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Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about its impact on patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) with left-to-right shunting. We hypothesized that the pandemic, particularly its long-term sequelae known as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PACS) or long COVID syndrome, may influence cardiac chamber size and functional echocardiographic parameters in this population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective comparative analysis of echocardiographic reports in pediatric CHD patients with left-to-right shunting lesions before (pre-pandemic) and after (post-pandemic) the COVID-19 pandemic. These lesions included atrial (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Patients were assessed by following age categories; under one year (infants) and older than one year (older children). Results: Most of the ASDs presented by secundum type, whereas the majority of VSDs consist of perimembranous type of defects in both groups of age categories. Comparison of echocardiographic parameters revealed a significant increase in left atrial size in the post-pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group in both older age and infant categories ((21.0(5.0) mm vs 18.9 (3.7), p=0.01; 14.6 (2.1) vs 11.8 (2.6), p=0.003, respectively)). Although the frequency of ASDs did not differ between groups, there was a trend towards a higher prevalence of VSDs in the post-pandemic group of older children without statistical significance. Conclusion: Our study provides preliminary evidence of altered cardiac chamber size in CHD patients with left-to-right shunting lesions during the post-COVID-19 period. These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance and multidisciplinary management of CHD patients in the context of the pandemic, highlighting the potential impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular outcomes in this vulnerable population. Key words: CHD with left-to-right shunting, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, long-COVID syndrome, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, atrial remodeling, transthoracic echocardiography

Chronic wounds complicated by infection pose significant clinical challenges, necessitating comprehensive treatment approaches. The widespread use of antibiotics has led to resistant microorganisms, complicating traditional therapies. This study aims to develop and evaluate modified alginate wound dressings with enhanced antimicrobial and regenerative properties. Alginate dressings were synthesized with silver nanoparticles, cefepime, and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). The two-stage therapy involved an initial antibacterial dressing followed by a regenerative dressing. In vitro tests demonstrated high antibacterial activity, with maximum inhibition zones for P. aeruginosa (41.3 ± 0.4 mm) and S. aureus (36.6 ± 1.8 mm). In vivo studies on rats with purulent wounds showed significant healing progression in the experimental group. Histological analysis revealed complete re-epithelialization, thicker neoepithelium, dense collagen deposition, and minimal inflammation in treated wounds. These findings suggest that the modified alginate dressings significantly enhance the reparative process and are promising for treating chronic infected wounds in both veterinary and medical practices.

Abstract Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and the survival rate remains low despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. The progression of lung cancer is a multifaceted and dynamic phenomenon that encompasses interplays among cancerous cells and their microenvironment, which incorporates immune cells. Exosomes, which are small membrane-bound vesicles, are released by numerous cell types in normal and stressful situations to allow communication between cells. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) possess diverse neo-antigens and cargoes such as proteins, RNA, and DNA and have a unique molecular makeup reflecting tumor genetic complexity. TEXs contain both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory factors and may play a role in immunomodulation by influencing innate and adaptive immune components. Moreover, they transmit signals that contribute to the progression of lung cancer by promoting metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. This makes them a valuable resource for investigating the immune environment of tumors, which could pave the way for the development of non-invasive biomarkers that could aid in the prognosis, diagnosis, and immunotherapy of lung cancer. While immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy has shown promising results in treating initial-stage cancers, most patients eventually develop adaptive resistance over time. Emerging evidence demonstrates that TEXs could serve as a prognostic biomarker for immunotherapeutic response and have a significant impact on both systemic immune suppression and tumor advancement. Therefore, understanding TEXs and their role in lung cancer tumorigenesis and their response to immunotherapies is an exciting research area and needs further investigation. This review highlights the role of TEXs as key contributors to the advancement of lung cancer and their clinical significance in lung immune-oncology, including their possible use as biomarkers for monitoring disease progression and prognosis, as well as emerging shreds of evidence regarding the possibility of using exosomes as targets to improve lung cancer therapy.

