Pathogenesis-Associated Bacterial Amyloids: The Network of Interactions.

Amyloids are protein fibrils with a characteristic cross-β structure that is responsible for the unusual resistance of amyloids to various physical and chemical factors, as well as numerous pathogenic and functional consequences of amyloidogenesis. The greatest diversity of functional amyloids was identified in bacteria. The majority of bacterial amyloids are involved in virulence and pathogenesis either via facilitating formation of biofilms and adaptation of bacteria to colonization of a host organism or through direct regulation of toxicity.

Troponins and Skeletal Muscle Pathologies.

Skeletal muscles account for ~30-40% of the total weight of human body and are responsible for its most important functions, including movement, respiration, thermogenesis, and glucose and protein metabolism. Skeletal muscle damage negatively impacts the whole-body functioning, leading to deterioration of the quality of life and, in severe cases, death. Therefore, timely diagnosis and therapy for skeletal muscle dysfunction are important goals of modern medicine.

Functional properties of aged hypothalamic cells.

The hypothalamus, in addition to controlling the main body's vital functions, is also involved in aging regulation. The aging process in the hypothalamus is accompanied by disturbed intracellular pathways, including Ca signaling and neuronal excitability in the brain. Intrinsic electrophysiological properties of individual neurons and synaptic transmission between cells is disrupted in the central nervous system of old animals.

Combined irradiation by gamma-rays and carbon-12 nuclei caused hyperlocomotion and change in striatal metabolism of rats.

Exposure to ionizing radiation during manned deep space missions to Mars could lead to functional impairments of the central nervous system, which may compromise the success of the mission and affect the quality of life for returning astronauts. Along with radiation-induced changes in cognitive abilities and emotional status, the effects of increased motor activity were observed. The mechanisms behind these phenomena still remain unresolved.

Transcriptome analysis reveals significant discrepancies between two in vitro models of host-trematode interaction.

Cell models emulating an in vitro parasitic infection can greatly improve our understanding of helminthiases. Nonetheless, it remains challenging to select an appropriate in vitro model to study molecular pathogenesis of infections by trematodes having a complex life cycle. Therefore, adequate models are in high demand.

The effects of autophagy-modifying drugs chloroquine and lithium on the skin melanoma microenvironment.

Background: Skin melanoma is a highly metastatic cancer with an increasing global incidence. Despite advancements in immunotherapy, new treatment strategies based on tumor biology are essential for improving outcomes and developing novel therapies. Autophagy plays a critical role in melanoma cell metabolism and affects the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Stress, resilience and sense of self-efficacy among Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, and Slovak women during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to determine the levels of stress, resilience and the sense of self-efficacy, as well as the influence of resilience and the sense of self-efficacy in shaping stress levels, in a sample of women from various countries of origin.

Methods: The study was carried out on a sample of Ukrainian (N = 82), Polish (N = 102), Slovak (N = 79), and Romanian (N = 42) women using the Sense of Stress Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Brief Resilience Scale.

Results: Highest total stress levels were found among Ukrainian women, while the lowest were found among Polish women.

Consumer-grade wearable devices in arrhythmia diagnostics for clinicians: where we are and where we are going.

Atrial arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF), are a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Early detection and effective management are critical to mitigating adverse outcomes such as stroke, heart failure, and overall mortality. Wearable devices have emerged as promising tools for monitoring, detecting, and managing atrial arrhythmias near-continuously.

The endothelial surface layer-glycocalyx - Universal nano-infrastructure is fundamental to physiology, cell traffic and a complementary neural network.

The glycocalyx and its associated endothelial surface layer which lines all cell membranes and most tissues, dwarfs the phospholipid membrane of cells in extent. Its major components are sulphated polymers like heparan and chondroitin sulphates and hyaluronic acid. These form a fuzzy layer of unknown structure and function.

Can artificial intelligence lower the global sudden cardiac death rate? A narrative review.

Purpose Of Review: WHO defines SCD as sudden unexpected death either within 1 h of symptom onset (witnessed) or within 24 h of having been observed alive and symptom-free (unwitnessed). Sudden cardiac arrest is a major cause of mortality worldwide, with survival to hospital discharge for hospital cardiac arrest and in-hospital cardiac arrest being only 9.3 % and 21.

What Kills Mature Street and Park Trees in Cities? Systematic Quantitative Review of Published Case Studies.

Street and park trees often endure harsher conditions, including increased temperatures and drier soil and air, than those found in urban or natural forests. These conditions can lead to shorter lifespans and a greater vulnerability to dieback. This literature review aimed to identify confirmed causes of street and park tree dieback in urban areas from around the world.

Monocyte and Macrophage in Follicular Liquid: Predictive Markers of Embryo Quality in Women with Obesity and Infertility.

Background: Over the past five years, the pregnancy rate in assisted reproductive technology (ART) programs in Russia has remained relatively stable. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of monocyte and macrophage subsets in the blood and follicular fluid of infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

Methods: The study involved 45 women with a mean age of 35 ± 4.

SERT-Deficient Mice Fed Western Diet Reveal Altered Metabolic and Pro-Inflammatory Responses of the Liver: A Link to Abnormal Behaviors.

