Senescent vs. non-senescent cells in the human annulus in vivo: Cell harvest with laser capture microdissection and gene expression studies with microarray analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Senescent cells are well-recognized in the aging/degenerating human disc. Senescent cells are viable, cannot divide, remain metabolically active and accumulate within the disc over time. Molecular analysis of senescent cells in tissue offers a special challenge since there are no cell surface markers for senescence which would let one use fluorescence-activated cell sorting as a method for separating out senescent cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We employed a novel laser capture microdissection (LCM) design to selectively harvest senescent and non-senescent annulus cells in paraffin-embedded tissue, and compared their gene expression with microarray analysis. LCM was used to separately harvest senescent and non-senescent cells from 11 human annulus specimens.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Microarray analysis revealed significant differences in expression levels in senescent cells vs non-senescent cells: 292 genes were upregulated, and 321 downregulated. Genes with established relationships to senescence were found to be significantly upregulated in senescent cells vs. non-senescent cells: p38 (MPAK14), RB-Associated KRAB zinc finger, Discoidin, CUB and LCCL domain, growth arrest and DNA-damage inducible beta, p28ING5, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 and somatostatin receptor 3; cyclin-dependent kinase 8 showed significant downregulation in senescent cells. Nitric oxidase synthase 1, and heat shock 70 kDa protein 6, both of which were significantly down-regulated in senescent cells, also showed significant changes. Additional genes related to cytokines, cell proliferation, and other processes were also identified.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our LCM-microarray analyses identified a set of genes associated with senescence which were significantly upregulated in senescent vs non-senescent cells in the human annulus. These genes include p38 MAP kinase, discoidin, inhibitor of growth family member 5, and growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible beta. Other genes, including genes associated with cell proliferation, extracellular matrix formation, cell signaling and other cell functions also showed significant modulation in senescent vs non-senescent cells. The aging/degenerating disc undergoes a well-recognized loss of cells; understanding senescent cells is important since their presence further reduces the disc's ability to generate new cells to replace those lost to necrosis or apoptosis.</p

Informational Technologies as an Integrative Component of the Sustainable Development Goals and Global Cooperation Strategy in Research Activities of Education Systems

Evaluation of the sustainable development goals should be the first task for education. It should be analyzed the correlation between basic values of the sustainable development and academic institutions, informational technologies, interrelation between state and private means of implementation of educational policy, based on sustainable development goals performance. Informational technology, social philosophy, anthropology and ethics should give pragmatic and organizational results – so their elements should be implemented in political and economic educational programs, relevant laws and first of all in national educational systems. Systematic review of all kinds of production, and, accordingly, knowledge should be carried ensure, for now it is clear that all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable development, including through education and informational technologies for sustainable development, sustainable lifestyles, human rights defense , gender equality, promoting a culture of peace and nonviolence, through global civic education and recognition of cultural diversity and the contribution of science, informational technology and education to sustainable development

Histological Examination of Collagen and Proteoglycan Changes in Osteoarthritic Menisci

This study sought to examine collagen and proteoglycan changes in the menisci of patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Collagens were examined using picrosirius red, and hematoxylin and eosin. Proteoglycans were examined using safranin-O and alcian blue. Types I and II collagens and aggrecan were examined using immunochemistry. Severe loss of collagens was observed to occur in OA menisci, particularly in the middle and deep zones and collagen networks were less organized than those of normal menisci. In contrast, proteoglycan staining in the middle and deep zones of OA meniscus increased compared to normal control menisci. Immunohistochemistry indicated that types I and II collagens were co-localized and the loss of types I collagen in OA menisci appeared more severe in the middle and deep zones than that in the surface zones. The loss of type II collagen however was severe across all three zones. Immunohistochemistry also indicated elevated aggrecan staining in OA menisci. These findings together indicate that severe loss of collagens and intrameniscal degeneration are hallmarks of OA menisci and that extracellular matrix degeneration occurred in OA menisci follows a pathway different from that occurred in OA articular cartilage. These findings are not only important for a better understanding of the disease process but also important for the development of novel structure-modifying drugs for OA therapy

