Accurate calculation of the content volume, density and original weight of museum curated eggs.

Worldwide museums hold collections of eggshells representing material for descriptive studies. However, an obstacle to this is the lack of information about the original contents and weight of the entire egg (W). This study aimed to fill this gap though development of a methodological mechanism for calculating the volume of the egg interior (V), its density (D) and W.

Electromyography findings in L5 radiculopathy are not associated with fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscles: a retrospective observational study.

Introduction: Increased fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles (PM) has been recognized as a sign of decreased muscle quality in patients with degenerative disc disease. However, whether fatty infiltration is a consequence of a neurogenic process due to spinal nerve root compression has not yet been determined.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles (PM) and neurogenic remodeling of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) in patients with lumbar radiculopathy.

Flow-cytometry reveals mitochondrial DNA accumulation in cells during cell cycle arrest.

Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles containing their own DNA (mtDNA), which is replicated independently of nuclear DNA (nDNA). While cell cycle arrest halts nDNA replication, mtDNA replication continues. In , flow cytometry enables semi-quantitative estimation of mtDNA levels by measuring the difference in signals between cells lacking mtDNA and those containing mtDNA.

Novel coronaviruses and mammarenaviruses of hedgehogs from Russia including the comparison of viral communities of hibernating and active specimens.

Introduction: Small mammals, especially rodents and bats, are known reservoirs of zoonotic viruses, but little is known about the viromes of insectivorous species including hedgehogs (order Eulipotyphla), which often live near human settlements and come into contact with humans.

Methods: We used high-throughput sequencing and metaviromic analysis to describe the viromes of 21 hedgehogs (Erinaceus sp.) sampled from summer 2022 to spring 2023.

The eusocial non-code: Unveiling the impact of noncoding RNAs on Hymenoptera eusocial evolution.

Eusociality, characterized by reproductive division of labor, cooperative brood care, and multi-generational cohabitation, represents a pinnacle of complex social evolution, most notably manifested within the Hymenoptera order including bees, ants, and wasps. The molecular underpinnings underlying these sophisticated social structures remain an enigma, with noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) emerging as crucial regulatory players. This article delves into the roles of ncRNAs in exerting epigenetic control during the development and maintenance of Hymenopteran eusociality.

The functions of immune system-derived miRNAs in cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the foremost cause of mortality worldwide, with recent advances in immunology underscoring the critical roles of immune cells in their onset and progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), particularly those derived from the immune system, have emerged as vital regulators of cellular functions within the cardiovascular landscape. This review focuses on "immuno-miRs," a class of miRNAs that are highly expressed in immune cells, including T cells, B cells, NK cells, neutrophils, and monocytes/macrophages, and their significant role in controlling immune signaling pathways.

Revealing O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase involved in direct sulfhydrylation pathway in Clostridium tetani.

Bacterial methionine biosynthesis is an attractive target for research due to its central role in cellular metabolism, as most steps of this pathway are missing in mammals. Up to now little is known about sulfur metabolism in pathogenic Clostridia species, making the study of the enzymes of Cys/Met metabolism in Clostridium tetani particularly relevant. Analysis of the C.

Conservation Genetics and Breeding using Molecular Genetic Markers in Japanese Quail ().

Background: The Japanese quail () is a small migratory bird whose main habitats are located in East Asia, Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and India. The Japanese quail was first introduced into the Iraqi research sector in the early 1980s. This investigation aimed to identify the genetic divergence between the available genetic lines of the Japanese quail in Iraq as a first step to conducting further conservation and breeding, benefiting from studying the genetic diversity related to productivity, adaptation, and immune susceptibility.

The Putative Antilipogenic Role of NRG4 and ERBB4: First Expression Study on Human Liver Samples.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor 4 (ERBB4) and neuregulin 4 (NRG4) have been shown to reduce steatosis and prevent the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in mouse models, but little to nothing is known about their role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in humans. This study is the first to investigate the expression of and mRNAs and their role in lipid metabolism in the livers of individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes and biopsy-proven NAFLD.

Methods: Liver biospecimens were obtained intraoperatively from 80 individuals.

Circadian Disruption in Glaucoma: Causes, Consequences, and Countermeasures.

This review explores the intricate relationship between glaucoma and circadian rhythm disturbances. As a principal organ for photic signal reception and transduction, the eye plays a pivotal role in coordinating the body's circadian rhythms through specialized retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), particularly intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs). These cells are critical in transmitting light signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the central circadian clock that synchronizes physiological processes to the 24-hour light-dark cycle.

Cytoprotective Effects and Intranuclear Localization of Sulfur-Containing Derivative of Buckminsterfullerene.

Background: There is a growing interest in exploring the biological characteristics of nanoparticles and exploring their potential applications. However, there is still a lack of research into the potential genotoxicity of fullerene derivatives and their impact on gene expression in human cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of a water-soluble fullerene derivative, C60[C6H4SCH2COOK]5H (F1), on human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF).

Coherent Changes in Neural Motor Network Activity during Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Long-term use of levodopa, a metabolic precursor of dopamine (DA) for alleviation of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), can cause a serious side effect known as levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). With the development of LID, high-frequency gamma oscillations (~100 Hz) are registered in the motor cortex (MCx) in patients with PD and rats with experimental PD. Studying alterations in the activity within major components of motor networks during transition from levodopa-off state to dyskinesia can provide useful information about their contribution to the development of abnormal gamma oscillations and LID.

Transient destabilization of interhemispheric functional connectivity induced by spreading depolarization.

