Listerias of the phylogenetic lineage II (PLII) are common in the European environment, and are hypovirulent. Despite this, they caused more than a third of sporadic cases of listeriosis, and multi-country foodborne outbreaks. L. monocytogenes ST37 is one of them. During the COVID-19 pandemic ST37 appeared in the clinical cases and ranked second in occurrence among food isolates in the Moscow region. The aim of this study was to describe the genomic features of ST37 isolates from different sources. All clinical cases of ST37 were in the cohort of male patients (age, 48-81 years) with meningitis-septicemia manifestation, and COVID-19 or Influenza in the anamnesis. The core genomes of the fish isolates were closely related. The clinical and meat isolates revealed a large diversity. Prophages (2-4/genome) were the source of the unique genes. Two clinical isolates displayed the pseudolysogeny, and excided prophages were A006-like. Absence of the plasmids, the assortment of virulence factors and resistance determinants in chromosome corresponded to the hypovirulent characteristics. However, all clinical isolates caused severe disease with deaths in four cases. Thus, these studies allow us to speculate that a previous viral infection increases a human susceptibility to listeriosis.

The present study is aimed to determine the predicting role of objective (lifestyle) and subjective factors of middle-aged women’s psycho-emotional health such as their attitude towards parents, attachment and separation types. Women who are overloaded with professional and family roles have high stress level, their indicators of psychological well-being and emotional level decrease when they have to give everyday care to their elderly parents. (2) Methods: Sample consists of 146 women aged 38 to 56 ( =41.1, ó=3.5), married (70.5%) and divorced (29.5%), having children of 14-28 years old; giving everyday care to elderly parents for more than 1.5 yrs. Some live separately (62.3 %), or have to cohabitate with parents (37.7%). All women evaluate their life situation as difficult and manifest signs of high psycho-emotional stress. We used methods adapted for the Russian-speaking sample: getting socio-demographic information, an interview; Attachment style and Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaires (study 1); Psychological Separation Inventory, Purpose-in-Life Test, projective methods of incomplete sentences and metaphors` analysis (study 2), mathematical statistics. (3) Results: A number of factors and indicators of women`s psycho-emotional health decrease in the situation of role overload have been identified. Among the factors there are four main types of women’s attitudes towards parents: strong (anxious), distancing, ambivalent, normative closeness, predicting low indicators of psycho-emotional health: dependence on the others` opinions and feedbacks in making decisions, a lack of meaningfulness of life; reduced sense of control over life are showing the decrease. Anxiety about future and neurotic symptoms (increased demands on oneself, irritability, reduced emotional background) distinguish these respondents. (4) Conclusions: The study confirms that middle-aged Russian women`s psycho-emotional health depends on contextual factors (difficult role-overloaded lifestyle) and factors integrating women`s attitudes towards parents, attachment and separation types. Among the most important risk factors there are a difficult life situation, conflict separation type and gilt.

Pigmented corn is a gramineae food of great biological, cultural and nutritional importance for many Latin American countries, with more than 250 breeds in the American continent. It confers a large number of health benefits due to its diverse and abundant bioactive compounds. In this narrative review we decided to organize the information on the nutrients, bioactive compounds and phytochemicals present in pigmented corn, as well as their effects on human health. Phenolic compounds and anthocyanins are some of the most studied and representative compounds in these grasses, with a wide range of health properties, mainly the reduction of prooxidant molecules. Carotenoids are a group of molecules belonging to the terpenic compounds, present in a large number of pigmented corn breeds, mainly the yellow ones, whose biological activity incorporates a wide spectrum. Bioactive peptides can be found in abundance in corn, having very diverse biological effects that include analgesic, opioid, antihypertensive, etc. activity. Other compounds with biological activity found in pigmented corn are resistant starches, some fatty acids, phytosterols, policosanols, phospholipids, ferulic acid and phlobaphenes, as well as a great variety of vitamins, elements, and fibers. This review aims to disseminate and integrate the existing knowledge on compounds with biological activity in pigmented corn, in order to promote their research, interest and use by scientists, nutrition professionals, physicians, industries and the general population.

Heteromorphic sex chromosomes are rarely found in plants. They were observed only in 47 species from phylogenetically distant families, suggesting that the evolution of sex chromosomes was independent in these species. It was shown that DNA repeat sequences are one of the major factors driving sex chromosomes evolution, and an accumulation or elimination of the repetitive DNA elements are closely linked with the formation of differences in the sex chromosomes. The goal of this study was to characterize the transposon composition in male and female plants of Cannabis sativa L., Humulus lupulus L. and Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc. For the first time, the male and female genomes of H. japonicus as well as male genomes of H. lupulus and C. sativa have been sequenced (there were no open data about them). The analysis of genome-wide sequencing data with using Repeatexplorer2 and author’s scripts was carried out. It was shown that accumulation of Ty3-gypsy may be associated with speciation in Cannabaceae family which is the opposite of the theory of speciation throw whole-genome duplication. Moreover, the sex-specific DNA repeat clusters in C. sativa and H. japonicus were found. The analysis also revealed that the concentration of Tekay, Retand and Ikeros repeats in the Y chromosome of C. sativa is lower than in the X chromosome and the Angela concentration is higher in the Y chromosome.

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.

Background: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in domestic animals is one of the problems of modern veterinary. Treating with standard techniques using chemotherapeutic agents not always leads to a positive result of therapy; moreover, many drugs produce adverse side effects. Methods: Low level laser therapy, in particular, intravenous laser blood illumination (ILBI) has a pronounced and long-lasting impact on the immune system of animals. The combined technique including ILBI-635 (635 nm, 2 mW, 5 min) and LUVBI^® (365 nm, 2 mW, 3 min) every other day provides a positive change in clinical status of cats with allergic dermatitis after the 3rd-4th treatment session. Results: The increased level of erythrocytes and hemoglobin was identified in the course of treatment, and it indirectly indicates increased blood transport activity, which improves trophic provision and microcirculation. A double reduction of leukocytes and a significant decrease of neutrophil cells indicate the immunomodulatory effect of LILI (low-intensity laser illumination). The increase in the percentage of lymphocytes and the decrease of eosinophils and monocytes against the background of basophil concentrations deviations within physiological concentration result in the reduction of inflammatory mediators expression that induce itching. The reduction of total IgE concentration 32 times against control on the 7th day of treatment correlates with the decrease in the quantitative content of peripheral blood eosinophils, indicating the decrease in severity of an allergic process. Conclusion: LLLT is recommended against the background of standard drug therapy to achieve quick clinical outcome together with a long-lasting prolonged effect.

Chromobacterium species are common in tropical and subtropical zones in environmental water samples and believed to «tropical» species. Here we describe an environmental case of resident Chromobacterium vaccinii in biofilms associated with Carex spp. roots in Moscow region, Russia (warm-summer humid continental climate zone). We performed broad characterization of individual properties as well as surrounding context for better understanding the premise of C. vaccinii survival during winter season. Genome properties of isolated strains propose some insights into adaptation to habit and biofilm mode of life, including social cheaters carrying ΔluxR mutation. Isolated C. vaccinii differs with previously described strains in some biochemical properties and some basic characteristics like fatty acid composition as well as unique genome features. Despite potential to modulate membrane fluidity and presence of several genes responsible for cold shock response, isolated C. vaccinii didn`t survive during exposure to 4 °C, while in initial complex biofilm it was able to survive for months in vitro at 4 °C. Surrounding bacterial community within the same biofilm with C. vaccinii represented a series of psychrophilic bacterial species which may share resistance to low temperatures with other species within biofilm and provide C. vaccinii opportunity to survive during cold winter season.

When in operation, the 25 kV traction networks may encounter the contact wire short circuits to rails or ground. The short-circuit conditions cause high-intensity magnetic fields (EMFs), which, despite the short duration of exposure, can negatively affect electronic devices and lead to significant induced voltage on adjacent power lines. There can be two main types of emergency conditions in 25 kV traction networks: the contact wire short circuit to the rail, when the supports are grounded to the rail track; and the contact wire short circuit to the ground in sections with supports disconnected from the rails. A three-dimensional electromagnetic field near a metal support when a short-circuit current flows through it is characterized by a complex spatial structure, which significantly complicates the calculations of intensities. The paper discusses the results of computer modeling aimed at determining the EMF intensity in the described emergencies. The objects involved in modeling were represented by segments of thin wires to calculate the electric charge distribution and find out the EMF intensity. This approach is implemented in the Fazonord software. The modeling results have shown that EMF intensities near the support grow significantly; their levels decrease noticeably as one moves away from the support; and that the three-dimensional electromagnetic field under the considered emergency conditions has a complex spatial structure.

The product of ozonolysis, Glycero-(9,10-trioxolane)-trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, [OTOA]), was incorporated into polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) blend films in the amount of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% w/w. The morphological, mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of the biodegradable blend after the OTOA addition were studied. According to DSC and XRD data, the crystallinity degree of PLA/PCL+OTOA films tended to decrease with increase in OTOA content that could be explained by its plasticizing effect. Morphological analysis showed that the structure of the films with the OTOA concentration above 20% drastically changed. Specifically, the interface between the PLA/PCL matrix and OTOA was formed, thereby forming a capsule with the embedded antibacterial agent. The moisture permeability of the resulting PLA/PCL+OTOA films decreased due to the formation of uniformly distributed hydrophobic amorphous zones that prevents water penetration. This architecture affects the tensile characteristics of the films: strength decreases to 5.6 MPa, elastic modulus E by 40%. The behavior of film elasticity is associated with the redistribution of amorphous regions in the matrix. Additionally, PLA/PCL+OTOA films with 20, 30 and 40% of OTOA showed good antibacterial properties on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Raoultella terrigena (Klebsiella terrigena) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Developed PLA/PCL+OTOA films could be used as packaging materials and wound dressings. By variation of the OTOA content, it is possible to tailor the physical-chemical and antibacterial properties of the developed films for various applications.

Russia is one of the largest cereal grain exporters in the world, churning out 34,3 million tons of export grain (wheat, barley and oats) in 2021. Plant infectious pathogens continue to be among the main factors in yield loss in the field and are a danger to the grain exporting industry's ability to expand internationally. This is primarily due to phytosanitary restrictions imposed by nations that monitor the presence and absence of certain phytopathogens in imported goods. Phytosanitary measures prevent the spread of plant pathogens, thus cutting the cost of dealing with them, once the pathogens invade new agricultural regions. This paper is devoted to the detection and identification of bacteria in samples of grain crops of three regions in The Republic of Crimea. The objects of the study were bacterial isolates from plant samples particularly wheat, oats, barley and triticale. The study was conducted in 2021. The identification of the isolates was carried out by sequencing a section 16–23S of the rRNA amplified by PCR with 8UA/519B, 27f/907r and PSf/PSr primers. Nucleotide sequences were deciphered using the Bio Edit program and compared with sequences placed in GenBank (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov). The result of identification was considered an organism with maximum similarity. As a result, 38 samples of grain crops were collected, 95 bacterial colonies were isolated, of which 68 were identified to genus level and 22 were identified to species level. Some of the phytopathogens identified include: Agrococcus jenensis, Pseudomonas sp. and Curtobacterium sp. Some of the bacteria identified are beneficial like Ochrobactrum sp. Erwinia sp. and Pantoea sp. had a frequency of 28.95%, with Pantoea agglomerans having a frequency of 18.42%. Ochrobactrum sp. had a frequency of 10.53%. Enterococcus mundtii an frequency of 5.26%. Information about the species composition of bacteria on grain crops can be used to determine the spread of bacteria and their diagnosis and for bioinformatic analysis of genomes in search of species-specific genetic markers.

In eastern part of Ethiopia groundnut is very commonly intercropped with sorghum. Even though intercropping of sorghum with groundnut is practiced in the eastern part of Ethiopia the population density at what ratio should not be known. Therefore determining the population ratio is found to be crucial to draw management options. The study was conducted at two locations at Fadis (on station) and Babile (sub- station). Sorghum variety (Teshale) and groundnut (Fetene) were used as planting materials. All agronomic data were collected and analyzed by using GenStat software. Significant different were obtained among the treatments. The research result showed that, there were significance difference for both sorghum and ground nut yield per hectare in the years (2014 and 2015) among treatments. The result over time(in 2014 and 2015) at Fadis and Erer showed that the highest sorghum and groundnut yield per hectare were obtained/harvested from the intra row spacing of 25cmx20cm and 30cmx20cm intercropping sorghum with ground nut system with (1.27 and 1.31) respectively. The highest LER (1.31) and highest GMV (10218.00 ETBr/ha) were obtained from the intercropping of 30cmx20cm (Sorghum & groundnut). Clearly showed that, with intercropping of sorghum and Groundnut, it is possible to produce additional yield of sorghum without significant reduction in groundnut yield. As a result of this, the intra spacing of the main crop (sorghum) 25cm and 30cm and for the subsidiary crop (groundnut) 20cm was recommended for further production in the study areas of eastern Harerghe zone and similar agro-ecologies.

