4,279 results match your criteria: "Boskovic Institute[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • Genetic variants in the tau gene have been linked to increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders, with specific haplotypes H1 and H2 thought to contribute to these risks.
  • The study analyzed 964 individuals, including those with AD, mild cognitive impairment, other dementias, and healthy controls, to assess the impact of certain polymorphisms on cognitive performance.
  • Key findings showed that certain alleles and haplotypes were associated with poorer cognitive test results and pathological levels of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, indicating a complex relationship between genetic factors and AD, necessitating further research.
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Despite major therapeutic advances in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), resistances and long-term toxicities still pose significant challenges. Cyclins and their associated cyclin-dependent kinases are one focus of cancer research when looking for targeted therapies. We discovered cyclin C as a key factor for B-ALL development and maintenance.

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Plasma treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated water is a potentially energy efficient remediation method. In this treatment, an atmospheric pressure plasma interacts with surface-resident PFAS molecules. Developing a reaction mechanism and modeling of plasma-PFAS interactions requires fundamental data for electron-molecule reactions.

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The coasts of the world's oceans and seas accumulate various types of floating debris, commonly known as beach wracks, including organic seaweeds, seagrass, and ubiquitous anthropogenic waste, mainly plastic. Beach wrack microbiome (MB), surviving in the form of a biofilm, ensures decomposition and remineralization of wracks, but can also serve as a vector of potential pathogens in the environment. Through the interdisciplinary approach and comprehensive sampling design that includes geological analysis of the sediment, plastic debris composition analysis (ATR-FTIR) and application of 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding of beach wrack MBs, this study aims to describe MB in relation to beach exposure, sediment type and plastic pollution.

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The kinetics of many chemical reactions can be readily explained with a statistical approach, for example, using a form of transition state theory and comparing calculated Gibbs energies along the reaction coordinate(s). However, there are cases where this approach fails, notably when the vibrational relaxation of the molecule to its statistical equilibrium occurs on the same time scale as the reaction dynamics, whether it is caused by slow relaxation, a fast reaction, or both. These nonstatistical phenomena are then often explored computationally using (quasi)classical ab initio molecular dynamics by calculating a large number of trajectories while being prone to issues such as zero-point energy leakage.

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Key Points: Longer telomeres are associated with less cardiovascular mortality in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. In patients with Balkan endemic nephropathy, telomere length was negatively associated with arterial stiffness and positively associated with survival. The association of Balkan endemic nephropathy with slower vascular aging and longer telomere length may partially explain this phenomenon.

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We used electrospray ionization and ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry to detect and characterize the three anticancer drugs palbociclib, copanlisib, and olaparib. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry and density functional theory revealed that these compounds generate isomers during ionization (protomers) due to the presence of multiple protonation sites within their chemical structures. Our work has implications for understanding the solution- and gas-phase chemistry of these molecules during spray-based ionization processes.

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β-Naphthol and triarylcarbonium colorants were often used by modern and contemporary artists in materials such as inks and paints. Their poor stability and ability to fade upon exposure to light make their identification in artworks crucial for planning exhibitions and preventive conservation. Secondary ion mass spectrometry with MeV primary ions (MeV SIMS) is necessary when analyzing synthetic organic colorants (SOCs) with similar molecular structures due to its advantages in high sensitivity and soft ionization, which causes a low fragmentation of organic molecules.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wastewater effluents and rising water temperatures from climate change threaten freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prompting our study on their combined effects on aquatic communities.
  • We conducted a 21-day experiment with various treatments on a simplified freshwater food web, examining impacts on species survival, genetic diversity, and metabolic responses among benthic macroinvertebrates.
  • Results showed species-specific sensitivities, particularly in caddisflies and mayflies, where multi-stressor conditions led to reduced lipid content and phylogenetic diversity, indicating the need for molecular indicators to assess immediate ecological impacts.
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and are opportunistic pathogens commonly found in the microbiota of humans and other animals as well as in the environment. This article presents the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing using phenotypic methods (broth microdilution and standardized disk diffusion) on selected clinical, food, and wastewater isolates of and The isolates were divided into subgroups based on their sensitivity to the following antibiotics: vancomycin (VAN) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), and biocides triclosan (TCL) and chlorhexidine (CHX). The study also investigated in vitro virulence factors, including biofilm formation ability, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and β-hemolysis, to explore aspects of pathogenesis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Periocular dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition around the eyes, with unclear causes, possibly linked to the skin microbiome, prompting this study to compare microbiota between affected individuals and healthy controls.
  • The study involved 35 patients with periocular dermatitis and 39 healthy people who provided skin swabs; DNA was extracted and analyzed using advanced sequencing technology.
  • Results showed significant differences in bacterial diversity between the groups, with certain bacteria more abundant in patients, suggesting that changes in the skin microbiota may play a role in the development of periocular dermatitis and warrant further research.
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Editorial for the Special Issue "Satellite DNA Genomics".

Genes (Basel)

September 2024

Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

A significant portion of eukaryotic genomes consists of non-coding repetitive DNA sequences arranged in tandem arrays, known as satellite DNA (satDNA) [...

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Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Related Signaling Pathways in Neuroprotection.

Antioxidants (Basel)

August 2024

Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

Oxidative stress, characterized by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disturbed redox homeostasis, is one of the key mechanisms underlying synaptic loss and neuronal death in various neurodegenerative diseases [...

