Action Of Mediators Research Articles

Students’ Conceptualisations of “Peace” and “War” in Drawing–Text Combinations: A Metapragmatic Multimodal Analysis

In this article, we investigate (partly guided) conceptualisations of “peace” (and “war”) in children’s school drawings and their accompanying textual framings. We draw on a transdisciplinary framework grounded in ethnography and metapragmatics, combining tools from socio‐pragmatic (critical) approaches to multimodal discourse. Our data consists of authentically generated, photographed image‐text worksheets that were publicly displayed on the fence of a primary school in a small town in Northern Italy in April 2022. Combining qualitative and quantitative analytical procedures, the (textual and multimodal) conceptualisations range from peace as a very concrete mode of secure‐relaxed experience of basic relationships, of home and togetherness, and of self, to peace as care and unity on a more (global‐)political scale. Contrary to ideologies on children’s drawings as naïve‐unmediated “windows” to inner states, our analysis shows how the trans‐/locally re‐/produced repertoire(s) of multimodal frozen mediated actions (including emblematic patterns such as emojis, peace‐flags, comics‐speech bubbles, etc.) are deployed ranging from realistic scenes to abstract and complex visual designs. Thereby, children show themselves as literate and often humorous‐creative practitioners of visual communication.

Analisis Permendkbudristek No. 46 Tahun 2023 Terhadap Kekerasan Struktural Yang Terjadi Pada Aliran Kepercayaan Sapto Darmo Di Kabupaten Kendal

Findings of structural violence in the world of education continue to occur today. One type of structural violence that often occurs in the educational environment is educational discrimination against minorities. Cases of educational discrimination were also experienced by the Sapto Darmo sect of faith in Kendal Regency, some of whom experienced difficulties in obtaining formal education. In fact, Kendal is one of the districts in Central Java Province which has 5 developing religious beliefs, one of which is the Sapto Darmo Belief. The purpose of this research is to find out whether Permendikbudristek Regulation No. 46 of 2023 can be used as a legal umbrella for adherents of the Sapto Darmo belief in Kendal Regency or whether this regulation is just a formality. The method used in this research is analyzing the policy results of Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 46 of 2023 on the Sapto Darmo belief sect in Kendal Regency using empirical juridical analysis. In particular, this research is targeted to be a reference source for the Kendal Regency Government in providing equal educational rights for adherents of the Sapto Darmo belief system. The results of this research show that Permendikbudristek No. 46 of 2023 has been implemented well for students who adhere to existing beliefs in Kendal Regency, especially the Sapto Darmo belief sect. The conclusion of this research is that the violence that was previously feared would befall religious students in Kendal Regency has gradually improved and there are no longer any reports of schools prohibiting religious students from entering school. If in the future there are still schools that prohibit this, the Kendal Regency Government and the Kendal Regency Education and Culture Office will seek mediation and legal action.

Legitimizing Mediated Islamophobic Actions: Example “X”

Legitimizing Mediated Islamophobic Actions: Example “X”

Quorum quenching mediated biofilm impediment in Chromobacterium violaceum and Staphylococcus aureus by leaf extracts of Delonixelata

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms that cause systemic infections, resistance development and delay in healing wounds. Biofilms can form in various parts of the human body, such as the teeth, lungs, urinary tract, and wounds. Biofilm complicates the effects of antibiotics in treating infections. In search of a cure, a plant-based phyto component was selected for this investigation as an anti-quorum-mediated biofilm restricting agent in Gram-negative Chromobacterium violaceum and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The bioactive components in Delonix elata (DE) ethyl acetate extract were identified using Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The extract was examined for toxicity using 3T3 cell lines and brine shrimp and ascertained to be non-toxic. Violacein was inhibited up to 68.81 % in C. violaceum at 0.6 mg/ml concentration. Hemolysin synthesis impediments in C. violaceum and S. aureus were 80 % and 51.35 %, respectively, at 0.6 mg/ml of DE extract. At 0.6 mg/ml, EPS was abated by up to 49 % in C. violaceum and 35.26 % in S. aureus. DE extract prevented biofilm formation in C. violaceum and S. aureus up to 76.45 % and 58.15 %, respectively, while associated eDNA was suppressed up to 67.50 % and 53.47 % at the respective sub-MIC concentrations. Expression of genes such as cviI, cviR, vioA, vioB, and vioE were dramatically reduced in C. violaceum, while genes such as agrA, sarA, fnbA, and fnbB were significantly reduced in S. aureus. Docking demonstrates that two or more DE molecules bind efficiently to the QS receptors of C. violaceum and S. aureus. Thus, DE extract can be investigated for therapeutic purposes against pathogenic microorganisms by rendering them less virulent through quorum quenching mediated action.

