Proteome changes of plasma-derived extracellular vesicles in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

Background Extracellular vesicles are released into body fluids from the majority of, if not all, cell types. Because their secretion and specific cargo (e.g., proteins) varies according to pathology, extracellular vesicles may prove a rich source of biomarkers. However, their biological and pathophysiological functions are poorly understood in hematological malignancies. Objective Here, we investigated proteome changes in the exosome-rich fraction of the plasma of myelodysplastic syndrome patients and healthy donors. Methods Exosome-rich fraction of the plasma was isolated using ExoQuick™: proteomes were compared and statistically processed; proteins were identified by nanoLC-MS/MS and verified using the ExoCarta and QuickGO databases. Mann-Whitney and Spearman analyses were used to statistically analyze the data. 2D western blot was used to monitor clusterin proteoforms. Results Statistical analyses of the data highlighted clusterin alterations as the most significant. 2D western blot showed that the clusterin changes were caused by posttranslational modifications. Moreover, there was a notable increase in the clusterin proteoform in the exosome-rich fraction of plasma of patients with more severe myelodysplastic syndrome; this corresponded with a simultaneous decrease in their plasma. Conclusions This specific clusterin proteoform seems to be a promising biomarker for myelodysplastic syndrome progression.

Влияние термической предыстории на свойства эффективных термоэлектрических сплавов Ge-=SUB=-0.86-=/SUB=-Pb-=SUB=-0.1-=/SUB=-Bi-=SUB=-0.04-=/SUB=-Te-=SUP=-*-=/SUP=-

In this work, we study the properties of GeTe -based alloys, doped with bismuth, with partial substitution of lead for germanium: Ge0.86Pb0.1Bi0.04Te. The aim of the study is to explore the possibility of increasing the thermoelectric efficiency of a compound by combining optimal doping and isovalent substitution to improve the electronic properties with a simultaneous decrease of the lattice thermal conductivity. We studied alloy samples prepared in two different research laboratories using similar, but not completely identical procedures. It is shown that the electronic (thermoelectric power and electrical conductivity) properties of the samples of the two groups are in good agreement with each other. The properties of alloys depend on the thermal history of the samples due to the presence at temperatures of 600–800 K of a phase transition from a low-temperature rhombohedral to a high-temperature cubic structural modification. The thermoelectric figure of merit of alloys reaches a maximum value of 1.5 at a temperature of about 750 K.

Steppe Eagle in the Republic of Kalmykia (Russia): Results of the 2021 Survey

The article presents the results of the Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) study in the Republic of Kalmykia. 135 breeding territories of eagles were examined and 155 birds were observed during summer registrations and counts. The average distribution density of the occupied breeding territories in 2021 in the main part of the area was 2.15 (1.54–2.99)/100 km², in the zone of the large number of food resources – 5.72 (4.45–7.35)/100 km². The percentage of occupied breeding territories was 71%, and 43% of the occupied territories were successful. The number of nestlings in broods ranged from 1 to 3, averaging 1.81±0.69 per successful nest (n=43) and 0.73±0.95 per occupied nest (n=105). The percentage of nests with dead clutches and nestlings was high at all surveyed plots. The main diet of eagles during the breeding period included the Little Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus pygmaeus) (44%) and several additional prey items. A preliminary assessment of habitat suitability for the Steppe Eagle in terms of food conditions was carried out using GIS methods. Based on the registration data and clarification of the breeding range borders (47086.7 km²), the number of the Steppe Eagle in Kalmykia was re-estimated at 789 (587–1059) pairs. The signs indicating a negative trend in the population intensified: the percentage of immature birds in breeding pairs was 27%, the percentage of abandoned breeding territories was 19%. There is a consolidation of breeding groups in the population nucleus with a simultaneous decrease in breeding density at the periphery. Among the negative anthropogenic factors in 2021 there were the following: mass mortality on power lines, destruction of the food potential by the locals, disturbance during breeding, probable taking away of nestlings from nests.

