Stabilized melanocortin analog peptide ACTH(6-9)PGP (FRWGPGP) possess a wide range of neuroprotective activities. However, its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. In this paper, we studied the pro-proliferative and cytoprotective activity of the adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment 6-9 (FRWG) linked with the peptide Prolyl-Glycyl-Proline on the SH-SY5Y cells in the model of oxidative stress-related toxicity. The peptide dose-dependently protected cells from H2O2, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and KCN. The mechanism of its action was the modu-lation of proliferation-related (NF-kB and Nrf-2) and antioxidant-related (HO-1, Nqo1, Gclc) genes and apoptosis decrease.

In rye, there is a considerable variety of grain color which is determined by the diversity of compounds localized in different parts of the grain (caryopsis) - pericarp, testa, and aleurone. The localization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was analyzed in 26 rye samples with identified anthocyanin genes, along with the analysis of CIE color coordinates. The Grain Scan program [1] was used to analyze images of individual grains. The localization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was studied on longitudinal and cross sections of grains using light microscopy and MALDI-imaging. The violet-grained samples contain anthocyanins in the pericarp, and the green-grained samples contain anthocyanins in the aleurone layer. The green, violet and yellow-grained rye, with the exception of two anthocyaninless mutants vi3 and vi6, shows the presence of proanthocyanidins in the brown-colored testa. Four main color groups of the rye grains (yellow, green, brown, violet) could be differentiated using the color coordinate h° (hue angle). Interspecies and intraspecies variability for the localization of colored flavonoids in cereal grains is discussed.

For the first time, the effect of a significant change in the resistance of the aquatic environment of a population of protozoan microorganisms under the influence of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phones has been experimentally studied. The results of the experiment demonstrate the biological nature of the changes occurring in the “water population of protozoa” system, which indicates that the impact of radiation directly affects the cell. This conclusion is confirmed by the same order of magnitude time of information exchange between individual individuals of the population in the calculation and in the experiment. An extremely low concentration of protozoa in the experiment was established, equal to 1000 pcs./liter, at which the indicated effect is observed.An unambiguous dependence of the biological effect in the “water – amoeba population” system on the average power of electromagnetic radiation of cell phones, both in standby mode and in talk mode, has been established. It is concluded that the presented method of changing the physical properties of the aquatic environment of a population of protozoa under the influence of electromagnetic fields can be a model experiment in identifying the mechanisms of interaction of biological systems with electromagnetic radiation, determining the response time of biological systems to external electromagnetic influence, and establishing the degree of influence of radiation in the 4G, 5G ranges.

Dehydroaromatization of methane (MDA) is of great interest as a promising process for processing natural and associated petroleum gases, the main component of which is methane. The rapid loss of catalyst activity because of coke formation hinders the introduction of the DHA methane process into industry. Therefore, the aim of the research was to find ways to improve Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts for MDA. The paper presents the results of the synthesis of high-silica zeolites of the ZSM-5 type with a microporous and micro-mesoporous structure, the preparation of Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts based on them, and the study of the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the obtained samples during the non-oxidative conversion of methane into aromatic hydrocarbons. Zeolite catalysts were investigated by IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, TPD-NH3, SEM, HR-TEM, N2-adsorption. It was found that the addition of carbon black at the stage of synthesis of zeolite type ZSM-5 does not lead to structural changes, the obtained samples have a crystallinity equal to 100%. The creation of the micro-mesoporous structure in Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts lead to an increase in their activity and stability in the process of methane dehydroaromatization. The highest conversion of methane is observed on a 4.0%Mo/ZSM-5 catalyst prepared based on of zeolite synthesized using 1.0% carbon black, and is 13.0% in 20 minutes of reaction, while the benzene yield reaches 7.0%. It has been shown by HR-TEM that a more uniform distribution of the active metal component is observed in a zeolite catalyst with a micro-mesoporous structure than in a microporous zeolite.

The absence of highly effective delivery systems is a major challenge for gene therapy. Our work was aimed at the development of novel cationic liposomes possessing high transfection efficiency. For this purpose, a novel disulfide polycationic amphiphile 2S4 was synthesized. Cationic liposomes based on 2S4 and a helper lipid DOPE were formed by the thin film hydration method and exhibited effective pDNA delivery into the HEK293 cells, with a maximal transfection activity superior to that of the commercial agent Lipofectamine^® 2000. Our results suggest that the polycationic amphiphile 2S4 is a promising candidate for in vitro nucleic acid delivery.

Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is used to restore locomotion and body weight support in patients with severe motor disorders. We studied effects of this non-invasive stimulation on postural control in healthy subjects. Stimulation at the L1-L2 vertebrae was performed to activate the extensor muscles of the lower limbs. Because postural regulation depends on the cognitive style, the effects of the stimulation were analyzed separately in field-dependent (FD) and field-independent (FI) participants. During the study young adults (N=16, half FD and half FI participants, all right dominant leg) stood on a force platform in a soundproof chamber with their eyes closed. Stimulation was applied in the midline between the L1-L2 vertebrae or over the left or right dorsal roots of the spinal cord; under control condition there was no stimulation. Stimulation destabilized posture in healthy subjects, whereas patients with movement disorders usually showed an improvement in postural control. In FD participants, left dorsal root and midline stimulation increased several postural parameters by up to 30%. Dorsal root stimulation on the side of the supporting leg reduced postural control, while stimulation on the side of the dominant leg did not. No significant changes were observed in the FI participants.

Plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) forms a multisubunit complex in operating chloroplasts, where PEP subunits and a sigma factor are tightly associated with 12 additional nuclear-encoded proteins. Mutants with disrupted genes encoding PEP-associated proteins (PAPs) provide unique tools for deciphering mutual relationships among phytohormones. A block of chloroplast biogenesis in Arabidopsis pap mutants specifying highly altered metabolism in white tissues induced dramatic fluctuations in the content of major phytohormones and their metabolic genes, whereas hormone signaling circuits mostly remained functional. Reprogramming of the expression of biosynthetic and metabolic genes contributed to a greatly increased content of salicylic acid (SA) and a concomitant decrease in 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA), precursors of ethylene and jasmonic acid, respectively, in parallel to reduced levels of abscisic acid (ABA). The lack of differences in the free levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) between the pap mutants and wild-type plants was accompanied by fluctuations in the contents of IAA precursors and conjugated forms as well as multilayered changes in the expression of IAA metabolic genes. Along with cytokinin (CK) overproduction, all of these compensatory changes aim to balance plant growth and defense systems to ensure viability under highly modulated conditions.

Species of the genus Drosophila have served as favorite models in speciation studies; however, genetic factors of interspecific reproductive incompatibility are underinvestigated. Here we performed the analysis of hybrid female sterility by crossing Drosophila melanogaster females and Drosophila simulans males. Using transcriptomic data analysis, molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches, we analyzed differential gene expression, transposable element (TE) activity, piRNA biogenesis, and functional defects of oogenesis in hybrids. Premature germline stem cell loss was the most prominent defect of oogenesis in hybrid ovaries. Due to the differential expression of genes encoding piRNA pathway components, rhino and deadlock, the functional RDCmel complex in hybrid ovaries was not assembled. However, the activity of the RDCsim complex was maintained in hybrids, independent of the genomic origin of piRNA clusters. Despite the identification of a cohort of overexpressed TEs in hybrid ovaries, we found no evidence that their activity can be considered the main cause of hybrid sterility. We revealed a complicated pattern of Vasa protein expression in the hybrid germline, including partial AT-chX piRNA targeting of the vasasim allele and a significant zygotic delay in vasamel expression. We arrived at the conclusion that the hybrid sterility phenotype was caused by intricate multi-locus differences between the species.

Using the example of a generator model with dedicated inertia, a theoretical study of two coupled self-oscillators with capacitive coupling, their sequential single-frequency synchronization, chaos and two-frequency synchronization with an adiabatic change in the magnitude of the coupling between partial self-oscillators was carried out. The parameters of self-oscillators and the values of the coupling coefficient at which the specified operating modes of coupled self-oscillators exist are determined. The results of numerical studies, illustrating the conditions for excitation of single-frequency, chaotic and dual-frequency oscillations in a system of coupled self-oscillators are presented.

The study is based on the results of long-term field studies, satellite and aerial data analysis. In the maximum of the Little Ice Age (LIA) 243 glaciers with a total area of 353.4 km2 were reconstructed. By the results of interpretation of Corona images by 1968 the number of glaciers increased (236), the total area reduced to 242 km2. In 2010 glaciation was represented by 237 glaciers with a total area of 201 km2. Thus, from the maximum of the LIA, the glaciation of the Tavan-Bogd mountains decreased by 43%, which is somewhat less than the neighboring glacial centers (Ikh-Turgen, Tsambagarav, Tsengel-Khayrkhan and Mongun-Taiga mountains). The probable cause is the predominance of larger glaciers relatively resistant to warming and higher altitudes. The effect of glacier size on their stability is supported by differences in the relative shrinkage of glaciers in different parts of the Tavan-Bogdo-Ola massif: the smallest decline occurred in the basins of the Tsagan-Gol (31.7%) and Sangadir (36.4%) rivers where the largest glaciers are located. On the contrary, on the lower periphery of the massif, where small glaciers predominate, the relative reduction was large (74-79%). On the background of the general retreat trend large valleys glaciers retreated faster in 1968-1977 and after 2010. In 1990-s the retreat was slow. After 2010 the glacial retreat was extremely fast. The retreat of glaciers in the last 50-60 years was caused by a trend towards a decrease in the amount of precipitation until the mid-1970s and a sharp warming in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Aging induces numerous physiological alterations, with immunosenescence emerging as a pivotal factor. This phenomenon has attracted both researchers and clinicians, prompting pro-found questions about its implications for health and disease. Among the contributing factors, one intriguing actor in this complex interplay is human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the herpesvirus family. Latent CMV infection exerts a profound influence on the aging immune system, potentially contributing to age-related diseases. This review delves into the intricate relationship between immunosenescence and CMV, revealing how chronic viral infection im-pacts the aging immune landscape. We explore the mechanisms through which CMV can im-pact both the composition and functionality of immune cell populations and induce shifts in in-flammatory profiles with aging. Moreover, we examine potential role of CMV in such pathol-ogies as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, COVID-19, and Long COVID. This review underlines the importance of understanding the complex interplay be-tween immunosenescence and CMV. It offers insights into the pathophysiology of aging and age-associated diseases, as well as COVID-19 outcomes among the elderly. By unraveling the connections between immunosenescence and CMV, we gain a deeper understanding of aging's remarkable journey and the profound role that viral infections play in transforming the human immune system.

Copper, the highly toxicity micronutrient, plays two essential roles: it is a catalytic and structural cofactor for Cu-dependent enzymes, and it acts as a secondary messenger. In the cells, copper is imported by CTR1, a transmembrane high-affinity copper importer, and DMT1 (divalent metal transporter). In cytosol, enzyme-specific chaperones receive copper from CTR1 C-terminus and deliver it to their apoenzymes. DMT1 cannot be a donor of catalytic copper because it does not have cytosol domain which is required for copper transfer to the Cu-chaperons and following to cuproenzymes. Here we assume that DMT1 can mediate copper way required for regulatory copper pool. To verify this thought, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate H1299 cell line with CTR1 or DMT1 single knockout (KO) and CTR1/DMT1 double knockout (DKO). To confirm KOs of the genes qRT-PCR were used. Two independent clones for each gene were selected for further studies. In CTR1-KO cells, expression of the DMT1 gene was significantly increased. In subcellular compartments, copper concentration decreased dramatically in DKO cells. CTR1-KO cells, but not DMT1-KO, demonstrated reduced sensitivity to cisplatin and silver ions, agents that enter the cell through CTR1. The expression of genes, whose protein products require copper: HIF1α, XIAP, COMMD1, CCS, Cp, but not SOD1 and NF-kB, changed their level. Perhaps these data will help to understand how the disturbances of copper homeodynamics lead to the development of neurodegenerative and oncological disorders. Possibility of using CTR1 KO and DMT1 KO cells to study homeodynamics of catalytic and signaling copper selectively is discussed.

