Functional traits data for testate amoebae of Northern Holarctic realm.

The functional traits of soil protists have been employed in ecological research to enhance comprehension of the underlying mechanisms of ecological processes. Among the numerous soil protists, testate amoebae emerge as a prominent and abundant group, playing a pivotal role in soil micro-food webs. Furthermore, they are regarded as valuable bioindicators for environmental monitoring and palaeoecological studies due to their sensitivity to environmental changes.

Multi-scale beta-diversity patterns in testate amoeba communities: species turnover and nestedness along a latitudinal gradient.

The relationship between species diversity and spatial scale is a central topic in spatial community ecology. Latitudinal gradient is among the core mechanisms driving biodiversity distribution on most scales. Patterns of β-diversity along latitudinal gradient have been well studied for aboveground terrestrial and marine communities, whereas soil organisms remain poorly investigated in this regard.

Biodiversity of testate amoebae in bogs: the dataset from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia).

Background: Testate amoebae are a polyphyletic group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms that are characterised by a rigid shell and inhabit mostly freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. They are particularly abundant in peatlands, especially in -dominated biotopes. Peatland hydrology is the most important influence on testate amoebae communities.

Novel Hydroxamic Acids Containing Aryl-Substituted 1,2,4- or 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Backbones and an Investigation of Their Antibiotic Potentiation Activity.

UDP-3-(-3-hydroxymyristoyl)--acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC) is a zinc amidase that catalyzes the second step of the biosynthesis of lipid A, which is an outer membrane essential structural component of Gram-negative bacteria. Inhibitors of this enzyme can be attributed to two main categories, non-hydroxamate and hydroxamate inhibitors, with the latter being the most effective given the chelation of Zn in the active site. Compounds containing diacetylene or acetylene tails and the sulfonic head, as well as oxazoline derivatives of hydroxamic acids, are among the LpxC inhibitors with the most profound antibacterial activity.

α7 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors regulate translocation of HIF-1α to the cell nucleus and mitochondria upon hypoxia.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), initially characterized as ligand-gated ion channels mediating fast synaptic transmission, are now found in many non-excitable cells and mitochondria where they function in ion-independent manner and regulate vital cellular processes like apoptosis, proliferation, cytokine secretion. Here we show that the nAChRs of α7 subtype are present in the nuclei of liver cells and astrocytoma U373 cell line. As shown by lectin ELISA, the nuclear α7 nAChRs are mature glycoproteins that follow the standard rout of post-translational modifications in Golgi; however, their glycosylation profile is non-identical to that of mitochondrial nAChRs.

Recent climate change has driven divergent hydrological shifts in high-latitude peatlands.

High-latitude peatlands are changing rapidly in response to climate change, including permafrost thaw. Here, we reconstruct hydrological conditions since the seventeenth century using testate amoeba data from 103 high-latitude peat archives. We show that 54% of the peatlands have been drying and 32% have been wetting over this period, illustrating the complex ecohydrological dynamics of high latitude peatlands and their highly uncertain responses to a warming climate.

Nitrogen-Containing Heterocyclic Compounds Obtained from Monoterpenes or Their Derivatives: Synthesis and Properties.

Directed transformation of available natural compounds with native biological activity is a promising area of research in organic and medicinal chemistry aimed at finding effective drug substances. The number of scientific publications devoted to the transformation of natural compounds and investigations of their pharmacological properties, in particular, monoterpenes and their nearest derivatives, increases every year. At the same time, the chemistry of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds has been actively developed since the 1950s after the news that the benzimidazole core is an integral part of the structure of vitamin B.

Distribution of soil testate amoeba assemblages along an elevation gradient on Mount Fuji (Japan).

Elevation gradients have been useful to study distributional patterns of soil organisms since the time of Humboldt but only recently these patterns have been studied for soil microorganisms. Here we report the results on species diversity and composition of soil- and moss-dwelling testate amoeba assemblages along a 1400 m elevation gradient (904-2377 m a.s.

