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This research presents a synthesis method for the CeO2/CuO nanostructured composite, which has potential applications as an antimicrobial material in the production of antimicrobial surface coatings, for example, for high-touch surfaces. The antimicrobial efficacy, mode of action, and potential cytotoxicity of CeO2/CuO towards the human immortalized keratinocyte cell line in vitrowere studied compared to those of CuO, CeO2, and ionic Cu (a solubility control). The used synthesis method resulted in a CeO2/CuO nanostructured composite with a mean particle size of 27 nm and a specific surface area of 80.3 m2g−1. The composite had a significant proportion (54%) of non-lattice oxygen species, highlighting the presence of substantial surface defects crucial for generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). The antimicrobial properties of CeO2/CuO, CuO, and CeO2were assessed at six concentrations from 1 to 1000 mg L−1in deionized water. The CeO2/CuO composite exhibited antibacterial efficacy at a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 100 mg L−1towards Escherichia colialready after 2 h of contact and towards Pseudomonas aeruginosaand Staphylococcus aureusafter 4 h of contact, whereas after 24 h of exposure, the antibacterial efficacy to all three bacterial strains was evident already at a MBC = 10 mg L−1. Fungi Candida albicansproved less susceptible than bacteria (24 h MBC = 100 mg L−1). Thus, the CeO2/CuO composite showed significant antibacterial efficacy against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, being at the same time safe to human keratinocytes in vitroin the case of which even 1000 mg L−1caused no harmful effects after 2 h exposure and 500 mg L−1caused no cytotoxicity after 24 h exposure. CeO2/CuO caused abiotic and biotic ROS production in all the tested environments. ROS production in deionized water was the most remarkable. Shedding of Cu-ions from CeO2/CuO was moderate and depended on the test environment, varying from 0.3 to 1 mg L−1, and considering the MBC of ionic Cu for microorganisms was not the main contributor to the antimicrobial activity of CeO2/CuO. The CeO2/CuO composite exhibited no acute toxicity to the environmentally relevant bacterium Vibrio fischeri. These findings indicate that CeO2/CuO's high ROS production is its primary antimicrobial mechanism and that due to its low cytotoxicity to human keratinocytes, it can be considered a promising antimicrobial agent.

Neutrophils have a pivotal role in safeguarding the host against pathogens and facilitating tissue remodeling. They possess a large array of tools essential for executing these functions. Neutrophils have a critical role in cancer, where they are largely associated with negative clinical outcome and resistance to therapy. However, the specific role of neutrophils in cancer is complex and controversial, owing to their high functional diversity and acute sensitivity to the microenvironment. In this Perspective, we discuss the accumulated evidence that suggests that the functional diversity of neutrophils can be ascribed to two principal functional states, each with distinct characteristics: classically activated neutrophils and pathologically activated immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells. We discuss how the antimicrobial factors in neutrophils can contribute to tumor progression and the fundamental mechanisms that govern the pathologically activated myeloid-derived suppressor cells. These functional states play divergent roles in cancer and thus require separate consideration in therapeutic targeting.

One of the crucial metabolic processes for both plant and animal kingdoms is the oxidation of the amino acid tryptophan (TRP) that regulates plant growth and controls hunger and sleeping patterns in animals. Here, we report revolutionary insights into how this process can be crucially affected by interactions with metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), creating a toolbox for a plethora of important biomedical and agricultural applications. Molecular mechanisms in TRP–NP interactions were revealed by NMR and optical spectroscopy for ceria and titania and by X-ray single-crystal study and a computational study of model TRP–polyoxometalate complexes, which permitted the visualization of the oxidation mechanism at an atomic level. Nanozyme activity, involving concerted proton and electron transfer to the NP surface for oxides with a high oxidative potential, like CeO2or WO3, converted TRP in the first step into a tricyclic organic acid belonging to the family of natural plant hormones, auxins. TiO2, a much poorer oxidant, was strongly binding TRP without concurrent oxidation in the dark but oxidized it nonspecifically via the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in daylight.

Abstract: The article, written for the anniversary of G.M. Lappo, is dedicated to Moscow oblast as one of his key regions. The influence of Moscow on the territory of the oblast is considered, including according to cellular operator data. The emphasis is on the change in territorial structures of Moscow oblast based on a multiscale approach and detailed statistical data. It is shown that in the post-Soviet period, with the development of high-speed transport, the areal size of the Moscow urban agglomeration has continued to expand. With the increased volume of labor commuting migration, the scale of seasonal pulsations of the borders and population of this agglomeration has been determined. It is shown that second-order agglomerations retain their role as local centers of attraction. Multidirectional territorial shifts in population, industry, agriculture, trade, and services over the past 30 years have been identified. In the 1990s, the highest concentration was typical for industry; by 2020, it became the lowest. Retail trade and services have taken the lead, especially near the Moscow Ring Road, where demand on the part of the growing population of the capital merges with the regional. Previously dispersed agriculture is also concentrated in association with its transition to the industrial path of development within the framework of large enterprises, which does not cancel the development of small-scale farming and expansion of dacha land use. Multiscale territorial and sectoral shifts are revealed both when comparing Moscow oblast with Moscow, and when analyzing the distribution of types of structures (agrarian, industrial, service). The directions of these shifts are shown for several intervals between 1990 and 2020. The potential of Moscow oblast, comparable to St. Petersburg, is the result not only and not so much of its removal from Moscow, but the attraction of the population and activity to it. However, in construction, trade, logistics and, especially, dacha booms signs of a wider spread are visible, partly confirming Lappo’s vision in which the growth of Moscow oblast “from the city” alternates and is combined with growth “from the region.”