Unveiling the phyto-restorative potential of ethereal distillates for atopic dermatitis: an advanced therapeutic approach.

Atopic dermatitis is acknowledged as a vital inflammatory disorder associated with the integumentary system of the body and is characterized by the formation of thick reddish-grey scars and erythema formation on skin, prevalent amidst the populace. Numerous synthetic drugs are available for treatment like antihistamines, immunosuppressants, glucocorticoids etc., but contrarily, essential oil therapy is exclusively lime lighted to favour the purpose. The utilization of available engineered drugs, possess the marked adverse effects owing to prolonged duration of therapy and therefore, essential oils are explored well and proved to exhibit the anti-eczematic, anti-inflammatory and antipruritic properties. Ethereal distillates own the assorted and selective therapeutic properties attributable to presence of bioactive compounds liable to treat this torturous and integumentary disorder, likely lavender oil, patchouli oil, frankincense oil etc., have been found to exert their pharmacological actions by impeding the liberation and action of inflammatory mediators and immunological hyperactivities that are engaged in exacerbating this idiopathic illness. The current attempt provided the update with the aim to bring forth the naturally originated treatment that is pertinent to provide the invulnerable therapy by circumventing the noxious symptoms i.e.erythema formation and inflamed lesions.

Mediation in bribery as a special type of complicity, reflected in Article 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

The subject of the study is mediation in bribery as a special type of complicity in Article 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The authors consider in detail the aspects of its reflection in the specified article of the Special part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as a circumstance having a specific similarity with the methods of aiding and abetting, regulated in Part 5 of Article 33 of the General Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Special attention is paid to the issue under consideration to clarify the meaning and content of the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, to study the opinions of criminologists in the field of criminal law, the rules of the Russian language and to identify the etymology of the origin of the word. The purpose of the work is to analyze the sign of mediation within the framework of Article 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for its attribution to a special type of complicity that has a genetic connection with the provisions of Part 5 of Article 33 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The research is based on the universal dialectical method of cognition. In addition, the article uses such general scientific and private scientific methods as analysis, synthesis, analogy, induction, deduction, historical, systemic-structural, formal-legal. The result of the work was the revealed dissonance in the acts of judicial interpretation related to the criminal law assessment of mediation actions carried out in a small amount, within the framework of Articles 204.1 and 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Part 5 of Article 184 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The authors have revealed that mediation in bribery, in essence, is correlated with complicity (within the meaning of Part 5 of Article 33 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The novelty of the work lies in the fact that it attempts to study mediation in bribery as a special type of complicity in the context of the systemic connection of the General and Special parts of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, with proposals for legislative transformation of parts 5 of Articles 33 and 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the end of the article, a conclusion is drawn about the imperfection of the norms on the types of accomplices to a crime regulated in the General Part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In particular, the list of complicit actions in Part 5 of Article 33 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is closed, but it is more expedient to make it open, which, it seems, may lead to the exclusion of liability for mediation in bribery (Article 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Identification of predictive patient characteristics for assessing the probability of COVID-19 in-hospital mortality.

As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to understand patient factors that may be used to predict the occurrence of severe cases and patient mortality. Approximately 20% of SARS-CoV-2 infections lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by the harmful actions of inflammatory mediators. Patients with severe COVID-19 are often afflicted with neurologic symptoms, and individuals with pre-existing neurodegenerative disease have an increased risk of severe COVID-19. Although collectively, these observations point to a bidirectional relationship between severe COVID-19 and neurologic disorders, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Here, we analyzed the electronic health records of 471 patients with severe COVID-19 to identify clinical characteristics most predictive of mortality. Feature discovery was conducted by training a regularized logistic regression classifier that serves as a machine-learning model with an embedded feature selection capability. SHAP analysis using the trained classifier revealed that a small ensemble of readily observable clinical features, including characteristics associated with cognitive impairment, could predict in-hospital mortality with an accuracy greater than 0.85 (expressed as the area under the ROC curve of the classifier). These findings have important implications for the prioritization of clinical measures used to identify patients with COVID-19 (and, potentially, other forms of acute respiratory distress syndrome) having an elevated risk of death.

How Text-to-Image Generative AI Is Transforming Mediated Action.

