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Gramicidin S (GS), one of the first discovered antimicrobial peptides, still shows strong antibiotic activity after decades of clinical use, with no evidence of resistance. The relatively high hemolytic activity and narrow therapeutic window of GS limit its use in topical applications. Encapsulation and targeted delivery may be the way to develop the internal administration of this drug. The lipid composition of membranes and non-covalent interactions affect GS’s affinity for and partitioning into lipid bilayers as monomers or oligomers, which are crucial for GS activity. Using both differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FTIR methods, the impact of GS on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membranes was tested. Additionally, the combined effect of GS and cholesterol on membrane characteristics was observed; while dipalmitoylphosphatydylglycerol (DPPG) and cerebrosides did not affect GS binding to DPPC membranes, cholesterol significantly altered the membrane, with 30% mol concentration being most effective in enhancing GS binding. The effect of star-like dextran-polyacrylamide D-g-PAA(PE) on GS binding to the membrane was tested, revealing that it interacted with GS in the membrane and significantly increased the proportion of GS oligomers. Instead, calcium ions affected GS binding to the membrane differently, with independent binding of calcium and GS and no interaction between them. This study shows how GS interactions with lipid membranes can be effectively modulated, potentially leading to new formulations for internal GS administration. Modified liposomes or polymer nanocarriers for targeted GS delivery could be used to treat protein misfolding disorders and inflammatory conditions associated with free-radical processes in cell membranes.

The article highlights the process of constructing the image of the enemy in Ukrainians after the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia on February 24, 2022. Even though the war has been going on for 2014 years, the full-scale invasion changed the image of the enemy: now it becomes specific from the general image of Russia, and the Russian people are added to the list of enemy subjects, in addition to the government and the army. Based on in-depth interviews conducted immediately after the beginning of the invasion, the main characteristics of the enemy image construction among Ukrainian citizens are analyzed. What kind of enemy can be reflected through the description of personal characteristics of the enemy and emotions that arise towards him. The central element in the perception of the enemy image is that the government, the military, and the population appear as not very powerful but, at the same time, dangerous enemies. Emotionally, two emotions are predominant in Ukrainians’ perception of the enemy: hatred and disgust, which translates into a vision of future relations with Russia. The psychological processes of stereotyping the enemy, mirroring, dehumanization, and selective perception are present in forming the enemy image in the respondents. In addition, a psychological balance shows that the worse the enemy, the better “we” are, and the enemy itself is dangerous but one that can be overcome and defeated.

The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of the development of environmental cross-border cooperation, as well as to determine the prospects and ways of deepening interregional Ukrainian-Polish cooperation in the environmental sphere. The relevant international environmental cooperation of the states contributes to the improvement of the environment and provides a defined level of environmental safety. The challenges of international economic greening as well as the needs in cooperation between the neighboring states indicate that studying of the ecological state on the cross-border territories is considered to be of great significance.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are essential for regulating protein functions, influencing various fundamental processes in eukaryotes. These include, but are not limited to, cell signaling, protein trafficking, the epigenetic control of gene expression, and control of the cell cycle, as well as cell proliferation, differentiation, and interactions between cells. In this review, we discuss protein PTMs that play a key role in the malaria parasite biology and its pathogenesis. Phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, lipidation and lipoxidation, glycosylation, ubiquitination and sumoylation, nitrosylation and glutathionylation, all of which occur in malarial parasites, are reviewed. We provide information regarding the biological significance of these modifications along all phases of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium spp. Importantly, not only the parasite, but also the host and vector protein PTMs are often crucial for parasite growth and development. In addition to metabolic regulations, protein PTMs can result in epitopes that are able to elicit both innate and adaptive immune responses of the host or vector. We discuss some existing and prospective results from antimalarial drug discovery trials that target various PTM-related processes in the parasite or host.