ABSTRACT:This paper will discuss the Egyptian artist Inji Efflatoun (1924–1989), whose first exhibition in Moscow in 1970 took place during the leadership of Gamal Abdul Nasser, and whose second, in 1975, was organized while Anwar Saadat was the president. They were very different in content, structure, complexity, and ambition, and probably in the political and social messages they sought to convey. Their content and political context will be examined here, based on archival material, as well as on Soviet newspapers and journals.

Abstract—: The article discusses the successes of the agroindustrial complex of Russia until 2022, its specifics, and regional features. The concept of food security is studied, which includes not only the ratio of production, consumption, export and import of food in the country, but also the physical and economic food availability to the population, as well as the sustainability of agriculture and the food industry. The author analyzes the degree of modern involvement of Russian crop and livestock production in the international division of production and possible consequences of its transformation associated with the departure of foreign companies in 2022 and changes in international relations. The specifics of the institutional and spatial organization of Russian agriculture and the processes of its concentration are shown. Maps of the regional specialization of those sectors of agriculture that are most dependent on the import of seeds, livestock genetic material, machinery and equipment have been compiled. The role of agroholdings in the new conditions is revealed, as well as the specifics of small enterprises and households, general and regional prerequisites, and limitations of their functioning. The trends of change and prospects of producers of different forms of ownership in different regions in the new geopolitical conditions are studied, including the search for ways to transform the agroindustrial complex of Russia.

Abstract—: The article understands sociogeographical space as territorial forms of organization of people’s lives and the spatial approach as necessary in analyzing social phenomena and their evolution in the comprehensive study of Russia. It is analyzed under the influence of what processes have formed and changed Russia’s modern sociogeographical space and how its structure affects the development of cities and rural areas. Multiscale analysis is used to consider the features and problems of social development in different parts of the country. Five zones of development and the settlement pattern, differentiation of the demographic geospace, and interregional socioeconomic contrasts are presented. The characteristics of the settlement pattern are based on analysis of urban structures, rural areas, and their interrelations. Networks of cities of different size and status, urban agglomerations, and their impact on the surrounding territories are considered. Rural settlement pattern is analyzed from the viewpoint of population density, the network of settlements, its dynamics, and differences between suburban and peripheral territories. The main processes of transformation of Russia’s sociogeographical space are identified, both those ongoing for several decades and gaining momentum: differentiation, concentration, polarization, shrinkage, and fragmentation. It is emphasized that even those due to objective factors are intensified as a result of centralized administration. In addition, excessive manifestation of these processes weakens the potential for development of territories of various sizes—from districts and cities to regions—and leads to the growth of the intraregional and external (national-scale) periphery. The article ends with proposed measures to support peripheral territories and reduce the polarization of the sociogeographical space.

The feasibility of a 220–330 GHz zero-order axicon-generated Bessel beam for corneal water content was explored. Simulation and experimental data from the 25° cone angle hyperbolic-axicon lens illuminating metallic spherical targets demonstrate a monotonically decreasing, band integrated, backscatter intensity for increasing radius of curvature from 7–11 mm, when lens reflector and optical axis are aligned. Furthermore, for radii > = 9.5 mm, maximum signal was obtained with a 1-mm transverse displacement between lens and reflector optical axes arising from spatial correlation between main lobe and out-of-phase sidelobes. Thickness and permittivity parameter estimation experiments were performed on an 8-mm radius of curvature, 1-mm-thick fused quartz dome over a 10-mm axial span. Extracted thickness and permittivity varied by less than ∼25 μm and 0.2, respectively, after correction for superluminal velocity. Estimated water permittivity and thickness of water backed gelatin phantoms showed significantly more variation due to a time varying radius of curvature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that describes axicon-generated Bessel beam measurements of layered spheres with varying radii of curvature, in the submillimeter range.

THE IDEA OF ADOPTING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS practices receives mixed responses from organizational leaders. Some take sustainability with a grain of salt and claim that when facing a choice between 'going [...]

THE 18TH CENTURY IN WESTERN EUROPE IS CHARACTERIZED by radical changes in its political and social life. The significance of this historical epoch was reflected in the epithet received: The [...]

Abstract—: This article considers the history of the territorial and economic development in the pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet times of the northeastern sector of the Central area of Russia as part of Vladimir, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, and Kostroma oblasts, as well as the ratio of the dynamics of the population of the regional centers and other settlements. The economic and psychic separation of large cities from the surrounding territories forced the authors to pay attention to the problems of the cultural heritage in the center of Russia. Yaroslavl oblast serves as a clear example of the influence of the geographical position near Moscow on the regional development, the accumulated traditions, sweeping Soviet industrialization, and modern directions of economic transformation. The rapid industrialization and urbanization of Yaroslavl oblast had begun almost half a century before the Soviet era, which stimulated the migration of the population. The history of the emergence and decline of industrial enterprises, the characteristics of some small towns with specific examples, and the contrasts of rural areas are considered. The evolution of rural settlement pattern in Yaroslavl oblast proves that the polarization of the populated space and its shrinkage are not phenomena of the post-Soviet or even late Soviet periods. Throughout history, there have been waves of expansion and shrinkage. The specificity of the modern period is the strengthening of rural depopulation with the active modernization of agriculture and its concentration. The features of the functioning of modern agro-industrial complexes between Moscow and Yaroslavl are considered. Attention is paid to the influence of the historical heritage on modern processes, including in the area of Lake Nero, as well as the activation of dachause of the territory by Muscovites and residents of large cities and the formation of a shadow “dachaseconomy.” The article is illustrated with graphs and photographs of some cities, enterprises, and rural areas.