This article examines the intricate relationship between humans and text-to-image generative models (generative artificial intelligence/genAI) in the realm of art. The article frames that relationship in the theory of mediated action-a well-established theory that conceptualizes how tools shape human thoughts and actions. The article describes genAI systems as learning, cocreating, and communicating, multimodally capable hybrid systems that distill and rely on the wisdom and creativity of massive crowds of people and can sometimes surpass them. Those systems elude the theoretical description of the role of tools and locus of control in mediated action. The article asks how well the theory can accommodate both the transformative potential of genAI tools in creative fields and art, and the ethics of the emergent social dynamics it generates. The article concludes by discussing the fundamental changes and broader implications that genAI brings to the realm of mediated action and, ultimately, to the very fabric of our daily lives.

The role of sinusoidal endothelial cells and TIMP1 in the regulation of fibrosis in a novel human liver 3D NASH model.

The prevalence of NAFLD is rapidly increasing. NAFLD can progress to NASH, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC, which will soon become the main causes of liver transplantation. To date, no effective drug for NASH has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This is partly due to the lack of reliable human in vitro models. Here, we present a novel human liver spheroid model that can be used to study the mechanisms underlying liver fibrosis formation and degradation. Such spheroids, which contain hepatocytes, stellate cells, KC, and LSECs, spontaneously develop fibrosis that is exacerbated by treatment with free fatty acids. Conditioned medium from activated LSECs caused similar activation of fibrosis in spheroids containing primary human hepatocyte and NPCs, indicating the action of soluble mediators from the LSECs. Spheroids containing LSECs treated with free fatty acids produced tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases inhibitor 1, a matrix metalloproteinases inhibitor important for fibrosis progression. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases inhibitor 1 knockdown using siRNA led to a reduction in collagen and procollagen accumulation, which could be partially rescued using a potent matrix metalloproteinases inhibitor. Interestingly, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases inhibitor 1 was found to be expressed at higher levels, specifically in a subtype of endothelial cells in the pericentral region of human fibrotic livers, than in control livers. Potential anti-NASH drugs and compounds were evaluated for their efficacy in reducing collagen accumulation, and we found differences in specificity between spheroids with and without LSECs. This new human NASH model may reveal novel mechanisms for the regulation of liver fibrosis and provide a more appropriate model for screening drugs against NASH.

Integrative Multiomics Profiling Unveils the Protective Function of Ulinastatin against Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease with multiple pathogeneses. Here, we aimed to study the therapeutic role of ulinastatin (UTI), an anti-inflammatory bioagent, and its associated mechanisms in treating colitis. Dextran sulfate sodium was administrated to induce colitis in mice, and a subgroup of colitis mice was treated with UTI. The gut barrier defect and inflammatory manifestations of colitis were determined via histological and molecular experiments. In addition, transcriptomics, metagenomics, and metabolomics were employed to explore the possible mechanisms underlying the effects of UTI. We found that UTI significantly alleviated the inflammatory manifestations and intestinal barrier damage in the mice with colitis. Transcriptome sequencing revealed a correlation between the UTI treatment and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. UTI up-regulated the expression of SOCS1, which subsequently inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3, thus limiting the action of inflammatory mediators. In addition, 16S rRNA sequencing illustrated that UTI maintained a more stable intestinal flora, protecting the gut from dysbiosis in colitis. Moreover, metabolomics analysis demonstrated that UTI indeed facilitated the production of some bile acids and short-chain fatty acids, which supported intestinal homeostasis. Our data provide evidence that UTI is effective in treating colitis and support the potential use of UTI treatment for patients with ulcerative colitis.

Pathogenetic Bases of Systemic Morphological Manifestations of Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis: A Review

