Search

Law has never been at the forefront of innovation. Perceived as a “mirror of society” that reflects its norms and morals, law often follows in the wake of changes that have already taken place in society. This reflection applies to the legal industry itself, which is rather conservative and cautious in welcoming new developments. However, the use of technology in international commercial arbitration (and law in general) proves to be slowly but steadily an increasing phenomenon, only boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also true with the use of data mining and text analytics in international commercial arbitration. Arbitral practice shows that such technology is currently being used; whether and how the law keeps up with this reality will be discussed in this paper. This Chapter, therefore, focuses on the use of data mining and text analytics throughout the lifecycle of international commercial arbitration (hereinafter: “ICA”) proceedings. (4) As the definitions of the concepts of data mining and text analytics would not differ in commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration (hereinafter: “ISA”), this Chapter relies upon and benefits from the theoretical underpinning canvassed by Alschner and Charlotin in Chapter 8. (5) The potential application of these tools, however, might be different considering the private nature of ICA (as opposed to the broader publicity of ISA). The first two sections will briefly explain the concepts of data mining and text analytics (section 2) and the current legal framework to deal with these tools, or rather the lack thereof (section 3). What follows is a handful of reflections regarding the use of data mining and text analytics by parties/counsel (section 4) and the arbitral tribunal (section 5).

DergiPark: 889315 tmsj Aims: To evaluate Acıbadem University students’ self-awareness of their constipation statuses and investigate whether there is an association between consti- pation and prolonged sitting time in the toilet affected by toilet habits. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 7 to April 3, 2019, at Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University. The questionnaire consists of 3 parts and a total of 16 questions. The first part asked about the participants’ gender, age, faculty, and school year to collect their demographic information. The second part investigated participants' awareness of constipation and factors affecting constipation. The last part included questions about toilet habits and their sitting time in the toilet. The constipation status of participants was evaluated using the Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria and the self-awareness of participants about their constipation statuses was assessed. Results: 293 students from 5 different faculties (Medicine, Pharmacy, Medical Engineering, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Psychology) of Acıbadem University participated in our study. Our results showed that 22.54% of students were appeared to be constipated. Out of all the students, 24.45% of them were unaware that they were constipated. The use of smartphones was the most common toilet habit, and it increased the time spent sitting on the toilet. Constipation was seen at higher rates among students who spent a longer time on the toilet. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that having toilet habits increased the time spent sitting on the toilet. Our study also found that as the time spent on the toilet increased, the prevalence of constipation among participants increased accordingly. Poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles of young adults may have a cumulative effect on constipation. Raising public awareness regarding proper defecation routines and limiting toilet habits and sitting time on the toilet seems essential to prevent constipation.

The suppressive activity of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) an inflammation-related ribonuclease, has been described in a few cancer types but has yet to be assessed in the most common subtype of skin cancer: melanoma. Here, we have evaluated the MCPIP1 expression in melanoma tissues by reanalysis of publicly available transcriptome data from 89 melanoma samples, and immunohistochemical staining of 21 primary and 81 metastatic melanomas. Our data implicated decreased MCPIP1 expression in melanoma tumors compared to normal tissues, and positive correlation between high ribonuclease expression and melanoma-specific survival of patients. To investigate the ribonuclease activity in melanoma cells, MCPIP1 was ectopically expressed in the MV3 human melanoma cell line. Following the transcriptome, proteome, and intracellular signaling of MCPIP1-overexpressing MV3 cells was assessed via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and RNAseq. MV3 cells overexpressing MCPIP1 exhibited a broad range of alterations in the transcriptome and proteome, as well as in the phosphorylation status of a number of proteins, strongly indicating MCPIP1-dependent cell cycle arrest and inhibition of Akt/mTOR signaling in these cells. Moreover, we have shown, that MCPIP1 overexpression downregulates miRNA-193a-3p expression in MV3 cells. Furthermore, the majority of the described effects were dependent on the ribonucleolytic activity of the protein. The presented body of data strongly suggests a potential tumor suppressor role and possible future application as a positive prognostic marker of MCPIP1 protein in melanoma.

