Abstract The treatment of choice for distal femur malignancies in skeletally immature patients remains controversial. As the mainstream treatment, limb-salvage treatment has been recently investigated, but its application in children remains challenging. Specifically, the procedure causes potential limb-length discrepancy from the continued normal growth of the contralateral lower extremity. We designed

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in more than 2 million confirmed cases and 139,515 deaths in 213 countries, areas and territories as of 20th April 2020. Although reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction is the diagnostic test, screening studies for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are essential for our extensive knowledge of the viral spread

Abstract Bilirubin oxidases (BODs), which catalyze the oxidation of bilirubin to biliverdin, are multi-copper oxidases that can be used in clinical diagnoses. Given their different reported enzymatic characterizations from laccases, BODs have gained considerable attention for their application in healthcare and environment management. In this study, a BOD gene from Myrothecium verrucaria was chemically

Abstract Phloroglucinol (PG) is an important chemical that has been produced in engineered E. coli. Low yield and high cost are the bottlenecks that limit the industrialisation and popularisation of PG biosynthesis. In this study, a new expression system (pNEW vector) was developed for PG biosynthesis by using inexpensive p-isopropylbenzoate (cumate) as the inducer, and the copy number control element

Abstract Lymphoma has become the seventh most common cancer expected to occur and the ninth most common cause of cancer death in both males and females. However, pathological diagnosis as the main diagnostic method is time-consuming, expensive and error-prone. Nowadays, with the outstanding performance of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in image analysis, its application in medical image classification

Abstract Metabolic engineering of a yeast fermentation process with an intention of increasing ethanol production is a challenging engineering task since the fermentation system involves multi-enzymes and multi-substrates systems. When a certain reaction is disturbed, the other reactions are also influenced since it is a connecting system coupled with co-enzymes/co-factors which also controls the metabolic

Abstract Gamma-decalactone is an interesting flavuring compound with an intense oily-peachy aroma. It is commonly used in food and cosmetic industry. Biotechnological methods of its synthesis are based on the processes of fatty acid degradation, mainly ricinoleic acid, which is the main component of castor oil. The aim of this study was to compare the productivity of gamma-decalactone in batch cultures

Abstract To keep plant height (PH) stable in various densities, mapping QTL underlying te response of PH to density is of importance for soybean breeding. In this study, two soybean RIL populations were planted under two densities in two environments and PH at the pod-bearing stage (PBS), seed-filling stage (SFS) and maturity stage (MS) were measured to identify QTL controlling PH and its response

Abstract This paper presents results from the first application of molecular-genetic analysis combined with conventional light microscopy (LM) for identification of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) producers in field phytoplankton samples from Bulgaria. In total 68 cyanoprokaryotes were found by LM, out of which 18 were considered potential CYN-producers according to the literature. They occurred in different

Abstract This study was aimed at investigating the possibility of biological removal of crude oil with the use of native bacterial strains, isolated from the shorelines of the Caspian Sea. For this purpose, based on the growth rate, hemolytic and emulsification activity, oil spreading assay and liquid surface tension reduction, 115 bacterial strains were isolated from seven selected stations across

Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) migrate to sites of inflammation and tumor formation in the body. In this way, MSCs become activated and release a plethora of growth factors and cytokines that are involved in the regulation and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. The effect of MSCs on tumor cells is bipolar by nature and the data on this interaction is quite contradictory. The purpose

Abstract Sugar transporter proteins (STPs) play an important role in plant growth and development and stress resistance. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a significant economic crop and is widely cultivated worldwide. However, the evolution and the roles of STP genes in the growth and development and in coping with abiotic stresses in pepper are poorly known. Here, we characterized STP gene family in

Abstract Plant invertases comprise a family of enzymes that catalyze the irreversible hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose, which plays a crucial role in carbohydrate partitioning and regulating plant growth and development. However, currently, there is little information on the roles of invertases in the development of pear trees. In this study, we performed genome-wide identification of

Abstract This review presents an overview of published studies for a better understanding of the anti-mutagenic potential of medicinal plants and the precise indications for the utilization of natural compounds as chemo-preventive agents. Reports on the anti-mutagenic potential of medicinal plants published from 1997 to 2019 were searched through different scientific databases using the following keywords:

Abstract Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) is an essential oil-bearing and medicinal plant of great economic and social importance to Bulgaria, which is the world largest producer of lavender oil nowadays. Currently, the industrial cultivation of lavender in Bulgaria employs up to seven varieties established during the last century. Despite the growing industrial lavender cultivation, few molecular

