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Background: High levels of homocysteine (Hcy) in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia [HHcy]) are associated with many pathologies, including atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke, neurological disorders, and a decrease in muscle mass and strength. The present study aimed to evaluate the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in skeletal muscle of rats with experimental HHcy. Methods: HHcy in rats of two age groups was induced by intragastric administration of D, L-thiolactone Hcy for 8 weeks. The criterion for the development of pathological conditions was a blood Hcy level above 15 mmol L−1. Cytokine and MMP levels in muscle homogenate were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The findings of the study on the content of pro-inflammatory cytokines in skeletal muscles of rats with hyperhomocysteinemia indicated the following. For immature rats, the greatest reduction in tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-8 (IL-8) content was observed, whereas, for mature individuals, the most pronounced decline in IL-1b was evident in skeletal muscle tissue under the pathology state. The content of anti-inflammatory interferon-γ was also reduced in the muscles of both age groups by 30% compared to the control, besides a decrease in the content of collagenase MMP-1 was also observed. Conclusions: The presence of HHcy is associated with metabolic changes in skeletal muscles, which can result in a depletion of cytokines and a slowing down of proteolytic remodeling. This, in turn, can lead to the development of muscular abnormalities, including dysfunction, weakness, and muscle degeneration.

Purpose – The aim of the study is to highlight the perspectives of accounting professionals in Romania on adopting a single set of financial reporting standards for small and medium-sized entities (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The study included a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. A qualitative approach was employed to examine the perspectives of accounting professionals on their inclination toward international standards for SMEs or national regulations. The quantitative approach involved doing content analysis on interviews to provide empirical support for the implementation of these standards in a national context. Findings – Romanian accounting professionals want an improvement in financial reporting, but not necessarily through the use of an international standard. And although the level of convergence between the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) for SMEs and national regulations is medium, it is not desirable to apply an international financial reporting standard for SMEs. Originality/value – This study stands out as one of the few papers that delve into the perspectives of accounting professionals about adopting IFRS for SMEs in a specific country, offering a unique and engaging perspective.

Deuterium (D) retention in tungsten (W) co-deposited layers, in the presence of neon (Ne) and argon (Ar), was investigated using the bipolar High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (BP-HiPIMS) technique. The deposited layers have a polycrystalline structure, with a preferential growth of W(110) phase. The concentration of D and noble gases (Ne and Ar) is almost constant throughout the depth of the layers. In a D2-Ar discharge, the deposited layers exhibit compressive stress, indicating that Ar is mostly incorporated into the interstitial sites of the W crystal lattice. D retention increases when Ne is added in the discharge, especially when the deposited layer is bombarded with highly energetic ions. Low energy Ne ions (below the W damaging threshold) induce compressive stress, indicating that Ne atoms occupy interstitial sites in the W crystal lattice. High energy Ne ions induce tensile stress, a sign that Ne is trapped in the grain boundaries as inert-gas-vacancy defects, leading to a grain-boundary relaxation. In the presence of Ne, the ion acceleration towards the layer from 0 V to 300 V results in an increase of the D content of about three times, from 3.2 at.% to 8.6 at.%.

