TMEM8C-mediated fusion is regionalized and regulated by NOTCH signalling during foetal myogenesis

The location and regulation of fusion events within skeletal muscles during development remain unknown. Using the fusion marker myomaker (Mymk), named TMEM8C in chicken, as a readout of fusion, we identified a co-segregation of TMEM8C-positive cells and MYOG-positive cells in single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets of limbs from chicken embryos. We found that TMEM8C transcripts, MYOG transcripts and the fusion-competent MYOG-positive cells were preferentially regionalized in central regions of foetal muscles. We also identified a similar regionalization for the NOTCH ligand JAGGED2 along with an absence of NOTCH activity in TMEM8C+ fusion-competent myocytes. NOTCH function in myoblast fusion had not been addressed so far. We analysed the consequences of NOTCH inhibition for TMEM8C expression and myoblast fusion during foetal myogenesis in chicken embryos. NOTCH inhibition increased myoblast fusion and TMEM8C expression and released the HEYL transcriptional repressor from the TMEM8C regulatory regions. These results identify a regionalization of TMEM8C-dependent fusion and a molecular mechanism underlying the fusion-inhibiting effect of NOTCH in foetal myogenesis. The modulation of NOTCH activity in the fusion zone could regulate the flux of fusion events.

Occurrence and distribution of lace bug, whitefly, and shoot fly pest species on cassava (Manihot esculenta) crops according to region in Paraná State, Brazil

The cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) crop is relevant for human livelihoods, particularly in poorer regions. It is consumed fresh or as industrialized flour, and the roots and aerial parts are also used to feed livestock. Pests may limit cassava production, which may endanger food security due to the socioeconomic importance of the crop. Reports of the occurrence of three insect guilds, lace bugs, shoot flies, and whiteflies have been recorded in Paraná State, Brazil, but the distinct species and their distribution are yet to be determined. This lack of information limits the development of strategies to mitigate pest damage. Surveys were conducted in 39 counties (four farms per county) distributed throughout the state that encompass the various socioeconomic regions. The collected material was properly packed and sent to the laboratory for identification, and the following species were identified: lace bugs Vatiga illudens Drake, 1922 and Vatiga manihotae Drake, 1922 (both Hemiptera: Tingidae); whiteflies Bemisia tuberculata (Bondar, 1923) and Aleurothrixus aepim (Goeldi, 1886) (both Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and the cassava shoot fly Neosilba perezi Romero & Ruppel, 1973 (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) in Paraná State. Lace bugs were not found in the samples in the eastern and southern portions of the state. V. illudens was more widespread than V. manihotae. The whitefly A. aepim was not observed in three counties (eastern, southern, and central regions), whereas B. tuberculata and the cassava shoot fly were found in all regions sampled in Paraná State. Suggestions for future investigations of pest management are proposed.

Molecular Identification and Appraisal of the Genetic Variation of Taenia saginata in Central Regions of Vietnam

Taenia saginata is a globally distributed tapeworm responsible for human taeniasis due to the ingestion of raw or undercooked beef. T. saginata is present in several Asian countries, including China, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but little is known about its genetic variation. Studying the tapeworm’s phylogeographic patterns is crucial to better understanding their association with the geographic distribution of taeniasis/cysticercosis in human populations. In the present study, 38 specimens of this putative species were collected in central regions of Vietnam and analysed using the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COI) as a molecular marker to assess the correct species identification and investigate the level of genetic variation at different geographic scales. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses were carried out on a dataset that included COI sequences from Vietnamese specimens and from all conspecifics available in GenBank to date. The results showed that the collected Vietnamese specimens belonged to the species T. saginata. In Southeast Asia, signs of a possible founder effect were discovered, with the most common haplotypes frequent and present in many countries, except Lao PDR, which shares its most common haplotype only with individuals from Thailand. Remarkably, a unique taxonomic entity was found worldwide, even though the available COI sequences of T. saginata belonging to non-Asiatic countries are, at present, limited. Therefore, future studies including more COI sequences from a higher number of countries and the use of a combined molecular approach with multiple genetic markers would be useful to provide deeper insight into the global genetic variation of this species.

STATISTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE OF THE REGIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

The article discusses the main approaches to the definition of a relatively new term for economic science - economic resilience of territories. The author made an attempt to assess the level of economic resilience of the regions of Belarus on the basis of the 2015-2016 recession resistance index. and the index of recovery of economic dynamics in the post-recession period (2017-2019). This is the first time an analytical work of this level has been carried out in Belarus. It has been established that the central regions of the country - Minsk and the Minsk region - have high economic resilience. The author outlines the prospects for the use and methodological problems of assessing the economic resilience of regions in statistical science.

