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Aim: To study and compare the clinical and imaging characteristics of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in men and women., Materials and Methods: The study included 956 PsA patients observed in the Russian register, 411 (43%) men and 545 (57%) women. The average age of men/women was 46.0±16.50/50.7±17.20 years ( p <0.001), the duration of PsA was 9.9±6.4/10.3±7.6 years ( p >0.05), the age at the time of PsA establishment was 37.1±12.30/41.8±13.5 years ( p <0.001). Rheumatological examination, X-ray of the pelvis, hands, feet were performed, the LEI, plantar fascia tenderness, body surface area (BSA), body mass index (BMI), CRP, HLA - B 27 were determined. Patients filled out assessment scales of pain (Pain), disease activity (patient global assessment of disease activity - PGA), questionnaires HAQ-DI. The indices of Disease Activity in PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), criteria of minimal disease activity (MDA) were evaluated., Results: The following differences in the course of PsA in men/women were revealed: X-ray sacroiliitis was detected in 175 (42.6%)/153 (28.1%); p <0.001; the presence of erosions of the joints of the hands and feet - 138 (33.6%)/170 (31.2%); p =0.435; LEI≥3 - 34 (11.4%)/78 (20.9%); p =0.001; Pain - at 48.5±22.60/51.5±22.80 mm VAS; p =0.043; PGA - 50.2±23.07/54.0±21.91 mm VAS; p =0.010; moderate and severe functional disorders (HAQ-DI) were more often observed in women ( p =0.002 and p <0.001, respectively); the average value of DAPSA is 26.4±16.8/31.9±22.58; p <0.001; average BASDAI value: 2.7±2.83/1.8±2.78; p <0.001; MDA was achieved in 13 (3.2%)/22 (4.1%); p =0.486; BSA>10% - 54 (13.1%)/102 (18.7%); p =0.021; comorbid diseases - 154 (37%)/277 (51%); p <0.001. At the time of inclusion in the register, the proportion of patients receiving biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was higher in the group of men., Conclusion: Our data, based on a large cohort study, demonstrate that PsA debuts in women at a later age than in men, the course of the disease is characterized by higher activity of peripheral arthritis, more pronounced functional disorders and a high prevalence of comorbid diseases. This creates a heavier burden of PsA in women and indicates that gender is an important characteristic of the patient that should be used to predict the course, therapeutic response and progression of the disease.

The review systematizes data on the wide possibilities of practical application of carbon nanostructures. Much attention is paid to the use of carbon nanomaterials in medicine for the visualization of tumors during surgical interventions, in the creation of cosmetics, as well as in agriculture in the creation of fertilizers. Additionally, we demonstrate trends in research in the field of carbon nanomaterials with a view to elaborating targeted drug delivery systems. We also show the creation of nanosized medicinal substances and diagnostic systems, and the production of new biomaterials. A separate section is devoted to the difficulties in studying carbon nanomaterials. The review is intended for a wide range of readers, as well as for experts in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine.

In experiments on HepG2 cells, we studied the effect of the original domestic neurotropic drugs omberacetam, fabomotizole, and ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate (EMHPS) (1-500 μM) on the activity and content of organic anion transporting polypeptides OATP1B1 and OATP1B3. It was shown that omberacetam (500 μM) increased the content of OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, fabomotizole did not affect the level of both transporters, and EMHPS (500 μM) increased the content of OATP1B1 compared to the control and did not affect the level of OATP1B3. The tested substances also reduced the OATP1B1/OATP1B3 ratio, as evidenced by a decrease in the penetration of atorvastatin, a substrate of the transporters, into HepG2 cells in the presence of omberacetam (100-500 μM), fabomotizole (500 μM), and EMHPS (10-500 μM). Evaluation of clinical significance of the obtained results, according to the FDA approach based on the calculation of the C max /IC 50 ratio, showed that the effect of the tested substances on OATP1B1/OATP1B3 is clinically insignificant., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The work aimed to investigate the biocompatibility and biological activity of the water-soluble fullerene adduct C 60 -Arg. It was found that the material is haemocompatible, is not cyto- and genotoxic, possesses pronounced antioxidant activity. Additionally, this paper outlines the direction of application of water-soluble fullerene adducts in the creation of neuroprotectors. It has been suggested that a putative mechanism of the protective action of the C 60 -Arg adduct is associated with its antioxidant properties, the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, and release nitrogen monoxide as a result of the catabolism of L-arginine residues, which promote vascular relaxation. The action of the C 60 -Arg adduct was compared with the action of such an antioxidant as Edaravone, which is approved in Japan for the treatment of ischemic and haemorrhagic strokes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

We present the fluorescence spectra of single millimeter water droplets and micron-sized dyed water aerosol (rhodamine 6G) stimulated by a high-intensity femtosecond Ti:sapphire-laser pulse (carrier wavelength 792 nm) upon its nonlinear propagation in air. The distinctive feature of our experimental measurements is that the droplet fluorescence is obtained in the area of plasma-free pulse propagation after the pulse filamentation has already been terminated (postfilamentation region). Our results significantly expand the working area of femtosecond laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy for remote diagnostics of atmospheric aerosols.

