Tick-Borne Encephalitis in the Russian Caucasus: Virus Was Detected for the First Time on the Border of Europe and Asia Minor.

The tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus has been confirmed by molecular analysis in the Caucasus region for the first time. The virus obtained from a tick ex Caspian green lizard belongs to the Zausaev strain of the Siberian subtype (not to a strain of the European subtype highly distributed in the territories adjacent to the Caucasus). This unusual record indicates the need to study the role of lizards in the circulation of natural focal infections.

Surface-Dependent Osteoblasts Response to TiO Nanotubes of Different Crystallinity.

One of the major challenges of implantology is to design nanoscale modifications of titanium implant surfaces inducing osseointegration. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of rat osteoblasts cultured on anodized TiO nanotubes of different crystallinity (amorphous and anatase phase) up to 24 days. TiO nanotubes were fabricated on VT1-0 titanium foil via a two-step anodization at 20 V using NHF as an electrolyte.