Enhancing Germination of Seeds of Cassia abbreviata and Senegalia nigrescens Using Pre-Sowing Seed Treatments in Botswana

Cassia abbreviata and Senegalia nigrescens are indigenous trees found in North and Central regions of Botswana. However, inadequate knowledge of their silviculture and decline in population due to deforestation, expanding settlements, infrastructure and agriculture are major threats to most indigenous tree species in Botswana. Like many indigenous tree species, Cassia abbreviata and Senegalia nigrescens are slow-growing and are threatened by overexploitation for numerous uses. Because of the increased demand for medicinal uses, medicinal species such Cassia abbreviata are rapidly disappearing in many habitats and threatened to extinction. This study assessed the response of pre-sowing treatment methods on quiescency and germination of seeds of Cassia abbreviata and Senegalia nigrescens tree species found in semiarid Savanna Ecozone of Botswana. Pre-sowing treatment included immersion in 98% undiluted sulfuric acid (H2SO4) for 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes, submergence in boiling water for one, two, three minutes and submerged in warm water for 24 hours, mechanical scarification of the seed coat and control. ANOVA showed that there is a highly significant difference (P < 0.0001) among the treatments of C. abbreviata in seed germination and no significant difference among the treatments of S. nigrescens. The highest germination percentage of C. abbreviata seeds was 81%, which was found from seeds immersed in H2SO4 for 30 minutes, while for S. nigrescens seeds, the highest germination percentage was 99%, which was found from seeds treated with mechanical scarification and those immersed in H2SO4 for 15 and 45 minutes. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of pretreatment methods on germination of C. abbreviata and S. nigrescens seeds. Based on these results, we recommend sulphuric acid and mechanical scarification as suitable seed pre-sowing treatments for enhancing the germination of C. abbreviata and S. nigrescens, respectively.

Geotechnical Properties Study of Soil Bank Slopes for Shatt Al-Hilla, Middle of Iraq

The central regions of Babylon Governorate, located on the Shatt Al-Hilla, suffer from problems as the collapse and erosion of its banks, increase in sedimentation in the river, which reduces the river flow efficiency and forms meanders in the river. After the reconnaissance visit to determine the meandering sites. A detailed study of the area was carried out by drilling 6 test boreholes representing three areas (Ancient Babylon, Bata-Bridge, and Al-Khusrweya), two wells on both sides of the meander at a depth of 10m for each borehole to know soil properties, bearing capacity and consolidation, and its effect on the engineering construction. Soil samples have been taken to carry out geotechnical tests. also conducted a study of banks stability for three stations, where the cross-section was monitored by the M9 device and the height of the banks from both sides by the LEVEL device, using the Geo-Studio-2021 program with soil properties and by using Bishop method the safety factor was extracted for the three stations for erosion-prone areas. it was 3.44 in Ancient Babylon, Bata-Bridge was 1.7 and Al-Khusrweya was 1.6 Under natural conditions, the average river flow level reaches it in year respectively are 27.88, 27.74, 27.33 m, above sea level. Where all the stations were safe unless the water level increased or decreased. Also, the research reached a determination of the allowable bearing capacity reaches it before the landslide.