Scolytus unicornis, a new species of Scolytus Geoffroy from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. Three DNA barcoding sequences (COI, 28S, CAD) of this species are provided. The new species is distinguished from other Asian Scolytus species by the longitudinal wrinkles on the frons only in the area below the eyes, a large median spine situated in the middle of the ventrite 2 base, and female frons with a slightly raised blunt tubercle above the epistoma.

One new species of Neotropical Premnobius Eichhoff is described: P. brownei Atkinson & Flechtmann from Brazil. The presence of the related genus Premnophilus Browne is confirmed from South America and six new species are described: P. bertii Atkinson & Flechtmann from Brazil, P. jordali Petrov from Peru, P. maiai Atkinson & Flechtmann from Brazil, P. pedrosai Atkinson & Flechtmann from Brazil, P. sarahsmithae Atkinson & Flechtmann from Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago, and P. wilsoni Atkinson & Flechtmann from Brazil. French Guiana, and Peru. Gnathotrupes megapunctatus Bright, 2019 is recognized as a synonym of Premnobius perezdelacruceii Petrov & Atkinson, 2018. A synopsis of previously described Premnobius species and keys to species in both genera are presented. Generic characters for the three genera of Neotropical Ipini are discussed.

Background: Mutations in the PIK3CA gene, encoding the catalytic subunit of the PI3K class IA p110α, is a common mechanism of activating of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast cancer (BC). The detection of these mutations in patients with hormone-positive Her2-negative BC is of important clinical value, since they are the predictor of the sensitivity of the tumor to the PI3K inhibitor - alpelisib. According to the status of the Her2/neu expression, all patients with hormone-positive Her2-negative BC can be divided into two groups - with low expression of Her2/neu (IHC 1+; 2+, ISH-) and with a complete lack of expression of this protein (IHC 0)., Objective: Establish whether there are differences of the PIK3CA gene mutations charasteristics in BC with luminal immunophenotype and low expression of Her2/neu in comparison with tumors in which Her2/neu expression is absent., Material and Methods: The presence of PIK3CA mutations was determined using real-time PCR on 96 patient tissues of hormone-positive Her2-negative BC. Commercially available cobas PIK3CA Mutation Kit (Roche) and cobas z480 analyzer were used., Results: PIK3CA gene mutations were detected in 40 of 96 cases studied (41.6%). Most of them were localized in the exons 9 and 20, encoding helicase (p.E542K, p.E545X) or kinase (p.H1047X) domains of PI3K, respectively. The frequency of mutations in the exon 9 (p.E542K+p.E545X) was 2.6 times higher in Her2-low BC compared to tumors in which the Her2/neu expression was absent ( p <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in mutation frequency in the exon 20., Conclusion: Statistically significant increase in the frequency of exon 9 mutations of the PIK3CA gene is specific for the group of patients with Her2-low BC. Our results supported the concept of Her2-low BCs as the unique entity and pointed out the need of their further study.

The aim of this work is to synthesise and study the biocompatibility and biological activity of the C 70 fullerene adduct with l-threonine (C 70 -Thr). The obtained adduct was identified using a complex of physicochemical methods, namely, 13 C NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, electron spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The study of biocompatibility and biological activity of the C 70 -Thr adduct included the study of haemocompatibility (haemolysis, platelet aggregation, plasma coagulation haemostasis, binding to human serum albumin, esterase activity), antiradical activity, cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, and interaction with DNA (determination of the DNA binding constant and genotoxicity)., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A series of Pd 1- x Fe x alloy epitaxial films ( x = 0, 0.038, 0.062, and 0.080), a material promising for superconducting spintronics, was prepared and studied with ultrafast optical and magneto-optical laser spectroscopy in a wide temperature range of 4-300 K. It was found that the transition to the ferromagnetic state causes a qualitative change of both the reflectivity and the magneto-optical Kerr effect transients. A nanoscale magnetic inhomogeneity of the ferromagnet/paramagnet type inherent in the palladium-rich Pd 1- x Fe x alloys reveals itself through the occurrence of a relatively slow, 10-25 ps, photoinduced demagnetization component following a subpicosecond one; the former vanishes at low temperatures only in the x = 0.080 sample. We argue that the 10 ps timescale demagnetization originates most probably from the diffusive transport of d electrons under the condition of nanoscale magnetic inhomogeneities. The low-temperature fraction of the residual paramagnetic phase can be deduced from the magnitude of the slow reflectivity relaxation component. It is estimated as ≈30% for x = 0.038 and ≈15% for x = 0.062 films. The minimal iron content ensuring the magnetic homogeneity of the ferromagnetic state in the Pd 1- x Fe x alloy at low temperatures is about 7-8 atom %., (Copyright © 2022, Petrov et al.)

