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Environmental heterogeneity shapes the patterns of resources and limiting factors and therefore can be an important driver of plant community composition through the selection of the most adaptive functional traits. In this study, we explored plant trait-environment relationships in environmentally heterogeneous microsite complexes at the meso-scale (few meters), and used ancient Bulgarian and Hungarian burial mounds covered by dry grasslands as a model habitat. We assessed within-site trait variability typical of certain microsites with different combinations of environmental parameters (mound slopes with different aspects, mound tops, and surrounding plain grasslands) using a dataset of 480 vegetation plots. For this we calculated community-weighted means (CWMs) and abundance models. We found that despite their small size, the vegetation on mounds was characterized by different sets of functional traits (higher canopy, higher level of clonality, and heavier seeds) compared to the plain grasslands. North-facing slopes with mild environmental conditions were characterized by perennial species with light seeds, short flowering period, and a high proportion of dwarf shrubs sharply contrasted from the plain grasslands and from the south-facing slopes and mound tops with harsh environmental conditions. Patterns predicted by CWMs and abundance models differed in the case of certain traits (perenniality, canopy height, and leaf dry matter content), suggesting that environmental factors do not necessarily affect trait optima directly, but influence them indirectly through correlating traits. Due to the large relative differences in environmental parameters, contrasts in trait composition among microsites were mostly consistent and independent from the macroclimate. Mounds with high environmental heterogeneity can considerably increase variability in plant functional traits and ecological strategies at the site and landscape levels. The large trait variation on topographically heterogeneous landscape features can increase community resilience against climate change or stochastic disturbances, which underlines their conservation importance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To enhance our understanding of forest carbon sequestration, climate change mitigation and drought impact on forest ecosystems, the availability of high-resolution annual forest growth maps based on tree-ring width (TRW) would provide a significant advancement to the field. Site-specific characteristics, which can be approximated by high-resolution Earth observation by satellites (EOS), emerge as crucial drivers of forest growth, influencing how climate translates into tree growth. EOS provides information on surface reflectance related to forest characteristics and thus can potentially improve the accuracy of forest growth models based on TRW. Through the modelling of TRW using EOS, climate and topography data, we showed that species-specific models can explain up to 52 % of model variance (Quercus petraea), while combining different species results in relatively poor model performance (R 2  = 13 %). The integration of EOS into models based solely on climate and elevation data improved the explained variance by 6 % on average. Leveraging these insights, we successfully generated a map of annual TRW for the year 2021. We employed the area of applicability (AOA) approach to delineate the range in which our models are deemed valid. The calculated AOA for the established forest-type models was 73 % of the study region, indicating robust spatial applicability. Notably, unreliable predictions predominantly occurred in the climate margins of our dataset. In conclusion, our large-scale assessment underscores the efficacy of combining climate, EOS and topographic data to develop robust models for mapping annual TRW. This research not only fills a critical void in the current understanding of forest growth dynamics but also highlights the potential of integrated data sources for comprehensive ecosystem assessments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Over the years, the Black Sea has been impacted by the issue of marine litter, which poses ecological and health threats. A mid-term monitoring program initiated in 2018 assessed the abundance, density, and composition of beach litter (BL) on 40 frequently visited beaches. From 2018 to 2022, there was a significant increase in average abundance, rising by 261 %. Artificial polymer materials accounted for the majority (84 %) of the litter. Land-based sources dominated 77 % of the litter. The Clean Coast Index (CCI) categorized the beaches as "moderate" with an average value of 8.9 for the period between 2018 and 2022. However, the years 2021 and 2022, during the COVID-19 epidemic, were identified as the "dirtiest period" with 11 beaches classified as "extremely dirty" due to high domestic tourist