The activity of lipolytic enzymes was assessed using the microplate method using heteromolecular exchange in soils from the bottom of burial vessels, followed by cluster analysis. Groups with a contrasting ratio of lipases C12 - C18 and esterases C4 - C8 were identified in a sample that included 57 burial pots aged two to three thousand years. The total lipolytic activity of soil samples from dishes with the presumptive initial presence of fat-containing food products was above 6% of the maximum value within the sample. Inhibition of esterases in the presence of high concentrations of fatty acids is reflected in the extremely low relative values of esterase activity of the soil microbial community against the background of maximum activity levels of C18 and C12 lipases in two groups of pots. In three groups, esterase activity was observed against the background of high relative activity of C16 lipases, average relative activity of C18 lipases and extremely low activity of true lipases. In the group of pots with high total lipolytic activity (with the exception of certain extreme values of this indicator), the proportion of true lipase activity was 1.7-1.8 times higher compared to the proportion of esterase activity. The grouping of burial vessels by the ratio of lipase and esterase activity reflects the characteristics of the funeral food, while the absolute values of enzyme activity among selected vessels with the highest total lipolytic activity are grouped according to the type of burial.

The process of amyloid aggregation is quite complex and poorly studied. In this paper, summarizing the previously obtained results on the aggregation of the multidomain smooth muscle protein titin, we tried to complement the idea of its amyloid aggregation by presenting a new, in our opinion, possible mechanism. The main conclusion is that the ability of titin to form amorphous aggregates seems to be the only possible means of aggregation of this protein. Apparently, only individual sections of the molecules, and not the entire protein, are involved in the formation of the amyloid structure in amorphous aggregates of smooth muscle titin. This feature distinguishes titin from other amyloid or amyloid-like proteins due to the large size of the molecule. The possible energy landscape underlying the formation of amyloid aggregates of titin is discussed.

The process of amyloid aggregation is quite complex and poorly understood. In this work, having summarized previously obtained results on the aggregation of the multidomain smooth muscle protein titin, an attempt has been made to expand understanding of this process, and a new possible mechanism by which amyloid aggregation of titin may occur is delineated. Our main conclusion is that the ability of titin to form amorphous aggregates seems to be the only possible way of aggregation of this protein. Most likely, only separate parts of the molecules, but not the whole protein, are involved in the formation of the amyloid structure in amorphous aggregates of smooth muscle titin. This feature, given the large size of the protein molecule, distinguishes titin from other amyloid or amyloid-like proteins. The paper discusses the potential energy landscape underlying the formation of titin amyloid aggregates.

Changes in the content of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) in m. soleus (contains mainly fibers expressing the “slow” isoform I MyHC) and m. gastrocnemius (contains mainly fibers expressing the “fast” isoforms II MyHC) of a true hibernant, the long-tailed ground squirrel (Urocitellus undulatus), during different periods of the annual cycle, summer activity (seasonal control), hypothermia/winter torpor, and winter (interbout) activity, were studied. It was found that despite the development of atrophic changes that were more pronounced in the “fast” m. gastrocnemius, the content of HSP90 in both muscles did not change throughout the hibernation period. The role of HSP90 in maintaining the stability of the titin giant sarcomeric protein molecules during the periods of the animal’s entry into and exit from hypothermia, when the activity of calpain proteases increased due to the increased content of Ca2+ in the cytosol of muscle cells, as well as during hypothermia, when the activity of calpains most likely was not completely inhibited, was discussed. During the winter/interbout activity, when there was an increased titin turnover in the striated ground squirrel muscles, a constant content of HSP90 was apparently necessary for the correct folding of newly synthesized titin molecules and their embedding into sarcomeres, as well as for the removal of improperly folded and old titin molecules/fragments, as well as other proteins. Thus, HSP90 proteostasis in skeletal muscles of the long-tailed ground squirrel could contribute to maintaining a stable level of titin and, possibly, other sarcomeric proteins during hibernation, which, in turn, would contribute to maintaining a highly ordered sarcomeric structure and the necessary level of contractile muscle activity in different phases of the hibernation–wakefulness cycle.