The amalgamation of mineral and targeted bacterial preparations represents a new generation of agricultural technology. Inoculation with combined preparations of microorganisms is more effective than inoculation with a single microorganism in stimulating plant growth by providing a more balanced diet for various crops. In this work, the effect of inoculation of 20 consortium variants on the yield indicators of three crops (wheat, buckwheat, corn) and the soil microbiome in the open field was investigated. The soil microbiome was defined by 16S rRNA sequences through NGS. Species richness of the soil microbial community (alpha diversity) was similar for all studied samples. Beta-diversity analysis revealed that the microbial diversity of three soil samples (C.bw, F.bw and Soil.bw) differed significantly from all others. At the phylum level, the number of Acidobacteriota and Firmicutes in these samples was increased. For the combination “Consortium C (Rothia endophytic GMG9 and Azotobacter chroococcum GMG39) - buckwheat”, a systemic positive improvement in all growth and yield indicators was observed. The soil of the site where buckwheat grew, inoculated by Consortium C, contained significantly more available phosphorus than all other soil samples. Such results can be explained both by the direct action of a consortium of phosphate-immobilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria and to acidification of the medium due to an increase in phylum Acidobacteriota bacteria in the soil.

This study focuses on the potential medicinal properties of Campsis radicans L. extracts and its aim is to investigate the antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of these extracts on the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29). Cytotoxic activity in the HT-29 cell line was evaluated, and the 3-dimensional structures of phenolic compounds were obtained using the GC-MS method. Docking simulations were performed with AutoDock Vina, targeting proteins that are crucial in the apoptotic pathway (Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3). Drug similarities and ADMET estimates of the phenolic compounds were obtained from databases. The highest antioxidant activity of Campsis radicans L. plant was observed in ethanol and water extracts, with notable inhibition capacities. While the total phenolic content was highest in ethanol, water, and ether extracts respectively the total flavonoid content was highest in ethanol, then ether, and water extracts. Certain elements were undetectable in mineral determination, and others exceeded the toxic doses for plants. The water extract exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic activity in the HT-29 cell line, with an IC50 value of 4.47 mg/mL. Molecular docking results revealed the binding of phenolic molecules to the active sites of apoptotic pathway proteins. The findings suggest that Campsis radicans L. plant possesses cytotoxic properties, significant phenolic and flavonoid content, and a high antioxidant capacity. These properties make it a potential candidate for treatment use, emphasizing its potential therapeutic value in the HT-29 cell line. Further research and exploration on the identified phenolic compounds could contribute to the development of novel therapeutic agents.

Hafnium is a metal with rare properties, such as a low superconducting transition temperature slightly above 100 mK, which makes it attractive for a lot of applications, especially for design and fabrication of microcalorimeters with high energy resolution. In this paper we describe the results of fabrication and experimental investigation of superconducting properties of hafnium thin films in a dilution refrigerator. The considered Hf films, whose thickness is in the range from 60 to 115 nm, are deposited on substrates by electron beam evaporation. The combinations with thin layers of normal metals to decrease the critical temperature of superconducting hafnium films by proximity effect, are also considered. The critical temperature of the studied films varies from 56 to 302 mK. Also, significant increase of the critical temperature of some films over time was observed and investigated.

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) is an important DNA repair enzyme and one of the causes of tumor resistance to topoisomerase 1 inhibitors such as topotecan. Inhibitors of this Tdp1 in combination with topotecan may improve the effectiveness of therapy. In this work, we synthesized usnic acid derivatives, which are hybrids of its known derivatives - tumor sensitizers to topotecan. New compounds inhibit Tdp1 in the micromolar and submicromolar concentration range; some of them enhance the effect of topotecan on the metabolic activity of cells of various lines according to the MTT test. One of the new compounds (compound 7) not only sensitizes Krebs-2 and Lewis carcinomas of mice to the action of topotecan, but also normalizes the state of the peripheral blood of mice, which is disturbed in the presence of a tumor. Thus, the synthesized substances may be the prototype of a new class of additional therapy for cancer.

Introduction: Despite great advances in the treatment of oncological diseases, the development of medical technologies to prevent or reduce complications of therapy, in particular, those associated with surgery and the introduction of antibiotics remains relevant. The aim of the study: to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of autoprobiotics based on indigenous non-pathogenic strains of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus hirae in the complex therapy of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the early postoperative period. Materials and methods: A total of 36 patients diagnosed with CRC were enrolled in the study. The study group (Group A) comprised 24 CRC patients who received autoprobiotic therapy in the early postoperative period, while the control group (Group C) included 12 CRC patients without autoprobiotic therapy.Prior to surgery and between days 14-16 post-surgery, comprehensive evaluations were conducted on all patients, encompassing the following: stool and gastroenterological complains analysis. examination of the gut microbiota (bacteriological study, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, metagenome analysis), analysis of interleukins in serum. Results: The use of autoprobiotics led to decrease dyspeptic complaints after surgery, was associated with absence of postoperative complications, did not cause side effects, led to a decrease in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-18) in the blood serum. The use of autoprobiotics led to positive changes in the structure of escherichia and enterococci populations, the elimination of Parvomonas micra, Fusobacterium nucleatum, decrease in the quantitative content of Clostridium perfringens, Akkermansia muciniphila. Metagenomic analysis (16S rRNA) revealed an increase in alpha diversity. Conclusion: The administration of autoprobiotics in the postoperative period is highly effective and safe in the comprehensive treatment of colorectal cancer patients. Future studies will allow the discovery of additional fine mechanisms of autoprobiotic therapy and its impact on the digestive, immune, endocrine and neural systems.

L-Theanine, a unique non-protein amino acid, is an important bioactive component of green tea. Previous studies have shown that L-theanine has many potent health benefits, such as anti-anxiety effect, regulation of immune response, relaxing neural tension, reducing oxidative damage. However, little is known concerning whether L-theanine can improve the clearance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in organisms. Here, we reported that L-theanine treatment increased ATP production and improved mitochondrial morphology to extend the lifespan of UVC-exposed nematodes. Mechanistic investigations showed that L-theanine treatment enhanced the removal of mtDNA damage and extended lifespan by activating autophagy, mitophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in UVC-exposed nematodes. In addition, L-theanine treatment also up-regulated the expression of genes related to mitochondrial energy metabolism in UVC-exposed nematodes. Our study provided a theoretical basis for the possibility that tea drinking may prevent mitochondrial related diseases.

Potocki-Lupski Syndrome (PTLS) is a rare condition associated with a duplication of 17p11.2 that may underlie a wide range of congenital abnormalities and heterogeneous behavioral phenotypes. Along with developmental delay and intellectual disability, autism-specific traits are often reported to be the most common among patients with PTLS. To contribute to the discussion of the role of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the PTLS phenotype, we present a case of a female adolescent with a de novo dup(17)(p11.2p11.2) without ASD features, focusing on in-depth clinical, behavioral, and electrophysiological (EEG) evaluations. Among EEG features, we found the atypical peak-slow wave patterns and a unique saw-like sharp wave of 13 Hz that was not previously described in any other patient. The power spectral density of the resting state EEG was typical in our patient with only the values of non-linear EEG dynamics: Hjorth complexity and Fractal dimension were drastically attenuated compared with the patient’s neurotypical peers. Here we also summarize results from previously published reports of PTLS that point to the about 21% occurrence of ASD in PTLS that might be biased, taking into account methodological limitations. More consistent among PTLS patients were intellectual disability and speech and language disorders.

Tdp1 and Tdp2 are DNA repair enzymes that repair DNA damages caused by various agents, including anticancer drugs. Thus, these enzymes resist anticancer therapy and could be the reasons of resistance to such widely used drugs as topotecan and etoposide. In the present work, we found compounds capable of inhibiting both enzymes among derivatives of (-)-usnic acid. Both (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of compounds act equally effectively against Tdp1, and only (-)-enantiomers inhibited Tdp2. Surprisingly, the compounds protect HEK293FT wild type cells from the cytotoxic effect of etoposide but potentiate it against Tdp2 knockout cells. We assume that the sensitizing effect of the compounds in the absence of Tdp2 is associated with effective inhibition of Tdp1, which could take over the functions of Tdp2.

Abstract: The establishment of a circular economy in the mining sector, taking advantage of innovations in the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves, [ ], their [ ], transportation [ ] and subsequent processing [ ] are significant concerns. The issues surrounding the employment of technology targeted at enhancing environmental safety to increase the productivity of the reproduction process of the natural gas and oil resource base are equally important. The paper discusses the use of green seismic technology of survey to determine the oil and gas potential of the subsoil. A methodological toolkit is proposed for carrying out technical and economic calculations to determine indicators of the environmental and economic efficiency of using innovative resource-saving technology for geological survey in areas densely planted with forests. The purpose of the work is to establish the viability of employing resource-saving technology known as Green Seismic to search for promising hydrocarbon objects in forested areas and determine the expected environmental and economic benefits of geological exploration using the suggested enhanced methodology for their evaluation. The tasks set to achieve the goal were solved using methods of geological and economic assessment of the hydrocarbon raw material potential of territories and water areas, environmental assessment of the negative influence of anthropogenic environmental impact on the natural environment, economic and statistical methods of performing technical and economic calculations to determine performance indicators for the implementation of innovative projects in the field of geological exploration. The novelty of the results obtained lies in the proposed improved algorithm for conducting an environmental and economic assessment of geological exploration for hydrocarbon raw materials, a conceptual description of the Green Seismic technology, systematization of technical, economic, and environmental risks, justification of new regional directions for geological exploration using resource-saving seismic exploration technology.

Evaporating liquid sessile drop deposited on horizontal surface is an important object of applications (printing technologies, electronics, sensorics, medical diagnostics, hydrophobic coatings, etc.) and theoretical investigations (microfluidics, self-assembly of nanoparticle, crystallization of the solute, etc.). The arsenal of formulas for calculating the slow evaporation of an axisymmetric drop of capillary dimensions deposited on a flat solid surface is reviewed. Such characteristics as vapor density, evaporation flux density, total evaporation rate are considered. Exact solutions obtained in the framework of the Maxwellian model, in which the evaporation process of the drop is limited by vapor diffusion from the drop surface to the surrounding air, are presented. The summary covers both well-known results obtained during the last decades and new results published by us in the last few years, but practically unknown to the wide scientific community. The newest formulas, not yet published in refereed publications, concerning exact solutions for a number of specific contact angles are also presented. In addition, new approximate solutions are presented for the first time (total evaporation rate and mass loss per unit surface area per unit time in the whole range of contact angles ), which can be used in modeling without requiring significant computational resources.

Kamchatka berries (Lonicera caerulea L.) are known for their high content of phenolic compounds or vitamins, which is reflected in their antibacterial, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties. They are used in the production of jams, juices, wines and as natural dye. A bioferment was prepared from the pomace of the Kamchatka berry varieties Aurora and Indigo Gem and the strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, which was used to prepare a cosmetic preparation with a concentration of 5% in accordance with the guidelines of the COSMOS certification body. Conducted physico-chemical and organoleptic analyses and bioactive profile characterisation (UHPLC-DAD and UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The results showed that the presence of caffeic acid 4.47 ± 0.07 mg/100g was detected after fermentation of Kamchatka berry pomace. Vitamin C content increased by 141% after fermentation of Kamchatka berry pomace. The results of stability tests showed that in the process of physicochemical analysis of cosmetic preparation with bioferment of Kamchatka berry pomace the pH should oscillate in the range of 4.38-4.76 ± 0.01. Stability tests showed that the cosmetic should be protected from high temperatures and UV radiation and proved that the product is stable under changing conditions, resulting in lower transport and storage costs.

Many protein expression systems are primary utilised to produce a single, specific recombinant protein. In contrast, most biological processes such as virus assembly rely upon a complex of several interacting proteins rather than the activity of a sole protein. The high complexity of the baculovirus genome, coupled with a multiphase replication cycle incorporating distinct transcriptional steps, made it the ideal system to manipulate for high-level expression of a single or co-expression of multiple foreign proteins within a single cell. We have developed and utilised a series of recombinant baculovirus systems to unravel the sequential assembly process of a complex non-enveloped model virus, Bluetongue virus (BTV). The high protein yields expressed by the baculovirus system not only facilitated structure-function analysis of each viral proteins but were also advantageous to crystallography studies and supported the first atomic level resolution of a recombinant viral protein, the major BTV capsid protein. Further, the formation of recombinant double-shelled virus-like particles (VLPs) provided insights into the structure-function relationships among the four major structural proteins of the BTV whilst also representing a potential candidate for a viral vaccine. The baculovirus multi-gene expression system facilitated the study of structurally complex viruses (both non-enveloped and enveloped viruses) and heralded in a new generation of viral vaccines.

