Cu-Supported ZnO under Conditions of CO Reduction to Methanol: Why 0.2 ML Coverage?

By hydrogenating carbon dioxide to value-added products such as methanol, heterogeneous catalysts can lower greenhouse gas emissions and generate alternative liquid fuels. The most common commercial catalyst for the reduction of CO to methanol is Cu/ZnO/AlO, where ZnO improves conversion and selectivity toward methanol. The structure of this catalyst is thought to be Zn oxy(hydroxyl) overlayers on the nanometer scale on Cu.

Thermosensitive injectable fibrillar gels based on cellulose nanocrystals grafted with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) as biocompatible brain implants.

Drug treatment of glioblastoma, the most aggressive and widespread form of brain cancer, is complicated due to the difficulty of penetration of chemotherapeutic drugs through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Moreover, with surgical removal of tumors, in 90 % of cases they reappear near the original focus. To solve this problem, we propose to use hydrogel based on cellulose nanocrystals grafted with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (CNC-g-PNIPAM) as a promising material for filling postoperative cavities in the brain with the release of antitumor drugs.

Altered memory CCR6 Th17-polarised T-cell function and biology in people with HIV under successful antiretroviral therapy and HIV elite controllers.

Background: Despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART), frequencies and immunological functions of memory CCR6 Th17-polarised CD4 T-cells are not fully restored in people with HIV (PWH). Moreover, long-lived Th17 cells contribute to HIV persistence under ART. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these observations remain understudied.

Dynamics of pulmonary mucosal cytotoxic CD8 T-cells in people living with HIV under suppressive antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from a high burden of pulmonary diseases, even after accounting for their smoking status. Cytotoxic CD8 T-cells are likely implicated in this phenomenon and may act as a double-edged sword. While being essential in viral infection control, their hyperactivation can also contribute to lung mucosal tissue damage.

HLA-G Expression/Secretion and T-Cell Cytotoxicity in Missed Abortion in Comparison to Normal Pregnancy.

The main role of HLA-G is to protect the semi-allogeneic embryo from immune rejection by proper interaction with its cognate receptors on the maternal immune cells. Spontaneous abortion is the most common adverse pregnancy outcome, with an incidence rate between 10% and 15%, with immunologic dysregulation being thought to play a role in some of the cases. In this study, we aimed to detect the membrane and soluble HLA-G molecule at the maternal-fetal interface (MFI) and in the serum of women experiencing missed abortion (asymptomatic early pregnancy loss) in comparison to the women experiencing normal early pregnancy.

Plasma Membrane Blebbing Is Controlled by Subcellular Distribution of Vimentin Intermediate Filaments.

The formation of specific cellular protrusions, plasma membrane blebs, underlies the amoeboid mode of cell motility, which is characteristic for free-living amoebae and leukocytes, and can also be adopted by stem and tumor cells to bypass unfavorable migration conditions and thus facilitate their long-distance migration. Not all cells are equally prone to bleb formation. We have previously shown that membrane blebbing can be experimentally induced in a subset of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells, whereas other cells in the same culture under the same conditions retain non-blebbing mesenchymal morphology.

Development of myelination and axon diameter for fast and precise action potential conductance.

Axons of globular bushy cells in the cochlear nucleus convey hyper-accurate signals to the superior olivary complex, the initial site of binaural processing via comparably thick axons and the calyx of the Held synapse. Bushy cell fibers involved in hyper-accurate binaural processing of low-frequency sounds are known to have an unusual internode length-to-axon caliber ratio (L/d) correlating with higher conduction velocity and superior temporal precision of action potentials. How the L/d-ratio develops and what determines this unusual myelination pattern is unclear.

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.

Particulate matter from water moss of a large Siberian river: Morphometric, mineral, elemental and radionuclide composition.

Particulate matter trapped by tufts of water moss Fontinalis antipyretica inhabiting fast flowing waters of the Yenisei River (Siberia, Russia) contaminated with artificial radionuclides has been studied as a potential monitor of radioactive releases to the river. Particulate matter, which was removed from wet tufts of water moss of the Yenisei by rinsing them in water, constituted at least 38% of bulk dry weight of the moss biomass sample and was similar in the contents of chemical elements, minerals, organic matter, and artificial radionuclides to bottom sediments of the Yenisei. Considerable bulk percentages of artificial radionuclides in the sample of water moss, 77% of Cs, 44% of Co, 41% of Eu, 55% of Eu, 66% of Am, and 34-36% of plutonium were associated with extracellular particles.

Validation of the Sw71-spheroid model with primary trophoblast cells.

Problem: Human implantation is a limiting factor for the success of natural and IVF reproduction since about 60% of pregnancy losses occur in the peri-implantation period. The in vitro modeling of human implantation challenges the researchers in accurate recreation of the complex in vivo differentiation and function of human blastocyst in the peri-implantation period. In previous studies, we constructed Sw71-spheroid models, which like human blastocyst undergo compactization, attaches to the endometrial epithelium, invade, and migrate.

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.

Coenzyme Q10 trapping in mitochondrial complex I underlies Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

How does a single amino acid mutation occurring in the blinding disease, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), impair electron shuttling in mitochondria? We investigated changes induced by the m.3460 G>A mutation in mitochondrial protein ND1 using the tools of Molecular Dynamics and Free Energy Perturbation simulations, with the goal of determining the mechanism by which this mutation affects mitochondrial function. A recent analysis suggested that the mutation's replacement of alanine A52 with a threonine perturbs the stability of a region where binding of the electron shuttling protein, Coenzyme Q10, occurs.

