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Liver transplants (LTs) are prioritized by mortality risk, which is estimated by MELD scores. Since hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients present with lower MELD scores, they are allocated MELD exception points. Concerns persist that HCC recipients are over-prioritized, resulting in disproportionate waitlist mortality among non-HCC patients. We assessed whether the Median Meld at Transplant minus 3 (MMaT-3) scoring system would balance waitlist mortality and transplantation rates between HCC and non-HCC patients. We reviewed 266 patient charts listed for an LT from 2015 to 2023; 46.2% were listed in the MMaT-3 era. Amongst non-HCC patients, MMaT-3 implementation significantly increased 1-year transplant rate and reduced 1-year waitlist mortality among non-HCC patients (p = 0.003). Pre-MMaT-3 gaps in transplantation (p = 0.004) and waitlist dropout (p = 0.01) were eliminated post-implementation (p > 0.05). Amongst HCC patients, MMaT-3 implementation had no impact on the 1-year transplant rate (p = 0.92) or 1-year waitlist mortality (p = 0.66). Fine-gray proportional hazard multivariable analysis revealed that MMaT-3 significantly reduced waitlist mortality among non-HCC patients (asHR: 0.44, 95% CI [0.23, 0.83], p = 0.01) and limited impact on HCC patients (p = 0.31). MMaT-3 allocation did not significantly alter 2-year post-transplant survival for both populations. We show that the MMaT-3 system decreased the waitlist mortality of non-HCC patients with limited impacts on outcomes for HCC patients listed for an LT.

The development of methods to detect plant stress is not only a scientific challenge, but is also of great importance for agriculture and forestry. However, at present, stress diagnostics based on plant spectral characteristics has several limitations: (1) the high dependence of stress assessment on plant species identity; (2) the poor differentiation of different types of stress; and (3) the difficulty of detecting stress before visible symptoms appear. In this regard, the development of plant spectral metrics represents a significant area of research. Ficus elastica plants were exposed under the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) from 0 to 1200 μmol photons m−2s−1. Exposure of F. elastica leaves to excess light (EL) (≥400 μmol photons m−2s−1) resulted in an increase in reflectance in the yellow-green region (522–594 nm) and a decrease in reflectance in the red region (666–682 nm) of the spectrum, accompanied by a shift of the red edge point toward the longer wavelength. These changes were revealed using the previously proposed light stress index (LSI = mean(R666:682)/mean(R522:594)). Based on the results obtained, two new vegetation indices (VIs) were proposed: LSIRed = R674/R654 and LSINorm = (R674 − R654)/(R674 + R654), indicating light stress by changes in the red region of the spectrum. The results of the study showed that LSI, LSIRed, and LSINorm have a high degree of coupling strength with maximal quantum yields of photosystem II values. The plant response to EL exposure, as assessed by the values of these three VIs, was well expressed regardless of the PPFD levels. The effect of EL at non-stressful PPFDs (50–200 μmol photons m−2s−1) was found to disappear within one hour after cessation of exposure. In contrast, the effect of the stressful PPFD (800 μmol photons m−2s−1) was found to persist for at least 80 h after cessation of exposure. The results of the study indicate the need to consider light history in spectral monitoring of vegetation.

The terrestrial biota is a rich source of biologically active substances whose anti-biofilm potential is not studied enough. The aim of this review is to outline a variety of terrestrial sources of antimicrobial agents with the ability to inhibit different stages of biofilm development, expecting to give some ideas for their utilization in improved anti-biofilm treatments. It provides an update for the last 5 years on anti-biofilm plant products and derivatives, essential oils, antimicrobial peptides, biosurfactants, etc., that are promising candidates for providing novel alternative approaches to combating multidrug-resistant biofilm-associated infections. Based on the reduction in bacterial adhesion to material and cell surfaces, the anti-adhesion strategy appears interesting for the prevention of bacterial attachment in combating a broad range of mono- and multispecies bacterial biofilms. So far, few studies have been carried out in this direction. Anti-biofilm coatings made by or containing biologically active products from terrestrial biota have scarcely been studied although they are of significant interest for a reduction in infections associated with medical devices. Combination therapy with commercial antibiotics and natural products is accepted now as a promising base for future advances in anti-biofilm treatment. In vivo testing and clinical trials are necessary for clinical application.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) during liver transplantation has been implicated in the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This systematic review aimed to evaluate interventions to reduce IRI during liver transplantation for HCC and their impact on oncologic outcomes. A comprehensive literature search retrieved four retrospective studies involving 938 HCC patients, utilising interventions such as post-operative prostaglandin administration, hypothermic machine perfusion, and normothermic machine perfusion. Overall, treated patients exhibited reduced post-operative hepatocellular injury and inflammation and significantly enhanced recurrence-free survival. Despite these promising results, the impact of these interventions on overall survival remains unclear. This underscores the imperative for further prospective research to comprehensively understand the efficacy of these interventions in HCC patients undergoing transplantation. The findings highlight the potential benefits of these strategies while emphasising the need for continued investigation into their overall impact.

Recently, there have been numerous reports on the use of different fluorescent DNA stains for specific minor groove binding. The exploration of biological markers increases the safety of their use as diagnostic criteria. Single crystal analysis of DNA–ligand binding interactions is of essential importance to obtain the requirements for their usage in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Dyes that bind to DNA, such as Hoechst 33342 or 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), can be used not only for analytical use, but for medical purposes. DAPI and Hoechst 33342 are fluorescent dyes that bind to the minor groove of DNA, fluorescing brightly in the blue region with an emission maximum at approximately 461 nm when excited by ultraviolet light (~350 nm). This work focuses on the binding interactions of Hoechst 33342 with the specific DNA sequence d(CGTGAATTCACG)2. The structure of the complex was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction at a resolution of 1.9 Å in the space group P212121. The coordinates and structure factors are deposited in the RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB) under entry 9FT8. The structure is nearly isomorphous with that of previously reported crystal structures of the oligonucleotide d(CGTGAATTCACG)2 alone (PDB ID: 5JU4) and with that in complexes with DAPI (5T4W). The adjustments in crystal interactions between the native DNA molecule and the DNA–DAPI complex are described. Hoechst 33342 selectively binded to the tight minor groove close to the midpoint of the B-DNA segment, adjacent to the A–T base pairs. It interacted with DNA through hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. The structural comparison revealed that Hoechst 33342 inserts itself in the minor groove in a strongly specific manner, displacing the ordered spine waters.