An intermodal fiber interferometer using the light from an incoherent broadband source has been considered analytically and implemented as a laboratory device. It was shown that this optical scheme could be used to measure external perturbations that cause a change in the optical length of a multimode fiber. The use of an optical spectrum analyzer and correlation functions approach in extracting the utility signal made it possible to achieve a linear response to the measured external perturbation and effective fading mitigation. A pair of integral coefficients was introduced: the contrast coefficient for characterization of the coherency of the operation regime, and the fading coefficient for estimating the signal stability against non-signal parasitic influences. Analytical expressions for the utility signal parameters were derived in dependence on the parameters of the light source, multimode fiber, and optical spectrum analyzer. The relationships among fiber length, width of the light source spectrum, and frequency resolution of the optical spectrum analyzer were stated for the optimum regime of interferometer operation. The simulation of the external perturbations performed at the elaborated device proved the applicability of the proposed scheme as a sensor of various physical quantities.

Background : Patients with schizophrenia have an increased risk of depressive disorders compared to the general population. The comorbidity between schizophrenia and depression suggests a potential coincidence of the pathophysiology and/or genetic predictors of these mental disorders. The aim of this study was to review the potential genetic predictors of schizophrenia and depression comorbidity. Materials and Methods : We carried out research and analysis of publications in the databases PubMed, Springer, Wiley Online Library, Taylor & Francis Online, Science Direct, and eLIBRARY.RU using keywords and their combinations. The search depth was the last 10 years (2010-2020). Full-text original articles, reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical observations were analyzed. A total of 459 articles were found, of which 45 articles corresponding to the purpose of this study were analyzed in this topic review. Results : Overlap in the symptoms and genetic predictors between these disorders suggests that a common etiological mechanism may underlie the presentation of comorbid depression in schizophrenia. The molecular mechanisms linking schizophrenia and depression are polygenic. The most studied candidate genes are GRIN1 , GPM6A , SEPTIN4 , TPH1 , TPH2 , CACNA1C , CACNB2 , and BCL9. Conclusion : Planning and conducting genome-wide and associative genetic studies of the comorbid conditions under consideration in psychiatry is important for the development of biological and clinical predictors and a personalized therapy strategy for schizophrenia. However, it should be recognized that the problems of predictive and personalized psychiatry in the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia and comorbid disorders are far from being resolved.

Background: There is a lack of data on the features of dysglycemia in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM) confirmed by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)., Aim: to study the glycemic profile in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes mellitus by continuous glucose monitoring and the role of steroid therapy in dysglycemiadevelopment., Materials and Methods: We examined 21 patients with COVID-19 and DM 2 and 21 patients with DM 2 without COVID-19 (control group) using a professional 4-7-day CGM. We also compared two subgroups of patients with COVID-19 and DM 2: 1) patients received systemic glucocorticosteroids (GCS) during CGM and 2) patients in whomCGMwas performed after discontinuation of GCS., Results: Compared with controls, patients with COVID-19 and DM2 had lesser values of glycemic «time in range» (32.7 ± 20.40 vs 48.0 ± 15.60%, p = 0.026) andhigher parameters of mean glycemia (p &lt;0.05) but similar proportion of patients with episodes of hypoglycemia (33.3% vs 38.1%, p = 0.75). Patients who received dexamethasone during CGM were characterized by higher hyperglycemia and the absence of episodes of hypoglycemia. In patients who hadCGM after dexamethasone discontinuation, hyperglycemia was less pronounced, but 60% of them had episodes of hypoglycemia, often nocturnal, clinically significant and not detected by routine methods., Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19 and DM 2had severe and persistent hyperglycemia but a third of them hadalso episodes of hypoglycemia. During therapy with dexamethasone, they had the most pronounced hyperglycemia without episodes of hypoglycemia. In patients who underwent CGM after discontinuation of dexamethasone, hyperglycemia was less pronounced but 60% of them have episodes of hypoglycemia, often nocturnal, clinically significant and not diagnosed by routine methods. It would be advisable to recommend at least a 5-6-fold study of the blood glucose level (with its obligatory assessment at night) even for stable patients with COVID-19 and DM 2after the end of GCS treatment.

