Symbol as a means of cognition of consciousness in the works by M.K. Mamardashvili

The article reveals the specificity of understanding the symbol as a means of cognition of consciousness in the works by M.K. Mamardashvili. It demonstrates the difference between his interpretation and the analogues existing in neo-Kantianism and Russian Silver Age metaphysics (P.A. Florensky, A.F. Losev, etc). The symbol of consciousness is seen as an “empty shape”, a transcendental issue, through which transcendence generating man as a spiritual and moral being becomes possible Mamardashvili’s criticism of the naturalized theory of ideas (“Platonism”) is analyzed. The idea itself is seen as a symbol of consciousness, a unit of its description. The entire history of philosophy is considered from the same point of view

The man, the plant, and the insect: shooting host specificity determinants in Serratia marcescens pangenome

IntroductionSerratia marcescens is most commonly known as an opportunistic pathogen causing nosocomial infections. It, however, was shown to infect a wide range of hosts apart from vertebrates such as insects or plants as well, being either pathogenic or growth-promoting for the latter. Despite being extensively studied in terms of virulence mechanisms during human infections, there has been little evidence of which factors determine S. marcescens host specificity. On that account, we analyzed S. marcescens pangenome to reveal possible specificity factors.MethodsWe selected 73 high-quality genome assemblies of complete level and reconstructed the respective pangenome and reference phylogeny based on core genes alignment. To find an optimal pipeline, we tested current pangenomic tools and obtained several phylogenetic inferences. The pangenome was rich in its accessory component and was considered open according to the Heaps’ law. We then applied the pangenome-wide associating method (pan-GWAS) and predicted positively associated gene clusters attributed to three host groups, namely, humans, insects, and plants.ResultsAccording to the results, significant factors relating to human infections included transcriptional regulators, lipoproteins, ABC transporters, and membrane proteins. Host preference toward insects, in its turn, was associated with diverse enzymes, such as hydrolases, isochorismatase, and N-acetyltransferase with the latter possibly exerting a neurotoxic effect. Finally, plant infection may be conducted through type VI secretion systems and modulation of plant cell wall synthesis. Interestingly, factors associated with plants also included putative growth-promoting proteins like enzymes performing xenobiotic degradation and releasing ammonium irons. We also identified overrepresented functional annotations within the sets of specificity factors and found that their functional characteristics fell into separate clusters, thus, implying that host adaptation is represented by diverse functional pathways. Finally, we found that mobile genetic elements bore specificity determinants. In particular, prophages were mainly associated with factors related to humans, while genetic islands-with insects and plants, respectively.DiscussionIn summary, functional enrichments coupled with pangenomic inferences allowed us to hypothesize that the respective host preference is carried out through distinct molecular mechanisms of virulence. To the best of our knowledge, the presented research is the first to identify specific genomic features of S. marcescens assemblies isolated from different hosts at the pangenomic level

The first scientific forum «Genetic resources of Russia» - on legal regulation in the field of bioresources and biological collections

The first scientific forum «Genetic Resources of Russia» took place in Saint Petersburg on 21-24 June 2022. The Forum brought together more than 500 specialists from more than 100 research institutions and universities of the Russian Federation. A round table «Regulations and standards of work with bio-resource collections» was organized within the framework of the Forum in connection with the relevance to create the legislation base for the work with biological collections and regulation of the activities of bioresource centres in the Russian Federation. This publication presents the outcomes of the Forum and its resolution relating to the legal regulation of biological collections

On the results of the Second Scientific Forum “Genetic Resources of Russia”

The Second Scientific Forum “Genetic Resources of Russia” was held in St. Petersburg, June 26-28, 2023. Thе Forum comprised nine associated scientific conferences and conference schools dedicated to the establishment, formation, conservation, development, studying and utilization of biological (bioresource) collections as well as to the activities of bioresource centers, and a round table entitled “Statutory Legal Regulation and Standards for the Work with Bioresource Collections”. More than 700 researchers representing over a hundred scientific institutions and universities from Russia and other countries participated in the Forum. In total, more than 200 oral presentations were made during those events (including 16 talks at the Forum’s Plenary Session). The participants of the Forum events thoroughly discussed the results of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Genetic Technologies for 2019-2030 associated with the establishment and development of bioresource collections for research in the field of genetic technologies, the prospects for the promotion of this sector, and the regulatory legal framework in the sphere of ensuring conservation and development of biological (bioresource) collections, establishment and functioning of bioresource centers, and their sustainable and rational utilization in scientific research and development activities. The outcome of those discussions is presented in this publication in the form of the Forum’s Resolution. Upon reviewing the results of the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Genetic Technologies for 2019-2030 pertaining to the establishment and development of bioresource collections for research in the field of genetic technologies, the Forum recognized them as successful. The Forum approved the draft of the legal act “On Bioresource Centers and Biological (Bioresource) Collections”, which is currently under consideration in the State Duma of the Russian Federation and emphasized the need for its soonest adoption