Current state of bacterioplankton in Northern Caspian

Microbiological monitoring of the Northern Caspian proved that for the research period in 2013-2018 the average annual value of the total number of bacteria (TBN) was 1.35 million cells/ml. The TBN maximum value (1.46 million cells/ml) was recorded in 2013, the minimum (1.19 million cells/ml) - in 2014. Concentration of saprotrophic bacteria in the waters of the Northern Caspian during the research period varied from 50.94 thousand CFU/ml in 2013 to 1.66 thousand CFU/ml in 2014. The concentration of saprotrophic bacteria remained practically unchanged within 2014-2018. The values of the ratio of the total abundance of microorganisms and saprotrophic bacteria show the eutrophication of the waters of the North Caspian in 2013 and in 2016, in other periods the water quality corresponded to the readings of an oligotrophic reservoir. The maximum number of oil-oxidizing bacteria (OOB) (8.28 thousand CFU/ml) in the waters of the Northern Caspian was recorded in 2013, the minimum (0.21 thousand CFU/ml) - in 2014. Starting from 2015 there was recorded an increasing number of OOBs and its stabilization until the end of the research period. The ratio of NOB and saprotrophs in water varied from 16.47 to 52.47%. Analysis of microbiological and hydrological-hydrochemical indicators revealed positive correlations of TBN and annual runoff (r = + 0.77), TBN and the content of mineral forms of nitrogen (r = + 0.60), the number of saprotrophic bacteria and nitrogen (r = + 0.83), the amount of NOB and mineral nitrogen and silicon (r = + 0.81). In the long-term aspect, an improvement in the microbiological situation was recorded against the background of a growing total number of bacterioplankton under a simultaneous decrease in the number of saprotrophic and oil-oxidizing bacteria.

LENDING ACTIVITIES OF UKRAINIAN BANKS: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

An important and topical issue for Ukraine is the issue of improving the organizational, economic and legal foundations of effective lending activities of domestic banks. The ability of the latter to satisfy public needs for loans contributes to the development of the country’s economy. The stability of the banking system largely depends on the level of efficiency of banks’ lending activities. The revitalization of the lending activity of Ukrainian banks in recent years has been accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in its profitability, which is primarily due to the instability of financial markets, imperfect regulatory framework and a high level of competition. Under such conditions, the requirements for the quality of the management process in banks are growing, in particular, there is a need to develop new and improve existing methods for assessing and increasing the efficiency of lending activities.

The Efficiency of Obtaining Electricity and Heat from the Photovoltaic Module under Different Irradiance Conditions

This paper proposes a modification to the design of a standard PV module by enclosing the skeleton space and using forced ventilation. The purpose of this research was to develop a method for calculating the amount of heat gained during PV module cooling. A simplifying assumption was to omit the electrical energy consumed by the fans forcing the airflow. For testing at low irradiance, a prototype halogen radiation simulator of our own design was used, which is not a standardized radiation source used for testing PV modules. Two measurements were also made under natural, stable solar radiation. The modified PV module was tested for three ventilation rates and compared with the results obtained for the standard PV module. In all tested cases, an increase in electrical efficiency of about 2% was observed with increasing radiation intensity. The thermal efficiency decreased by about 5% in the analyzed cases and the highest value of 10.47% was obtained for the highest value of cooling airflow rate. In conclusion, the study results represent a certain compromise: an increase in electrical efficiency with a simultaneous decrease in thermal efficiency.