Cortical spreading depolarization (CSD), a slowly propagating wave of transient cellular depolarization, is a reliable cortical response to various brain insults (stroke, trauma, seizures) and underlying mechanism of migraine aura. Little is known about CSD effects on brain network activity. Using undirected (mutual information, MI) and directed (transfer entropy, TE) measures, we studied the dynamics of cross-hemispheric connectivity associated with the development of unilateral CSD in freely behaving rats and the involvement of inhibitory transmission in mechanisms of the coupling changes.

Association between atherosclerosis and the development of multi-organ pathologies.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the vascular system, characterised by the accumulation of modified lipoproteins, immune cell aggregation and the development of fibrous tissue within blood vessel walls. As atherosclerosis impacts blood vessels, its adverse effects may manifest across various tissues and organs. In this review, we examine the association of atherosclerosis with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, pancreatic and thyroid dysfunction, kidney stones and chronic kidney diseases.

Africa and Arabia encompass a much greater species diversity in the aggregate (Amaranthaceae, achyranthoid clade): Evidence from morphological and chorological data.

in its traditional sense (excluding that phylogenetically falls into ) has been considered to contain a restricted (three to four) number of species in Africa and one or two species in the Arabian Peninsula. The morphology of the type species of the genus, , has been treated as highly polymorphic, with several varieties recognised by various authors. Not surprisingly, a recent extended phylogeny revealed a non-monophyly of .

Pear-Shaped Eggs Evolved to Maximize the Surface Area-to-Volume Ratio, Increase Metabolism, and Shorten Incubation Time in Birds.

Bird eggs can be spherical, ellipsoid, ovoid, or pear-shaped (pyriform), the latter being the most complex. There is however no unambiguous evolutionary/adaptive explanation for this final, exotic shape. We hypothesized that pyriform eggs have a larger surface area-to-volume ratio (S/V) that may be a criterion for increased embryo metabolism.

Novel Insights on the Biology and Immunological Effects of Histamine: A Road Map for Allergists and Mast Cell Biologists.

Histamine (CHN, molecular weight 111.15 g/mol) is a well-studied endogenous biogenic amine composed of an imidazole ring attached to an ethylamine side chain. It has a limited half-life of a few minutes within tissues and in circulation.

The lawc gene emerged de novo from conserved genomic elements and acquired a broad expression pattern in Drosophila.

It has recently become evident that the de novo emergence of genes is widespread and documented for a variety of organisms. De novo genes frequently emerge in proximity to existing genes, forming gene overlaps. Here, we present an analysis of the evolutionary history of a putative de novo gene, lawc, which overlaps with the conserved Trf2 gene, which encodes a general transcription factor in Drosophila melanogaster.

The Mucosal Protection in the Treatment of Erosive Reflux Esophagitis: Mechanisms for Restoring Epithelial Permeability. A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background And Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is widespread in the population and is characterized by the risk of developing Barrett's esophagus and associated adenocarcinoma. Key factors in the progression of the disease are not only the frequency and duration of reflux episodes, but also the resistance of the esophageal mucosa to aggressive reflux molecules. Assessment of the state of tight junction proteins, the rate of their recovery under the influence of various treatment regimens is an urgent task for choosing optimal approaches to curing patients with GERD.

Ultrastructural disturbances in microglia-neuron interactions in the head of the caudate nucleus in schizophrenia.

Previously we found altered microglia-neuron interactions in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that microglia-neuron interactions may be dysregulated in the caudate nucleus in schizophrenia. A postmortem ultrastructural morphometric study was performed to investigate satellite microglia (SatMg) and adjacent neurons in the head of the caudate nucleus in 21 cases of schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls.

Microbial diversity of hot springs of the Kuril Islands.

The Kuril Islands are located in the Far-East of Russia and enriched with shallow and terrestrial hot springs. Prokaryotic diversity of Kuril geothermal environments has been studied fragmentarily and mainly by culture-dependent methods. We performed the first large-scale investigation of microbial communities, inhabited more than 30 terrestrial hot springs of Kunashir and Iturup Islands, analyzed by 16S rRNA gene fragment amplicon sequencing, together with chemical analysis of thermal waters and sediments.

[Problems of poliomyelitis eradication].

The article is devoted to the problems of implementation of the WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The influence of the features of poliovirus infection and poliovirus vaccines on the course of the program, its successes and difficulties is considered, the issue of possibility of eradication this infection is discussed.

[Anticoagulant therapy for chronic heart disease atrial failure and fibrillation: a review].

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often accompany each other, as they share similar risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms. AF in patients with HF is known to increase hospitalizations and worsen prognosis. A combination of AF and HF translates into high risks of thromboembolic complications, which renders anticoagulants an important aspect of therapy for these patients.

[Infant botulism: an underestimated problem. A review].

The article is devoted to a form of botulism that has been little studied in our country and is registered exclusively in infants. The fundamental difference between this form and the most common foodborne botulism is that infants become infected by ingestion of spores, followed by their germination, colonization of the intestines and production of botulinum toxin , which leads to the development of life-threatening flaccid paralysis. Taking into account the peculiarities of pathogenesis, the clinical manifestations of infant botulism have some features, which are discussed by the authors.

[The effectiveness of vaccination against pneumococcal infection in patients with severe bronchial asthma].

Introduction: The article discusses topical issues of the use of conjugated 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar®13 (PCV13) in patients with severe bronchial asthma (SBA), including those receiving targeted therapy with genetically engineered biological drugs (GEBD).

Aim: To study the effectiveness of vaccination against pneumococcal infection (PI) in patients with SBA.

Materials And Methods: The study included 381 patients with SBA.