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The mechanisms responsible for the growth and development of vascular beds in intestinal villi during postnatal ontogenesis remain enigmatic. For instance, according to the current consensus, in the sprouting type of angiogenesis, there is no blood flow in the rising capillary sprout. However, it is known that biomechanical forces resulting from blood flow play a key role in these processes. Here, we present evidence for the existence of the intussusception type of angiogenesis during the postnatal development of micro-vessel patterns in the intestinal villi of rats. This process is based on the high-level flattening of blood capillaries on the flat surfaces of intestinal villi, contacts among the opposite apical plasma membrane of endothelial cells in the area of inter-endothelial contacts, or the formation of bridges composed of blood leucocytes or local microthrombi. We identified factors that, in our opinion, ensure the splitting of the capillary lumen and the formation of two parallel vessels. These phenomena are in agreement with previously described features of intussusception angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although established biotechnological applications of microalgae e.g., the production of high-value metabolites is based on axenic cultures, exploitation of the mutualistic consortia of microalgae and bacteria quickly comes to foreground, especially in bioremediation and wastewater treatment. This trend shifts the focus from genomic research of certain microalgal species to metagenomic studies of interactions between microalgae and bacteria in natural communities and in artificial consortia. Dissection of the genetic determinants of the robustness and productivity of the consortia become a hot research direction, too. Admirable contribution to this topic had been made by high-throughput sequencing (HTS), while recent breakthrough in this field was entailed by the advent and rapid development of the 3rd generation nanopore sequencing which becomes increasingly accurate while providing unprecedented sequencing performance. Recent progress of the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) enabled both classical metagenomic analysis of microalgal-bacterial communities based on whole metagenome sequencing as well as taxonomic and genetic profiling based on the amplicon sequencing. The parallel emergence of novel bioinformatic algorithms for processing the metagenomic datasets opened new opportunities for the analysis of structure and physiology of microalgal-bacterial communities. From the practical perspective, the new HTS techniques became a time- and labor-savers in discovery of new microalgae with a high potential for the accumulation of valuable metabolites, biodegradation of hazardous micropollutants, and biosequestration of nutrients from waste streams. Search for prokaryotic species boosting the biotechnological potential of eukaryotic microalgae via mutualistic interactions with them is another important goal. The insights from the both short-read and long-read metagenomics will form a solid foundation for the rational design of microalgal-bacterial consortia for biotechnology. In this review, we briefly outline the benefits of the long-read sequencing for structural and functional investigation of algal-bacterial consortia and summarize recent reports on using this approach for achieving the biotechnology-related goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the industrialized regions of Russia have faced the need to diversify the economy and develop new industries. The advantage of such regions is that they can use their industrial heritage to develop primarily industrial tourism. The purpose of the article is to analyze the spatial organization of industrial tourism objects on the territory of the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass. The authors analyze the approaches to the essence of the concept of "industrial tourism", study international and Russian experience in the development of industrial areas and assess the state of industrial tourism in the region with the help of SWOT-analysis method. Authors also identify the potential objects of industrial tourism and analyze their spatial organization. With the help of the QGIS 3.20 program, thematic map-scheme of the location of industrial tourism objects has been made. The conclusions about the prospects and directions of development of industrial tourism in the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal surface of the animal gastrointestinal tract is covered by microbial biofilms. They play an important role in the development and functioning of the host organism and protect it against pathogens. Microbial communities of gastrointestinal biofilms are less elucidated than luminal microbiota. Therefore, the studies of biofilm formation by gastrointestinal microorganisms are a topical issue. For the first time, we report the formation of a biofilm in vitro by the strains of bioluminescent bacteria isolated from the intestines of marine fish. These bacteria exhibit co-aggregation and tend to attach to solid surfaces. The attachment of cells is accompanied by appearance of the pili. Then, we observed the formation of microcolonies and the production of extracellular polymer substances (EPSs) connecting bacterial cells into an integrated system. The presence of acidic polysaccharides is shown in the EPS when using the ruthenium red staining. Acidic polysaccharides in this matrix is a biochemical evidence of microbial biofilms. On the fibers of the polymer matrix, these bacteria form the "mushroom body"-type structures. Matured biofilms exhibit a specific three-dimensional architecture with pores and channels formed by cells and EPS. We also demonstrated the formation of a biofilm by binary culture of the luminous enterobacterium Kosakonia cowanii and a Gram-positive Macrococcus sp. The data obtained help to understand the role of these bacteria in the intestines of fish. They lead to a new study in the field of investigation of the intestinal microbiome of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disparities in physicians' geographical distribution lead to highly unequal access to healthcare, which may impact quality of care in both high and low-income countries. This paper uses a 2013–2014 nationally representative survey of French general practitioners (GPs) matched with corresponding