Functionalization of the fullerene core with amino acids has become a new and promising direction in the field of nanochemistry. The biologic activity of water-soluble fullerene derivatives is based on such properties as lipophilicity, electron deficiency and photosensitivity. The complex of above-mentioned properties can be used to develop protection of biomolecules (in particular, proteins) from external physical and chemical influences. Thus, development and up-scaling of synthesis procedures, as well as investigation of the biological properties of these derivatives, are extremely important. This paper presents new data on the biocompatibility studies of C 60 fullerene adduct with L-methionine (C 60 [C 5 H 11 NO 2 S] 3 ; C 60 -Met). Antiradical activity, binding to human serum albumin (HSA), collagen and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), hemocompatibility, photodynamic properties, genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were studied. In addition, it was found that C 60 -Met increases the photostability of the collagen molecule, and this effect is dose-dependent., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Reproductive dysfunction is a multifactorial problem, for the correction of which the most difficult are cases of pathology comorbidity. Individual preconception preparation, taking into account risk factors, is recognized as an effective measure to increase the chances of conception and prevent reproductive losses., Objective: Optimization of treatment and rehabilitation measures at the preconception stage in patients with reproductive disorders., Material and Methods: The effectiveness of the use of natural and preformed physical factors in the preconception preparation of 180 women who underwent medical and rehabilitation measures in the health resort of the Altai Territory - the resort town of Belokurikha (Group 1, 79 patients) and outpatient conditions in the city of Barnaul (Group 2, 101 patients). Comprehensive spa treatment included climatotherapy, a combination of various methods: balneotherapy, peloidtherapy, physiotherapy and a prolonged course of herbal medicine., Results: In patients of the 1st group, who underwent a course of rehabilitation treatment in a sanatorium-resort environment, compared with patients of the 2nd group, early reproductive losses were less common during pregnancy (7.1% and 20.7%, respectively; p =0.04) and more frequent term deliveries occurred (92.8% and 77.2%, respectively; p =0.02). The most significant predictors of the ineffectiveness of preconception preparation were the presence in patients of: chronic cystitis and autoimmune thyroiditis with hypothyroidism; oligomenorrhea at the time of pregnancy planning; aggravated by early reproductive losses and long-term wearing of intrauterine contraception history; burdened heredity for violation of carbohydrate metabolism., Conclusion: Comprehensive preconception preparation in the sanatorium-resort conditions of Belokurikha helps to increase the fertility of patients with reproductive disorders, the trophostimulating effect in the genital organs and the restoration of endometrial reception, which makes it possible to recommend this method for use in clinical practice.

Impaired wound healing is one of the unsolved problems of modern medicine, affecting patients' quality of life and causing serious economic losses. Impaired wound healing can manifest itself in the form of chronic skin wounds or hypertrophic scars. Research on the biology and physiology of skin wound healing disorders is actively continuing, but, unfortunately, a single understanding has not been developed. The attention of clinicians to the biological and physiological aspects of wound healing in the skin is necessary for the search for new and effective methods of prevention and treatment of its consequences. In addition, it is important to update knowledge about genetic and non-genetic factors predisposing to impaired wound healing in order to identify risk levels and develop personalized strategies for managing such patients. Wound healing is a very complex process involving several overlapping stages and involving many factors. This thematic review focuses on the extracellular matrix of the skin, in particular its role in wound healing. The authors analyzed the results of fundamental research in recent years, finding promising potential for their transition into real clinical practice.

The sorption properties of polymers and the mobility of penetrants are the main factors which determine the trans-membrane processes. Other factors concern the membrane material structure and chemical nature. In this paper, we consider the case of polymers with similar structure units, namely a polymer and its pre-polymer (polybenzoxazinoneimide and imide-containing polyamic acid). The available experimental data show a great difference in the pervaporation process using these two polymeric membranes. Some explanation of this difference can be found at the atomic-level study. A comparative analysis of the diffusion of water and isopropanol molecules was carried out using the density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations.

We present a new modification of graphene oxide with very high content (85 wt %) of oxygen-containing functional groups (hydroxy, epoxy, lactol, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups) that forms stable aqueous dispersion in up to 9 g·L -1 concentration solutions. A novel faster method of the synthesis is described that produces up to 1 kg of the material and allows controlling the particle size in solution. The synthesized compound was characterized by various physicochemical methods and molecular dynamics modeling, revealing a unique structure in the form of a multilayered wafer of several sheets thick, where each sheet is highly corrugated. The ragged structure of the sheets forms pockets with hindered mobility of water that leads to the possibility of trapping guest molecules.

Light fullerenes, C 60 and C 70 , have significant potential in biomedical applications due to their ability to absorb reactive oxygen species, inhibit the development of tumors, inactivate viruses and bacteria, and as the basis for developing systems for targeted drug delivery. However, the hydrophobicity of individual fullerenes complicates their practical use; therefore, creating water-soluble derivatives of fullerenes is increasingly important. Currently, the most studied soluble adducts of fullerenes are polyhydroxy fullerenes or fullerenols. Unfortunately, investigations of fullerenol biocompatibility are fragmental. They often lack reproducibility both in the synthesis of the compounds and their biological action. We here investigate the biocompatibility of a well-defined fullerenol C 60 (OH) 24 obtained using methods that minimize the content of impurities and quantitatively characterize the product's composition. We carry out comprehensive biochemical and biophysical investigations of C 60 (OH) 24 that include photodynamic properties, cyto- and genotoxicity, hemocompatibility (spontaneous and photo-induced hemolysis, platelet aggregation), and the thermodynamic characteristics of C 60 (OH) 24 binding to human serum albumin and DNA. The performed studies show good biocompatibility of fullerenol C 60 (OH) 24 , which makes it a promising object for potential use in biomedicine.