Abstract: This is an attempt to generalize the results presented in the series of articles and related to the evolution and the current state of the old-developed regions of Russia on the area from its western borders to the Urals inclusive. Contrary to declarations and strategies of spatial development, the existing institutions and trends promoted polarization and shrinkage of the developed space. About 60% of the country’s population lives on 5% of its territory. Shrinkage is stimulated by concentration of economic activities and social benefits within the country in the direction from east to west and from north to south, as well as from the periphery of regions to large agglomerations, with few centers outside. These gradients are objectively rooted in the history and development pattern of a vast country, its natural diversity, special role of its large cities and their comparatively sparse location. However, it is far from always possible to justify the scope and impacts of growing contrasts, which are unpleasant for both “poles,” condensing human activity in the centers and devastating the peripheries of the regions even at a relatively short distance from Moscow. Therefore, the article concludes with a review of possible attitudes to the processes of spatial shrinkage and the most suffering peripheries. Four policy options are being considered for such places: let the process flow, accelerate it in order to save money, slow it up through financial support for depopulating and depressed areas, and stimulate new waves of their development, for instance using the demand for second (dacha) homes.

Abstract—: This article is devoted to the study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the processes of sub- and de-urbanization in Russia and the specifics of the return and seasonal dacha mobility of urban population. The features of the mass departure of citizens, especially Muscovites and city dwellers of Moscow oblast, to dachas in 2020 are considered. The introduction of the restrictions and the possibilities of distant work and education contributed to the departure from large cities. Financial and socio-organizational opportunities for the transition from the summer seasonal mobility to real sub- and de-urbanization in selected areas are analyzed. Regions of varying degrees of remoteness from Moscow and major centers are considered in the near and far municipalities of Moscow oblast, in the south and north of Yaroslavl oblast and in a remote area of Kostroma oblast. It is shown that the real readiness for sub- and de-urbanization, even in a crisis period, depends on the distance from city and development of the infrastructure. Moscow oblast is characterized by longer residence in dachas in 2020, including the cold season. This indicates the psychological readiness of the Muscovites to move outside the city. Here stressful suburbanization partly develops into the permanent type. At medium-distant and very distant dachas, there are not enough conditions for the de-urbanization of citizens (except for individual enthusiasts). The poor quality of roads, the lack of gas and water supply in the heartland, and disinterest of local authorities in new residents from cities make the flow of Muscovites and other city residents to the countryside pulsating and unreliable.

Abstract—: The article first offers a general overview of the place and role of the Russian Urals as a region located at the Eurasian junction. This is one of the leading industrial bases in Russia, relying on natural resource rent, but with a difficult fate, including steep ups and downs. The significance, former and current characteristics of its old-developed areas are indicated. The study is focuses on the Middle Urals as the key part of the Ural macroregion, and on Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk oblasts, with their centers analyzed in some more detail. It is shown that the Urals, like the Center of Russia, has been experiencing polarization of its socioeconomic space in many ways, including the direction of migration flows. In this case, against the backdrop of the polycentrism that has long been characteristic of the Ural macroregion, thanks in part to the resource-based development and the historical role of several large centers, the leadership of Yekaterinburg is becoming better expressed. It is not only the all-Ural center, but also a contender for an informal position of the third Russia’s capital. In most cities the crucial factors are a successful “owning” company or a defense interest of the state. Environmental polarization, along with the economic, is typical of the Middle Urals. Its dissected relief may protect a place against pollutions generated by their neighbors and keep it clean enough for tourism and recreation.

Abstract—: This article discusses the characteristics and main problems of Kostroma oblast, located on the northeastern outskirts of the Central Federal District. This is a region of old, but extremely uneven settlement pattern, and decreasing population density with distance from Kostroma. In addition to the region’s center, its economic base is forest resources with shrinking focal agricultural land use. The main “locomotives” of the region’s development have changed over time and its socioeconomic prospects are not clear. Based on the case of one remote municipality, it is shown how the developed space expanded and shrunk and what problems arose in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. The correlation between population dynamics and land use identifies the interdependence between them and shows how depopulation changes the psychology of local residents and what is the role of the newcomer urban summer residents. Article discusses the problems of preserving cultural heritage in shrinking rural settlements with the identification of the population groups most interested in its preservation. It ends with an analysis of possible models of “controlled shrinkage,” including the preservation and development of not only traditional branches of economy, but also the new ones.

Abstract—: Many special studies investigate the problems of spatial inequality in Russia at the regional (federal subjects) level, yet they reflect only the most general differences, obscuring much more striking intraregional contrasts and interregional patterns. This article attempts to outline the contours of spatially different development of old-developed districts and cities in 37 regions of European Russia and the Urals, using a wide array of statistical data at the level of municipalities. The resulted series of maps shows spatial differences in settlement pattern, socio-demographic characteristics, and economy, as a combination of various parameters conditioned by geographical factors. The greatest spatial differences can be seen at three scales: (1) natural zonal differences, which affect agriculture and rural development, including indirectly through infrastructure development; (2) macroregional differences, between the old-developed Central Russia, the Central Chernozem region, the Volga region, and the Urals, associated with the differences in their historical destinies and many local features, such as settlement pattern, ethnic composition, and economic specialization; and (3) intraregional center–peripheral development gradients formed by large cities. We employed geographically weighted regression to assess the statistical relationships between the indicators. The results emphasize the importance of local and regional typological factors as well as the dependence of current development paths on historically inherited structures and effects.

Abstract—: This article is devoted to the problems of local self-government in Russia and its relationship with higher authorities. The recent attempt, far from being the first in history, to transform the balance of power at different spatial levels, called municipal reform, is typical of the post-Soviet period. The main stages of the reform (although it has not yet been completed) and the new types of municipalities, such as urban and municipal okrugs, are considered. Insufficient financial support for local governments resulted in the consolidation of municipal units and in the growth of budgetary centralization, which led to the curtailment of social infrastructures at the grass-roots level. The municipal reform only intensified the natural process of population decrease in most areas. Regional disparities in the incomes of urban and municipal okrugs, urban and rural municipal settlements are shown, as well as the redistribution of authority and competencies at different levels. The course of the municipal reform in certain old-developed areas of the Center and the Urals is considered in more detail.