This article presents the results of the study on low-active forms of cellulosolitic microorganisms in the soils of archaeological sites. The objects of the study were soils with traces of wooden structures in Vyatichi burials (12th century). To date, traces of wood are not visible at the macro level. The data obtained are compared with the results of a laboratory experiment to determine rates of cellulose decomposition in soils from various archaeological contexts. Cellulosolitic activity was determined by the application method. It has been shown that the cellulase activity of soils with traces of burial wooden structures is 20% of the level of modern soils. This suggests the awakening or presence of living, low-active microorganisms that have survived in the soil for 800 years.

The identification of the drugs Lucentis and Eylea that prevent neovascularization using electrochemical method of multisensory stripping voltammetry was studied. It was shown that the method is suitable for identifying these drugs. The dynamics of changes in concentration was considered. Thus, the number of organic substances that can be identified by this method was expanded.

Abstract—To determine the effective dosages of current ophthalmic drugs and those being developed, an assessment of the dynamics of changes in their concentration in the lacrimal fluid over time is required. For this purpose, multisensory stripping voltammetry, a simple electrochemical method for determining various substances, is convenient. The dynamics of the local anesthetic drug ropivacaine used for conduction anesthesia during ophthalmic operations in children was studied as an example.

For effective dosage of ophthalmic drugs, it is necessary to assess the dynamics of changes in their concentration in the tear fluid over time. This paper provides examples of determination of the local analgesic drugs naropin, сhirocaine, and lidocaine used in ophthalmic operations by multisensory stripping voltammetry. The dynamics of these anesthetics in the tear fluid of patients during the operation for phacoemulsification of the lens, including in the presence of concomitant glaucoma, was studied.

The recently discovered luminescent properties of nonaromatic amino acids with excitation-dependent photoluminescence in the absence of conjugation within individual molecules have aroused great interest. Although the existence of the phenomenon of internal luminescence no longer is doubted, the nature of this process remains unclear. The authors tried to advance the understanding of these processes in the study of the spectral-luminescent properties of L-lysine and L-arginine using adsorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet and visible ranges, as well as stationary and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy.

We have evaluated the biological activity of brown semidesert soils (Eutric Cambisols (Loamic, Protocalcic)) of the Baer Knolls (Astrakhan oblast) formed under different hydrothermal conditions and differing in particle-size composition. The organic carbon content, total microbial biomass, biomass of living microbial cells, and oligotrophy index of microbial communities have been determined. The organic carbon content in soils of more arid areas at the southern and western boundaries of the Baer Knolls is 1.5–2 times lower as compared to soils at their northern boundary. The highest oligotrophy index of the microbial community has been detected in the soil profile in the southern part of the Baer Knolls. It reflects the high participation of microorganisms, which are best adapted to arid conditions. The variability of total and living microbial biomass depends on the soil texture, especially in the upper horizon, where these parameters in clayey soils are 1.5–2 times higher than in sandy ones. The data on the total and living microbial biomass in brown semidesert soils of the Baer Knolls are lower than in chestnut soil (Haplic Kastanozems, Cambisols, Calcisols) and solonetzes (Solonetz). Brown semidesert soil of the Baer Knolls and eroded chestnut-like paleosols of the Subboreal xerothermic period (the 3rd–2nd millennia BC) are characterized by similar total microbial biomass, whereas the biomass of living microbial cells in eroded chestnut-like paleosols is 6–9 times higher than in brown semidesert soils of the Baer Knolls and varies at the levels of light chestnut soils (Calcisols) and solonetzes.

Data on phosphatase activity (PA) in soils of different natural zones, intrazonal soils, buried soils, and cultural layers in archaeological monuments of different age were summarized. The variability of PA in soil complexes was analyzed. The maximum values of PA were recorded in the upper horizon of Eutric Retisols, and minimum values were found in Haplic Calcisols of the Baer hills in the Caspian Lowland. In Solonetzes, a wider variation of PA in the A1 horizon was recorded as compared to that in Cambisols and Calcisols. Mean value of PA in the upper horizon of Solonetz was 1.5 times higher than in the upper horizon of Cambisols and Calcisols. The maximum values of PA in the profile of Solonetz were determined in the uppermost 2-cm-thick layer. The B1 horizon of Cambisols and Calcisols had a higher PA in comparison with that in the A1 horizon of these soils, whereas the B1 horizon of Solonetz had a lower PA than that in the A1 horizon. In the paleosols buried under kurgans of different age, PA was higher in paleosols buried in humid epochs than in paleosols buried in arid epochs. Cultural layers of ancient settlements had the maximum variability of PA values. In some cases, in the cultural layers with low organic matter content, the values of PA correlated with the content of phosphates. In the cultural layers with ash and charcoals, the low values of PA were recorded at high phosphate content.