Introduction: Miners are at increased risk of developing pneumoconiosis that poses a serious threat to their health. Progressive pneumosclerosis and bronchial mucosa atrophy are typical pathological changes in this disease. At the same time, there is evidence of systemic manifestations of pneumoconiosis. In this regard, a deeper understanding of how long-term exposure to coal dust affects pathophysiological processes not only in the target organ, but also in the whole body is required. Objective: To generalize and systematize ideas about the pathogenetic foundations of systemic morphological manifestations of black lung disease. Materials and methods: To obtain information, we have carried out a search for relevant studies published in 1995–2022 in Scopus, PubMed, and RISC databases using the following keywords: pneumoconiosis, miners, morphological changes, pathogenesis, free radical oxidation, inflammation, immune response, cytokines, growth factors, and endothelial dysfunction. We selected 59 full-text publications presenting the results of completed studies on the mechanisms of development of systemic morphological changes in coal miner’s pneumoconiosis. The systematic review was made according to PRISMA guidelines and using certain PICO(S) criteria. Results: It has been shown that long-term exposure to coal dust causes activation of macrophage-related inflammation in the respiratory system, free radical oxidation, modulation of intracellular signaling pathways, and programmed cell death. Numerous studies have demonstrated the role of inflammation as the main pathogenetic factor of pneumoconiosis, which is closely related to oxidative stress and immune response. Inflammatory mediators ensure the immune response, regeneration and sclerosis of damaged tissues. In case of high cumulative doses of coal dust, these processes begin to have a destructive and tissue-damaging effect in both the lungs and other organs due to the systemic action of the above mediators. The key role of the endothelium in the development, course and outcome of inflammation is noted.

Type 3 secretion system induced leukotriene B4 synthesis by leukocytes is actively inhibited by Yersinia pestis to evade early immune recognition.

Subverting the host immune response to inhibit inflammation is a key virulence strategy of Yersinia pestis. The inflammatory cascade is tightly controlled via the sequential action of lipid and protein mediators of inflammation. Because delayed inflammation is essential for Y. pestis to cause lethal infection, defining the Y. pestis mechanisms to manipulate the inflammatory cascade is necessary to understand this pathogen's virulence. While previous studies have established that Y. pestis actively inhibits the expression of host proteins that mediate inflammation, there is currently a gap in our understanding of the inflammatory lipid mediator response during plague. Here we used the murine model to define the kinetics of the synthesis of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a pro-inflammatory lipid chemoattractant and immune cell activator, within the lungs during pneumonic plague. Furthermore, we demonstrated that exogenous administration of LTB4 prior to infection limited bacterial proliferation, suggesting that the absence of LTB4 synthesis during plague contributes to Y. pestis immune evasion. Using primary leukocytes from mice and humans further revealed that Y. pestis actively inhibits the synthesis of LTB4. Finally, using Y. pestis mutants in the Ysc type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and Yersinia outer protein (Yop) effectors, we demonstrate that leukocytes recognize the T3SS to initiate the rapid synthesis of LTB4. However, several Yop effectors secreted through the T3SS effectively inhibit this host response. Together, these data demonstrate that Y. pestis actively inhibits the synthesis of the inflammatory lipid LTB4 contributing to the delay in the inflammatory cascade required for rapid recruitment of leukocytes to sites of infection.

Las transformaciones y limitaciones en la participación política: una mirada de la mujer joven

This article is the product of a research project developed in two indigenous territories of the municipality of Riosucio, Caldas, between 2020 and 2022. The objective of this article was to highlight the political participation of young women by identifying the conflicts in the indigenous context, the actions of resistance, mediation and women's struggles. A qualitative analysis was used focusing on the experiences of indigenous women, through participant observation, field diary and four semi-structured interviews with women leaders. As a result, it was found that women in both territories have struggled and overcome limitations and difficulties to become leaders in their communities, highlighting their empowerment and resistance to achieve political participation in organizational and associative spaces, which has contributed to social, political, economic and cultural transformation.

Особенности поражения легких при коинфекции ВИЧ/SARS-CoV-2 у пациентов с разной степенью иммунодефицита

Introduction.The development of the COVID-19 pandemic along with the ongoing pandemic of HIV infection has raised the question of how these two diseases interact. This study examines morphological changes that occur in lung tissue during HIV/SARS-CoV-2 coinfection in patients with varying levels of immune status. Materials and methods. The study included 6 deceased HIV-infected patients who had a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19, which was confirmed postmortem by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in lung samples obtained during biopsy using polymerase chain reaction. Three patients were with newly diagnosed HIV infection; three patients had a relatively intact immune status (CD4+ more than 200 cells/μl) and no opportunistic infection and received effective antiretroviral therapy. To perform histologic examination, we used histochemical stains by Van Gieson, Grocott, Ziehl-Neelsen, PAS reaction as well as immunohistochemistry (IHC) with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and cytomegalovirus. Results. The macroscopic picture in all cases was characterized by a decreased airiness and compaction of the lung tissue. Microscopically, patients with newly diagnosed HIV demonstrated diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) with pneumocystis pneumonia and cytomegalovirus infection. Nucleocapsid of SARS-CoV-2 was revealed in hyaline membranes and alveolar cells. In patients with controlled HIV, we detected manifestations of various phases of DAD and/or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) syndrome with a predominant distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in macrophages and blood vessels. Conclusion. Lung damage in severe HIV-associated immunodeficiency was determined by the combination of direct cytopathic effect of coronavirus and opportunistic pathogens. In controlled HIV and relatively intact immune status, immune mediated action of SARS-CoV-2 could take place manifesting in diffuse alveolar damage and making the morphological picture comparable to that in HIV-negative patients.