Introduction. Cross-resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics against the background of the use of biocides in subinhibitory concentrations is an urgent problem of modern health care. The aim of the work is to study the effect of povidone-iodine on the sensitivity of clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae to antibiotics. Materials and methods. The work analyzed the effect of povidone-iodine at subinhibitory concentrations on changes in the sensitivity of clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae (n = 9) to antibacterial agents (n = 15). Adaptation of bacteria to povidone-iodine was carried out using periodic cultivation of microorganisms, which was carried out in 96-well culture plates for suspension cultures (non-treated) without stirring. The sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics was assessed using an automatic analyzer Vitek2Compact (BioMerieux) using AST-204 charts. Results. During the adaptation of clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae to povidone-iodine, an increase in the sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics was shown. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 11 antibacterial agents in relation to the studied cultures decreased by an average of 2.3523.2 times compared with the control values. Under the experimental conditions, the sensitivity of the studied cultures increased to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid by 2 8 times, piperacillin/tazobactam by 2 32 times, ceftazidime by 4 16 times, ami-kacin 2 16 times, ertapenem 2.08.0 times, meropinem 28 times, cefepim 4 64 times, ciprofloxacin 4 16 times, gentamicin 2 8 times, norfloxacin 28 times, nitrofurantoin 24 times. An increase in the level of sensitivity to antibiotics was found in 50100% of the studied clinical bacterial isolates. A similar effect has not been established for ampicillin, cefotaxime, imipenem, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. It should be noted that under the conditions of the experiment, intraspecific heterogeneity of clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae was revealed in terms of the level of acquired sensitivity to antibacterial agents. Discussion. Our results are not described in the scientific literature and require further study and explanation.

The military invasion of Ukraine has destroyed and damaged extensive built cultural heritage, including churches, museums and monuments. Based on site visits conducted since the invasion, we outline damage to the eleventh-century sites of Boldyni Hory, Chernihiv, and the church, citadel and graveyard at Oster, Chernihiv Oblast. Keywords: Ukraine, satellite and ground observation, photogrammetry, built heritage, buried cultural heritage, Introduction The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has resulted in a significant loss of human lives, the national and international displacement of many Ukrainian people and [...]

The purpose of the article is to analyze and assess the situation of the market for environmental goods and services in the EU as well as the formation of its support and regulation system. Methodology: The market for environmental goods and services has experienced the dynamic growth and development in the last two decades, especially in economically developed countries. The research concerns the peculiarities of the development of the organic products market, sources of support for the development of organic production in the EU. The research uses the desk research method, which provides a possibility of using a wide range of materials in various areas and periods. Additionally, relevant legal acts, official documents and reports were used in the study. Results of the research: The structure of certified agricultural lands in the EU is thoroughly analyzed in the article. Emphasis is placed on the study of the EU market for organic products development peculiarities, which include a constant growth of demand for these products and their rising prices. The main elements of the ecological goods and services market regulation system are also characterized. The conclusions contained in the article refer to the possibility of using one of these instruments: financing from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, crediting, venture financing, green bonds, fundraising, crowd funding, crowd landing as well as own means of enterprises. Generally, financial support should be more flexible and tailored to the needs of beneficiaries.

Here, the authors report accelerated intrahost evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in an immunocompromised patient with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with 318 days long COVID-19, and show that changes in the viral genome resulted in escape from T cellular immune response.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to assess the socio-ecological and economic efficiency of the organic land-use through the economic substantiation of the organic production development in the Western Polissia regions and its impact on the population health. Methodology / approach. We used general scientific and special research methods for the study. With methods of comparisons, extrapolations, correlations and the regression analysis, we could give an ecological and economical estimate for costs using for the organic land-use engineering and for the feasibility evaluation of the organic production development. The synthesis method was useful in determining the socio-economic efficiency of growing organic products. The State Statistics Service data, collections of health indicators and the activities of medical institutions in the Rivne region became the initial basis for the present study. Results. We made the scientific rationale for the organic production development in the Western Polissia, namely, in Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions, determined the stabilizing costs for the quality condition of 1 hectare of agricultural land. Moreover, the absence of a direct and close relationship between the agro-ecological indicators of soils and the rate of land certification was proved. It was proposed to use the economic criteria for the agricultural land suitability relative to the organic production, as they are defined as informational rather than restrictive. Mathematical modeling helped to evidence the existence of a relationship between the volume of mineral fertilizers applied per hectare of sown area and the level of the population oncological morbidity exemplified by Rivne region, resulting in mathematical models obtained and applied for the predictive estimates of health problems among the population in Rivne region for the coming years. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, the assessment of the socio-economic efficiency of the organic land use was carried out with the involvement of economic justification for the development of organic production in Western Polissia regions and its impact on the population health. Practical value / implications. Key results of the study are primarily actionable for determining the ecological and economic substantiation of the development advisability of the organic production through the implementation of the ecological and economic appraisal of costs using for the organic land-use engineering. In addition to it, another key result is to set the level of reduction in the population morbidity due to a decrease in mineral fertilizers applicable per hectare of sown area.