Natural killer frequency determines natural killer cytotoxicity directly in accentuated zones and indirectly in "moderate-to-normal frequency" segment.

Natural killer (NK) frequency and NK cytotoxicity (NKc) are key determining factors of a clinical outcome. In our previous study, we showed the prognostic clinical significance of immune parameters when they are beyond the optimal range (accentuated). In this study, we attempted to explain the disparity of accentuated but physiologically and immunologically normal NK parameters that might serve as negative clinical prognostics indications of failed pregnancies.

Expression of natural cytotoxicity receptor NKp46 on peripheral blood natural killer cells in women with a history of recurrent implantation failures.

Aim: The peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells diversity is highly complex; recent studies described more than a thousand phenotypes sharing NK cell receptors, across the leukocyte lineages. In this study, we investigated the expression of NKp46 in peripheral blood NK cells in women with a history of recurrent implantation failures (RIF) with euploid embryos with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and control group (donors of oocytes and surrogate mothers).

Methods: The expression of NKp46 in peripheral blood lymphocytes and NK cells from women with RIF (n = 57) and control group (n = 50) was analyzed with three-color flow cytometry.

Comparison of T and NK lymphocyte subsets between human endometrial tissue and peripheral blood.

Immune profiles in endometrium may be changed in patients with IVF failure and its possible correlations with immune parameters in peripheral blood are important for the diagnostic approach. Such correlations in healthy women are unknown and have been studied in the present research. The expression of CD56, CD158a, HLA DR, CD69 in T lymphocytes, CD4 T lymphocytes, CD8+ T lymphocytes and NK cells were studied by flow-cytometry in endometrium and peripheral blood in healthy 24 donors of oocytes aged 25-32 years.

The first example of the stereoselective synthesis and crystal structure of a spirobicycloquinazolinone based on (-)-fenchone and anthranilamide.

The possibility of a single-stage solvent-free stereoselective synthesis of a spirocyclic compound from the natural bicyclic monoterpenoid (-)-fenchone and anthranilamide has been shown for the first time. The molecular and crystal structure of (1R,2S,4S)-1,3,3-trimethyl-1'H-spiro[bicyclo[2.2.

HCMV seropositivity is associated with specific proinflammatory immune phenotype in women with implantation failure.

HCMV coevolved with humans for millions of years and is now one of the most widespread infections worldwide. For a long time HCMV seropositivity was considered a safe clinical condition. In recent decades both clinical observations and research results indicated that the very presence of HCMV in human organism specifically influences immune system and may affect reproduction as a process greatly dependent on immune cells function.

Enumeration of peripheral blood NKp46 positive NK lymphocytes reflects NK cytotoxic activity in vitro.

Natural killer (NK) cells are the predominant innate lymphocyte subsets that mediate anti-tumor and anti-viral responses. The monitoring of NK cells function is important in various physiological and pathological conditions. Different approaches have been used to directly or indirectly evaluate NK cells activities.

Single-stage synthesis of heterocyclic alkaloid-like compounds from (+)-camphoric acid and their antiviral activity.

An effective technique for one-stage synthesis of new polycyclic nitrogen-containing compounds has been developed. The procedure involves refluxing mixtures of camphoric acid with aliphatic or aromatic diamine without catalysts. In cases where the starting amine has a low boiling point (less than 200 °C), phenol is used as a solvent, as it is the most optimal one for obtaining products with good yields.

Morphology and phylogeny of the testate amoebae Euglypha bryophila Brown, 1911 and Euglypha cristata Leidy, 1874 (Rhizaria, Euglyphida).

The genus Euglypha contains the largest number of filose testate amoeba taxa which were mainly described based on the morphological characteristics of shells. Despite the increasing amount of molecular data, the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Euglypha remain unresolved. In this work we provide new data on SSU rRNA gene sequences, light and electron microscopy for the two euglyphid species Euglypha bryophilaBrown, 1911 and Euglypha cristataLeidy, 1874.