Peculiarities of the relationship between the terminal site of glycolysis and the initial segment of gluconeogenesis in the myocardium and skeletal muscles of animals irradiated at different doses

Existing types of muscles differ not only structurally, but also metabolically (direction of energy exchange, choice of biosubstrates, dependence on the action of mediators, hormones, etc.). A number of studies have been devoted to the study of the impact of ionizing radiation on metabolism in muscle tissue. After irradiation, thickened muscle cells with enlarged nuclei appear in the heart muscle, the number of which does not decrease for 6 months, which indicates a violation of nuclear-cytoplasmic relations in myocardial cells. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase which ensures the utilization of cytoplasmic oxaloacetate and its transformation into phosphoenolpyruvate, completes the initial stage of gluconeogenesis and can limit the rate of gluconeogenesis from lactate. It should be emphasized that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is more active in skeletal muscles, where the activity of pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase is increased. The purpose of the work is to investigate the peculiarities of the relationship between the terminal site of glycolysis and the initial segment of gluconeogenesis in the myocardium and skeletal muscles of animals irradiated at different doses. The authors proved that in animals irradiated at a dose of 0.5 Gy, the activity of pyruvate kinase in the myocardium and skeletal muscle increases compared to intact animals. In the blood, on the contrary, there is a decrease in the activity of this enzyme compared to intact animals. When animals are irradiated at a dose of 1.0 Gy, diametrically opposite changes are observed. When animals are irradiated at a dose of 0.5 Gy, there is a slight decrease in the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in the myocardium and blood against the background of an increase in the activity of this enzyme in skeletal muscle. Irradiation of animals at a dose of 1.0 Gy leads to an acute increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity in the myocardium and skeletal muscle. The data obtained revealed that in animals irradiated at a dose of 0.5 Gy, the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in skeletal muscle increases, while in cardiac muscle, on the contrary, its activity decreases as well as in blood. With an increase in the radiation dose to 1.0 Gy, diametrically opposite changes in the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase are observed. The authors concluded that outlined changes in the waу of intramuscular glycolysis and gluconeogenesis reactions show the pathophysiologcal mechanisms of biochemical supply restructuring as the result of ionizing irradiation influence. From the fundamental point of view these results show the direction of pathophysiologically oriented pharmacological correction of radiation-provoked muscle disturbances.

Tumour adaptation to immune factors: old and new ideas for cancer immunotherapy.

The tumour is fully functional in the zone of action of immune mediators. Moreover, the tumour needs immune system mediators to survive. "Adaptation" refers to a tumour's ability to withstand the effect of harmful elements. This gives birth to a new form of antitumour therapy: blocking tumour adaptability pathways. In this review, we will look at (i) tumour adaptation mechanisms as a result of pro-tumour immunoediting, (ii) how understanding tumour-adaptive mechanisms has led to ideas for developing cancer immunotherapies, and (iii) prospects for using the adaptation theory to substantiate new approaches to tumour growth inhibition. By considering the cancer problem through the lens of adaptability, a unique strategy for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy was proposed. The new approach is to utilise antisense treatment to erase the structural trace of adaptation in tumour cells or to disadapt tumour cells by "turning off" the immune system before initiating immunotherapy.

Inflammation in the pathogenesis of depression: a disorder of neuroimmune origin.

There are several hypotheses concerning the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of major depression, which centre largely around adaptive changes in neuronal transmission and plasticity, neurogenesis, and circuit and regional connectivity. The immune and endocrine systems are commonly implicated in driving these changes. An intricate interaction of stress hormones, innate immune cells and the actions of soluble mediators of immunity within the nervous system is described as being associated with the symptoms of depression. Bridging endocrine and immune processes to neurotransmission and signalling within key cortical and limbic brain circuits are critical to understanding depression as a disorder of neuroimmune origins. Emergent areas of research include a growing recognition of the adaptive immune system, advances in neuroimaging techniques and mechanistic insights gained from transgenic animals. Elucidation of glial-neuronal interactions is providing additional avenues into promising areas of research, the development of clinically relevant disease models and the discovery of novel therapies. This narrative review focuses on molecular and cellular mechanisms that are influenced by inflammation and stress. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of our current understanding of depression as a disorder of neuroimmune origin, focusing on neuroendocrine and neuroimmune dysregulation in depression pathophysiology. Advances in current understanding lie in pursuit of relevant biomarkers, as the potential of biomarker signatures to improve clinical outcomes is yet to be fully realised. Further investigations to expand biomarker panels including integration with neuroimaging, utilising individual symptoms to stratify patients into more homogenous subpopulations and targeting the immune system for new treatment approaches will help to address current unmet clinical need.