Abstract—: This article discusses the changes typical in the 20th and 21st centuries for cities and rural areas in the regions surrounding Moscow oblast. Despite the fact that Central Russia makes the impression of a relatively densely populated area in comparison with the northern and eastern regions, the contrasts of socioeconomic development here are among the strongest in the country. The processes of concentration of the economy and population are accompanied here by the peripherization and desertification of the old-developed areas. Moscow, on the one hand, makes investment in the surrounding regions, and on the other hand, pumps labor resources, especially young people, from cities and rural areas. This area is characterized by strong differences in population dynamics, employment, wages, and the state of cities and rural economy between districts to the north and south of Moscow oblast, between the suburbs of regional centers and the periphery of the regions, as well as between municipalities adjacent to Moscow oblast and remote from it. Different economic conditions of cities as well as the degree of concentration of agricultural production are shown, taking the latest trends into account. Changes in the forest complex in the Central Russia are considered separately.

Abstract—: The article considers the historical stages and current interaction between cities and rural areas. Old-developed regions of Russia are characterized by relatively high density of cities, but at the expense of small and most problematic ones. The urbanization of the 20th century led to the growth of several large centers that continue to “pull” people out of small and medium-sized cities and rural areas. The gap between the centers of regions and the territories they lead continues to grow. Prolonged urbanization has led to a significant devastation of the countryside outside Moscow oblast and in northwestern Russia. This was partly driven by the spread of small rural settlements in the forest zone. The peculiarity of Soviet agriculture and its post-Soviet transformations, the shift on crop production to the southern regions, and the impact on modern rural settlements are considered. It is shown how the modern technological paradigm of agriculture in the form of large modernized agro-industrial complexes has led spatial contrasts enhancement and the transition to a selective-focal commodity economy accompanied by shrinking land use. This led to the undermining the economic base of many rural settlements, and strengthening rural depopulation.

Abstract—: This article considers labor and dacha (second home) return migrations in Russia. These types of population spatial mobility have much greater extent than moving to a permanent place of residence. Temporary work outside the place of permanent residence was typical for the old-developed regions around Moscow and St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 21st century, this has become widespread due to job cuts and wage differences between large centers and small towns with rural areas. The life of citizens in two homes: in the city in winter and in the countryside on dachas (second homes) in summer and on weekends is also typical feature of Russia. The authors attempt to compare the migration flows for permanent residence, labor and dacha migrations in the old-developed regions of the Center of Russia. Two main types of dachas are considered: houses in garden settlements relatively close to cities and houses of citizens in villages, often in remote areas. To study the current and potential dacha development, remote sensing images are used, which make it possible to see not only organized dacha settlements, but also to reveal the actual summer population of rural areas according to the state of rural houses and surrounding territories. The maps show villages with a population of less than 100 inhabitants, which are most popular for urban summer residents and their accessibility from federal roads and small towns. Areas of potential seasonal dacha resettlement of rural areas and zones of its social desertification have been identified.

Abstract—: This article reveals the degree of spatial contrast in the Center of Russia at the level of municipalities based on a number of economic and social indicators along two cross-sections (socioeconomic profiles), which together resemble the letter X on the map and are shown as graphs. One section includes districts from St. Petersburg to Moscow and then to the south of Tula oblast, another section passes from southern outskirts of Kaluga oblast via Moscow to the eastern outskirts of Kostroma oblast. Along the selected routes various absolute and relative indicators are considered that reflect human migration to permanent residence, intra- and inter-regional temporary labor and summer migrations, as well as long-term dynamics of the urban population and the post-Soviet transformation of industry and agriculture in municipalities. It is shown that migration losses in the areas around Moscow oblast are both a consequence and a cause of the crisis of the local economy. The pre-revolutionary industrial potential was largely destroyed by the end of the 20th century, while the accumulated late Soviet potential had a significant impact on the current development of cities and regions. However, the possibilities of its post-Soviet use varied greatly from place to place. The cumulative effects of population concentration closer to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and regional centers and the consequences of economic shrinkage are clearly shown. Although the economy is partially recovering and changing its specialization, its enlargement and modernization, including in agriculture, increases the problems of employment and the social sphere, which are the most acute at the municipal level.

Abstract—: This special issue is devoted to the study of the middle zone of European Russia from the western borders to the Urals and Trans-Urals, that is, the old-developed regions of the country. This territory is characterized by acute problems caused by the spatial unevenness of development, despite its small area (against the northern and eastern regions of Russia). In the old-developed areas, the change of historical periods has led to the accumulation of achievements and problems. They continue to influence modern life in the form of the cultural heritage, the prevailing settlement pattern structure, local traditions, accumulated fixed assets, etc. The authors of the 17 articles of the special issue tried to identify the development trends and spatial socioeconomic contrasts, as well as their causes and consequences against the historical background. In the introductory article to the special issue, the authors give a brief overview of the articles presented in the journal.

Patients with metastatic ovarian cancer (OvCa) have a 5-year survival rate of <30% due to the persisting dissemination of chemoresistant cells in the peritoneal fluid and the immunosuppressive microenvironment in the peritoneal cavity. Here, we report that intraperitoneal administration of β-glucan and IFNγ (BI) induced robust tumor regression in clinically relevant models of metastatic OvCa. BI induced tumor regression by controlling fluid tumor burden and activating localized antitumor immunity. β-glucan alone cleared ascites and eliminated fluid tumor cells by inducing intraperitoneal clotting in the fluid and Dectin-1-Syk–dependent NETosis in the omentum. In omentum tumors, BI expanded a novel subset of immunostimulatory IL27+ macrophages and neutralizing IL27 impaired BI efficacy in vivo. Moreover, BI directly induced IL27 secretion in macrophages where single agent treatment did not. Finally, BI extended mouse survival in a chemoresistant model and significantly improved chemotherapy response in a chemo-sensitive model. In summary, we propose a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of metastatic OvCa.

