Morbidität (Krankheitslast). Die Reflexion der Bedeutung von Geschlecht ist nicht nur als gesellschaftlicher Diskurs relevant, sondern kann auch einen wichtigen Beitrag für das Agieren in der psychotherapeutischen Beziehung vom Mann-Frau- oder Nonbinärsein zum geschlechtssensiblen Handeln mit dem Anspruch eines geschlechtsaufmerksamen Bewusstseins leisten.

Аналіз підготовленості висококваліфікованих єдиноборців на підставі оцінки сенсомоторних реакцій

Purpose: to determine and analyze the sensorimotor reactions of a highly qualified judoka and offer recommendations for improving the quality of the training program for preparing for competitions. Material and methods. In this study, the following scientific methods were used: theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical observations; instrumental method; mathematical and statistical research methods. The study involved the champion of the 23-year Deaflympic Games in judo in the team. To determine the level of manifestation of sensorimotor reactions of the judoka, it was proposed to perform the following psychophysiological tests: determining the volume of perception of the number of visual signals; assessment of functional asymmetry; determination of the choice reaction; determination of reaction to a moving object; determination of a simple visual-motor reaction. Results: it was determined that the psychophysiological functions of a person are the biological foundation of the individual-typological features of the higher nervous system, they characterize the process of formation and improvement of special motor skills in the conditions of training and competitive activity. According to the results of a scientific study, the features of the manifestation of sensorimotor reactions in the examined judoist were revealed. Thus, the analysis of the dynamics of passing the test to determine the volume of perception showed that an athlete can control excitement, mobilize attention, quickly adapt to the appropriate work. Based on the analysis of the results of the test to determine the functional asymmetry, it was noted that the frequency of movements in the examined athlete is less than model values, and the reaction time and duration of pressing decrease at stages 2 and 3. The dynamics of changes in the frequency of pressing during the test indicates the strength of the nervous system and requires additional studies to assess it more accurately. An analysis of the dynamics of the test results to determine the «Choice Reaction» indicates that the athlete who was examined has the ability to adapt to the corresponding work (decrease in reaction time from stages 1 to 3) and has an average level of choice reaction of 569,1-705,4 ms ( according to the model characteristics of highly qualified combatants). According to the results of the study of the reaction to a moving object, it was found that the athlete has a high level of manifestation of this type of reaction – 12,7 ms (according to the model value of highly qualified combatants). Conclusions. It has been determined that the adequacy of the reaction of psychophysiological functions to training or competitive loads can be an indicator of the level of an athlete's preparedness. Based on the analysis of the results of the evaluation of sensorimotor reactions, the characteristics of some aspects of the preparedness of the female athlete who was examined were formed. The positive characteristics include: the ability to predict the occurrence of an event, to feel the time and distance, the prerequisites for successfully conducting counterattacks, the ability to perform technical and tactical actions in both stances (with a sufficient level of technical preparedness), control excitement, mobilize attention, adapt to the proposed work. Keywords: judo; elite athlete, sensorimotor reactions, volume of perception, training process.

전공집단에 따른 잠재적 대전제의 다양성

Purpose: This study attempted to identify implicit premise that pre-service science teachers potentially assume when judging the concept of race differs between major groups through Aristotle's enthymeme. Methods: The qualitative questionnaire consisted of two type of questions; true-false and open-ended that asked whether classifying humans into race has biological grounds or not and what the logic for the claim is. Data were collected from 218 pre-service teachers majoring in science at secondary teacher training institute(college of education) and were analyzed qualitatively. Results: As a result of the study, no difference between major groups was found in judging whether there are biological grounds for human classification by race. However, between the life science major group and the material science major group, the forms of the eliminated major premises were different, and the patterns were also different in the way the arguments were constructed. Conclusion: This research suggests that even with the same biological knowledge, different classes can be conducted under teachers’ different major premise and also different responses can be presented to students who ask for clarification depending on the teacher's logic. Therefore, it is necessary to educate pre-service science teachers so that they can recognize what omitted major premise they are assuming, and by doing this it should provide an opportunity to encounter the various premise of various people and avoid falling into the risk of holding a potential premise.