There is much interest in effective copper chelators to correct copper dyshomeostasis in neurodegenerative and oncological diseases. In this study, a recombinant fusion protein for expression in E. coli cells was constructed from glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and the N-terminal domain (ectodomain) of human high affinity copper transporter CTR1 (hNdCTR1), which has three metal-bound motifs. Several biological properties of the GST-hNdCTR1 fusion protein were assessed. It was demonstrated that in cells, the protein was prone to oligomerization, formed inclusion bodies and displayed no toxicity. Treatment of E. coli cells with copper and silver ions reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cells expressing GST-hNdCTR1 protein demonstrated resistance to the metal treatments. These cells accumulated silver ions and formed nanoparticles that contained AgCl and Ag0. In this bacterial population, filamentous bacteria with length about 10 μm were often observed. The possibility for the fusion protein carrying extracellular metal binding motifs to integrate into the cell’s copper metabolism and its chelating properties are discussed.

The main problem in creating anti-coronavirus vaccines that target mainly proteins of the outer membrane of the virus remains the rapid variability of the RNA genome of the pathogen that encodes these proteins. In addition, the introduction of technologies that can provide affordable and fast production of flexible vaccine formulas that easily adapt to the emergence of new subtypes of SARS-CoV-2 is required. Universal oligonucleotide vaccine can take into account the dynamics of rapid changes in the virus genome, as well as be synthesized on automatic DNA synthesizers in large quantities in a short time. In this brief report, the effectiveness of four phosphorothioate constructs of the La-S-so type oligonucleotide vaccine will be evaluated for the first time on transgenic mice [B6.Cg-Tg (K18-ACE2)2]. In our primary trials, the oligonucleotide vaccine increased the survival rate of animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and also reduced the destructive effects of the virus on the lung tissue of mice. The obtained results show the perspective of the development of vaccine constructs of the La-S-so type for the prevention of coronavirus infections, including those caused by SARS-СoV-2.

Spontaneous tumours in higher plants can develop depending on plant genotype without any pathogen invasion. Spontaneous tumour formation on the taproots is consistently observed in certain inbred lines of radish (Raphanus sativus var. radicula Pers.). In this work, we have sequenced the genomes of two closely related radish inbred lines that differ in their ability to spontaneously form tumours. We have identified numerous single nucleotide variants (amino acid substitutions, insertions or deletions) that are likely to be associated with the spontaneous tumour formation. Furthermore, we performed the identification of CLE and WOX genes the genomic sequences of the radish inbred lines and, as a result, identified two unique radish CLE genes which probably encode proteins with multiple CLE domains. The results obtained provide a basis for investigating the mechanisms of plant tumour formation and also for future genetic and genomic studies of radish.

Using an original method for measuring weak radiothermal electromagnetic signals, experimental data were obtained on the analysis of dispersions of noise attractors of the radiobrightness temperature of aqueous solutions of NaCl, Al (NO₃)₃ at dilutions C1 (1:100) – C12 (12:100). The values of dispersions of noise attractors significantly differ from those for the control experiment with water. On the basis of the changed values of the noise attractors of the radiobrightness temperature, the values of the absorption coefficients of the solutions are calculated. The difference between the values of the solutions absorption coefficients and those for water is shown with a successive increase in their values with an increase in the degree of dilution. The difference between the values of the absorption coefficients of solutions of high dilutions and those for water is interpreted as a mechanism of cooperative interaction of ions with water molecules located outside the first hydration shell. A network of water molecules perturbed by ions contributes to the dielectric permittivity was obtained due to new properties at supramolecular interactions on the basis of dispersion interaction.

Meier–Gorlin syndrome (MGS) is a rare genetic developmental disorder that causes primordial proportional dwarfism, microtia, absent or hypoplastic patellae and other skeletal anomalies. Overlapping skeletal symptoms make MGS difficult to diagnose clinically. We describe a 3-year-old boy with short stature, recurrent respiratory infections, short-rib dysplasia, tower head and facial dysmorphisms who was admitted to the Tomsk Genetic Clinic to verify a clinical diagnosis of Jeune syndrome. Clinical Exome sequencing revealed two variants (compound heterozygosity) in the ORC6 gene: c.2T>C(p.Met1Thr) and c.449+5G>A. In silico analysis showed the pathogenicity of these two mutations and predicted a decrease in donor splicing site strength for c.449+5G>A. An in vitro minigene assay demonstrated that variant c.449+5G>A causes a complete skipping of exon 4 in ORC6 gene. The parents asked for urgent prenatal testing for MGS for the next pregnancy, but it ended in a miscarriage. Thus, this case report may help to prevent MGS misdiagnosis in the future. We also performed in silico and functional analyses of ORC6 mutations and developed a restriction fragment length polymorphism and haplotype-based short-tandem-repeat assay for prenatal genetic testing for MGS. These findings should elucidate MGS aetiology and improve the quality of genetic counselling for affected families.

Copper, which can potentially be a highly toxic agent, is an essential nutrient due to its role as a co-factor for cuproenzymes and participation in signaling pathways. In mammals, the liver is a central organ that controls copper turnover throughout the body: copper absorption, distribution, and excretion. In ontogenesis, there are two types of copper metabolism: embryonic and adult, which maintain the balance of copper in each of these periods, respectively. In the liver cells, these types are characterized by specific expression patterns and activity levels of the genes encoding ceruloplasmin, which is the main extracellular ferroxidase and copper transporter and proteins mediating ceruloplasmin metalation. In newborns, the molecular-genetic mechanisms responsible for copper homeostasis and the ontogenetic switch from embryonic to adult copper metabolism are highly adapted to milk ceruloplasmin as a dietary source of copper. In the mammary gland cells, the level of ceruloplasmin gene expression and the alternative splicing of its pre-mRNA govern the amount of ceruloplasmin in milk, and thus, the amount of copper absorbed by the newborn is controlled. In the newborns, absorption, distribution, and accumulation copper are adapted to milk ceruloplasmin. In the newborns, which are not breast-fed at the early stages of postnatal development, the control for alimentary copper balance is absent. We tried to focus on the neonatal consequences of a violation of the balance of copper in the mother / newborn system. Although there is still much to be learned, the time to pay attention to this problem came because the neonatal misbalance of copper may provoke the development of copper related disorders for future life.

Background and Objectives: Most individuals infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms of COVID-19, which usually resolve after few days. Regardless of symptoms, infected people can transmit the virus to others especially on the first days of infection. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is used to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection; some individuals show persistent PCR-positivity after recovering from COVID-19. In this study, 12 individuals who showed persistence of COVID-19 symptoms and of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positivity were followed-up. Methods: nasopharyngeal samples were collected for SARS-CoV-2 detection by RT-qPCR; clinical and epidemiological data were analyzed. Results: that persistence of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity was associated with duration of symptoms (r_s 0.81338), which varied between one and 49 days, with 75% of the individuals reporting symptoms for more than two weeks; 83.33% of cases remained positive after two weeks of onset of symptoms, despite decreases in viral load. Conclusion: neither RT-qPCR test nor a symptom-based approach alone are sufficient to evaluate discontinuation of patient isolation; other factors such as viral loads and symptom severity should also be considered. Additional studies are needed to understand how RT-PCR-positivity is related to symptoms and the risk of viral transmission, and to better support isolation guidelines.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is today’s buzzword—and not only in commercial production. One of the AM techniques produces 3D objects with complex geometry using a laser beam. The relationship between the morphology of individual powder particles and the printing process has not been adequately documented yet. This article presents a detailed microscopic analysis of virgin and reused powder particles of maraging steel. Metallographic observation was performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Detailed analyses of individual particles were carried out using SEM with a focused ion beam (FIB) milling capability. Analyses of elemental distribution and phase distribution were performed using EDS and EBSD, respectively. The findings have led to a better understanding and prediction of defects in additive-manufactured products.

Morphological features and composition of ISSR DNA fragments were studied in species of the genus Tulipa L. A comparative analysis of the data obtained was carried out and an attempt was made to clarify the species belonging of plants. Plants obtained from various sources were studied. It was found that representatives of the genus Tulipa L. from the two subgenera Tulipa and Eriostemones are well separated not only morphologically, but also by the composition of ISSR fragments. At the intra- and interspecific level, the results for morphological traits and molecular data differed. Interspecific and intraspecific differences were more clearly traced in the complex analysis of morphological features and ISSR PCR data. All samples obtained in the form of bulbs and renewed vegetatively had an identical set of ISSR fragments. Plants grown from seeds were characterized by a significant variety of molecular markers and had both species-specific and in-dividual genetic variability. It was found that the samples obtained and registered as the Tulipa urumiensis Stapf are the yellow-flowered form of the Tulipa tarda Stapf, and a sample received as the Tulipa turkestanika Regel is the Tulipa bifloriformis Vved. Thus, a comprehensive study of both the data of fragmentary DNA analysis and morphological features, provided a sufficient number of DNA samples, makes it possible to clarify the species of tulip plants, and also allows us to assess the genetic diversity of the genus Tulipa.

The natural flavonoid epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has a wide range of biological activities including binding to nucleic acids; however, mechanisms of interaction of EGCG with DNA organized in chromatin have not been systematically studied. In this work, interaction of EGCG with chromatin in cells, and with nucleosomes and chromatosomes in vitro was studied using fluorescent microscopy and single particle Förster resonance energy transfer approaches, respectively. EGCG effectively penetrates into the nuclei of living cells and binds to DNA there. Interaction of EGCG with nucleosomes in vitro induces large-scale, reversible uncoiling of nucleosomal DNA that occurs without dissociation of DNA or core histones at sub- and low-micromolar concentrations of EGCG. EGCG does not reduce the catalytic activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), but causes modulation of the structure of the PARP1-nucleosome complex. EGCG significantly changes the structure of chromatosomes, but does not cause dissociation of the linker histone. Reorganization of nucleosomes and chromatosomes by EGCG might facilitate access of protein factors involved in DNA repair, replication and transcription to DNA and thus might contribute to the modulation of gene expression by EGCG that was reported earlier.

In recent years, antibacterial coatings have become a significant approach in the global fight against bacterial pathogens. Developments in materials science, chemistry and biochemistry have led to a plethora of materials and chemical compounds that have potential for creating antibacterial coatings. Nonetheless, there has been insufficient consideration given to the analysis of the techniques and technologies used to apply these coatings. Among the various inorganic coating techniques, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is noteworthy. It enables the successful synthesis of high-purity inorganic nanocoatings on surfaces of complex shape and topography, while also providing precise control over their thickness and composition. ALD has various industrial applications, but its practical application in medicine is still limited. In recent years, a substantial number of papers have been published on the suggested implementation of thin films and coatings produced through ALD in medicine, notably those with antibacterial properties. The aim of this paper is to carefully evaluate and analyse the relevant literature on this subject. Simple oxide coatings, including TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, MgO, and ZrO2, were examined, as well as coatings containing metal nanoparticles such as Ag, Cu, Pt, and Au, and mixed systems such as TiO2-ZnO, TiO2-ZrO2, ZnO-Al2O3, TiO2-Ag, and ZnO-Ag. Through comparative analysis, we have been able to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of various antibacterial coatings of different compositions, including key characteristics such as thickness, morphology, and crystal structure. ALD has been analysed in its use for developing antibacterial coatings for various applications. Furthermore, assumptions regarding the most promising development areas have been presented.