pressure. The study demonstrates a successful combination of standard in situ visual assessment supported by unmanned aerial systems for beach litter surveys., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Process-based models and empirical modelling techniques are frequently used to (i) explore the sensitivity of tree growth to environmental variables, and (ii) predict the future growth of trees and forest stands under climate change scenarios. However, modelling approaches substantially influence predictions of the sensitivity of trees to environmental factors. Here, we used tree-ring width (TRW) data from 1630 beech trees from a network of 70 plots established across European mountains to build empirical predictive growth models using various modelling approaches. In addition, we used 3-PG and Biome-BGCMuSo process-based models to compare growth predictions with derived empirical models. Results revealed similar prediction errors (RMSE) across models ranging between 3.71 and 7.54 cm 2 of basal area increment (BAI). The models explained most of the variability in BAI ranging from 54 % to 87 %. Selected explanatory variables (despite being statistically highly significant) and the pattern of the growth sensitivity differed between models substantially. We identified only five factors with the same effect and the same sensitivity pattern in all empirical models: tree DBH, competition index, elevation, Gini index of DBH, and soil silt content. However, the sensitivity to most of the climate variables was low and inconsistent among the empirical models. Both empirical and process-based models suggest that beech in European mountains will, on average, likely experience better growth conditions under both 4.5 and 8.5 RCP scenarios. The process-based models indicated that beech may grow better across European mountains by 1.05 to 1.4 times in warmer conditions. The empirical models identified several drivers of tree growth that are not included in the current process-based models (e.g., different nutrients) but may have a substantial effect on final results, particularly if they are limiting factors. Hence, future development of process-based models may build upon our findings to increase their ability to correctly capture ecosystem dynamics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Little is still known of how multiple urban exposures interact as health determinants. This study investigated various ways in which greenspace, traffic-related air pollution, and noise could operate together, influencing general health status., Methods: In 2022, a cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted in Sofia, Bulgaria. Included were 917 long-term adult residents who completed questionnaires on poor self-rated health (PSRH), total time spent in physical activity (PA), home garden presence, time spent in urban greenspace and nature, and sociodemographics. Residential greenspace was operationalized using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), tree cover density, number of trees, and access to local greenspace and parks. Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) was modeled for the study area. Road traffic, railway, and aircraft day-evening-night sound levels (L den ) were extracted from EU noise maps. Area-level income and urbanicity were considered. Analyses included multivariate ordinal regressions, interactions, and structural equation modeling (SEM)., Results: Associations with PSRH were per 0.10 NDVI 300 m : OR = 0.65 (0.42-1.01), home garden: OR = 0.72 (0.49-1.07), per 5 μg/m 3 NO 2 : OR = 1.57 (1.00-2.48), per 5 dB(A) L den road traffic: OR = 1.06 (0.91-1.23), railway: OR = 1.11 (1.03-1.20), and aircraft: OR = 1.22 (1.11-1.34). Spending >30 min/week in nature related to better health. In multi-exposure models, only associations with aircraft and railway L den persisted. People with lower education and financial difficulties or living in poorer districts experienced some exposures stronger. In SEM, time spent in nature and PA mediated the effect of greenspace., Conclusions: Greenspace was associated with better general health, with time spent in nature and PA emerging as intermediate pathways. NO 2 , railway, and aircraft noise were associated with poorer general health. These results could inform decision-makers, urban planners, and civil society organizations facing urban development problems. Mitigation and abatement policies and measures should target socioeconomically disadvantaged citizens., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This data article describes the stress-strain curves, energy absorption and energy absorption efficiency of open-cell AlSi10Mg materials and open-cell AlSi10Mg-SiC composites with different pore sizes and strain rates. The data were obtained by quasi-static compression loading up to 60% strain at strain rates of 0.01 and 0.001 s according to ISO 13,314:2011 standard. The data can be used to compare the effects of pore size and strain rate on the compressive properties of the materials. The data are related to the research article entitled "Fabrication, Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Wear Behavior of Open-Cell AlSi10Mg-SiC Composite Materials" (Kolev, M., Drenchev, L., & Petkov, V. (2023). Fabrication, Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Wear Behavior of Open-Cell AlSi10Mg-SiC Composite Materials. Metals, 13(4), 814. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/met13040814).-1 according to ISO 13,314:2011 standard. The data can be used to compare the effects of pore size and strain rate on the compressive properties of the materials. The data are related to the research article entitled "Fabrication, Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Wear Behavior of Open-Cell AlSi10Mg-SiC Composite Materials" (Kolev, M., Drenchev, L., & Petkov, V. (2023). Fabrication, Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Wear Behavior of Open-Cell AlSi10Mg-SiC Composite Materials. Metals, 13(4), 814. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/met13040814)., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

The mathematical muscle models should include several aspects of muscle structure and physiology. First, muscle force is the sum of forces of multiple motor units (MUs), which have different contractile properties and play different roles in generating muscle force. Second, whole muscle activity is an effect of net excitatory inputs to a pool of motoneurons innervating the muscle, which have different excitability, influencing MU recruitment. In this review, we compare various methods for modeling MU twitch and tetanic forces and then discuss muscle models composed of different MU types and number. We first present four different analytical functions used for twitch modeling and show limitations related to the number of twitch describing parameters. We also show that a nonlinear summation of twitches should be considered in modeling tetanic contractions. We then compare different muscle models, most of which are variations of Fuglevand's model, adopting a common drive hypothesis and the size principle. We pay attention to integrating previously developed models into a consensus model based on physiological data from in vivo experiments on the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle and its respective motoneurons. Finally, we discuss the shortcomings of existing models and potential applications for studying MU synchronization, potentiation, and fatigue., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Azeri water buffalo is a species of great interest due to the high quality of its products such as milk. Due to the decreasing trend of its number and risk of extinction in the future, our attention is directed towards ensuring the preservation of its genetic reserves by keeping its sperm. Using antioxidants in semen extender is one of the ways to reduce the detrimental effects of freezing process on post-thawed quality of spermatozoa. This study was conducted to determine the effect of κ-carrageenan (k-CRG) and C60HyFn supplemented semen extender on the quality of post-thawed Azari water buffalo spermatozoa. A total of 30 semen samples were obtained from three buffaloes using an artificial vagina (twice a week for five weeks = 10 replicates). The samples (n = 3) from each replicate were pooled and divided into equal aliquots to prepare 14 extender groups, including control (C), k-0.2, K-0.4, K-0.6, K-0.8 (containing 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 mg K-CRG/mL, respectively), C-0.1, C-0.2, C-0.4, C-0.8, C-1, C-5, C-10, C-20, and C-40 (containing 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 5, 10, 20, 40 μM C60HyFn, respectively), and then frozen. After thawing, motility and velocity parameters, plasma membrane integrity (PMI) and functionality (PMF), DNA damage, Hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase glutathione activities and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging were evaluated. In vivo fertility was compared between k-0.6, C-1 and control groups. 60 buffalo were inseminated 24 h after the onset of estrus. The diagnosis of pregnancy was performed rectally at least 60 days after fertilization. Total and progressive motility and velocity parameters were improved by k-0.4, k-0.6, k-0.8, C-0.4, C-0.8, C-1, C-5, and C-10 groups) compared to the other groups. Plasma membranes integrity and PMF were improved by k-0.4, k-0.6, C-0.4, C-0.8, C-1, C-5, and C-10 groups compared to other groups, while in terms of sperm DNA damage K-0.4, K-0.6, K-0.8, C-0.2, C-0.4, C-0.8, C-1, C-5, and C-10 groups showed better results compared to the control group. The evidence also showed that k- 0.4, k-0.6, k-0.8, C-0.4, C-0.8, C-1, C-5, and C-10 groups could improve TAC, and decrease MDA levels. Also, k-0.4, k-0.6, k-0.8, C-0.2, C-0.4, C-0.8, C-1, C-5, and