Composition analysis and antioxidant activity of purified Boletus auripes pigment using macroporous resin

Fungi pigment has been widely used in the food industry due to their high safety and various physiological activities, however, study on the Boletus auripes pigment (BAP) has rarely been reported. The aim of the present study was to optimize the purification process of BAP using macroporous resin. Moreover, the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the purified BAP (PBAP) were also evaluated. The optimal purification parameters for the resin of XDA-7 were as follows: at pH 6.0, the concentration of BAP was 2.0 mg/ml (30 ml) with a loading flow rate of 2.0 ml/min, and 80% ethanol was used as the eluent solvent with the elution flow rate of 1.5 ml/min. The results showed that the purity of PBAP after purification by XDA-7 was 5.8 times higher than that of BAP. Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry showed that the absorption peaks of PBAP were associated with the signals of the aldoketones functional group. Ultra performance liquid chromatographytandem-mass spectrometry indicated that there were 32 components were identified from the PBAP, including 15 organic acids, 9 glycosides, 3 esters, 3 vitamins, and 2 alkaloids. The scavenging capacity of DPPH free radical (DPPH·), ABTS free radical (ABTS+.), Hydroxyl free radical (·OH), and the reducing power was measured to investigate the antioxidant capacity of BAP and PBAP. The obtained results showed that the two pigments possessed good antioxidant capacity with the dose–effect relationship. The IC50 values of PBAP for scavenging DPPH·, ABTS+., and ·OH were 0.048, 0.001, and 0.31 mg/ml, respectively, and they were much higher than the corresponding results that showed 0.103, 0.049, and 1.295 mg/ml of the BAP. Obviously, the antioxidant activity of BAP was significantly enhanced after purification. In short, the study provided a reference for the further development and utilization of the pigment from B. auripes. Novelty impact statement As a new source of natural pigments, Boletus auripes pigment (BAP) has not attracted the attention of researchers. In this article, BAP was purified by macroporous resin, and its physicochemical property and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The relevant research could establish the biological foundation for building a quantitative structure–function relationship and the application of purified BAP in functional food and medicine.

Cloning ospA of Borrelia Burgderferi for Plant Expression

Abstract Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) is a vector-borne disease that is both very common in the Mid-Atlantic region and which causes long term negative health effects. It is primarily spread to humans by deer ticks, and because one of the main ways that it is passed between ticks is by previously infected mouse blood, our goal is to design an oral vaccine which decreases infection rates in mice. Our goal is to do this by inserting outer surface protein A (ospA) of B. burgdorferi into a plant vector: pCambia 1201. Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used as a means of introducing the vector (bearing B. burgdorferi ospA) into Arabidopsis thaliana. The pCambia vector was introduced into A. tumefaciens competent cells after being purified from E. coli colonies which had undergone a similar transformation process, as E. coli is more suitable for cloning. The successfully electroporated A. tumefaciens was then plated and colonies were picked and grown as liquid cultures. Those liquid cultures transformed with both the ospA bearing pCambia and a control pCambia were used for floral dip of Arabidopsis thaliana (both ospA bearing and pCambia only control plants). These dipped plants’ seeds have been tested for successful transformation, and one plant has been found to contain the sequence for ospA. Continued floral dips will be undertaken to increase the number of positive plants, and to develop a proper control for testing efficacy as a vaccine. Any additional seeds of positive plants will be planted and crossed to ensure use of only plants which express pCambia in later testing, and to ensure that the process has been successful. Supported by Frostburg State University Department of Biology and FSU Foundation

The Chicxulub File: Discovering the K-Pg Mass Extinction

In 1979 geologists Luis and Walter Alvarez discovered a layer of iridium-rich rock in the Apennine Mountains dating from 66 to 65 million years BP, the time when dinosaurs went extinct. Their theory that an asteroid strike had caused this massive extinction remained speculative and controversial until the 1991 discovery of a telltale crater from a synchronous asteroid impact. The effects of this impact, centered at Chicxulub on the Yucatan Peninsula, were worldwide. Over the years, impact spherules were found at numerous sites, along with evidence of a massive tsunami throughout the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent coasts. From accumulating evidence, the theory was ratified in 2012, though many details remained unknown. However, a series of dramatic discoveries reported from 2019 to 2022 have led to a chronology of events both during and subsequent to the impact. Evidence for the rapid recovery and development of mammals has been found in the fossil record and, thus, the biological foundations of our own emergence. The final 2019 issue of Science (20 December) named this a “superyear” for studies of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction as the runner-up science “breakthrough of the year.” Through these separate discoveries, a coherent hour-by-hour narrative has emerged, marking the onset of the Cenozoic era and providing a foundation for the emergence of Homo sapiens.