Hyperspectral imaging techniques are widely used to remotely assess the vegetation and physiological condition of plants. Usually, such studies are carried out without taking into account the light history of the objects (for example, direct sunlight or light scattered by clouds), including light-stress conditions (photoinhibition). In addition, strong photoinhibitory lighting itself can cause stress. Until now, it is unknown how light history influences the physiologically meaningful spectral indices of reflected light. In the present work, shifts in the spectral reflectance characteristics of Ficus elastica leaves caused by 10 h exposure to photoinhibitory white LED light, 200 μmol photons m−2 s−1 (light stress), and moderate natural light, 50 μmol photons m−2 s−1 (shade) are compared to dark-adapted plants. Measurements were performed with a Cubert UHD-185 hyperspectral camera in discrete spectral bands centred on wavelengths from 450 to 950 nm with a 4 nm step. It was shown that light stress leads to an increase in reflection in the range of 522–594 nm and a decrease in reflection at 666–682 nm. The physiological causes of the observed spectral shifts are discussed. Based on empirical data, the light-stress index (LSI) = mean(R666:682)/mean(R552:594) was calculated and tested. The data obtained suggest the possibility of identifying plant light stress using spectral sensors that remotely fix passive reflection with the need to take light history into account when analysing hyperspectral data.

Conventional antibiotic and multidrug treatments are becoming less and less effective and the discovery of new effective and safe antibacterial agents is becoming a global priority. Returning to a natural antibacterial product is a relatively new current trend. Terrestrial biota is a rich source of biologically active substances whose antibacterial potential has not been fully utilized. The aim of this review is to present the current state-of-the-art terrestrial biota-derived antibacterial agents inspired by natural treatments. It summarizes the most important sources and newly identified or modified antibacterial agents and treatments from the last five years. It focuses on the significance of plant- animal- and bacteria-derived biologically active agents as powerful alternatives to antibiotics, as well as the advantages of utilizing natural antibacterial molecules alone or in combination with antibiotics. The main conclusion is that terrestrial biota-derived antibacterial products and substances open a variety of new ways for modern improved therapeutic strategies. New terrestrial sources of known antibacterial agents and new antibacterial agents from terrestrial biota were discovered during the last 5 years, which are under investigation together with some long-ago known but now experiencing their renaissance for the development of new medical treatments. The use of natural antibacterial peptides as well as combinational therapy by commercial antibiotics and natural products is outlined as the most promising method for treating bacterial infections. In vivo testing and clinical trials are necessary to reach clinical application.

Two series of polydentate N,O,S-ligands containing thiourea fragments attached to a p-cresol scaffold, unsymmetrical mono-acylated bis-amines and symmetrical bis-thioureas, are obtained by common experiments. It is observed that the reaction output is strongly dependent on both bis-amine and thiocarbamic chloride substituents. The products are characterized by 1D and 2D NMR spectra in solution and by single crystal XRD. A preliminary study on the coordination abilities of selected products is performed by ITC at around neutral media.

Background/Objective: To report a dramatic and immediate clinical and biochemical response during treatment with octreotide in a patient with a functioning mesenteric paraganglioma (PGL). Case Report: A 44-year-old woman was admitted with a severe hypertensive crisis and a blood pressure reaching 260/150 mm Hg. She was 2 months postpartum and had been previously diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Secondary hypertension was suspected. This was confirmed by finding a 6 × 5-cm2 retroperitoneal mass located using 68-Gallium DOTA–octreotate positron emission tomography/computed tomography and a grossly elevated plasma catecholamine level of 93 000 pmol/L (normal reference range: 650-2433 pmol/L). Treatment was immediately started with high doses of long- and short-acting octreotide. After 6 weeks and before surgery, the patient was normotensive, with a blood pressure of 120/70 mm Hg and a norepinephrine level of 6000 pmol/L. The tumor resection was uneventful, and histology confirmed the diagnosis. Following the surgery, the patient remained normotensive without any medications. Discussion: PGLs and pheochromocytomas are neuroendocrine tumors, and most have receptors for octreotide. This case and another patient previously reported responded dramatically to treatment with a high dose of octreotide. Earlier reports of patients failing to respond are likely to have been the result of using a smaller octreotide dose. Conclusion: We conclude that high doses of short- and long-acting octreotide are valuable in severely hypertensive patients. Our experience suggests that octreotide is of value in other patients with PGLs and pheochromocytomas. The response is rapid, sustained, effective, and with minimal reported side effects. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a hypertensive crisis in a functional mesenteric PGL.

H. Arendt developed largely her hermeneutical interpretation of understanding in line with the rethinking of I. Kant’s philosophical heritage. Although she was able to offer a rather original interpretation of the theoretical views of the great German philosopher, her hermeneutic strategy was also influenced by the approaches to their understanding that were proposed by her teachers M. Heidegger and K. Jaspers. Arendt’s hermeneutical teaching proceeds from the need to realize the close unity of practical action and spiritual activity of the human subject - Vita Activa and Vita Contemplativa. Accepting the initial position of Heidegger’s metaphysics of finiteness about the “abandonment” of man in the flow of time, Arendt simultaneously follows Jaspers’ call for the need for an existential-hermeneutic interpretation of practical action and the abilities of the spirit by their understanding on the basis of Kant’s legacy. Singling out thinking, will and judgement among the main vectors of self-realization of the spirit, she demonstrates their close relationship with the main types of practical human activity - work, work and action. Analyzing the abilities of the spirit, Arendt emphasizes the major role of thinking, which brings together the processes of knowledge acquisition and meaning creation. It highlights the primacy of the meaning-producing function of the reason in relation to the ability of the intellect to generate true knowledge on the basis of generalization of the data of contemplation. Describing thinking after Kant as a “thing in itself”, Arendt speaks of its involvement in eternity and time in the moment of the present, the ability to generalize the past and design the future. Thinking forms the core of practical reason, which Kant identified with the will, and opens a new horizon of meaning generation in its aspiration to the future. The ability to judge also turns out to be a product of thinking, referring to the past while relying on common sense and imagination. Arendt rightly argues that the “paralysis” of the faculty of judgement, indicating the significance of Kant’s categorical imperative, threatens not only to produce a distorted vision of history, but also the triumph of the “banality of evil” in the sphere of politics.

Ex vivo normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) preserves donor organs and permits real-time assessment of allograft health, but the most effective indicators of graft viability are uncertain. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), released consequent to traumatic cell injury and death, including the ischemia-reperfusion injury inherent in transplantation, may meet the need for a biomarker in this context. We describe a real time PCR-based approach to assess cell-free mtDNA during NMP as a universal biomarker of allograft quality. Measured in the perfusate fluid of 29 livers, the quantity of mtDNA correlated with metrics of donor liver health including International Normalized Ratio (INR), lactate, and warm ischemia time, and inversely correlated with inferior vena cava (IVC) flow during perfusion. Our findings endorse mtDNA as a simple and rapidly measured feature that can inform donor liver health, opening the possibility to better assess livers acquired from extended criteria donors to improve organ supply.

