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ForSpEC : a compact forensic epigenetic age clock for sperm cells with cross‑platform validation
No full textExpanding the use of forensic DNA intelligence requires the development of accurate DNA-based predictive models. The primary challenge in achieving a highly accurate epigenetic age prediction method in sperm lies in the unique biological function of male reproductive cells. In this study, we independently evaluated the Germ Line Age (GLA) calculator, one of the most comprehensive tools for predicting sperm age to date. We then set out to define a streamlined, well-curated set of sperm cell-specific markers suitable for forensic applications, while providing an integrated laboratory tool for targeted methylation profiling using bisulfite amplicon sequencing with Ion technology. DNA was extracted from 212 sperm samples, genome-wide DNA methylation was measured using Infinium MethylationEPIC (EPIC) arrays and methylation beta values were extracted for 260 literature-reported CpG markers. Application of the GLA model to this sperm cell dataset resulted in a mean absolute error (MAE) of 2.82 years. As a next step, predictive analysis based on 147 training set samples identified a subset of eight optimal CpG markers for model building. Due to technical constraints encountered during Ion assay optimization, the final model was refined to include seven CpGs, yielding the ForSpEC (Forensic Sperm Epigenetic Clock) model. ForSpEC predicted age with an MAE of 3.13 years in the 65 test samples. When the EPIC-trained ForSpEC model was applied to Ion data (N = 20), age prediction accuracy remained high, with an MAE of 3.76 years. For comparison, existing predictors were retrained using EPIC data, demonstrating that the seven CpGs comprising ForSpEC rank among the most accurate predictors of sperm epigenetic age. The model was further validated using data from publicly available repositories and the impact of cellular composition on prediction accuracy was additionally addressed by comparing DNA samples isolated from sperm cells with whole semen samples. Overall, this study advances sperm-based epigenetic age estimation by introducing ForSpEC, a highly accurate forensic epigenetic clock that relies on just seven CpG markers. This new method exhibits only a modest reduction in accuracy compared to the GLA model, which relies on 261 CpGs. Moreover, the analyses underscore the high utility of Ion technology for targeted DNA methylation analysis in forensic applications
Structural and functional studies of novel type III L-asparaginases with modifications in regions regulating enzymatic activity
No full textMultiple sclerosis among patients with rheumatoid arthritis : nationwide, pilot study from Poland based on healthcare claims (2009–2021)
No full textUDP-galactose limitation impairs efficient Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol production in Escherichia coli expression strains
No full textAssemblage icons : composite forms of materiality in Byzantium and beyond
No full textThis chapter examines "composite icons", a category first identified by Panayotis L. Vocotopoulos, in which a smaller icon is embedded within a larger panel, often from different periods. Drawing on Victor Stoichita's notion of "inset images" and Assemblage Theory - which views the world as interconnected assemblages of human and non-human elements - it explores how these icons function as dynamic assemblages. Composite icons, by nature, can be disassembled, reassembled, and integrated into multiple contexts, both religious and secular. The chapter focuses on their historical and contemporary uses, the motivations behind embedding smaller icons, instances of separation or replacement of insets, and shifts in their presentation and veneration within liturgical or museum settings. Attention is also given to the variety and significance of the elements composing each assemblage. The author argues that both the form and perception of these icons evolve as they move through different assemblages, influenced by their physical construction and contextual interactions. Examining the interplay between inset and framing panels, and tracing their transitions across various contexts, offers a deeper understanding of their fluid, multi-layered nature and highlights their active role in shaping religious and cultural experiences over time
Kidney transplantation in childhood-onset anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis : long-term outcomes and prognostic factors
No full textAppeal and cassation appeal in administrative court proceedings : commentary and judicial decisions
No full textIntroduction
No full textThe tone of political debate in Europe has recently been marked by an unprecedented politicization of European history. Indeed, history strikes back again in the language as well as ideas advocated in historical and political narratives, filling the spectrum of competing memory policies and contributing to an ever-growing societal polarization. This phenomenon seems particularly pronounced in post-totalitarian societies within which the uses and abuses of the past have become a dominant feature in political rhetoric about reckoning with authoritarian (or in the case of Italy and Germany – totalitarian) dictatorships in the interwar period as well as the period of Nazi occupation and their relevance for identity politics. Of equal importance would be the memory politics related to the legacy of communist regimes in the years 1945–1989 in the case of Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union republics, and the former Yugoslavia. Nowadays, the instrumentalization of the past has become the rhetorical modus operandi of the European far-right populist milieu. It is the key objective of this monograph to explore why and how contested legacies symbolically associated with 20th-century dictatorships have been used and often abused in political discourse by the populist far right in contemporary Europe
No full textDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), caused by dystrophin deficiency, presents a multifaceted challenge that affects both skeletal muscle function and cardiomyocyte homeostasis, causing progressive degeneration and life-threatening cardiac complications by adolescence. Current treatments fail to prevent poor prognoses, and while FDA-approved therapies show promise in targeting dystrophin restoration, including RNA-based approaches and microdystrophin gene therapy, clinical evidence supporting their efficacy remains limited. Substantial challenges persist, particularly in achieving effective cardiac targeting, ensuring long-term safety and developing scalable treatments. Alternative therapies addressing muscle and cardiac pathophysiology are being explored alongside dystrophin-based approaches. DMD treatment is increasingly focusing on heart targeting with optimized cardiac-specific delivery strategies. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) enable DMD modelling, bridging pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes. DMD patient-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) serve as in vitro models for disease mechanisms and therapy, with 3D cardiac models, either self-organizing (spheroids) or moulded, expanding on hiPSC-CMs to reflect cell interactions and myocardial tissue architecture. Advanced methods like 2D cell sheets, patches and engineered 3D human cardiac models show potential for improving cell engraftment and functional recovery in injured hearts, but their direct therapeutic application in DMD remains speculative due to extensive muscle mass loss; the complexity of cardiac and skeletal muscle interactions; and unresolved challenges related to cell integration, maturation and long-term function. Considering the premature state of cell-based therapies in this complex disease, current DMD treatment efforts focus on genetic approaches. Progress will likely depend on combining dystrophin-restoring strategies with therapies targeting disease mechanisms and improving cardiac delivery
Trump's New World Order : "A strategic opportunity for Europe"
No full text8 stycznia 2026 r. na antenie Polskiego Radia 24 oraz na platformie internetowej polskieradio24.pl ukazał się kolejny wywiad z prof. dr. hab. Dariuszem Kozerawskim, pracownikiem naukowym Katedry Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego (Instytut Nauk Politycznych i Stosunków Międzynarodowych, Wydział Studiów Międzynarodowych i Politycznych) Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, w którym ujęte zostały między innymi opinie dotyczące: postępującej destrukcji dotychczasowego porządku międzynarodowego, polityki USA względem Europy, Rosji i Ukrainy, sytuacji europejskich państw NATO i UE, a także konieczności przyspieszenia w odbudowie ich zdolności militarnych .On January 8, 2026, Polish Radio 24 and the online platform polskieradio24.pl aired another interview with Professor Dariusz Kozerawski, a researcher at the Department of National Security (Institute of Political Science and International Relations, Faculty of International and Political Studies) at the Jagiellonian University. His interviews included, among other things, opinions on the ongoing destruction of the existing international order, US policy towards Europe, Russia, and Ukraine, the situation of European NATO and EU countries, and the need to accelerate the rebuilding of their military capabilities