Effects of interferon regulatory factor 9 on the biological phenotypes in PML-RARα-induced promyelocytic leukemia

目的研究急性早幼粒细胞白血病（APL）中干扰素调节因子9（IRF9）的表达特征、预后意义和生物学功能，探索IRF9作为潜在治疗靶点的临床转化意义。方法挖掘TCGA公共数据分析IRF9在APL中的表达水平及其表达高低对患者生存的影响；利用Dox诱导的慢病毒载体系统构建可诱导表达PML-RARα（PR）融合基因的U937细胞系，诱导PR融合基因早期表达并加入全反式维甲酸（ATRA）检测IRF9表达变化；构建可诱导表达IRF9的NB4细胞系，进行细胞分化和集落形成实验，初步探讨IRF9诱导表达对NB4白血病细胞生物学功能的影响。结果①TCGA数据库分析显示，在各种类型的AML中，IRF9在APL中表达水平最低且与预后不良相关。②成功构建可诱导表达PR融合基因的U937细胞系；PR表达引起IRF9蛋白水平下调，在NB4细胞系中IRF9表达缺失，ATRA处理后可表达上调。③成功构建可诱导表达IRF9的NB4细胞系，IRF9诱导表达促进NB4细胞的分化，且与较低剂量ATRA有协同促分化作用；IRF9诱导表达显著抑制了NB4细胞的集落形成能力。结论IRF9在APL中低表达且与预后不良相关，提示存在特异性调控机制；上调IRF9表达可发挥抗白血病效应，为其成为临床潜在治疗靶点奠定生物学基础。

ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНЫЕ ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ СТУДЕНТОВ СПЕЦИАЛЬНОЙ МЕДИЦИНСКОЙ ГРУППЫ МЕДИЦИНСКОГО ВУЗА В РАМКАХ ЭЛЕКТИВНОЙ ДИСЦИПЛИНЫ «ФИЗИЧЕСКАЯ КУЛЬТУРА И СПОРТ»

Abstract. Currently, there is a significant increase in students with congenital and acquired pathologies, which are classified as SMG. In this regard, students are classified as a high-risk group, since in addition to the complex age-related problems of modern students, there is still a negative impact of the crisis in almost all major areas of the state and society [3]. The purpose of the study: analysis of the functional capabilities of students of a special medical group within the framework of the elective discipline “physical culture and sports. Conducting classes in the discipline "Physical culture and sports", the elective discipline "Physical culture in a special medical group" in a medical university is aimed at studying the physical development skills of students of the SMG in physical education. In the process of studying the discipline, the student acquires knowledge about the scientific, biological and practical foundations of a healthy lifestyle, physical culture and sports. Important aspects among the tasks of this discipline are the provision of professional and general training, instilling in the student the skills of physical activities, the formation of a personal value attitude to health and positive changes in the motor and functional capabilities of students. The policy of the university is aimed at developing students' understanding of the importance of changes in lifestyle and attitude to their health, which is the paramount relevance of our study [5; 6; 7; 8; 9]. Scientific novelty lies in the theoretical substantiation, in the identification and experimental testing of the functional capabilities of students of special medical groups. As a result, the functional capabilities of those involved in special medical groups are revealed, measurements of the Mashkov rhombus are presented, the distribution of students by medical groups is presented, an analysis of the cardiorespiratory system is carried out, and the effectiveness of the use of health-improving physical culture is determined.

Concepts and Principles of Contemporary Hypno-Psychotherapy

Hypnosis is empirically well studied in its biological foundations and its therapeutic effectiveness. It is a recognised healing method in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. With the use of imaging techniques, it can be clearly shown that brain areas responsible for attention, visual imagination, critical evaluation and self-awareness change in their activity through hypnosis in such a way that the state of hypnotic trance differs markedly from both sleep and waking consciousness. The effects of hypnosis on the immune system as well as on affects have been confirmed. Basically, a fundamental distinction must be made between “therapeutic hypnosis”, hypnosis for therapeutic purposes, and “show hypnosis”, such as is shown in various entertainment performances. Therapeutic hypnosis” is in turn divided into different forms, namely “hypnotic psychotherapy”, “hypnotherapy” and “hypnosis”.