The relevance. Exploitation of technogenic placer deposits has been carried out for more than a hundred years. At the same time, the experience of developing such deposits is very ambiguous: a significant number of deposits are successfully exploited with profitability at the level of mining a whole field, and some only bring losses. At the same time, a number of specific features were identified, primarily related to the heterogeneity of the developed face, inherent in technogenic placers. Due to the fact that currently there is a depletion of the mineral resource base of placer gold mining, and the main reserve for its replenishment are man-made deposits, work on generalizing the experience of their operation is very relevant. The main aim: to analyze the structure and causes of the formation of technogenic placer deposits, as well as summarize the experience of their development. Objects: technoogenic placer deposits. Methods: analysis of literary sources, data of technical projects, as well as experience of enterprises engaged in the re-development of placers. Results. General assessment of the dynamics of the mineral resource base of placer deposits is given. The prospect of development of technogenic formations in placer deposits is substantiated and the factors contributing to this are indicated. According to the research of specialists and the experience of mining enterprises, an assessment of the losses of minerals and valuable components during the development of placers in various ways is given. The analysis of the structure of technogenic reserves is made taking into account the technology of primary placer development. The most promising technogenic formations for involvement in operation are given. Examples of positive and negative experience in the development of technogenic placers are presented. The reasons hindering the development of re-development of placer deposits are noted.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive diagnosis of diabetes is one of the major problems of contemporary medicine. The system being planned could be a new technology for measuring hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) accurately and non-invasively. Therefore, a series of studies are to be conducted to assess the efficiency of the method under study and determine its potential for medical diagnosis and monitoring of HbA1c. AIMS: Investigation of the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy for non-invasive measurement of HbA1c. Development and design of a portable analyzer using this technology. Assessment of the efficiency and accuracy of the developed device. METHODS: Neural network creation requires collecting a training sample of measurements for subsequent application of TensorFlow library tools and performing laboratory measurements to calibrate the system for determining HbA1c. The device will use a 785-nm laser to take spectra according to the Raman spectroscopy. The obtained data will be fed to the input of the neural network based on the architecture of convolutional neural networks. Experiments will be conducted to train the model to determine the accuracy and efficiency of the device. A two-step data collection procedure is planned. First, a preliminary test will be done on 50 patients to see how the proposed method handles different age and gender groups and different HbA1c levels. Later, the data will continue to be collected on a larger scale, including patients with different types of diabetes and healthy individuals. Data will be collected using a portable spectrophotometer and monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography. Various metrics will be used to assess the efficiency and accuracy of the device such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. RESULTS: An analysis of the available literature was conducted and the following conclusions were drawn. In addition, a neural network model was developed using HbA1c measurements. Currently, our model is optimized to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results. CONCLUSIONS: The non-invasive Raman spectroscopy-based method has several advantages in measuring HbA1c levels. The procedure is faster and non-traumatic, and HbA1c levels can be monitored continuously. In particular, the non-invasive method eliminates errors associated with protein leakage outside the bloodstream.

Among the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials, hydrophobicity is considered to play a key role in their impact on the environment. Changes in hydrophobicity resulting from abiotic and biotic processes can be used to predict the behaviours of nanoparticles (NPs) in the environment (e.g., aggregation, toxicity, and bioaccumulation). Hydrophobicity changes induced by sulfidation and natural organic matter (NOM) corona formation were evaluated by monitoring the binding rate of silver (Ag) NPs on engineered surfaces using dark-field microscopy (DFM). It was found that this DFM-based method was more capable of distinguishing the hydrophobicity of environmentally relevant AgNPs than the dye adsorption method. Under the conditions tested in this study, sulfidation and adsorption of sulfidized NOM/“lipid-free” (LF-)NOM increased the hydrophobicity of AgNPs. Both methods demonstrate the tendency of AgNPs to become more hydrophobic after sulfidation. This study shows that DFM-based methods can effectively measure the hydrophobicity of environmentally relevant NPs and have the potential to be widely used as fate predictors in the future.

Porous silicon is a promising nanomaterial for optoelectronics and sensorics, as it has a large specific surface area and is photoluminescent under visible light. The deposition of copper particles on the surface of porous silicon will greatly expand the range of applications of the resulting nanocomposites. Copper was chosen due to its low electrical resistivity and high resistance to electromigration compared to other metals. The purpose of this research was to study changes in the structure and composition of porous silicon after the chemical deposition of copper. Porous silicon was obtained by the anodisation of monocrystalline silicon wafers KEF (100) (electronic-grade phosphorus-doped silicon) with an electrical resistivity of 0.2 Ohm·cm. An HF solution in isopropyl alcohol with the addition of H2O2 solution was used to etch the silicon wafers. The porosity of the samples was about 70 %. The porous silicon samples were immersed in copper sulphate solution (CuSO4·5H2O) for 7 days. We used scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and ultrasoft X-ray emission spectroscopy to obtain data on the morphology and composition of the initial sample and the sample with deposited copper. The chemical deposition of copper on porous silicon showed a significant distortion of the pore shape as well as the formation of large cavities inside the porous layer. However, in the lower part the pore morphology remained the same as in the original sample. It was found that the chemical deposition of copper on porous silicon leads to copper penetrating into the porous layer, the formation of a composite structure, and it prevents the oxidation of the porous layer during storage. Thus, it was demonstrated that the chemical deposition of copper on a porous silicon surface leads to visible changes in the surface morphology and composition. Therefore, it should have a significant impact on the catalytic, electrical, and optical properties of the material

A study on the functionalisation of 2-mercapto-5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole has been conducted, yielding two series of products: 2-(ω-haloalkylthio)thiadiazoles and symmetrical bis-thiadiazoles, with variable chain lengths. The experimental conditions were optimised for each class of compounds by altering the base used and the reagents’ proportions, leading to the development of separate protocols tailored to their specific reactivity and purification needs. The target halogenide reagents and bis-thiadiazole ligands were obtained either as single products or as mixtures easily separable by chromatography. Characterisation of the products was performed using 1D and 2D NMR spectra in solution, complemented by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) for selected samples, to elucidate their structural properties.