The Instrumental Component of the Epic Genres of the Carpathian Tradition

If the context of the performance of ritual and dance music is described in detail in a number of monographs at the beginning and middle of the last century, then with descriptions of the existence of epic genres the situation is somewhat different. Most collections of epic songs contain verbal and musical texts, however, the context of the performance, the number of performers, and the instrumental component are not always described. The article is devoted to the epic genres of folklore of the Ukrainians of the Carpathians. The article examines the modern existence of such epic genres of Ukrainian Carpathian folklore as psalm, song-chronicle, ballad. The aim of the study is to show the epic genres of folklore of the Ukrainian Carpathians in the context of its modern existence in the Carpathian village and in connection with the instrumental tradition of the region. The study covers Eastern Galicia (Halychyna), in particular Galician Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia (Pokucie), where the author's fieldwork took place. Modern field recordings of psalms, which were previously carried by itinerant lyre players, indicate that the works of this genre in some places have survived to this day due to their inclusion in the calendar tradition. Some of them are preserved as Christmas and Lenten songs. So, in the village Stary Lisets of the Tysmenytsa district of IvanoFrankivsk region, the psalm «About Stratenska Virgin Mary» about the siege of the monastery by the Tatars became a carol. In the Kosiv and Verkhovyna districts of Ivano-Frankivsk region (Galician Hutsulshchyna), songs-chronicles («novyny») continue to exist. This genre of Ukrainian folklore appeared in the 17th century. Songs-chronicles reflect historical events from the time of the opryshky movement to the present day and family and household dramas. In the village Khymchyn of the Kosiv region, the author of these lines was lucky to record two songs-chronicles – about Dovbush and about the First World War. The performer alternated singing with playing on a sopilka-dencivka. The author finds out ideas of the bearers of the tradition about the correct performance of songs-chronicles. The classical performance of chronicle songs is predominantly solo (one singer and one accompanist-instrumentalist). Folk ballads that exist in the modern Carpathian region can be divided into local and late ones, a significant part of which came from the Central regions of Ukraine in the 20th century. At the same time, part of the late ballads comes from the ancient ones that arose on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians in the 17th–18th centuries. Evidence of the 20th century and the records of modern collectors of Carpathian folklore show that the performance of ancient Carpathian ballads is close to the performance of songs-chronicles. Old Carpathian ballads are characterized by a declamatory manner of singing accompanied by a violin, hurdy-gurdy or sopilka-flute and a narrow ambitus. Old ballads are associated with individual performance and folk-professional instrumentalism. Nowadays they can be heard less often than late ballads associated with collective choral singing. To get a complete picture of the context of the existence of the ancient Carpathian ballads, it is necessary to interview the inhabitants of the villages where they were recorded in the XX – at the beginning of the XXI century – Kornych, Myshyn, Cherni Oslavy, Velykyi Klyuchiv and Kosmach.

The Constitutional and Legal Organization of the Supreme Constitutional Court in the Iraqi State for the Year 2005

The constitutional system in Iraq after the overthrow of the previous regime in 2003 witnessed major fundamental changes, which marked the end of a historical era, the advent of the beginning of a new phase of political and constitutional history, and the adoption of the federal (federal) system as a form of the new Iraqi state, where Iraq transformed from a simple state to a complex state. With the adoption of the democratic parliamentary system based on the principle of separation of powers and respect for the constitution by emphasizing the principle of the supremacy of the constitution as a system for the work of state authorities and the management of its various constitutional institutions. If the constitutional distribution of competencies between the federal authorities is one of the essential characteristics of the federal systems, then one of the important features in the design of any federalism and its effective operation is to ensure the rule of law and the constitution as the source of powers, and in contrast, one of the authorities infringes on the powers of the other, which leads to a constitutional imbalance in the federalism And the matter that leads to its disintegration and its end, and in order to preserve this constitutional system, it is necessary to establish a supreme judicial body to ensure respect for the application of the constitutional principles of this system and not to be violated. The federal system is characterized by the presence of a Supreme Constitutional Court that works to monitor the constitutionality of laws and chapters In disputes between the central regions, it has the authority to interpret the Iraqi federal constitution, especially the interpretation of the constitutional rules related to the distribution of constitutional powers between the regions and the federal government. Which is one of the thorny issues in the countries of the union, and on this basis in Iraq the foregoing was the establishment of the Federal Supreme Court, which was granted by the constitution judicial and political competencies in order to exercise its role in preserving the union and the balance of powers within it while preserving the constitution and safeguarding its principles.

Brain oscillation recordings of the audience in a live concert-like setting

There are only a few previous EEG studies that were conducted while the audience is listening to live music. However, in laboratory settings using music recordings, EEG frequency bands theta and alpha are connected to music improvisation and creativity. Here, we measured EEG of the audience in a concert-like setting outside the laboratory and compared the theta and alpha power evoked by partly improvised versus regularly performed familiar versus unfamiliar live classical music. To this end, partly improvised and regular versions of pieces by Bach (familiar) and Melartin (unfamiliar) were performed live by a chamber trio. EEG data from left and right frontal and central regions of interest were analysed to define theta and alpha power during each performance. After the performances, the participants rated how improvised and attractive each of the performances were. They also gave their affective ratings before and after each performance. We found that theta power was enhanced during the familiar improvised Bach piece and the unfamiliar improvised Melartin piece when compared with the performance of the same piece performed in a regular manner. Alpha power was not modulated by manner of performance or by familiarity of the piece. Listeners rated partly improvised performances of a familiar Bach and unfamiliar Melartin piece as more improvisatory and innovative than the regular performances. They also indicated more joy and less sadness after listening to the unfamiliar improvised piece of Melartin and less fearful and more enthusiastic after listening to the regular version of Melartin than before listening. Thus, according to our results, it is possible to study listeners’ brain functions with EEG during live music performances outside the laboratory, with theta activity reflecting the presence of improvisation in the performances.