5-Substituted Uridines with Activity against Gram-Positive Bacteria.

The emergence of drug-resistant strains of pathogenic microorganisms necessitates the creation of new drugs. A series of uridine derivatives containing an extended substituent at the C-5 position as well as C-5 alkyloxymethyl, alkylthiomethyl, alkyltriazolylmethyl, alkylsulfinylmethyl and alkylsulfonylmethyl uridines were obtained in order to explore their antimicrobial properties and solubility. It has been shown that new ribonucleoside derivatives have an order of magnitude better solubility in water compared to their 2'-deoxy analogues and effectively inhibit the growth of a number of Gram-positive bacteria, including resistant strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis (MIC=15-200 μg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC=25-100 μg/mL).

Disruption of DDX53 coding sequence has limited impact on iPSC-derived human NGN2 neurons.

Background: The X-linked PTCHD1 locus is strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Males who carry chromosome microdeletions of PTCHD1 antisense long non-coding RNA (PTCHD1-AS)/DEAD-box helicase 53 (DDX53) have ASD, or a sub-clinical form called Broader Autism Phenotype. If the deletion extends beyond PTCHD1-AS/DDX53 to the next gene, PTCHD1, which is protein-coding, the individuals typically have ASD and intellectual disability (ID).

Bond Bundle Analysis of Ketosteroid Isomerase.

Bond bundle analysis is used to investigate enzymatic catalysis in the ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) active site. We identify the unique bonding regions in five KSI systems, including those exposed to applied oriented electric fields and those with amino acid mutations, and calculate the precise redistribution of electron density and other regional properties that accompanies either enhancement or inhibition of KSI catalytic activity. We find that catalytic enhancement results from promoting both inter- and intra-molecular electron density redistribution, between bond bundles and bond wedges within the KSI-docked substrate molecule, in the forward direction of the catalyzed reaction.

Interplay between the Lung Microbiome, Pulmonary Immunity and Viral Reservoirs in People Living with HIV under Antiretroviral Therapy.

Pulmonary dysbiosis may predispose people living with HIV (PLWH) to chronic lung disease. Herein, we assessed whether intrapulmonary HIV reservoir size and immune disruption are associated with reduced bacterial lung diversity in PLWH. Bacterial DNA was extracted and PCR-amplified from cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from 28 PLWH and 9 HIV-negative controls.

Theory of tip structure-dependent microtubule catastrophes and damage-induced microtubule rescues.

Microtubules are essential cytoskeletal polymers that exhibit stochastic switches between tubulin assembly and disassembly. Here, we examine possible mechanisms for these switches, called catastrophes and rescues. We formulate a four-state Monte Carlo model, explicitly considering two biochemical and two conformational states of tubulin, based on a recently conceived view of microtubule assembly with flared ends.

Human decidual gamma/delta T cells possess unique effector and TCR repertoire profiles during pregnancy.

Human γδ T cells are enriched at the maternal-fetal interface (MFI, decidua basalis) showing a highly differentiated phenotype. However, their functional potential is not well-known and it is not clear whether this decidua-enrichment is associated with specific γδ T cell receptors (TCR) as is observed in mice. Here we addressed these open questions by investigating decidual γδ T cells during early and late gestation, in comparison with paired blood samples, with flow cytometry (cytotoxic mediators, cytokines) and TCR high-throughput sequencing.

Comparative Study of Plutonium and Radiocaesium Content in the Muscle of Fish of the Yenisey River.

This work reports the first data on the content of plutonium (Pu) in the muscle tissues of the Northern pike (Esox lucius) and the Siberian dace (Leiciscus baicalensis) inhabiting the middle reaches of the Yenisey River in the vicinity of the radioactive discharge site. An increase in the content of Pu and radiocaesium (Cs) in pike muscles followed an increase in the volume of controlled discharges of these radionuclides to the Yenisey in 2018. The content of Pu in the muscles of pike (2-11 mBq/kg dry weight) and dace (1-4 mBq/kg dry weight) of the Yenisey fall within the range of values obtained by other authors for the ichthyofauna from water bodies contaminated with radioactive discharges from nuclear power plants and spent nuclear fuel processing plants.

Mucosal COVID-19 vaccines: Risks, benefits and control of the pandemic.

Based on mucosal immunization to promote both mucosal and systemic immune responses, next-generation coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines would be administered intranasally or orally. The goal of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines is to provide adequate immune protection and avoid severe disease and death. Mucosal vaccine candidates for COVID-19 including vector vaccines, recombinant subunit vaccines and live attenuated vaccines are under development.

Targeted molecular profiling of epithelial ovarian cancer from Italian BRCA wild-type patients with a BRCA and PARP pathways gene panel.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common type of cancer in women and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women. Identification of pathogenic variants in OC tissues has an important clinical significance for therapeutic and prevention purposes. This study aims to evaluate the mutational profile of a patient cohort, negative for BRCA1/2 germinal variants and Mismatch Repair defects, using next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach on DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.

Functionalizing aromatic compounds with optical cycling centres.

Molecular design principles provide guidelines for augmenting a molecule with a smaller group of atoms to realize a desired property or function. We demonstrate that these concepts can be used to create an optical cycling centre, the Ca(I)-O unit, that can be attached to a number of aromatic ligands, enabling the scattering of many photons from the resulting molecules without changing the molecular vibrational state. Such capability plays a central role in quantum state preparation and measurement, as well as laser cooling and trapping, and is therefore a prerequisite for many quantum science and technology applications.