Conifers are a common type of plant used in ornamental horticulture. The prompt diagnosis of the phenological state of coniferous plants using remote sensing is crucial for forecasting the consequences of extreme weather events. This is the first study to identify the “Vegetation” and “Dormancy” states in coniferous plants by analyzing their annual time series of spectral characteristics. The study analyzed Platycladus orientalis, Thuja occidentalis and T. plicata using time series values of 81 vegetation indices and 125 spectral bands. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to identify “Vegetation” and “Dormancy” states. The model contained three to four independent variables and achieved a high level of correctness (92.3 to 96.1%) and test accuracy (92.1 to 96.0%). The LDA model assigns the highest weight to vegetation indices that are sensitive to photosynthetic pigments, such as the photochemical reflectance index (PRI), normalized PRI (PRI_norm), the ratio of PRI to coloration index 2 (PRI/CI2), and derivative index 2 (D2). The random forest method also diagnoses the “Vegetation” and “Dormancy” states with high accuracy (97.3%). The vegetation indices chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI), PRI, PRI_norm and PRI/CI2 contribute the most to the mean decrease accuracy and mean decrease Gini. Diagnosing the phenological state of conifers throughout the annual cycle will allow for the effective planning of management measures in conifer plantations.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is one of the main causes of death in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Mortality from CS remains high, despite the introduction of myocardial revascularization and the use of modern medication. The use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is promising, it could reduce mortality in patients with AMI and CS. Aim. To define effectiveness and safety of MCS in patients with AMI and CS. Materials and methods. Our study includes 47 patients with AMI and refractory CS, who were treated at the University Clinic of Cardiology of the Yevdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry from 2019 to 2022. Mortality and various complications were analyzed in patients with refractory CS, patients who received and did not receive mechanical circulatory support (intra-aortic balloon pump IABP, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ECMO). Results. Mortality among patients with refractory CS was significantly lower in the subgroup of patients who received mechanical circulatory support devices (59% vs 93%; p=0.02). Moreover, reliability is achieved mainly due to patients in whom were VA-ECMO implanted (p=0.02), not IABP (p=0.16). Conclusion. VA-ECMO associated with reduced mortality and should be considered in patients with AMI and refractory CS. Further research is needed to select the optimal method of mechanical circulatory support in patients with CS.

Text complexity assessment is a challenging task requiring various linguistic aspects to be taken into consideration. The complexity level of the text should correspond to the reader’s competence. A too complicated text could be incomprehensible, whereas a too simple one could be boring. For many years, simple features were used to assess readability, e.g. average length of words and sentences or vocabulary variety. Thanks to the development of natural language processing methods, the set of text parameters used for evaluating readability has expanded significantly. In recent years, many articles have been published the authors of which investigated the contribution of various lexical, morphological, and syntactic features to the readability level. Nevertheless, as the methods and corpora are quite diverse, it may be hard to draw general conclusions as to the effectiveness of linguistic information for evaluating text complexity due to the diversity of methods and corpora. Moreover, a cross-lingual impact of different features on various datasets has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to conduct a large-scale comparison of features of different nature. We experimentally assessed seven commonly used feature types (readability, traditional features, morphological features, punctuation, syntax frequency, and topic modeling) on six corpora for text complexity assessment in English and Russian employing four common machine learning models: logistic regression, random forest, convolutional neural network and feedforward neural network. One of the corpora, the corpus of fiction literature read by Russian school students, was constructed for the experiment using a large-scale survey to ensure the objectivity of the labeling. We showed which feature types can significantly improve the performance and analyzed their impact according to the dataset characteristics, language, and data source.

The article is focused on the project of a new vision of history by Z.B. Simon, who proposed his own strategy for creating a "critical ontology" of the historical process and the epistemology of comprehending the past associated with it in the light of the radical challenges of the scientific-technological development. It reveals that the works of this author can be considered as a response to the crisis of substantialist theories of historical development and the situation of the overwhelming dominance of the narrativist attitude in the approach to the study of the past today. Reflecting in a meta-critical way on the importance of the emergence of a new type of "quasi-substantial" ontology of history that should reject the "evolutionist" paradigm and the idea of the movement of humanity as a single subject towards a teleologically predetermined goal of social development, Simon outlines the contours of this kind of "radical break" with the past and its pluralistic understanding in the light of the future. Unprecedented breakthroughs of scientific knowledge can, in his understanding, give rise to many new subjects of history, who, in their aspiration to the future, should also offer radically different horizons of the past interpretation. In this perspective, Simon considers it possible to revive the role of the universalist vision of the past on the basis of its various critically justified reconstructions. In the works of this author, an attempt to justify the importance of creating a "critical ontology" of history within the boundaries of the analysis of knowing the past, characteristic of the contemporary stage of the evolution of Western thought, is clearly revealed. His new epistemology of history, emphasizing the role of "insight" inspired by individual and collective "sublime" historical experience, can be interpreted as an attempt to synthesize the views of A. Badiou with a narrativist platform combining the strategies of hermeneutics and analytical philosophy of history.

Liver transplantation is a well-established treatment for many with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, the increasing organ demand has surpassed the donor supply, and approximately 30% of patients die while waiting for a suitable liver. Clinicians are often forced to consider livers of inferior quality to increase organ donation rates, but ultimately, many of those organs end up being discarded. Extensive testing in experimental animals and humans has shown that ex-vivo machine preservation allows for a more objective characterization of the graft outside the body, with particular benefit for suboptimal organs. This review focuses on the history of the implementation of ex-vivo liver machine preservation and how its enactment may modify our current concept of organ acceptability. We provide a brief overview of the major drivers of organ discard (age, ischemia time, steatosis, etc.) and how this technology may ultimately revert such a trend. We also discuss future directions for this technology, including the identification of new markers of injury and repair and the opportunity for other ex-vivo regenerative therapies. Finally, we discuss the value of this technology, considering current and future donor characteristics in the North American population that may result in a significant organ discard.

Solving the problem of global climate change requires an integrated approach, including the use of the phytochorological method. Remote sensing is the best option for monitoring changes in the boundaries of plant ranges. However, the problem of species identification based on RS data has not yet been solved. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the possibility of using vegetation indices (VIs) calculated from the data of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) of crowns of woody plants to determine their species. The objects of the study were samples of the species Populus tremula L., P. alba L., P. simonii Carriere. The survey was carried out with a Cubert UHD-185 hyperspectral camera in five periods with an interval of 7–10 days. 80 VIs were calculated. Sample sets were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Principal component analysis (PCA), Decision Tree (DT) and Random Forest (RF) methods. The PCA and RF methods consistently distinguish all three species from each other throughout all five periods of the experiment. The most informative VIs are: Double Peak Index (DPI), Derivative index 1 (D1), Datt index 3 (Datt3) and Vogelmann index (Vogelmann).