A novel triiodide phase of the formamidinium cation, CH 5 N 2 + ·I 3 - , crystallizes in the triclinic space group P at a temperature of 110 K. The structure consists of two independent isolated triiodide ions located on inversion centers. The centrosymmetric character of I 3 - was additionally confirmed by the observed pronounced peaks of symmetrical oscillations of I 3 - at 115-116 cm -1 in Raman scattering spectra. An additional structural feature is that each terminal iodine atom is connected with three neighboring planar formamidinium cations by N-H⋯I hydrogen bonding with the N-H⋯I bond length varying from 2.81 to 3.08 Å, forming a deformed two-dimensional framework of hydrogen bonds. A Mulliken population analysis showed that the calculated charges of hydrogen atoms correlate well with hydrogen-bond lengths. The crystal studied was refined as a three-component twin with domain ratios of 0.631 (1):0.211 (1):0.158 (1)., (© Ordinartsev et al. 2021.)

A new genus and species, Unguitarsonemus paradoxus n. gen., n. sp. and a new species, Pseudotarsonemoides peruviensis n. sp. (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tarsonemidae), are described based on phoretic females collected on bark beetles Phloeotribus pilula and Ph. biguttatus, respectively, from Peru. A key to species of the genus Pseudotarsonemoides is provided.

The article is devoted to the study of the pharmacokinetics of fullerene C 60 in oil and micellar forms, analysis of its content in blood, liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, brain, adrenal glands, thymus, testicles, and spleen. The highest accumulation of C 60 was found in the liver and adrenal glands. As a result of the studies carried out, it was shown that the bioavailability of C 60 in the micellar form is higher than that in an oil solution.

Silica is silicon dioxide, which, depending on the production method, can exist in various amorphous forms with varying specific surface area, particle size, pore volume and size, and, as a result, with different physicochemical and sorption characteristics. The presence of silanol groups on the surface of silicas provides the possibility of its further functionalisation. In addition, the developed specific surface of Aerosil allows to obtain composites with a high content of biologically active substances. In this work, we studied the biocompatibility of a composite based on Aerosil 380 and carboxylated fullerene C 60 [C(COOH) 2 ] 3 , namely: haemolysis (spontaneous and photoinduced), platelet aggregation, binding to HSA, cyto- and genotoxicity, antiradical activity. Interest in the creation of this nanomaterial is due to the fact that carboxylated fullerenes have potential applications in various fields of biomedicine, including the ability to bind reactive oxygen species, inhibition of tumour development, inactivation of viruses and bacteria. The obtained composite can be used for the immobilisation of various drugs and the further development of drugs for theranostics., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new genus of xyleborine ambrosia beetle, Melanesicus Beaver Petrov gen. n., with type species Xyleborus partitus Browne (1974) is described from the Melanesian region. The following new combinations are proposed: M. caledoniae (Beaver Liu, 2016) comb. n., M. deformatus (Browne, 1974) comb. n., M. granulosus (Schedl, 1975) comb. n., all from Xyleborus Eichhoff, 1864. Melanesicus tishechkini Petrov sp. n. is described from Vanuatu, and Melanesicus nukuruanus sp. n. Beaver from Fiji. The taxonomy, distribution and biology of the species included are briefly reviewed.

Focused ultrasound (FU) is in demand for clinical cancer therapy, but the possible thermal injury to the normal peripheral tissues limits the usage of the ablative FU for tumors with a large size; therefore research efforts have been made to minimize the possible side effects induced by the FU treatment. Non-ablative focused ultrasound assisted chemotherapy could open a new avenue for the development of cancer therapy technology. Here, low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) for controlled quick intracellular release of small molecules (Mw ≤ 1000 Da) without acute cell damage is demonstrated. The release is achieved by a composite poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/poly-(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/SiO2 microcapsules which are highly sensitive to LIFU and can be effectively broken by weak cavitation effects. Most PAH/PSS/SiO2 capsules in B50 rat neuronal cells can be ruptured and release rhodamine B (Rh-B) into the cytosol within only 30 s of 0.75 W cm-2 LIFU treatment, as demonstrated by the CLSM results. While the same LIFU treatment shows no obvious damage to cells, as proved by the live/dead experiment, showing that 90% of cells remain alive.

This article considers a four-frequency microwave Doppler backscattering (DBS) system in the compact spherical tokamak Globus-M. The hardware was adequate for the purposes of studying the peripheral plasma in the tokamak. The multichannel DBS system is based on duplication of a dual homodyne detection circuit for four incident Ka-band frequencies. The ray tracing results for a spherical torus are described, and specific requirements for the antenna tilt adjustment are defined. Some new experimental results are given for using DBS diagnostics on the Globus-M tokamak in order to illustrate its efficiency.