Berberis vulgaris (L.) has remarkable ethnopharmacological properties and is widely used in traditional medicine. The present study investigates B. vulgaris stem bark (Berberidis cortex) by extraction with 50% ethanol. The main secondary metabolites were quantified, resulting in a polyphenols content of 17.6780 ± 3.9320 mg Eq Tannic acid / 100 g extract, phenolic acids amount of 3.3886 ± 0.3481 mg Eq Chlorogenic acid / 100 g extract and 78.95 µg/g berberine. The dried hydro-ethanolic extract (BVE) was thoroughly analyzed using Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS/MS) and HPLC and 40 bioactive phenolic constituents were identified. Then, the antioxidant potential of BVE was evaluated using three methods; our results could explain the protective effects of Berberidis cortex EC50FRAP = 0.1398 mg/mL, IC50ABTS = 0.0442 mg/mL, IC50DPPH = 0.2610 mg/mL compared to ascorbic acid (IC50 = 0.0165 mg/mL). Next, the acute toxicity and teratogenicity of BVE and Berberine - Berberine sulfate hydrate (BS) - investigated on Daphnia sp reported significant BS toxicity after 24 h; BVE revealed considerable toxicity after 48 hours and induced embryonic developmental delays. Finally, the anticancer effects of BVE and BS were evaluated on different tumor cell lines after 24 and 48 hours of treatments. The MTS assay evidenced a dose- and time-dependent antiproliferative activity, higher on BS than BVE. The strongest diminution of tumor cell viability was recorded on breast (MDA-MB-231), colon (LoVo) cancer, and OSCC (PE/CA-PJ49) cell lines after 48 h of exposure (IC50 < 100 µg/mL). However, no cytotoxicity was reported on normal epithelial cells (HUVEC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HT-29) cell lines. Extensive data analysis supports our results, showing a significant correlation between the BVE's concentration, phenolic compounds content, antioxidant activity, exposure time, and the viability rate of various normal cells and cancer cell lines.

The best form of prevention against human infection through bacteria, viruses and other parasites is ozone disinfection of wastewater and drinking water as a highly effective, well-known method. As a therapeutic measure, various preclinical studies showed promising results, which are being revisited and reconsidered in times of pandemics and led to interesting results in recent clinical trials and reports, as presented by the example of protective measures against covid-19 in particularly vulnerable clinical personnel. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, repeated ozone treatments have led to new findings in the "immunomodulation" through ozone. The more effective immune response is discussed as the response of innate immune memory and opens interesting aspects for complementary treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Considering the ever-increasing role of rare-earth elements (REE) in the modern hi-tech field, their effective use has a tremendous significance, although the production process is inevitably linked to the large volumes of industrial ammonia effluents and heavy metal wastes. In the process of metallurgical separation of metals, the emission of large volumes of noxious gases and radioactive substances is inevitable. Lean technogenic raw material processing is sensible under the condition of the development of non-waste technology. The lack of competent regulations governing the disposal of waste containing REE has an impact on adjacent territories, accumulating in water bodies and, as a result, in the human body. Such an impact cannot pass without a trace, however, the ambiguity of opinions in the scientific community regarding the toxic effects of REE on living organisms determines the relevance of a more detailed study of this issue. The paper presents experimental and theoretical results of studies of ion flotation in the aqueous solutions containing ytterbium cations and a surfactant as a collector - sodium dodecyl sulphate (NaDS).

Amidst worsening climate change, drought stress imperils global agriculture, jeopardizing crop yields and food security, necessitating urgent exploration of sustainable methods like biopriming, harnessing beneficial microorganisms to bolster plant resilience. Recent research has revealed diverse biological compounds with versatile applications produced by Schizophyllum commune, rendering this fungus as a promising contender for biopriming applications. For the first time this study aimed to investigate,the potential of S. commune exo- (EPSH) and intra-PSH (IPSH), isolated from two strains: Italian (ITA) and Serbian (SRB) under submerged cultivation, in enhancing the resilience of Pisum sativum L. seeds through biopriming technique. Testing of seed quality of bioprimed, hydroprimed, and unprimed seeds was done using a germination test, under optimal and drought conditions. In optimal conditions, the IPSH SRB increased germination energy by 5.50% compared to the control, while the highest percentage of germination (94.70%) was shown after biopriming with PSH isolated from the ITA strain. Additionally, all assessed treatments resulted in a boost in seedling growth and biomass accumulation, where the ITA strain demonstrated greater effectiveness in optimal conditions, whereas the SRB strain showed superiority in drought conditions. The drought tolerance indices increased significantly in response to all examined treatments during the drought, with EPSH ITA (23.00%) and EPSH SRB (24.00%) demonstrating the greatest effects. Results demonstrate a significant positive influence of fungal PSH, indicating their potential as biopriming agents and offers insights into novel strategies for agricultural resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions.

In this work, a general framework for the analysis of governance of artificial intelligence is presented. A dashboard is presented for this analysis from the perspective of political theory. The dashboard allows eventual comparisons between democratic and non democratic regimes, useful for countries in the global south and western countries. The dashboard allows us to assess the key features that determine the governance model for artificial intelligence at the national level, for local governments and for other participant actors. The dashboard allows us to appraise aims of AI strategy and aims left aside in alternative strategies. The work shows the theoretical framework could be of use to advance case studies globally, and comparative endeavors. Applying the theoretical dashboard, the case study on China has been undertaken. These are the main points the study tackles in the final discussion, conclusion and further recommendations: 1) the complex reality of AI command and control 2) uncertainties about future society and the polity against AI development and 3) particular cultural values enshrined in countries' AI development.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.), like most legumes, forms mutualistic symbioses with nodule bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The positive effect of inoculation is partially determined by the plant genotype, thus, pea varieties with high and low symbiotic responsivity have been described, but the molecular genetic basis of this trait remains unknown. Here, we compare the symbiotically responsive breeding line ‘Triumph’ of grain pea with its parental cultivars ‘Vendevil’ (a donor of high symbiotic responsivity) and ‘Classic’ (a donor of agriculturally valuable traits) using genome and transcriptome sequencing. We show that ‘Triumph’ inherited one-fourth of its genome from ‘Vendevil’, including the genes related to AM and nodule formation, and reveal that under combined inoculation with nodule bacteria and AM fungi, ‘Triumph’ and ‘Vendevil’, in contrast to ‘Classic’, demonstrate similar up-regulation of the genes related to solute transport, hormonal regulation and flavonoid biosynthesis in their roots. We also identify the gene PsGLP2, whose expression pattern distinguishing ‘Triumph’ and ‘Vendevil’ from ‘Classic’ correlates with difference within the promoter region sequence, making it a promising marker for the symbiotic responsivity trait. The results of the study may be helpful for future molecular breeding programs aimed at creation of symbiotically responsive cultivars of pea.

According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the world population will increase to about 91 million (Asia 51 million, Africa 19 million). A rise in the world’s population means an increased need for food. However, climate change has caused desertification and unpredictable weather, creating problems in the supply and demand of food. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is an alternative to solving the food problem, as it is one of the world’s most important food crops, especially in developing countries. The tuberous roots of sweet potato are usually used as staple food, animal feed, industrial material, or raw material for alcohol production. In the future, more variations of sweet potato will be needed for breeding this crop. Recently, molecular markers developed for sweet potato have demonstrated good potential for use in genetic selection. In this study, a cDNA library was constructed from the total RNA of sweet potato leaves. A total of 789 copies of the cDNA were cloned in Escherichia coli by employing the pGEM-T Easy vector. Sequencing was carried out by Solgent Co. (Korea). As many as 579 expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were designed (73.38%) from the known cDNA nucleotide base sequences. The lengths of the developed EST-SSR markers ranged from 100 to 499 bp (average length 238 bp). Their motif sequence types were varied, with most being dinucleotides and pentanucleotides, and the most commonly found motifs were CAGAAT (29.0%) and TCT (2.8%). Based on these SSR-containing sequences, 619 pairs of high-quality SSR primers were designed using WebSat and Primer3web. The total number of primers designed was 144. Polymorphism was evident in 82 EST-SSR markers among 20 Korean sweet potato cultivars tested and in 90 EST-SSR markers in the two parents of a mapping population, Yeseumi and Annobeny. In this study, the hexaploid sweet potato (2n = 6x = 90) EST-SSR markers were developed in the absence of full-sequence data. Moreover, by acting as a molecular tag for particular traits, the EST-SSR marker can also simultaneously identify information about the corresponding gene. These EST-SSR markers will allow the molecular analysis of sweet potato to be done more efficiently. Thus, we can develop high-quality sweet potato while overcoming the challenges from climate change and other unfavorable conditions.

In nowadays conditions, insurance provides the opportunity for market system of economic management to work in any state. To provide economic security of the person it is needed to create a mechanism of protection against internal and external threats in modern Russia. That’s why the role of citizens insurance policy is increasing as the most effective risk management institute and achieving safety of health and private property of citizens. The goal of this research is to study Russian citizens’ attitudes towards insurance policy and investment using the conception of personal economic security. The preparatory study stage was focused on theoretical understanding of economic security problems taking insurance field as an example. Empirical research consisted of four stages. There were 1793 people taking part in this research. Results of this study can be proposed in the program of improving the functioning of the insurance market in the Russian Federation in The framework of the strategy of development of the insurance market - 2020. The obtained results can be used in Politics and Economics in the development of a set of measures related to lawmaking, control of financial institutions, promotion of financial literacy of the population, preparation of courses for universities and trainings for participants of the insurance market. The typologies of policyholders which were given can be the basis to create insurance programs for the citizens.

Ever since Varela and Maturana proposed the concept of autopoiesis as the minimal requirement for life, there has been a focus on cellular systems that erect topological boundaries to separate themselves from their surrounding environment. Here we reconsider whether the existence of such a spatial boundary is strictly necessary for self-producing entities. This work presents a novel computational model of a minimal autopoietic system inspired by dendrites and molecular dynamics simulations in three-dimensional space. A series of simulation experiments where the metabolic pathways of a particular autocatalytic set are successively inhibited until autocatalytic entities that could be considered autopoietic are produced. These entities maintain their distinctness in an environment containing multiple identical instances of the entities without the existence of a topological boundary. This gives rise to the concept of a metabolic boundary which manifests as emergent self-selection criteria for the processes of self-production without any need for unique identifiers. However, the adoption of such a boundary comes at a cost, as these autopoietic entities are less suited to their simulated environment than their autocatalytic counterparts. Finally, this work showcases a generalized metabolism-centered approach to the study of autopoiesis that can be applied to both physical and abstract systems alike.

Cultivated adlay or Job’s tear (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is an important food crop having numerous therapeutic and nutraceutical health benefits. Our study aimed to determine nutrients, minerals, fatty acid composition, and functional groups of seven wild Adlay accessions (brown, black, yellow, grey, green, off-white, and purple) to find out their scope as cereal crops using simple, rapid, and modern analytical techniques. Results revealed variations among bulk densities, specific densities, percent empty spaces, and corresponding grain counts per 10g of sample are valuable characteristics in distinguishing the accessions. Contents of fat, protein, ash, and fibre were found to be comparable to cultivated Adlay. Brown adlay was measured with the highest protein, fat, and fibre contents, 15.82%, 4.76% and 2.37%, respectively. Phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and sodium ranged 0.3% - 2.2%, whereas boron, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese were in the range 1.6mg/kg - 20.8mg/kg. Wild adlay triglyceride composition constituted of polyunsaturated fatty acids as primary fraction followed by olein and palmitic acid as prominent fatty acids. Distinguishing functional groups expressed infra-red frequencies in narrow bands and fingerprint region of proteins associated with out-of-plane region evident structural differences among adlay accessions. Frequency of functional groups in seven accessions indicated black genotype promising for varietal development.

Lactobacilli are considered an inexhaustible source of potentially bioactive substances; indeed, several products from their metabolism are known to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity. Recently, we demonstrated that cell-free supernatants (CFS) obtained from Lactobacillus (L.) acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus and L. reuteri can impair Candida pathogenic potential in an in vitro model of epithelial vaginal infection. This effect could be ascribed to a direct effect of living lactobacilli on Candida virulence and to the production of metabolites which are able to impair fungal virulence. In the present work, stemming from those data, we deepened our knowledge on the CFS from these 4 lactobacilli by performing a metabolomic analysis to better characterize their composition. By using an untargeted metabolomic approach, we detected consistent differences in the metabolites produced by these four different lactobacilli. Interestingly, L. rhamnosus showed the most peculiar metabolic profile. Specifically, after a hierarchical clustering analysis in positive and negative ionization mode, L. rhamnosus showed a specific area of significant overexpressed metabolites that strongly differed from the same area in other lactobacilli. In this area, inosine was identified among the overexpressed metabolites of L. rhamnosus. This molecule has been described to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and neuroprotective properties. The biological significance of its overproduction by L. rhamnosus might be important in its probiotic and/or postbiotic activity.