In this study, three series of polydentate N,O-ligands possessing unsymmetrical urea fragments attached to a p-cresol scaffold are obtained, namely mono- and bi-substituted open-chain aromatics, synthesised using a common experiment, as well as fused aryloxazinones. Separate protocols for the preparation of each series are developed. It is found that in the case of open-chain compounds, the reaction output is strongly dependent on both bis-amine and carbamoyl chloride substituents, while oxazinones can be effectively obtained via a common protocol. The products are characterized via 1D and 2D NMR spectra in solution and using single-crystal XRD. A preliminary study on the coordination abilities of the products performed via ITC shows that there are no substantial interactions in the pH range of 5.0–8.5 in general.

Efficient CO2 capture materials must possess a high adsorption capacity, suitable CO2 adsorption enthalpy and resistance to water vapor. We have recently reported that Ca2+ cations exchanged in FAU zeolite can attach up to three CO2 molecules. Here we report the effect of water on the adsorption of CO2. Formation of Ca2+(H2O)(CO2), Ca2+(H2O)(CO2)2 and Ca2+(H2O)2(CO2) mixed ligand complexes were established. The Ca2+(H2O)(CO2) species are readily formed even at ambient temperature and are characterized by ν(12CO2) and ν(13CO2) infrared bands at 2358 and 2293 cm−1, respectively. The Ca2+(H2O)(CO2)2 species are produced at low temperature and are identified by a ν(13CO2) band at 2291 cm−1. In the presence of large amounts of water, Ca2+(H2O)2(CO2) complexes were also evidenced by ν(12CO2) and ν(13CO2) bands at 2348 and 2283 cm−1, respectively. The results demonstrate that, although it has a negative effect on CO2 adsorption uptake, water in moderate amounts does not block CO2 adsorption sites.

The aim of this work was the formation of multilayer structures of macroporous silicon and the study of their structural, morphological, and optical properties in comparison with the properties of multilayer structures of mesoporous silicon. The paper presents the results of the development of techniques for the formation of multilayer structures of porous silicon por-Si by stepwise change in the current with two-stage modes of electrochemical etching. The data on the morphology, composition, and porosity of macroporous and mesoporous silicon samples were obtained using scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray reflectivity. It was shown that with the two-stage growth of porous silicon layers, the depth of the boundary between the layers of the structure was determined by the primary mode of electrochemical etching, while the total layer thickness increased with an increase in the current density of electrochemical etching. A comparative analysis of the relative intensity and fine structure of vibrational modes of IR spectra indicated a significantly more developed specific pore surface and greater sorption capacity of mesoporous silicon as compared to macroporous silicon.

Micropropagation is an effective way to preserve the gene pool of threatened plants. This study is devoted to the mathematical modeling of nutrient media and the study of the effect of mT (meta-topoline) on the multiplication of shoots of Hedysarum grandiflorum, Hyssopus cretaceus, and Matthiola fragrans in vitro in comparison with benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KT). Initiation was performed on an MS medium with 0.5 mg/L BAP. For shoots multiplication, MS, B5, and WPM media were used with the addition of mT, BAP, KT. For H. grandiflorum, the multiplication coefficient of shoots was highest on medium B5 with the addition of mT at a concentration of 1 mg/L—2.90 shoots per plant, for H. cretaceus—B5 + 0.5 mg/L mT, and for M. fragrans—B5 + 1 mg/L KT. A positive effect of mT on H. grandiflorum and M. fragrans in vitro was found. The efficiency of using KT for H. cretaceus shoot multiplication is shown. The effectiveness of the B5 nutrient medium for H. grandiflorum and M. fragrans was determined. The positive effect of WPM for H. cretaceus micropropagation has been demonstrated. It is not recommended to use the MS media for micropropagation of these plant species.

The paper considers the new effects of the nanoscale state of matter, which open up prospects for the development of electronic devices using new physical principles. The contacts of chemically homogeneous nanoparticles of yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide (ZrO2—x mol% Y2O3, x = 0, 3, 4, 8; YSZ) with different sizes of 7.5 nm and 9 nm; 7.5 nm and 11 nm; and 7.5 nm and 14 nm, respectively, was studied on direct current using nanostructured objects in the form of compacts obtained by high-hydrostatic pressure (HP-compacts of 300MPa). A unique size effect of the nonlinear (rectifying-type contact) dependence of the electrical properties (in the region U < 2.5 V, I ≤ 2.7 mA) of the contact of different-sized YSZ nanoparticles of the same chemical composition is revealed, which indicates the possibility of creating semiconductor structures of a new type (homogeneous electronics). The electronic structure of the near-surface regions of nanoparticles of studied oxide materials and the possibility of obtaining specifically rectifying properties of the contacts were studied theoretically. Models of surface states of the Tamm-type are constructed considering the Coulomb long-range action. The discovered energy variance and its dependence on the curvature of the surface of nanoparticles made it possible to study the conditions for the formation of a contact potential difference in cases of nanoparticles of the same radius (synergistic effect), different radii (doped and undoped variants), as well as to discover the possibility of describing a group of powder particles within the Anderson model. The determined effect makes it possible to solve the problem of diffusion instability of semiconductor heterojunctions and opens up prospects for creating electronic devices with a fundamentally new level of properties for use in various fields of the economy and breakthrough critical technologies.

Understanding DNA–ligand binding interactions requires ligand screening, crystallization, and structure determination. In order to obtain insights into the amyloid peptide precursor (APP) gene–Thioflavin T (ThT) interaction, single crystals of two DNA sequences 5′-GCCCACCACGGC-3′ (PDB 8ASK) and d(CCGGGGTACCCCGG)2 (PDB 8ASH) were grown in the presence of ThT or its analogue 2-((4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene)amino)-3,6-dimethylbenzo[d]thiazol-3-ium iodide (XRB). Both structures were solved by molecular replacement. In the case of 8ASK, the space group was H3 with unit cell dimensions of a = b = 64.49 Å, c = 46.19 Å. Phases were obtained using a model generated by X3DNA. The novel 12-base-pair B-DNA structure did not have extra density for the ThT ligand. The 14-base-pair A-DNA structure with bound ThT analog XRB was isomorphous with previously the obtained apo-DNA structure 5WV7 (space group was P41212 with unit cell dimensions a = b = 41.76 Å, c = 88.96 Å). Binding of XRB to DNA slightly changes the DNA’s buckle parameters at the CpG regions. Comparison of the two conformations of the XRB molecule: alone and bound to DNA indicates that the binding results from the freedom of rotation of the two aromatic rings.

Abstract The double-trace from UV to IR flow subtraction of infinities used earlier for the UV-convergent calculations of the Witten tadpole diagrams being applied to the bubble self-energy diagrams gives for them the amazingly simple expressions in case of the four- dimensional boundary space. For every N = 1 … 4 in the O(N) symmetric scalar fields model with the conformal Hubbard-Stratonovich field there are three roots of the “old” conformal bootstrap spectral equations that obey unitarity bound demand.