Abstract: The article discusses the main concepts concerning spatial inequality (uneven development, concentration, polarization, fragmentation, shrinking of sociogeographic space) in the Russian and foreign literature as applied to the problems of today’s Russia. Russian geographers pay much attention to both interregional and intraregional inequalities, as well as to their natural, historical, economic, demographic, and institutional factors. On the vast and unevenly developed territory of Russia, with its natural contrasts and different results of post-Soviet transformations, spatial inequality has become one of the fundamental characteristics. On the one hand, inequality facilitates the development of the country by focusing its population and economic activities in certain cores where agglomeration effects are most pronounced. On the other hand, it narrows an inclusive development space, leaving low chances for other areas. Оfficial statistical data sets by region and municipality are applied in the article to analyze the cumulative effects of shrinking socioeconomic space along the North–South, East–West, and center–periphery axes. The inequality of old-developed regions from Central Russia to the Urals is shown in greater detail, taking into account historically inherited and new geographical differences. The results are presented in the form of thematic and complex (typological) maps, drawn at various levels by federal subjects and municipal and urban districts. Centers and growth factors are identified versus peripheralization and lagging of other areas. The research has led the authors to a conclusion about the significant inertia of the Russia’s spatial development and the stability of endogenous factors structuring its space under all changes, including post-Soviet ones.

Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death that is triggered by the discoordination of regulatory redox mechanisms culminating in massive peroxidation of polyunsaturated phospholipids. Ferroptosis inducers have shown considerable effectiveness in killing tumour cells in vitro, yet there has been no obvious success in experimental animal models, with the notable exception of immunodeficient mice1,2. This suggests that the effect of ferroptosis on immune cells remains poorly understood. Pathologically activated neutrophils (PMNs), termed myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs), are major negative regulators of anti-tumour immunity3–5. Here we found that PMN-MDSCs in the tumour microenvironment spontaneously die by ferroptosis. Although decreasing the presence of PMN-MDSCs, ferroptosis induces the release of oxygenated lipids and limits the activity of human and mouse T cells. In immunocompetent mice, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis abrogates suppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs, reduces tumour progression and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade to suppress the tumour growth. By contrast, induction of ferroptosis in immunocompetent mice promotes tumour growth. Thus, ferroptosis is a unique and targetable immunosuppressive mechanism of PMN-MDSCs in the tumour microenvironment that can be pharmacologically modulated to limit tumour progression.

Absolute thickness and free-water-content gradients in gelatin-based corneal phantoms with physiologically accurate radii of curvature and aqueous backing were extracted via coherent submillimeter-wave reflectometry at 220–330 GHz. Fourier-domain-based calibration methods, utilizing temporal and spatial gating, were developed and yielded peak-to-peak amplitude and phase clutter of 10-3 and 0.1°, respectively, for signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) between 40 and 50 dB. Total 12 phantoms were fabricated. Calibration methods enabled quantification of target sphericity that strongly correlated with optical-coherence tomography-based sphericity metrics via image segmentation. The extracted free-water volume fraction varied less than 5% in the five phantoms whose fabrication yielded the most spherical geometry. Submillimeter-wave-based thickness accuracy was better than 111 μm (∼λ/9) with an average of 65 μm (∼λ/17) and standard deviation of 44 μm (∼λ/25) for phantoms with physiologically relevant geometry. Monte-Carlo simulations of measurement noise and uncertainty limits agree with the experimental data analysis and indicate a lower thickness accuracy limit of 33 μm, and water-content sensitivities of 0.5% and 11.8% for the anterior and posterior segments, respectively. Numerical analysis suggests that the measurement fidelity was SNR limited and identified optical path length ambiguities within the cornea where a continuum of thickness/water gradient pairs produces statistically insignificant differences in complex reflection coefficient for finite SNR. This is the first known submillimeter-wave measurement technique, which is able to extract both the thickness and water-content gradients from a soft-tissue phantom, with a water backing, without the need for ancillary measurements.

Abstract—: This article examines the main trends in the spatial organization of animal husbandry in the post-Soviet years based on a multiscale study of regions in Russia’s Central Federal District. Using Rosstat data on municipal districts, topographic maps, and remote sensing data with different resolutions enabled us to uncover the pattern and spatial changes of animal husbandry, at a scale of a single farm. After a catastrophic decline in the livestock numbers in the 1990s, animal husbandry is recovering; however, partially changing its specialization, organizational structure, and localization. Against the overall increase in meat production in the recent years, mainly due to pork and poultry, the number of cattle in most regions continues to decline. At the same time, the degree of concentration of animal husbandry has increased versus Soviet times. The selectivity of animal husbandry restoration contributes to its spatial polarization—few foci of concentration along vast territories of the Non-Chernozem zone abandoned and gradually overgrown with forest. To verify official statistical data, we used ultra-high-resolution remote sensing data on the distribution of livestock production infrastructure and its state, examples of which are given in diagrams and maps. Comparing data of topographic maps dating to late 1980s and current satellite images showed that more than 4000 farms were abandoned in regions of the Central Federal District, at the same time many new modernized enterprises appeared. Maps compiled for municipal districts clearly reflect the contemporary spatial structure of livestock production. We also reflect on the spatial organization of large agroholdings in detail with examples.

