Principal Component Analysis to evaluate the stability impact of protein mutations: the case of SARS-CoV2 K417T mutation

The severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was initially identified in the Wuhan Province, China spread worldwide rapidly. The intense escalation forced the WHO to declare a pandemic with 6.5 million deaths worldwide. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has a wide host range, as it uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a target receptor in humans. Several RBD residues mutated independently in multiple lineages. SARS-CoV-2 variants possess strong virulence and infectivity and can produce immune escape

Direct Economic Impact Assessment of Winter Honeybee Colony Losses in Three European Countries

Honeybees are of great importance because of their role in pollination as well as for hive products. The population of managed colonies fluctuates over time, and recent monitoring reports show different levels of colony losses in many regions and countries. The cause of this kind of loss is a combination of various factors, such as the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, viruses, pesticides, management practices, climate change, and other stress factors. Having in mind that the economic aspect of honeybee colony losses has not been estimated, a pioneer effort was made for developing a methodology that estimates the economic impact of honeybee colony losses. Winter loss data was based on 2993 answers of the COLOSS standard questionnaire survey of honeybee winter colony losses for 2016/2017. In addition, market and financial data were used for each country. In a comparative analysis, an assessment on the economic impact of colony losses in Austria, Czechia, and Macedonia was made. The estimation considered the value of the colonies and the potential production losses of the lost colonies and of surviving but weak colonies. The direct economic impact of winter honeybee colony losses in 2016/2017 in Austria was estimated to be about 32 Mio; in Czechia, 21 Mio; and in Macedonia, 3 Mio. Economic impact reflects the different value levels in the three countries, national colony populations, and the magnitude of colony losses. This study also suggests that economic losses are much higher than the subsidies, which underlines the economic importance of honeybees for the agricultural sector

Principal Component Analysis to evaluate the stability impact of protein mutations: the case of SARS-CoV-2 K417T mutation

The severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS CoV-2), which was initially identified in the Wuhan Province, China spread worldwide rapidly. The intense escalation forced the WHO to declare a pandemic with 6.5 million deaths worldwide. The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the impact of K417T mutation upon SARS-CoV-2 S-protein/hACE2 complex stability through the process of PCA analysis

The application of EDTA-Tris and chlorhexidine in the treatment of endometritis as a replacement for antibiotic therapy in cows

The treatment of reproductive disorders is based on the use of the available antibiotics or antiseptic agents. Prolonged or inadequate antibiotic treatment contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistances, while the use of antiseptics, particularly in high concentrations, leads to endometrial lesions and prolonging of the service period. The present study included monitoring of: 1) reproductive disorders of cows; 2) cytological, morphological, and bacteriological laboratory analyses; 3) susceptibility testing of isolated bacterial and reference strains to the EDTA-Tris (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid-hydroxymethyl aminomethane) and chlorhexidine (CHX); and 4) an estimate of the time before onset of the new sexual cycle. The aim of the research was to determine whether the combination of EDTA-Tris and CHX in concentrations that are not harmful to the endometrium may result in the satisfactory treatment of sick animals and provide optimal service periods of reproductively active animals. Research results of in vitro and in vivo analysis showed that by using the combination of EDTA-Tris and CHX bactericidal effects were achieved at lower concentrations in comparison with the concentrations that had the same effect in the absence of EDTA-Tris. The application of CHX in a concentration of 0.05% in the treatment of endometritis 10 min after infusion of EDTA-Tris solution had a positive effect on both the involution of the uterus and acutization of chronic inflammatory processes, and it was also economically advantageous when compared to the cost of treatment and the possible presence of residues in the products

Antihelmintic resistance as an environmental issue

Anthelmintic resistance (AR) represents the reduced sensitivity of parasites to substances used for the treatment of parasitosis of animals, ie, the possibility of their survival, to the recommended doses of used antiparasitics used for certain types of parasites. The appearance of this undesirable characteristic occurs as a consequence of inadequate use of antiparasitics during the treatment of diseased animals as well as the need for better economic results in modern livestock production. Available data indicate that AR has been recorded in many countries, and preliminary studies show that it is also present in our country. Pasture farming allows the spread of AR in nature and adverse effects on wildlife

Unveiling Anticancer Potential of COX-2 and 5-LOX Inhibitors: Cytotoxicity, Radiosensitization Potential and Antimigratory Activity against Colorectal and Pancreatic Carcinoma

Apart from cytotoxicity, inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme have demonstrated additional effects important for cancer treatment (such as radiosensitization of tumor cells and cell antimigratory effects); however, the relationship between the inhibition of other inflammation-related enzyme 5-LOX inhibitors and anticancer activity is still not well understood. In our study, the cytotoxicity of thirteen COX-2 and 5-LOX inhibitors previously presented by our group (1–13) was tested on three cancer cell lines (HCT 116, HT-29 and BxPC-3) and one healthy cell line (MRC-5). Compounds 3, 5, 6 and 7 showed moderate cytotoxicity, but good selectivity towards cancer cell lines. IC50 values were in the range of 22.99–51.66 µM (HCT 116 cell line), 8.63–41.20 µM (BxPC-3 cell line) and 24.78–81.60 µM (HT-29 cell line; compound 7 > 100 µM). In comparison to tested, commercially available COX-2 and 5-LOX inhibitors, both cytotoxicity and selectivity were increased. The addition of compounds 6 and 7 to irradiation treatment showed the most significant decrease in cell proliferation of the HT-29 cell line (p < 0.001). The antimigratory potential of the best dual COX-2 and 5-LOX inhibitors (compounds 1, 2, 3 and 5) was tested by a wound-healing assay using the SW620 cell line. Compounds 1 and 3 were singled out as compounds with the most potent effect (relative wound closure was 3.20% (24 h), 5,08% (48 h) for compound 1 and 3.86% (24 h), 7.68% (48 h) for compound 3). Considering all these results, compound 3 stood out as the compound with the most optimal biological activity, with the best dual COX-2 and 5-LOX inhibitory activity, good selectivity towards tested cancer cell lines, significant cell antimigratory potential and a lack of toxic effects at therapeutic doses