Abstract—The hypothesis that formed the basis of this work has been made on our studies that have shown that giant multi-domain muscle proteins of the titin family (titin isoforms and myosin-binding protein C paralogs) form amyloid aggregates in vitro. We have identified a number of features of the amyloid aggregation of the above-mentioned proteins using a number of methods, including X-ray diffraction: (1) the ability to aggregate under reduced ionic strength at pH 7.0; (2) a high aggregation rate; (3) the formation of aggregates that have a quaternary structure like the cross-β structure, which is characteristic of many amyloids; (4) the absence of changes in the secondary structure in the formation of amyloid-like aggregates; and (5) the partial reversibility of amyloid aggregation. In this paper, we raise the following questions. Is amyloid aggregation of these proteins possible in vivo? If so, what could be the functional significance of such aggregation in a muscle cell? We believe that amyloid-like structures can be formed temporarily upon the interaction of individual molecules of multi-domain muscle proteins in the process of muscle contraction in the sarcomere. Such changes would certainly be accompanied an increase in the stiffness of the sarcomeres and the muscle in general, that can play a positive role in preventing harmful effects on the muscle under extreme physical exercise.

Abstract—This article discusses the relevant results on early and safe detection of breast cancer with a thermal volume tomography (TVT) device produced in Russia. The device records and analyzes the spatial temperature distribution on the skin in the tumor region. The resulting dataset can be analyzed using artificial intelligence methods, which make it possible to efficiently choose the treatment strategy by selecting optimal treatments at the preclinical stage of breast cancer.

A new electrochemical method for multisensory stripping voltammetry has been used to determine whether it is appropriate for determination of generic forms of the drug Betoptic, that is, Xonef, Betoftan, and Betalink EU in tear fluid. Measurements were carried out on a planar three-electrode interdigitated electrode. It has been shown that this method is effective for determination of the generics. The dynamics of changes in their concentrations over time were examined. After instillation of the generics in glaucoma patients, their concentrations in the lacrimal fluid remained unchanged within 12 h. The list of organic substances that can be determined by the method of multisensory stripping voltammetry has been extended.

Abstract—This study was aimed at the identification of the most significant clinical, anatomical, and molecular risk factors of the occurrence and progression of endometrial hyperplastic processes and the development of endometrial malignant transformation in women of perimenopause age taking statistical analysis into account. The results enabled us to find statistically significant risk factors for endometrial cancer. The degree of cancer risk was calculated using the method of binary logistic regression; the effective tactics of management of patients with endometrial hyperplastic processes in perimenopause was chosen.

This paper presents the first result of a study of two long-term natural archives in the southwestern part of the Western Siberian Plain. Bchron age models based on 17 AMS dates allowed us to determine a chronology of changes in properties of lake and peat deposits. Significant changes in the Holocene were identified according to geochemical indices, accumulation rates, and compositions of the plant macrofossils of sediment cores in Lake Kyrtyma and Oshukovskoe peat bog. Sediments with a low content of organic matter and maximum weathering accumulated in the Late Glacial, below the border of the Holocene. The transition to the Holocene manifested as a black organic gyttja with ostracods and marked warming ∼12–11.2 ka BP. At about 11.2–10.1 ka BP it was replaced by the Preboreal oscillation. Subsequent changes in lake sedimentation were associated with general warming and an unstable hydrological regime. An increase in humidification ∼8.2 ka BP was reflected by lake level rise and contributed to swamping of the watersheds. The aridest Holocene phase at ∼7.1–5.5 ka BP was reliably recorded by geochemical data, but poorly reflected in the stratigraphy of both profiles. Subsequent cooling and the resulting decrease in evaporation began at ∼5.5–4.9 ka BP. A pronounced cardinal shift in sedimentation conditions due to a gradual increase in precipitation was recorded at ∼4.9–2.8 ka BP, though short-term fluctuations towards dryness were also marked at ∼3.5–3.3 ka BP. The most significant increase in humidification and cooling began at 2.8 ka BP. Geochemical indices in the lacustrine sediments are climate sensitive and allowing us to obtain enough reliable data associated with changes in sedimentation environments. The stratigraphy of peat reflected the nuances of climatic changes less clearly and primarily demonstrated the stages of bog self-development; however, sphagnum peat provided a better-resolution record.