Hungarian porcelain produced at Zsolnay ceramic factory is famous all over the world, which represents one of the best novelties of the art. The Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait, in addition to possessing one of the finest collections of Islamic art in the world, has a collection of Zsolnay ceramics consisting of more than 100 pieces.

This article presents measurements of the permittivity of gelatin hydrogels between 220 and 330 GHz. Hydrated gelatin was treated as a binary mixture of free water and a compound consisting of water bound to collagen. Submillimeter-wave reflectometry was used to estimate the hydrated gelatin permittivity, hydrated gelatin density, and free-water volume fraction in phantoms composed of 62, 67, 72, and 77% water by weight. A hydrated dry/wet density ratio of 0.335 was validated with optical-coherence tomography. A constant nonfreezing bound-water mass of 0.6 g/g was observed and confirmed with differential-scanning calorimetry. Good agreement between results from different modalities supports the dielectric spectroscopy methods and data analysis. Depending on the hydrodynamics at the sample/air interface, measurements indicate a bound-water compound permittivity of 3.77−j2.52 to 3.95−j2.49—contrasting the pure-water average permittivity of 5.16–j5.63. The loss related to bound water was much higher than anticipated and characterization will help reduce uncertainty in measurements of gelatin hydrogel-based tissue phantoms; particularly corneal phantoms where adjacent free water creates complex hydration gradients. This is the first known, submillimeter-wave, frequency domain measurement of complex permittivity of the bound-water component in solid, proteinaceous matter.

Powders of X6CrNiTi18-10 stainless steel were fabricated from original workpieces of different grade by gas atomization method. It was found that it is necessary to use argon as a gas for gas atomization of X6CrNiTi18-10 steel, since the use of nitrogen leads to the formation of its compounds, namely, titanium nitride. It is shown that all used workpieces – electric arc, electric slag and vacuum arc refinement – allow one to obtain powders suitable for further utilization in selective laser melting technology of 3D printing. The main physicochemical and technological properties of the obtained powders have been investigated. Changes in the chemical composition and quality of the powders are not significant within the X6CrNiTi18-10 grade. The 0...20 μm fraction of powders does not have fluidity, and thus cannot be used for additive technologies. The fraction 20...63 μm have suitable rheological properties for additive technologies and may be used in selective laser melting (SLM) process. The yield of target fraction 20 ... 63 microns was ≈45%. The fraction 63...120 μm may be used for the direct metal deposition (DMD) additive technology. Considering the economic aspect of the technology, it is preferable to use original workpieces of X6CrNiTi18-10 steel produced by electric arc or electroslag process, since the market price of vacuum arc steel is significantly higher. The fraction of ferrite phase in the powder increases with a decrease of particle size of the resulting powder and is lower comparing to the original workpiece. In the future, for a detailed study of the technological properties, it is planned to grow samples from each type of the obtained powders on installation for selective laser melting and direct laser deposition to determine the physical and mechanical properties of fabricated samples (tensile and impact bending tests) and carry out metallographic studies.

Abstract—: The article examines the degree of fragmentation and polarization of the socioeconomic space of Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk oblasts in the territory of the Middle Urals from Nizhny Tagil to Chelyabinsk. The study is based on an analysis of a number of statistical indicators for 29 municipalities and the results of expeditionary studies of cities and districts. The authors consider the specifics of individual areas, their evolution from the date of the first enterprise; population dynamics, including migration; the settlement pattern; the structure and current state of industry; and the main economic and environmental problems at the municipal level. It is clearly shown that the spatial trends of the 2000s in the Middle Urals as a whole correspond to the current all-Russian trends in concentration of the economy and growth of the largest centers and agglomerations. A peculiarity of the Urals is the increased role of big business, which controls the raw material industries, and the dependence of cities on industrial specialization and the state of key enterprises. The expeditionary survey of municipalities confirms the conclusion that the factory–town link conventional for the Middle Urals has been preserved. The main factors of survival were a successful “owner” (a large company whose products are in demand on the Russian and world markets) and the interest of the state, primarily in the defense industry. Nevertheless, analysis of various examples shows that, ceteris paribus, personal initiatives are also important for development. Environmental polarization in the Middle Urals is also very strong. With a multitude of ecological disaster sites, space, in which they alternate with vast areas of almost untouched nature, comes to the rescue.

ABSTRACTThe territories of “New Moscow,” were annexed 1 July 2012, a move that more than doubled the size of the Russian capital. The federal and city governments were supposed to move to New Moscow, which was meant to be in the avant-garde of twenty-first century urban design. However, soon New Moscow’s role was reduced to helping to make Greater Moscow more “livable” and channeling growth to the southwest. The present study sketches the historical background and current context of New Moscow, identifies the main factors shaping the pattern of growth, and provides an empirically-based investigation of current trajectories of change “on the ground;” i.e. with respect to population distribution, housing, commuting, land use, and the environment. The goals of this paper are to assess the extent to which directed suburbanization in New Moscow represents a radical departure from the past and to gauge its contribution to the effort to make the Moscow agglomeration more livable.