Cultivation of college students' innovative and entrepreneurial thinking and ability based on Synthetic Biology and iGEM

Synthetic Biology is one of the most promising fields of modern Biology and a frontier interdisciplinary subject in the 21st century. With the rapid development of synthetic biology, the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition has emerged. The iGEM competition, based on the subject foundation of Synthetic Biology, intends to solve the biological problems in our daily life by applying modern biological technology. In recent years, with the continuous increase of participating teams, the iGEM competition has received extensive attention and achieved great progress. On the basis of the development of Synthetic Biology, we analyzed the 2018-2020 award-winning projects of the iGEM competition and illustrated the role and significance of the iGEM competition in cultivating college students' innovative thinking and ability with the participation experience of the iGEM team of Southwest Jiaotong University as an example.

Mongolian Medicine Areca Thirteen Pill (GY-13) Improved Depressive Syndrome via upregulating cAMP/PKA/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway

Ethnopharmacological relevanceAreca Thirteen Pill, also called Gao You-13 (GY-13), is a traditional Mongolian herbal formula and has been extensively used to treat depression in Mongolian areas, which belongs to Heyi disease in Mongolian medicine. Major depressive disorder is a serious psychiatric disease, only one-third of individuals with depression are responsive to current antidepressants in clinic. Growing attention has been attracted by traditional herbal medicines in fighting depression because they are considered safer alternatives to pharmacotherapy. Aim of the studyTo reveal the mechanism of GY-13 in the treatment of depression. Materials and methodsThe rat depression model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and primary hippocampal neurons were used to construct a glutamate-induced excitotoxicity model. The antidepressant effect of GY-13 was then assessed by performing sucrose preference tests, open field tests, and body weight measurements on rats. The expression of cAMP and PKA, mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis were measured. ResultsThe results indicate that GY-13 significantly improves depression-like behavior, rescues decreased cAMP， PKA, recovers the mRNA levels of CREB and BDNF, and increases the proliferative activity of hippocampus. In addition, blockade of PKA reverses the effects of GY-13 treatment on CREB mRNA, BDNF mRNA levels. In vitro, GY-13 treatment increased hippocampal proliferative activity and attenuated Glu-induced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons as well as reduced CREB mRNA and BDNF mRNA expression levels. ConclusionsOur research demonstrated that GY-13 treatment exerted a potent antidepressant action via activation of cAMP/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway, promoting proliferation, and suppressing apoptosis. This research provides molecular biological ground for developing GY-13 into a potent alternative for the intervention of depression.

Modification of BRCA1-associated breast cancer risk by HMMR overexpression

Breast cancer risk for carriers of BRCA1 pathological variants is modified by genetic factors. Genetic variation in HMMR may contribute to this effect. However, the impact of risk modifiers on cancer biology remains undetermined and the biological basis of increased risk is poorly understood. Here, we depict an interplay of molecular, cellular, and tissue microenvironment alterations that increase BRCA1-associated breast cancer risk. Analysis of genome-wide association results suggests that diverse biological processes, including links to BRCA1-HMMR profiles, influence risk. HMMR overexpression in mouse mammary epithelium increases Brca1-mutant tumorigenesis by modulating the cancer cell phenotype and tumor microenvironment. Elevated HMMR activates AURKA and reduces ARPC2 localization in the mitotic cell cortex, which is correlated with micronucleation and activation of cGAS-STING and non-canonical NF-κB signaling. The initial tumorigenic events are genomic instability, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and tissue infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages. The findings reveal a biological foundation for increased risk of BRCA1-associated breast cancer.

Биологическое и социальное — два ракурса идентичности человека в контексте медицинской этики

At present, the most important problems of medical ethics related to the issues of fair access to medicine and health care as the main human benefits are of particular importance. In this regard, the study of biological and social foundations seems to be especially relevant, allowing us to consider a person not only as a user of medical services, but also as a sense-m aking center, influenced by the value-driven norms and societal ideas. The aim of the study is to consider the following two aspects of conceptualizing a person in medical ethics: his/her biological and social status. Dialectical method, system analysis, cultural and phenomenological approaches constitute the article’s methodological basis. Based on the discussion undertaken in modern scientific literature, these allow us to come to an understanding of a person in the system of medical ethics. It is noted that consideration of a person in the context of issues of medical ethics goes, first of all, in two main directions: first, the role of a person is revitalized in the process of choosing treatment methods and understanding the degree of risk associated with the treatment and prevention of his person as a biological being; the second is the immersion of a person, engaged in decision-m aking, into the system of values and traditions of society. It is shown that the second aspect is connected with the understanding of a citizen as a social being. Comprehension of a person should be undertaken through the study of his moral, spiritual, emotional, physical and biological foundations of being; at the same time, biological and social approaches should not act separately, but in unity, and lead to a holistic concept of man.

