פרסומים

Accumulating evidence from clinical and neuropathological study has identified a number of seemingly disparate associations carrying a predisposition for cerebral palsy (CP). We narratively reviewed clinical studies reporting associations between prenatal and perinatal environmental factors and the risk of developing CP. As expected, some processes with direct central nervous system involvement (e.g. perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or infectious encephalomalacia) carry >10% absolute risk of CP. Other acute perinatal processes including placental abruption, uterine rupture, and neonatal sepsis are also associated with increased risk of CP but carry <3% absolute risk of CP. Indirect markers of chronic placental insufficiency such as fetal and placental growth patterns are associated with increased risk of CP, and risk of CP in infants with growth abnormalities born extremely preterm exceeds 10%. We synthesize these findings within a framework of risk accumulating across several defined pre- and perinatal developmental windows. Causal links remain incompletely understood, but genetic background, the intrauterine environment, general fetal health, and fetal neurologic health all appear to contribute.

This study focused on the specific challenges of university students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and examined similarities and differences in COVID-related concerns and difficulties in functioning in samples of undergraduate students in five countries. A sample of 4306 undergraduate university students (43.8% males, 56.2% females) from Israel, Kosovo, Ukraine, Cyprus and Germany participated in an anonymous online survey during the first wave of the pandemic, between March and June 2020. Study variables included the assessment of the exposure to COVID-19, perceived health status, specific COVID-related concerns and functional difficulties, social support, and the perceived level of coping. Similar concerns about the uncertainty regarding the termination of the health crisis and worry for the health of family members were identified as the most common concerns in the five countries. Challenges in online learning and financial difficulties were rated as the most central difficulties. Both COVID-related concerns and COVID-related difficulties predicted lower levels of perceived coping. Greater social support was associated with better perceived coping. Policymakers should be informed by the accumulating research showing the substantive relationships between academic difficulties and perceived COVID-related distress and coping.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in severe, unprecedented changes affecting the world population. Restrictions in mobility, social distancing measures, and the persistent social alarm, during the first period of pandemic, resulted in dramatic lifestyle changes and affected physical and psychological wellbeing on a global scale. An international research team was constituted to develop a study involving different countries about eating motivations, dietary habits and behaviors related with food intake, acquisition, and preparation. This study presents results of an online survey, carried out during the first lockdown, in 2020, assessing food-related behavior and how people perceived them to change, comparatively to the period preceding the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 3332 responses, collected from 16 countries, were considered for analysis [72.8% in Europe, 12.8% in Africa, 2.2% in North America (USA) and 12.2% in South America]. Results suggest that the main motivations perceived to drive food intake were familiarity and liking. Two clusters were identified, based on food intake frequency, which were classified as ``healthier'' and ``unhealthier''. The former was constituted by individuals with higher scholarity level, to whom intake was more motivated by health, natural concerns, and weight control, and less by liking, pleasure or affect regulation. The second cluster was constituted by individuals with a higher proportion of male and intake more influenced by affect-related motivations. During this period, a generalized lower concern with the convenience attributes of foods was noted (namely, choice of processed products and fast-food meals), alongside an increase in time and efforts dedicated to home cooking. Understanding the main changes and their underlying motivations in a time of unprecedented crisis is of major importance, as it provides the scientific support that allows one to anticipate the implications for the future of the global food and nutrition system and, consequently, to take the appropriate action.

In this innovative study of everyday charity practices in Jeddah, Nora Derbal employs a 'bottom-up' approach to challenge dominant narratives about state-society relations in Saudi Arabia. Exploring charity organizations in Jeddah, this book both offers a rich ethnography of associational life and counters Riyadh-centric studies which focus on oil, the royal family, and the religious establishment. It closely follows those who work on the ground to provide charity to the local poor and needy, documenting their achievements, struggles and daily negotiations. The lens of charity offers rare insights into the religiosity of ordinary Saudis, showing that Islam offers Saudi activists a language, a moral frame, and a worldly guide to confronting inequality. With a view to the many forms of local community activism in Saudi Arabia, this book examines perspectives that are too often ignored or neglected, opening new theoretical debates about civil society and civic activism in the Gulf.

The article the assessment of the China competitiveness is carried out taking into account geopolitical and economic factors. In terms of geopolitics, attention is paid to such initiatives as ``Pivot to the East'', ``One Belt One Road'' and the initiative of countering the spread of COVID-19. In the context of economic indicators, an integral assessment of China's competitiveness as an investor is conducted on the basis of such indicators as the level of GDP, the global competitiveness index, the indicator of investment activity of China in the world and in Russia, as well as the indicator of investment activity in the energy sector of Russia, the number of Chinese investment energy projects and their current number. Based on the results of the analysis, it is concluded that, China has an exceptional competitive advantage from the point of view of geopolitics and macroeconomics. However, within the energy sector, China has been losing ground due to a decrease in investment activity.

Insulator proteins located at the boundaries of topological associated domains (TAD) are involved in higher-order chromatin organization and transcription regulation. However, it is still not clear how long-range contacts contribute to transcriptional regulation. Here, we show that relative-of-WOC (ROW) is essential for the long-range transcription regulation mediated by the boundary element-associated factor of 32kD (BEAF-32). We find that ROW physically interacts with heterochromatin proteins (HP1b and HP1c) and the insulator protein (BEAF-32). These proteins interact at TAD boundaries where ROW, through its AT-hook motifs, binds AT-rich sequences flanked by BEAF-32-binding sites and motifs. Knockdown of row downregulates genes that are long-range targets of BEAF-32 and bound indirectly by ROW (without binding motif). Analyses of high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data reveal long-range interactions between promoters of housekeeping genes bound directly by ROW and promoters of developmental genes bound indirectly by ROW. Thus, our results show cooperation between BEAF-32 and the ROW complex, including HP1 proteins, to regulate the transcription of developmental and inducible genes through long-range interactions.