Don Juan Manuel Fernández Pacheco, Marquis of Villena, came from one of the most distinguished families in Spain. His greatest life contribution, having a far-reaching impact on the consolidation of the cultural and social identity of Spain, was the initiative to establish the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy). He was aware that the language used by scholars and writers living on the Iberian Peninsula was not uniform, and that the invasion of French expressions was progressing. In 1711, he created a group of people willing to cooperate in the cultivation and preservation of "the words and phrases of the Castilian language". Each of the eight participants of the meetings had experience in the field of humanities. It should be noted that this group was the founding core of the later Real Academia Española, officially approved on October 3, 1714. Marquis of Villena has led the Academy in his twelve years as director with meticulous attention to almost all of its meetings. The research goal set at the beginning, which was the development of the Dictionary of the Castilian language (Diccionario de la lengua castellana), was carried out in the years 1726–1739. Unfortunately, the Marquis died without the completion and publication of the first volume of the work, which was being prepared for printing at the time of his death. This memorable work is known today as the Dictionary of Authorities (Diccionario de autoridades).

In recent years, immunotherapy has been identified as an effective treatment method for high-risk neuroblastoma. A previous study demonstrated that an anti-GD2 ganglioside (GD2) mouse 14G2a monoclonal antibody (mAb) combined with a small molecule, i.e., an aurora A kinase inhibitor (MK-5108), significantly increased cytotoxicity against human neuroblastoma cells, as compared to monotherapy. This study aimed to demonstrate the mechanism of neuroblastoma cell death in vitro following the addition of an anti-GD2 human-mouse chimeric ch14.18/CHO mAb (presently used in clinics) and two aurora A inhibitors (MK-5108 and MK-8745). The effects of the aforementioned agents on neuroblastoma cells were determined by measuring the level of ATP, the level of apoptotic and necroptotic markers, and the activity of caspase 3/7. The results revealed that the ch14.18/CHO mAb decreased cellular ATP levels in the IMR-32 and CHP-134 neuroblastoma cell lines, similarly to the 14G2a mAb. Regarding ch14.18/CHO mAb treated IMR-32 cells, the observed cytotoxic effect was concomitant with induced caspase 3 cleavage, which indicated the induction of apoptosis in IMR-32 cells, but not in CHP-134 cells. Furthermore, the MK-5108 inhibitor induced apoptosis, as indicated by the increased cleavage of caspase 3 and increased activity of caspase 3/7. However, the presence of necroptosis was ruled out in MK-5108-treated IMR-32 and CHP-134 cells. In summary, the effects of the combination of ch14.18/CHO mAb and aurora A kinase inhibitors (MK-5108 and MK-8745) were shown to enhance apoptosis in IMR-32 cells compared to when used individually.

The scientific life in mid-seventeenth-century Europe was characterised by numerous academies of sciences and scientific associations whose aim was to propagate the development of the sciences, art and literature. Some have called it “the new Age of Academies all over Europe”. These institutions brought together not only educated professionals but also a large number of amateur scientists. They called for the deliberate abandonment of verbal dispute in favour of visual demonstration/experimentation, and for the creation of paid scientific professionals who would devote their full time to the enterprise. These scientists conducted numerous experiments, the results of which were demonstrated at academic sessions. Franciszek Bieliński became Grand Marshal of the Crown in 1742. During the many years of his public service, he aimed to improve the well-being of Warsaw inhabitants, especially by paving the streets and creating a modern sewerage system. In the light of recent scholarly studies, Franciszek Bieliński is perceived as a figure of very wide horizons, striving to join the Parisian academic scientific discourse in order to transfer knowledge and technology to Poland. Bieliński exchanged letters with the eminent member and three-time president of the Paris Academy of Sciences (1666–1803), Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau, who among numerous other projects tested new methods of horticulture, agriculture and forestry. The article aims to discuss the scientific research undertaken by Bieliński in regards to technology transfer in the area of agriculture, on the basis of unanalysed documents. Recently found correspondence shows that Grand Marshal Bieliński was involved in experimental research supervised by Duhamel du Monceau, under the aegis of the Paris Academy of Sciences. It pertained to modern agricultural crops and the application of new technologies. The agricultural experiments that Bieliński carried out on his private lands in Otwock over many years focused on improving and increasing agricultural production in accordance with the instructions given by Duhamel du Monceau. An interesting research finding was the detailed description of one of the earliest transfers of advanced technology in the field of agricultural machinery. Reports of the work conducted in Poland, which were sent to Duhamel du Monceau, proved to be so useful and important that the latter mentioned these in the proceedings of the Paris Academy of Sciences.