Cerebellum and nucleus caudatus asymmetry in major depressive disorder

Background/Aim: The relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and specific brain regions was investigated using neuroimaging methods. Although the findings show structural hemispheric asymmetry, research has often focused on the specific brain region involved in MDD. This study aimed to investigate asymmetry in the brain regions of MDD patients for the first time with volBrain, which is a fully automated segmentation technique. Methods: Our study was designed as a case-control study. Structural asymmetry was evaluated using the current web-based fully automated segmentation algorithm, volBrain, that analyzes volumetric T1 axial magnetic resonance imaging data. Sixteen cases with MDD and 14 healthy controls were analyzed. For comparison of continuous data between binary groups, an independent T-test was used for data that follow a normal distribution and Mann–Whitney U (MWU) test was used for data that did not follow a normal distribution while categorical data were evaluated using Chi-square test (or Fisher’s exact test when needed). Results: There was no significant difference in terms of gender (χ2 [1, n = 30] = 0.117, P = 0.732), education level (2 [1, n = 30] = 0.002; P = 0.961] and marital status (P = 0.596, Fisher exact chi-square test). However, both groups were found to be similar in terms of age (P = 0.608, MWU test). Right/left nucleus caudatus volume ratios (P = 0.028, MWU test) and right/left cerebellum volume ratios were significantly smaller in the case group (P = 0.006, independent T-test). When the volumes of the right and left parts were compared, only the volume of the right globus pallidus was larger (statistically significant) in the case group (P = 0.008, independent T-test). Conclusion: In line with our hypothesis, our study supports the notion of cortico–striatal–pallidal–thalamic circuit abnormalities in current MDD research and found that some regions in this phase may contain structural asymmetry. In addition, this study contributed to the literature consisting of studies that have examined the relationship between cerebellum and MDD by adding that the cerebellum may show structural asymmetry. The results of our study suggest that research using volBrain may be beneficial to patients with MDD. Current web-based fully automatic segmentation algorithms can restrict both the rater-induced differences in manual segmentation applications and the differences that various segmentation algorithms can create. The challenge of multicenter research can be overcome by using web-based fully automated segmentation volumetry systems and data containing the same standardized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition parameters because it is easy for clinicians around the world to access web-based fully automated segmentation volumetry systems. Research on fully automatic segmentation techniques might be the driving force behind fully understanding biological foundations of MDD in the future.

Recovery Assessment: Culture, Ethnicity, and Spiritual Dysfunction

Religion and Spirituality are essential pieces to an individual's or group's identity and are present on the spectrum of multicultural diversity. Human service practitioners cannot overlook how individuals conceptualize their relationship with the Sacred. Knowledge of spiritual beliefs and practices creates the basic cultural competence of the practitioner. It enriches the relationship between the practitioner and the person receiving service and makes room for powerful spiritual healing. There needs to be a professional nonsectarian change toward a holistic model of recovery and resilience that embraces the spiritual dimension. This dimension must include traditional and non-traditional belief systems not just as part of the self-help movement but as part of an integrated psychological and spiritual health model that complements people's biological and genetic foundation. This integrated model must focus on: (1) the elimination of stress in the overall community; (2) being attentive toward environmental factors such as divorce, death, and Illness; and (3) supporting and providing opportunities for better housing, increased employment opportunities and positive family activities. Effective treatment services must embrace a holistic approach that integrates well into a comprehensive social support network perspective

Underwater bionic whisker sensor based on triboelectric nanogenerator for passive vortex perception

Seals, as well as other terrestrial and marine animals, utilize their whiskers as key tactile sensors to locate and track underwater wakes. Herein, an underwater bionic whisker sensor (UBWS) based on triboelectric nanogenerator was designed for capturing complex stimuli produced by moving aquatic species and using the acquired signals to follow their hydrodynamic trails. The UBWS is inspired by the structural properties of seal whiskers and incorporates a free-standing triboelectric nanogenerator, which gives it ability to capture vortices passively. The design of the UBWS is fully flexible and self-powered, which eliminates the need for an external power source while retaining the capability of high sensitivity to stimuli. Moreover, the output signal’s interaction with the movement parameters was highly correlated, and this principle was utilized to determine the relative motion state of an underwater moving object. Experiments demonstrated that the developed UBWS was capable of perceiving the hydrodynamic trails created by moving objects underwater. These new insights into the biological foundation of tactile perception through whiskers provide new design criteria for developing efficient underwater robotic sensors.