With the increasing burden of osteoarthritis worldwide, cost efficient and reliable models are needed to enable the development of innovative therapies or therapeutic interventions. Ex vivo models have been identified as valuable modalities in translational research, bridging the gap between in vitro and in vivo models. Osteocartilaginous explants from Osteoarthritis (OA) patients offer an exquisite opportunity for studying OA progression and testing novel therapies. We describe the protocol for establishing human osteocartilaginous explants with or without co-culture of homologous synovial tissue. Furthermore, a detailed protocol for the assessment of explanted tissue in terms of protein content using Western blot and immunohistochemistry is provided. Commentaries regarding the technique of choice, possible variations and expected results are inserted.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous changes in society. Universities were among the few organisations with some previous knowledge of online education, being able to rapidly adapt by transferring already known best practices to the new context. As teaching moved to online, students encountered less sustainable implementation by their universities. This allowed the development of previously planned sustainable strategies so that when face-to-face teaching resumed, universities could be even more sustainable. This paper aims to explore loyalty to the sustainable university during the later COVID-19 pandemic based on the university's efforts to manage a green campus. Design/methodology/approach: To investigate loyalty towards the sustainable university during the later COVID-19 pandemic, a conceptual model is proposed. This research is grounded in an empirical investigation using a quantitative online survey implemented with online interviews, the relations between all latent constructs being analysed with SmartPLS. Findings: The results show that university sustainability reflects student loyalty, outlining the image developed under the influence of green campus management. The results show that universities must intensify their efforts to support the sustainable agenda and create a sustainable academic brand, inducing student loyalty. The findings may attract the attention of other universities wishing to gain knowledge about the factors that students consider important in generating their loyalty. Research limitations/implications: As this research was carried out in the later COVID-19 pandemic context from 2021, the students already had experience of online teaching, so their assessment of the sustainability strategies implemented could be quite different from their perceptions in the first months of the pandemic. This research provides a comprehensive insight into the overall strategy that a sustainable university might apply in a crisis context. Social implications: Research has shown that green campus management has a positive impact on the sustainability of a university's image, on how students perceive the university at which they study and on the university's efforts to ensure efficient campus management. These factors contribute to the development of a strong and sustainable image of the university within the community. Originality/value: The originality of this paper lies in the research questions designed to conceptualise and operationalise the generation of students' loyalty towards their university by encouraging and implementing sustainable strategies on campus. This paper highlights a structural model that combines strategic practices to determine students' loyalty towards a sustainable university during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most facets of modern life are being transformed in the light of recent technological developments. Similarly, the accounting industry is going through a significant redesign under the influence of Industry 4.0, often known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which tackles issues of automation and intelligence and incorporates them into accountants’ daily activities. The present research assesses the impact of these changes on the requirements of a work-ready accountant by enclosing the skills relevant for the accounting profession, with a focus on technology relevant skills. The originality of the study lies in its attempt to provide a robust and comprehensive guide to the accounting skill set that ensures the capabilities necessary to thrive in the digitalized accounting workplace of the future. In this way, the research treats both technical (traditional accounting skills) and non-technical skills, but nonetheless, it emphasizes a new set of skills derived from the digital transformation in the context of Industry 4.0. The new skill set addresses the requirements of cyber, digital, and technology competences, which arose from the intensive digitalization of accounting organizations. The paper is a thematic literature review that performs quantitative and qualitative analysis on the literature on accounting and professional bodies in the attempt to define an updated accountant profile in the era of digital technologies. The investigation validates the importance of cyber, digital, and technology skill sets and encourages accountants to upskill their competencies to meet the demands of accounting in the digital era.

Aim. To determine factors influencing esthetic, functional and biologic criteria related to the status of the direct nanohybrid composite-based restorations. Materials and methods. The study group consisted of 45 patients (mean age: 24.88 ± 6.709 yr; gender: 24 males, 21 females) with dental caries in posterior dental group that were treated in Clinical Base of Faculty of Dental Medicine, U.M.F. Grigore T.Popa Iasi (Romania). The status of 241 direct nanohybrid composite-based restorations was analyzed by using FDI indices. Risk factors for unacceptable FDI scores (4-5) of nanohybrid composite-based direct occlusal and occlusal-proximal restorations were determined by using Pearson Chi-squared test and multivariate analysis. Results. 71,1% from all posterior composite resin restorations received scores FDI 1-3. Esthetic FDI scores 1-3 were recorded for 73,4% of all restorations, functional FDI scores 1-3 for 79,3% of all restorations, and biological FDI scores 1-3 for 86,25% of all restorations. Class II restorations had a 2.880 times higher risk of receiving FDI scores of 4-5 when compared to class I restorations, and composite restorations with an age of 3-5 years had a 2.081 times higher risk of receiving FDI scores of 4-5 when compared to restorations with an age of 1-2 years. Conclusions: Class II and age of restorations between 3-5 years are statistically significant predictors of unsatisfactory or unacceptable FDI scores for posterior composite resin restorations. Overall, high cariogenic risk is a risk factor for unsatisfactory or unacceptable FDI scores. Gender, class II, and restorations with age between 3-5 years are statistically significant predictors of unsatisfactory or unacceptable FDI esthetic scores. High cariogenic risk patients, class II, and restorations with age between 3-5 years are statistically significant predictors of unsatisfactory or unacceptable FDI functional scores. Class II and age of restorations between 3-5 years are statistically significant predictors of unsatisfactory or unacceptable FDI biological scores.