administrative data to analyze the effects of practicing in an area with weaker medical density. To avoid the endogeneity issue on physicians' choice of the location, we enriched our variable of interest, practicing in a relatively underserved area, with considering changes in medical density between 2007 and 2013, thus isolating GPs who only recently experienced a density decline (identifying assumption). We find that GPs practicing in underserved areas do shorter consultations and tend to substitute time-consuming procedures with alternatives requiring fewer human resources, especially for pain management. Results are robust to considering only GPs newly exposed to low medical density. Findings suggest a significant impact of supply-side shortages on the mix of healthcare services used to treat patients, and point to a plausible increased use of painkillers, opioids in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: GPs are confronted with therapeutic dilemmas in treating patients with multimorbidity and/or polypharmacy when unfavourable medication risk-benefit ratios (RBRs) conflict with patients' demands.Aim: To understand GPs' attitudes about prescribing and/or deprescribing medicines for patients with multimorbidity and/or polypharmacy, and factors associated with their decisions.Design and Setting: Cross-sectional survey in 2016 among a national panel of 1266 randomly selected GPs in private practice in France.Method: GPs' opinions and attitudes were explored using a standardised questionnaire including a case vignette about a female treated for multiple somatic diseases, sleeping disorders, and chronic pain. Participants were randomly assigned one of eight versions of this case vignette, varying by patient age, socioprofessional status, and stroke history. Backward selection was used to identify factors associated with GPs' decisions about drugs they considered inappropriate.Results: Nearly all (91.4%) responders felt comfortable or fairly comfortable deprescribing inappropriate medications, but only 34.7% decided to do so often or very often. In the clinical vignette, most GPs chose to discontinue symptomatic medications (for example, benzodiazepine, paracetamol/tramadol) because of unfavourable RBRs. When patients asked for ketoprofen for persistent sciatica, 94.1% considered this prescription risky, but 25.6% would prescribe it. They were less likely to prescribe it to older patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36 to 0.63), or those with a stroke history (AOR 0.55, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.72).Conclusion: In therapeutic dilemmas, some GPs choose to prioritise patients' requests over iatrogenic risks. GPs need pragmatic implementation tools for handling therapeutic dilemmas, and to improve their skills in medication management and patient engagement in such situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Given geographical disparities in vaccination coverage (VC) and the crucial role general practitioners (GPs) play in vaccination in France, we sought to: 1) determine the existence of geographical variations in GPs' perceptions of vaccines, their trust in information sources, and the frequency of their recommendations to patients by comparing data from southeast (SE), central-west (CW), northwest (NW), and the rest of France; and 2) identify individual and contextual factors associated with regional variations in GPs' recommendations. Methods This cross-sectional observational study in 2014 collected data from a panel of 2586 French GPs in private practice: 3 specific regional samples and a fourth sample for the rest of France. We calculated a composite score summarizing GPs' vaccine recommendation frequency for 6 vaccine situations and used a five-step hierarchical linear regression to study the score's links with practice location and individual and contextual factors. Results GPs' vaccine recommendation frequency score was highest in NW France and lowest in the SE. The low SE score was explained by GPs' greater doubts about vaccine utility and risks and lower trust in information sources. The high NW score was partially explained by greater adherence to guidelines by GPs there. The contextual factors studied did not explain regional differences. Conclusion The geographical variations in GPs' vaccination-related attitudes and practices suggest that vaccine hesitancy among GPs differs in prevalence between regions. These variations coincide with north/south trends in population VC. Intervention strategies to restore confidence in vaccines should target GPs and must be adapted to each regional context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline ZnO, ZnO(Ga), and ZnO(Ga, In) samples with different indium contents were prepared by wet-chemical method and characterized in detail by ICP-MS and XRD methods. Gas sensing properties toward NO2 were studied at 150-450 °C by DC conductance measurements. The optimal temperature for gas sensing experiments was determined. The dependence of the ZnO(Ga, In) sensor signal to NO2 at 250 °C correlates with the change of conductivity of the samples. The introduction of indium into the system leads to an increase in the values of the sensor signal in the temperature range T < 250 °C. The investigation of the local sample conductivity by scanning spreading resistance microscopy demonstrates that, at high indium content, the sensor properties are determined by the In-Ga-Zn-O layer that forms on the ZnO surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cartography is the art of map-making that integrates science, technology, and visual aesthetics for the purpose of rendering the domain of interest, navigable. The science could aid the cartographer if it were to inform about the underlying process. Thus, Mendeleev's periodic table was informed by insights about the atomic mass periodicity. Likewise, Harvey's work on the circulatory system map was informed by his theoretical insights on Galen's errors. Mapping of human knowledge dates back at least to Porphyry who laid out the first tree-of-knowledge. Modern knowledge-cartographers use a wide array of scientometric techniques capable of rendering appealing visuals of massive scientific corpuses. But what has perhaps been lacking is a sound theoretical basis for rendering legible the adaptive dynamics of knowledge creation and accumulation. Proposed is a theoretical framework, knowledge as a complex adaptive system (CAS) patterned on Holland's work on CAS, as well as the view that knowledge is a hierarchically heterarchic dynamical system. As a first leg in the conjoining experimental phase, we extract terms from approximately 1400 complexity science papers published at the Santa Fe Institute, deduce the topic distribution using Latent Dirichlet Allocation, capture the underlying dynamics, and show how to navigate the corpus visually. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 207-234, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the importance of the continuous follow-up of chronic patients, we evaluated the performance of French private practice general practitioners (GPs) practicing in multi-professional group practices (MGP) regarding chronic care management during the first Covid-19 lockdown in Spring 2020 compared to GPs not in MGP. We consider two outcomes: continuity of care provision for chronic patients and proactivity in contacting these patients. Methods: The cross-sectional web questionnaire of 1191 GPs took place in April 2020. We exploit self-reported data on: 1) the frequency of consultations for chronic patients during lockdown compared to their "typical" week before the pandemic, along with 2) GPs' proactive behaviour when contacting their chronic patients. We use probit and bivariate probit models (adjusted for endogeneity of choice of engagement in MGP) to test whether GPs in MGP had significantly different responses to the Covid-19 crisis compared to those practicing outside MGP. Results: Out of 1191 participants (response rate: 43.1%), around 40% of GPs were female and 34% were younger than 50 years old. Regression results indicate that GPs in MGP were less likely to experience a drop in consultations related to complications of chronic diseases (- 45.3%). They were also more proactive (+ 13.4%) in contacting their chronic patients compared to their peers practicing outside MGP. Conclusion: We demonstrate that the MGP organisational formula was beneficial to the follow-up of patients with chronic conditions during the lockdown; therefore, it appears beneficial to expand integrated practices, since they perform better when facing a major shock. Further research is needed to confirm the efficiency of these integrated practices outside the particular pandemic setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microalga Coelastrella rubescens dwells in habitats with excessive solar irradiation; consequently, it must accumulate diverse compounds to protect itself. We characterized the array of photoprotective compounds in C. rubescens. Toward this goal, we exposed the cells to high fluxes of visible light and UV-A and analyzed the ability of hydrophilic and hydrophobic extracts from the cells to absorb radiation. Potential light-screening compounds were profiled by thin layer chromatography and UPLC-MS. Coelastrella accumulated diverse carotenoids that absorbed visible light in the blue–green part of the spectrum and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAA) that absorbed the UV-A. It is the first report on the occurrence of MAA in Coelastrella. Two new MAA, named coelastrin A and coelastrin B, were identified. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the development of hydrophobic subcompartments under the high light and UV-A exposition. We also evaluate and discuss sporopollenin-like compounds in the cell wall and autophagy-like processes as the possible reason for the decrease in sunlight absorption by cells, in addition to inducible sunscreen accumulation. The results suggested that C. rubescens NAMSU R1 accumulates a broad range of valuable photoprotective compounds in response to UV-A and visible light irradiation, which indicates this strain as a potential producer for biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The microalga Haematococcus lacustris is a source of the natural colorant astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant and key component of cosmetics and animal feed. Haematococcus is cultivated in photobioreactors. It can obtain energy just from a light illuminating photobioreactor and uses inorganic salts and CO2 as sources for chemical elements. The most widespread approach for Haematococcus cultivation is the two stage scheme. At the first stage, biomass accumulation under favorable growth conditions occurs. At the second stage, the cells are subjected to stress inducing astaxanthin synthesis. Generally, the culture of Haematococcus is not axenic. It exists in the form of a community with bacteria constituting its microbiome. The information on photobioreactor-cultivated Haematococcus microbiome is scarce. We analyzed its dynamic during astaxanthin production by DNA metabarcoding and microscopic observations. The main results of the work include the characterization of the daily dynamic of this microbiome and the revealing of contact between microalgae and bacteria. These findings are of potential significance for biotechnology. On one hand, they provide an insight into possible bacterial contamination of the harvested algal biomass. On the other hand, they reveal the presence of a core microbiome or bacteria essential for the growth of the microalga existing in all Haematococcus cultures. Haematococcus lacustris is a natural source of a valuable ketocarotenoid astaxanthin. Under autotrophic growth conditions, it exists in the form of a community with bacteria. The close coexistence of these microorganisms raises two questions: how broad their diversity is and how they interact with the microalga. Despite the importance these issues, little is known about microorganisms existing in Haematococcus cultures. For the first time, we characterize the dynamic of the H. lacustris microbiome of the microbiome of Haematococcus (a changeover of the bacterial associated species as function of the time) cultivated autotrophically in a photobioreactor based on 16S rRNA metabarcoding data. We found that Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes are predominant phyla in the community. The Caulobacter bacterium became abundant during astaxanthin accumulation. These data were supported by microscopy. We discuss possible roles and interactions of the community members. These findings are of potential significance for biotechnology. They provide an insight into possible bacterial contamination in algal biomass and reveal the presence of bacteria essential for the algal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]