HLA-DQB1*05:03 is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 progression in the Bulgarian population.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak represents a global health problem. The different infection rates are heavily influenced by host genetic factors, such as variability in the HLA region. The aim of our study was to investigate whether certain HLA alleles in the Bulgarian population contribute to COVID-19 progression and their role in anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity.

Resveratrol-Loaded Pluronic Micelles Ameliorate Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction Targeting Acetylcholinesterase Activity and Programmed Cell Death.

Numerous experimental studies suggest the potential for resveratrol (RVT) to be useful in the Alzheimer's disease treatment, but its low bioavailability limits its application. This study aimed to assess the potential of resveratrol-loaded micelles as a neuronal delivery platform to protect rats from scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Resveratrol was incorporated into Pluronic micelles, and the effects of micellar (mRVT) and pure resveratrol (RVT) were compared in the model of scopolamine-induced dementia in male Wistar rats.

Behavioral and Biochemical Effects of an Arylhydrazone Derivative of 5-Methoxyindole-2-Carboxylic Acid in a Scopolamine-Induced Model of Alzheimer's Type Dementia in Rats.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has long proven to be a complex neurodegenerative disorder, with cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation being just a few of its pathological features. The complexity of the disease requires a multitargeted treatment covering its many aspects. In the present investigation, an arylhydrazone derivative of 5-methoxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (5MeO), with in vitro strong antioxidant, neuroprotective and monoamine oxidase B-inhibiting effects, was studied in a scopolamine-induced Alzheimer-type dementia in rats.

Blue Light Enhances the Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antitumor Potential of the Green Microalgae sp. BGV.

Green algae of the genus have attracted the attention of scientists due to their rich biochemical composition and potential for application in phytomedicine. The present study investigated the influence of light on the bioactive capacity of extracts from the Bulgarian strain of the green microalgae sp. BGV.

The peripheral chemoreflex and fetal defenses against intrapartum hypoxic-ischemic brain injury at term gestation.

Fetal hypoxemia is ubiquitous during labor and, when severe, is associated with perinatal death and long-term neurodevelopmental disability. Adverse outcomes are highly associated with barriers to care, such that developing countries have a disproportionate burden of perinatal injury. The prevalence of hypoxemia and its link to injury can be obscure, simply because the healthy fetus has robust coordinated defense mechanisms, spearheaded by the peripheral chemoreflex, such that hypoxemia only becomes apparent in the minority of cases associated with stillbirth, severe metabolic acidemia or adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Exploring the potential cost-effectiveness of a new computerised decision support tool for identifying fetal compromise during monitored term labours: an early health economic model.

Background: Around 60% of term labours in the UK are continuously monitored using cardiotocography (CTG) to guide clinical labour management. Interpreting the CTG trace is challenging, leading to some babies suffering adverse outcomes and others unnecessary expedited deliveries. A new data driven computerised tool combining multiple clinical risk factors with CTG data (attentive CTG) was developed to help identify term babies at risk of severe compromise during labour.

Relationship between Modern ART Regimens and Immunosenescence Markers in Patients with Chronic HIV Infection.

The increased life expectancy of PLHIV (People Living with HIV) and the successful highly combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) poses new clinical challenges regarding aging and its co-morbid condition. It is commonly believed that HIV infection "accelerates" aging. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is characterized by inflammation and immune activation that persists despite cART, and that may contribute to the development of co-morbid conditions.

Chitosan/Hyaluronate Complex-Coated Electrospun Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Materials Containing Extracts from and/or with Various Biological Activities: Antioxidant, Antibacterial and In Vitro Anticancer Effects.

The present study aimed to fabricate innovative fibrous materials with various biological activities from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), sodium hyaluronate (HA), chitosan (Ch), (MO), (HP) extract, or a combination of both extracts. Electrospinning or electrospinning followed by dip coating and the subsequent formation of a polyelectrolyte complex were the methods used to prepare these materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were applied for investigating the morphology of materials, their thermal characteristics, and their surface chemical composition.

Antisense and Functional Nucleic Acids in Rational Drug Development.

This review is focused on antisense and functional nucleic acid used for completely rational drug design and drug target assessment, aiming to reduce the time and money spent and increase the successful rate of drug development. Nucleic acids have unique properties that play two essential roles in drug development as drug targets and as drugs. Drug targets can be messenger, ribosomal, non-coding RNAs, ribozymes, riboswitches, and other RNAs.

Marrubium vulgare Extract Improves Spatial Working Memory and Oxidative Stress Damage in Scopolamine-Treated Rats.

Background: The cholinergic neuronal loss in the basal forebrain and increasing brain oxidative stress are one of the main features of the brain suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Marrubium vulgare (M. vulgare), commonly known as 'white horehound,' possesses a variety of valuable properties, such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities.

Extracts of and Alleviate Cognitive Impairments in Scopolamine-Induced Rat Dementia.

Griseb. and L., belonging to the Lamiaceae family, are rich in terpenoids and phenolics and exhibit various pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities.

AI-driven decision support systems and epistemic reliance: a qualitative study on obstetricians' and midwives' perspectives on integrating AI-driven CTG into clinical decision making.

Background: Given that AI-driven decision support systems (AI-DSS) are intended to assist in medical decision making, it is essential that clinicians are willing to incorporate AI-DSS into their practice. This study takes as a case study the use of AI-driven cardiotography (CTG), a type of AI-DSS, in the context of intrapartum care. Focusing on the perspectives of obstetricians and midwives regarding the ethical and trust-related issues of incorporating AI-driven tools in their practice, this paper explores the conditions that AI-driven CTG must fulfill for clinicians to feel justified in incorporating this assistive technology into their decision-making processes regarding interventions in labor.

