Deep dive into the diversity and properties of rhodopsins in actinomycetes of the family Geodermatophilaceae.

In recent decades, most studies of microbial rhodopsins have focused on their identification and characterization in aquatic bacteria. In 2021, actinomycetes of the family Geodermatophilaceae, commonly inhabiting terrestrial ecosystems in hot and arid regions, have been reported to contain rhodopsins with DTEW, DTEF and NDQ amino acid motifs. An advanced bioinformatics analysis performed in this work additionally revealed NTQ rhodopsin and heliorhodopsins.

From DNA to lytic proteins: transcription and translation of the bacteriophage T5 holin/endolysin operon.

The analysis of transcriptional activity of the bacteriophage T5 hol/endo operon conducted in the paper revealed a strong constitutive promoter recognized by E. coli RNA polymerase and a transcription initiation point of the operon. It was also shown that the only translational start codon for holin was a non-canonical TTG.

Well perforation optimization using an abrasive jet technique to create oriented slotted channels in terrigenous reservoirs.

Various casing perforation methods are used to ensure a hydrodynamic reservoir-to-well connection. However, perforated wells often do not perform satisfactorily during production. This is largely due to a decrease in the permeability of the near-wellbore formation as a result of casing perforation work.

Characteristics and immune checkpoint status of radioiodine-refractory recurrent papillary thyroid carcinomas from Ukrainian Chornobyl Tissue Bank donors.

Introduction: The radioiodine-refractory (RAI-R) recurrent papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) are more frequent in elderly patients and have an unfavorable prognosis. Data on the prevalence and characteristics of RAI-R recurrent PTCs in patients of young and middle age with or without a history of radiation exposure in childhood are poorly described. The aim of the current study was: i) to determine the frequency of RAI-R recurrent PTCs among donors of the Chornobyl Tissue Bank (CTB) and analyze the clinicopathological features of primary tumors (PTs), primary metastases (PMTSs), recurrent metastases (RMTSs) and risk factors for RMTS, and ii) to determine the immune checkpoint status (ICS) of the RAI-R recurrent PTCs and to assess the factors associated with ICS positivity.

Are the width, length, depth, and area of submucosal invasion predictive of lymph node metastasis in pT1 colorectal cancer?

Purpose: Submucosa-limited (pathological T1, pT1) colorectal cancers (CRCs) pose a continuing challenge in the choice of treatment options, which range from local excision to radical surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphometric and morphologic risk factors associated with regional lymph node metastasis (LNM) in pT1 CRC.

Methods: We performed a histological review of patients who underwent oncological resection between 2016 and 2022.

Conservative Tryptophan Residue in the Vicinity of an Active Site of the M15 Family l,d-Peptidases: A Key Element in the Catalysis.

Bioinformatics analysis of the sequences of orthologous zinc-containing peptidases of the M15_C subfamily revealed the presence of a conserved tryptophan residue near the active site, which is not involved in the formation of the protein core. Site-directed mutagenesis of this Trp114/109 residue using two representatives of the family, l-alanoyl-d-glutamate peptidases of bacteriophages T5 (calcium-activated EndoT5) and RB49 (EndoRB49, without ion regulation) as examples, and further analysis of the H NMR spectra of the mutants showed that a decrease in the volume of the W → F → A residue leads to changes in the hydrophobic core and active center of the protein, and also decreases the affinity for regulatory Ca in the EndoT5 mutants. The inactive T5W114A mutant lacks the ability to bind the substrate.

Total neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer: a network meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) for rectal carcinoma in comparison with conventional chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was done using NetMetaXL and WinBUGS.

A rapid and efficient technique for the isolation of Bacillus genomic DNA using a cocktail of peptidoglycan hydrolases of different type.

The paper suggests a rapid and efficient technique for isolation of genomic DNA from the bacteria of the genus Bacillus, which is based on the hydrolysis of cell wall peptidoglycan by a cocktail of peptidoglycan hydrolases of different type (L,D-peptidase and N-acetylmuramidase). The comparing of conventional techniques for the isolation of genomic DNA using: a microwave treatment; a treatment with ionic detergents (SDS, CTAB) or a chaotropic agent (GuSCN); and enzymatic hydrolysis (nonspecific, with proteinase K, or specific, with peptidoglycan hydrolases) conducted on Bacillus megaterium, B. subtilis, B.