Stem cells are nurtured and regulated by a specialized microenvironment known as stem cell niche. While the functions of the niches are well defined, their structure and location remain unclear. We have identified in rat bone marrow, the seat of hematopoietic stem cells, extensively vascularized node-like compartments that fit the requirements for stem cell niche and which we called hemmules. Hemmules are round or oval structures of about one millimeter in diameter that are surrounded by a fine capsule, have afferent and efferent vessels, are filled with the extracellular matrix and mesenchymal, hematopoietic, endothelial stem cells, and contain cells of the megakaryocyte family, which are known for homeostatic quiescence and contribution to the bone marrow environment. We propose that hemmules are the long sought hematopoietic stem cell niches and that they are prototypical of stem cell niches in other organs.

There is little information on the use of pollen in molecular research, despite the increased interest to genome editing by pollen mediated transformation. PCR is useful tool as an express-method to evaluate editing results before pollination. A direct PCR protocol for pollen suspension has been adapted without the need for DNA pre-extraction. We showed that pollenkitt is a limiting factor for successful PCR on pollen. A simple pre-washing step of pollen suspension was able to eliminate the pollenkitt and enormously affect the PCR results. All currently existing methods of delivery of the editing system to pollen are carried out in a wet medium. Our pollenkitt study helped us develop a simple and effective pollination method using wetted onion pollen grains.

Colletotrichum lini is a flax fungal pathogen, comprising differently virulent strains. In this work, we sequenced the genomes of three C. lini strains of different virulence: high virulent #390-1, medium virulent #757, and low virulent #771. We obtained more than 100× genome coverage with Oxford Nanopore Technologies reads and more than 50× genome coverage with Illumina data. To construct high-quality genomes, several assembly strategies were tested. The final assemblies were obtained using the Canu – Racon ×2 – Medaka – Polca scheme and were 54.0-55.3 Mb in length, contained 26-32 contigs, had an N50 > 5 Mb and the BUSCO completeness > 96%. Comparative analysis of the constructed genomes showed high similarity between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. However, a rearrangement event and the loss of a 0.9 Mb contig were revealed. The candidate effectors were predicted in sets of proteins received after genome annotation. The obtained genome sequences of C. lini strains extend the knowledge on the genetic diversity of Colletotrichum species and are the basis for establishing molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity of the flax pathogen and effective control of flax anthracnose.

Ribosomal proteins (r-proteins) are abundant, highly conserved, and multifaceted cellular proteins in all domains of life. Most r-proteins have RNA-binding properties and are able to form protein-protein contacts. Bacterial r-proteins govern the co-transcriptional rRNA folding during ribosome assembly and participate in formation of the ribosome functional sites such as the mRNA binding site, tRNA binding sites, the peptidyl- transferase center, and the protein exit tunnel. In addition to their primary role in a cell as integral components of the protein synthesis machinery, many of r-proteins can function beyond the ribosome (the phenomenon known as moonlighting), acting either as individual regulatory proteins or in complexes with various cellular components. Extraribosomal activities of r-proteins have been intensively studied over decades (reviewed in [1]). The past decade brought significant advancement in our knowledge of r-protein functions due to expanding studies on ribosomes and gene expression mechanisms not only in model bacteria like Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis, but also in previously little-explored bacterial species from various phyla. This review is aimed to update the information on multiple functions of r-proteins in bacteria.

Information is given on the application of the acoustic emission method for studying the kinetics of destruction of protective and decorative coatings of cement concrete. A different nature of the destruction of coatings has been established. When evaluating the nature of the destruction, it was found that for coatings based on polymer-lime and PF-115 paints, after curing, an adhesive type of destruction is characteristic, while for PVAC coatings it is cohesive. Thermal aging mainly changes the nature of destruction of PVAC coatings from cohesive to adhesive. With a decrease in the porosity of the substrate, higher values of the energy released when the coatings are detached from the substrates are observed. It was revealed that during aging as a result of alternating freezing-thawing, the greatest destructive effect is observed in the contact zone of the coating with the substrate. With an increase in the cycles of alternating freezing-thawing, the amount of energy released at the last stage of loading decreases

Biochar is a carbon-rich material that recently received attention due to its increasing agronomical potential. The agricultural utilization of biochar relates to its potential to act in the soil as a soil conditioner, nevertheless, the complex information on the direct dependence of biochar physical properties (texture, particle size) and corresponding leaching and availability of organic molecules (e.g. the polycyclic and heterocyclic organic compounds) and inorganic mineral salts (based on micro– and macroelements) are still not consistent. These aspects were addressed in our study. A multi-elemental analysis (ICP-OES) was used to access the information on the aqueous-extractable and total contents of inorganic macro- and macroelements in used commercial biochar samples (purchased from Sonnenerde GmbH, Novoterrra Sonnenerde GmbH, Biouhel.cz, s.r.o.). Potassium (K) was identified as the major macroelement, responsible for alkaline pH and the conductivity of biochar extract. Our results indicate an indirect relation between the size fraction of biochar and the content of extractable K, sodium (Na), and calcium (Ca) and a direct relation with the contents of phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg). As the total determined amounts of inorganic elements were significantly higher compared to aqueous-extractable amounts, we believe it could indicate the potential for repeated release to the surrounding soil. These findings were also confirmed by the analysis of biochar samples obtained after the cultivation (duration of 2 years) in selected representative soil samples from the Czech Republic (Cambisol, Fluvisol, Regosol, Chernozem). Moreover, gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectroscopy (MS) was further used to reveal the concentrations of available polycyclic aromatic and heterocyclic compounds in biochar samples. The detected concentration of these types of organic compounds were far below the certified limits. We believe our in-depth analysis could provide the necessary insight into the description of biochar mineral content, its connection to biochar texture, corresponding physicochemical properties and potential availability to leach nutrients to the soil. These findings could help in further assessment of the potential applications of biochar in modern agriculture as a soil conditioner.

The formation of a rigid tough interface based on a nacre-like structure in carbon fiber (CF) composites is a promising way to eliminate low delamination resistance. An effective method of coating CFs is electrophoretic deposition (EPD), which, in the case of dissimilar components like graphene oxide (GO) and polymeric glue, usually requires their chemical bonding/ strong interactions. In this work, we focus on chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs), leading to an excellent mechanical performance of artificial nacre, where favorable interactions and bonding with GO were controlled by degrees of deacetylation (5, 15 and 30 %). We have prepared coatings based on GO/ChNCs adducts with 95/5, 90/10,50/50 and 25/75 ratios using optimized EPD conditions (pH, concentration, voltage and time). The prepared materials were characterized using FTIR, TEM, XPS, SEM, DLS, and XRD. SEM evaluation indicates the formation of a homogeneous interlayer, which possesses a fair ability of chemical bonding with the epoxy matrix. Short beam testing of epoxy matrix composites indicates that coating does not decrease stiffness and its relatively low dependence on composition. Therefore, all coatings are promising for a detailed study of delamination resistance using laminate samples. Moreover, facile EPD from water solution/ suspension has a fair potential for industrial applications.

The main development direction of energy efficiency technologies in construction is the creation of various materials with a complex structure and unique strength, thermal and other properties. The aerogel is a material with high porosity and excellent thermal insulation properties. This paper provides the state-of-the-art of aerogel applications for the additive manufacturing of energy efficient buildings. This work provides the experimental and numerical assessment results of thermal conductivity of aerogel-enhanced blanket, the experimental assessment results of thermal performance of aerogel-enhanced building structure, the experimental assessment results of the aerogel application as mixture powder component of the concrete mixture to printing building and the experimental assessment results of the aerogel application as parget powder component. Experimental results show the effect of aerogel powder component application: thermal conductivity decreased by 25%.

In situ imaging of molecular markers on a physical chromosome is an indispensable tool for refin-ing of genetic maps and validation genome assembly at the chromosomal level. Despite tremen-dous progress in genome sequencing the plant genome assembly at chromosome level still remain a challenge. Recently developed optical and Hi-C mapping aim to assist in genome assembly. For high-confidence in the genome assembly at chromosome level more independent approaches will be required. The present study aimed to refined an ultrasensitive Tyr-FISH technique and to de-velop a reliable and easy method for in situ mapping of a short unique DNA sequences on plant chromosomes. We have carefully analyzed the critical steps of the Tyr-FISH technique to find out the reasons for the failures of using the method. It has been shown that successful visualization of marker/gene depends significantly on method of chromosome slide preparation, probe design and labelling, high stringency washing. Appropriate adjustment of these steps allowed us to detect a short DNA sequence of 1.7Kb with a frequency of 51.6%. Based on our results, we developed a reliable and simple protocol for dual-color Tyr-FISH visualization of short unique DNA sequences on plant chromosomes. New protocol allows more accurate determination of the physical distance between markers and can be applied for faster integration of genetic and cytogenetic maps.

High resolution melting (HRM) analysis is a powerful detection method for fast, high-throughput post-PCR analysis. A two-step HRM marker system was developed for identification of the N-, S-, R- and T-cytoplasms of onion. In the first step for identification of N-, S-, and R-cytoplasms, one forward primer was designed to the identical sequences of both cox1 and orf725 genes and two reverse primers specific to the polymorphic sequences of cox1 and orf725 genes were used. For the second step breeding lines with N-cytoplasm were evaluated with primers developed from the orfA501 sequence to distinguish between N- and T-cytoplasms. An amplicon with primers to the mitocondrial atp9 gene was used as an internal control. The two-step HRM marker system was tested using 246 onion plants. HRM analysis showed that the most common source of CMS, often used by Russian breeders, is S-cytoplasm, the rarest type of CMS is R-cytoplasm, and the proportion of T-cytoplasm among the analyzed breeding lines was 20.5%.

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate five glacierized river basins that are global in coverage and vary in climate. The river basins included the Narayani (Nepal), Vakhsh (Central Asia), Rhone (Switzerland), Mendoza (Central Andes, Argentina), and Central Dry Andes (Chile) with a total area of 85,000 km2. A modified SWAT snow algorithm was applied in order to consider spatial variation of associated snow melt /accumulation by elevation band across each subbasin. In the previous studies, melt rates varied as a function of elevation resulting from an air temperature gradient while the snow parameters were constant throughout the entire basin. A major improvement of the new snow algorithm is separating the glaciers from seasonal snow based on their characteristics. Two SWAT snow algorithms were evaluated in simulation of monthly runoff from glaciered watershed: 1) the snow parameters are lumped (i.e. constant throughout the entire basin) and 2) the snow parameters are spatially variable based on elevation band-subbasin (i.e. modified snow algorithm). Applying the distributed SWAT snow algorithm improved the model performance in simulation of monthly runoff with snow-glacial regime, so that mean RSR decreased to 0.49 from 0.55 and NSE increased to 0.75 from 0.69. Improvement of model performance was negligible in simulation of monthly runoff from the basins with monsoon runoff regime.

Extensive genome structure variation, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and presence/absence variations, is the basis for the remarkable maize genetic diversity; however, the effect of CNVs on maize herbivory defense remains largely underexplored. Here, we report that the naturally occurring duplication of the maize 9-lipoxygenase gene, ZmLOX5, leads to increased resistance of maize to herbivory by fall armyworms (FAW). Previously, we showed that ZmLOX5-derived oxylipins are required for defense against chewing insect herbivores and identified several inbred lines, including Yu796, that contained duplicated CNVs of ZmLOX5, referred to as Yu796-2×LOX5. To test whether introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus into the herbivore-susceptible B73 background that contains a single ZmLOX5 gene is a feasible approach to increase resistance, we generated a series of near-isogenic lines that contained either 2, 1 or 0 copies of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in the B73 background by six back crosses (BC6). Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the successful introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in B73. The resulting B73-2×LOX5 inbred line displayed increased resistance against FAW associated with increased expression of ZmLOX5, increased wound-induced production of its primary oxylipin product, the α-ketol, 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9,10-KODA), and the downstream defense hormones regulated by this molecule, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Surprisingly, wound-induced JA-Ile production was not increased in B73-2×LOX5, resulting from the increased JA catabolism. Furthermore, B73-2×LOX5 displayed enhanced drought tolerance likely due to increased ABA and 12-OPDA content. Taken together, this study revealed that the duplicated CNV of ZmLOX5 quantitively contributes to maize antiherbivore defense and presents proof-of-concept evidence that the introgression of naturally occurring duplicated CNVs of a defensive gene into the productive, but susceptible, crop varieties is a feasible breeding approach for enhancing plant resistance to herbivory and tolerance to abiotic stress.