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Nationwide evaluation of treatment outcomes and survival of patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis

October 2024

Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

BACKGROUNDTreatment outcomes and long-term survival of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) in a real-world setting are difficult to assess, especially for species other than complex (MAC).METHODSThis was a retrospective cohort study on all Croatian residents with respiratory NTM isolates from 2006 to 2015, with follow-up to 2020.RESULTSTherapy was started in 98/137 (71.

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Global freshwater distribution of Telonemia protists.

ISME J

January 2024

Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.

Article Synopsis
  • Telonemia are ancient marine protists with established evolutionary links to the SAR supergroup, but their ecological roles and distribution in freshwater environments remain under-researched.
  • A global study of over a thousand freshwater metagenomes and 407 samples from lakes revealed a wide distribution of Telonemia, though no new major clades were identified, indicating their diversity is well-represented in current surveys.
  • Findings suggest Telonemia prefer colder, deeper areas of lakes in the Northern Hemisphere, where they can make up 10%-20% of the heterotrophic flagellate population, highlighting their significance in freshwater food webs.
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Article Synopsis
  • A genomic database encompassing all eukaryotic species on Earth is crucial for scientific advancements, yet most species lack genomic data.
  • The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) was initiated in 2018 by global scientists to compile high-quality reference genomes for approximately 1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species.
  • The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) launched a Pilot Project to create a decentralized model for reference genome production by testing it on 98 species, providing valuable insights into scalability, equity, and inclusiveness for genomic projects.
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Article Synopsis
  • Obesity leads to fat buildup and oxidative stress, often increasing lipid peroxidation and producing harmful substances like 4-HNE.
  • This study assessed how weight loss from bariatric surgery affects lipid peroxidation and lipid profiles in obese individuals.
  • Results showed significant reductions in lipid peroxidation markers and a notable decrease in BMI after six months post-surgery; however, more research is required to fully understand the connections between obesity, oxidative stress, and metabolic changes resulting from the surgery.
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Although titanium and its alloys are widely used as dental implants, they cannot induce the formation of new bone around the implant, which is a basis for the functional integrity and long-term stability of implants. This study focused on the functionalization of the titanium/titanium oxide surface as the gold standard for dental implants, with electrospun composite fibers consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone and Ca ions. Polymer fibers as carriers of Ca ions should gradually dissolve, releasing Ca ions into the environment of the implant when it is immersed in a model electrolyte of artificial saliva.

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NME6 belongs to the family of nucleoside diphosphate kinase enzymes, whose major role is to transfer the terminal phosphate from NTPs, mostly ATP, to other (d)NDPs via a high-energy intermediate. Beside this basic enzymatic activity, the family, comprising 10 genes/proteins in humans, executes a number of diverse biochemical/biological functions in the cell. A few previous studies have reported that NME6 resides in the mitochondria and influences oxidative phosphorylation while interacting with RCC1L, a GTPase involved in mitochondrial ribosome assembly and translation.

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The pyrimidine heterocycle plays an important role in anticancer research. In particular, the pyrimidine derivative families of uracil show promise as structural scaffolds relevant to cervical cancer. This group of chemicals lacks data-driven machine learning quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) that allow for generalization and predictive capabilities in the search for new active compounds.

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Owing to their exceptional mechanical, electronic, and phononic transport properties, compositionally complex alloys, including high-entropy alloys, represent an important class of materials. However, the interplay between chemical disorder and electronic correlations, and its influence on electronic structure-derived properties, remains largely unexplored. This is addressed for the archetypal CrMnFeCoNi alloy using resonant and valence band photoemission spectroscopy, electrical resistivity, and optical conductivity measurements, complemented by linear response calculations based on density functional theory.

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The role of NMR spectroscopy in lignocellulosic biomass characterisation: A mini review.

Food Chem (Oxf)

December 2024

Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Franje Kuhača 18, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is promising feedstock for the production of various bio-based products. However, due to its heterogenous character, complex chemical structure and recalcitrance, it is necessary to know its structural composition in order to optimize pretreatment process and further (bio)conversion into bio-based products. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a fast and reliable method that can provide advanced data on the molecular architecture and composition of lignocellulosic biomass.

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Purpose: To investigate the functional and structural daily variations in eyes with a mild form of Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD).

Methods: This prospective study included 30 eyes with the mild form of FECD. Subjects underwent functional and structural testing at 8 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM.

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Genome-centric metagenomes unveiling the hidden resistome in an anchialine cave.

Environ Microbiome

September 2024

Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.

Article Synopsis
  • * This first comprehensive study in an anchialine cave revealed various ARGs, with bacitracin resistance and multidrug resistance being the most prevalent, influenced by the cave's salinity gradient.
  • * The findings indicate that these caves may serve as reservoirs for unknown resistance genes and highlight the importance of further research on ARGs in unique ecosystems for better understanding and addressing antibiotic resistance.
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The neutron-rich unbound fluorine isotope ^{30}F_{21} has been observed for the first time by measuring its neutron decay at the SAMURAI spectrometer (RIBF, RIKEN) in the quasifree proton knockout reaction of ^{31}Ne nuclei at 235  MeV/nucleon. The mass and thus one-neutron-separation energy of ^{30}F has been determined to be S_{n}=-472±58(stat)±33(sys)  keV from the measurement of its invariant-mass spectrum. The absence of a sharp drop in S_{n}(^{30}F) shows that the "magic" N=20 shell gap is not restored close to ^{28}O, which is in agreement with our shell-model calculations that predict a near degeneracy between the neutron d and fp orbitals, with the 1p_{3/2} and 1p_{1/2} orbitals becoming more bound than the 0f_{7/2} one.

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