Memory Recovery Effect of a New Bioactive Innovative Combination in Rats with Experimental Dementia.

Alzheimer's disease manifests as a complex pathological condition, with neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and cholinergic dysfunction being a few of the many pathological changes. Due to the complexity of the disease, current therapeutic strategies aim at a multitargeted approach, often relying on a combination of substances with versatile and complementary effects. In the present study, a unique combination of α-lipoic acid, citicoline, extracts of leaves from olive tree and green tea, vitamin D3, selenium and an immune-supporting complex was tested in scopolamine-induced dementia in rats.

Antioxidant and Antitumor Potential of Micropropagated Balkan Endemic Griseb.

Griseb. is a critically endangered Balkan endemic species, known for its antioxidant, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of the present study was to detail an efficient protocol for the micropropagation of .

Remdesivir-Loaded Nanoliposomes Stabilized by Chitosan/Hyaluronic Acid Film with a Potential Application in the Treatment of Coronavirus Infection.

An object of the present study was the development of liposomes loaded with the medicine Veklury (remdesivir) stabilized by electrostatic adsorption of polysaccharide film formed from chitosans with different physicochemical characteristics and hyaluronic acid. The functionalization of the structures was achieved through the inclusion of an aptamer (oligonucleotide sequence) with specific affinity to the spike protein of the human coronavirus HCoV-OC43. The hydrodynamic size, electrokinetic potential and stability of the structures were evaluated at each step in the procedure.

Improvement of diluted semen from Muscovy (Cairina moschata) drakes by the addition of water-soluble antioxidants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of antioxidant supplementation in diluted semen from Muscovy drakes after the induction of oxidative stress (OS) on the sperm motility, kinematic parameters and biochemical markers - lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and total glutathione (tGSH) concentration. The pooled semen was distributed equally into three parts, diluted (1:3 v/v) with IMV Canadyl, HIA-1 or AU, and stored at 4°C for 6 h. Later, the semen was equilibrated at 20-25°C for 15 min, and divided in Eppendorf tubes.

On the Molecular Selection of Exopolysaccharide-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria from Indigenous Fermented Plant-Based Foods and Further Fine Chemical Characterization.

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by lactic acid bacteria present a particular interest for the food industry since they can be incorporated in foods via in situ production by selected starter cultures or applied as natural additives to improve the quality of various food products. In the present study, 43 strains were isolated from different plant-based fermented foods and identified by molecular methods. The species found were distinctively specific according to the food source.

Evaluation of Acute and Sub-Acute Toxicity, Oxidative Stress and Molecular Docking of Two Nitrofuranyl Amides as Promising Anti-Tuberculosis Agents.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a widespread infectious disease and one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Nevertheless, despite significant advances in the development of new drugs against tuberculosis, many therapies and preventive measures do not lead to the expected favorable health results for various reasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicity and oxidative stress of two selected nitrofuranyl amides with high in vitro antimycobacterial activity.

5-Amino-8-hydroxyquinoline-containing Electrospun Materials Based on Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Their Cu and Fe Complexes with Diverse Biological Properties: Antibacterial, Antifungal and Anticancer.

Novel fibrous materials with diverse biological properties containing a model drug of the 8-hydroxyquinoline group-5-amino-8-hydroxyquinoline (5A8Q)-were fabricated using a one-pot method by electrospinning poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/5A8Q solutions. Experiments were performed to prepare Cu (Fe) complexes of the crosslinked PVA/CMC/5A8Q materials. The formation of complexes was proven by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Prediction of Fetal Blood Pressure during Labour with Deep Learning Techniques.

Our objective is to develop a model for the prediction of minimum fetal blood pressure (FBP) during fetal heart rate (FHR) decelerations. Experimental data from umbilical occlusions in near-term fetal sheep (2698 occlusions from 57 near-term lambs) were used to train a convolutional neural network. This model was then used to estimate FBP for decelerations extracted from the final 90 min of 53,445 human FHR signals collected using cardiotocography.

Innovative Fibrous Materials Loaded with 5-Nitro-8-hydroxyquinoline via Electrospinning/Electrospraying Demonstrate Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities.

A new type of fibrous mat based on a cellulose derivative-cellulose acetate (CA) or CA and water-soluble polymers (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP or poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA)-loaded with the model drug 5-nitro-8-hydroxyquinoline (5N) was fabricated via electrospinning or electrospinning in conjunction with electrospraying. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water contact angle measurements and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) were used for the complex characterization of the obtained novel material. The decoration of CA fibers with a water-soluble polymer containing the drug resulted in the facilitation of wetting and fast drug release.

Assessment of the and Antitumor Activity of Hemocyanins from , , and in a Graffi Myeloid Tumor Model.

Hemocyanins are oxygen-transporting glycoproteins in the hemolymph of some invertebrate species that attracted scientific interest as potential anticancer agents. The present study aims to assess the and anticancer activity of hemocyanins isolated from , , and in the Graffi myeloid tumor model. The antitumor activity of the hemocyanins was determined by a MTT test and cytomorphological analysis by fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy.

Multimodal Deep Learning for Predicting Adverse Birth Outcomes Based on Early Labour Data.

Cardiotocography (CTG) is a widely used technique to monitor fetal heart rate (FHR) during labour and assess the health of the baby. However, visual interpretation of CTG signals is subjective and prone to error. Automated methods that mimic clinical guidelines have been developed, but they failed to improve detection of abnormal traces.