Deoxyribonucleic Acid Sequence Research Articles

Development of Specialized Microelectrode Arrays with Local Electroporation Functionality

When a cell or tissue is exposed to a pulsed electric field (100–1000 V/cm), the cellular membrane permeabilizes for biomolecules that cannot pass an intact cellular membrane. During this electropermeabilization (EP), plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid sequences encoding therapeutic or regulatory genes can enter the cell, which is called gene electrotransfer (GET). GET using micro-/nano technology provides higher spatial resolution and operates with lower voltage amplitudes compared to conventional bulk EP. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs), which are usually used for the recording and stimulation of neuronal signals, can be utilized for GET as well. In this study, we developed a specialized MEA for local EP of adherent cells. Our manufacturing process provides a most flexible electrode and substrate material selection. We used electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to characterize the impedance of the MEAs and the impact of an adherent cellular layer. We verified the local EP functionality of the MEAs by loading a fluorophore dye into human embryonic kidney 293T cells. Finally, we demonstrated a GET with a subsequent green fluorescent protein expression by the cells. Our experiments prove that a high spatial resolution of GET can be obtained using MEAs.

Use of Recurrence Plots to Find Mutations in Deoxyribonucleic Acid Sequences

This paper examines the use of recurrence plots to find changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence. The DNA sequence is entered into the recurrence plot algorithm in codons and not consecutively, in order to make it easier to find the nucleotide change. The results show that the codon arrangement makes it easy to identify two types of mutations, insertion and deletion, by means of the recurrence plot. It is also shown that the recurrence plot of a short codon sequence has a homogeneous structure. Similarly, a comparison is made with the digital signal processing methodology. Some limitations are the number of codons that can be entered into the algorithm because computationally it becomes very slow and matrix issues, which are mentioned in the discussion section.

Cryptanalyzing an image cipher using multiple chaos and DNA operations

Recently, an improved color image cipher (ICIC-DNA) based on multiple deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence operations with DNA synthetic image and chaos was proposed. ICIC-DNA features the use of multiple chaotic systems and diverse DNA operations. However, after our careful cryptanalysis, we found that ICIC-DNA has several fatal security flaws. First, despite the use of multiple chaotic systems, the corresponding encryption sequences are independent of the plaintext, such that equivalent keys exist. Second, the diverse DNA operation is essentially a 2-bit data substitution process, and thus can be equivalently simplified. Third, ICIC-DNA includes substitution and permutation of DNA domains, and based on the equivalent simplification operation, the substitution and permutation can be attacked separately. Based on these, we propose a chosen-plaintext attack method to attack ICIC-DNA. Differential analysis is firstly adopted to break the DNA-base permutation process, and then the DNA domain encryption is eliminated, and finally the equivalent key is used to achieve complete cracking. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the proposed attack method is effective and has low computational complexity and data complexity.

A NEW SPECIES OF HENNEGUYA THÉLOHAN, 1892 (CNIDARIA: BIVALVULIDA: MYXOBOLIDAE) INFECTING THE SUBMUCOSA OF THE INTESTINE AND PYLORIC CECA OF RED DRUM, SCIAENOPS OCELLATUS (LINNAEUS) (PERCIFORMES: SCIAENIDAE) FROM COASTAL ALABAMA.

A new species of Henneguya Thélohan, 1892 (Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) is described from the submucosa of the intestine and pyloric ceca of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus [Linnaeus, 1766] [Perciformes: Sciaenidae]) from the Gulf of Mexico off Gulf Shores, Alabama. Henneguya albomaculata n. sp. differs from all congeners by the combination of myxospore dimensions, polar tubule coil count, the presence of an iodinophilic vacuole in the sporoplasm, and small-subunit ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (SSU rDNA) sequence. A phylogenetic analysis of the SSU rDNA recovered H. albomaculata sister to Henneguya cynosioniDykova, de Buron, Roumillat, and Fiala, 2011 in a clade composed of 11 species of Henneguya and 1 species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) that collectively infect fishes in marine or estuarine systems. Histologic sections of infected intestine and pyloric ceca revealed plasmodia of H. albomaculata n. sp. developing in the loose connective tissue of the submucosa. The new species comprises the second species of Henneguya reported from red drum.

