Special issue: Dynamics of systems on the nanoscale (2018). Editorial

The structure, formation and dynamics of both animate and inanimate matter on the nanoscale are a highly interdisciplinary field of rapidly emerging research engaging a broad community encompassing experimentalists, theorists, and technologists. It is relevant for a large variety of molecular and nanosystems of different origin and composition and concerns numerous phenomena originating from physics, chemistry, biology, or materials science. This Topical Issue presents a collection of original research papers devoted to different aspects of structure and dynamics on the nanoscale. Some of the contributions discuss specific applications of the research results in several modern technologies and in next generation medicine. Most of the works of this topical issue were reported at the Fifth International Conference on Dynamics of Systems on the Nanoscale (DySoN) – the premier forum for the presentation of cutting-edge research in this field that was held in Potsdam, Germany in October of 2018

Application of “Polyana Kvasova” Mineral Water in the Complex Therapy of Patients with Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease and Osteochondrosis of the Spine

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of complex therapy using “Polyana Kvasova” mineral water in patients with GERD and osteochondrosis (OH) of the cervical and thoracic spine. Materials and Methods: The examined patients included 56 Helicobacter pylori (HP)-positive patients with GERD and OH of the cervical and thoracic spine. The examined patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the scheme of complex treatment. All HP-positive patients with GERD and OH underwent standard triple anti-helicobacter therapy and itopride hydrochloride. Group I patients (n=26) received only the above-mentioned regimen. Patients of the II group (n=30) were additionally prescribed 100-150 ml of “Polyana Kvasova” carbonated bicarbonate-sodium mineral water (MW) as a natural antacid, warm, still 4 times a day (1.5 hours before meals and after 45 minutes after – both in the morning and evening) within 1 month. Results: The complex therapy carried out had a positive effect on the endoscopic picture of GERD in patients with cervical and thoracic OH. The decrease in the severity of RE was accompanied by an increase in the number of GERD patients in whom the erosive form of reflux esophagitis was not detected during repeated fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy (FEGDS) (mainly in the II group of examined patients – 10.0% of patients, p<0.05). The additional prescription of “Polyana Kvasova” MW to the complex treatment increased the frequency of eradication of HP infection by 9.2% – p<0.05 at the background of more pronounced normalization of clinical and endoscopic signs of GERD. Conclusions: 1. GERD is often manifested by atypical extraesophageal symptoms (up to 25.0-27.3% of cases) in patients with OH of the cervical and thoracic spine. 2. The use of standard triple AHT in combination with itopride hydrochloride is an effective method of correcting esophageal and extraesophageal clinical manifestations of GERD in patients with cervical and thoracic spine OH. 3. The additional prescription of “Polyana Kvasova” MW as part of the complex therapy of patients with GERD and OH of the cervical and thoracic regions is a safe, effective method for reducing clinical symptoms, the severity of esophageal lesions with repeated FEGD, and also contributes to increasing the frequency of HP infection eradication in the data patients

Introduction to the Special Issue on Biophotonics - Part 2

This Part 2 of the special issue on biophotonics contains 27 papers, including 18 invited and 19 contributed papers

Probing Electron-Induced Bond Cleavage at the Single-Molecule Level Using DNA Origami Templates

Low-energy electrons (LEEs) play an important role in nanolithography, atmospheric chemistry, and DNA radiation damage. Previously, the cleavage of specific chemical bonds triggered by LEEs has been demonstrated in a variety of small organic molecules such as halogenated benzenes and DNA nucleobases. Here we present a strategy that allows for the first time to visualize the electron-induced dissociation of single chemical bonds within complex, but well-defined self-assembled DNA nanostructures. We employ atomic force microscopy to image and quantify LEE-induced bond dissociations within specifically designed oligonucleotide targets that are attached to DNA origami templates. In this way, we use a highly selective approach to compare the efficiency of the electron-induced dissociation of a single disulfide bond with the more complex cleavage of the DNA backbone within a TT dinucleotide sequence. This novel technique enables the fast and parallel determination of DNA strand break yields with unprecedented control over the DNA’s primary and secondary structure. Thus the detailed investigation of DNA radiation damage in its most natural environment, <i>e</i>.<i>g</i>., DNA nucleosomes constituting the chromatin, now becomes feasible

Condensed Matter Systems Exposed to Radiation: Multiscale Theory, Simulations, and Experiment

This roadmap reviews the new, highly interdisciplinary research field studying the behavior of condensed matter systems exposed to radiation. The Review highlights several recent advances in the field and provides a roadmap for the development of the field over the next decade. Condensed matter systems exposed to radiation can be inorganic, organic, or biological, finite or infinite, composed of different molecular species or materials, exist in different phases, and operate under different thermodynamic conditions. Many of the key phenomena related to the behavior of irradiated systems are very similar and can be understood based on the same fundamental theoretical principles and computational approaches. The multiscale nature of such phenomena requires the quantitative description of the radiation-induced effects occurring at different spatial and temporal scales, ranging from the atomic to the macroscopic, and the interlinks between such descriptions. The multiscale nature of the effects and the similarity of their manifestation in systems of different origins necessarily bring together different disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, nanoscience, and biomedical research, demonstrating the numerous interlinks and commonalities between them. This research field is highly relevant to many novel and emerging technologies and medical applications

Blood Pressure After Endovascular Thrombectomy and Outcomes in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke An Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis

Background and Objectives To explore the association between blood pressure (BP) levels after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) and the clinical outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). Methods A study was eligible if it enrolled patients with AIS &gt;18 years of age with an LVO treated with either successful or unsuccessful EVT and provided either individual or mean 24-hour systolic BP values after the end of the EVT procedure. Individual patient data from all studies were analyzed with a generalized linear mixed-effects model. Results A total of 5,874 patients (mean age 69 +/- 14 years; 50% women; median NIH Stroke Scale score on admission 16) from 7 published studies were included. Increasing mean systolic BP levels per 10 mm Hg during the first 24 hours after the end of the EVT were associated with a lower odds of functional improvement (unadjusted common odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80-0.85; adjusted common OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.84-0.93) and modified Rankin Scale score &lt;= 2 (unadjusted OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.79-0.85; adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82-0.93) and a higher odds of all-cause mortality (unadjusted OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.13-1.24; adjusted OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.23) at 3 months. Higher 24-hour mean systolic BP levels were also associated with an increased likelihood of early neurologic deterioration (unadjusted OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21; adjusted OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.24) and a higher odds of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (unadjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.29; adjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.38) after EVT. Discussion Increased mean systolic BP levels in the first 24 hours after EVT are independently associated with a higher odds of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, early neurologic deterioration, 3-month mortality, and worse 3-month functional outcomes