Soil-borne Trichoderma spp. have been extensively studied for their biocontrol activities against pathogens and growth promotion ability with plants. However, the beneficial effect of Trichoderma on inducing resistance against insect herbivores has been considered only recently. Among diverse Trichoderma species, consistent with previous reports, we showed that root colonization by T. virens triggered induced systemic resistance (ISR) to leaf-infecting fungal pathogens. Whether T. virens induces ISR to insect pests has not been tested before. In this study, we investigated whether T. virens affects jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and defense against fall armyworm (FAW) and western corn rootworm (WCR). Unexpectedly, the results showed that T. virens colonization of maize seedlings grown in autoclaved soil suppressed wound-induced production of JA, resulting in reduced resistance to FAW. Similarly, the bacterial endophyte Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84 suppressed systemic resistance to FAW due to reduced JA. Further comparative analyses of the systemic effects of these endophytes when applied into sterile or non-sterile field soil showed that both T. virens and P. chlororaphis 30-84 triggered ISR against hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola in both soil conditions, but only suppressed resistance to FAW in sterile soil. In contrast to the effect on FAW defense, T. virens colonization of maize roots suppressed WCR larvae survival and weight gain. This is the first report suggesting the potential role of T. virens as a biocontrol agent against WCR.

Keywords: pelvic ultrasound, follicle number per ovary, FNPO, ovarian volume, PCOM, upper normal limits, referral population

We aimed to assess the prevalence, content structure and psychological comorbidity of PIU in Russian adolescents. In addition, the design of our research provided an opportunity to compare demographic and psychological patterns of different forms of PIU: generalised (PIUgen) and specific – problematic video game use (PUgame) as well as problematic social media use (PUsocial). Methods: This is a one-stage cross-sectional observational study of school sampling in three major Siberian cities. A total of 4514 schoolchildren aged 12-18 (mean age 14.52±1.52 years) were surveyed. Chen Internet Addiction Scale, Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents”, and The Social Media Disorder Scale were used to identify PIU and its types. Results: The prevalence of PIUgen among adolescents in Central Siberia was 7.2%; the prevalence of PUgame was 10.4%; the prevalence of PUsocial was 8.0%. The results of structural equation modelling, as well as the correlation analysis data, suggest two possible patterns of psychosocial problems with PIU – the first one characteristic of both PIUgen and PUsocial, the second one, significantly different, – of PUgame. Conclusions: Urban adolescents in Central Siberia do not differ significantly from their Asian and European peers. Our findings support the concept of rejecting the term “generalised PIU” as a single psychological construct.

A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the proteinaceous aggregates formed by the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) that is deposited inside the brain as amyloid plaques. The accumulation of aggregated Aβ may initiate or enhance pathologic processes in AD. According to the amyloid hypothesis any agent that has the capability to inhibit Aβ aggregation and/or destroy amyloid plaques represents a potential disease modifying drug. In 2023, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (lecanemab) against the Aβ soluble protofibrils was approved by US FDA for AD therapy thus providing compelling support to the amyloid hypothesis. To acquire a deeper insight on the in vivo Aβ aggregation, various animal models, including aged herbivores and carnivores, non-human primates, transgenic rodents, fish and worms are widely exploited. This review is based on the recent data obtained using transgenic animal AD models and presents experimental verification of the critical role in Aβ aggregation seeding of the interactions between zinc ions, Aβ with the isomerized Asp7 (isoD7- Aβ) and the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is an important factor of stress tolerance in microbial cells. In yeast, the major enzyme of polyP biosynthesis is Vtc4, a subunit of the vacuole transporter chaperone (VTC) complex. In this study, we demonstrated that Vtc4 knockout in Saccharomyces cerevisiae not only decreased polyP content but also caused shifts in the composition of the intracellular polyP pool and changed the stress tolerance profile. In the mutant S. cerevisiae, the level of short-chain acid-soluble polyPs was decreased nearly 10-fold, whereas that of longer acid-insoluble polyPs was decreased only 2-fold, suggesting the existence of other enzymes compensating the production of long-chain polyPs. The Δvtc4 mutant showed inhibition of Mg2+-dependent phosphate uptake and decreased resistance to alkaline stress but increased tolerance to oxidation and heavy metal ions, especially Mn2+. Quantitative PCR revealed the upregulation of the DDR2 gene implicated in multiple stress responses and downregulation of PHO84 encoding a phosphate and Mn2+ transporter, which could account for the effects on phosphate uptake and Mn2+-related stress response in the Δvtc4 mutant. Our study indicates that short-chain polyPs, plays an important role in the regulation of stress response in yeast.

We present a very computationally light and fast approximation algorithm and then verify it with genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. We show that our algorithm is on par with GA and SA in terms of output produced while having a tightly bounded time complexity. Our algorithm works best when there is a strong positive correlation between the reliability of a component and its cost. We present two algorithms with the same essence. One of them is system cost bounded and the other is target reliability bounded. Our proposed algorithm works on a subsystem level redundancy instead of component level redundancy.

A healthy lifestyle and environmental protection play a big role in today's modern society. The production of organic wine, as with other organic commodities, is therefore increasingly popular with consumers. The selling price of organic wine is higher than that of wine that is not declared organic or BIO, so the question arises from consumers whether these wines contain more bioactive compounds and substances beneficial to the body. From a general point of view, it is known that grapevines contain a wide range of natural phenols and polyphenols. These substances affect the sensory properties of wines, especially color, and taste. The most of phenolic substances are found in red wines, slightly less in orange, and the lowest amounts are found in white wines. However, the representation of individual substances and their ratios differ based on the varieties and age of the wines. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the profile (chemical, physical and sensory) of organic wines compared to wines made from non-organic grapes, which are grown in a selected wine region - Kutná Hora. The analyzed wines were made from the same grape wine cultivar in the Kutná Hora area. The following analyzes were performed on the wine samples: the phenolic and antioxidant profile, the content of sulfites (free and total), alcohol, sugars, vitamins, density determination, and also sensory evaluation. The present study showed exact differences between samples of wines produced from the same cultivar, and same region, but declared as organic wines and wines from conventional production. Although a higher amount of bioactive substances is expected in wines from organic production, in most cases of presented analyzes, it did not show a statistically significant difference in the sense of a higher amount in BIO wines, on the contrary, in many cases the content of these substances was higher in wines from integrated production.

In the last decades droughts, deforestation and wildfires have become recurring phenomena that have affected both human activities and natural ecosystems in Amazonia. The time an ecosystem requires to recover from carbon losses is a crucial metric to evaluate disturbance impacts on forests. However, the factors influencing and controlling the recovery time and its spatiotemporal patterns at the regional scale are still poorly understood. In this study, we combined forest growth model, remote sensing and field plots, to map Amazonia-wide (300-ha resolution) impact and recovery time of aboveground biomass (AGB) after drought, fire and a combination of logging and fire. Our simulated results indicate that AGB decreases by 4%, 19% and 46% in forests disturbed by drought, fire and logging + fire, respectively, with an average AGB recovery time of 27 years for drought, 44 years for burned and 63 years for logged + burned areas and with maximum values reaching 184 years in areas of high fire intensity. Our findings provide two major insights in the spatial and temporal patterns of drought and wildfire in the Amazon: 1) the recovery time of the forests takes longer in the southeastern part of the basin, and, 2) as droughts and wildfires become more frequent – since the intervals between the disturbances is getting shorter than forest regeneration – potentially causing a long-lasting damage in these fragile ecosystems and a permanent degradation.

The aims of this study are to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of Cambodian household’s rice production and trying to determine its main influencing factors using the stochastic frontier production function. The study utilized primary data collected from 301 rice farmers in three selected districts of Battambang by structured questionnaires. The empirical results indicated the level of household rice output varied according to differences in the efficiency of production processes. The mean TE is 0.34 which means that famers produce 34% of rice at best practice at the current level of production inputs and technology, indicates that rice output has the potential of being increased further by 66% at the same level of inputs if farmers had been technically efficient. Furthermore, between 2013-2015 TE of household’s rice production recorded -14.3% decline rate due to highly affected of drought during dry season of 2015. Moreover, evidence reveals that land, fertilizer, and pesticide are the major influencing input factors of household’s rice production, while disaster, education of household head, family size and other crops’ cultivated area are core influencing factors decreasing TE. Conversely, the main influencing factors increasing TE are irrigated area, number of plot area and sex of household head.

The aims of this study are to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of Cambodian household’s rice production and trying to determine its main influencing factors using the stochastic frontier production function. The study utilized primary data collected from 301 rice farmers in three selected districts of Battambang by structured questionnaires. The empirical results indicated the level of household rice output varied according to differences in the efficiency of the production processes. The mean TE is 0.34 which means that famers produce 34% of rice at best practice at the current level of production inputs and technology, indicates that rice output has the potential of being increased further by 66% at the same level of inputs if farmers had been technically efficient. Furthermore, between 2013-2015, TE of household’s rice production recorded -14.3% decline rate due to highly affected of drought during dry season of 2015. Moreover, evidence reveals that land, fertilizer, and pesticide are the major influencing input factors of household’s rice production, while disaster, education of household head, family size and other crops’ cultivated area are core influencing factors decreasing TE. Conversely, the main influencing factors increasing TE are irrigated area, number of plot area and sex of household head.

The present study aims to measure the technical efficiency and establish core factors effecting rice production in Cambodia. Four-years dataset generated from the central government document “Profile on Economics and Social” of entire 25 provinces between 2012-2015 and the stochastic production frontier model (SFA) was applied. The results indicated that the level of output (quantity) of Cambodian rice production varied according to the different level of capital investment in agricultural machineries, total rice actual harvested area, and technically fertilizers application within provinces. Furthermore, evidence revealed the overall mean efficiency of rice production is 78.4% implies that there is still room to further improve technical efficiency by given the same level of inputs and technology. More importantly, the findings revealed that irrigation, production technique and amount of agricultural supporting staffs are being as the most important influencing factors of rice production’s technical efficiency in Cambodia. In conclusion, present study strongly recommends the development of irrigation systems and good water management practices to be considered and bring into more effective actions by the central government as well as related agencies for improving rice production in Cambodia in addition to capital investment and improving technical skills of supporting staffs and rural farmers.

Cotton is the most ubiquitous and profitable fiber with diverse industrial and domestic applications. Grown in over 100 countries, it has a global market value of about $40 billion and employs over 350 million people from fields to textile mills, contributing about 7% of total labor-force recruitment in developing economies. Cotton has an indeterminate growth habit and an extensive tap root system affected by soil physicochemical and environmental conditions. There is a consensus among experts that conventional cotton cultivation still has a long way to attain sustainability, which is essential if cotton will maintain its competitive edge over other natural and synthetic fibers like hemp, polyesters, and rayon. Despite several efforts already committed to growing cotton sustainably, sustainability has eluded cotton cultivation globally because of the intense farm inputs (freshwater, pesticides, and heavy-duty equipment) needs, especially in developing economies. Some of the technological advancements towards achieving the goal of sustainable cotton cultivation include the development of new varieties, improved irrigation and mulching and precision agriculture techniques, application of remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) combined with image processing, and the introduction of autonomous and multi-purpose robotic platforms for growing and harvesting cotton. This review attempts to evaluate the successes already achieved by stakeholders in moving cotton towards sustainable production and identify areas where efforts are still needed to reach sustainable production and improved profitability goals for cotton with projections for future research directions.