СОМАТИЧЕСКИЕ МУТАЦИИ ПРИ ЛЕЙКОПЛАКИИ СЛИЗИСТОЙ ОБОЛОЧКИ РОТОВОЙ ПОЛОСТИ

Introduction. Genetic basis for the development of leukoplakia of the oral mucosa is not well understood. Early prediction of oral mucosa cancer development is an important public health problem, which results in the importance of studying the pathogenesis of precancerous diseases. Malignant neoplasms of oral mucosa are mainly the cases of squamous cell carcinoma which commonly develops as the outcome of previous potentially malignant diseases, the leading of which is oral mucosa leukoplakia. Aim. The goal of study is to determine pathogenic somatic mutations in patients with oral mucosa leukoplakia and grade 1 epithelial dysplasia. Material and methods. We have studied 24 samples of altered epithelium of patients with oral mucosa leukoplakia. The QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Germany) was used to isolate deoxyribonucleic acid from the samples. Sequencing was performed with Illumina NextSeq 550 sequencer and TruSight™ Oncology 500 DNA Kit (Illumina, USA). All operations for deoxyribonucleic acid extraction, sampling and sequencing were performed step by step in strict accordance with the instructions supplied with the reagent kits. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using Illumina BaseSpace and Galaxy Project software in accordance with current guidelines. Results and discussion. Pathogenic and probably pathogenic somatic mutations identified during this study in TP53, KRAS, APC, NRAS and BRAF genes, both singly and in combination, are reliably (risk ratios 3000-11000) associated with the development of leukoplakia of the oral mucosa with epithelial dysplasia of 1st degree. The multiplicity of genetic variants associated with epithelial dysplasia, as well as the fact that a number of variants do not occur in all patients simultaneously, suggests that the same histotype of oral mucosa dysplasia may develop under the influence of various mutations. Conclusion. Pathogenic and probably pathogenic variants of TP53, KRAS, APC, NRAS and BRAF genes, both singly and in combinations, are reliably associated with the development of leukoplakia of the oral mucosa with epithelial dysplasia of 1st degree (risk ratios 3000-11000).

MRNA Approach Image Encryption Using LUC Algorithm

Bioinformatics is one of the computer science and biology sub-subjects concerned with the processes applied to biological data, such as gathering, processing, storing, and analyzing it. Biological data (ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and protein sequences) has many applications and uses in many fields (data security, data segmentation, feature extraction, etc.). DNA sequences are used in the cryptography field, using the properties of biomolecules as the carriers of the data. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single strand used to make proteins containing genetic information. The information recorded from DNA also carries messages from DNA to ribosomes in the cytosol. In this paper, a new encryption technique based on (mRNA) amino acids to increase the diffusion of the algorithm was proposed, also using the LUC algorithm with finite field arithmetic to increase the complexity of the algorithm. The results show high resistance against well-known attacks on the proposed method. For Entropy, the achieved value for the encrypted images was above 7.998. The range of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) between plain and encrypted images was below 8.7. Finally, the unified average change intensity (UACI) was close to 0.335. The number of changing pixel rates (NPCR) was close to 0.996, which is considered a good result.

Application of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology in forensic science: A review

One of the most important achievements of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is to produce millions of sequences reads in a short period of time, and to produce large sequences of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in fragments of any size. Libraries can be generated from whole genomes or any DNA or RNA region of interest without the need to know its sequence beforehand. In the forensic field, one of the main problems is the limited amount of sample available, as well as its degraded state samples. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, with its high-throughput capacity and low cost, has developed rapidly in recent years and become an important analytical tool for many genomics researchers. New opportunities in the research domain of the forensic studies emerge by using the power of next generation sequencing technology, which can be applied to simultaneously analyzing multiple loci of forensic interest in different genetic materials. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology can also have potential applications in many other aspects of forensic science such as achieving the simultaneous analysis of the standard autosomal DNA (STRs and SNPs), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) database construction, ancestry and phenotypic inferences, monozygotic twin studies, body fluid and species identification, forensic animal, plant and microbiological analyses, mitochondrial DNA, microbiological analysis, epigenetics analysis, MicroRNA analysis, animal and plant DNA analysis and X and Y chromosomal markers. In this study, we review the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the field of forensic science with the aim of providing a reference for future forensic studies and practice.

An Optimal Stacked ResNet-BiLSTM-Based Accurate Detection and Classification of Genetic Disorders.

Gene is located inside the nuclease and the genetic data is contained in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). A person's gene count ranges from 20,000 to 30,000. Even a minor alteration to the DNA sequence can be harmful if it affects the cell's fundamental functions. As a result, the gene begins to act abnormally. The sorts of genetic abnormalities brought on by mutation include chromosomal disorders, complex disorders, and single-gene disorders. Therefore, a detailed diagnosis method is required. Thus, we proposed an Elephant Herd Optimization-Whale Optimization Algorithm (EHO-WOA) optimized Stacked ResNet-Bidirectional Long Term Short Memory (ResNet-BiLSTM) model for detecting genetic disorders. Here, a hybrid EHO-WOA algorithm is presented to assess the Stacked ResNet-BiLSTM architecture's fitness. The ResNet-BiLSTM design uses the genotype and gene expression phenotype as input data. Furthermore, the proposed method identifies rare genetic disorders such as Angelman Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, and Prader-Willi Syndrome. It demonstrates the effectiveness of the developed model with greater accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and f1-score. Thus, a wide range of DNA deficiencies including Prader-Willi syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Early Onset Morbid Obesity, Rett syndrome, and Angelman syndrome are predicted accurately.

