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The objective of this work is to analyze the impact of seasonality on the socio-economic development of rural areas of the southern part of Karelia. This study is based on the field data obtained via semi-structured in-depth interviews with experts from the local community. The results show that the influence of seasonality is rather indirect, being a constituent of other factors: economic, infrastructural, institutional, social, etc. Although seasonality is most often perceived as a negative phenomenon regarding socio-economic development, modern types of economic activity characterized by a peak of activity in different seasons of the year mitigate the effect of seasonality and even benefit from being seasonal. Based on the materials collected, a typology of rural settlements of the southern part of Karelia based on the nature of the effect of seasonality has been developed (with a predominantly positive and predominantly negative effect).

Background: To reveal the association of plasma level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level with the transcript level of annotated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and involved in HDL metabolism and atherogenesis at the absence of morphologically evident coronary stenosis. Methods: Transcript levels of 63 genes in PBMC from 38 male patients 40-60 years without coronary atherosclerosis with widely varied HDL-C level were measured. The protein interactions were analyzed with STRING database. Results: Among 22 HDL-related genes, the transcript levels for 10 genes (ABCA1, BMP1, CUBN, HDLBP, LCAT, LDLR, PRKACB, PRKACG, SCARB1 and ZDHHC8) negatively correlated with HDL-C, while positively for APOA1 gene. Among 41 atherosclerosis-prone genes, the transcript levels for 11 genes (CSF1R, CSF2RB, IL18R1, ITGAM, ITGB3, PRKCQ, SREBF1, TLR5, TLR8, TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B) negatively correlated with HDL-C only, not with LDL-C and plasma TG. The protein products efficiently interacted within each cluster while only two intersection nodes existed between clusters. Conclusions: Coordinate regulation of cholesterol influx and efflux in PBMC in atherosclerosis-free subjects with widely varied HDL-C level is suggested. The decreased synthesis and transport of cholesteryl ester to the liver may contribute to hyperalphalipoproteinemia. HDL-C increase is associated with the decrease of expression of innate immunity and inflammation genes. Visualization of 22 responder genes is suggested to be useful in the validation of HDL functionality and atherogenesis even at the absence of morphologically evident coronary stenosis.

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) Beijing family isolates are geographically widespread, and there are examples of Beijing isolates that are hypervirulent and associated with drug resistance. One-fourth of Beijing genotype isolates found in Russia belong to the B0/W148 group. The aim of the present study was to investigate features of these endemic strains on a genomic level. Four Russian clinical isolates of this group were sequenced, and the data obtained was compared with published sequences of various MTB strain genomes, including genome of strain W-148 of the same B0/W148 group. The comparison of the W-148 and H37Rv genomes revealed two independent inversions of large segments of the chromosome. The same inversions were found in one of the studied strains after deep sequencing using both the fragment and mate-paired libraries. Additionally, inversions were confirmed by RFLP hybridization analysis. The discovered rearrangements were verified by PCR in all four newly sequenced strains in the study and in four additional strains of the same Beijing B0/W148 group. The other 32 MTB strains from different phylogenetic lineages were tested and revealed no inversions. We suggest that the initial largest inversion changed the orientation of the three megabase (Mb) segment of the chromosome, and the second one occurred in the previously inverted region and partly restored the orientation of the 2.1 Mb inner segment of the region. This is another remarkable example of genomic rearrangements in the MTB in addition to the recently published of large-scale duplications. The described cases suggest that large-scale genomic rearrangements in the currently circulating MTB isolates may occur more frequently than previously considered, and we hope that further studies will help to determine the exact mechanism of such events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The associations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level and functionality with lipid metabolism, inflammation, and innate immunity in coronary artery disease (CAD) remain controversial. The differential expression of a set of genes related to HDL metabolism (24 genes) and atherogenesis (41 genes) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from CAD and control patients with varied HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels was compared., Methods: 76 male patients 40-60 years old with CAD diagnosed by angiography and 63 control patients were divided into three groups with low, normal (1.0-1.4 mM), and increased HDL-C levels. Transcript levels were measured by real-time PCR. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and associated metabolic pathways were analyzed for three groups, with prevalent CAD as an outcome., Results: The common feature was the increased odds ratio values for liver X receptor (LXR) gene expression for three patient groups. CAD patients with low HDL-C possessed 24 DEGs with lower expression of genes involved in cholesterol efflux, and down-regulated SREBF1 and ABCG1 are suggested as gene signatures. CAD patients with normal HDL-C possessed nine DEGs with down-regulated ITGAM and ALB as gene signatures. CAD patients with increased HDL-C possessed 19 DEGs with down-regulated APOA1 and HMGCR as gene signatures. With gene expression signatures, one standard deviation higher average gene expressions were associated with 5.1-, 48.8-, and 38.9-fold fewer CAD cases for three patient groups. As HDL-C increased in CAD patients, the expression of ABCG1 , CUBN , and HDLBP genes increased, while the expression of HMGCR and NPC2 genes, involved in cholesterol synthesis and trafficking, decreased. The expression of CD14 , CD36 , S100A8 , S100A9 , S100A12 , TLR5 , TLR8 , and VEGFA genes, involved in angiogenesis and inflammation mainly via nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), decreased., Conclusions: The increased accumulation of cholesteryl ester in PBMC from patients with low HDL-C was suggested. This assumption contrasts with the suggested accumulation of free cholesterol in PBMC from patients with increased HDL-C, concomitant with suppression of cholesterol synthesis and traffic to the plasma membrane, and with an inflammatory state controlled by depressed CD36-mediated and upregulated apoE-mediated immunometabolic signaling. Gene signatures may be used for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of CAD in dependence on HDL-C levels., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)