Nicotine facilitates nicotinic acetylcholine receptor targeting to mitochondria but makes them less susceptible to selective ligands.

Several nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes are expressed in mitochondria to regulate the internal pathway of apoptosis in ion channel-independent manner. However, the mechanisms of nAChR activation in mitochondria and targeting to mitochondria are still unknown. Nicotine has been shown to favor nAChR pentamer assembly, folding, and maturation on the way of biosynthesis.

Proteflazid® and local immunity in diseases caused by human papillomavirus, herpesvirus and mixed urogenital infections.

Unlabelled: Reporting of clinical trials results for Proteflazid® in the drug formulation suppositories and vaginal swabs soaked in the solution of the drug to the local immunity of the female reproductive tract.

Aim: The aim of study was to examine the state of local immunity in the reproductive tract of women with sexually transmitted diseases caused by human papillomavirus, herpes viruses (Type 1, 2) and mixed infection (herpes viruses + chlamydia).

Materials And Methods: The trials involved 216 women with viral sexually transmitted diseases: Cervical Dysplasia associated with papillomavirus infection (HPV) (Group 1); Herpes genitalis type 1 (HSV- 1) and type 2 (HSV-1) (Group 2); mixed infection - HSV-1, HSV-2 and chlamydia (Group 3).

Improved clinical, functional and work outcomes in spondyloarthritides during real-life adalimumab treatment in central-eastern Europe.

Aim: Adalimumab effectiveness on clinical, functional and work-related outcomes was evaluated in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis treated in routine clinical practice in central-eastern Europe.

Methods: Patients (n = 555) were followed for 12 months. Primary end point was percentage of patients with a treatment response (≥50% decrease from baseline in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index or ≥1.

Multiple immune deviations predictive for IVF failure as possible markers for IVIG therapy.

Recently we have shown that immune deviations (ID) may predict IVF failure. Benefit from IVIG therapy was observed in 115 women with repeated IVF failure according to proposed multiple ID that appeared unfavorable for implantation and live birth. Group of 123 women with repeated IVF failure without IVIG therapy was compared with former group.

Repeated cupping manipulation temporary decreases natural killer lymphocyte frequency, activity and cytotoxicity.

Objective: Elevated natural killer lymphocyte cytotoxicity (NKc) has been linked with reproductive problems in women. Here we evaluate the potential benefit of cupping therapy (CT) in reproduction-related immune responses.

Methods: This was a pilot clinical study.

[REDUCED RESPONSE OF NATURAL KILLER LYMPHOCYTES TO TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 3 STIMULATION IN CHILDREN WITH RECURRENT INFECTIONS.].

In this study, we examined the activation of natural killer(NK)-lymphocytes mediated by Toll-like receptor 3(TLR3), in the group of children with recurrent infections and the group of children with invasive bacterial infections. We examined level of CD69 (marker, of activation) expression on NK - lymphocytes after incubation with TLR3 ligand. There was a significant decrease in the level of an activation marker - 36,3±4,4% in the group of children with recurrent infections, compared with a control group of healthy children (56,5±4,9%) and the group of children with invasive bacterial infections (55,9±4,4%).

Testing the Effect of Refrigerated Storage on Testate Amoeba Samples.

Samples for analysis of testate amoebae and other protists frequently need to be stored for many months before microscopy. This storage commonly involves refrigeration, but we know that testate amoebae can live and reproduce in these conditions. This raises the question: do communities change during storage and how might this effect the data produced? We analysed Sphagnum samples over a 16-week period to address this question.

Favorable immune phenotype predicts successful implantation and pregnancy.

Immune markers that may predict IVF failure and successful implantation and pregnancy were studied. Favorable immune parameters were selected based on 90% of data of women who got pregnant and had uneventful pregnancy course and outcome in present IVF cycle. Immune phenotype and NK cell activity of peripheral blood of 123 women with multiple IVF failure were studied by flow cytometry.