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Neuroblastomas, the most prevalent malignant solid neoplasms of childhood, originate from progenitor cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Their genetic causation is diverse and involves multiple molecular mechanisms. This review highlights multiple roles of microRNA in neuroblastoma pathogenesis and discusses the prospects of harnessing these important natural regulator molecules as biomarkers, therapeutic targets and pharmaceuticals in neuroblastoma.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most frequent forms of cancer, and new strategies for its prevention and therapy are urgently needed

Tissue damage and repair are hallmarks of the inflammatory process. Despite a wealth of information focused on the mechanisms that govern tissue damage, mechanistic insight on how inflammatory immune mediators affect the restitution phase is lacking. Here, we investigated how interferons influence tissue restitution after damage of the intestinal mucosa driven by inflammatory or physical injury. We found that type III, but not type I, interferons serve a central role in the restitution process. Type III interferons induce the upregulation of ZBP1, caspase activation, and cleavage of gasdermin C, and drive epithelial cell death by pyroptosis, thus delaying tissue restitution. We also found that this pathway is transcriptionally regulated in IBD patients. Our findings highlight a new molecular signaling cascade initiated by the immune system that affects the outcome of the immune response by delaying tissue repair and that may have important implications for human inflammatory disorders.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by low survival, early metastasis, and rapidly emerging resistance to therapy. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) signaling pathway is one of the key regulators of the tumor microenvironment in numerous cancer settings and its possible key role in myeloid cells is suggested. Here we investigated the IFN-y signaling in myeloid cells during PDAC development, progression, and metastasis using mice with conditional ablation of IFNgR2 in myeloid cells (IFNgR2-Delta-Mye). We performed an orthotopical injection of cells derived from conditional murine pancreatic model (Pdx1Cre-Kras-P53, or “KPC” cells) into IFNgR2-LysMCre (IFNgR2-Delta-Mye) mice. Ablation of IFN-γ signaling in myeloid cells led to a higher tumor burden compared to controls. Subsequent RNA sequence analysis demonstrated that IFN-γR2 deficiency in myeloid cells resulted in increased TGFβ1 gene expression as well as changes in metabolic and growth factor pathways in macrophages isolated from tumor tissue. Immunofluorescent analysis demonstrated that IFN-γR2 deletion in myeloid cells led to changes in cancer cell differentiation, resulting in a loss of characteristic epithelial histological pattern and shifting it towards more aggressive phenotype, possible via TGFβ1 dependent mechanism. Using murine model of liver metastasis, we found that loss of IFN-γR2 in myeloid cells leads to increased metastatic outgrowth of PDAC KPC cells. This effect was partially dependent on the gut microbiota, as shown by “separated and co-housed mice” experiments. Deficiency of IFN-γR2 in myeloid cells resulted in increased recruitment and infiltration of monocytes in normal and tumor/metastatic liver tissues. Our data identifies myeloid cell type specific IFN-γ signaling pathway as an important regulator of pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis, that can be potentially exploited as a novel immunooncology target. Citation Format: Elena Ivleva, Natalia Andreeva, Sergei Grivennikov. IFN-γ signaling in myeloid cells regulates pancreatic cancer growth and progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2117.

The final meeting of creditors in the insolvency proceedings has a specific place and role. It is no coincidence that it is called “conclusive”. According to the current legislation, it is convened only once in universal enforcement proceedings. The decisions taken by this assembly are a necessary and obligatory prerequisite for the court decision under Art. 735 CA, which puts an end to bankruptcy. The publication addresses the issues surrounding the composition of the final meeting, as well as the specific powers it has. Considers the problem and proposes possible solutions in case of impossibility to hold a final meeting of creditors.