Abstract The aim of the present study was to determine the expression of MCP-1 in injured cartilage tissues, peripheral blood and synovial fluid from patients with cartilage injury of elbow joint of upper limbs, and try to understand its relationship with microRNA (miRNA or miR)-421. Twenty-eight patients and 26 healthy subjects were included. Injured cartilage tissues and peripheral blood were collected

Abstract The objective of this study was isolation of humanized single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against IL1RAP, a promising cancer marker in leukemia and other tumors. Here, we screened for antibody fragments that recognized IL1RAP using a phage-display library of humanized scFv through several rounds of bio-panning and further FACS selection of enriched yeast-display sub-library.

Abstract Lipoxygenases (LOXs; EC1.13.11.12) are widely involved in plant growth, development, maturation, senescence and stress resistance. LOXs have been studied in many crop species but not in Tartary buckwheat [Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.]. This study aimed to systematically identify and analyze LOX genes in Tartary buckwheat. Eight LOX genes, which were unevenly distributed on five chromosomes

Abstract Hip replacement is one of the most effective surgical procedures in medicine. Despite the fact that the clinical results of arthroplasty are usually excellent, some implants loosen with time and require revision. To help resolve this problem, research has focused on providing conditions that have a positive biological effect on bone building elements, resulting in a fast, seamless proliferation

Abstract The aim of the present study was to determine the content of residual monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA) in cold and hot polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), both widely applicable in dentistry, by using MHE-GC-MS (multiple headspace extraction analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) in combination with GC-FID (gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection). The samples

Abstract This study investigated the expression of inflammatory factors in tumour tissues, monocytes and blood of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients taking tetrandrine (Tet) during low-dose radiotherapy. Sixty NSCLC patients underwent surgical resection of lung cancer after low-dose radiotherapy. Thirty patients did not take Tet (control group) and the other thirty patients took Tet during

Abstract This study describes our experience with the treatment of cervical degenerative pathology through anterior cervical decompression and fusion technique. We evaluated the clinical outcome and complications after 6-months follow-up and analysed the data to optimize the efficacy and safety of this particular surgical treatment in order to minimize the risks of complications. The presented study

Abstract The design and synthesis of biopolymer nano- and micro-formulations are a new trend with growing priority in scientific research and development in the fields of biomedicine, bioorganic/medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, agrochemistry and food industry. This incorporates a vast variety of improved and newly-developed analytical and physico-chemical techniques for green and efficient synthesis

Abstract Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) resulting from perinatal asphyxia or intrapartum-related events is a common cause of neonatal brain damage death among neonatal brain injury and term infants. However, the potential mechanisms of brain injury in term infants with HIE remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-454-3p in HIE. The protective effect of microRNA-454-3p

Abstract This study explored whether sufentanil, a lipophilic opioid, can protect against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury via regulating Sestrin 2 (Sesn2) expression. The expression of Sesn2 was measured in the blood of patients with myocardial I/R after sufentanil administration. H9c2 cells were applied to establish I/R injury by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R). After

Abstract Poly ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs) are family of proteins that use nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as substrate. Seventeen putative PARP sequences were determined in the human genome. Although PARPs show a variety of functions and low sequence identities, they share common structural and functional properties. In our study, PARP1 and PARP2 and PARP4 sequences in different species

Abstract Vitiligo is caused by the disappearance of melanocyte function in the skin, but the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the expression and role of miR-217 in dysfunctional human primary melanocytes caused by oxidative stress, so as to explore its potential role in vitiligo. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to induce the oxidative damage of melanocytes

Abstract Rutin (Vitamin P1) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoid. This study examined the effect of rutin on the potential of cisplatin to cause oxidative and proinflammatory damage in blood serum, ureter, bladder and urethra in rats. Animals were divided into four groups: (i) healthy (HG), (ii) 50 mg/kg of rutin + 5 mg/kg of cisplatin (C + R50), (iii) 100 mg/kg of rutin + 5 mg/kg of cisplatin

Abstract Neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a neurological disease that can cause neonatal death. MicroRNA-124-3p (miR-124-3p) plays an important role in the development of various diseases. In this research, our aim was to investigate the potential function of miR-124-3p in regulating HIE and to find the underlying mechanism. Here, we discovered that miR-124-3p expression was reduced