Background: The inheritance of the short allele, encoding the serotonin transporter (SERT) in humans, increases susceptibility to neuropsychiatric and metabolic disorders, with aging and female sex further exacerbating these conditions. Both central and peripheral mechanisms of the compromised serotonin (5-HT) system play crucial roles in this context. Previous studies on SERT-deficient (Sert) mice, which model human SERT deficiency, have demonstrated emotional and metabolic disturbances, exacerbated by exposure to a high-fat Western diet (WD).

Neural Correlates of Social Touch Processing: An fMRI Study on Brain Functional Connectivity.

Background: The significance of tactile stimulation in human social development and personal interaction is well documented; however, the underlying cerebral processes remain under-researched. This study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates of social touch processing, with a particular focus on the functional connectivity associated with the aftereffects of touch.

Methods: A total of 27 experimental subjects were recruited for the study, all of whom underwent a 5-minute calf and foot massage prior to undergoing resting-state fMRI.

Optical Based Methods for Water Monitoring in Biological Tissue.

Skin homeostasis is strongly dependent on its hydration levels, making skin water content measurement vital across various fields, including medicine, cosmetology, and sports science. Noninvasive diagnostic techniques are particularly relevant for clinical applications due to their minimal risk of side effects. A range of optical methods have been developed for this purpose, each with unique physical principles, advantages, and limitations.

Phage vB_KlebPS_265 Active Against Resistant/MDR and Hypermucoid K2 Strains of .

is an important opportunistic pathogen often resistant to antibiotics. Specific phages can be useful in eliminating infection caused by . phage vB_KlebPS_265 (KlebP_265) and its host strain were isolated from the sputum of a patient with infection.

Bacteriophage and Phage-Encoded Depolymerase Exhibit Antibacterial Activity Against K9-Type in Mouse Sepsis and Burn Skin Infection Models.

is a widely distributed nosocomial pathogen that causes various acute and chronic infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. In this study, the activities of the K9-specific virulent phage AM24 and phage-encoded depolymerase DepAPK09 were assessed using in vivo mouse sepsis and burn skin infection models. In the mouse sepsis model, in the case of prevention or early treatment, a single K9-specific phage or recombinant depolymerase injection was able to protect 100% of the mice after parenteral infection with a lethal dose of of the K9-type, with complete eradication of the pathogen.

Development of Primer Panels for Whole-Genome Amplification and Sequencing of Human Seasonal Coronaviruses: hCoV-OC43, hCoV-HKU1, hCoV-229E, and hCoV-NL63.

Human seasonal coronaviruses (hCoVs) are a group of viruses that affect the upper respiratory tract. While seasonal patterns and the annual variability of predominant hCoV species are well-documented, their genetic and species diversity in St. Petersburg and across Russia remains largely unexplored.

Exploration of the Role of Cyclophilins in Established Hepatitis B and C Infections.

Cyclophilin (Cyp) inhibitors are of clinical interest in respect to their antiviral activities in the context of many viral infections including chronic hepatitis B and C. Cyps are a group of enzymes with peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity (PPIase), known to be required for replication of diverse viruses including hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV). Amongst the Cyp family, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antiviral effects of CypA have been investigated in detail, but potential roles of other Cyps are less well studied in the context of viral hepatitis.

The Presence of Two Distinct Lineages of the Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus Type A in Russia in 2013-2014 Has Significant Implications for the Epidemiology of the Virus in the Region.

Molecular surveillance of FMD epidemiology is a fundamental tool for advancing our understanding of virus biology, monitoring virus evolution, and guiding vaccine design. The accessibility of genetic data will facilitate a more comprehensive delineation of FMDV phylogeny on a global scale. In this study, we investigated the FMDV strains circulating in Russia during the 2013-2014 period in geographically distant regions utilizing whole genome sequencing followed by maximum-likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction of whole genome and VP1 gene sequences.

Isolation and Phylogenetic Analysis of Atypical Porcine Pestivirus Isolates Identified in Russian Swine Herds.

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) was first identified in 2015 in North America by high-throughput sequencing. APPV is associated with congenital tremor A-II and is widely distributed worldwide. In this study, a total of 2630 samples of domestic pigs obtained from 14 regions of Russia from 2020 to 2024 were screened for APPV presence by qRT-PCR.

Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery Systems, 2nd Edition.

Nanotechnology is a promising and rapidly developing area in the 21st century, which affects various fields of science: physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, microelectronics, and medicine [...

Central Asia Cold Case: Siberian Pine Fingers New Suspects in Growth Decline CA 1700 CE.

Tree-ring width chronologies of Du Tour from near the upper treeline in the Western Sayan, Southern Siberia are found to have an exceptional (below mean-3SD) multi-year drop near 1700 CE, highlighted by the seven narrowest-ring years in a 1524-2022 regional chronology occurring in the short span of one decade. Tree rings are sometimes applied to reconstruct seasonal air temperatures; therefore, it is important to identify other factors that may have contributed to the growth suppression. The spatiotemporal scope of the "nosedive" in tree growth is investigated with a large network of (14 sites) and Ledeb.

Genome-Wide Association Study on Imputed Genotypes of 180 Eurasian Soybean Varieties for Oil and Protein Contents in Seeds.

Soybean () is a leguminous plant with a broad range of applications, particularly in agriculture and food production, where its seed composition-especially oil and protein content-is highly valued. Improving these traits is a primary focus of soybean breeding programs. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic loci linked to oil and protein content in seeds, using imputed genotype data for 180 Eurasian soybean varieties and the novel "genotypic twins" approach.