Роль радионуклидной диагностики в комплексном обследовании ВИЧ-инфицированных пациентов с ишемической болезнью сердца

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most frequent cause of death globally. The greatest part is occupied by ischemic heart disease. HIV patients are composed to a higher risk of coronary heart disease.The purpose of this work is to evaluate the possibility of using molecular imaging methods in a comprehensive examination of patients with HIV infection and ischemic heart disease.Materials and methods. The survey group includes 32 patients with HIV infection. The comparison group consists of 25 age-matched patients with coronary heart disease and without HIV Infection. All patients were underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy using single photon emission computed tomography. Positron emission tomography with FDG were performed if necessary to assess the viability of the myocardium. The patients of the main group undergo diagnostic coronary angiography and standard set of laboratory and institutional diagnostic methods.Results. The results of which confirm the high efficiency of radionuclide diagnostic methods for detecting perfusion disorders, contractility and myocardial viability in patients with HIV infection even at an early stage. They can be recommended for using in a comprehensive examination of patients with HIV infection.Наиболее частой причиной смертности во всем мире являются сердечно-сосудистые заболевания, среди которых ведущее место занимает ишемическая болезнь сердца (ИБС). В группу с наиболее высоким риском развития ИБС входят пациенты с ВИЧ-инфекцией.Цель исследования: оценка возможности применения методов молекулярной визуализации в комплексном обследовании пациентов с ВИЧ-инфекцией и ИБС.Материал и методы. В группу обследования включено 32 пациента с ВИЧ-инфекцией, группу сравнения составили 25 сопоставимых по возрасту пациентов без ВИЧ-инфекции с ИБС. Всем пациентам проведена перфузионная сцинтиграфия миокарда (с помощью ОФЭКТ), ПЭТ/КТ сердца с ФДГ проводилась при необходимости оценки жизнеспособности миокарда в комплексе с диагностической коронароангиографией и стандартным набором лабораторно-инструментальных методов диагностики.Результаты. Полученные результаты подтверждают высокую эффективностью методов радионуклидной диагностики для выявления нарушений перфузии, сократимости и жизнеспособности миокарда у пациентов с ВИЧ-инфекцией даже на ранней стадии и могут быть рекомендованы к использованию в комплексном обследовании пациентов с ВИЧ-инфекцией

Report of the First ONTOX Stakeholder Network Meeting: Digging Under the Surface of ONTOX Together With the Stakeholders

The first Stakeholder Network Meeting of the EU Horizon 2020-funded ONTOX project was held on 13–14 March 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. The discussion centred around identifying specific challenges, barriers and drivers in relation to the implementation of non-animal new approach methodologies (NAMs) and probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), in order to help address the issues and rank them according to their associated level of difficulty. ONTOX aims to advance the assessment of chemical risk to humans, without the use of animal testing, by developing non-animal NAMs and PRA in line with 21st century toxicity testing principles. Stakeholder groups (regulatory authorities, companies, academia, non-governmental organisations) were identified and invited to participate in a meeting and a survey, by which their current position in relation to the implementation of NAMs and PRA was ascertained, as well as specific challenges and drivers highlighted. The survey analysis revealed areas of agreement and disagreement among stakeholders on topics such as capacity building, sustainability, regulatory acceptance, validation of adverse outcome pathways, acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) in risk assessment, and guaranteeing consumer safety. The stakeholder network meeting resulted in the identification of barriers, drivers and specific challenges that need to be addressed. Breakout groups discussed topics such as hazard versus risk assessment, future reliance on AI and machine learning, regulatory requirements for industry and sustainability of the ONTOX Hub platform. The outputs from these discussions provided insights for overcoming barriers and leveraging drivers for implementing NAMs and PRA. It was concluded that there is a continued need for stakeholder engagement, including the organisation of a ‘hackathon’ to tackle challenges, to ensure the successful implementation of NAMs and PRA in chemical risk assessment

Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of a coat protein of an Ukrainian isolate of Potato virus Y: comparison with homologous sequences of other isolates and phylogenetic analysis

Aim. Identification of the widespread Ukrainian isolate(s) of PVY (Potato virus Y) in different potato cultivars and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of detected PVY isolates based on NA and AA sequences of coat protein. Methods. ELISA, RT-PCR, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Results. PVY has been identified serologically in potato cultivars of Ukrainian selection. In this work we have optimized a method for total RNA extraction from potato samples and offered a sensitive and specific PCR-based test system of own design for diagnostics of the Ukrainian PVY isolates. Part of the CP gene of the Ukrainian PVY isolate has been sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. It is demonstrated that the Ukrainian isolate of Potato virus Y (CP gene) has a higher percentage of homology with the recombinant isolates (strains) of this pathogen (approx. 98.8– 99.8 % of homology for both nucleotide and translated amino acid sequences of the CP gene). The Ukrainian isolate of PVY is positioned in the separate cluster together with the isolates found in Syria, Japan and Iran; these isolates possibly have common origin. The Ukrainian PVY isolate is confirmed to be recombinant. Conclusions. This work underlines the need and provides the means for accurate monitoring of Potato virus Y in the agroecosystems of Ukraine. Most importantly, the phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the recombinant nature of this PVY isolate which has been attributed to the strain group O, subclade N:O

Distribution and nesting density of the Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi on Mindanao Island, Philippines: What do we know after 1OO years?

The Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi, first discovered in 1896, is one of the world\u27s most endangered eagles. It has been reported primarily from only four main islands of the Philippine archipelago. We have studied it extensively for the past three decades. Using data from 1991 to 1998 as best representing the current status of the species on the island of Mindanao, we estimated the mean nearest-neighbour distances between breeding pairs, with remarkably little variation, to be 12.74 km (n = 13 nests plus six pairs without located nests, se = ±0.86 kin, range = 8.3-17.5 km). Forest cover within circular plots based on nearest-neighbour pairs, in conjunction with estimates of remaining suitable forest habitat (approximately 14 000 km2), yield estimates of the maximum number of breeding pairs on Mindanao ranging from 82 to 233, depending on how the forest cover is factored into the estimates

The first space-related study of a Kombucha multimicrobial cellulose-forming Community: preparatory laboratory experiments

Biofilm-forming microbial communities are known as the most robust assemblages that can survive in harsh environments. Biofilm-associated microorganisms display greatly increased resistance to physical and chemical adverse conditions, and they are expected to be the first form of life on Earth or anywhere else. Biological molecules synthesized by biofilm -protected microbiomes may serve as markers of the nucleoprotein life. We offer a new experimental model, a kombucha multimicrobial culture (KMC), to assess a structural integrity of a widespread microbial polymer – cellulose – as a biosignature of bacteria-producers for the multipurpose international project “BIOlogical and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX)”, which aims to study the vitality of pro- and eukaryotic organisms and the stability of organic biomolecules in contact with minerals to analyze the detectability of life markers in the context of a planetary background. In this study, we aimed to substantiate the detectability of mineralized cellulose with spectroscopy and to study the KMC macrocolony phenotype stability under adverse conditions (UV, excess of inorganics etc.). Cellulose matrix of the KMC macrocolony has been mineralized in the mineral-water interface under assistance of KMC-members. Effect of bioleached ions on the cellulose matrix has been visible, and the FT-IR spectrum proved changes in cellulose structure. However, the specific cellulose band vibration, confirming the presence of β(1,4)-linkages between monomers, has not been quenched by secondary minerals formed on the surface of pellicle. The cellulose-based KMC macrocolony phenotype was in a dependence on extracellular matrix components (ionome, viriome, extracellular membrane vesicles), which provided its integrity and rigidness in a certain extent under impact of stressful factors