Luminescence, transmission, reflection, and wavelength modulation transmission and wavelength modulation reflection spectra of HgGaInS4 crystals were researched in the temperature range of 300-10 K. This article discusses the various features observed in the spectra of HgGaInS4 crystals. The dependence on temperature of the energy gap is shown. Spectra of wavelength modulation transmission have minima a1, a2, and a3, which vary with temperature and are caused by indirect transitions L-Г with phonon absorption and emission. Spectra of thicker crystals have more features caused by the same indirect transitions. The photoluminescence show a strong maximum at 2.43 eV, attributed to radiative recombination of free excitons. These various features have significant implications for the understanding of the electronic and optical properties of HgGaInS4 crystals.

Inherited cardiovascular diseases are rare diseases that are difficult to diagnose by non-expert professionals. Genetic analyses play a key role in the diagnosis of these diseases, in which the identification of a pathogenic genetic variant is often a diagnostic criterion. Therefore, genetic variant classification and routine reinterpretation as data become available represent one of the main challenges associated with genetic analyses. Using the genetic variants identified in an inherited cardiovascular diseases unit during a 10-year period, the objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the impact of genetic variant reinterpretation, 2) to compare the reclassification rates between different cohorts of cardiac channelopathies and cardiomyopathies, and 3) to establish the most appropriate periodicity for genetic variant reinterpretation. All the evaluated cohorts (full cohort of inherited cardiovascular diseases, cardiomyopathies, cardiac channelopathies, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, Brugada syndrome, long QT syndrome and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia) showed reclassification rates above 25%, showing even higher reclassification rates when there is definitive evidence of the association between the gene and the disease in the cardiac channelopathies. Evaluation of genetic variant reclassification rates based on the year of the initial classification showed that the most appropriate frequency for the reinterpretation would be 2 years, with the possibility of a more frequent reinterpretation if deemed convenient. To keep genetic variant classifications up to date, genetic counsellors play a critical role in the reinterpretation process, providing clinical evidence that genetic diagnostic laboratories often do not have at their disposal and communicating changes in classification and the potential implications of these reclassifications to patients and relatives.

Introduction: The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the quality of marginal sealing at the cervical margins of indirect and direct composite resin restorations in mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavities. Material and method: MOD preparations were performed on 30 extracted teeth. The mesial cervical margin of each tooth was relocated using a flow composite resin (Enamel Plus HRi Flow, Micerium, Avegno, GE, Italy), then the samples were divided into three groups. In group A, the cavities were directly restored using a nanohybrid composite resin (Miris 2 Coltène Whaledent, Altstaetten, Switzerland) and a universal adhesive (ScotchBond Universal, 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) by the etch-and-rinse strategy, for group B, the restoration procedure was similar but the self-etch strategy was used, and the samples in group C were filled using the inlay technique. Each sample was stored for 48 h in a 2% methylene blue solution, then it was cut in a mesio-distal direction using a Struers Secotom 50 device (Cleveland, OH, USA). The marginal sealing and adhesive interface were assessed for each sample at the cervical margin by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used with a significance level of 0.05. Results: Significant differences were recorded within groups A and C, between mesial and distal margins (p = 0.02 in group A and p = 0.043 in group C). Conclusions: The marginal sealing is more effective in MOD inlay restoration compared to direct restorations. Relocation of the cervical margin with flow composite resin and the use of different adhesive strategies do not improve the marginal sealing.

The receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is associated with epithelial plasticity in several solid tumors including breast cancer and AXL-targeting agents are currently in clinical trials. We hypothesized that AXL is a driver of stemness traits in cancer by co-option of a regulatory function normally reserved for stem cells. AXL-expressing cells in human mammary epithelial ducts co-expressed markers associated with multipotency, and AXL inhibition abolished colony formation and self-maintenance activities while promoting terminal differentiation in vitro. Axl-null mice did not exhibit a strong developmental phenotype, but enrichment of Axl + cells was required for mouse mammary gland reconstitution upon transplantation, and Axl-null mice had reduced incidence of Wnt1-driven mammary tumors. An AXL-dependent gene signature is a feature of transcriptomes in basal breast cancers and reduced patient survival irrespective of subtype. Our interpretation is that AXL regulates access to epithelial plasticity programs in MaSCs and, when co-opted, maintains acquired stemness in breast cancer cells.