Political Visual Literacy

Abstract Visual politics is a fast-growing field and much of it is focused on images that inspire criticism. This tendency results in a lack of attention to oppressive visual practices. A political visual literacy approaches all visual practices as being layered with different “visual truths” that were developed in response to political commitments over time. These “visual truths” inflected visual practices in ways that may outlive the political settings in which they were first articulated. Most important of these is the desire to capture human difference that framed the development of visual technologies and is still embedded in a range of visual practices. The methodology I develop here links a conjunctural analysis of visual tools and practices and the visual truths implicated in them with their operationalisation by actors as cultural tools through the framework of mediated action. I develop this approach by interrogating two layered and harmful visual practices: the White-centrism of visual technologies and the racialised origins of transphobic visualities in automatic gender recognition technology.

The study of Associations between TNFα GENE G308A polymorphism and clinical-neurological, neuroimaging, hemodynamic characteristics and cognitive dysfunction in patients with post-infectious encephalopathy

Introduction. Infectious diseases can affect brain function and cause the development of encephalopathy, even if the pathogen does not directly affect the central nervous system. Infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites can lead to a secondary inflammatory response in the brain, commonly known as neuroinflammation, through the action of inflammatory mediators that affect the brain endothelium and parenchyma, and the response of brain cells to these mediators. Neurological consequences associated with infectious diseases are poorly understood. Nowadays, there is no established strategy for the treatment or prevention of neurological damage associated with peripheral infections. Aim of study was: to establish probable associations of the G308A polymorphic variant of the TNFα gene with clinical-neurological, neuroimaging, hemodynamic characteristics and cognitive dysfunction in patients with post-infectious encephalopathy. Material and methods. 128 patients with PIE who were undergoing treatment in the neurological departments of the communal non-profit enterprise "Ternopil Regional Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital" during 2021-2022 were examined. 26 patients underwent molecular genetic analysis. The control group consisted of 12 practically healthy persons, representative in terms of age and sex. All patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. Neuroimaging was performed using multispiral computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The state of cerebral blood flow was studied using transcranial duplex scanning (TCI) of intracranial vessels and extracranial brachiocephalic vessels on a Philips HDI device. Research in the cognitive sphere was carried out using the Montreal Cognitive Test (The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA). The molecular genetic study of the G308A polymorphic variant of the TNFα gene was carried out according to standard protocols developed in the molecular genetic laboratory of the state institution "Reference Center for Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine". The results. Analyzing the dependence of clinical-neurological syndromes, neuroimaging, hemodynamic characteristics, and cognitive dysfunction on the polymorphic variant G308A of the TNFα gene in patients with PIE, probable differences in the distribution of genotype frequencies were established only for clinical-neurological syndromes (cephalic syndrome, p=0.005 and movement disorder syndrome, p =0.038) and neuroimaging changes (gliosis phenomenon, p=0.026). Regarding the frequency distribution of alleles of the G308A polymorphic variant of the TNFα gene in patients with PIE, a probable predominance of carriers of the A allele among persons with cephalic syndrome compared to persons without cephalic syndrome was found (91.67% vs. 8.33%). Conclusions. Thus, the allelic polymorphism of the TNFα gene affects the course of PIE, which determines the expediency of further research.

Mediação pela memória: ações culturais e educativas em Pontos de Memória

This article presents educational and cultural actions conducted at Memory Points—community institutions for memory and heritage preservation supported by a homonymous Brazilian cultural policy. It describes community, cultural, and educational actions accomplished at these Points as a result of mediation processes in social practices which include social memories and community survival. YouTube and Instagram publications made by pioneer Memory Points were examined by content analysis. In conclusion, these pioneering Memory Points conduct community, cultural, and educational actions articulated around community memories via cultural mediation actions that go beyond memory and heritage rescue, including community practices related to the daily struggle for survival.