A novel approach to the remote-control system for the compact multi-crystal energy-dispersive spectrometer for x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) applications has been developed. This new approach is based on asynchronous communication between software components and on reactive design principles. In this paper, we identify the challenges we have faced, our solution to them as well as the implementation and future development prospects. The main motivation of this work was the development of a new holistic communication protocol that can be implemented to control various hardware components.

In this paper, we propose an imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition using deep learning. Multiple features were extracted concurrently from eight-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals. To obtain classifiable EEG data with fewer number of sensors, we placed the EEG sensors on carefully selected spots on the scalp. To decrease the dimensions and complexity of the EEG dataset and to avoid overfitting during the deep learning algorithm, we utilized the wavelet scattering transformation. A low-cost 8-channel EEG headset was used with MATLAB 2023a to acquire the EEG data. The Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) was used to decode the identified EEG signals into four audio commands: Up, Down, Left, and Right. Wavelet scattering transformation was applied to extract the most stable features by passing the EEG dataset through a series of filtration processes. Filtration has been implemented for each individual command in the EEG datasets. The proposed imagined speech-based brain wave pattern recognition approach achieved a 92.50% overall classification accuracy. This accuracy is promising for designing a trustworthy imagined speech-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) future real-time systems. For better evaluation of the classification performance, other metrics were considered, and we obtained 92.74%, 92.50% and 92.62% for precision, recall, and F1-score, respectively.

Six bacterial strains with differing abilities to produce varying concentrations of Indole Acetic Acid were tested individually and in consortia for plant growth promoting and fitness related traits of Cicer arietinum. In all experiments the presence of the nitrogen fixer Mesorhizobium ciceri resulted in increased biomass production. In the absence of this strain, IAA Psedomonas putida and Bacillus megaterium hinder plant growth and fitness related traits. The application of mixes of the three strains always resulted in better plant performance when M. ciceri was present. Whereas P. putida has a noticeable plant growth-promoting effect B. megaterium resulted less effective. The low levels of IAA produced by the selected strains had a significantly greater positive effect on plant biomass accumulation, flower, pods and seed production as well as on total plant nitrogen and nitrogen concentration in seed than high IAA producer strains.

We have previously shown that the transmembrane protein ODZ1 promotes cytoskeletal remodelling of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and invasion of the surrounding parenchyma through activation of a RhoA-ROCK pathway. We also described that GBM cells can control the expression of ODZ1 through transcriptional mechanisms triggered by binding of IL-6 to its receptor and a hypoxic environment. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays a key role in the invasive capacity of GBM. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable tumor cells to acquire the morphological changes to migrate out from the tumor core have not been fully characterized. Here we show that EGF is able to induce the expression of ODZ1 in primary GBM cells. We analysed the levels of EGF receptor (EGFR) in 20 GBM primary cell lines and found expression in 19 of them by flow cytometry. We selected two cell lines that do or do not express EGFR and found that EGFR-expressing cells responded to EGF ligand by increasing ODZ1 at the mRNA and protein level. Moreover, blockade of EGF-EGFR binding by Cetuximab, inhibition of the p38 MAPK pathway or siRNA-mediated knockdown of MAPK11 (p38 MAPK) reduced the induction of ODZ1 in response to EGF. Overall, we show that EGF may activate an EGFR-mediated signalling pathway through p38 MAPK, to upregulate the invasion factor ODZ1, which may initiate morphological changes for tumor cells to invade the surrounding parenchyma. These data identify a new candidate of the EGF-EGFR pathway for novel therapeutic approaches.

Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is an oilseed with potential for use as a raw material in second-generation biofuels. Camelina has a seed yield of up to 2380 kg ha^-1 and contains around 45% fatty acids. Selection of a suitable site is critical for production optimization. The objective of this study was to determine Chilean agro-climatic suitability for establishing camelina as a productive alternative. Climate and soil requirements and geographical restraints were evaluated for the species, considering the climatological characteristics of its regions of origin, as well as regions where camelina is successfully grown in the rest of the world. The variables considered include factors (maximum temperatures of the warmest month, water deficits, and degree days) and limitations (altitude, geomorphology, and current land use), which permitted the evaluation of the national territory for a certain level of suitability. It was determined that 1.3% of the national territory (960,664 ha) has some degree of suitability for camelina adoption. Between the Biobío and Los Lagos regions, 49.0% of land (471,203 ha) is in the category of without thermic restrictions, with mild water restrictions, and mild soil restrictions or without information, which can be used for camelina production. The Los Ríos region had 21.4% surface area (321,176 ha) with some level of suitability for camelina, the most suitable region to establish this crop in Chile.

Berberis vulgaris L. (Berberidaceae) is a shrub that has been widely used in European folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. The purpose of our study was to elucidate the mechanisms of antiproliferative action of the plant’s methanolic root extract (BVR) against colon cancer cells. Cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic activity were determined in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (LS180 and HT-29) and control colon epithelial CCD841 CoN cells. According to the MTT assay, after 48 h of cell exposure, the IC50 values were as follows: 4.3; 46.1 and 50.2 µg/mL for LS180, HT-29, and CCD841 CoN cells, respectively, showing the greater sensitivity of cancer cells to BVR. The Cell Death Detection ELISAPLUS kit demonstrated that BVR induced programmed cell death only against HT-29 cells. RT-qPCR with relative quantification method showed significant changes in the expression of genes related to apoptosis in both colon cancer cell lines. The genes BCL2L1 (126.84-366.66%), BCL2L2 (277.08-330.12%), CASP3 (180.36-261.36%) and CASP9 (158.08-213.46%) had significantly elevated expression, while BCL2 (23.08-52.06%) had reduced expression. Furthermore, in a panel of antioxidant tests, BVR showed positive effects (63.93±0.01, 122.92±0.01, and 220.29±0.02 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/g in the DPPH•, ABTS•+ and ORAC assays, respectively). In the lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition test, BVR revealed 62,60±0.87% of enzyme inhibition. The chemical composition of BVR was determined using UHPLC-UV-CAD-MS/MS analysis and confirmed the presence of several known alkaloids, including berberine, as well as other alkaloids and two derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic and sinapic acid hexosides). This is the first such extensive assessment of the biological activity of BVR. The results are very promising and encourage for the use of BVR as a comprehensive chemopreventive agent (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-apoptotic) in colorectal cancer.

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.

Although the water absorption feature (WAF) at 970 nm is not very well-defined, it may be used alongside other indices to estimate the canopy water content. The individual performance of a number of existing vegetation water content (VWC) indices against the WAF is assessed using linear regression model. We developed a new Combined Vegetation Water Index (CVWI) by merging indices to boost the weak absorption feature. CVWI showed a promise in assessing the vegetation water status derived from the 970 nm absorption wavelength. CVWI was able to differentiate two groups of dataset when regressed against the absorption feature. CVWI could be seen as an easy and robust method for vegetation water content studies using hyperspectral field data.

Nodule bacteria (rhizobia) represent a suitable model to address a range of evolutionary prob-lems including the tradeoff between genetic polymorphism and natural selection. Rhizobia possess the complicated genomes in which symbiotically specialized (sym) genes differ in their natural histories from core genes encoding for housekeeping functions. Diversification of sym genes is responsible for the rhizobia microevolution which depends on the host-induced natural selection. For the rhizobia speciation, diversification of core genes is responsible for which the selective factors are unclear. In this paper we demonstrate that in the goats’ rue rhizobia (Neorhizobium galegae) populations collected at North Caucasus and composed of two host-specific biovars orientalis and officianalis (N2-fixing symbionts of Galega orientalis and G. officinalis, respectively), evolutionary mechanisms are different for core and sym genes. In both N. galegae biovars, core genes are more polymorphic than sym genes. In bv. orientalis, evolution of core genes occurs under the impacts of driving se-lection (dN/dS > 1), while evolution of sym genes is close to neutral (dN/dS ≈ 1). In bv. officinalis, evolution of core genes is neutral, while for sym genes, it is dependent on purifying selection (dN/dS < 1). A marked phylogenetic congruence of core and sym genes revealed using the ANI analysis may be due to a low intensity of gene transfer within and between N. galegae biovars. Polymorphism of both gene groups and the impacts of driving selection on the core gene evolu-tion are more pronounced in bv. orientalis than in bv. officianalis reflecting the diversities of re-spective host plant species. In bv. orientalis, highly significant (P0 < 0,001) positive correlation was revealed between the p-distance and dN/dS values for core genes, while in bv. officinalis this cor-relation is lowly significant (0,05 < P0 < 0,10). For sym genes, correlation between the p-distance and dN/dS values is negative in bv. officinalis but is not revealed in bv. orientalis. These data along with the functional annotation of core genes implemented using the Gene Ontology tools sug-gests that evolution of bv. officinalis is based mostly on adaptation for in planta niches while in bv. orientalis evolution presumable depends on adaptation for soil niches. New insights into the tradeoff between natural selection and genetic diversity are presented suggesting that the gene polymorphism may be extended by driving selection only in the ecologically versatile organ-isms capable to support a broad spectrum of gene alleles in their genepools.

The aim of the study was to examine the long-term prognostic value of changes in cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) within a year after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods. Patients with coronary artery disease (n = 251) in whom cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was assessed using the VaSera VS-1000 device before and in a year after CABG. Groups with improved CAVI (CAVI decreased from pathological value to normal or the index remained within normal values) or worsened CAVI (persistent pathological index value or an increase in CAVI to pathological values or an increase of 1 unit or more) were identified. The groups were compared for the following events at 10-year follow-up: death from all causes, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and the combined endpoint. Results. A year after CABG surgery, 45% of patients showed positive dynamics or stable normal CAVI values. Death from all causes was significantly more common in the group with CAVI progression - 32 (27.6%) than in the group with CAVI improvement - 14 (14.8%; p = 0.029). Patients with CAVI progression were more likely to have MACE (death, MI, stroke/TIA) in 49 (42.2%) cases, compared with patients with CAVI improvement - in 23 (24.5%; p=0.008). Negative dynamics of CAVI (p = 0.024), number of shunts (p = 0.006), and the presence of carotid stenosis more than 30% (p = 0.051) were independent predictors of death from all causes at 10-year follow-up after CABG. The presence of carotid stenosis more than 30% (p = 0.002) and the group with negative dynamics of CAVI after a year (p = 0.008) were independent predictors of the development of the combined endpoint during long-term follow-up. Conclusions. Patients with negative dynamics of CAVI one year after CABG were more likely to experience death from all causes and combined endpoint in the long-term follow-up than patients with normal CAVI. In further studies, it is advisable to evaluate the dynamics of CAVI and, based on this, identify the most effective interventions to improve the prognosis of patients after CABG.

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. belongs to the Cactaceae family and the genus Opuntia; it is a succulent plant that adapts to extreme climatic conditions. The aerial part of the plant consists of the cladodes, morphological changes of branches that appear green, are covered with thorns, and are essential to reduce excessive perspiration of water. The composition of cladodes is very varied, and the main constituents are water, fibers, polysaccharides, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, sterols, minerals, and polyphenols. Polyphenols are responsible for many beneficial activities for human health, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and nutritional properties. The purpose of this manuscript was to compare the properties of cladodes belonging to the same plant but with different stages of maturity. Relative extracts were tested both in vitro and on a cell line and antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties were found. The antioxidant activity was tested by the ORAC test, the DPPH test, and the measurement of cellular accumulation of ROS. Anti-apoptotic activity was evaluated by the annexin/PI assay and measurement of caspases 9 and 3 expression. The results obtained have shown that the extracts considered possess antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. However, the different stages of maturity of cladodes are essential for the performance of both functions. In addition, important variations have been made in the dissolution of extracts that have brought greater safety in their use. In conclusion, this manuscript provides further information on cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica, which can be used as adjuvants in many human pathologies.

The chemical investigation of the anti-yeast methanol extract from the stem bark of Terminalia mantaly led to the isolation of seven compounds: 3-O-methyl-4-O-α-rhamnopyranoside ellagic acid (1), 3-O-mehylellagic acid (2), arjungenin or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid (3), arjunglucoside or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid glucopyranoside (4), 2α,3α,24-trihydroxyolean-11,13(18)-dien-28-oïc acid (5), stigmasterol (6), stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analysis and comparison with published data. Compounds 1-5 were tested in vitro for activity against three pathogenic yeast isolates, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei. The activity of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were comparable to that of the reference compound fluconazole (MIC values below 32 µg/ml) against the three tested yeast isolates. They were also tested for inhibitory properties against four enzymes of metabolic significance: Glucose-6-Phosphate Deshydrogenase (G6PD), human erythrocyte Carbonic anhydrase I and II (hCA I and hCA II), Glutathione S-transferase (GST). Compound 4 showed highly potent inhibitory property against the four tested enzymes with overall IC₅₀ values below 4 µM and inhibitory constant (Ki) <3 µM.