Efficiency of process remains the key issue in higher education. Process efficiency is closely connected with data mining as data mining supports decision making in higher education. Development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has promoted the emergence of large data sets or, in other words, big data in all the areas of higher education. The aims of the research are to analyse scientific literature on innovative methods for data mining in higher education as well as to highlight advantages of the innovative method for data mining in higher education through the comparison with other methods for data mining. The methodology of the present research is built on the inter-related steps following a logical chain: analysis of scientific literature on innovative methods for data mining in higher education → comparison of innovative methods for data mining in higher education with other methods of data mining → advantages of the innovative method for data mining in higher education → conclusions. Exploratory research was employed in the present investigation. Exploratory research is aimed at generating new research questions. Interpretive paradigm was applied to the analysis. The analysis of scientific literature reveals the theoretical inter-connections between data analysis, data analytics, data mining, burstiness and gap processes. Burst detection method based on gap processes is identified as an innovative method for data mining in higher education. Such advantages of the innovative method, namely burst detection method base on gap processes, for data mining in higher education are disclosed: a realistic evaluation of burstiness in a process, and a given precision in analysing burstiness parameters/variables such as probability and concentration. Application of the burst detection method base on gap processes for data mining in higher education supports decision making for increasing efficiency in such processes of higher education as predicting student performance, planning and scheduling, enrolment management, target marketing, management and generation of strategic information, students’ selection of courses, measurement of students’ retention rate, grant fund management of an institution, optimization of study processes. Directions of further research are proposed.

Problem Statement: For modernisation of teacher education and training, teachers’ efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of educational process, classroom management including classroom discipline, etc have been analysed. Against this background, quality of student teachers’ performance in the classroom is essentially required as it determines the destiny of their future classrooms as well as teacher education and training. However, in the era of education industrialisation, application of such a method as the six sigma DMAIC method, which is well-known in industrial units, to the analysis of quality of student teachers’ performance in the classroom has not been widely practised. Purpose of the Study: This analytic paper is aimed at depicting the quality of student teachers’ performance in the classroom which is of prime concern for the purpose of enhancing the academic quality via the six sigma DMAIC method. Methods: The meaning of the key concepts of six sigma DMAIC analysis and quality of student teachers’ performance in the classroom are studied. A comparative study was used in the present contribution. This comparative study checked the relevancy of the six sigma quality method which has been widely used in the industrial units and its use in academic research which is very sparse. The empirical studies were conducted at Dr. Sivanthi Aditanar College of Education in India and University of Latvia in Latvia in 2014. Findings and Results: The research findings allow drawing the conclusions on the quality of student teachers’ performance in the classroom in India and Latvia. Conclusions and Recommendations: Theoretical findings based on the analysis of scientific literature allow drawing the conclusions on the relevancy of use of the DMAIC method of the six sigma methodology in teacher education as the six sigma methodology and quality are inter-connected (Lakshminarayanan & Ramanakumar, 2014). Advantages of use of the DMAIC method of the six sigma methodology are identified. Directions of further research are proposed.

The aim of the contribution is to analyze advantages and disadvantages of open educational resources (OER) in higher education underpinning elaboration of a new research question. Comparative study was applied. The study was carried out in February 2016. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews. The sample included seven educators from different countries. The data were processed via structuring and summarizing content analysis. The respondents’ views are homogeneous. A new research question is formulated. Directions of further research are proposed.

In business practice the paradigm has changed from global business to hybrid business. This shift requires a new quality of management education in order to bring out next-generation managers and leaders. The aim of the research is to shape an approach to management education through interdisciplinary research underpinning elaboration of a hypothesis on an innovative approach to preparing next-generation managers and leaders within management education. The meaning of the key concepts of “approach” and “principles” is studied. Moreover, the study demonstrates how the key concepts are related to the idea of “management education”. The study shows how the steps of the process are related following a logical chain: analysis of the terms “approach”, “principles” and “conditions” → approach to management education → conclusions. The novel contribution of this paper is the hypothesis on an innovative approach to preparing next-generation managers and leaders within management education.

Background: Education for health society attracts more and more research efforts as it facilitates the quality of society’s life. However, research on education for health society is of bursty nature. The phenomenon of burstiness is of particular research interest as it influences the flow of a number of processes including research and the quality of society’s life in general. Research question : What are indicators of burstiness in research? Approach: Interdisciplinary research was applied to the study of the meaning of the key concepts of burstiness, criteria, indicators and research . Moreover, the analysis demonstrates how the key concepts are related to the idea of education for health society and shows how the steps of the process are related following a logical chain: theoretical framework → empirical study → conclusions. Experiment: Qualitative study was applied for empirical analysis. The empirical study was carried out in February 2016. Conclusion: The theoretical findings on the inter-relationship between burstiness and gap processes allow determining the indicators of burstiness of research. The empirical findings of the research allow drawing the conclusions on a high level of research burstiness. A newly formulated research question is presented. Further research directions are proposed. KEY WORDS: Research, burstiness, criteria, indicators, interdisciplinary research. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181//atee.v1i0.1315