The repair of critical-sized calvarial defects is a challenging problem for orthopedic surgery. One of the promising strategies of bone bioengineering to enhance the efficacy of large bone defect regeneration is the combined delivery of stem cells with osteoinductive factors within polymer carriers. The purpose of the research was to study the regenerative effects of heparin-conjugated fibrin (HCF) hydrogel containing bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and adipose-derived pericytes (ADPs) in a rat critical-sized calvarial defect model. In vitro analysis revealed that the HCF hydrogel was able to control the BMP-2 release and induce alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in neonatal rat osteoblasts. In addition, it was found that eluted BMP-2 significantly induced the osteogenic differentiation of ADPs. It was characterized by the increased ALP activity, osteocalcin expression and calcium deposits in ADPs. In vivo studies have shown that both HCF hydrogel with BMP-2 and HCF hydrogel with pericytes are able to significantly increase the regeneration of critical-sized calvarial defects in comparison with the control group. Nevertheless, the greatest regenerative effect was found after the co-delivery of ADPs and BMP-2 into a critical-sized calvarial defect. Thus, our findings suggest that the combined delivery of ADPs and BMP-2 in HCF hydrogel holds promise to be applied as an alternative biopolymer for the critical-sized bone defect restoration.

SrTiO3-based photocatalysts have become widely used due to their excellent properties such as high thermal stability, photocorrosion resistance, and stable structure that can be modified by doping and making composites. In this work, SrTiO3 powder was prepared from Sr(NO3)2 and TiO2 precursors by a simple chemical precipitation method followed by calcination. It was determined that calcination at 900 °C followed by treatment in nitric acid solution produced cubic SrTiO3 particles without the presence of any impurities. In addition, structural, morphology, and energetic characterization using experimental and theoretical aspects are presented. Within the framework of density functional theory, the electronic properties of SrTiO3 have been investigated in the Quantum ESPRESSO software package using the PBE functional under the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The band structure and density of states were obtained, and the width of the bandgap was determined.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of an injectable heparin-conjugated fibrin (HCF) hydrogel containing human synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SDMSCs), TGF-β1, and BMP-4 after implantation into articular cartilage defect in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). The study included 15 OA patients with a mean age of 44.2±18.0 years. The median articular cartilage defect size was 4.9±2.0 cm. HCF hydrogel, containing SDMSCs and growth factors (TGF-β1 and BMP-4), was implanted into the cartilage defect using DUPLOJECT two-syringe device connected with the DUPLOTIP dual lumen cannula. Clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated with VAS, WOMAC, KOOS, and MOCART. The clinical study results showed that implantation of HCF hydrogel with autologous SDMSCs, TGF-β1, and BMP-4 appeared to be safe and did not show severe adverse events in OA patients. The assessment of clinical outcomes after 6 months showed improvement in VAS, WOMAC, and KOOS scores in all patients. The MOCART evaluation demonstrated an enhancement of cartilage tissue repair in 73.3% of OA patients at 6 months after surgery. Thus, implantation of HCF hydrogel with SDMSCs, TGF-β1, and BMP-4 was safe and demonstrated signs of improvement in articular cartilage repair. The evaluation of the long-term safety and therapeutic efficacy of HCF hydrogel is required in a further clinical study using a larger number of OA patients.

Pericytes, as perivascular cells, are present in all vascularized organs and tissues, and they actively interact with endothelial cells in capillaries and microvessels. Their involvement includes functions like blood pressure regulation, tissue regeneration, and scarring. Studies have confirmed that pericytes play a crucial role in bone tissue regeneration through direct osteodifferentiation processes, paracrine actions, and vascularization. Recent preclinical and clinical experiments have shown that combining perivascular cells with osteogenic factors and tissue-engineered scaffolds can be therapeutically effective in restoring bone defects. This approach holds promise for addressing bone-related medical conditions. In this review, we have emphasized the characteristics of pericytes and their involvement in angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Furthermore, we have explored recent advancements in the use of pericytes in preclinical and clinical investigations, indicating their potential as a therapeutic resource in clinical applications.

Surgery has played an important role in managing complicated tuberculosis in former Soviet Union countries, including the Kyrgyz Republic. However, published information is limited. This study aimed to document the trend, characteristics and outcomes of tuberculosis patients who underwent thoracic surgery, using routinely collected data. Between 2017 and 2021, 4–7% of tuberculosis patients in the Kyrgyz Republic underwent thoracic surgery in two centres in Bishkek and Osh. In 2021, case records were retrieved in 264 (78%) of 340 patients undergoing thoracic surgery in the country. The most common indications for surgery were pleural exudate/empyema in 127 (44%) and tuberculoma in 83 (32%). Most patients (73%) underwent surgery within 30 days of starting TB treatment. Two-thirds of patients underwent radical surgery, and surgical outcomes were excellent in 99% of patients with one death. Post-operatively, 63 (23%) patients had no TB detected by the histology, with the two most common specified conditions being lung cancer and pulmonary hydatid disease. TB treatment was stopped in these patients. Of the 201 patients with confirmed TB after surgery, TB-treatment success was documented in 163 (81%), died/failure/lost to follow-up in 10 (5%) and not evaluated in 28 (14%). This study shows that thoracic surgery is feasible, safe and effective in the routine programme setting. Recommendations are made to strengthen referral and monitoring systems.