The role of the inflammation-silencing ribonuclease, MCPIP1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-induced protein 1), in neoplasia continuous to emerge. The ribonuclease can cleave not only inflammation-related transcripts but also some microRNAs (miRNAs) and viral RNAs. The suppressive effect of the protein has been hitherto suggested in breast cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, osteosarcoma, and neuroblastoma. Our previous results have demonstrated a reduced levels of several oncogenes, as well as inhibited growth of neuroblastoma cells upon MCPIP1 overexpression. Here, we investigate the mechanisms underlying the suppression of MYCN proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor (MYCN)-amplified neuroblastoma cells overexpressing the MCPIP1 protein. We showed that the levels of several transcripts involved in cell cycle progression decreased in BE(2)-C and KELLY cells overexpressing MCPIP1 in a ribonucleolytic activity-dependent manner. However, RNA immunoprecipitation indicated that only AURKA mRNA (encoding for Aurora A kinase) interacts with the ribonuclease. Furthermore, the application of a luciferase assay suggested MCPIP1-dependent destabilization of the transcript. Further analyses demonstrated that the entire conserved region of AURKA seems to be indispensable for the interaction with the MCPIP1 protein. Additionally, we examined the effect of the ribonuclease overexpression on the miRNA expression profile in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells. However, no significant alterations were observed. Our data indicate a key role of the binding and cleavage of the AURKA transcript in an MCPIP1-dependent suppressive effect on neuroblastoma cells.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) has a multidomain structure, which assures its pleiotropic activity. The physiological functions of this protein include repression of inflammatory processes and the prevention of immune disorders. The influence of MCPIP1 on the cell cycle of cancer cells has not been sufficiently elucidated. A previous study by our group reported that overexpression of MCPIP1 affects the cell viability, inhibits the activation of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin signalling pathway, and reduces the stability of the MYCN oncogene in neuroblastoma (NB) cells. Furthermore, a decrease in expression and phosphorylation levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 1, which has a key role in the M phase of the cell cycle, was observed. On the basis of these previous results, the purpose of our present study was to elucidate the influence of MCPIP1 on the cell cycle of NB cells. It was confirmed that ectopic overexpression of MCPIP1 in two human NB cell lines, KELLY and BE(2)-C, inhibited cell proliferation. Furthermore, flow cytometric analyses and imaging of the cell cycle with a fluorescence ubiquitination cell-cycle indicator test, demonstrated that overexpression of MCPIP1 causes an accumulation of NB cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, while the possibility of an increase in G0 phase due to induction of quiescence or senescence was excluded. Additional assessment of the molecular machinery responsible for the transition between the cell-cycle phases confirmed that MCPIP1 overexpression reduced the expression of cyclins A2, B1, D1, D3, E1, and E2 and decreased the phosphorylation of CDK2 and CDK4, as well as retinoblastoma protein. In conclusion, the present results indicated a relevant impact of overexpression of MCPIP1 on the cell cycle, namely a block of the G1/S cell-cycle checkpoint, resulting in arrest of NB cells in the G1 phase.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has been affecting the daily lives of almost everyone and puts huge psychological pressure on people worldwide, including Turkey. Anxiety and stress levels among university students were already a public health concern. Our study aims to demonstrate the anxiety and stress levels of university students in Turkey after the outbreak of COVID-19 according to the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and COVID Stress Scale (CSS). CAS is a brief mental health screener to identify probable cases of dysfunctional anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and CSS was developed to understand and assess COVID-19-related distress. An online questionnaire was administered to active 1,265 university students in Turkey between February 27 and March 8, 2021, via Google forms. The questionnaire consists of three parts that assess participants' demographic information, anxiety, and stress levels related to the pandemic. According to CAS and CSS analysis, anxiety and stress levels were associated with each other and influenced university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both were associated with gender and family member loss. The academic year of students had a relationship with anxiety. It was observed that the danger factor was the highest stressor in university students in Turkey related to the novel coronavirus, followed by contamination fears. Both factors were shown as moderate stressors. As a result of the study, it was revealed that anxiety and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are now included in the social, academic, and physical burdens of the university years, which are decisive and important in terms of mental development and psychological health of the person. It is essential to ascertain the long-term effects of COVID-19 and take effective precautions to support the physical and mental health of today's university students accordingly.