Experimental and numerical investigation of Poole-Frenkel effect on dynamic R ON transients in C-doped p-GaN HEMTs

In this paper, we investigate the influence of Poole-Frenkel Effect (PFE) on the dynamic R ON transients in C-doped p-GaN HEMTs. To this aim, we perform a characterization of the dynamic R ON transients acquired during OFF-state stress (i.e., V GS,STR = 0 V < V T, V DS,STR = 25–125 V and we interpret the results with the aid of numerical simulations. We find that dynamic R ON transients at room temperature accelerate with V DS,STR 1/2, which is signature of PFE, as further confirmed by the simultaneous decrease of the activation energy (E A) extracted from the Arrhenius plot of the dynamic R ON transients at V DS,STR = 50 V and T = 30–110 °C. Results obtained by means of calibrated numerical simulations reproduce the exponential dependence of transients time constants (τ) on V DS,STR 1/2 and consequent E A reduction only when including PFE enhancement of hole emission from dominant acceptor traps in the buffer related to C doping. This result is consistent with the model that considers hole emission from acceptor traps (rather than electron capture) as the mechanism underlying dynamic R ON increase during OFF-state stress.

Probiotic effect of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris RPG-HL-0136 on intestinal mucosal immunity in mice

Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris is a lactic acid bacterium commonly used in the cheese manufacturing industry. It is known to produce antibacterial peptides and has recently received attention for its role as a probiotic strain. Here, we report the isolation of a new strain, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris RPG-HL-0136 (RPG0136) from dried compost, which exhibits strong antibacterial activity. When RPG0136 was fed to mice, it increased the intestinal population of two beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, whereas it decreased the intestinal population of two harmful bacteria, Bacteroides and Enterobacter. In addition, it increased the concentration of short-chain fatty acids, including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, with a simultaneous decrease in pH, and accelerated the catabolic degradation of proteins, lipids, and starch. Lastly, RPG0136 increased the plasma IgG and intestinal mucosal SIgA concentrations and upregulated Reg3r, MUC1, and MUC2 expression to improve the intestinal mucosal immune function. The results of this study suggest that RPG0136 is a potential probiotic strain that supports the growth of a beneficial microbiome by promoting the synthesis of organic acids and enhancing intestinal immune function.

Liver dysfunction in children with community-acquired pneumonia: the role of infectious and inflammatory markers

Markers of infectious-inflammatory process were studied by determining the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines - interleukin (IL) 1 and IL-6 and proteins of the acute phase of inflammation - C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen in the serum of children with community-acquired pneumonia. It was found that the course of community-acquired pneumonia is accompanied by an increase in serum concentrations of IL-1 and IL-6 in children in parallel with the disease severity. The synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines stimulates the production of acute CRP, but reduces the concentration of fibrinogen in the serum of sick children. The revealed connections between the content of the studied cytokines at the systemic level and multidirectional changes in the indicators of the acute phase of inflammation indicate a violation of the liver, where proteins are synthesized in the study. It is shown that with increasing severity of pneumonia, the enzyme activity of aminotransferases - alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum of children increases with a simultaneous decrease in the de Ritis coefficient, indicating "hepatic" genesis. High levels of aminotransferase is closely correlated with the activity of the infectious-inflammatory process, as indicated by the positive correlation between the level of IL-1 and ALT (r = 0.047) and AST (r = 0.111). At the same time, there is a negative correlation between the levels of IL-1, CRP and the activity of aminotransferases in blood serum.

The Demographic Factor Impact on the Economics of the Arctic Region

Decline of the international price of some minerals, such as coal, has changed the living standards of the Arctic population leading to its considerable out-migration because of the drop in profitability not only in mining, but also in related industries. Being essential for the sustainable economic development, the highly qualified specialists are currently a crucial issue in the Arctic. This research employs demographic and economic indicators to address the gap in the study of demographic challenges for the Arctic administrative-territorial entities. Special attention is paid to the comparative analysis of the population dynamic in the Russian and global Arctic regions. As part of this study, the impact of the demographic factor on the economic indicators of the region was assessed on the basis of GRP data calculation. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the major trends in the Arctic labour market. Based on the results of the assessment, an increase in GRP was determined with the simultaneous decrease in the Arctic population. The current demographic situation in the Arctic regions in the context of gender factors was reviewed. It should be noted that the article contains exceptions and the causes of the phenomena described. The results of the research may contribute to better understanding of regional variation and trends in socio-economic development of the Arctic as well as the stabilisation of the Arctic population.