Keywords: olfactory rehabilitation; chronic pain; fMRI;

Hemolysin II (HlyII) – one of the pathogenic factors of Bacillus cereus, a pore-forming β-barrel toxin – possesses a C-terminal extension of 94 amino acid residues, designated as the C-terminal domain of HlyII (HlyIICTD), which plays an important role in the functioning of the toxin. Our previous work described a monoclonal antibody (HlyIIC-20), capable of strain-specific inhibi-tion of hemolysis caused by HlyII, and demonstrated the dependence of the efficiency of hemol-ysis on the presence of proline at position 324 in HlyII outside the conformational antigenic de-terminant. In this work, we studied 16 mutant forms of HlyIICTD. Each of the mutations, ob-tained by multiple site-directed mutagenesis leading to the replacement of amino acid residues lying on the surface of the 3D structure of HlyIICTD, led to a decrease in the interaction of HlyIIC-20 with the mutant form of the protein. Changes in epitope structure confirm the high conformational mobility of HlyIICTD required for the functioning of HlyII. Comparison of the effect of the introduced mutations on the effectiveness of interaction between HlyIICTD and HlyIIC-20 and a control antibody recognizing a non-overlapping epitope enabled identifying the amino acid residues N339, K340 included in the conformational antigenic determinant rec-ognized by HlyIIC-20.

The ability to directly look into genome sequences has opened great opportunities in plant breeding. Yet, the assembly of full-length chromosomes remains one of the most difficult problems in modern genomics. Genetic maps are commonly used in de novo genome assembly and are constructed on the basis of a statistical analysis of the number of recombination rather than physical distance in base pairs. This may affect the accuracy of the ordering and orientation of scaffolds within the chromosome, especially in the region of recombination suppression. Here we report the use of Tyr-FISH for validation of genetic and pseudochromosome maps. For probe design we developed a pipeline that is based on selection of a unique sequence with minimal potential fluorescent background arising from non-specific in situ hybridization. In total of 24 unique genes were located on physical chromosomes 2 and 6. The order of markers has been corrected by integration genetic and cytogenetic maps. Tyr-FISH mapping showed that the order of 23.1% (chromosome 2) and 27.3% (chromosome 6) of the tested genes differed between physical chromosomes and pseudochromosomes. Also the position of the mlh1 gene, which was not on the genetic map, was defined on physical chromosome 2. The results suggest the possibility of Tyr-FISH mapping of any gene that may not be neither on the genetic map nor in the assembly. Hence, Tyr-FISH provides valuable information for the improvement of the genome assembly.

Revealing the spatial distribution mechanism of the coupling effect between soil water and salt is essential for managing saline-alkali farmland. This study utilized the multifractal method to analyze soil water and salt under varying water content levels in arid saline-alkali farmland. Soil samples were collected on the second (S1), fifth (S2), eighth (S3), eleventh (S4), and fourteenth (S5) days after a rainfall event. The findings showed that a significant decrease in soil water content, contrasting with an increase in soil salt content throughout the soil layers post-rainfall. As water content decreased, the spatial variability of soil water initially increased from S1-3 and then decreased, while the spatial variability of soil salt decreased. The spatial distribution between soil water and salt exhibited a high correlation at S3-4 (with relative water content of soil ranging from 0.52 to 0.75) due to their coupling effect. However, soil salt was unevenly leached by rainfall at high water content levels (S1-2) and precipitated at low water content levels (S5), resulting in low spatial variability correlations between soil water and salt. This study elucidated the coupling process of soil water and salt, identifying their spatiotemporal distribution mechanism in dryland agricultural areas.

More than 20 years after the discovery of the first anelloviruses (AVs), they still remain a mysterious group of viruses. To date, there is no clear understanding of their impact on the host organism, although information is emerging about their participation in various pathologies. However, it is well known that AVs are an important component of the human virome. In the current study we assessed the abundance of AVs in viromes from four nasal and pharyngeal samples from children with respiratory symptoms using a metagenomic approach. It is worth noting that three patients had known respiratory viruses and one did not have any. Regarding AVs, they were detected in all samples, namely Torque teno mini virus (TTMV). The greatest abundance and diversity of AVs (Torque teno virus (TTV), TTMV and Torque teno midi virus (TTMDV)) were shown in a diseased patient with an absence of respiratory viruses, which may indicate the potential involvement of AVs in the maintenance of respiratory symptoms. An activated immune system to combat the main pathogens, against the background of which the number of AVs decreases, is discussed as a possible reason for the reduced diversity of anellome in other patients. We also compared the results of the metagenomic approach and qPCR for major respiratory viruses, which were in agreement. In addition, metagenomic sequencing made it possible to obtain additional data on viral genomes in order to establish their taxonomic identification and characterize individual viral profiles in patients from the Siberian part of Russia.

Coronary revascularization is one of the most studied treatment modalities in cardiology, however, there is no consensus among experts about its indications in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD). Contemporary data regarding the role of revascularization in SCAD are in clear conflict with the current European guidelines. This article discusses the main statements of the most significant American and European Guidelines on myocardial revascularization of the last decade, and also analyzes the appropriateness of revascularization to improve the prognosis and symptoms in CCS in the light of new research data, primarily the ISCHEMIA study (NCT01471522) and ACC/AHA 2021 Revascularization Guidelines based on them. Data on the revascularization in CCS obtained after the completion of ISCHEMIA (including the interim analysis of ISCHEMIA-EXTEND) and their potential significance are discussed. The results of ISCHEMIA sub-analyses in the most important ‘controversial’ subgroups (3-vessel disease, proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) disease, strongly positive stress test, etc.) are reviewed, as well as the results of the ISCHEMIA-CKD substudy in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Electrospun ultrathin fibers based on binary compositions of polylactide (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with different ratios of polymer components from 0/100 to 100/0 wt. % were studied. Using a combination of thermal (DSC) and relaxation (EPR) measurements, the effect of biopolymers content on the characteristics of the crystal structure of PLA and PCL and the diffusive rotational mobility of the stable TEMPO radical in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL compositions was shown. It was revealed that after PLA and PCL blending, significant changes in the degree of crystallinity of PLA, PCL segmental mobility, sorption capacity of the radical as well as activation energy of rotational diffusion in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL composition are observed. The characteristic region of biopolymers’ composition from 50/50 to 30/70 % PLA/PCL blends ratio was found, where the inversion transition of PLA from dispersive medium to dispersive phase where an inversion transition is assumed when the continuous medium of the PLA transforms into a discrete phase. The performed studies made it possible for the first time to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the effect of the system component ratio on the structural and dynamic characteristics of the PLA/PCL film material at the molecular level.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are one of the most rapidly evolving types of solvents, appearing in a broad range of applications such as nanotechnology, electrochemistry, biomass transformation, pharmaceuticals, membrane technology, biocomposite development, modern 3D-printing, and many others. The range of their applicability continues to expand, which demands the development of new DESs with improved properties. To do so requires an understanding of the fundamental relationship between the structure and properties of DESs. Computer simulation and machine learning techniques provide a fruitful approach as they can provide predictions, reveal physical mechanisms and readily be linked to experiments. This review is devoted to the computational research of DESs and describes technical features of DES simulations and the corresponding perspectives on various DES applications. The aim is to demonstrate the current frontiers of computational research of DESs and discuss future perspectives.

Oxytocin (OT) is regarded as an extremely important prosocial neuropeptide that dramatically affects the establishment of social connections from infancy to adulthood. OT effects on the psychoemotional state are pretty individual and may be dependent on age, gender, ethnocultural factors, social environment, the presence of stress factors, and features of personality. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief psychopathological screening tool and is recommended for the detection and classification of psychosocial problems in adolescents. The current field school-based study, conducted among urban Siberian adolescents (n = 298 aged 12–18) explored the relation of SDQ scales in relation to genotypes of CD38 gene that controls oxytocin release, rs3796863, and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576. The results of our study show that during the adolescence period, OT pathway high activity can cause some negative effects, such as emotional instability in young (aged 12–14) adolescent girls in the case of carriage of the rs3796863 A allele and emotional disturbances in older (aged 15–18) adolescent boys who are carriers of a GG variant of rs53576. Our results support the hypothesis of OT-mediated excessive social sensitivity which can lead to some age-sex depending psychosocial problems during adolescence.

The ability of S. aureus to infect humans and cause a wide range of infections so efficiently is a consequence of the many variant virulence factors that it can produce. Superantigens (SAgs) make up a group of them and include staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE). The main objective of this study was to detect enterotoxin gene cluster (EGC) in S. aureus isolates that caused infections in Paraguayan children in the year 2017, through an observational and cross-sectional study. The detection of the EGC including the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu genes, was carried out by end-point PCR. 181 S. aureus isolates were collected, most of them caused skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI, n=140, 77%) and came from children under 6 years 50% (n=90). At least one SE gene was detected in 96% (174/181) of isolates and 24% (44/181) carried the entire EGC. An association between methicillin resistance and seg, sei, seo, and seu gene carriage (p ≤0.05) was observed. A high prevalence of EGC was detected in S. aureus isolates collected from infected children attending the main health care centers in Paraguay, its importance is due to the potential of these toxins to aggravate staphylococcal infections.

This paper analyses the application of deep learning techniques for predicting wave overtopping events in port environments using sea state and weather forecasts as inputs. The study was conducted in the outer port of Punta Langosteira, A Coruña, Spain. A video recording infrastructure was installed to monitor overtopping events from 2015 to 2022, identifying 3709 overtopping events. The data collected was merged with actual and predicted data for the sea state and weather conditions during the overtopping events, creating three datasets. We used these datasets to create several machine learning models to predict whether an overtopping event would occur based on sea state and weather conditions. The final models achieved a high accuracy level during the training and testing stages: 0.81, 0.73, and 0.84 average accuracy during training and 0.67, 0.48, and 0.86 average accuracy during testing, respectively. The results of this study have significant implications for port safety and efficiency, as wave overtopping events can cause disruptions and potential damage. Using deep learning techniques for overtopping prediction can help port managers take preventative measures and optimize operations, ultimately improving safety and helping to minimize the economic impact that overtopping events have on the port's activities.

The reported study was devoted to the investigation of viscoelastic behavior for solid and porous ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) under compression. The obtained experimental stress curves were interpreted using a two-term Prony series to represent the superposition of two coexisting activation processes corresponding to long molecular (~160 s) and short structural (~20 s) time scales, respectively, leading to good statistical correlation with the observations. In the case of porous polymer, the internal strain redistribution during relaxation was quantified using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) analysis. The strongly inhomogeneous deformation of the porous polymer was found not to affect the relaxation times. In order to generalize the results to three dimensions, X-ray tomography was used to examine the porous structure at the macro- and micro-scale levels. DIC analysis revealed positive correlation between the applied force and relative density. The apparent stiffness variation for UHMWPE foams with mixed open and closed cells was described using a newly proposed three-term expression. Furthermore, the in situ tensile loading and X-ray scattering study was applied for isotropic solid UHMWPE specimens to investigate their parameters of internal structure during orientation and stress relaxation process at another mode.

“De-[Constructing] Growth” is offered as a deeper and more useful conceptualization that avoids the negative connotations of, and resistance to, “degrowth” by decoupling profit from unsustainable consumption, production, and inequality.