In this work, we propose a software library written in C for encoding and decoding Reed-Solomon codes. Library consists of one scalar codec and two vectorized codecs for x86 architecture. Vectorized codecs use the benefits of SSSE3 or AVX2 instruction sets. We compare the performance of our three codecs with the JPWL RS codec from the Open JPEG library. The performance comparison methodology is described, and it is based on the measuring of the encoding and decoding speed. The results demonstrate a 4.1x speed gain with the scalar codec and a 19.6x gain with the vectorized codec. Based on testing results and supported instruction sets, a dynamic selection of codec version is proposed.

The characteristics of peripheral neuropathy (PN), its incidence and a possibility of relieving in multiple myeloma (MM) patients receiving bortezomib are presented. A hundred and twenty-four patients with recurrent/refractory MM and 14 primary patients were followed up. PN more commonly occurred after 3—5 cycles of bortezomib therapy. Grade > 2 PN was observed in 29% of the patients. The cumulative dose of bortezomib was 15.6 to 26 mg/m2. After 6—8 cycles the incidence of PN was also high. There was a correlation between the cumulative dose of bortezomib and the incidence of PN (R = 0.927; p < 0.0009). A correlation was also found between the incidence of PN and prior vincristine-containing treatment regimens (VAD scheme). Overall, PN was identified in 54% of the patients. Treatment of PN with gabapentin, pregabalin, vitamins B, and α-lipoic acid was effective. PN resolved to the baseline levels or the patients’ condition improved in 72% of the patients, the median time taken for resolution or improvement being 114 days. It is necessary to reduce the dose of bortezomib or to discontinue the drug temporarily in order to relieve the symptoms of neuropathy.

We used the bortezomib plus dexamethasone (VD) and bortezomib plus MP (VMP) in 56 previously untreated elderly patients with multiple myeloma. The patients were 65–89 years old. For patients who received bortezomib plus MP the overall response rate was 83%. 33.3% of patients achieved complete response (near-complete response + complete response) (based on EBMT criteria). For patients who received bortezomib plus dexamethasone the overall response rate was 73%. 34.6% of patients achieved complete response. Median overall survival in patients treated with bortezomib plus dexamethasone and bortezomib plus MP has not been reached. Median event-free survival was 15 and 17 months respectively. Side effects of bortezomib were predictable and manageable. The most common adverse events reported were asthenia, neuropathy, neutropenia and anemia. Serious adverse events were rare. These results establish VMP and VD as modern strategies in therapy of elderly untreated patients with multiple myeloma. VMP and VD is highly effective and well tolerated in elderly patients (> 65 years) with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The electrokinetic possibilities of separation and concentration of S.aureus bacteria in human whole blood (test mixture) were studied using a new design of a four-electrode biosensor chip format with transparent microelectrodes. In the measurements, a closed cell was used, into which the test mixture was poured. The electrokinetic movement of bacteria during concentration was observed when AC voltage was applied to the first and second annular external electrodes, and DC voltage was applied to the third and fourth semicircular central electrodes. The process of separation of erythrocytes and concentration of bacteria was recorded by an optical method. It is shown that the concentration of bacteria appears after 8 minutes and increases by 30 minutes in the region of the central electrodes under model conditions. The measurements were carried out on two biosensor chip formats having almost identical electrophysical parameters of capacitance and conductivity at frequencies from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. It is determined that the amplitude-frequency mode and biosensor chip format can be used to develop methodological support for the identification of bacterial species, but only by optical methods. It is shown that in order to increase the number of bacteria on both of the central electrode in the concentration mode, it is necessary to increase the speed of the electroosmotic flow at alternating current, by optimizing the composition of the medium and the parameters of the electrical regime in order to equalize the rates of separation and concentration processes.