Analysis of Polymorphism of Uniparental Markers in Reindeer-Herding Populations: The Tozhu Tuvans of Russia and The Tsaatans Of Mongolia

We analyzed the data on the variability of the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in populations of the Tsaatans of Mongolia and the Tozhu Tuvans of Russia. The populations studied are characterized by low genetic diver¬sity for both marker systems. The analysis of Y chromosome haplogroups in the Tsaatan and Tozhu revealed three hap¬logroups in the Tsaatan and seven haplogroups in the Tozhu. The composition of the haplogroups is coherent to literature data on the Tuvans, which is explained by common origin. According to the data on mitochondrial DNA variability, 12 haplogroups were determined in 46 Tozhus, of which C4b (30.43%) and F1b1b (23.91%) are major haplogroups. According to the HVS–1 (HyperVariable Segment) data, 15 haplotypes were found in the Tozhu Tuvans and the diversity coefficient of 0.8677 turned out to be much lower than among the Torghut of Mongolia (0.9857). In 23 Tsaatans, 14 haplogroups were determined; the most common of which are C4b (22.73%) and C5a1 (18.18%). According to HVS-1, 14 haplotypes were revealed in the Tsaatan, the diversity is 0.9486. The data obtained on uniparental marker systems in the Tozhus and Tsaatans are due to the isolated and inaccessible taiga region and the manifestation of the “founder effect”. The Tsaatans are less polymorphic in terms of the variety of Y chromosome haplogroups, while the Tozhus are less polymorphic in terms of mitochondrial DNA, which is probably a consequence of a high rate of endogamic marriages in the populations studied

Development of an integration model of scientometric systems for effective knowledge management in Ukrainian universities

The article highlights one of the leading goals of scientometric indicators and data in the context of the internationalization of higher education and scientific institutions – the inclusion in the international, global scientific and educational system of the greatest possible number of relevant scientific communities, teams of scientists, researchers and their scientific works, developments, innovations, and rating them according to certain objective indicators. The emergence of scientometric bases (systems, platforms) is a natural phenomenon in the development of society as an attempt to measure something that, on the one hand, is abstract, and, on the other hand, is characterized by certain quantitative features as a result of deep analysis. Scientific research leads to the accelerated development of technologies, therefore, at a certain stage, it became necessary to evaluate, that is, to measure the importance of a scientist’s research contribution to the development of a certain field of research. Since this need was felt in different countries with a relatively small time difference, various scientometric technologies were invented and developed

Neuropsychological diagnostics and rehabilitation for patients with disorders of executive functions in brain diseases of various etiology

Background. Disorders of regulatory (control) functions are often observed in neuropsychological practice in brain lesions. This fact determines the high practical significance of timely neuropsychological diagnosis and rehabilitation for this category of patients. Daily functioning with impaired regulatory (control) functions is carried out in conditions of limited capabilities of the patient, which significantly worsens the quality of his/her life and the social well-being of the family. Realisation of the patient’s rehabilitation potential is impossible without taking into account psychological and behavioural features, as well as organising a partnership with the immediate social environment and with a multidisciplinary team of specialists. Objective. The article aims to analyse and generalise diagnostic and rehabilitation experience accumulated in neuropsychology, as well as to develop quality criteria for neuropsychological diagnostics and rehabilitation of patients with disorders of regulatory (control) functions arising from brain injuries. Results. The analysis of applied research and practical manuals was carried out. On this basis, recommendations on diagnostics of regulatory (control) function disorders were developed. The main methodical techniques of rehabilitation work, which demonstrated their effectiveness, were generalised. Conclusion. The criteria of neuropsychological assistance highlighted in the article can be recommended for use by a practicing clinical psychologist when working with patients with disorders of control functions resulting from brain damage