Epidemiological studies on micronutrient consumption have reported protective associations in the incidence and/or progression of various cancer types. Supplementation with some of these micronutrients has been analyzed, showing chemoprotection, low toxicity, antiproliferation, and the ability to modify epigenetic signatures in various cancer models. The following review inves-tigates the reported effects of micronutrient intake or supplementation in breast cancer progres-sion. A PubMed search was conducted with the keywords “micronutrients breast cancer progres-sion,” and the results were analyzed. The selected micronutrients were: Vitamins (A, C, D, and E), Folic Acid, metals (Cu, Fe, Se, and Zn), fatty acids, polyphenols, and iodine. The majority of in vitro models showed antiproliferative, cell cycle arrest, and antimetastatic effects for almost all the micronutrients analyzed, but these effects do not reflect animal or human studies. Only one clinical trial with Vitamin D and one pilot study with molecular iodine showed favorable overall survival and disease-free interval.

Adlay seed samples were collected from 3 adlay growing regions (Yeoncheon, Jeonnam and Eumseong regions) in Korea during 2012. Among all the samples collected, 400 seeds were tested for fungal occurrence by standard blotter and test tube agar methods and different taxonomic groups of fungal genera were detected. The most predominant fungal genera encountered were Fusarium, Phoma, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Cochliobolus and Leptosphaerulina. The occurrence of Fusarium species were 45.6% and based on the combined sequences of two protein coding genes, EF-1a, Beta-tubulin and phylogenetic analysis, 10 species were characterized as F. incarnatum (11.67%), F. kyushense (10.33%), F. fujikuroi (8.67%), F. concentricum (6.00%), F. asiaticum (5.67%), F. graminearum (1.67%), F. miscanthi (0.67%), F. polyphialidiom (0.33%), F. armeniacum (0.33%) and F. thapsinum (0.33%). The ability of these isolates to produce mycotoxins fumonisin (FUM) and zeralenone (ZEN) were tested by ELISA quantitative analysis method. The result revealed that fumonisin (FUM) was produced only by F. fujikuroi and zeralenone (ZEN) by F. asiaticum & F. graminearum. Mycotoxigenic species were then examined for their morphological characteristics to confirm their identity. Morphological observations of the species correlated well with their molecular identification and confirmed as F. asiaticum, F. fujikuroi and F. graminearum.

Cannabis has long been used for its medicinal and psychoactive properties. With the relatively new adoption of formal medicinal cannabis regulations worldwide, the study of cannabinoids, both endogenous and exogenous, has similarly flourished in more recent decades. In particular, research investigating the role of cannabinoids in regeneration and neurodevelopment has yielded promising results in vertebrate models. However, regeneration-competent vertebrates are few, whereas a myriad of invertebrate species have been established as superb models for regeneration. As such, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the endocannabinoid system, with a focus on current advances in the area of endocannabinoid system contributions to invertebrate neurodevelopment and regeneration.

The demographic history of anatomically modern humans (AMH) involves multiple migration events, population extinctions and genetic adaptations. As genome-wide data from complete genome sequencing becomes increasingly abundant and available even from extinct hominins, new insights of the evolutionary history of our species are discovered. It is currently known that AMH introgressed with archaic hominins once they left the African continent. Current out of African human genomes carry fragments of archaic origin. This review focuses on the fitness consequences of archaic interbreeding in current human populations. We discuss new insights and challenges that researchers face when interpreting the potential impact of introgression on fitness and testing hypotheses about the role of selection within the context of health and disease.

Open science, accessibility and knowledge sharing, especially of articles and monographs stemming from a publicly funded research, seem to be quite a positive direction in the development of science and have received almost unanimous approval from a scientific community. However, when it comes to data sharing, the data obtained by qualitative methodology deserve special attention and treatment. Although FAIR principles provide ways to anonymise the data and interlocoutors (as explained in Celjak et al 2020) individuals coming from smaller communities or even communities of practice can sometimes be easily regcognized by members of the same communitiy, especially if the data refers to audio files! The researcher is obliged to thoroughly describe the ways in which the data will be managed and used, and if it will state that the data will be managed in line with FAIR principles, this will inevitably impact the narratives collected. The prerogative to make all the data open will inevitably lead to autocesorship i.e. in creating a kind of FAIRy Tales for the future, interlocutors will share with researchers. Having all that in mind I argue for a more vigilant approach when embracing the idea that all the data should be made FAIR. Not all the data should be made FAIR because this could, in the end, compromise the research process itself. Some data must remain in the space of trust created between main actors in the research process. These data should be treated with CARE principles.

We propose a notion of a ternary skew-symmetric covariant tensor of 3rd order, consider it as a 3-dimensional matrix and study a ten-dimensional complex space of these tensors. We split this space into a direct sum of two five-dimensional subspaces and in each subspace there is an irreducible representation of the rotation group SO(3)↪SO(5). We find two independent SO(3)-invariants of ternary skew-symmetric tensors, where one of them is the Hermitian metric and the other is the quadratic form. We find the stabilizer of this quadratic form and its invariant properties. Making use of these invariant properties we define a SO(3)-irreducible geometric structure on a five-dimensional complex Hermitian manifold. We study a connection on a five-dimensional complex Hermitian manifold with a SO(3)-irreducible geometric structure, find its curvature and torsion. The structures proposed in this paper and their study are motivated by a ternary generalization of the Pauli’s principle proposed by R. Kerner.

Stream chemistry effectively integrates watershed ecosystem processes on both spatial and temporal scales. Streams of coastal areas integrate a more homogeneous, flat topography wherein there can be interactions between the stream and the body of water into which it drains, especially where tidal fluxes occur. The present study assessed water quality of Thompson Bayou, which comes to the campus of the University of West Florida in a wetland after flowing through 4 km of commercial and private property with associated impacts on water quality. Sampling was carried out for one year at eight discrete sites along Thompson Bayou from the UWF campus to the Escambia River. We used a portable field meter to measure temperature, pH, dissolved O2 (DO), and specific conductivity (SC). Except for temperature, all variables exhibited a spatial pattern of significant variation with distance, with consistent increases in DO and SC as the stream approached the river. These variables also exhibited a temporal pattern of significant seasonal variation, including—and especially—temperature. Data suggest that spatial and temporal patterns of water quality of Thompson Bayou are determined by (1) processing of water by the wetland, (2) interactions of the stream channel with upland forest stands, and (3) the tidal hydrology of the Escambia River.

In the context of the economic and political uncertainty associated with the 2019-nCoV pandemic, it is necessary to determine the socio-psychological factors involved in the transformation of the behavior of insurance consumers under the influence of a biogenic threat. This study measures financial anxiety and its impact on the insurance behavior of Russian citizens. The correlation, comparative, and regression analyses of the financial anxiety of Russian citizens cover three stages of observation: before the start of the 2019 nCoV pandemic (“FA up to 19 nCoV; N = 766), during the period of quarantine measures announced in Russia in March 2020 (“FA 19-nCoV-1”; N = 856), and after the relaxation of quarantine measures at the end of April 2020 (“FA 19-nCoV-2”; N = 963).Psychological analysis data were obtained from the online survey “Financial anxiety (in the context of insurance)”. The questionnaire is psychometrically reliable and easy to use. It includes five measurement scales: MR1—Physical manifestations of financial incentive anxiety, MR2—With money shortages and financial uncertainty, MR3—The value of insurance coverage, MP4—Financial Confidence, and MR5—Perception of insurance and investment risks. It was found that Russian citizens consider it important to have insurance coverage for a “rainy day”, and they showed confidence in the insurance market during the biogenic crisis. However, unfortunately, during the 19-nCoV-1 and 19-nCoV-2 periods, Russian citizens did not feel financially secure, unlike in the period before 19-nCoV. Women showed high scores for physical manifestations of financial anxiety and low financial confidence in the future, in contrast to men, regardless of the observation period.

In the context of economic and political uncertainty associated with the 2019-nCoV pandemic, it is necessary to determine the socio-psychological factors in the transformation of the behavior of insurance consumers under the influence of the biogenic threat. This study is devoted to measuring financial anxiety and its impact on the insurance behavior of Russian citizens. Correlation, comparative and regression analyzes of financial anxiety of Russian citizens cover three stages of observation: before the start of the 2019 nCoV pandemic (“FA up to 19 nCoV; N = 766), during the period of quarantine measures announced in Russia in March 2020 (“ FA 19- nCoV-1 "; N = 856) and after the relaxation of quarantine measures at the end of April 2020 (" FA 19-nCoV-2 "; N = 963). Psychological analysis data were obtained from the online survey "Financial anxiety (in the context of insurance)". The questionnaire is psychometrically reliable and easy to use, including 5 measurement scales: MR1. Physical manifestations of financial incentive anxiety, MR2. With money shortages and financial uncertainty, MR3. The value of insurance coverage, MP4. Financial Confidence, MR5. Perception of insurance and investment risks. Russian citizens considered it important to have insurance coverage on a “rainy day” and showed confidence in the insurance market during the biogenic crisis. But, unfortunately, Russian citizens during the 19-nCoV-1 and 19-nCoV-2 periods did not feel financially secure in the future, unlike the period before 19-nCoV. ”Women showed high scores for physical manifestations of financial anxiety and low financial confidence in the future, in contrast to men, regardless of the observation period.

Humification is a promising strategy to reduce the amount of animal waste generated in agriculture. This makes it possible to accumulate products with artificially obtained humic substances (HS) as analogues of natural HS, usually extracted from fossil sources (coal, peat). The review examines the main characteristics of various biological and physical-chemical methods (composting, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonation, acid or alkaline hydrolysis, subcritical water ex-traction) used to form HS in animal waste humification products. A comparative analysis of the humification rates and yields of HS in these processes, the characteristics of artificial HS in products (humification index, polymerization index, degree of aromaticity, etc.) is carried out in connection with the use of certain methods of humification and types of animal waste. The main factors (ad-ditives, process conditions, waste pretreatment, etc.) that can increase the efficiency of humification and the properties of HS resources artificially obtained by various methods are highlighted. A generalizing analysis of the content of chemical elements in artificial HS obtained from various animal husbandry wastes in comparison with natural HS was carried out. Based on the results of the chemical composition analysis, the main trends and preferences regarding the most useful ap-plications of humification products as complex biomimetics are discussed.

A substantial amount of phosphorus (P) in soil is not readily available for plant uptake. Certain species may enhance P availability from poorly soluble P forms. This research aimed to compare the P solubilization capacity of the soil of two Lupine species, L. albus, and L. angustifolius, with a control crop of oats (Avena strigosa L.). Plants were planted in pots in four soils with varying texture, organic matter content, acidity, and P availability. Phosphorus solubilization capacity was assessed on variations of P availability (PBray1) at four points in time, comparing soils with lupine to oat-containing soils and their baseline values. At harvest, measurements of plant shoot biomass included their shoot dry weight and some nutrient concentrations such as P, nitrogen (N), manganese (Mn), and lupine nitrogen fixation. Compared to soils containing oats, lupine soils significantly increased PBray1 concentrations; increments ranged from 0.9 to 5.4 mg kg-1, depending on species, sampling time, and soil type. Lupine-induced soil acidification did not fully explain this P increase., As a proxy measurement of organic acid exudation, Manganese concentration was high in both lupine species' shoot biomass; however, these legumes had divergent Mn accumulation responses to soil acidity and P availability. Nitrogen fixed quantity varied with Lupine species (105-240 mg pot-1) and soil type (60-240 mg pot-1). Lupinus albus had a higher ability to mobilize non-labile P and provide N through biological N fixation (BNF), positioning it as a suitable crop for diversifying Uruguay's agricultural crop rotation systems.

In this work model of mirror elements equilibrium of the micromechanical components is developed, the behavior analysis of the mirror element of micromechanical mirrors in case changing of control voltages of electrostatic actuators is carried out, an expression for determining the maximum value of deflection voltage at which the snap-down effect will take the following form is obtained in case of the influence of the coefficient of the electrostatic rigidity of electrostatic actuators. The developed equilibrium model of mirror elements and the obtained results of modeling can be used at design of micromechanical mirrors with internal suspensions.