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of radiofrequency radiation emitted from Wi-Fi systems and mobile phones on cord blood and placenta. The study included 149 pregnant women who were divided in subgroups: unexposed (control), mobile phone exposed, Wi-Fi exposed and mobile phone plus Wi-Fi exposed groups. Immediately after birth, placenta and cord blood samples were collected

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the expression and role of microRNA-449a (miR-449a) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children, and further to explore the underlying mechanism. To study the role of miR-449a in IBD development, an in vitro inflammatory model of IBD was conducted by stimulating the normal intestinal epithelial cells Caco-2 with 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The results

Abstract This study investigated the role of ErbB4, the schizophrenia susceptibility gene, in synaptogenesis and synaptic transmission and its association with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We found that there was no significant difference in the size of inhibitory synapsin Gephyrin clusters in the dendrites of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the cultured cortex of ErbB4 knockout (ErbB4−/−)

Abstract In line with the well-established ethnobotanical use of Arum maculatum for the treatment of hemorrhoidal disease, we sought to determine the activities of 30% or 70% ethanol extracts of the plant tubers in an array of pharmacological and biochemical models of some crucial events implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder, namely angiogenesis, collagenase activity remodeling, cyclooxygenase

Abstract Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a housekeeping protein which plays various roles in non-metabolic processes in addition to its role in glucose catabolism. There are several GAPDH isoforms in plant cells. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA encoding the isoform GAPC in two ecotypes of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev, gray–green type and yellow–green type. The

Abstract Lycorine is an isoquinoline alkaloid in Amaryllidaceae with antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, diuretic and cardiovascular effects. This study explored the antitumor mechanism of lycorine in vitro and in vivo by focusing on its effects on tumor cell membrane fraction and tumor cell membrane structure. The results showed that lycorine had antitumor effect on H22 tumor-bearing mice in vivo

Abstract Picea wilsonii is widely used for a forestation and landscaping in China. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress tolerance in this species remain elusive. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic changes induced by drought and salt stress in 8-week-old seedlings of P. wilsonii via RNA-Seq analysis; seedlings grown under normal conditions (without abiotic stress) served

Abstract The aim of the present study was to identify key genes and molecular biological processes that are responsive to CO2 enrichment in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Tomato plants were exposed to CO2 concentrations of either 350–500 μmol/mol (ambient) or 750–850 μmol/mol, and genes that were differentially expressed (DEGs) in the two groups were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia

Abstract Genes in the carbonic anhydrase (CA) family encode zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible interconversion of carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and protons. Although CAs play key roles in diverse biological processes involving carboxylation and decarboxylation, including photosynthesis and respiration, plant growth and response to stress, the characteristics of CA gene family

Abstract Verticillium wilt is a severe disease caused by Verticillium dahliae, which afflicts many crops, particularly cotton in the Xinjiang province of China. Chemical fungicides are harmful to the environment, and biological control agents against the fungal pathogens of plants provide an alternative to chemicals. Biological control agents include antagonistic bacteria or metabolic products. We

Abstract An effective and trustworthy traceability system contributes to improving food quality and safety and responds to consumers’ demand for food provenance information. Safe meat and its products are crucial to consumers and society. Livestock feeding regime and geographical origin are closely related to the properties and the safety of animal origin food, but the information is often invisible

Abstract A temperature-sensitive mutant of Corynebacterium glutamicum is widely used as the fermentation strain in L-glutamate industrial production. Rapid synthesis of L-glutamate in this type of strain can be triggered by raising the culture temperature. However, the molecular mechanism of the temperature-sensitivity trait and L-glutamate excretion has not been clarified. In this study, we compared

Abstract With an increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) early detection and timely management of cardiometabolic risk factors are crucial to prevent complications such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are no defined treatments for MS apart from addressing each of its components such as insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia, obesity, dyslipidaemia

Abstract The present study investigated the inhibitory effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) on the growth of lung cancer in mice and its relationship with the TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway. A mouse model of Lewis lung cancer was constructed by inoculating mice with Lewis lung cancer cell suspension under the axilla. Twenty mice were randomly and evenly divided into experimental

Abstract Although prostate cancer accounts for the highest number of newly diagnosed cases of cancer in men, it represents a specific diagnostic challenge in modern oncology. The standard diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma begins with the screening of serum concentrations of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen). If the concentration of serum PSA levels is above 4 ng/mL, the patient is further referred to

Abstract The levels of inflammatory factors in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) are closely correlated with the severity of the disease. The enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and upregulated iNOS might contribute to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Honokiol has been shown to be a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-ER stress agent. However, the effect of honokiol on the inflammation

(2020). Correction. Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment: Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 10-10.