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are spread globally by wild migratory birds that are reservoirs of AIVs. Epidemics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) can devastate the poultry industry and result in severe trade restrictions. Many routes of wild migratory birds pass through the territory of Ukraine, therefore studying the circulation of the viruses is important for the prevention of AIV spreading. The aim of the investigation was to summarize and analyze results of AI tests carried out by state laboratories during 2020–2021. The tests were conducted in the framework of state control of AI aimed to early detection and prevention of HPAI virus spreading on the territory of Ukraine. 27 354 samples of biological material from wild and domestic birds (11 115 samples – in 2020 and 16 239 – in 2021) were tested by PCR in State Scientific and Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise and regional state laboratories. For PCR testing commercial kits and reagents were used: IndiSpin Pathogen Kit (INDICAL BIOSCIENCE), VetMAX™-Gold AIV Detection Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific), AIV H5-H7 REAL TIME (ADIAVET), AgPath-ID™ One-Step RT-PCR Reagents (Ambion) with N8 RT-PCR primers and probe. In 2020, 84 positive samples on AI type A subtype H5N8 from poultry of Vinnytsia, Kherson, Kyiv and Mykolaiv oblasts was detected. In 2021, the presence of AIV RNA subtype H5N8 and H5N1 was detected in 87 samples (72 samples from poultry, 11 from wild birds and 4 from zoo birds) of Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Ternopil and Kherson oblasts. In 2020, 9 outbreaks of AI were registered in Vinnytsia (1), Mykolaiv(5), Kyiv (2) and Kherson (1) oblasts; in 2021, 11 outbreaks were registered in Mykolaiv (4), Kyiv (2), Donetsk (2), Ternopil (1) and Kherson (2) oblasts. In general, during 2020–2021, 20 outbreaks of AI subtype H5 (3 – commercial poultry farms, 13 – from backyards, 3 – in wild birds and 1 – in zoo birds) were registered in 6 oblasts of Ukraine. RNA of AIV in the samples from imported birds was not detected. Wild migratory birds are the most likely source of AIV in Ukraine since most outbreaks were registered in oblasts located at the crossing of wild bird migratory routes.

Background. The treatment options for patients with multiple myeloma who refractory to previous bortezomib and lenalidomide therapy are limited. Pomalidomide is ап immunomodulatory agent that was registered for the treatment of patients with double refractory multiple myeloma.Aim. To evaluate efficacy, safety and optimal course of the therapy with pomalidomide in routine practice in patients with double refractory multiple myeloma.Materials and methods. Overall, 71 patients with double refractory multiple myeloma were included in the retrospective analysis. There were 36 males and 35 females. The median age was 61 years (range 35-79). According to Durie-Salmon staging system, there were 53 (79.1 %) patients in stage III, 13 (19.4 %) - stage II, and 1 (1.5 %) - stage I.The stage was unknown in 4 patients. Kidney impairment at the onset was in 10 (15 %) patients, the normal function was in 57 (85 %) patients and 4 patients had no data. Most patients (n = 68, 95.8 %) received pomalidomide in one therapy line, in 3 (4.2 %) patients - drug was given in two lines, totally 74 episodes of use. Median number of drugs prescribed prior to pomalidomide were 4 (2-9) drugs, including target ones - 2 (2-5). In the first remission 31 (43.6 %) patients received high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation. pomalidomide was administered in combination with low doses of dexamethasone (PomDex, n = 44; 59.4 %) and as a part of triple regimens (n = 30; 40.6 %). previously exposed (n = 22; 73.3 %) and new drugs (n = 8; 26.7 %) were used in the combination treatment. In 44 (61.9 %) patients pomalidomide was administered more than 3 years after the onset of the disease, median 63.5 (37-184) months. In 27 (38.1 %) patients it was given within less than 3 years after the onset, median 21 (6-36) months. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Secondary endpoints - pomalidomide tolerability, response rate and optimal third drug in the triple regimen. The dependence of progression-free survival, frequency of response and adverse events from the pretreatment, the choice of the third drug, gender, age, immunochemical variant, stage according to the International Staging System and to Durie-Salmon classification was studied.Results. The median time from the diagnosis to the start of pomalidomide therapy was 44.5 (6-184) months. The median of cycles with pomalidomide was 3 (1-30). The response was achieved in 52 (70 %) patients. The median progression-free survival was 4 (1-30) months, overall survival - 6 (0.5-42) months. Adverse effects were noted in 34 (46.5 %) patients. The most frequent adverse events were neutropenia grade III-IV (n = 14; 41.3 %), infection (n = 7; 20.7 %) and fatigue with limitation of daily activity (n = 6; 20.6 %). The rate of adverse events was higher in patients with triplets than doublets regimens of therapy: 43.3 % (n = 13) and 27.2 % (n = 12) respectively (p = 0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in progression-free survival between pomalidomide treatment options (two- or three-component regimen).Conclusion. Compared to the three-component therapy consisting of drugs to which refractoriness was previously diagnosed the PomDex scheme is less toxic and equally effective. Therapy with pomalidomide is effective in the majority of patients with double refractory multiple myeloma even in heavily pretreated. The toxicity is acceptable.