On the results of the First Scientific Forum «Genetic Resources of Russia»: prospects for development, research and practical potential of bio-collections

Nine separate scientific conferences and school-conferences dedicated to the conservation, development, study and practical use of biological collections of various types were held under the auspices of the First Scientific Forum “Genetic Resources of Russia”, which took place in Saint Petersburg on 21-24 June 2022. A total of more than 300 oral presentations were made at these events. The Forum plenary sessions, which included 25 lectures, attracted more than 1,500 participants. The development prospects, research and scientific-practical potential of biological collections were thoroughly discussed at the events of the Forum. The results of these discussions are presented in this publication in the form of a Forum resolution. The strategic role of biological collections for the conservation of genetic diversity, for the scientific and technological development of society and for the provision of educational processes is emphasized. This strategic framework, which should be developed and maintained, also makes it possible to implement practical tasks related to meeting the challenges in the field of food and environmental security, health care and technological independence in the rapidly developing spheres of the economy

Two Novel Amyloid Proteins, RopA and RopB, from the Root Nodule Bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum

Amyloids represent protein fibrils with a highly ordered spatial structure, which not only cause dozens of incurable human and animal diseases but also play vital biological roles in Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. Despite the fact that association of bacterial amyloids with microbial pathogenesis and infectious diseases is well known, there is a lack of information concerning the amyloids of symbiotic bacteria. In this study, using the previously developed proteomic method for screening and identification of amyloids (PSIA), we identified amyloidogenic proteins in the proteome of the root nodule bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum. Among 54 proteins identified, we selected two proteins, RopA and RopB, which are predicted to have β-barrel structure and are likely to be involved in the control of plant-microbial symbiosis. We demonstrated that the full-length RopA and RopB form bona fide amyloid fibrils in vitro. In particular, these fibrils are β-sheet-rich, bind Thioflavin T (ThT), exhibit green birefringence upon staining with Congo Red (CR), and resist treatment with ionic detergents and proteases. The heterologously expressed RopA and RopB intracellularly aggregate in yeast and assemble into amyloid fibrils at the surface of Escherichia coli. The capsules of the R. leguminosarum cells bind CR, exhibit green birefringence, and contain fibrils of RopA and RopB in vivo.This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, grant 17-16-01100

Sense of “Axial time” in A.V. Semushkin and M.K. Mamardashvili’s creativity

In the article considers the concept of “axial time”, developed by K. Jaspers. Through a prism of A.V. Semushkin and M.K. Mamardashvili’s creativity opens its essence determined as “spiritual revolution”. Defined its specific features, as consequence of this “break to transcendent”: universalism, an opportunity of the communication, birth of philosophy, world religions and sciences; history, person and morals. Degradation the modern culture, expressing in growth of conflicts and wars, communicate the author with deviation from revelations of “axial time” that threatens mankind with self-destruction

The Transformation of Metaphysics in M.K. Mamardashvili’s Creativity

The article analyzes the transformation of metaphysics in the works by Merab. K. Mamardashvili. It is noted that he presented philosophy as philosophizing — spiritual knowledge. The author clarifies how Mamardashvili understands Kant’s transcendental philosophy, Husserl’s phenomenology, and Heidegger’s fundamental-existential ontology. In Mamardashvili’s works, metaphysics is revealed not as an explanation of the world but as a creative transcending action that shapes man as a moral creature

An admissibility of force: the problem of a moral policy in russian thoughts

In the article is analyzed the dispute proceeding already more than century in Russian philosophy, which concerns correctness of using the violence. The polemic developed by I. Il'in concerning L. Tolstoy's doctrine about nonresistance to harm force, has found the ready response as from side N. Berdyaev, and other thinkers of the beginning of the last century. It was not finished even to our days, provoked still N. Makiavelli and I. Cant's creativity. The author, being based on scrupulous perusal of primary sources, aspires to place accents, being based on the concept of a humanistic policy

Do is it necessary to resist to the evil by force? (on the foundation of humanistic policy)

In this research reveals possible variants of the correlation between violence and nonviolence in politics: especially Machiavelli's idea ( only the good political end justifies any means ), Machiavellianism ( the end justifies any means ), humanistic ( the good end can be achieved only by good methods ), and pacifist ( non-resistance to evil by force - L. Tolstoy) concepts. The basic difference between the specified variants of understanding the correlation between morality and politics in humanistic and pacifist version is established. In the article stresses that the pacifist non-resistant variant is immoral. Asserts that global problems, both international and domestic ones, can be solved only based on the humanistic nonviolence policy: nonresistance to evil by violence , which does not exclude resistance to evil by force and sometimes even requires it. Its principles revealed in the “axial time” suggested by the world religions and philosophy and developed by I. Kant, F. Dostoevsky, M. Gandhi, M.L. King, etc