C-10 groups could improve GPx, CAT, and GSH levels, but no significant difference was found regarding SOD compared to the other groups. DPPH scavengers were tested by K-0.6, K-0.8 and C-1, C-5, C-10, C-0.8, C-0.4 and C-0.2 groups and compared to other groups improved. The fertility rate [70% (14/20)] was higher in C-1 than other groups. To conclude that k-CRG and C60HyFn supplementation can increase the quality parameters of cryopreserved buffalo semen after thawing and that 1 M C60HyFn can increase in vivo fertility of buffalo semen., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The development of digital technologies and the evolution of open innovation approaches have enabled the creation of diverse virtual organizations and enterprises coordinating their activities primarily online. The open innovation platform titled "International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce" (INPST) was established in 2018, to bring together in collaborative environment individuals and organizations interested in natural product scientific research, and to empower their interactions by using digital communication tools., Methods: In this work, we present a general overview of INPST activities and showcase the specific use of Twitter as a powerful networking tool that was used to host a one-week "2021 INPST Twitter Networking Event" (spanning from 31st May 2021 to 6th June 2021) based on the application of the Twitter hashtag #INPST., Results and Conclusion: The use of this hashtag during the networking event period was analyzed with Symplur Signals (https://www.symplur.com/), revealing a total of 6,036 tweets, shared by 686 users, which generated a total of 65,004,773 impressions (views of the respective tweets). This networking event's achieved high visibility and participation rate showcases a convincing example of how this social media platform can be used as a highly effective tool to host virtual Twitter-based international biomedical research events., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Authors Dr. Rajeev K. Singla and Shailja Singla have an honorary-based associations with the iGlobal Research and Publishing Foundation (iGRPF), New Delhi, India. Dr. Bernd Fiebich is associated with VivaCell Biotechnology GmbH. RKS, SS and BF along with the remaining authors, declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Given their role as Editor/Associate Editor/ Editorial board members, “Prof. Thomas Efferth”, “Ilkay Erdogan Orhan”, “Milen Georgiev”, “Davide Barreca”, “Maurizio Battino”, “Anupam Bishayee”, “Michael Heinrich”,and“Jianbo Xiao”had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

The husbandry management is assessed in general by comparison of current and past economical results, which are used as a universal business metric. Sustainable management in general targets minimization of risk and maximization of the return for managing business activities. The minimization of the economic risk allows for decreasing the potential losses for the husbandry management and they are leading criteria for planning future resource allocations. The new point added in this research concerns simultaneously inclusion in the portfolio problem the risk formalization both as a standard deviation of return and the probability for losses as value-at-risk. Several portfolio problems are defined, considering the probability of losses as a goal function or constraint in the portfolio problems. The inclusion of these two formalizations allows the portfolio risk to decrease additionally in comparison with the classical portfolio problems, where the risk is quantified as a standard deviation of the portfolio return. The peculiarities of these problems and the corresponding optimal solutions are analyzed, which allows quantifying the resource allocation per different business activities. Numerical experiments are made with real data on animal husbandry, available from the Bulgarian National Statistics and the results are illustrated in a graphical way. The empirical comparison with these data gives benefits in decreasing the risk when both risk formalizations are applied in the portfolio problem., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background: The fight against cancer has started since its discovery and has not subsided to nowadays. Currently, the hybrid molecules have become a promising alternative to the standard chemotherapeutics for the treatment of multi-causal diseases, including cancers., Objective: Herein, we report the synthesis, biological evaluation, mathematical docking calculations and hydrolytic stability of the new bioconjugates of monofluorinated analogues of BIM-23052, containing second pharmacophore naphthalimide, caffeic acid or the tripeptide Arg-Gly-Asp., Methods: All new molecules are obtained using standard peptide synthesis on solid support. Anticancer potential is studied against a panel of tumor cell lines included