We analyzed the unique episode of long-range dust/sand atmospheric aerosol transport from the arid zones of the southern European territory of Russia, i.e. the Northern Caspian and Astrakhan regions and the Kalmykia Republic, to the Moscow region during fall 2020. Intensive complex experiments were carried out at the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciencesin the center of Moscow through different seasons during 2020–2021 to study the composition of near-surface aerosols in the Moscow megacity. The experimental data are considered to take into account the synoptic features and meteorological conditions. Abnormally high values of near-surface aerosol mass concentrations in Moscow were registered during the period from 6 to 14 of October 2020 under stable anti-cyclonic conditions, with calm or quiet/light wind (1–2 m/s), and under the conditions of the dominance of southeastern air mass transport. At the same time, the average daily mass concentration of aerosol particles PM10 exceeded the Maximum Permissible Concentration (MPC) value (60 µg/m3) by 1.5–4.5 times, and the number of large (micron) particles increased by an order or more. Comparative analysis of aerosol elemental composition in Moscow (during this episode) and in Kalmykia (according to observations in July 2020) showed high correlation for terrigenous elements' patterns. The aerosol origin for this episode was confirmed by performing long-range trajectory analysis of air mass transport (HYSPLIT model), and by using MERRA-2 reanalysis data for dust aerosol spatial distribution

The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) Science Plan, released in 2015, addressed a need for a holistic system understanding and outlined the most urgent research needs for the rapidly changing Arctic-boreal region. Air quality in China, together with the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants, was also indicated as one of the most crucial topics of the research agenda. These two geographical regions, the northern Eurasian Arctic-boreal region and China, especially the megacities in China, were identified as a “PEEX region”. It is also important to recognize that the PEEX geographical region is an area where science-based policy actions would have significant impacts on the global climate. This paper summarizes results obtained during the last 5 years in the northern Eurasian region, together with recent observations of the air quality in the urban environments in China, in the context of the PEEX programme. The main regions of interest are the Russian Arctic, northern Eurasian boreal forests (Siberia) and peatlands, and the megacities in China. We frame our analysis against research themes introduced in the PEEX Science Plan in 2015. We summarize recent progress towards an enhanced holistic understanding of the land–atmosphere–ocean systems feedbacks. We conclude that although the scientific knowledge in these regions has increased, the new results are in many cases insufficient, and there are still gaps in our understanding of large-scale climate–Earth surface interactions and feedbacks. This arises from limitations in research infrastructures, especially the lack of coordinated, continuous and comprehensive in situ observations of the study region as well as integrative data analyses, hindering a comprehensive system analysis. The fast-changing environment and ecosystem changes driven by climate change, socio-economic activities like the China Silk Road Initiative, and the global trends like urbanization further complicate such analyses. We recognize new topics with an increasing importance in the near future, especially “the enhancing biological sequestration capacity of greenhouse gases into forests and soils to mitigate climate change” and the “socio-economic development to tackle air quality issues”.