Abstract—Soil organic matter of forest ecosystems is characterized by high sensitivity to increased temperatures, which makes soil organic matter more vulnerable under the conditions of global warming. In this study, evaluation of the effects of different components of woody litter (leaves and small branches of aspen) on the dynamics of the activity and quantitative characteristics of microbial communities of soils under the conditions simulating climate warming was carried out. In our experiment we used samples of gray forest soil from the forest biocenosis of the Moscow area, which is typical of the European part of Russia. Incubation of soil samples to which crushed leaves and branches were added (0.5 wt %) was carried out at constant temperatures of 5, 15, and 25°C for 28 days. The dynamics of CO2 emission, organic carbon content, microbial biomass, as well as the number of the ribosomal genes of bacteria, archaea, and micromycetes, were evaluated. The optimal temperature for plant litter decomposition was 15°C; a decrease or increase in the temperature resulted in a decrease in the intensity of the litter decomposition process. Addition of plant residues in the temperature range of 5–15°C resulted in a significant increase in the temperature sensitivity of the soil-respiration process and the temperature coefficient increased from 1.75 to 3.44–3.54. In the temperature range of 15–25°C an inverse correlation was observed. At high temperatures addition of plant residues stimulated decomposition of soil organic matter. These results contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of soil carbon and can be used in predictive models of the processes of plant-litter decomposition and the dynamics of soil organic matter in forest biocenoses in Eurasia under the conditions of climate change.

The possibility of determining lanosterol, the active ingredient of the drug Lanomax, in the lacrimal fluid by a new electrochemical method of multisensory stripping voltammetry was studied. The measurements were carried out using a planar solid-state electrode. The test-system solution was a 0.05 М KCl solution, which contained the Zn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Cо2+ and Hg2+ metal cations at the concentration of 5 · 10–5 M. It was shown that the method is effective for the determination of lanosterol; the dynamics of the change in its concentration in time was considered. It was also shown that the lanosterol concentration in the lacrimal fluid remains constant for 12 h. The possibility of nonsurgical dissolution of cataracts in humans using Lanomax was investigated. In the course of the dynamic observation of this process for 8 months, the stabilization of rapidly progressive cataract was found.

The reason for aridization in the desert-steppe zone lies in the strengthening of the winter Asian anticyclone, which prevents the Mediterranean and Caspian cyclones from passing into the zone of desert steppes. These conditions provoke cold and snowless winters. The impact of aridization on soils consists in the accumulation of salts in the upper layers, the increase of carbonates and gypsum proportion, and in the intensification of soil erosion. Such conditions were very favorable for ancient cattle breeders, since they could allow the livestock to graze throughout the year and did not have to store fodder. The reverse process-increased humidization is associated with the weakening of the Asian winter anticyclone and the penetration of precipitation cyclones into the region of desert steppes. In such periods, toxic salts are washed out from the soils, humus content increases, segregation of soil carbonate begins, and the reserve of moisture for plants is created. Winter precipitation, though, leads to the formation of a thick snow cover, icing of the plants and the creation of an ice crust. In these conditions grazing was impossible, and herds were subject to depletion and death. Thus, during the periods of aridization, the most favorable conditions for pasturing developed in the desert steppe, while in humid periods, which were previously considered to be the most favorable, there was no opportunity for traditional pastoral farming. So, in the conditions of sharply arid climate in the middle-second half of the 3rd millennium BC, the catacomb cultures and post-catacomb cultural communities prospered in the desert steppe. The increase in the atmospheric humidity in the 19th - 18th cc. BC resulted in the increase in winter precipitation, which made impossible the winter grazing. This was the reason for a well-known period of depopulation of the desert steppe in the Late Bronze Age. The presented material is the result of the authors' joint research work: A. V. Borisov has developed the general conception of the research, reviewed literary sources and prepared the manuscript's text; M. V. Eltsov has conducted paleoclimatic reconstructions for the investigated region; S. N. Udaltsov has carried out the chemical-analytical studies of the selected paleo-soil samples, and the general editing of the manuscript; A. V. Bukhonov has taken an active part in the field part of the study and discussed the proposed conception.