human mammary carcinoma cell lines MCF-7 (ER+, PR+ and Her-2-); MDA-MB-231 (ER-, PR- and Her-2-), as well as cell lines BALB 3T3 (mouse embryonic fibroblasts) and MCF-10A (human breast epithelial cell line)., Results: The IC50 values found in the MCF-10A cell line assay were used to calculate the selective index (SI). The highest SI relative to MCF-7, with a value of 2.62 is shown by the compound Npht- Gly-D-Phe-Phe(4-F)-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-NH 2 . In MCF-10 cells, the weakest antiproliferative effect was caused by the same compound (IC 50 = 622.9 ± 23.91 μM), which makes this analogue a good candidate for the new anticancer medical drug. Unfortunately, the hydrolytic stability studies reveal that this bioconjugate is the most unstable of hydrolysis under physiological conditions in the body., Conclusion: Even with lower anticancer activity and selectivity in comparison with Npht-Gly-DPhe- Phe(4-F)-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-NH 2 , the compound Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-Phe(4-F)-Phe- D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Thr-NH 2 is the best candidate between three investigated bioconjugates for practical application due to combination of activity and stability profiles. Mathematical docking calculation also reveals that synthesized bioconjugates show selectivity according to different somatostatin receptors on the surface of different cell lines., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

This article presents comparative data regarding the effect of foliar application of silicon dioxide and organosilicon compounds on soilless-grown Oak leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa). Data were derived from dry and fresh samples. Total nitrogen, total antioxidants capacity, total phenolic content, ascorbic acid, total pigments concentrations and growth parameters varied in response to the concentrations of the used preparations (silicon dioxide and organosilicon compounds). Capillary zone electrophoresis, spectrophotometry and coulometric analyzer were the principal involved methods. Data of total phenolic content, antioxidants capacity and ascorbic acid concentrations can provide physiological health benefits as functional foods along with an insight to plant stress physiology. Chlorophyll a and b concentrations, nitrogen content, dry matter content, plant height and fresh weights contribute to the understanding of physiological and biometric plants growth parameters., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have, or could be perceived to have, influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2021 The Authors.)

EU's Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 sets a 15% restoration target. However, the understanding of restoration as a management tool remains ambiguous at EU and Member State levels. As a country with rich biodiversity but low GDP, a well-defined priority setting approach is key for Bulgaria. The "Methodological framework for assessment and mapping of ecosystem condition and ecosystem services in Bulgaria" proposes a transition towards ecosystem management and monitoring of the Socio-Ecological System (SES), to be embedded in the environmental policy framework. We extend the analogy between SES and the human body's system in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a way to inform restoration priority setting and development of restoration and monitoring tools at several levels: We apply the analogy and find that spatially explicit decision making on restoration, streamlined ecosystem monitoring and a number of other issues (green infrastructure, designation of protected areas, defragmentation and connectivity, cumulative impact assessment, etc.), are easier to understand, communicate, account for and manage. Ecosystem restoration is priority for China and the country has accumulated research and practical experience, including study of links between ecosystem management and the historical principles of Chinese philosophy. The Bulgarian and European approach to ecosystem based management can benefit from analogies to TCM. We derive policy recommendations by analogy, and illustrate them on the example of Natural Capital Accounting., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Electrocardiogram (ECG) biometrics is an advanced technology, not yet covered by guidelines on criteria, features and leads for maximal authentication accuracy., Objective: This study aims to define the minimal set of morphological metrics in 12-lead ECG by optimization towards high reliability and security, and validation in a person verification model across a large population., Methods: A standard 12-lead resting ECG database from 574 non-cardiac patients with two remote recordings (>1year apart) was used. A commercial ECG analysis module (Schiller AG) measured 202 morphological features, including lead-specific amplitudes, durations, ST-metrics, and axes. Coefficient of variation (CV, intersubject variability) and percent-mean-absolute-difference (PMAD, intrasubject reproducibility) defined the optimization (PMAD/CV→min) and restriction (CV<30%) criteria for selection of the most stable and distinctive features. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) validated the non-redundant feature set for person verification., Results and Conclusions: Maximal LDA verification sensitivity (85.3%) and specificity (86.4%) were validated for 11 optimal features: R-amplitude (I,II,V1,V2,V3,V5), S-amplitude (V1,V2), Tnegative-amplitude (aVR), and R-duration (aVF,V1)., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The therapeutic efficacy of regular physical exercises in an animal model of epilepsy and depression comorbidity has been confirmed previously. In the present study, we examined the effects of endurance training on susceptibility to kainate (KA)-induced status epilepticus (SE), behavioral changes and neuronal damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Male SHRs were randomly divided into two groups. One group was exercised on a treadmill with submaximal loading for four weeks and the other group was sedentary. Immediately after the training period, SE was evoked in half of the sedentary and trained rats by KA, while the other half of the two groups received saline. Basal systolic (SP), diastolic (DP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) of all rats were measured at the beginning and at the end of the training period. Anxiety, memory and depression-like behaviour were evaluated a month after SE. The release of 5-HT in the hippocampus was measured using a liquid scintillation method and neuronal damage was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. SP and MAP of exercised SHRs decreased in comparison with the initial values. The increased resistance of SHRs to KA-induced SE was accompanied by an elongated latent seizure-free period, improved object recognition memory and antidepressant effect after the training program. While the anticonvulsant and positive behavioral effects of endurance training were accompanied by an increase of 5-HT release in the hippocampus, it did not exert neuroprotective activity. Our results indicate that prior exercise is an effective means to attenuate KA-induced seizures and comorbid behavioral changes in a model of hypertension and epilepsy suggesting a potential influence of hippocampal 5-HT on a comorbid depression. However, this beneficial impact does not prevent the development of epilepsy and concomitant brain damage., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Variations in the exogenous nitrogen level are known to significantly affect the physiological status and metabolism of microalgae. However, responses of red, green and yellow-green algae to nitrogen (N) availability have not been compared yet. Porphyridium cruentum, Scenedesmus incrassatulus and Trachydiscus minutus were cultured in the absence of N in the medium and subsequent resupply of N to the starved cells. Culture growth and in-gel changes in isoenzyme pattern and activity of glutamate synthase, glutamate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were studied. The results demonstrated that the algae responded to the fully N-depleted and N-replete culture conditions by species-specific metabolic enzyme changes, suggesting differential regulation of both enzyme activity and cellular metabolism. Substantial differences in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes between N-depleted and N-replete cells of each species as well as between the species were also found. In the present work, besides the more general responses, such as adjustment of growth and pigmentation, we report on the involvement of specific metabolic and antioxidant enzymes and their isoforms in the mechanisms operating during N starvation and recovery in P. cruentum, T. minutus and S. incrassatulus.

The results for blood flow in the carotid artery bifurcation on the basis of numerical simulation of Navier-Stokes equations are presented in this study. Four cases of carotid bifurcation are considered: common carotid artery (CCA) bifurcation without stenoses and cases with one, two and three stenoses are also presented. The results are obtained by performing numerical simulations considering one pulse wave period based on the finite volume discretization of Navier-Stokes equations. The structures of the flow around the bifurcation are obtained and the deformation of the pulse wave from common carotid artery (CCA) to the internal carotid artery (ICA) and external carotid artery (ECA) is traced. The axial velocity and wall shear stress (WSS) distribution and contours are presented considering the characteristic time points. The results of the WSS distribution around the bifurcation allow a prediction of the probable sites of stenosis growth.