Exploring the mechanism of trehalose: dual functions of PI3K/Akt and VPS34/mTOR pathways in porcine oocytes and cumulus cells

Autophagy, an intracellular recycling system, is essential for the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes. Trehalose has been reported as a novel mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-independent autophagy inducer in many cells. Furthermore, we previously have demonstrated that trehalose supplementation during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes improves the developmental competence of parthenogenetic embryos, possibly via autophagic activation, whereas the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to address this issue. We found that trehalose plays a role as an autophagy activator by autophagic flux assay and determined that it promotes phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) inhibition and vacuolar protein sorting 34 (VPS34)/mTOR activation by immunoblotting, both in cumulus cells (CCs) and oocytes. However, interestingly, the effects and the mechanisms regulated by trehalose were different in them, respectively. In CCs, the autophagy was activated through the improvement of lysosomal function/autophagic clearance viability by upregulation of coordinated lysosomal expression and regulation genes via PI3K/Akt inhibition. Whereas in oocytes, autophagy was activated via induction of VPS34, which directly influences autophagosome formation, and the precise meiotic process was ensured via Akt inhibition and mTOR activation. Taken together, this study furtherly elucidates the novel detailed mechanism of trehalose during porcine oocyte maturation, thus laying the biological foundations for pharmacological application.

Neural network model for recognition and classification of types of interactions in road traffic

The article presents neural network for recognition of driving strategies based on interactions between drivers in road traffic. It analyzes the architecture of the model implemented as a self-organizing map (SOM), consisting of a group of neural networks based on radial basis functions (RBF). It is a training model grounded in the biological foundations of artificial neural networks, in which the training set should consist exclusively of input vectors; wherein the network training algorithm adjusts itself the network's weights to obtain consistent output vectors (i.e. to make presenting sufficiently close input vectors result into the same outputs). The article presents the results of using a new generation of the neural network developed by us, which includes an adaptive learning algorithm to reduce the effect of re-training (overfitting) and false recognition, as well as to improve the determination of the boundaries between clusters. The aim of the research is to outline architecture and structure of the neural network model that allows recognizing strategical characteristics of driving and can identify strategies of interactions between vehicles (their drivers) in road traffic as well as identify behavioral patterns This paper considers driving strategies that characterize the interaction of dyads of vehicles (drivers) moving in road traffic. The research results show that the SOM RBF neural networks can recognize and classify types of interactions in road traffic based on modelling of the analysis of vehicle movement trajectories. Experimental results demonstrate the neural networks architecture and networks learning involving 400 iterations of streaming the training data representing 500 possible simulated interaction situations. This paper presents a novel neural network model for recognition of drivers' behaviour patterns and for classification of driving strategies into five general classes: (1) competition strategy, (2) contest strategy, (3) evasion strategy, (4) compromise strategy, and (5) active confrontation strategy. This neural network has demonstrated a high rate of recognition and concise clusterization of similar driving strategies. The key contribution of this paper: it proposes a neural network model based on Kohonen's Self-Organizing Map (SOM) for detecting drivers' behaviours from vehicle movement patterns - driving strategies - instead of monitoring driver's specific activities.

Behavioral Intervention Technologies – Historical, Medical, Philosophical, and Ethical Perspectives

In this study, we will analyze, from philosophical, medical and bioethical points of view, the genetic ways in which the biological foundations of human behavior can be identified, as well as the technologies that can contribute to the modification of certain human behaviors, especially aggressive ones. Ideas about the inheritance of a certain behavior have been identified since Greek antiquity, but in the 20th century, along with sequencing and mapping of all genes of the members of our species, the possibility of identifying possible genes for learning and memory has emerged and therefore the ability to act on them through “behavioral genetics” could develop. In the dawn of the 21st century, researchers begin to consider that abnormal behaviors had a certain genetic mutation located on the “X” chromosome or on the “Y” chromosome and the concept of “genetics of intellectual disability” was introduced in the medical literature. After the identification of the genes or the constellation of genes that underlie the occurrence of psychiatric disorders, the researchers developed genetic engineering to be performed on certain groups of neuronal cells, but these activities lead to the question: how useful or dangerous these new genome editing technologies will be, especially in terms of conservation and perpetuation of the human species. We conclude that the chimera-type people, whose genetic structure is artificially constructed, would raise issues primarily about their identity, their integration into traditional societies, but also about the need for a new legislation. However, the future society will have, at some point, to accept the reality of genetic interventions, the purpose of which is to achieve much more radical transformations in human nature.