Brushless Synchronous Machines (BSM) are replacing conventional synchronous machines with static excitation in generation facilities due to the absence of sparking and lower maintenance. However, this excitation system makes challenging measuring electric parameters in the rotor. This fact highly difficult the detection of ground faults, which are the most common type of electrical fault in electric machines. In this paper, a ground fault detection method for BSM is proposed. It is based on an inductive AC/DC rotating current sensor installed in the shaft. In case of a ground fault in the rotating parts of the BSM, a fault current will flow through the rotor’s sensor, inducing voltage in its stator. Analyzing the frequency components of the induced voltage the detection of a ground fault in the rotating elements is possible. The ground faults detection method proposed covers the whole rotor and discern between DC and AC sides. To corroborate the detection method, experimental tests have been performed using a prototype of this sensor connected to laboratory synchronous machines achieving satisfactory results.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have shown a high potential for cartilage repair. Collagen-based scaffolds are used to deliver and retain cells at the site of cartilage damage. The aim of the work was a comparative analysis of the capacity of the MSCs from human adipose tissue to differentiate into chondrocytes in vitro and to stimulate the regeneration of articular cartilage in an experimental model of rabbit knee osteoarthrosis when cultured on microheterogenic collagen-based hydrogel (МCH) and the microparticles of decellularized porcine articular cartilage (DPC). The morphology of samples was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and histological staining methods. On the surface of the DPC, the cells were distributed more uniformly than on the MCH surface. On day 28, the cells cultured on the DPC produced glycosaminoglycans more intensely compared to the MCH with the synthesis of collagen type II. However, in the experimental model of osteoarthrosis, the stimulation of the cartilage regeneration was more effective when the MSCs were administered to the MCH carrier. The present study demonstrates the way to regulate the action of the MSCs in the area of cartilage regeneration: the MCH is more conducive to stimulating cartilage repair by the MSCs, while the DPC is an inducer for a formation of a cartilage-like tissue by the MSCs in vitro.

Silver and gold nanoparticles are a promising tool for medical and industrial application, therefore, their ecotoxicity should be carefully examined. The effect of silver (12 nm) and gold (4.7) nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol on Spirulina platensis biomass growth and biochemical composition was investigated. The spirulina cultivation medium was supplemented with nanoparticles in concentration range 0.025-0.5 µM. Given concentrations stimulated spirulina biomass growth, while content of proteins, carbohydrates and auxiliary pigments was affected insignificantly by presence of nanoparticles in cultivation medium. The pronounced effect of gold nanoparticles at concentration 0.5 µM on the lipids content was observed. TEM images demonstrate that nanoparticles penetrate inside the cell, resulting in ultrastructural changes in cells.

The paper presents a method to assess the effect of electrolyte additives on the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The method applies to any chemically unreactive additive, including suspensions and gels. The approach is thermodynamically based and it leads to the definition of a region of admissible concentrations –the battery’s admissible range– where the battery can undergo an indefinite number of charge/discharge cycles without suffering permanent damage. An experimental procedure to determine this range is presented. The obtained results provide a way to assess the potential of electrolyte additives to improve the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The same results also provide a means to determine the additive concentration that produces the maximum energy capacity increase of the battery. The paper closes with an example of application of the proposed approach to a practical case.

Background: The practice of self-medication is common worldwide and is an important component of medical self-care. However, the practice can be dangerous and is linked to various risks for the patients and the entire community. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication among Bangladeshi adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2021 among Bangladeshi adults (aged >19 years) using convenient sampling. A total of 1320 data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with self-medication practice (SMP). Results: Overall, 41% of adults in our survey reported SMP. The most common illnesses that prompted SMP were common cold/flu (66.4%), gastric problems (65%), and headache (64.4%). The most frequent reasons for SMP were to get better services (30.59%), perceive SMP without side effects (23.28%), and save time with effectiveness (14.56%). Potential risk factors included 10 years (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.04 - 3.50) and >12 years of schooling (AOR = 5.03; 95% CI: 2.27 - 11.15), being a businessman (AOR = 4.64; 95% CI: 1.74 - 12.37), having ≤6 family members (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.40 - 3.24), being a member of a social group (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.10 - 2.12), a health status check after every six months (AOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.08 - 2.13), and current ill-health (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06 - 1.87). Protective factors identified included ≤30 years of age (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17 - 0.93), and practice of modern (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22- 0.69) and herbal (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21- 0.97) healing types. Conclusion: More than one-third of the study participants reported practicing self-medication. Increasing the community’s awareness of the extreme consequences of SMP and not just the average experience might sway individuals away from SMP, and implementing strict jurisdiction could be a way to minimize the SMP.

Biodiversity has become an issue of global anxiety over the past decades due to its rapid decline worldwide. Bangladesh as one of the most densely populated countries in the world is no more exception. The country, although, was once very rich in biodiversity, during the last few decades as a consequence of the rapid reduction in forest area, urbanisation, habitat modification, unsustainable natural resources use and collection and overall climate change it has decreased alarmingly. Of late, the government, as a signatory of various regional and international conservation treaties, has taken various initiatives to improve country’s dwindling biodiversity. This paper reviews the present situation of biodiversity in Bangladesh, management trends and major causes of biodiversity loss. A separate statutory body is fundamental to ensure conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arisen from biodiversity in the country.

To improve efficacy and safety of sunscreen emulsions, UV‐filter skin permeation could be kept as low as possible by reducing UV‐filter content or changing emulsion composition. In this work, different lipid phase ratio (12, 14 and 16% w/w) were assessed for their ability to affect the technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions in which bemotrizinol (BMTZ), a broad spectrum sunscreen agent, was incorporated free or loaded into nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLC) to reduce its release from the vehicle and, hence, its skin permeation. The following technological properties were evaluated in vitro by suitable methodologies: spreadability, viscosity, pH, occlusion factor, BMTZ release, sun protection factor (SPF). Sensory attributes were assessed by trained panelists in three different phases: before/during pick‐up, rub‐in, after application. Raising the lipid phase ratio led to an increase of viscosity and to a corresponding drop of spreadability while the incorporation of BMTZ‐loaded NLC determined a decrease of occlusion factor and an increase of SPF. No BMTZ release was observed from all emulsions. Sensory attributes were mainly affected by lipid phase ratio. These results suggest that lipid phase ratio and BMTZ incorporation into NLC could contribute to determine technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions.

Precise monitoring of individual crop growth and health status is crucial for precision agriculture practices. However, traditional manual inspection methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often lack the spatial resolution required for detailed analysis. This research addresses the need for efficient and high-resolution crop monitoring by leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery and advanced computational techniques. The primary objective was to develop a methodology for precise identification, extraction, and monitoring of individual corn crops throughout their growth cycle. This was achieved by integrating UAV-derived data with image processing, computational geometry, and machine learning techniques. UAV imagery was ac-quired bi-weekly at altitudes of 40m and 70m, capturing the entire growth cycle of a corn crop from planting to harvest. A time-series Canopy Height Model (CHM) was generated by analyzing the differences between the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and the Digital Surface Model (DSM) derived from the UAV data. Local spatial analysis and image processing techniques were em-ployed to determine the local maximum height of each crop. Subsequently, a Voronoi data model was developed to delineate individual crop canopies, successfully identifying 13,000 out of 13,050 corn crops in the study area. For enhanced accuracy in canopy size delineation, vegetation indices were incorporated into the Voronoi model segmentation, refining the initial canopy area esti-mates by eliminating interference from soil and shadows. The proposed methodology enables precise estimation and monitoring of crop canopy size, height, biomass reduction, lodging, and stunted growth over time, providing valuable insights for precision agriculture practices. This work contributes to the scientific community by demonstrating the potential of integrating UAV technology, computational geometry, and machine learning for accurate and efficient crop mon-itoring at the individual plant level.

Heterochromatin formation plays a pivotal role in regulating chromatin organization and influences nuclear architecture, and genome stability and expression. Among the regions at which heterochromatin is present, pericentric regions are known to recruit the histone variant macroH2A1. However, the factors and mechanisms behind macroH2A1 incorporation into these regions have not been explored. In this study, we probe different conditions that lead to the recruitment of macroH2A1 to pericentromeric regions and elucidate its underlying functions. Through experiments conducted on murine fibroblastic cells, we discover that partial chromatin relaxation resulting from DNA damage, senescence or histone hyper-acetylation, is necessary for the recruitment of macroH2A1 to pericentric regions. Furthermore, macroH2A1 is required for up-regulation of noncoding pericentric RNA expression but not for pericentric chromatin organization. Our findings shed light on the functional rather than structural significance of macroH2A1 incorporation into pericentric chromatin.

In this study, we address the formidable challenge of solving large-scale Max-Cut problems (MCP). We introduce a rapid computational procedure utilizing a hybrid 1-flip/r-flip local search heuristic. This innovative strategy significantly reduces the computational time required for MCP problems while consistently generating solutions of exceptional quality. The paper presents substantial computational insights, showcasing the effectiveness of our approach on very-large-scale Max-Cut instances with varying densities. Our proposed heuristic is rigorously evaluated by comparing its performance against a quantum annealing solver, leveraging a multi-start Tabu Search framework. The results underscore the potency of this unique combination as an efficient and effective solution for large-scale QUBO problems. Notably, our hybrid heuristic consistently delivers high-quality solutions within the stringent CPU time limits of 600 seconds, demonstrating its efficacy across Max-Cut instances ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 variables. This research contributes to advancing the state-of-the-art in large-scale QUBO problem-solving, offering a powerful and time-efficient approach with broad applicability.

This paper proposes two max-pooling engines, named the RTB-MAXP engine and the CMB-MAXP engine, with a scalable window size parameter for FPGA-based convolutional neural network (CNN) implementation. The max-pooling operation for the CNN can be decomposed into two stages, i.e., a horizontal axis max-pooling operation and a vertical axis max-pooling operation. These two one-dimensional max-pooling operations are performed by tracking the rank of the values within the window in the RTB-MAXP engine and cascading the maximum operations of the values in CMB-MAXP engine. Both the RBM-MAXP engine and the CMB-MAXP engine were implemented using VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and verified by simulations. They have been employed for and tested in our CNN accelerator targeting at the CNN model YOLOv4-CSP-S-Leaky for object detection.

This study presents the synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of nitrogen-doped vanadium oxide (N-V2O3/C) as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), using a hydrothermal method. Compared to undoped V2O3/C, N-V2O3/C exhibits enhanced electrical conductivity, capacity, and electrochemical kinetics, attributed to the incorporation of pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen. Initial charge-discharge cycles indicate phase transitions to amorphous vanadium oxides, enhancing conductivity. N-V2O3/C shows a high specific capacity of 168.4 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 and remarkable reversibility, highlighted by the transient existence of intermediate species during cycling. Optimal electrochemical performance is achieved with a vanadium to nitrogen molar ratio of 2:3, indicating the significant impact of nitrogen doping concentration on the material’s efficiency. This work underscores the potential of N-V2O3/C as a superior cathode material for AZIBs.

Using density functional theory (DFT), the density of states of NH4V3O8 (NVO) was analyzed pre and post-oxygen defects (Od) formation. The findings revealed a reduced bandgap in NVO after Od introduction, emphasizing the role of Od in enhancing conductivity of the material, thus improving its electrochemical attributes. Through the water bath method, both NVO and its oxygen-deficient counterpart, (NH4)2V10O25⸱8H2O (NVOd), were synthesized as potential cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Experimental outcomes resonated with DFT predictions, highlighting the beneficial role of oxygen defects in boosting electrical conductivity. Notably, the refined material displayed a remarkable capacity of 479.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, underscoring its promise for advanced energy storage solutions.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

A total of 473 metabolites were identified from 4 sour cherry genotypes using UPLC-TOF-MS. Untargeted metabolomics revealed the dominant chemical groups present in sour cherries. PCA showed that the diversity in sour-cherry metabolites was due to the genotype differences indicating iditol, malic acid, chlorobenzene, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and pyroglutamic acid as the predominant contributors. The variable importance in the projection (VIP > 1.0) in partial least-squares–discriminant analysis described 20 biomarker metabolites, representing the cherry metabolome profiles. A heatmap of Pearson’s correlation analysis between the 20 biomarker metabolites and antioxidant activities identified seven antioxidant determinants that displayed the highest correlations with different types of antioxidant activities. This study of correlating metabolomics and antioxidant activities elucidated that the higher nutritional value and biological functions of select sour cherry genotypes can be useful for the development of nutraceutical and functional foods.