The study relevance is due to the low efficiency of logistics systems of industrial enterprises and a limited set of methods for managing operational logistics activities. The work touches upon the key aspects of the activities of company logistics departments, namely the management, motivational, operational, process and information functions. The models and tools presented in the study allow implementing a large-scale concept of changes that modifies the work methods, economics and status of logistics of a large industrial holding company. The developed concept is based on methods of finding a balance between logistics costs, services and risks of dependence on third-party logistics operators, as well as on a set of tools to reduce the share of logistics costs in the cost of finished products of industrial holding companies. A portfolio of projects aimed at introducing a matrix organizational and managerial structure of a logistics company, regulating core activities, normalization and planning of operating activities, introducing a KPI system and staff motivation is used in the study as the basic transformation tools. The issues of automation of a logistics company main processes and creation of a 4PL-operator on the basis of an existing logistics company of a large industrial holding company allowing achieving a significant economic effect and reducing the share of logistics costs in the cost of finished products are considered.

‘How to get research into practice: first get practice into research [...]

Chronic wounds complicated by infection pose significant clinical challenges, necessitating comprehensive treatment approaches. The widespread use of antibiotics has led to resistant microorganisms, complicating traditional therapies. This study aims to develop and evaluate modified alginate wound dressings with enhanced antimicrobial and regenerative properties. Alginate dressings were synthesized with silver nanoparticles, cefepime, and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). The two-stage therapy involved an initial antibacterial dressing followed by a regenerative dressing. In vitro tests demonstrated high antibacterial activity, with maximum inhibition zones for P. aeruginosa (41.3 ± 0.4 mm) and S. aureus (36.6 ± 1.8 mm). In vivo studies on rats with purulent wounds showed significant healing progression in the experimental group. Histological analysis revealed complete re-epithelialization, thicker neoepithelium, dense collagen deposition, and minimal inflammation in treated wounds. These findings suggest that the modified alginate dressings significantly enhance the reparative process and are promising for treating chronic infected wounds in both veterinary and medical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repair of critical-sized calvarial defects is a challenging problem for orthopedic surgery. One of the promising strategies of bone bioengineering to enhance the efficacy of large bone defect regeneration is the combined delivery of stem cells with osteoinductive factors within polymer carriers. The purpose of the research was to study the regenerative effects of heparin-conjugated fibrin (HCF) hydrogel containing bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and adipose-derived pericytes (ADPs) in a rat critical-sized calvarial defect model. In vitro analysis revealed that the HCF hydrogel was able to control the BMP-2 release and induce alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in neonatal rat osteoblasts. In addition, it was found that eluted BMP-2 significantly induced the osteogenic differentiation of ADPs. It was characterized by the increased ALP activity, osteocalcin expression and calcium deposits in ADPs. In vivo studies have shown that both HCF hydrogel with BMP-2 and HCF hydrogel with pericytes are able to significantly increase the regeneration of critical-sized calvarial defects in comparison with the control group. Nevertheless, the greatest regenerative effect was found after the co-delivery of ADPs and BMP-2 into a critical-sized calvarial defect. Thus, our findings suggest that the combined delivery of ADPs and BMP-2 in HCF hydrogel holds promise to be applied as an alternative biopolymer for the critical-sized bone defect restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryogels are a unique macroporous material for tissue engineering. In this work, we study the effect of hyaluronic acid on the physicochemical properties of cryogel as well as on the proliferation of a 3D model of mesenchymal stem cells. The functional groups of the synthesized cryogels were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. With an increase in the content of hyaluronic acid in the composition of the cryogel, an increase in porosity, gel content and swelling behavior was observed. As the hyaluronic acid content increased, the average pore size increased and more open pores were formed. Degradation studies have shown that all cryogels were resistant to PBS solution for 8 weeks. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated no toxic effect on viability of rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) cultured on cryogels. ADMSC spheroids were proliferated on scaffolds and showed the ability of the cryogels to orient cell differentiation into chondrogenic lineage even in the absence of inductive agents. Thus, our results demonstrate an effective resemblance to extracellular matrix structures specific to cartilage-like microenvironments by cryogels and their further perspective application as potential biomaterials.