Purpose. In this study, some features of the formation of the multilayer structures in porous silicon were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray emission spectroscopy. Methods and tesniques. Method of electrochemical etching in hydrofl uoric acid solutions was used for the synthesis of substrates. Multi-layered structures were formed by the change of the current density during electrochemical etching (ECE). The morphology of the samples was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Phase composition of the samples at the different depth of analysis was investigated by ultrasoft X-ray emission spectroscopy (USXES). Computer simulation of the obtained emission spectra was performed using the spectra of references phases. Results. Multi-layered structures of porous silicon were obtained by the electrochemical etching technique at the step change of the current density in the ECE process. Using the SEM technique, pore sizes and the thickness of the formed porous silicon layers were determined. Analysis of the samples by USXES technique with the following computer simulation enabled an understanding of the regularities in the change of the phase composition for the samples of multi-layered por-Si structures of their formation regimes. Conclusion. Features of formation of the multi-layered por-Si structures at the step changes of the current density in ECE process were established. The morphology and phase composition of the porous layer for both single-layer and multilayer structures differed from the surface to the volume and depended on the regime of formation. This fi nding must be taken into account when creating functional electronics based on por-Si multilayers.

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of using hyperspectral imaging data to identify the invasive and weed species in agrocenoses ecosystem. The most common weeds in grain agrocenoses, i.e., Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Euphorbia seguieriana Neck., Atriplex tatarica L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. and Schult, served as objects. The population of weeds, especially Ambrosia artemisiifolia is invasive for the selected region of study. Therefore, the shooting of objects was carried out with a hyperspectral camera, Cubert UHD185, and the values of 100 spectral channels were obtained from hyperspectral images. The values of 80 vegetation indices (VIs) were calculated. The material was processed using mathematical statistics (analysis of variance, t-test) and search methods of data analysis (principal component analysis, decision tree, and random forest). Using statistical methods, the simultaneous use of several VIs differentiated between species more deliberately and precisely. The combination of VIs Derivative index (D1), Chlorophyll content index (Datt3), and Pigment specific normalized difference (PSND) can be used for weeds identification. Using the decision tree method, VIs established a good division of weeds into groups; (1) perennial rhizomatous weeds (Euphorbia seguieriana, and Glycyrrhiza glabra), and (2) annual weeds (A. artemisiifolia, A. tatarica, and S. pumila); These Vis are Chlorophyll index (CI), D1, and Datt3. Using the random forest method, the VIs that have the greatest impact on Mean Decrease Accuracy and Mean Decrease Gini are D1, Datt3, PSND, and Double Peak Index (DPI). The use of spectral channel values for the identification of plant species using the principal component analysis, decision tree, and random forest methods showed worse results than when using VIs. A great similarity of the results was obtained with the help of statistical and search methods of data analysis.

The dimensional effect of electric charge storage with a density of up to 270 μF/g by the hydrated ZrO2-nanoparticles system was determined. It was found that the place of localization of different charge carriers is the generalized heterophase boundary-nanoparticles surface. The supposed mechanism of the effect was investigated using the theory of dispersed systems, the band theory, and the theory of contact phenomena in semiconductors, which consists of the formation of localized electronic states in the nanoparticle material due to donor–acceptor interaction with the adsorption ionic atmosphere. The effect is relevant for modern nanoelectronics, microsystem technology, and printed electronics because it allows overcoming the basic physical restrictions on the size, temperature, and operation frequency of the device, caused by leakage currents.

Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PR-AMPs) having a potent antimicrobial activity predominantly toward Gram-negative bacteria and negligible toxicity toward host cells, are attracting attention as new templates for developing antibiotic drugs. We have previously isolated and characterized several bactenecins that are promising in this respect, from the leukocytes of the domestic goat Capra hircus: ChBac5, miniChBac7.5N-α, and -β, as well as ChBac3.4. Unlike the others, ChBac3.4 shows a somewhat unusual pattern of activities for a mammalian PR-AMP: it is more active against bacterial membranes as well as tumor and, to the lesser extent, normal cells. Here we describe a SAR study of ChBac3.4 (RFRLPFRRPPIRIHPPPFYPPFRRFL-NH2) which elucidates its peculiarities and evaluates its potential as a lead for antimicrobial or anticancer drugs based on this peptide. A set of designed structural analogues of ChBac3.4 was explored for antibacterial activity toward drug-resistant clinical isolates and antitumor properties. The N-terminal region was found to be important for the antimicrobial action, but not responsible for the toxicity toward mammalian cells. A shortened variant with the best selectivity index toward bacteria demonstrated a pronounced synergy in combination with antibiotics against Gram-negative strains, albeit with a somewhat reduced ability to inhibit biofilm formation compared to native peptide. C-terminal amidation was examined for some analogues, which did not affect antimicrobial activity, but somewhat altered the cytotoxicity toward host cells. Interestingly, non-amidated peptides showed a slight delay in their impact on bacterial membrane integrity. Peptides with enhanced hydrophobicity showed increased toxicity, but in most cases their selectivity toward tumor cells also improved. While most analogues lacked hemolytic properties, a ChBac3.4 variant with two additional tryptophan residues demonstrated an appreciable activity toward human erythrocytes. The variant demonstrating the best tumor/nontumor cell selectivity was found to more actively initiate apoptosis in target cells, though its action was slower than that of the native ChBac3.4. Its antitumor effectiveness was successfully verified in vivo in a murine Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of structural modification to manage caprine bactenecins’ selectivity and activity spectrum and confirm that they are promising prototypes for antimicrobial and anticancer drugs design.

Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) is an established model for studying retroviral infections, in particular the infection by the human T-cell leukemia type 1 (HTLV-1) virus. Here, we quantified gene expression of several BLV-related genes: effector protein of T and NK-killer cells NK-lysin (Nklys), reverse BLV transcriptase pol, BLV receptor (blvr), and also key enzymes of the microRNA maturation, Dicer (dc1) and Argonaut (ago2). The differences in the expression of the above genes were compared between five groups: (1) BLV infected cows with high and (2) low lymphocyte count, (3) with and (4) without BLV microRNA expressions, and (5) cows without BLV infections (control group). As compared to control, infected cows with high lymphocyte count and BLV microRNA expression had significantly decreased Nklys gene expression and increased dc1 and ago2 gene expressions. Few infected animals without pol gene expression nevertheless transcribed BLV microRNA, while others with pol gene expression didn't transcribe BLV microRNA. Notably, Pol expression significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with dc1 expression. For infected animals, there were no direct correlations between the number of leukocytes and pol, Nklys, and BLV microRNA gene expressions. Blvr gene expression is typical for juvenile lymphocytes and decreases during terminal differentiation. Our data suggest that BLV infects primarily juvenile lymphocytes, which further divide into two groups. One group expresses BLV DNA and another one expressed BLV microRNA that decreases host immune response against cells, expressing BLV proteins. It is suspected that regulatory microRNAs play a significant role in the bovine leukemia infections, yet the precise mechanisms and targets of the microRNAs remain poorly defined. Vaccines that are currently in use have a low response rate. Understanding of microRNA regulatory mechanisms and targets would allow to develop more effective vaccines for retroviral infections.