Today's city needs more than ever methodological devices that ensure a specific urbanism, in keeping with the complexity of relationships that occur in the urban space. Networks or systems of diverse nature must be activated to achieve a certain success of the city, even more so in its fragile central fabrics. The study is focused on the historic neighborhoods of the city of Jaén (Spain), which have a high vulnerability index. The aim is to establish a strategy to revitalize their urban and social capital and improve their articulation with the rest of the urban and territorial structure. A methodological proposal for the analysis of vulnerability factors and an urban and cartographic analysis of the public space is addressed through an interweaving of a triple network: environmental, social, and urban. For this purpose, the configuration of this overlapping network of analysis and formulation of criteria is presented, which considers the urban multiplicity and promotes new dynamics for the integrated urban regeneration of the area and for the activation of public and collective urban spaces.

High Brassicaceae consumption reduces the risk of developing several cancer types, probably due to their glucosinolate amount. Extracts from Sinapis nigra L. and Sinapis alba L. have been obtained from leaves and seeds under different conditions using ethanol/water mixtures because well accepted by food industry. The EtOH/H2O 8:2 mixture gives better yields in glucosinolate amounts from grinded seeds, mainly sinalbin in S. alba and sinigrin in S. nigra. The highest antiproliferative activity in both non-tumour and tumour cell lines was induced by S. alba seeds extract. To evaluate whether Sinapis spp effect was only due to glucosinolate content or it was influenced by the extracts’ complexity, cells were treated with extracts or glucosinolates, in the presence of myrosinase. Pure sinigrin did not modify cell proliferation, while pure sinalbin was less effective than the extract. The addition of myrosinase increased the antiproliferative effects of the S. nigra extract and sinigrin. Antiproliferative activity was correlated to MAPKs modulation, which was cell and extract-dependent. Cell-cycle analysis evidenced a proapoptotic effect of S. alba on both tumour cell lines and of S. nigra only on HCT 116. Both extracts showed good antimicrobial activity in disc diffusion tests and on ready-to-eat fresh salad. These results underline the potential effects of Sinapis spp in chemoprevention and food preservation.

Malaria remains an important and challenging infectious disease, and novel antimalarials are required. Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), the main breakdown product of benzyl glucosinolate, is present in all parts of Tropaeolum majus L. (T. majus) and has antibacterial and antiparasitic activities. To our knowledge, there is no information on the effects of BITC against malaria. The present study evaluates the antimalarial activity of BITC and T. majus seeds, leaves, and stems aqueous extracts. We used flow cytometry to calculate the growth inhibition (GI) percentage of the extracts and BITC against unsynchronized cultures of chloroquine-susceptible Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) 3D7-GFP strain. Extracts and/or compounds with at least 70% GI were validated by IC50 estimation against P. falciparum 3D7-GFP and Dd2 (chloroquine-resistant strain) unsynchronized cultures by flow cytometry, and the resistance index (RI) was determined. T. majus aqueous extracts showed some antimalarial activity higher in seeds than in leaves or stems. BITC’s GI was comparable to chloroquine’s. BITC’s IC50 was similar in both strains, thus a cross-resistance absence with aminoquinolines was found (RI < 1). BITC presented features that could open new avenues for malaria drug discovery.

Transketolase (TKT) is an essential thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme of the non-oxidative branch of pentose phosphate pathway, with the glucose-6P flux through the pathway regulated in various medically important conditions. Here, we characterize the brain TKT regulation by acylation in rats with perturbed thiamine-dependent metabolism, known to occur in neurodegenerative diseases. The perturbations are modelled by administration of oxythiamine inhibiting ThDP-dependent enzymes in vivo, or by reduced thiamine availability in the presence of metformin and amprolium, inhibiting intracellular thiamine transporters. Compared to control rats, chronic administration of oxythiamine does not significantly change the modification level of the two detected TKT acetylation sites (K6 and K102), but doubles malonylation of TKT K499, concomitantly decreasing 1.7-fold the level of demalonylase sirtuin 5. The inhibitors of thiamine transporters do not change average levels of TKT acylation or sirtuin 5. TKT structures indicate that the acylated residues are distant from the active sites. The acylations-perturbed electrostatic interactions may be involved in conformational shifts and/or formation of TKT complexes with other proteins or nucleic acids. Acetylation of K102 may affect the active site entrance/exit and subunit interactions. Correlation analysis reveals that the action of oxythiamine is characterized by significant negative correlations of K499 malonylation or K6 acetylation with TKT activity, not observed upon the action of the inhibitors of thiamine transport. However, the transport inhibitors induce significant negative correlations between the TKT activity and K102 acetylation or TKT expression, absent in the oxythiamine group. Thus, perturbations in the ThDP-dependent catalysis or thiamine transport manifest in the insult-specific patterns of the brain TKT malonylation and acetylations.

Currently, there is a tenacious need to find new ways to purify water by eliminating bacterial biofilms, textile dyes, and toxic water pollutants. These contaminants pose significant risks to both human health and the environment. To address this issue, in this study, we have developed an eco-friendly approach that involves synthesizing Cobalt-doped Cerium Iron Oxide (CCIO) nanocomposite (NC) using an aqueous extract of Gossypium arboreum L. stalks. The resulting nanoparticles can be used to effectively purify water and tackle the challenges associated with these harmful pollutants. Nanoparticles excel in water pollutant removal by providing high surface area for efficient adsorption, versatile design for simultaneous removal of multiple contaminants, catalytic properties for organic pollutant degradation, and magnetic features for easy separation, offering cost-effective and sustainable water treatment solutions. CCIO nanocomposite has been synthesized by green co-precipitation method due to biomolecules and co-enzymes present in the aqueous extract of Gossypium arboreum L. stalk; a single-step procedure completed in 5 h reaction time. Further, the synthesis of nanocomposites was confirmed by various characterization techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). CCIO NCs were discovered to have a spherical shape and an average size of 40 nm. Based on DLS zeta potential analysis, CCIO NCs were found to be anionic. Also, CCIO NCs showed significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Overall, considering the physical and chemical properties, the application of CCIO NCs in the adsorption of various dyes (~91 %) and water pollutants (chromium = ~ 60 %) has been considered since they exhibit great adsorption capacity owing to their microporous structure which can be a step forward in water purification.

Natural fibres are the preferred options for garment, technical and medical textiles, nonwovens and composites. Their sustainability is a considerable advantage. Though, the nature of silk production and processing involves a large amount of waste. The present review explores the current issues of recycling silk waste into nonwovens for medical and air filtration purposes. The article proposes to obtain nonwovens from short fibres using electrospinning of fibroin solutions in volatile solvents. Longer fibres are proposed to be processed into needle punched nonwoven materials with a selection of an effective antistatic treatment.

We present synthetic experiments of lactic acid (LA) polycondensation to produce poly(lactic acid) (PLA), as well as kinetic modeling calculations that capture the polymer molecular weight increase with time, given the initial concentrations. Tin-octoate-catalyzed polycondensation of (D,L)- or L-lactic acid, was carried out in pre-dried toluene after azeotropic dehydration for 48-120 hours at 130-137 °C. The polymerization was optimized by varying lactic acid and catalyst concentrations as well as the temperature. Gel Permeation Chromatography was used to experimentally follow the evolution of molecular weights and the products were characterized by NMR, TGA, DSC and IR. Under optimal conditions, PLLA with weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 161 kDa could be obtained. The rate equations that describe polycondensation kinetics were recast in a condensed form that allowed very fast numerical solution and calculation of the number-average molecular weight with time. Deviations with respect to the experiment were minimized in a least-squares fashion, to determine rate constants. The optimized kinetics parameters are shown to reproduce the experimental data accurately

Ionizing radiation-induced damage in cancer and normal cells leads to apoptosis and cell death, through the intracellular oxidative stress, DNA damage and disorders of their metabolism. Irradiation doses that do not lead to the death of tumor cells can result in the emergence of radioresistant clones of these cells, due to the rearrangement of metabolism and the emergence of new mutations, including those in the genes responsible for DNA repair. The search for the substances capable of modulating the functioning of the tumor cell repair system is an urgent task. Here we analyzed the effect of cerium(III) fluoride nanoparticles (CeF3 NPs) on normal (human mesenchymal stem cells – hMSCs) and cancer (MCF-7 line) human cells after X-ray radiation. CeF3 NPs effectively prevent the formation of hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals in an irradiated aqueous solution, showing pronounced antioxidant properties. CeF3 NPs are able to protect hMSCs from radiation-induced proliferation arrest, increasing their viability and mitochondrial membrane potential, and, conversely, inducing the cell death of MCF-7 cancer cells, causing radiation-induced mitochondrial hyperpolarization. CeF3 NPs provided a significant decrease in the number of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in normal cells, while in MCF-7 cells the number of γ-H2AX foci dramatically increased in the presence of CeF3 4 hours after irradiation. In the presence of CeF3 NPs, there was a tendency to modulate the expression of most analyzed genes associated with the development of intracellular oxidative stress, cell redox status and the DNA repair system after X ray irradiation. Cerium-containing nanoparticles are capable of providing selective protection of normal cells from radiation-induced injuries and are considered as a platform for the development of promising clinical radioprotectors.

The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area containing approximately 40% of the currently identified total coal reserves in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase of mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particle with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. This paper summarises the spatial and temporal variability modes of PM10 pollution in the region, based on long-term multi-site monitoring data and the application of the rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) and wavelet analysis techniques. RPCA identified two distinct air quality clusters/subregions in the valley, one in the west/northwest, the other in the southeast. Wavelet analysis revealed the annual cycle to be most persistent temporal mode of PM10 variability in both subregions, with intermittent signals observed at time scales of around 120, 30~90 and under 30 days. How these variation modes are related to the effects of local PM10 emissions and the influence of meteorology at different time scales deserves further attention in future work. The findings will be used in air quality reporting and forecasting in NSW. The methodology and results can also be useful for air quality research in similar regions elsewhere.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are used in catalysis due to their high specific surface area and porous structure. The dispersed active sites and limited reaction space render MOFs have the potential for highly selective electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR). Meanwhile, formic acid (HCOOH) is attracting attention as a liquid product with high economic benefits. This review summarizes the MOFs and their derivatives applied for ECO2RR into HCOOH products. The preparation methods of MOFs as electrocatalysts and their unique advantages are discussed. A series of MOFs, and MOFs derivatives obtained by electrochemical reduction or carbonization processes are highlighted, including metal nanomaterials, carbon-based nanocomposites, single-atom catalysts, and bimetallic nanocomposites. Depending on the MOFs building units (metal ions and organic linkers) and the reaction conditions of derivatization, MOFs-based catalysts exhibit rich diversity and controllable modulation of catalytic performance. Finally, the challenges encountered at this stage and the future research directions of MOFs-based catalysts are proposed.

Eicheon properties are discussed. It is shown that the eicheon surface allows setting a boundary condition for the vacuum polarization and obtaining a solution describing the dark matter tail in the Milky Way. That is, the dark matter in the Milky Way is explained as the F-type of vacuum polarization, which could be treated as dark radiation. The model presented is spherically symmetric, but a surface density of a baryonic galaxy disk is taken into account approximately by smearing the disk over a sphere. This allows the reproduction of the large distance shape of the Milky Way rotational curve. Andromeda's rotational curves are also discussed.

The Review examines studies aimed at the organization of energy (non-mechanical) control of high-speed flow/flight using spatially multi-component plasma structures and combined energy deposition. The Review covers selected works on experimental obtaining and numerical modeling multi-component plasma structures and use of sets of actuators based on the plasma of such a spatially type for the purposes of control of shock wave/bow shock wave – energy source interaction, as well as control of shock wave – boundary layer interaction. A series of works on repetitive multiple laser pulse plasma structures is also analyzed from the point of view of examining shock wave/bow shock wave boundary layer interaction. Self-sustained theoretical models for laser dual-pulse, multi-mode laser pulses and self-sustained glow discharge are also considered. Separate sections are devoted to high-speed flow control using combined physical phenomena and numerical prediction of flow control possibilities using thermal longitudinally layered plasma structures. The wide possibilities for organization and applying spatially multi-component structured plasma for the purposes of high-speed flow control are demonstrated.

An inclusive curriculum with a socio-cultural approach must include content on sustainability. This study raised the following problem: What is the presence of contents related to sustainability in the curricula of 24 degrees of Pedagogy of the Spanish state.? Through an explicit study, subjects directly related to sustainability were identified and analyzed through the qualitative data analysis program Atlas-ti. The categories of analysis used were those present in the Sustainability Thesaurus [4] to which the professional category was incorporated. The results showed, on the one hand, the low presence in these grades of subjects whose name indicates a direct link with sustainability and, on the other hand, On the other hand, the presence of professional competencies was detected, which were not subsequently specified in the corresponding learning outcomes or in the training content.

The tetracyclic pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole olivacine and four of its oxygenated derivatives have been synthesized by a late-stage palladium-catalyzed Heck-type cyclization of the pyrrole ring as key step. In a test for inhibition of the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 9-methoxyolivacine showed the most significant inhibiting activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with an MIC₉₀ value of 1.5 μM.