The aim of the investigation was to study the clinical course of COVID-19 in the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and elucidate possible mechanisms of their mutual aggravation., Materials and Methods: The study included 64 patients with COVID-19; of them, 32 were with DM (main group) and 32 were DM-free (control group). The groups were formed according to the "case-control" principle. During hospitalization, the dynamics of clinical, glycemic, and coagulation parameters, markers of systemic inflammation, as well as kidney and liver functions were monitored and compared., Results: Among patients with DM, the course of viral pneumonia was more severe, as evidenced by a 2.2-fold higher number of people with extensive (>50%) lung damage (p=0.05), an increased risk of death according to the CURB-65 algorithm (1.3-fold, p=0.043), and a longer duration of insufficient blood oxygen saturation (p=0.0004). With the combination of COVID-19 and DM, hyperglycemia is persistent, without pronounced variability (MAGE - 1.5±0.6 mmol/L), the levels of C-reactive protein (p=0.028), creatinine (p=0.035), and fibrinogen (p=0.013) are higher, manifestations of hypercoagulability persist longer, including slower normalization of antithrombin III (p=0.012), fibrinogen (p=0.037), and D-dimer (p=0.035)., Conclusion: The course of COVID-19 in patients with DM is associated with a high severity and extension of pneumonia, persistent decrease in oxygen supply, high hyperglycemia, accelerated renal dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and hypercoagulability.

The reaction between aryl substituted sodium 1,2,3-triphospholides or disodium bis(1,2,3-triphospholide) and [Fe(η6-(C6H5CH3)Cp]+[PF6]- in boiling diglyme results in pure 1,2,3-triphosphaferrocenes 1-3 or bis(1,2,3-triphosphaferrocene) 4, respectively, in good yields. The structure of all obtained 1,2,3-triphosphaferrocenes 1-4 has been extensively studied experimentally (NMR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray analysis for 1 and 4) and quantum chemically. The electrochemical properties of 1,2,3-triphosphaferrocenes 1-4 in the solid state were studied for the first time and a reversible one-electron oxidation (E1/2 = 0.52-0.92 V vs. Fc+/Fc) was demonstrated for 1, 3, and 4. In the case of 1,4-bis(5-phenyl-4-(1,2,3-triphospaferrocenyl))benzene 4, consecutive oxidation in the solid state is observed in contrast to other 1,2,3-triphosphaferrocenes 1-3. According to the ESR data, the g-factor of the oxidized bis(1,2,3-triphosphaferrocene), 4 (g = 2.12) is different from the g-factors of oxidized 1,2,3-triphosphaferrocenes 1-3 (g = 2.01). This is the first example of multi(ferrocenyl) systems based on the phosphaferrocene motif, which in turn opens up a new fundamental platform for the preparation of compounds with stimuli-responsive properties.

Amino acid adducts of light fullerenes have a potential of application in a variety of fields of biomedicine, that is reactive oxygen species scavenging activity, anticancer activity, viruses and bacteria inactivation etc. In this work, the water-soluble C 60 fullerene derivative with l-hydroxyproline (C 60 (C 5 H 9 NO 3 ) 2 , C 60 -Hyp) was studied. Extensive biomedical investigation of this compound, namely, antiradical activity in the reaction with stable diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical, the binding to human serum albumin, photodynamic properties, cytotoxicity in glioblastoma A172 and lung carcinoma A549 cell lines, erythrocytes haemolysis, platelet aggregation, genotoxicity on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was conducted. Moreover, the dynamic and structural characteristics of C 60 -Hyp-H 2 O binary system were obtained using molecular dynamic (MD) method, and size distribution along with ζ-potentials of C 60 -Hyp associates was measured., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An intermodal fiber interferometer with an optical frequency scanning light source is considered to attain two main goals: signal fading elimination and achieving a linear response to external fiber perturbations. It is demonstrated that the interferometric signal traces repeatedly generated by the laser frequency scans can be used to average the target signal by calculating their autocorrelation function. A correlation approach is studied for signal processing, and various correlation function modifications are proposed and theoretically analyzed to achieve complete signal reconstruction. In particular, the relation between the autocorrelation function and the averaged amplitude characteristic is demonstrated. The efficiency of the proposed interferometer's scheme and the correlative signal processing are confirmed experimentally for the case of a sine-shaped fiber length modulation. We believe that the proposed method will be useful in real-time sensing applications.