Modern Europe is considered within such three strategic priorities (Moedas, 2015) as Open Innovation, Open Science, and Openness to the World. These three strategic priorities put a particular emphasis on the construction of students’ scientific identity. The guiding research question is as follows: What is the relationship between students’ scientific identity and English for Academic Purposes? Therefore, the aim of the present research is to analyse the scientific literature on the relationship between students’ scientific identity and English for Academic Purposes underpinning elaboration of a new research question for further studies. The theoretical framing herein will discuss the construction of scientific identity via academic language. The meaning of such key concepts as scientific identity and role models is studied. Moreover, the study demonstrates how the key concepts are related to the idea of English for Academic Purposes. The study demonstrates a logical chain: scientific identity → English for Academic Purposes → role models → an empirical study within a multicultural environment → conclusions. Research methods include theoretical and empirical methods. Theoretical methods comprise analysis of theoretical sources and theoretical modelling. In the empirical study, explorative study was employed. Interpretative research paradigm was used. The empirical study carried out in August 2015 involved 22 engineering students at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. The results of the empirical study show that engineering students’ self-evaluation is of the low level. The findings of the research allow drawing the conclusion that use of role models in English for Academic Purposes is an opportunity for the construction of students’ scientific identity. The novel contribution of the paper is revealed in the newly formulated research question. Directions of further research are proposed.

Blended learning in higher education has already become an indispensable tool in both university staff and students’ daily life. A number of definitions of blended learning have been developed. However, these definitions mostly focus on the synergy of traditional and online instruction, thereby these definitions lack its main notion - blended learning. These othersided definitions do not contribute to the qualitative blended learning for the improvement of students’ learning achievements. Aim of the present paper is to analyze and work out the definition of blended learning underpinning analysis of quality of blended learning for the improvement of students’ learning achievements. The meaning of the key concepts of blended learning and students’ learning achievements is studied. Moreover, the logical chain of analysis is shown: blended learning → students’ learning achievements → empirical study within a multicultural environment. The results show that students’ learning achievements after having been implemented the blended learning process have been enhanced. Directions of further research are proposed. The novel contribution of the paper is the definition of blended learning worked out by the paper’s authors.

The paradigm shifts from the individual dimension to the social dimension of term ontogenesis in educational research discourse. The aim of the study is to analyze results of the ontogenesis of the term “language” in educational research discourse. The meaning of key concepts of “term” and “ontogenesis” is studied. Moreover, the study demonstrates how the key concepts are related to the idea of “concept development” and shows a potential model for development, indicating how the steps of the process are related following a logical chain: “term” definition → “ontogenesis” definition → educational research discourse → exploratory study. The present research was conducted to analyze the ontogenesis of the term “language” in the educational research discourse up to 2012. The findings of the research allow drawing the conclusion that the term “language” has transformed into “language activity”, then “languaging” and, later, “language studies” in educational research discourse. Directions of further studies are proposed.

T hree strategic priorities of the European Union such as Open Innovation, Open Science, and Openness to the World reveal that higher education focused on training of students as prospective specialists needed by society and production orient higher education how to change. In higher education the transition from distance learning to on-line learning has started. For on-line learning in higher education, w ebinars are becoming an indispensable tool. However, educators’ opinion on webinars in higher education has not been analyzed. The aim of the present contribution is to analyze educators‘ opinion on webinars in higher education underpinning elaboration of a hypothesis on use of webinars in on-line educational environment within higher education. The meaning of such key concepts as webinar, opinion, on-line learning and on-line educational environment is studied. Moreover, the study shows how the steps of the process are related: identifying webinars → defining educators’ opinion → empirical study → conclusions. The empirical study was carried out in September 2015. The sample included 58 educators from the teacher training institution, namely Dr. Sivanthi Aditanar College of Education in India. The study results demonstrate that the educators’ opinions on webinars in higher education are homogeneous . A hypothesis on use of webinars in on-line educational environment within higher education is elaborated. Directions of further research are proposed.