Abstract Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is a versatile vegetable crop and the most economically important member of the Apiaceae family. While there are several important cultivated species in the family such as celery, parsley, cumin, fennel, coriander and parsnip, molecular genetic research in Apiaceae is relatively limited compared to other agriculturally important taxa. In the present work, an in silico

Abstract During puberty there are increased levels of sex hormones, which can affect the oral environment. At this period, there is a peak prevalence of periodontal pathology believed to be related to alteration in the subgingival microflora. This study investigated the interaction between sex hormones isolated in the saliva, and the subgingival microflora in children undergoing puberty. The study

At present, there are production processes to produce protein by Escherichia coli (E. coli) fermentation. Research on the design and optimization of the plasmid fermentation medium, however, is less advanced. The fermentation medium that is optimized for plasmid DNA production is different from the medium that is optimized for protein production. So, establishing a scientific and rational method to

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. The study included 60 patients with SH and a control group of 60 healthy volunteers, gender and age matched, with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxin (FT4) concentration. The following measurements were made in

The aim of our research was to explore the most cost-efficient and optimal medium composition for the production of lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (NRLL B-2641) culture grown on sunflower oil cake (SuOC) by applying response surface methodology (RSM). The oil cake was used instead of carbon sources. Peptone, ammonium sulphate and the carbon source (SuOC) were the most important factors as it is

Traditional cut-paste DNA cloning is often limited by the availability of restriction enzyme sites. Here, we described the complementary annealing mediated by exonuclease (CAME), in which the insert or vector fragment is amplified to carry sequences complementary to the other, and both fragments are modified by exonuleases to create directional single-stranded overhangs. The two recessed DNA fragments

A newly isolated bacterium identified as Bacillus safensis based on biochemical tests and 16S rRNA analysis and its mutant variant created by exposure to ultraviolet radiation at 254 nm were investigated for keratinolytic activity. The wild-type strain produced 35.4-50.4 U/mL keratinase over a period of 120 h, while the mutant one yielded 64.4-108.5 U/mL keratinase for the same period of 120 h. The

This article elucidates that strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IES-Ps-1) is a versatile toxic organic compound degrader. With the degradation of malathion and cypermethrin (studied by other researchers previously), this strain was able to degrade phenol. Two other indigenous soil flora (i.e., Pseudomonas sp. (IES-S) and Bacillus subtilis (IES-B)) were also found to be potential phenol degraders. Phenol

This study investigated if the use of the pesticides cyprodinil and fludioxonil produced an inhibitory effect on the bovine liver catalase (CAT) activity. It was documented that the activity of the enzyme decreased with increasing concentrations of cyprodinil and fludioxonil from 0 to 500 ppm. At pesticide concentrations of 250 and 500 ppm, the activity of CAT remained unchanged and passed to a steady

Lactobacillus gasseri within the Lactobacillus acidophilus group is a major species in the human microflora. The potential probiotic properties of a L. gasseri strain of human origin were evaluated. Out of 17 studied L. gasseri strains, L. gasseri 4/13 showed the highest immunomodulatory effect (induction of interferon gamma measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) in Balb/c mouse splenocytes

The current demands of sustainable green methodologies have increased the use of enzymatic technology in industrial processes. Employment of enzyme as biocatalysts offers the benefits of mild reaction conditions, biodegradability and catalytic efficiency. The harsh conditions of industrial processes, however, increase propensity of enzyme destabilization, shortening their industrial lifespan. Consequently

Twenty clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates recovered from patients admitted to The General Hospital in Ismailia Governorate (Egypt) were examined in this study. We analysed P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 (as a control strain) and 19 of the isolates after digestion with SpeI restriction endonuclease. After this we conducted a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and typed the obtained 10 unique patterns

Countries in the Balkan region use pharmaco-economic data for decisions about the inclusion of new pharmaceuticals into their positive drug lists, but no predefined frameworks are used and resources for health technology assessment (HTA) are limited. The goal of this analysis is to investigate into possible development directions for the HTA system in the region, and provide some practical recommendations

Forests form an organic unity with a great number of organic and inorganic components and tend to maintain the sustainability of their existing balance. However, some factors which adversely affect the balance of nature may interrupt this sustainability. The epidemic which is formed by bark beetles in their spreading region, due to various factors, changes the stability so much that interference is