Gramicidin S (GS), one of the first discovered antimicrobial peptides, still shows strong antibiotic activity after decades of clinical use, with no evidence of resistance. The relatively high hemolytic activity and narrow therapeutic window of GS limit its use in topical applications. Encapsulation and targeted delivery may be the way to develop the internal administration of this drug. The lipid composition of membranes and non-covalent interactions affect GS's affinity for and partitioning into lipid bilayers as monomers or oligomers, which are crucial for GS activity. Using both differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FTIR methods, the impact of GS on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membranes was tested. Additionally, the combined effect of GS and cholesterol on membrane characteristics was observed; while dipalmitoylphosphatydylglycerol (DPPG) and cerebrosides did not affect GS binding to DPPC membranes, cholesterol significantly altered the membrane, with 30% mol concentration being most effective in enhancing GS binding. The effect of star-like dextran-polyacrylamide D-g-PAA(PE) on GS binding to the membrane was tested, revealing that it interacted with GS in the membrane and significantly increased the proportion of GS oligomers. Instead, calcium ions affected GS binding to the membrane differently, with independent binding of calcium and GS and no interaction between them. This study shows how GS interactions with lipid membranes can be effectively modulated, potentially leading to new formulations for internal GS administration. Modified liposomes or polymer nanocarriers for targeted GS delivery could be used to treat protein misfolding disorders and inflammatory conditions associated with free-radical processes in cell membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2020, during the 80th cruise of the R/V “Akademik Mstislav Keldysh”, the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl-a) and spectral coefficients of light absorption by phytoplankton pigments, non-algal particles (NAP) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured in the Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea and the adjacent area of the Arctic Ocean. It was shown that the spatial distribution of the three light-absorbing components in the explored Arctic region was non-homogenous. It was revealed that CDOM contributed largely to the total non-water light absorption (atot(λ) = aph(λ) + aNAP(λ) + aCDOM(λ)) in the blue spectral range in the Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea. The fraction of NAP in the total non-water absorption was low (less than 20%). The depth of the euphotic zone depended on atot(λ) in the surface water layer, which was described by a power equation. The Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea did not differ in the Chl-a-specific light absorption coefficients of phytoplankton. In the blue maximum of phytoplankton absorption spectra, Chl-a-specific light absorption coefficients of phytoplankton in the upper mixed layer (UML) were higher than those below the UML. Relationships between phytoplankton absorption coefficients and Chl-a were derived by least squares fitting to power functions for the whole visible domain with a 1 nm interval. The OCI, OC3 and GIOP algorithms were validated using a database of co-located results (day-to-day) of in situ measurements (n = 63) and the ocean color scanner data: the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra (EOS AM) and Aqua (EOS PM) satellites, the Visible and Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and JPSS-1 satellites (also known as NOAA-20), and the Ocean and the Land Color Imager (OLCI) onboard the Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B satellites. The comparison showed that despite the technological progress in optical scanners and the algorithms refinement, the considered standard products (chlor_a, chl_ocx, aph_443, adg_443) carried little information about inherent optical properties in Arctic waters. Based on the statistic metrics (Bias, MdAD, MAE and RMSE), it was concluded that refinement of the algorithm for retrieval of water bio-optical properties based on remote sensing data was required for the Arctic region.

Malaria is still the most important parasitic infectious disease. Numerous substances are known to have antimalarial activity; among them, artemisinin is the most widely used one, and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is recommended for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.) malaria. Antitumor, immunomodulatory, and other therapeutic applications of artemisinin are under extensive study. Several different mechanisms of action were proposed for dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the active metabolite of artemisinin, such as eliciting oxidative stress in target cells. The goal of this study is to monitor the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) by DHA in P.f.-infected human erythrocytes. Checking ROS and 4-HNE-protein adducts kinetics along the maturation of the parasite, we detected the highest level of 4-HNE in ring forms of P.f. due to DHA treatment. Low micromolar concentrations of DHA quickly induced levels of 4-HNE-adducts which are supposed to be damaging. Mass spectrometry identified the P.f. protein cysteine proteinase falcipain-1 as being heavily modified by 4-HNE, and plausibly, 4-HNE conjugation with vital P.f. proteins might contribute to DHA-elicited parasite death. In conclusion, significant 4-HNE accumulation was detectable after DHA treatment, though, at concentrations well above pharmacologically effective ranges in malaria treatment, but at concentrations described for antitumor activity. Thus, lipid peroxidation with consequent 4-HNE conjugation of functionally relevant proteins might be considered as a uniform mechanism for how DHA potentiates antimalarials’ action in ACT and controls the progression of tumors.