Biomimetics, which are similar to natural compounds that play an important role in the metabolism, manifestation of functional activity and reproduction of various fungi, have a pronounced attrac-tion in the current search for new effective antifungals. Actual trends in the development of this area of research indicate that unnatural amino acids can be used as such biomimetics, including those containing halogen atoms; compounds similar to nitrogenous bases embedded in the nucleic acids synthesized by fungi; peptides imitating fungal analogues; molecules similar to natural sub-strates of numerous fungal enzymes and Quorum Sensing signaling molecules of fungi and yeast; etc. Most part of the review is devoted to the analysis of semi-synthetic and synthetic antifungal peptides and their targets of action. This review is aimed at combining and systematizing the cur-rent scientific information accumulating in this area of research, developing various antifungals with an assessment of the effectiveness of the created biomimetics and the possibility of combining them with other antimicrobial substances to reduce cell resistance and improve antifungal effects.

The first diastereoselective synthesis of (–)-1-epi-lentiginosine stars from a common chiral trans-epoxyamide derived from 2-pyridincarbaldehyde is reported. This methodology involves a sequential oxirane ring opening and intramolecular 5-exo-tet cyclization of tosylate tras-epoxyalcohol to afford a diastereomeric mixture of indolizinium salts in a one-pot fashion, followed by regio- and diastereospecific pyridinium ring reduction.

During the bioassay, on leaf sections of the A. roylei species, a significantly higher number of T. tabaci females was recorded compared to the cv. Tęcza of the A. cepa species and the cv. Kroll of the A. fistulosum species, in each observation period. Significantly more thrips settled on cv. Kroll compared to Alibaba and Bila. Regarding the results obtained on A. cepa, significantly fewer females were found on cv. Bila compared to cv. Tęcza. Opposite results were observed in a combination of cvs. Tęcza - Alibaba, where significantly more insects settled on leaves of cv. Alibaba. Statistically significant differences of cultivars/species were found in the number of hatched larvae on the leaves of the tested cultivars/species of onion. The significantly lowest number of larvae hatched from eggs laid on A. roylei compared to A. fistulosum and cultivars of A. cepa, except for Bila.

Nuclear pollution is an urgent environmental issue as a consequence of rapid industrialization and nuclear accidents in the past. Remediation of nuclear polluted sites using microbial vital activity (bioremediation) is a promising approach to recover contaminated areas in an environmentally friendly and cost-saving way. At the same time, the number of known bacterial and archaeal species able to withstand extremely high doses of ionizing radiation is steadily growing every year, together with growing knowledge about mechanisms of radioresistance. This opens up new opportunities for developing new biotechnological solutions. However, these data are often not systemized and it can be difficult to access. Here, we present the Determinants of Radioresistance Database, or DetR DB (http://extremebiolab.com/detr-db/), gathering a comprehensive catalog of radioresistant microbes and their molecular and genetic determinants of enhanced ionizing radiation tolerance. The database provides search tools including taxonomy, common gene name, and BLAST. DetR DB will be a useful tool for research community by facilitating the extraction of the necessary information to help further analysis of radiation-resistant mechanisms.

Darier disease (DD) is an autosomal dominant disorder due to mutation of ATP2A2 gene causing an isolated skin manifestation based on keratinocyte disconnection and apoptosis. Systemic manifestations of DD have not been demonstrated so far although a high incidence of neuropsychiatric syndromes suggest an involvement of central nervous system. A Novel ATP2A2 Gene Mutation c.118G>A, causing keratinocyte and cardiomyocyte disconnection in Darier disease, is reported. Their common pathologic pathway, still unreported, was documented by both skin and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy because of cardiac dilatation and dysfunction appeared several decades after skin manifestations.Keratinocyte disconnection was paralleled by cardiomyocyte separation at lateral junction. Cardiomyocyte separation was associated to cell disarray, sarcoplasmic reticulum dilatation and increased myocyte apoptosis. Clinically, hyperkeratotic skin papules were associated to chest pain, severe muscle exhaustion and ventricular arrhythmias that improved following administration of aminophylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor enhancing SERCA2 protein phosphorylation.Specific mutations of ATP2A2 gene may cause cardiac involvement in patients with DD. Cardiac pathologic changes are similar to those documented in the skin including cardiomyocyte disconnection that promotes precordial pain and cardiac arrhythmias. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors, enhancing SERCA2 protein phosphorylation may substantially attenuate the symptoms.

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) is a human DNA repair protein. It is a member of the phospholipase D family based on the structure similarity. TDP1 is a key enzyme involved in repairing stalled topoisomerase 1 (TOP1)-DNA complexes. Previously we obtained with the CRISPR/Cas9 method HEK293A cells with the homozygous knockout of the Tdp1 gene and used knockout cells as a cellular model for studying the mechanisms of anticancer therapy. In this work we studied for the first time by transcriptomic analysis the effect of Tdp1 gene knockout on genes expression changes in human HEK293A cell line. We received original data that may indicate a role of TDP1 in other process besides repair of DNA-TOP1 complex. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis revealed that TDP1 could be involved in different processes such as cell adhesion and communication, spermatogenesis, mitochondrial function, neurodegeneration, cytokine response, and MAPK pathway signaling.

The incidence of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) in Manitoba, (1/15,000), is at least three to four times higher than the national average and that reported from other jurisdictions. It is overrepresented in two population groups: Mennonites (ZAP70 founder mutation) and First Nations of Northern Cree ancestry (IKBKB founder mutation). We have previously demonstrated that in these two populations the most widely utilized T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) assay is an ineffective newborn screening test to detect SCID as these patients have normal numbers of mature T-cells. We have developed a semi-automated, closed tube, high resolution DNA melting procedure to simultaneously genotype both of these mutations from the same newborn blood spot DNA extract used for the TREC assay. Parallel analysis of all newborn screening specimens utilizing both TREC analysis and the high resolution DNA procedure should provide as complete ascertainment as possible of SCID in the Manitoba population.

A U.S. government health agency conducted epidemiological studies to evaluate whether exposures to drinking water contaminated with volatile organic compounds at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were associated with increased health risks to children and adults. These health studies required knowledge of contaminant concentrations in drinking water—at monthly intervals—delivered to family housing, barracks, and other facilities within the study area. Because concentration data were limited or unavailable during much of the period of contamination (1950s–1985), the historical reconstruction process was used to quantify estimates of monthly mean contaminant-specific concentrations. This paper integrates many efforts, reports, and papers into a synthesis of the overall approach to, and results from, a drinking-water historical reconstruction study. Results show that at the Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant (WTP) reconstructed (simulated) tetrachloroethylene (PCE) concentrations reached a maximum monthly average value of 183 micrograms per liter (ug/L) compared to a one-time maximum measured value of 215 ug/L and exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s current maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 ug/L during the period November 1957–February 1987. At the Hadnot Point WTP, reconstructed trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations reached a maximum monthly average value of 783 ug/L compared to a one-time maximum measured value of 1,400 ug/L during the period August 1953–December 1984. The Hadnot Point WTP also provided contaminated drinking water to the Holcomb Boulevard housing area continuously prior to June 1972, when the Holcomb Boulevard WTP came on line (maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 32 ug/L) and intermittently during the period June 1972–February 1985 (maximum reconstructed TCE concentration of 66 ug/L). Applying the historical reconstruction process to quantify contaminant-specific monthly drinking-water concentrations is advantageous for epidemiological studies when compared to using the classical exposed versus unexposed approach.

The modern paradigm of studying the processes of carcinogenesis and vital activity of tumor tissues implies increased attention to constituents of tumor microenvironment (TME) and their interactions. These interactions between the cells in TME can be mediated via protein junctions of different types. Connexins (Cnxs) are one of the major contributors to intercellular communication. They form gap junctions responsible for the transfer of ions, metabolites, peptides, miRNA, etc. between neighboring tumor cells as well as between tumor and stromal cells. Cnx hemichannels mediate purinergic signaling and bidirectional molecular transport with the extracellular environment. Additionally, Cnxs were reported to localize in tumor-derived exosomes and facilitate the release of their cargo. A large body of evidence implies that the role of connexins in cancer is multifaceted. Pro- or anti-tumorigenic properties of connexins are determined by their abundance, localization and functionality as well as channel assembly and non-channel functions. In this review we have summarized the data on the Cnxs contribution in TME and to the cancer initiation and progression.

High-content fluorescence microscopy combines the efficiency of high-throughput techniques with the ability to extract quantitative information from biological systems. The planarian community has developed sensitive and robust assays for whole animals, yet cell based assays, despite their practical aspects, have not been explored to the same extent. Here we describe a modular collection of detailed protocols adapted for fixed planarian cells that enable multiplexed measurements of biomarkers in microwell plates. Methods include the detection of RNA transcripts by RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization combined with tyramide signal amplification using hapten-labeled riboprobes. In addition, immunocytochemical protocols for quantifying proliferating cells by the detection of phosphorylated histone H3 as well as 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation into the nuclear genome are described. The assays are compatible with planarians of virtually any size, as the tissue is disaggregated into a single cell suspension before fixation and staining. By sharing many reagents with established planarian whole mount staining protocols, preparation of samples for high-content microscopy adoption requires little additional investment. Recommendations for successful experimental workflows and common sources of errors are discussed.

The cryopreservation of gametes and embryos is an important element of biodiversity conservation. One species in need of conservation is the honey bee Apis mellifera L. Changing environmental factors, especially the anthropogenic factor, have led to a reduction in the numbers of this insect species. In this study, we provide an example of the creation of a biobank of honey bee drone sperm. For sperm cryopreservation, drones of the most common subspecies of honey bees common in Russia were selected. These were the dark forest bee, Apis mellifera mellifera from the Republic of Bashkortostan, with three subspecies (A. m. carnica, A. m. carpatica, and A. m. caucasica) from the southern regions of Russia, as well as two breeding stocks, the Far Eastern bee and Prioksky bee. For subspecies identification, morphometric and genetic methods were used. The subspecies of the studied samples were confirmed by the analysis of the tRNAleu-COII locus of mitochondrial DNA and nine microsatellite markers of nuclear DNA. It was shown that bees of the Prioksky breeding stock belong to the subspecies A. m. caucasica based on phylogenetic analysis, and the Far Eastern breeding stock is a stable hybrid, descending on the maternal line from the evolutionary lineage C or O. The results of the morphometric analysis are consistent with the results of the genetic analysis. For the cryopreservation of sperm, we used a honey diluent. As a result, the viability of frozen–thawed sperm decreased by 20.3% compared to fresh sperm, and overall motility decreased by 25-fold. The measurement of the sperm concentration in the spermatheca of artificially inseminated queens showed that it varied from 0.22 to 4.4 million/μL. Therefore, the use of honey in sperm cryopreservation has great potential.

We aimed to investigate the ability of children aged 5–14 years old (preschoolers, primary schoolers, and preteens) to assess and anticipate time intervals. 287 Russian children aged 5–14 years old and 26 adults of control group participated in our study. The neuropsychological assessment, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and a battery of time-related tests were applied. All groups of children overestimated the event’s duration, although the accuracy of the second estimations increased among the participants aged 6–8 years after a prompt was offered. A zone of proximal development for time anticipation task was detected for children aged 9-11 years, when the prompt could significantly improve the accuracy of time perception. The participants overestimated the duration of both upcoming and past events, with the degree of overestimation being found to be negatively correlated with age. Further, a higher degree of accuracy in terms of time estimation was found to be correlated with higher scores on the attention and memory tests, and accuracy of time anticipation was associated with scores of praxis test.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and compare these results to the 2.2 µg/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)’s Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 µg Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region, and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control community, and increased with increasing distance away from the Madre de Dios headwaters (as the crow flies), did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level. Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species. Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

Ultra-low radioactive titanium alloy is a promising material for the manufacture of low-background detectors, which are being developed for experiments in astroparticle physics and neutrino astrophysics. Structural titanium is manufactured on an industrial scale from titanium-sponge. The ultra-low-background titanium-sponge can be produced on an industrial scale with a contamination level of less than 1 mBq/kg of uranium and thorium isotopes. The pathways of contaminants during the industrial production of structural titanium have been analyzed. The measurements have been carried out using two methods: inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and gamma-spectroscopy using high-purity germanium detectors (HPGe). It has been shown that the level of contamination with radioactive impurities does not increase during remelting of titanium-sponge and mechanical processing. We examined titanium-alloys samples obtained at different stages of titanium production, namely, an electrode compaction, a vacuum arc remelting with a consumable electrode (VAR), and a cold rolling of titanium-sheets. It has been found out that all studied samples will be a source of uranium and thorium contamination of the final titanium-alloys. It has been established that the only product allowed obtaining ultra-low-background titanium was the VT1-00 which is manufactured without master alloys addition..