Abstract Familial lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency (FLD) is a rare genetic disease characterized by low HDL‐C levels, low plasma cholesterol esterification, and the formation of Lipoprotein‐X (Lp‐X), an abnormal cholesterol‐rich lipoprotein particle. LCAT deficiency causes corneal opacities, normochromic normocytic anemia, and progressive renal disease due to Lp‐X deposition in the glomeruli. Recombinant LCAT is being investigated as a potential therapy for this disorder. Several hepatic disorders, namely primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, cholestatic liver disease, and chronic alcoholism also develop Lp‐X, which may contribute to the complications of these disorders. We aimed to test the hypothesis that an increase in plasma LCAT could prevent the formation of Lp‐X in other diseases besides FLD. We generated a murine model of intrahepatic cholestasis in LCAT‐deficient (KO), wild type (WT), and LCAT‐transgenic (Tg) mice by gavaging mice with alpha‐naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT), a drug well known to induce intrahepatic cholestasis. Three days after the treatment, all mice developed hyperbilirubinemia and elevated liver function markers (ALT, AST, Alkaline Phosphatase). The presence of high levels of LCAT in the LCAT‐Tg mice, however, prevented the formation of Lp‐X and other plasma lipid abnormalities in WT and LCAT‐KO mice. In addition, we demonstrated that multiple injections of recombinant human LCAT can prevent significant accumulation of Lp‐X after ANIT treatment in WT mice. In summary, LCAT can protect against the formation of Lp‐X in a murine model of cholestasis and thus recombinant LCAT could be a potential therapy to prevent the formation of Lp‐X in other diseases besides FLD.

With the use of scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction the morphology, composition and structure evolution of a-Si/ZrO2 and a-SiOx/ZrO2 multilayered nanoperiodical structures subjected to high temperature annealing were investigated. Each ZrO2 layers thickness was 2 nm while for a-Si or a-SiOx layers thickness was 8 nm with total number of layers 34 (a-SiO/ZrO2) and 43 (a-SiOx/ZrO2). Annealing was performed for 30 minutes at temperature of 1100 °С. Multilayered nanoperiodical structures have grainy relief with comparable morphology and size characteristics without noticeable dependence on layers interleaving sequence and their composition. 30 minutes anneal at 1100 °С for a-SiOx/ZrO2 multilayered nanoperiodical structures did not transform their surface. Under the same temperature for a-Si/ZrO2 multilayered nanoperiodical structures we observed noticeable changes in samples surface morphology as irregularities formation with 100 nm width and height that exceeds bilayer thickness. By X-ray diffraction technique the presence of thin ZrSi2 silicide layer is demonstrated in a-Si/ZrO2 structures as the result of silicon chemical interaction with zirconium dioxide under high temperature treatment of nanoperiodical multilayers.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyzes triglycerides to supply free fatty acids (FFAs) to muscle for energy and adipocytes for storage. Here, the authors demonstrate that Lpl and its product, the FFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are required for haematopoietic stem progenitor cell expansion during zebrafish embryogenesis.

Abstract. The narrow band gap lead chalcogenide semiconductors and related solid solutions are capable to detect effectively an infrared (IR) radiation in the wavelength range 3–25 μm. Due to the unique combination of the optimal dielectric permittivity, Seebeck coeffi cient, and high thermal conductivity, lead telluride is promising material for manufacturing of high-performance intermediate-temperature thermoelectric devices. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray analysis (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) the quantitative elemental composition, phase nature, surface morphology, and average surface roughness of homogeneous lead telluride fi lms synthesized by modifi ed «hot wall» technique on Si (100) substrates have been studied. The XRD patterns have shown that at condition of high condensation process rate, which was realized at substrate temperatures below T = 573 K and corresponded to the maximum deviation from the thermodynamic equilibrium, polycrystalline PdTe fi lms on Si (100) substrates were synthesized only. The increase in temperature Si (100) substrate to T = 593-613 K has led to fabrication of mosaic single-crystal PdTe fi lms with (100) texture. By SEM and AFM methods it has been found that under constant values of lead and tellurium vapour pressure synthesis an increase in the Si substrate temperature led to increase in crystallite average lateral dimension of PbTe fi lm on Si (100) substrates. By AFM method it has established the tendency of the average surface roughness value increasing with average thickness for both polycrystalline and mosaic single crystal PbTe/Si (100) fi lms. At the same average thickness values polycrystalline PbTe/Si (100) fi lms are characterized by higher surface roughness compared to mosaic single-crystal PbTe (100) samples. It is suggested that of average surface roughness-to-fi lm thickness ratio it can be used as a criterion of evaluation of surface contribution to functional properties of PbTe fi lms. It has been shown that with optimum values of average roughness-to-thickness ratio mosaic single-crystal PdTe (100) fi lms with thickness over 1.2 μm are characterized.

A new method for the synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives was developed using aza-Michael addition. The target compounds were synthesized in good yields and purity and tested on isolated hepatocytes for their toxicity and antioxidant activity. The antioxidant properties of the substances with lowest toxicity were evaluated using oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tert-BOOH). Some of them as methyl 3-[3-(3-methoxy-3-oxopropyl)-5-benzoyl-2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl]propanoate 10 and 1,3-bis[3-(hydrazinooxy)-3-oxopropyl]-5-benzoyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzimidazole-2-thione 15 exhibited statistically significant cytoprotective and antioxidant effects which were similar to those of quercetin. In order to estimate the influence of the structure on the biological properties, structural characterization of the studied compounds was performed by X-ray diffraction analysis and DFT methods. On the basis of the calculated reaction enthalpies of hydrogen atom abstraction (HAT mechanism) and single-electron transfer (SET mechanism) the mechanisms of the antioxidant action of the tested compounds were studied. Subsequently it was established that the HAT mechanism governs the radical scavenging of 10 and 15 in the lipid phase, while the SET mechanism is preferred in water medium for 10 and competitive to HAT for 15.