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease, endemic to Africa, that causes high mortality when introduced into domestic pig populations. Since the emergence of p72-genotype II African swine fever virus (ASFV) in Georgia in 2007, an ASF epidemic has been spreading across Europe and many countries in Asia. The epidemic first reached Ukraine in 2012. To better understand the dynamics of spread of ASF in Ukraine, we analyzed spatial and temporal outbreak data reported in Ukraine between 2012 and mid-2023. The highest numbers of outbreaks were reported in 2017 (N = 163) and 2018 (N = 145), with overall peak numbers of ASF outbreaks reported in August (domestic pigs) and January (wild boars). While cases were reported from most of Ukraine, we found a directional spread from the eastern and northern borders towards the western and southern regions of Ukraine. Many of the early outbreaks (before 2016) were adjacent to the border, which is again true for more recent outbreaks in wild boar, but not for recent outbreaks in domestic pigs. Outbreaks prior to 2016 also occurred predominantly in areas with a below average domestic pig density. This new analysis suggests that wild boars may have played an important role in the introduction and early spread of ASF in Ukraine. However, in later years, the dynamic suggests human activity as the predominant driver of spread and a separation of ASF epizootics between domestic pigs and in wild boars. The decline in outbreaks since 2019 suggests that the implemented mitigation strategies are effective, even though long-term control or eradication remain challenging and will require continued intensive surveillance of ASF outbreak patterns.

Malaria is a frequent parasitic infection becomes life threatening due to the disequilibrated immune responses of the host. Avid phagocytosis of malarial pigment hemozoin (HZ) and HZ-containing Plasmodium parasites incapacitates monocyte functions by bioactive lipoperoxidation products 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs). CYP4F conjugation with 4-HNE is hypothesised to inhibit ω-hydroxylation of 15-HETE, leading to sustained monocyte dysfunction caused by 15-HETE accumulation. A combined immunochemical and mass-spectrometric approach identified 4-HNE-conjugated CYP4F11 in primary human HZ-laden and 4-HNE-treated monocytes. Six distinct 4-HNE-modified amino acid residues were revealed, of which C260 and H261 are localized in the substrate recognition site of CYP4F11. Functional consequences of enzyme modification were investigated on purified human CYP4F11. Palmitic acid, arachidonic acid, 12-HETE, and 15-HETE bound to unconjugated CYP4F11 with apparent dissociation constants of 52, 98, 38, and 73 µM, respectively, while in vitro conjugation with 4-HNE completely blocked substrate binding and enzymatic activity of CYP4F11. Gas chromatographic product profiles confirmed that unmodified CYP4F11 catalysed the ω-hydroxylation while 4-HNE-conjugated CYP4F11 did not. The 15-HETE dose dependently recapitulated the inhibition of the oxidative burst and dendritic cell differentiation by HZ. The inhibition of CYP4F11 by 4-HNE with consequent accumulation of 15-HETE is supposed to be a crucial step in immune suppression in monocytes and immune imbalance in malaria.

Measurements of near-surface methane (CH4) mixing ratio and its stable isotope 13C were carried out from January 2018 to December 2020 at the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) research site in the center of Moscow city. The data show moderate interannual variations in monthly mean CH4 with maximum values being observed predominantly in winter (2.05–2.10 ppmv on average). The most δ13C depleted CH4 (up to −56‰) is observed in summer and autumn following seasonal decrease in traffic load in the city. The highest CH4 concentrations (>2.2 ppmv) were likely to be caused by air transport from the E–SE sector where potentially large microbial CH4 sources are located (landfills and water treatment plants, Moscow River). Keeling plots of these episodes in different seasons of 2018–2020 showed δ13C isotopic signatures of about −58–−59‰ for the spring–autumn period and −67‰ for winter. A good correlation was observed between CH4 and other pollutants: CO2, CO, and benzene in daytime (10:00–19:00) hours (R > 0.7). Contribution of urban methane emissions due to vehicle exhausts (∆[CH4]auto) and microbial activity (∆[CH4]micro+) along with regional baseline mixing ratios of CH4 ([CH4]base) and CO ([CO]base) were estimated from the linear orthogonal regression analyses of the measured daytime mixing ratios. A significant role of microbial methane in the formation of CH4 maximums in Moscow was revealed. Contributions of the upwind continental CH4 and CO sources to the measured species levels were estimated through comparison with the Mace Head site data representative for the Northern Hemisphere baseline air. The study provides, for the first time, important insights into the long- and short-term variations of CH4 levels in Moscow in connection to the local (urban) emissions and long-range transport from upwind continental sources. The results will contribute to elaboration of a default emission inventory in air quality modeling and help to identify the areas for targeted mitigation efforts.