This article presents data on the synthesis, identification, computer simulation and biocompatibility of graphene oxide (GO) functionalized with L-cysteine (GFC). It was determined that GO reacts with L-cysteine in two different ways: in an alkaline medium, L-cysteine reduces functional groups on the surface and at the boundaries of GO; with heating and the use of thionyl chloride, L-cysteine covalently attaches to GO through carboxylic groups only at the boundaries. The identification of GO, reduced graphene oxide and GFC was performed using various physicochemical methods, including infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Biocompatibility experiments included erythrocyte hemolysis, platelet aggregation, photodynamic and antiradical activity, binding to human serum albumin, and geno- and cytotoxicity studies. Applying density functional theory and molecular dynamics allowed us to obtain the structural and dynamic characteristics of a GFC-water binary system., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

One of the most studied fullerene members, C 60 , has a potential of application in various fields of biomedicine including reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity, inhibiting of tumours development, inactivating of viruses and bacteria, as well as elaboration of diagnostic and targeted drug delivery tools. However, the hydrophobicity of this molecule impedes its practical use, therefore the actuality of the research devoted to functionalisation of fullerenes leading to amphiphilic derivatives remains important. In this work, the water-soluble carboxylated fullerene derivative C 60 [C(COOH) 2 ] 3 was studied. Extensive biomedical investigation of this compound, namely, the binding with human serum albumin (HSA), radical scavenging activity in the reaction with diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, photodynamic properties, cytotoxicity in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line, erythrocytes' haemolysis, platelet aggregation, and genotoxicity in human peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) was conducted. Moreover, the dynamic and structural characteristics of C 60 [C(COOH) 2 ] 3 -H 2 O binary system were obtained using molecular dynamic (MD) method, and size distribution of C 60 [C(COOH) 2 ] 3 associates was measured., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Newly discovered methylammonium polyiodides (MAI x ) are unique precursors for innovative solvent-free technologies in perovskite photovoltaics because MAI x are liquids at room temperature and demonstrate high chemical reactivity. We investigated the features of an MAI-I 2 system and built up a first phase diagram in wide temperature and composition ranges using data from differential scanning calorimetry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and visual thermal analysis. The phase diagram has been found to differ drastically from that of any related systems owing to the unique propensity of methylammonium toward forming a diversity of polyiodides with complicated crystal structures, namely, MAI 2 , MAI 2.67 , MAI 4 , and MAI 5.5 , found in this system for the first time. The performed density functional theory calculations revealed the crucial role of entropy contributing to the formation of higher methylammonium polyiodides, in good agreement with experimental data.

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is widely used in medical practice, including cancer therapy. Also this approach is promising for remote release of encapsulated drugs in various other biomedical applications where local treatment is needed. Our approach underpins the minimization of HIFU impact on possible degradation of biological tissues and expand the use of HIFU in the controlled release of encapsulated drugs. We demonstrated the efficient ultrasound-induced release of labeled protein (Cy7-BSA) from elaborated nanocomposite microcapsules in vitro an in vivo. The capsule fabrication was done using combination of recently developed freezing-induced loading (FIL) technique and Layer-by-Layer assembly (LbL) used for the preparation of complex multilayer BSA/tannic acid nanocomposite capsules sensitive to HIFU. These capsules contain NIR fluorescent Cy7-labeled BSA in the shell for tracking in vivo and the high concentration of labels inside the capsules resulted in self-quenching provides the real-time detection of the protein once it is released from the capsule. Ultrasound-induced release in vivo of Cy7-labeled BSA initially quenched by magnetite nanoparticles was confirmed by fluorescent tomography. The significant decrease of Cy7 fluorescence under HIFU treatment in vitro was found to be due to a generation of reactive oxygen species and fast dye oxidation. Our results demonstrate that adapted HIFU setup can be used for the directed release of encapsulated substances in vivo under tissue compatible NIR monitoring by fluorescent tomography., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Here, changes in the serum level of total anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and its activated form in children of both sexes and women with different reproductive status are investigated. This TGFβ superfamily cytokine is known to provide the formation of the male-type reproductive system in mammalian embryogenesis, and regulate folliculogenesis, spermatogenesis and the balance of sex hormones after birth. The biologically active form of the hormone (aAMH) is formed as a result of limited proteolysis of the AMH molecule; it is not reliably known in which tissues and under the action of which enzyme it occurs. The serum level of aAMH seems to be a more informative clinical indicator than the content of total AMH (tAMH), but there are no ELISA systems at the world market that provide direct quantitative detection of aAMH. In this work, quantitative detection of total hormone (tAMH) and its biologically active form (aAMH) in serum was performed using specially developed enzyme immunoassay systems. We showed that in girls, the total serum AMH level, as well as the concentration ratio aAMH / tAMH, practically does not change with age, whereas in boys, there is not only a significant decrease in the total serum AMH level previously described in the literature (Pearson correlation coefficient R = - 0.86, p <0.001), but also in the ratios of the aAMH / tAMH level (R = -0.531, p <0.001). It was also found that in pregnant women, the amount of total AMH and the proportion of aAMH in serum was significantly higher (p <0.01 and p <0.001, respectively) than in the control group women. The obtained results are in good agreement with the available data on the total and activated AMH content in the blood serum of people of different sex and age and indicate a change in the ratio of aAMH / tAMH serum levels in pregnancy. These data may be important both for deepening the understanding of AMH biology and for interpreting the results obtained using AMH detection based diagnostics., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The results of experiments and theoretical modeling of the multiple filamentation of terawatt-power femtosecond laser pulses on a 137 m long air path are presented. We use a multielement optical setup consisting of a Galilean telescope and a deformable bimorph mirror, which allows construction for the desired pulse wavefront at the optical path entrance. By introducing controlled aberrations of the pulse phase profile, we demonstrate the wide-ranging manipulations on the position and spatial structure of the filamentation region. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the stable wide-aperture (5 cm in diameter) ring-shaped spatial lattice of high-intense light channels is experimentally realized, which can persist over hundreds of meters in air.