Almost all essential nuclear processes as replication, repair, transcription and recombination require the chromatin template to be correctly unwound and than repackaged. The major strategy that the cell uses to overcome the nucleosome barrier is the proper removal of the histone octamer and subsequent deposition onto DNA. Important factors in this multi step phenomenon are the histone chaperones that can assemble nucleosome arrays in vitro in the absence of ATP. The nonhistone protein HMGB1 is a good candidate for a chaperone as its molecule consists of two DNA binding motives, Box's A and B, and a long nonstructured C tail highly negatively charged. HMGB1 protein is known as a nuclear "architectural" factor for its property to bind preferentially to distorted DNA structures and was reported to kink the double helix. Our experiments show that in the classical stepwise dialysis method for nucleosome assembly the addition of HMGB1 protein stimulates more than two times the formation of middle-positioned nucleosomes. The stimulation effect persists in dialysis free experiment when the reconstitution is possible only in the presence of a chaperone. The addition of HMGB1 protein strongly enhanced the formation of a nucleosome in a dose dependant manner. Our results show that the target of HMGB1 action as a chaperone is the DNA fragment not the histone octamer. One possible explanation for the stimulating effect of HMGB1 is the "architectural" property of the protein to associate with the middle of the DNA fragment and to kink it. The acquired V shaped DNA structure is probably conformationals more favorable to wrap around the prefolded histone octamer. We tested also the role of the post-synthetic acetylation for the chaperone function of HMGB1 protein. The presence of an acetyl groups at Lys 2 decreases strongly the stimulating effect of the protein in the stepwise salt dialysis experiment and the same tendency persisted in the dialysis free experiment., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The members of Verbascum L. (Scrophulariaceae) are known to be rich in phenylethnoid glycosides, and among them Verbascum xanthophoeniceum is an endemic plant species for the Balkan region, Northwestern, and Southern Turkey. A scheme was developed for the isolation of the main active constituents that accumulate in plant aerial parts. The antioxidant activities of total methanol extracts, collected phenylethanoid glycosides fractions and specific active constituents (forsythoside B, verbascoside and leucosceptoside B) were then evaluated in 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL), hydroxyl radical averting capacity (HORACFL), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and superoxide anion (O2(-)) radical scavenging assays. In vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChe) inhibitory activities of abovementioned extracts, fractions and isolated pure compounds were also examined. Depending on the method used, forsythoside B, verbascoside and leucosceptoside B proved to be effective radical scavengers and cholinesterases inhibitors. On the basis of these findings it can be proposed that in addition to providing a potent source of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds, Verbascum plants could serve as attractive mines of powerful antioxidants for various purposes., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study estimates the prevalence and risk factors of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among female sex workers (FSWs) in Bulgaria. HPV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 43.4% of FSWs. HPV16 was the most common type, found in 17.0% of samples, followed by HPV31 (9.4%). Age and smoking were associated with a significantly greater risk of being infected. The results of this study indicate that FSWs in Bulgaria are at increased risk for cervical cancer and represent an important source of HPV infection for the general population in the country. They should be considered as a priority group in cervical cancer control programmes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of separating pyrometallurgical copper (fayalite) slag by oxidation in a synthetic air atmosphere into ferrous and silicate phases suitable for resources to be recovered from them. Isothermal oxidation kinetics and the most probable reaction models are studied in the temperature range of 773 to 1173 K using thermogravimetric analysis data and the classical Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Yerofeev-Kolmogorov (JMAYK) equation. Depending on the model applied, the activation energies of fayalite slag oxidation in the temperature range of 773-973 K were: D1: 37.55 kJ mol(-1); D2: 43.27 kJ mol(-1); D3: 50.52 kJ mol(-1); and D4: 45.65 kJ mol(-1). Depending on the model applied, the activation energies of fayalite slag oxidation in the temperature range of 1073-1173 K were: F1: 20.48 kJ mol(-1); R2: 20.45 kJ mol(-1); R3: 20.18 kJ mol(-1); A2: 21.54 kJ mol( -1) and A3: 22.34 kJ mol(-1). The transformation of fayalite to hematite and amorphous silica was completed after 1435, 1350 and 1080 s at temperatures of 1073, 1123 and 1173 K, respectively. The following oxidation products were identified by X-ray diffraction: (1) fayalite, hematite and magnesioferrite (Fe(2)MgO(4)) in the temperature range 773 to 973 K; and (2) hematite and magnesium iron oxide (Mg(1.55)Fe( 1.6)O(4)) in the temperature range of 1073 to 1173 K.

The process of galanthamine and related alkaloids production by Leucojum aestivum shoot culture in a temporary immersion system was studied. It was established that temporary immersion approach is prospective for development of a biosynthetic process for obtaining valuable Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Both immersion frequency and temperature had significant effect on biomass accumulation and the yields of galanthamine and related alkaloids. The maximal yield of galanthamine was achieved at the cultivation of L. aestivum shoot culture in temporary immersion RITA(®) system at immersion frequency 15 min flooding and 8 h stand-by periods, at 26 °C. Data on the relationships in the biological system "Nutrient medium-L. aestivum shoot culture-galanthamine" are presented as well.