Within the field of guilt and shame, two competing perspectives have been advanced. The first, the social-adaptive perspective, proposes that guilt is an inherently adaptive emotion and shame is an inherently maladaptive emotion; thus, those interested in moral character development and psychopathology should work to increase an individual’s guilt-proneness and decrease an individual’s shame-proneness. The functionalist perspective, in contrast, argues that both guilt and shame can serve a person adaptively or maladaptively—depending on the situational appropriateness, duration, intensity, and so forth. This paper reviews the research conducted supporting both positions, critiques some issues with the most widely used guilt- and shame-proneness measure in the social-adaptive research (the TOSCA), and discusses the differences in results found when assessing guilt and shame at the state versus trait level. The conclusion drawn is that although there is broad support for the functionalist perspective across a wide variety of state and trait guilt/shame studies, the functionalist perspective does not yet have the wealth of data supporting it that has been generated by the social-adaptive perspective using the TOSCA. Thus, before a dominant perspective can be identified, researchers need to (1) do more research assessing how the social-adaptive perspective compares to the functionalist perspective at the state level, and (2) do more trait research within the functionalist perspective to compare functionalist guilt- and shame-proneness measures with the TOSCA.

Transportation systems through the ages have seen drastic evolutions in terms of transportation methods, speed of transport, infrastructure, technology, connectivity, influence on the environment, and accessibility. The massive transformation seen in the transportation sector has been fueled by the industrial revolutions which have continued expansion and progress into the fourth industrial revolution. However, the methodologies of data collection and processing used by the many drivers of this progress differ. The significance of standardized data and its mode of collection cannot be overstated as it has a major impact on the process outcomes. In order to achieve a better understanding of the impact of this, this study methodically reviewed the literature on the subject of the data collection and processing mechanism of 4IR technologies in the context of the transport industry with an emphasis on the areas of accomplishment of several studies and drawing attention to their limitations. Although the industry has advanced significantly as a result of the adoption and application of various research studies in this field, considerable focus needs to be placed in the areas of standardized data collection and computational approaches, which will ultimately assist in achieving various benefits in the transportation industry.

We compared two approaches to non-invasive proximal sensing of the early changes in fresh-cut lettuce leaf quality: hyperspectral imaging and imaging PAM-fluorometry of chlorophyll contained in the leaves. The assessments made by the imaging techniques were confronted with the quality assessments made by traditional biochemical assays: relative water content and foliar pigment (chlorophyll and carotenoid) composition. The hyperspectral imaging-based approach provided the highest sensitivity to the decline of fresh-cut lettuce leaf quality taking place within 24 h from cutting. Using of the imaging PAM was complicated by (i) weak correlation of the spatial distribution pattern of the Qy parameter with the actual physiological condition of the plant object and (ii) its high degree of heterogeneity. Accordingly, the imaging PAM-based approach was sensitive only to the manifestations of leaf quality degradation only at advanced stages of the process. Sealing the leaves in the polyethylene bags slowed down the leaf quality degradation at the initial stages (&lt; 3 days) but promoted its rate at more advanced stages, likely due to build-up of ethylene in the bags. An approach was developed to the processing of hyperspectral data for non-invasive monitoring of the lettuce leaves with a potential for implementation in greenhouses and packinghouses.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an attractive candidate for sustainable pest management due to its abundance of bioactive compounds with potential pesticidal properties. Solvent choice has a significant impact on the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are gaining popularity in extraction because they are safe and environmentally friendly, making them viable alternatives to organic solvents (OSs). This research first compared the extraction efficiency of OSs on the extraction of phytochemicals from the infloresences of two hemp varieties, Citrus and Cherry Dwarf. Inflorescences were extracted using three OSs, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane. The highest level of cannabidiol (CBD; 0.69%) was extracted from Cherry Dwarf using ethanol while the level of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol THC (0.19%) was essentially the same in both. Therefore, Cherry Dwarf was selected to compare the extraction efficiency of DESs to the OSs. The DESs were choline chloride/ethylene glycol, citric acid/ethylene glycol, menthol/lauric acid, choline chloride/urea and choline chloride/glycerol. In the targeted analysis, choline chloride/ethylene glycol extracted the highest amount of CBD (0.87%) followed by choline chloride/urea (0.78%). As some DESs outperformed ethanol, the popular solvent for extracting cannabinoids, DESs are viable candidates to replace organic solvents.

Protein glycation is usually referred to as an array of non-enzymatic post-translational modifications, formed by reducing sugars and carbonyl products of their degradation. Resulting advanced glycation end products (AGEs) represent a heterogeneous group of covalent adducts, known for their pro-inflammatory effects in mammals, and impacting on pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and ageing. In plants, AGEs are the markers of tissue ageing and response to environmental stressors, the most prominent of which is drought. Although water deficit enhances protein glycation in leaves, its effect on seed glycation profiles is still unknown. Moreover, the effect of drought on biological activities of seed protein in mammalian systems is still unstudied in respect of glycation. Therefore, here we address the effects of a short-term drought on the patterns of seed protein-bound AGEs and accompanying alterations in pro-inflammatory properties of seed protein in the context of seed metabolome dynamics. A short-term drought, simulated as polyethylene glycol-induced osmotic stress and applied at the stage of seed filling, resulted in dramatic suppression of primary seed metabolism, although secondary metabolome was minimally affected. This was accompanied with significant suppression of NF-kB activation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells after a treatment with protein hydrolyzates, isolated from the mature seeds of drought-treated plants. This effect could not be attributed to formation of known AGEs. Most likely, the prospective anti-inflammatory effect of short-term drought is related to antioxidant effect of unknown secondary metabolite protein adducts, or down-regulation of unknown plant-specific AGEs due to suppression of energy metabolism during seed filling.

Nowadays, the identification and characterization of grapevine cultivars resilient to climate and water stress while preserving quality traits is crucial for the wine industry. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize according to their aromatic potential 9 white and 6 red minority cultivars recently recovered from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), subjected at two different water deficit regimes: rainfed, with subsistence irrigation, and irrigated. For this, the varietal aromatic potential index (IPAv) and the detailed aromatic composition were analyzed by HS-SBSE-GC/MS, in extracts of two different ph. For IPAv values, red varieties did not show a clear trend with respect to irrigation. However, in white minority varieties, higher values were obtained under irrigation conditions. Thus, a clear differentiation of the minority varieties in comparison to the references was observed, primarily attributed to the content of esters and acids, in both white and red varieties. A notable contrast was observed at different pH, indicating a greater extractability of certain compounds like linalool, under more acidic conditions. This suggests that some recovered minority cultivars could be promising for cultivation in semi-arid regions with limited water, contributing to the wine sector sustainability in the future.

We consider boundary value problems for a nonlinear mass transfer model, which generalizes the classical Boussinesq approximation, under inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions for the velocity and the substance’s concentration. It is assumed that the leading coefficients of viscosity and diffusion and the buoyancy force in the model equations depend on concentration. We develop mathematical apparatus of studying inhomogeneous boundary value problems under consideration. It is based on using of a weak solution of the boundary value problem and construction of liftings of the inhomogeneous boundary data. They remove the inhomogeneity of the data and reduce original problems to equivalent homogeneous boundary value problems. Based on this apparatus we will prove the theorem of the global existence of a weak solution to boundary value problem under study and establish important properties of the solution. In particular, we will prove the validity of the maximum principle for the substance’s concentration. We will also establish sufficient conditions for the problem data, ensuring the local uniqueness of weak solutions.

Hypoxia, associated with abnormal vessel growth, is a characteristic feature of many solid tumors that increases their metastatic potential and resistance to radiotherapy. Carbon ion radiation therapy, alone or in combination with other treatments, is one of the most promising treatments for hypoxic tumors because the oxygen enhancement ratio decreases with increasing particle LET. Nevertheless, the current clinical practice does not yet fully benefit from using carbon ions for tackling hypoxia. Here we give an overview of the existing experimental and clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of C-ion radiotherapy in overcoming hypoxia-induced radioresistance, followed by a discussion of the strategies proposed to enhance it, including different approaches to maximize the LET in the tumors.

In this paper we propose the notion of a transposed Poisson superalgebra. We prove that a transposed Poisson superalgebra can be constructed by means of a commutative associative superalgebra and an even degree derivation of this algebra. Making use of this we construct two examples of transposed Poisson superalgebra. One of them is the graded differential algebra of differential forms on a smooth finite dimensional manifold, where we use the Lie derivative as an even degree derivation. The second example is the commutative superalgebra of basic fields of the quantum Yang-Mills theory, where we use the BRST-supersymmetry as an even degree derivation to define a graded Lie bracket. We prove several identities, which hold in a transposed Poisson superalgebra.

Mild impacts to the head, particularly when repetitive in nature, are increasingly recognized to have a range of significant negative implications for brain health. Much of the ongoing research in the field is focused on the neurological consequences of these injuries, and the relationship between head impacts and long-term neurodegenerative conditions such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s disease. However, our understanding of the complex relationship between applied mechanical force at impact, brain pathophysiology, and neurological function, remains incomplete. Past research has shown that mild head impacts, even below the threshold that results in cranial fracture, induce changes in cranial bone structure and morphology. These structural and physiological changes likely have implications for the transmission of mechanical force into the underlying brain parenchyma. Here, we review this evidence in the context of the current understanding of bone mechanosensitivity and the consequences of traumatic brain injuries or concussions. We postulate that heterogeneity of the calvarium including differing bone thickness due to prior impacts, age, or individual variability, may be a modulator of outcomes following subsequent head impacts. We advocate for greater consideration of cranial responses to head injury in both experimental and computer modeling of impact biomechanics, and raise the hypothesis that calvarial bone thickness represents a novel biomarker of brain injury vulnerability after head trauma.

In this paper, the authors identified key elements important for circularity: (1) Background: The primary goal of circularity is to eliminate waste and to prove the constant use of resources. In the paper, we classify studies according to circular approaches. The authors identified main elements and classified them into categories important for circularity, starting with the managing and reducing waste and the recovery of resources; and ending with the circularity of material, and general circularity-related topics and presented scientific works dedicated to each of the above-mentioned categories. The authors analyzed several core elements from the first category aiming to investigate and connect different waste streams and provided a regression model; (2) Methods: The authors used a dynamic regression model to identify relationships among variables and selected the ones, which has an impact on the increase of biowaste. The research was delivered for the 27 European Union countries during the period between 2020 and 2019; (3) Conclusions: The authors indicated that the recycling rate of wasted electrical equipment in the previous year has an impact on the increase of recycling biowaste next year. This is explained as non-metallic spare parts of electronic equipment are used as biowaste for fuel production. And the separation process of the composites of electric equipment takes some time, on average the effect is evident in one year period.

As a system becomes more complex, at first, its description and analysis becomes more complicated. However, a further increase in the system’s complexity often makes this analysis simpler. A classical example is Central Limit Theorem: when we have a few independent sources of uncertainty, the resulting uncertainty is very difficult to describe, but as the number of such sources increases, the resulting distribution get close to an easy-to-analyze normal one – and indeed, normal distributions are ubiquitous. We show that such limit theorems make analysis of complex systems easier – i.e., lead to blessing of dimensionality phenomenon – for all the aspects of these systems: the corresponding transformation, the system’s uncertainty, and the desired result of the system’s analysis.

In higher eukaryotes, enhancers determine the activation of developmental gene transcription in specific cell types and stages of embryogenesis. Enhancers transform the signals produced by various transcription factors within a given cell, activating the transcription of the targeted genes. Often, developmental genes can be associated with dozens of enhancers, some of which are located at large distances from the promoters that they regulate. Currently, the mechanisms that underly the specific distance interactions between enhancers and promoters remain unknown. This review describes the properties and activities of enhancers and discusses the mechanisms of distance interactions and potential proteins involved in this process.

The combined ecological, geophysical, climatic, and social factors of the Northeast of Russia influence the organism from the early childhood being too intense for the functional systems. The purpose of the research is to study the emotional characteristics of adolescents of different ethnic groups in the northeast of Russia. Presented in the paper are results of the study that covered 826 adolescents (445 females and 381 males) at the age of 15–17, different by ethnic origin. We used standard methods of psycho-diagnostics. Our study has showed that the formation of the adolescents’ emotional sphere in the North is undoubtedly influenced not only by the climatic and socio-economic environmental factors but also by ethnic features. There are intergroup differences in the aggressiveness profile of older adolescents living in the remote settlement vs. the regional center. It is shown that high school students in the remote settlement of Evensk, compared to their peers in Magadan, regardless of gender and ethnicity, are characterized by more pronounced hostile and auto-aggressive reactions. In adolescents of the Aboriginal population, as compared with their age mate Caucasians, the indicators of impairment in the field of Neuro Psychic Adaptation, Situational and Personal Anxiety, and Social Frustration are significantly more pronounced.