Meningitis is a severe disease associated with death in children under five with highest rates of infections under age of one. Vaccines for Neisseria meningitides and Haemophilus influenza are used to prevent the main causative agents of meningitis. Administration of H. influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine is recommended at 2, 4 and 6 months with a booster dose at 18 months. N. meningitidis has two commercially available vaccines, the pure polysaccharide is recommended at 24 months meanwhile the protein-conjugated vaccines at 12 months. We sought in this study to examine if coadministering the vaccines for the two main meningitis causing bacteria might be synergistic as a preliminary step towards the possibility of shuffling immunization schedule. So, we coadministered Hib vaccine with commercially available vaccines either quadrate (ACWY) polysaccharide meningococcal (Men) or conjugated meningococcal (Nim) vaccines in Balb/C mice (n = 6/group) and compared to each vaccine administered separately and controls. Thirty-five days post immunization, we measured specific antibodies titers. Hib vaccine increased Men antibody titers significantly for serotypes Y and W. When Hib vaccine was coadministrated with Nim, antibody titer for Y, W and A significantly increased. For serotype C, there was no significant difference in antibody titers among immunized groups. As for effect of meningococcal vaccines on Hib, Men significantly increased Hib antibody titers while Nim had no effect. Collectively, our data suggested that coadministration of Hib and Men or Nim vaccines was safe and had synergistic effect on immune responses elicited to both vaccines. Further studies are needed before immunization schedule modifications. Such immunization schedule recommendation should provide better protection against this life-threatening disease in young children.

Wheat is widely grown in the Mediterranean region, where plants frequently face water shortages. Recently, more attention to rationalizing irrigation water has been increased due to the adoption of sustainable agricultural systems. Therefore, two field trials were conducted at the Agriculture Research Station of Nubaria, Egypt, in two consecutive seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) to examine three irrigation regimes' effects, i.e., 60, 80, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) combined with foliar ascorbic acid (AsA) or vitamin B2 (VB2) on yield and water productivity of wheat in two separate experiments. A split-plot design was used with three replicates. Irrigation treatments occupied the main plots, while the subplot in the first experiment was placed by ascorbic acid (AsA) and vitamin B2 in the second experiment. Results indicated that 100% ETc produced higher wheat yield and its attributes and insignificantly surpassed 80% ETc. Compared to the unsprayed plots, the foliar application of 6 mM ascorbic acid or 2.0 mM vitamin B2 significantly increased grain yield, components, and water use efficiency. The interaction between irrigation regimes (100% ETc or 80% ETc) and foliar application of 6.0 mM ascorbic acid or 2.0 mM vitamin B2 resulted in the highest values with no significant difference. Foliar application of ascorbic acid or vitamin B2 saved 20% of irrigation water while yielding a reduction that did not exceed 10%. The biplot graph of treatments x traits (TT) was a useful statistical tool for examining the impact of treatments on yield and its characteristics and identifying the links between these factors. Results suggest that riboflavin or ascorbic acid may have a potential role as an effective antioxidant for enhancing the tolerance for drought stress in wheat.

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Pathogenicity of many bacteria including Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus depends on pore-forming toxins (PFTs), which cause lysis of host cells by forming pores in membranes of eukaryotic cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed in over 600 PFTs a region homologous to the Lys171-Gly250 sequence in hemolysin II (HlyII) from B. cereus, which we designated as “homologous peptide”. Three β-barrel PFTs were used for a detailed comparative analysis. Two of them –HlyII and cytotoxin K2 (CytK2), – are synthesized in Bacillus cereus sensu lato; the third – S. aureus α-toxin (Hla) – is the most investigated representative of the family. Protein modeling showed certain amino acids of homologous peptide to be located on the surface of the monomeric forms of these β-barrel PFTs. We obtained monoclonal antibodies against both a cloned homologous peptide and a 14-membered synthetic peptide DSFNTFYGNQLFMK as part of homologous peptide. The HlyII, CytK2 and Hla regions recognized by the obtained antibodies, as well as an antibody capable of suppressing the hemolytic activity of CytK2, were identified in the course of the work. Antibodies capable of recognizing PFTs of various origins can be useful tools for both identification and suppression of the cytolytic activity of PFTs.

Tissue-like phantoms are widely used as a model for mimicking the optical properties of live tissue. This paper presents the results of a diffusion reflection method as well as fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy measurements of fluorescein-conjugated gold nanorods in solution as well as inserted in solid tissue-imitating phantoms. A lack of consistency between the fluorescence lifetime results of the solutions and the phantoms raises a question about the ability of tissue-like phantoms to maintain the optical properties of inserted contrast agents.

Climate change, growing world population and increasing food demand require higher yields and adaptability of crops, including spring bread wheat. Modern plant breeding based on achievements of genetics has a significant impact on plant resistance to diseases, climate variability and other factors. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) is one of genetics tools for mining of genome loci associated with economically important traits. In the current study, we applied GWAS to reveal QTL for spike productivity and grain quality using a panel of spring varieties of Triticum aestivum L. bred in different decades of the last century in Russia and Germany. The study has enabled to find new genetic markers associated with grain yield and quality. Studying genetic basis of grain yield and quality by comparison of wheat varieties from different breeding periods, including landraces preserved as the source of valuable genetic diversity for breeding and genetic studies, makes it possible not only to understand selection processes in the past, but also to develop strategies for future breeding work.

In 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimated that there were 68,928 mustangs living on United States public lands in 10 western states. The agency uses Appropriate Management Levels to determine the number of mustangs who need to be removed from the land. Once removed and processed, mustangs are sent to adoptions or sales events or retained in short-or long-term holding facilities. Adoptions and sales are the leading avenues for rehoming mustangs; however, the number of horses the BLM can place fluctuates annually and never approaches the greater number removed from the range. To explore opportunities for increasing the number of mustang adoptions, we conducted in-depth interviews with 23 horse trainers located on the U.S. East Coast, asking about participants’ training programs, relationships with horses, perceptions of mustangs, and challenges that mustangs face in the dressage and eventing industries. Participants had varying experiences with mustangs; however, all were willing to work with a mustang in some capacity. Participants voiced the need for more satellite adoption locations on the East Coast to decrease barriers to acquiring a mustang, notably cost and time, and for expanding existing training programs to include eventing and dressage.

We report the relative humidity (R.H.) sensing response of a resistive sensor, employing sensing layers based on a ternary nanohybrid comprising holey carbon nanohorns (CNHox), potassium chloride (KCl), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at mass ratios 7/1/2, 6.5/1.5/2, and 6/2/2 (w/w/w/w). The sensing structure comprises a silicon substrate, a SiO2 layer, and interdigitated transducer (IDT) electrodes. The sensing film is deposited on the sensing structure via the drop-casting method. The sensing layers' morphology and composition are investigated through Scanning Electron Microscopy (S.E.M.) and RAMAN spectroscopy. The ternary hybrid-based thin film resistance increases when the sensors are exposed to R.H., ranging from 0% to 100%. The manufactured devices show a room temperature response comparable to a commercial capacitive R.H. sensor and are characterized by excellent linearity, rapid response time, and good sensitivity. The presented sensors exhibit superior performance in terms of sensitivity compared to other similarly manufactured and tested sensors that employ a CNHox-based sensing layer. We explain the sensing role of each constituent of the ternary hybrid nanocomposites based on their chemical and physical properties, electronic properties, and affinity for water molecules. Different alternative sensing mechanisms are considered and discussed, such as the decreasing number of holes in the holey CNHox at the interaction with water molecules, proton conduction, and PVP swelling.

Annually, more than 1.5 million preventable new hepatitis B (HBV) infections continue to occur, with an estimated global burden of 296 million individuals living with chronic hepatitis B infection. This substantial health challenge results in over 820,000 annual deaths attributed to complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV vaccination remains the cornerstone of public health policy to prevent chronic hepatitis B and its related complications. It serves as a crucial element in the global effort to eliminate HBV, as established by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an ambitious 90% vaccination target by 2030. However, reports on global birth dose coverage reveal substantial variability, with an overall coverage rate of only 46%. This comprehensive review thoroughly examines global trends in HBV vaccination coverage, investigating the profound impact of vaccination on HBV prevalence and its consequences across diverse populations, including both high-risk and general demographics. Additionally, the review addresses the formidable challenges and facilitating factors essential for achieving WHO's HBV vaccination coverage objectives and elimination strategies in the coming decade and beyond.

Drug resistance has become an extremely serious problem worldwide. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) entering the environment with wastewaters promote replenishment of the resistome of natural microbioms. Distribution of several clinically significant ARGs in wastewaters of Rostov-on-Don (Southern Russia), lower reaches of the Don River and natural waters of the neighboring region was investigated. Metagenomic DNA samples isolated from 250 ml of wastewaters or natural waters and 200 mg of surface sediments were used for the study. Identification of the ARGs was carried out with end-point detection PCR. Presence of NDM, OXA-48, CTX-M, VanA, VanB, ErmB, and TetM/TetO genes was detected in urban wastewaters. Samples of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sewage were enriched with ARGs in contrast to non-treated wastewaters from the sewage collector. NDM, VanA, ErmB, TetM/TetO genes were found only in wastewaters and were absent in samples of natural waters and surface sediments. Only OXA-48, VanB and CTXM genes were found in natural waters and surface sediments. The described ARGs are quite typical for urban and hospital wastewaters. The target ARGs were detected in the samples connected to the anthropogenous sources of pollution such as Rostov municipal WWTP or livestock enterprise effluents.

Meiotic crossovers/chiasmata are not randomly distributed and strictly controlled. The mechanisms behind COs patterning remain largely unknown. In many species COs predominantly occur in the distal 2/3 of the chromosome arm and suppression of COs is observed in the proximal regions. The exceptions are some species, among which Allium fistulosum has strictly localized COs in the proximal region. The ability to manipulate the COs localization can be useful for onion breeding. We investigated the factors that may contribute to the pattern of COs in two closely related onion species A. cepa and A. fistulosum, which differ significantly in the localization of chiasmata, and their F1 diploid and triploid hybrids in pollen mother cells. We demonstrate a significant shift in the COs localization to the distal and interstitial region in F1 triploid hybrid, which has a complete diploid set of A. fistulosum chromosomes and haploid set of A. cepa chromosomes. This observation points to a possible genetic control of COs distribution. We did not find the differences in the assembly and disassembly of ASY1 and ZYP1 between A. cepa and A. fistulosum while the difference between parental species and their hybrids was observed. In diploid F1 hybrids at pachytene the chromosome pairing delay marked by ASY1 was revealed. Immunolocalization of MLH1, a marker for class I of the interference-dependent COs, and MUS81, a marker for class II of the interference-free COs, and mlh1/mus81 gene expression profiling in different stages of meiosis showed a spatiotemporal asymmetry among A. cepa, A. fistulosum and their diploid and triploid F1 hybrids. Our results support the hypothesis of genetic control of CO distribution as one of the players that affect meiotic recombination and exchange of genomic material.