Fear of the unknown: local knowledge and perceptions of the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in western Macedonia

The remnant population of Balkan lynx Lynx lynx martinoi is small, isolated and highly threatened. Since 2006 a conservation project has surveyed its status and promoted its recovery in Albania and Macedonia. Eurasian lynx are often associated with conflicts of an economic or social nature, and their conservation requires a focus on the people sharing the landscape with the species. In this study we adopt methods and conceptual frameworks from anthropology to explore the local knowledge and perceptions of lynx among rural hunters and livestock breeders in the western mountains of the Republic of Macedonia in south-east Europe. The main finding was that local people rarely saw or interacted with lynx. As the level of interactions with this species is very low, the lynx doesn't appear to be a species associated with conflicts in Macedonia. There was also a general lack of both scientific and local knowledge, which has led to somewhat negative attitudes, mainly based on myths and rumours. Poaching of lynx and their prey seem to be the main barriers to lynx conservatio

In vitro Evaluation of Acaricidal Efficacy of Selected Essential Oils against Dermanyssus gallinae

Intensification of poultry production has been associated with an increase in parasite prevalence and adaptation of an invasive external parasitic species, such as the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae). The studies of biological efficacy (contact and fumigant) and level of toxicity to mites indicated that the external application of essential oils (EOs) can be an alternative to acaricides. In this study, the results of acaricidal efficacy of eight selected EOs - Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Laurus nobilus L., Mentha x piperita L., Mentha spicata L., Ocimum basilicum L., Salvia officinalis L., Satureja montana L. and Thymus vulgaris L. are presented. Their chemical profiles were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The acaricidal efficacy of EOs (6% concentration) was tested on adult mites over 10 days in laboratory conditions using the Petri-dish method, through direct exposure for 1 min (contact toxicity) and subsequent exposure for 1 h (residual toxicity). The most effective EO in direct exposure-contact, after 48 h of observation, was S. montana (100% toxicity), while the greatest residual effect was observed in T. vulgaris (11% toxicity). The obtained results showed high efficacy of the EOs against the mites through direct contact and thus their great acaricidal potential. However, the activity was lost with subsequent exposure, indicating the absence of prolonged effect. Possible ways to overcome this problem are discussed further in this paper. In any case, the present study confirmed the acaricidal potential of herbal medicines that can be used in the integrated control of poultry red mite

ZAGAĐENJE ŽIVOTNE SREDINE I ZDRAVLJE ČOVEKA

The paper discusses: ecological conditionality of human pathology in conditions of environmental pollution; basic concepts and methods of testing in the system "human health - environment"; some of the most famous environmental diseases.Publishe

Slower EEG alpha generation, synchronization and “flow”—possible biomarkers of cognitive impairment and neuropathology of minor stroke

Background. We investigated EEG rhythms, particularly alpha activity, and their relationship to post-stroke neuropathology and cognitive functions in the subacute and chronic stages of minor strokes. Methods. We included 10 patients with right middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic strokes a nd 11 healthy controls. All the assessments of stroke patients were done both in the subacute and chronic stages. Neurological impairment was measured using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), whereas cognitive functions were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and MoCA memory index (MoCA-MIS). The EEG was recorded using a 19 channel EEG system with standard EEG electrode placement. In particular, we analyzed the EEGs derived from the four lateral frontal (F3, F7, F4, F8), and corresponding lateral posterior (P3, P4, T5, T6) electrodes. Quantitative EEG analysis included: the group FFT spectra, the weighted average of alpha frequency (α AVG), the group probability density distributions of all conventional EEG frequency band relative amplitudes (EEG microstructure), the inter- and intra-hemispheric coherences, and the topographic distribution of alpha carrier frequency phase potentials (PPs). Statistical analysis was done using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA with a post-hoc Mann-WhitneyU two-tailed test, and Spearman's correlation. Results. We demonstrated transient cognitive impairment alongside a slower alpha fre- quency (αAVG) in the subacute right MCA stroke patients vs. the controls. This slower alpha frequency showed no amplitude change, but was highly synchronized intra- hemispherically, overlying the ipsi-lesional hemisphere, and inter-hemispherically, overlying the frontal cortex. In addition, the disturbances in EEG alpha activity in subacute stroke patients were expressed as a decrease in alpha PPs over the frontal cortex and an altered "alpha flow", indicating the sustained augmentation of inter- hemispheric interactions. Although the stroke induced slower alpha was a transient phenomenon, the increased alpha intra-hemispheric synchronization, overlying the ipsi-lesional hemisphere, the increased alpha F3-F4 inter-hemispheric synchronization, the delayed alpha waves, and the newly established inter-hemispheric "alpha flow" within the frontal cortex, remained as a permanent consequence of the minor stroke. This newly established frontal inter-hemispheric "alpha flow" represented a permanent consequence of the ``hidden" stroke neuropathology, despite the fact that cognitive impairment has been returned to the control values. All the detected permanent changes at the EEG level with no cognitive impairment after a minor stroke could be a way for the brain to compensate for the lesion and restore the lost function. Discussion. Our study indicates slower EEG alpha generation, synchronization and ``flow" as potential biomarkers of cognitive impairment onset and/or compensatory post-stroke re-organizational processes.PeerJ (2017), 5(9): e383