Does transanal endoscopic microsurgery affect rectal function?

Purpose: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is the most standardized method for the local excision of rectal neoplasms. Unfortunately, local excisions of rectal lesions by means of TEM are not completely free from undesirable functional sequela. This study was performed to evaluate the risk factors of major loss of function after TEM.

The high degree of similarity in histopathological and clinical characteristics between radiogenic and sporadic papillary thyroid microcarcinomas in young patients.

The potential overtreatment of patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (MPTC) has been an important clinical problem in endocrine oncology over the past decade. At the same time, current clinical guidelines tend to consider prior radiation exposure as a contraindication to less extensive surgery, even for low-risk thyroid carcinomas, which primarily include microcarcinomas. This study aims to determine whether there are differences in the behavior of MPTC of two etiological forms (radiogenic and sporadic), including invasive properties, clinical data, and recurrence in patients aged up to 30 years.

[One thousand endoscopic submucosal dissections. Experience of the national center].

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a perspective method of organ-sparing treatment of benign colon tumors.

Material And Methods: The study included 1.000 patients with colon neoplasms who underwent ESD between October 2016 and October 2021.

Clinicopathological Implications of the Mutation in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma of Ukrainian Patients Exposed to the Chernobyl Radiation in Childhood: A Study for 30 Years After the Accident.

With time after the Chernobyl accident, the number of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) driven by the BRAF oncoprotein is growing in patients exposed to radiation at a young age. Clinicopathological associations of BRAF in PTCs from patients with internal radiation history have not been sufficiently studied so far. This work analyzes the structural characteristics, proliferative activity, invasive features, clinical information, and dosimetric data in the BRAF-positive and BRAF-negative PTCs from the Ukrainian patients exposed to Chernobyl radiation and treated over 30 years after the accident.

Results of total mesorectal excision and transanal endoscopic microsurgery for rectal adenocarcinoma with submucosal invasion.

Objective: To analyze early and long-term outcomes after total mesorectal excision (TME) and transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) in patients with T1 rectal cancer.

Material And Methods: A retrospective non-randomized comparative study included 2 groups of patients: group 1 - total mesorectal excision, group 2 - transanal endoscopic microsurgery. In the second group, total mesorectal excision was proposed for patients with tumor invasion depth pT1sm3 and/or lymphovascular invasion and/or low differentiation.

The Mutation Is Not a Risk Factor for More Aggressive Tumor Behavior in Radiogenic and Sporadic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma at a Young Age.

Histopathological changes in the fusion oncogene-driven papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) from children and adolescents exposed to Chernobyl fallout have been extensively studied. However, characteristics of the radiogenic BRAF-positive PTCs, whose proportion is growing with time, are not well described yet. We analyzed the relationship between the BRAF status (determined immunohistochemically with the VE1 antibody) and the clinicopathological features of 247 radiogenic and 138 sporadic PTCs from young Ukrainian patients aged ≤28 years.

Comparison of oncological and functional outcomes and quality of life after transanal or laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare long-term oncological, functional outcomes and quality of life (QoL) after transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) and laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LaTME) for rectal cancer.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were conducted on PubMed and Cochrane database. Non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs) which compared TaTME with LaTME were included.

Lysis of cells of diverse bacteria by l,d-peptidases of Escherichia coli bacteriophages RB43, RB49 and T5.

Aims: The objective of this work was to study the antibacterial specificity and antibacterial effect of endolysins isolated from colibacteriophages RB43, RB49 and T5-as manifested on the exponential and stationary cell cultures of diverse bacteria depending on the growth stage, structure of peptidoglycan (PG) and antibiotic resistance.

Methods And Results: Enzyme activity was assayed by the spectrophotometric method. Antimicrobial activity was estimated by the number of colony forming units (CFUs), with the results represented as logarithmic units.