Abstract: This paper discusses Moscow’s influence on the regions surrounding Moscow oblast in terms of various parameters associated with changes in the population size of cities and rural areas, economic activity, employment, mobility of the population, land use, and dacha development. Located relatively close to Moscow and enjoying no advantages of the nearby Moscow suburbs, the regions around Moscow oblast are nonetheless strongly influenced by the capital. The historical waves of city formation around the metropolitan region and population dynamics in the 20th and 21st centuries are shown. The post-Soviet transformation strongly polarized cities depending on their size and position with respect to the Moscow region. The invariance of the suburban–peripheral organization of the countryside, which experienced a strong contraction in land use, is revealed. However, against the fields abandoned and overgrown with forest, a new industrial agriculture with a small number of employees was actively developing here in separate areas, aimed at supplying Moscow and the entire country. A small private economy has been decreasing under prolonged, intensive decline in the rural population and expansion of non-agricultural earning opportunities in the Moscow region. This territory is characterized by the most active labor commutes to Moscow and Moscow oblast, which often provide informal employment for the populations of small towns and rural areas. Competitors of the Moscow region, although weaker, are the capitals of the surrounding regions. The share of the temporary dacha population in the summer months in many areas, especially those adjacent to Moscow oblast, is higher than that of the local rural one. The polarized development of cities depending on the proximity to the Moscow metropolitan area and point-type industrialization of the rural economy, combined with the massive development of seasonal dacha recreation, is the main route for development of this large territory.

We have identified a precursor that differentiates into granulocytes in vitro and in vivo yet belongs to the monocytic lineage. We have termed these cells monocyte-like precursors of granulocytes (MLPGs). Under steady state conditions, MLPGs were absent in the spleen and barely detectable in the bone marrow (BM). In contrast, these cells significantly expanded in tumor-bearing mice and differentiated to polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs). Selective depletion of monocytic cells had no effect on the number of granulocytes in naive mice but decreased the population of PMN-MDSCs in tumor-bearing mice by 50%. The expansion of MLPGs was found to be controlled by the down-regulation of Rb1, but not IRF8, which is known to regulate the expansion of PMN-MDSCs from classic granulocyte precursors. In cancer patients, putative MLPGs were found within the population of CXCR1+CD15−CD14+HLA-DR−/lo monocytic cells. These findings describe a mechanism of abnormal myelopoiesis in cancer and suggest potential new approaches for selective targeting of MDSCs.

The online nuclear reaction analysis technique has been applied to study the temperature dependence of deuterium diffusion coefficients for deuterium in sodium at temperatures ranging between 110 and 240 K, and at cryogenic temperatures, below 160 K, tunneling of deuterium atoms in the metal lattice has been observed. Above 160 K, diffusion occurs by the classical mechanism of overbarrier atomic jumps. Results of quantum diffusion of deuterium in a metal have been obtained for the first time; they used to be known only for the lightest hydrogen isotope, protium, in niobium and tantalum. The analysis has shown that the necessary condition for carrying out the quantum mechanism of deuterium migration is low Debye temperature of a metal, below 200 K. Experimental data on diffusion of hydrogen isotope in an alkali metal have also been obtained for the first time in this paper.

Polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) are pathologically activated neutrophils that are crucial for the regulation of immune responses in cancer. These cells contribute to the failure of cancer therapies and are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Despite recent advances in the understanding of PMN-MDSC biology, the mechanisms responsible for the pathological activation of neutrophils are not well defined, and this limits the selective targeting of these cells. Here we report that mouse and human PMN-MDSCs exclusively upregulate fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2). Overexpression of FATP2 in PMN-MDSCs was controlled by granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor, through the activation of the STAT5 transcription factor. Deletion of FATP2 abrogated the suppressive activity of PMN-MDSCs. The main mechanism of FATP2-mediated suppressive activity involved the uptake of arachidonic acid and the synthesis of prostaglandin E2. The selective pharmacological inhibition of FATP2 abrogated the activity of PMN-MDSCs and substantially delayed tumour progression. In combination with checkpoint inhibitors, FATP2 inhibition blocked tumour progression in mice. Thus, FATP2 mediates the acquisition of immunosuppressive activity by PMN-MDSCs and represents a target to inhibit the functions of PMN-MDSCs selectively and to improve the efficiency of cancer therapy. The lipid transporter FATP2 reprograms neutrophils to polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells by mediating the uptake of arachidonic acid and promoting the synthesis of prostaglandin E2.

Reduction of terbium(III) double-decker phthalocyanine, TbIIIPc2(1), by sodium fluorenone ketyl in the presence of bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium cations yields one-electron-reduced (PPN+){TbIII(Pc2–)2}−·2.5C6H4Cl2(2) containing the dianionic Pc2–macrocycles, whereas a stronger NaCpCo(CO)2reductant in the presence of an excess of cryptand yields two-electron-reduced {Cryptand(Na+)}2{(Pc2–)TbIII(Pc•3–)}2–(3) containing the Pc•3–radical trianionic macrocycle. Isolated pairs of the {TbIII(Pc2–)2}−anions are formed in 2, whereas compound 3has unique 3D packing of the macrocycles with weak π-orbitals overlapping in all three directions. This is the first example of the two-electron-reduced lanthanide double-decker containing Pc•3–radical trianion studied in solid state. Compound 2manifests single-ion magnet (SIM) behavior with a large effective spin-reversal energy barrier of Ueff= 538 cm–1in comparison with previously studied (Bu4N+){TbIII(Pc2–)2}−(Ueff= 230 cm–1). Thus, changes in cation size and shape affect the molecular packing of {TbIII(Pc2–)2}−and increase the spin-reversal energy barrier. At the same time, two-electron-reduced species 3containing TbIIIand Pc•3–show no signs of SIM such as hysteresis loop at 1.9 K, and no peaks are observed on the temperature dependencies of in-phase (χ′) and out-of-phase (χ″) signals. In contrast to EPR silent 2, both compounds 1and 3manifest broad signals from paramagnetic TbIIIions. Narrower signals attributed to Pc•3–are of high intensity only in 3. In addition to the absorption bands of Pc in the UV and visible spectral range, compound 3manifests the lowest energy absorption band in solid-state spectra even in the near IR range at 4700 cm–1(2130 nm), whereas such bands are not observed in the spectrum of 2. These data show that the reduction of the Pc macrocycles in the lanthanide double-deckers leads to the appearance of new very low-energy new transitions associated with Pc•3–whose energy is the lowest among known reduced metal phthalocyanines.