This paper presents a piezoresistive pressure sensor with a shield layer for improved stability. Compared with the conventional piezoresistive pressure sensors, p-type piezoresistors are covered by an n-type shield layer, which is formed by ion implantation. The proposed pressure sensors have been successfully fabricated by bulk micromachining techniques. The impact of electrical field on piezoresistors is studied by simulation. The temperature drift of the pressure sensor has been investigated by both simulation and experimental measurement. Characteristics of developed pressure sensors are tested from -40 C to 125 C. A sensitivity of 0.022 mV/V/KPa and a maximum non-linearity of 0.085% FS are measured for the fabricated sensor in a pressure range of 1 MPa. The temperature coefficients of resistance of shielded piezoresistors are found to be smaller than those of un-shielded ones. It is demonstrated that the shield layer is able to reduce the drift caused by electrical field and ambient temperature variation.

Early discharge after childbirth has led to a rise in neonatal readmission, becoming a major concern in recent decades. Our research aimed to identify the risk factors and incidence of neonatal readmission, as well as explore preventive measures. Our study at the Clinical Hospital of Pediatrics in Ploiești, Romania included 108 neonates admitted during the neonatal period. This accounted for 2.06% of all admissions (5226). The most prevalent cases were malnutrition (25%), fever (20.3%) and bronchiolitis (17.5%). Diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis were also observed (14.8%), along with acute rhinoconjunctivitis (9.2%) and late onset sepsis (3.7%). No deaths were recorded. The most significant characteristics identified were number of children (p<0.001) and age at maternity discharge (p<0.001). By following the prevention rules, malnutrition, feeding errors, and infections can be avoided. This includes practicing proper hand hygiene for both mothers and medical staff, as well as educating and demonstrating to mothers the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition, all newborns discharged from the maternity ward should benefit from follow-up at 7-10 days of life. Our results confirm the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team and endorse promoting breastfeeding. Implementing quality control measures and regularly evaluating the surveillance program will help improve its effectiveness.

In this project, four of fibers Bragg gratings were fabricated by injecting different volumes of liquids (star line Glass Mechanix optical adhesive material, olive oil diluted with ethanol) into the hollow core fiber. The amplitude splitting interferometric technique with a high resolution specially designed translation stage was used for the fabrication process. The fabrication was done using ultraviolet laser operated at wavelength 405nm. The fabricated Bragg length of the four fibers is equal to 3.8 cm. The results presented fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with successful fabrication at 653.3 nm Bragg reflected wavelength.

This review focuses on the emerging evidence for the association between estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) and metabolic risk factors. Given the challenges associated with directly measuring cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in large populations, eCRF presents a practical alternative for predicting metabolic health risks. A literature search identified six relevant cohort studies from 2021 to 2024 that investigated the association of eCRF with hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity. The review findings highlight a consistent inverse relationship between higher eCRF and lower incidence of metabolic risks in line with CRF cohort studies. This review highlights the importance of low eCRF as a primordial indicator for metabolic risks and underscores the need for broader application. Future research directions should include exploring eCRF's predictive accuracy across diverse populations and health outcomes and testing its real-world applicability in healthcare and public health settings.

Herein, we report results of the study of the composite ferroelectric scaffolds based on vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (VDF-TeFE) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) produced by electrospinning and their application as a wound-healing material. The physicochemical properties of ferroelectric composite polymer scaffolds depending on the content of PVP (in the range from 0 to 50 wt %) including morphology, composition and crystalline structure were studied. The cytotoxicity of materials and the proliferative activity of cells during their cultivation on the surface of formed scaffolds are reported. It has been found that the optimal PVP content in the VDF-TeFE composite scaffolds is 15 wt%. On a model of a full-thickness contaminated wound in vivo, it was shown that piezoelectric scaffolds based on VDF-TeFE copolymer containing 15 wt% PVP provide better wound healing results in comparison with standard gauze dressings impregnated with a solution of an antibacterial agent.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has proven to be effective in reducing the rate of recurrence and disease as secondary prevention (evidence-based intervention) in patients who have suffered from myocardial infarction (MI). CR is a multidisciplinary path in which the patient is followed pharmacologically, from a psychological, nutritional, nursing and physiotherapy point of view. Post-MI patients present a reduction in the performance of the diaphragm muscle, the main inspiratory muscle, and this condition can become a risk factor for further relapses or for the onset of heart failure. Despite the solidity of the international guidelines for CR, the latter are lacking in specifically indicating an evaluation and training path regarding the inspiratory muscles in post-MI patients who have not undergone cardiac surgery. The article reviews the information on the adaptation of the diaphragm post-MI and highlights the need for clearer indications for a rehabilitation process that gives importance to the diaphragm.

An analysis of the relationship between plasma cytokines and the effectiveness of treatment with TNFαinhibitors was performed in 81 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Treatment efficacy was assessed by PASI score, and patients were classified into a positive effect (PASI≥75) and no effect group (PASI≤50). A positive effect was reached in 11 (41%) patients for etanercept, 14 (52%) for adalimumab, and 26 (96%) for infliximab. Data analysis did not show  differences in baseline TNFα levels and subsequent treatment effectiveness. The CART algorithm showed that at the baseline level of VEGF ≥ 32 pg/ml and IL17F < 26 pg/ml, there was an 83% probability of a positive effect. Random forest analysis showed the importance of VEGF, ICAM1, sCD40L, IL17F and IL31 baseline levels in the prediction of treatment effectiveness.   Significant differences between the groups before/after the treatment were found only for TNFα: the median values were more than 50 times higher in no effect compared with positive effect group. There were differences before/after therapy in the levels of IL20, ICAM1, IL22, IL23 in the no effect group. The treatment affected the cytokine profile in most cases regardless of the effectiveness of therapy.

A facilitative transport system exists on the blood brain barrier (BBB) that has been tacitly assumed to be a path for glutamate entry to brain. But glutamate is a non-essential amino acid whose brain content is much greater than plasma, and studies in vivo show that glutamate does not enter brain in material quantities except in those small regions with fenestrated capillaries (circumventricular organs). The situation became understandable when luminal (blood facing) and abluminal (brain facing) membranes were isolated and studied separately. Facilitative transport of glutamate and glutamine exist only on the luminal membranes whereas Na+-dependent transport systems for glutamate, glutamine and some other amino acids are present only on the abluminal membrane. The Na+-dependent cotransporters of the abluminal membrane are in a position to actively transport amino acids from the extracellular fluid (ECF) into the endothelial cells of the BBB. These powerful secondary active transporters couple the energy of the Na+-gradient to move glutamate and glutamine into the ECF whereupon glutamate can exit to blood on the luminal facilitative glutamate transporter. Glutamine may also exit brain on a separate facilitative transport system that exists on the luminal membranes or glutamine can be hydrolyzed to glutamate within the BBB thereby releasing ammonia that is freely diffusible. The γ-glutamyl participate cycle participates indirectly by producing oxoproline (pyroglutamate) that stimulates almost all secondary active transporters yet discovered in the abluminal membranes of the BBB.

Establishment of protected areas (PAs) is one of the key global conservation strategies that currently cover approximately 15% of the earth’s land surface. Globally, PA networks are designed to curb the growing anthropogenic pressures in areas with high biological diversity. Despite the importance of PAs in conserving the vanishing biodiversity and unique habitats, many of them are in critical condition due to poor governance thus functioning below the expected level. Moreover, in many developing countries, the PA coverage is below the global standard. Recognizing their contemporary role in conservation, governments have recently agreed to expand the global PA coverage to 17% by the year 2020 (Aichi target 11). This book with eight chapters from different regions of the world provides an overview of the PAs governance, institutional mechanisms, conservation benefits, limitations and challenges associated with their respective policy discourse, integrated management, and functional attributes. Protected areas expect to to play an important role in the long rn in conservation and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems particularly in countries where population pressure and habitat loss are high. Regular intervention, political commitment, and effective governance are essential for the sustainability of PAs across the world. Here, we also attempted to shed some light on future development clues for the sustainable management and monitoring of PAs worldwide.

Wearable Biosensor Technology (WBT) has emerged as a transformative tool in the educational system over the past decade. This systematic review encompasses a comprehensive analysis of WBT utilization in educational settings over a 10-year span (2012-2022), highlighting both the evolution of this field and its integration to address challenges in education by integrating technology to solve specific educational challenges, such as enhancing student engagement, monitoring stress and cognitive load, improving learning experiences, and providing real-time feedback for both students and educators. By exploring these aspects, the review sheds light on the potential implications of WBT for the future of learning. A rigorous and systematic search of major academic databases, including Google Scholar and Scopus, was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles selected were assessed for methodological quality and bias using established tools. The process of data extraction and synthesis followed a structured framework. Key findings include the shift from theoretical exploration to practical implementation with the EEG being the predominant measurement, aiming to explore mental states, physiological constructs, and teaching effectiveness. Wearable biosensors are significantly impacting the educational field, serving as an important resource for educators and a tool for students. Their application has the potential to transform and optimize academic practices through sensors that capture biometric data, enabling the implementation of metrics and models to understand the development and performance of students and professors in an academic environment, as well as to gain insights into the learning process.

A new class of nano-cube core-shell heterostructures containing Ag coating on the top of WO₃ was fabricated. Physical vapor deposition was used to produce WO₃ based nano-heterostructures. All kind of wet toxic chemical process was avoided to make the process simple and contaminant free. Sputtering of WO₃ and a subsequent thermal annealing process was done to create nano-cubes of WO₃. After that, sputtering of Ag was performed to form the Ag-WO₃ core-shell nano-heterostructures (CSNH). The CSNHs were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The morphologies, elemental analysis, interfaces, crystallinity, phases, and chemical compositions were analyzed. The bottom-up growth of WO₃ nanocubes was studied using different time periods at 900°C. Ag coating was also studied before and after annealing. Finally, an optical property (band gap) was also analyzed using Tauc plot derive from absorption spectra. The tailoring the band gap of WO₃ from ~2.9eV to ~ 2.45 eV was observed while Ag-WO₃ CSNH formed.

Graphene hybrid-filler polymer composites have emerged as prominent materials that revolutionize heavy industries. This study encapsulates the in-depth analysis of different influential factors such as filler/graphene type, aspect ratios, dispersion methods, filler-matrix compatibility, fiber orientation, synergistic effects, different processing techniques, and post-curing conditions that affect the processing, properties and determine the resultant applications of graphene hybrid polymer composites. Additionally, it discusses the substantial role of graphene collaboration with other fillers such as carbon nanotubes, silica, nano-clays and metal oxides to produce functionalized hybrid polymer composites with synergistically enhanced tailored properties to offer solutions for heavy industries like aerospace, automotive, electronics, and energy harvesting. The review concludes with some suggestions and outlook on the future of these composite materials by emphasizing the need for continued research to fully optimize their potential.

It is unclear how maternal glycemic status and maternal iodine status influence birth weight in mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency (ID). We studied the association between birth weight and both maternal glucose levels and iodine intake in pregnant women with mild-to-moderate ID. Glucose values were assessed using a glucose challenge test (GCT), non-fasting glucose before delivery; iodine status was assessed using an iodine food frequency questionnaire, serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and urinary iodine concentrations (UIC). Thyroid antibodies and free thyroxine (FT4) were measured. Obstetric and an-thropometric data were also collected. Large for gestational age (LGA) was predicted using a Cox proportional hazards model with multiple confounders. Tg>13g/L was in-dependently associated with LGA (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.4–10.2, p=0.001). Estimated iodine intake correlated with FT4 among participants reporting io-dine-containing supplements (ICS) after adjusting for confounders (β = 0.4 95 %CI: 0.0002-0.0008, p=0.001). Newborn weight percentiles were inversely correlated with maternal FT4 values (β=-0.2 95 %CI:-0.08 - -56.49, p=0.049). We conclude that in mild-to-moderate ID regions, maternal insufficient iodine status may increase LGA risk. Iodine status and ICS intake may modify the effect maternal dysglycemia has on offspring weight.