The flora of Kazakhstan is characterized by its wide variety of different types of medicinal plants, many of which can be used on an industrial scale. The Traditional Kazakh Medicine (TKM) was developed during centuries based on the six elements of ancient Kazakh theory, associating different fields such as pharmacology, anatomy, pathology, immunology and food nursing as well as disease prevention. The endemic Artemisia L. species are potential sources of unique and new natural products and new chemical structures, displaying diverse bioactivities and leading to the development of safe and effective phytomedicines against prevailing diseases in Kazakhstan and the Central Asia region. This review provides an overview of Artemisia species from Central Asia, particularly traditional uses in folk medicine and the recent numerous phytochemical and pharmacological studies. The review is done by the methods of literature searches in well-known scientific websites (Scifinder and Pubmed) and data collection in university libraries. Furthermore, our aim is to search for promising and potentially active Artemisia species candidates, encouraging us to analyze Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), α-glucosidase and bacterial neuraminidase (BNA) inhibition as well as the antioxidant potentials of Artemisia plant extracts, in which endemic species have not been explored for their secondary metabolites and biological activities so far. The main result of the study was that, for the first time, the species Artemisia scopiformis Ledeb. Artemisia albicerata Krasch., Artemisia transiliensis Poljakov, Artemisia schrenkiana Ledeb., Artemisia nitrosa Weber and Artemisia albida Willd. ex Ledeb. due to their special metabolites, showed a high potential for α-glucosidase, PTP1B and BNA inhibition, which is associated with diabetes, obesity and bacterial infections. In addition, we revealed that the methanol extracts of Artemisia were a potent source of polyphenolic compounds. The total polyphenolic contents of Artemisia extracts were correlated with antioxidant potential and varied according to plant origin, the solvent of extraction and the analytical method used. Consequently, oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be managed by the dietary intake of current Artemisia species. The antioxidant potentials of the species A. schrenkiana, A. scopaeformis, A. transiliensis and Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kitam. were also promising. In conclusion, the examination of details between different Artemisia species in our research has shown that plant materials are good as an antioxidant and eznyme inhibitory functional natural source.

The localized surface plasmon resonance of metallic nanoparticles has attracted much attention owing to its unique characteristics, including the enhancement of signals in sensors and photothermal effects. In particular, hollow gold nanostructures are highly promising for practical applications, with significant advantages being found in their material properties and structures: 1) the interaction between the outer surface plasmon mode and inner cavity mode leads to a greater resonance, allowing it to absorb near-infrared light, which can readily penetrate tissue; 2) it has anti-corrosiveness and good biocompatibility, which makes it suitable for biomedical applications; 3) it shows a reduced net density and large surface area, allowing the possibility of nanocarriers for drug delivery. In this review, we present information on the classification, characteristics, and synthetic methods of hollow gold nanostructures; discuss the recent advances in hollow gold nanostructures in biomedical applications, including biosensing, bioimaging, photothermal therapy, and drug delivery; and report on the existing challenges and prospects for hollow gold nanostructures.

Pericytes, as perivascular cells, are present in all vascularized organs and tissues, and they actively interact with endothelial cells in capillaries and microvessels. Their involvement includes functions like blood pressure regulation, tissue regeneration, and scarring. Studies have confirmed that pericytes play a crucial role in bone tissue regeneration through direct osteodifferentiation processes, paracrine actions, and vascularization. Recent preclinical and clinical experiments have shown that combining perivascular cells with osteogenic factors and tissue-engineered scaffolds can be therapeutically effective in restoring bone defects. This approach holds promise for addressing bone-related medical conditions. In this review, we have emphasized the characteristics of pericytes and their involvement in angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Furthermore, we have explored recent advancements in the use of pericytes in preclinical and clinical investigations, indicating their potential as a therapeutic resource in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of biopolymers in tissue engineering is of a great interest due to of their inherent properties such as cell adhesion, biodegradation, bioavailability, and viscoelasticity. In this study, we synthesized cryogels based on biopolymers of gelatin, chitosan, and chondroitin sulfate by cryopolymerization and studied the effect of chondroitin sulfate on changing the physicochemical properties of cryogels such as pore size, pore volume, density, gel fraction, and biodegradation. A macroporous surface of the synthesized polymers has been investigated by SEM. The glass transition temperatures of the crosslinked cryogels, determined by the DSC method, were higher compared to that of the non-crosslinked cryogel used as a reference. The results of the MTT test showed that aqueous extracts of the prepared cryogels had no toxic effect on rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The research in this area is of great importance and provides new insights into novel, effective methods for obtaining biopolymers that can be used as carriers of cells.