The possibility of H 2 molecule adsorption on the basal plane of monolayer TiS 3 at various sites has been studied. Among the studied adsorption sites, few sites were found to be suitable for physisorption with binding energy up to 0.10 eV per H 2 . To increase the activity of hydrogen sorption, the possibility of generating S-vacancies, by removing sulfur atoms from the basal plane of monolayer TiS 3, was investigated. Despite the fact that the structures containing vacancies were found to be stable enough, there was no increase in the activity towards hydrogen adsorption. The same effect was obtained with the use of common methods of increasing of the H 2 adsorption energy: the decoration of the two-dimensional material with alkali metals (Li, Na). This might be caused by the negatively charged surfaces of single layer TiS 3 , which hinder the increase in binding by alkali metals through a weak electrostatic interaction., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Long term encapsulation combined with spatiotemporal release for a precisely defined quantity of small hydrophilic molecules on demand remains a challenge in various fields ranging from medical drug delivery, controlled release of catalysts to industrial anti-corrosion systems. Free-standing individually sealed polylactic acid (PLA) nano- and microchamber arrays were produced by one-step dip-coating a PDMS stamp into PLA solution for 5 s followed by drying under ambient conditions. The wall thickness of these hydrophobic nano-microchambers is tunable from 150 nm to 7 μm by varying the PLA solution concentration. Furthermore, small hydrophilic molecules were successfully in situ precipitated within individual microchambers in the course of solvent evaporation after sonicating the PLA@PDMS stamp to remove air-bubbles and to load the active substance containing solvent. The cargo capacity of single chambers was determined to be in the range of several picograms, while it amounts to several micrograms per cm 2 . Two different methods for sealing chambers were compared: microcontact printing versus dip-coating whereby microcontact printing onto a flat PLA sheet allows for entrapment of micro-air-bubbles enabling microchambers with both ultrasound responsiveness and reduced permeability. Cargo release triggered by external high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) stimuli is demonstrated by experiment and compared with numerical simulations.

Recombinant interferon-β1b (IFN-β1b) is an effective remedy against multiple sclerosis and other diseases. However, use of small polypeptide (molecular weight is around 18.5 kDa) is limited due to poor solubility, stability, and short half-life in systemic circulation. To solve this problem, we constructed two variants of PASylated IFN-β1b, with PAS sequence at C- or N-terminus of IFN-β1b. The PAS-modified proteins demonstrated 4-fold increase in hydrodynamic volume of the molecule combined with 2-fold increase of in vitro biological activity, as well as advanced stability and solubility of the protein in solution as opposed to unmodified IFN-β1b. Our results demonstrate that PASylation has a positive impact on stability, solubility, and functional activity of IFN-β1b and potentially might improve pharmacokinetic properties of the molecule as a therapeutic agent.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe rheumatic disease characterized by polysymptomatic clinical picture. At the present stage, there are no updated epidemiological data due to the low prevalence of the disease. The aim of the study was to examine the current clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus based on the information contained in the territorial register, analysis of occurrence and symptoms at the early stage of the disease. This study demonstrated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of SLE from the analysis of 107 cases during the period from 2011 to 2013 and retrospective analysis of the cases for 1980-2013. The epidemiological situation was evaluated based on extensive and intensive indicators using statistical software license. The current SLE prevalence was estimated at 5,59 per 100 000 population in 2013, the incidence between 1994 and 2003 at 0,29 per 100 000 population and between 2004 and 2013 at 0,49, with the peak in 2010 up to 1,35 per 100 000 population. The average absolute growth and growth rate of SLE in the first decade was 0,05% and 0,24%, in the second decade 0,001% and 0,006% respectively, with the female to male ratio being 9:1, mean age of the patients 37,62±11,65 years), and ethnic composition of 87 Slavs and 15 Crimean Tatars. The most common symptoms at the early (polyarthritis, fever, dermatitis) and advanced (polyarthritis, Raynaud's syndrome, carditis, myalgia) stages differed from those specified by American College of Rheumatology (1997). The difference between early and late symptoms of SLE was documented . Based on the data obtained, the division of the disease into clinical subtypes (phenotypes) is proposed.