Here, we describe the synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of a series of 26 new styryl-2(3H)-benzothiazolone analogs of combretastatin-A4 (CA-4). The cytotoxic activities of these compounds were tested in several cell lines (EA.hy926, A549, BEAS-2B, MDA-MB-231, HT-29, MCF-7, and MCF-10A), and the relations between structure and cytotoxicity are discussed. From the series, compound (Z)-3-methyl-6-(3,4,5-trimethoxystyryl)-2(3H)-benzothiazolone (26Z) exhibits the most potent cytotoxic activity (IC50 0.13 ± 0.01 µM) against EA.hy926 cells. 26Z not only inhibits vasculogenesis but also disrupts pre-existing vasculature. 26Z is a microtubule-modulating agent and inhibits a spectrum of angiogenic events in EA.hy926 cells by interfering with endothelial cell invasion, migration, and proliferation. 26Z also shows anti-proliferative activity in CA-4 resistant cells with the following IC50 values: HT-29 (0.008 ± 0.001 µM), MDA-MB-231 (1.35 ± 0.42 µM), and MCF-7 (2.42 ± 0.48 µM). Cell-cycle phase-specific experiments show that 26Z treatment results in G2/M arrest and mitotic spindle multipolarity, suggesting that drug-induced centrosome amplification could promote cell death. Some 26Z-treated adherent cells undergo aberrant cytokinesis, resulting in aneuploidy that perhaps contributes to drug-induced cell death. These data indicate that spindle multipolarity induction by 26Z has an exciting chemotherapeutic potential that merits further investigation.

The fundamental problems of the modern state of the studies of organic–inorganic organo-halide perovskites (OHP) as basis for high efficiency thin film solar cells are discussed. Perovskite varieties and background properties are introduced. The chronology of development of the studies in this direction has been presented – structural aspects of these OHP perovskites, from early 2D to recent 3D MAPbI3 perovskites and important technological aspects of smooth thin film structure creation by various techniques, such as solvent engineering, spin- and dip - coating, vacuum deposition, cation exchange approach, nanoimprinting (particularly, a many-sided role of polymers). The most important theoretical problems such as electronic structure of lattice, impurity and defect states in pure and mixed perovskites, suppressed electron-hole recombination, extra-long lifetimes, and diffusion lengths are analyzed. Degradation effects associated with moisture and photo irradiation, as well as degradation of metallic electrodes to OHP solar cells have been considered. The application of carbon nanostructures: carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene as stable semitransparent charge collectors to OHP perovskites is demonstrated on the example of original results of authors.

In general, for chemical reactions occurring in systems, where fluctuations are not negligibly small, it is necessary to introduce a master equation for distribution of probability of fluctuations. It has been established that the monomolecular reactions of a type as A ↔ X are described by the master equation, which leads to a Poisson distribution with the variance equal to the average value N0. However, the consideration of the Löwdin mechanism as autocatalytic non-linear chemical reactions such as A + X ↔ 2X and the corresponding master equation lead to a non-Poissonian probability distribution of fluctuations. In the presented work, first-order autocatalysis has been applied to the Löwdin's mechanism of spontaneous mutations in DNA. Describing double proton transfers between complimentary nucleotide bases along the chain by first-order autocatalytic reactions, the corresponding master equation for protons in tautomeric states becomes non-linear, and at non-equilibrium conditions this leads to the non-Poissonian distribution of spontaneous mutations in DNA. It is also suggested that the accumulation of large fluctuations of successive cooperative concerted protons along the chain may produce higher non-linearities which could have a significant impact on some biochemical processes, occurring in DNA.

A direct conversion of piperazinyl ethanols into chlorides via a classical O-tosylation protocol is observed. The acceleration of the transformation by the piperazine unit is demonstrated. It is found that the reaction goes via the corresponding O-tosylate, which converts spontaneously into chloride with different rate depending on the substrate structure. In the case of pirlindole derivative, partially aromatized chloride formation was observed upon prolongation and/or increased excess of tosyl chloride.

The idea of popularity/abundance of chemical compounds is widely used in non-target chemical analysis involving environmental studies. To have a clear quantitative basis for this idea, frequency distributions of chemical compounds over indicators of their popularity/abundance are obtained and discussed. Popularity indicators are the number of information sources, the number of chemical vendors, counts of data records, and other variables assessed from two large databases, namely ChemSpider and PubChem. Distributions are approximated by power functions, special cases of Zipf distributions, which are characteristic of the results of human/social activity. Relatively small group of the most popular compounds has been denoted, conventionally accounting for a few percent (several million) of compounds. These compounds are most often explored in scientific research and are practically used. Accordingly, popular compounds have been taken into account as first analyte candidates for identification in non-target analysis.

Porous silicon (por-Si) has a unique combination of physicochemical parameters: well-developed surface and hence high sorption. Depending on technology it is possible to form nanometer size pores and clusters in porous silicon which makes this material promising for developments in the field of optoelectronics and sensors. However the high surface activity makes por-Si unstable when exposed to atmosphere. In this work we have studied the effect of por-Si surface treatment in a polyacrylic acid water solution on the composition and photoluminescence (PL) of the material. Por-Si was produced from two fluoric acid solutions. One was a standard solution of fluoric acid, isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, and the other was a mixture of fluoric acid and dimethylformamide. We have shown that depending on por-Si technology, its treatment in polyacrylic acid solution allows increasing and stabilizing por-Si PL or changing PL band position and significantly increasing its integral intensity.

BACKGROUND:Resistant starch is a prebiotic metabolized by the gut bacteria. It has been shown to attenuate chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in rats. Previous studies employed taxonomic analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics profiling. Here we expand these studies by metaproteomics, gaining new insight into the host-microbiome interaction. METHODS:Differences between cecum contents in CKD rats fed a diet containing resistant starch with those fed a diet containing digestible starch were examined by comparative metaproteomics analysis. Taxonomic information was obtained using unique protein sequences. Our methodology results in quantitative data covering both host and bacterial proteins. RESULTS:5,834 proteins were quantified, with 947 proteins originating from the host organism. Taxonomic information derived from metaproteomics data surpassed previous 16S RNA analysis, and reached species resolutions for moderately abundant taxonomic groups. In particular, the Ruminococcaceae family becomes well resolved-with butyrate producers and amylolytic species such as R. bromii clearly visible and significantly higher while fibrolytic species such as R. flavefaciens are significantly lower with resistant starch feeding. The observed changes in protein patterns are consistent with fiber-associated improvement in CKD phenotype. Several known host CKD-associated proteins and biomarkers of impaired kidney function were significantly reduced with resistant starch supplementation. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008845. CONCLUSIONS:Metaproteomics analysis of cecum contents of CKD rats with and without resistant starch supplementation reveals changes within gut microbiota at unprecedented resolution, providing both functional and taxonomic information. Proteins and organisms differentially abundant with RS supplementation point toward a shift from mucin degraders to butyrate producers.