A study investigating the perfusion of colorectal anastomoses using fluorescence angiography: results of the FLAG randomized trial.

Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography (FA) in reducing the incidence of anastomotic leakage (AL) following colorectal anastomosis.

Method: A single-centre randomized trial was undertaken between 2018 and 2019. Those patients who underwent a stapled colorectal anastomosis were randomized 1:1 for ICG FA versus visual clinical assessment of blood perfusion of the anastomosed colon and rectal stump (non-ICG FA group).

Histopathological characteristics and post-operative follow-up of patients with potentially radiogenic papillary thyroid carcinoma depending on oncocytic changes availability in the tumor cells.

Aim: To compare the frequency of main histopathological characteristics, 131І thyroid radiation doses, invasive properties and post-operative follow-up of patients of different age groups with potentially radiogenic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with the presence and absence of oncocytic changes in tumor cells.

Materials And Methods: PTC removed in 483 patients from high risk age-group for radiogenic thyroid cancer development (children and adolescents at the time of Chornobyl accident who lived in the northern regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv regions) have been studied microscopically.

Results: The frequency of PTC with the presence of oncocytic changes (OCh) in tumor cells increased significantly with increasing of patients' age at the time of surgery: from 8.

Investigation of the calcium-induced activation of the bacteriophage T5 peptidoglycan hydrolase promoting host cell lysis.

Peptidoglycan hydrolase of bacteriophage T5 (EndoT5) is a Ca2+-dependent l-alanyl-d-glutamate peptidase, although the mode of Ca2+ binding and its physiological significance remain obscure. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to elucidate the role of the polar amino acids of the mobile loop of EndoT5 (111-130) in Ca2+ binding. The mutant proteins were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, the overall structures were characterized by circular dichroism, and the calcium dissociation constants were determined via NMR spectroscopy.

Effect of C-terminal His-tag and purification routine on the activity and structure of the metalloenzyme, l-alanyl-d-glutamate peptidase of the bacteriophage T5.

In this work, we studied the effect of the C-terminally attached poly-histidine tag (His-tag), as well as the peculiarities of the protein purification procedure by the immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) on the activity and structure of the metalloenzyme, l-alanyl-d-glutamate peptidase of bacteriophage T5 (EndoT5), whose zinc binding site and catalytic aspartate are located near the C-terminus. By itself, His-tag did not have a significant effect on either activity or folding of the polypeptide chain, nor on the binding of zinc and calcium ions to the protein. However, the His-tagged EndoT5 samples had low shelf-life, with storage of these samples resulting in an increased propensity for protein self-association and decreased enzymatic activity of EndoT5.

[Risk factors of regional lymph node metastases in pT1 colorectal cancer].

Aim: To identify risk factors of lymph node metastases in patients with pT1 rectal cancer.

Material And Methods: There were 43 patients aged 62.3±11.

Risk factors and inflammatory predictors for Anastomotic Leakage following Total Mesorectal Excision with defunctioning stoma.

Background: This study aims to examine the factors involved in anastomotic leak (AL) following low anterior resection and total mesorectal excision (LAR-TME) and to determine the usefulness of early measurement of the inflammatory biomarkers C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Procalcitonin (PCT).

Methods: One hundred patients undergoing LAR-TME with a proximal diverting stoma were analyzed between 2013 and 2016. Postoperative CRP and PCT levels were measured on the 3rd and the 6th postoperative days.

Two novel thermally resistant endolysins encoded by pseudo T-even bacteriophages RB43 and RB49.

Identification and cloning of genes as well as biochemical characterization of the gene products were carried out for two novel endolysins of pseudo T-even lytic bacteriophages RB43 and RB49, which represent different myovirus groups of the subfamily . Genes RB43ORF159c and RB49р102 were cloned in cells, and their products were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity with an up to 80 % yield of total activity. In respect to substrate specificity, both enzymes were found to be lytic l-alanoyl-d-glutamate peptidases belonging to the M15 family.