The data on the influence of point defects on the rate of hydrogen tunneling in a crystal lattice of a solid have been obtained for the first time. It is established that vacancies in indium of no more than 0.1 at. % increase the coefficients of quantum diffusion of deuterium by a factor of 30. The vacancies were produced by irradiation of specimens with deuterons; the diffusion coefficients were determined in the temperature range from liquid nitrogen to 125 K using the accelerating technique of nuclear reactions; the type of defects affecting the tunneling rate was identified by the method of isochronous annealings. The results are discussed in the model of quantum diffusion proposed by Flynn and Stoneham for light interstitial atoms in metals. The strong accelerating impact of vacancies on the tunneling rate is traceable to a decrease in the distance between equilibrium positions for deuterium atoms in the crystal lattice.

Electric current assisted sintering of β-Si5AlON7-TiN ceramic composites from raw materials prepared by combustion synthesis was investigated. A high level of relative density (92% and higher) was achieved by using of two types of electric current assisted sintering technique: high voltage electric discharge consolidation, as well as spark plasma sintering. While only spark plasma sintering, it may be considered as promising technique for obtaining ceramic composites and items with high level of strength properties.

The course of urbanization in 20th-century Russia and its specifics during Soviet times and today are considered. To explain the specifics of the urbanization process, the authors put forward five hypotheses, discussing them in detail. The first hypothesis pertains to the inadequacy of Russian statistics. The second depends on the conclusion about the urbanization/deurbanization stage within a territory considered urban (urbanized). The third hypothesis explains the fuzziness of current processes in Russia in terms of their diversity and sometimes the opposite character in various regions and for various population groups. The fourth includes the assumption that resettlement from the provinces to megacities since the 2000s has been replaced by temporary labor migrations of the Russian population to large centers in search of livelihood. The fifth hypothesis holds that the massive involvement of owners of second rural homes, used by city dwellers as dachas during warm months, has created a special type of Russian seasonal dacha suburbanization/deurbanization, slowing down deurbanization typical of developed countries.

Although neutrophils have been linked to the formation of the pre-metastatic niche, the mechanism of their migration to distant, uninvolved tissues has remained elusive. We report that bone marrow neutrophils from mice with early-stage cancer exhibited much more spontaneous migration than that of control neutrophils from tumor-free mice. These cells lacked immunosuppressive activity but had elevated rates of oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, and increased production of ATP, relative to that of control neutrophils. Their enhanced spontaneous migration was mediated by autocrine ATP signaling through purinergic receptors. In ectopic tumor models and late stages of cancer, bone marrow neutrophils demonstrated potent immunosuppressive activity. However, these cells had metabolic and migratory activity indistinguishable from that of control neutrophils. A similar pattern of migration was observed for neutrophils and polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells from patients with cancer. These results elucidate the dynamic changes that neutrophils undergo in cancer and demonstrate the mechanism of neutrophils’ contribution to early tumor dissemination.

The specifics of and spatial trends in the development of rural areas in post-Soviet Moscow oblast, especially after the linear expansion of Moscow’s territory, are considered. A combination of centripetal and centrifugal vectors of population mobility is shown, representing oppositely directed migrations: on the one hand, people are attracted to permanent residence and labor migrants stream into the capital and its suburbs from other regions of Russia and CIS countries; on the other, there is the drain of Muscovites to their dachas. The diversity of the suburban territory is shown with various degrees of remoteness from the capital. Highrise housing development beyond the city limits is characteristic of oblast municipalities closest to the Moscow Ring Road; therefore, the development around the capital continues in all directions like an oil spot. Nevertheless, housing construction activity in the southern and southwestern municipalities near Moscow, adjacent to New Moscow, has been higher in recent years, resulting in numerous insular bedroom suburbs whose residents work in Moscow. With a high density of the rural population and dacha dwellers, the emergence of areas of high-rise housing development creates many problems. The active expansion of housing development has led to a sharp reduction in agricultural land. Meanwhile, Moscow oblast, witnessing a severe decay of agriculture in many regions of the Non-Chernozem Zone, remains a powerful food producer, supplying not only the capital and its suburbs but also other Russian regions. All this makes Moscow oblast Russia’s most successful region, as well as one of the most problematic.

The non-healing wound is a characteristic clinical sign in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are pathologically activated and relatively immature myeloid cells that have been implicated in the immunological regulation of many pathologic conditions. Phenotypically and morphologically, MDSCs are similar to neutrophils (PMN-MDSCs) and monocytes (M-MDSCs). However, they have potent suppressive activity and distinct gene expression profiles and biochemical characteristics. No or very few MDSCs are observed in steady-state physiological conditions. Therefore, until recently, accumulation of MDSCs was considered a consequence of pathological processes or pregnancy. Here, we report that MDSCs with a potent ability to suppress T cells are present during the first weeks of life in mice and humans. MDSC suppressive activity was triggered by lactoferrin and mediated by nitric oxide, PGE2, and S100A9 and S100A8 proteins. MDSCs from newborns had a transcriptome similar to that of tumor MDSCs, but with strong upregulation of an antimicrobial gene network, and had potent antibacterial activity. MDSCs played a critical role in control of experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in newborn mice. MDSCs in infants with very low weight, who are prone to NEC, had lower MDSC levels and suppressive activity than did infants with normal weight. Thus, the transitory presence of MDSCs may be critical for regulation of inflammation in newborns.

The article examines regional differences in the provision of agriculture with labor resources up to 2030, taking into account the structural demographic changes and geographical transformation of the agroindustrial complex in the post-Soviet period affecting the employment dynamics in agriculture.