Association analysis of serotonin transporter gene polymorphism among the South-Indian migraineurs.

Background: Migraine is a multifactorial neurological disorder characterized by frequent moderate to severe intensity headaches. The genetic variations in synaptic and post-receptor signalling proteins have direct effect on the process of serotonergic neurotransmission. Methods: We aimed to investigate the genetic association of serotonin transporter (SERT) 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism and migraine risk in South-Indian population. A total of 304 subjects with migraine including with aura (MA) and without aura (MO) and 308 controls were included in the present study. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and confirmed by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing. Results: The genotyping analysis revealed insignificant relationship with migraine subjects when compared with controls (P > 0.05). The minor 'S' allele showed no association with odds ratio (OR) = 1.23 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90-1.66], heterozygote with OR = 1.18 (95% CI: 0.82-1.69), and homozygote with OR = 1.51 (95% CI: 0.52-4.35). Conclusion: Further clinical studies are required to validate the results of SERT 5-HTTLPR promoter polymorphism in diverse ethnic descents especially in Asian populations.

Efecto de la epigenética en la artritis reumatoide

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that predominantly affects the diarthrodial joints. In this pathology, environmental or behavioral factors can act in synergy with genetic predisposition, accelerating the onset and severity of the disease. This link between the environment and the genome is mediated by epigenetic marks on deoxyribonucleic acid, including its methylation, histone modification, and noncoding ribonucleic acid-mediated regulation. Epigenetics can generate heritable phenotypic changes, which are not determined by modifications in the deoxyribonucleic acid sequence and are therefore reversible. Therefore, diet, medications and other environmental factors would have the ability to modulate them. The identification of a specific epigenetic dysregulation can offer a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and positively influence the prevention, diagnosis and development of new therapeutic targets.

LSPR-Based Biosensing Enables the Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes.

The development of rapid, simple, and accurate bioassays for the detection of nucleic acids has received increasing demand in recent years. Here, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectroscopy for the detection of an antimicrobial resistance gene, sulfhydryl variable β-lactamase (blaSHV), which confers resistance against a broad spectrum of β-lactam antibiotics is used. By performing limit of detection experiments, a 23 nucleotide (nt) long deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence down to 25nm wasdetected, whereby the signal intensity is inversely correlated with sequence length (23, 43, 63, and 100nt). In addition to endpoint measurements of hybridization events, the setup also allowed to monitor the hybridization events in real-time, and consequently enabled to extract kinetic parameters of the studied binding reaction. Performing LSPR measurements using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants of blaSHV revealed that these sequences can be distinguished from the fully complementary sequence. The possibility to distinguish such sequences is of utmost importance in clinical environments, as it allows to identify mutations essential for enzyme function and thus, is crucial for the correct treatment with antibiotics. Taken together, this system provides a robust, label-free, and cost-efficient analytical tool for the detection of nucleic acids and will enable the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance determinants.

Study on DNA Storage Encoding Based IAOA under Innovation Constraints.

With the informationization of social processes, the amount of related data has greatly increased, making traditional storage media unable to meet the current requirements for data storage. Due to its advantages of a high storage capacity and persistence, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has been considered the most prospective storage media to solve the data storage problem. Synthesis is an important process for DNA storage, and low-quality DNA coding can increase errors during sequencing, which can affect the storage efficiency. To reduce errors caused by the poor stability of DNA sequences during storage, this paper proposes a method that uses the double-matching and error-pairing constraints to improve the quality of the DNA coding set. First, the double-matching and error-pairing constraints are defined to solve problems of sequences with self-complementary reactions in the solution that are prone to mismatch at the 3' end. In addition, two strategies are introduced in the arithmetic optimization algorithm, including a random perturbation of the elementary function and a double adaptive weighting strategy. An improved arithmetic optimization algorithm (IAOA) is proposed to construct DNA coding sets. The experimental results of the IAOA on 13 benchmark functions show a significant improvement in its exploration and development capabilities over the existing algorithms. Moreover, the IAOA is used in the DNA encoding design under both traditional and new constraints. The DNA coding sets are tested to estimate their quality regarding the number of hairpins and melting temperature. The DNA storage coding sets constructed in this study are improved by 77.7% at the lower boundary compared to existing algorithms. The DNA sequences in the storage sets show a reduction of 9.7-84.1% in the melting temperature variance, and the hairpin structure ratio is reduced by 2.1-80%. The results indicate that the stability of the DNA coding sets is improved under the two proposed constraints compared to traditional constraints.

Genetic fidelity assessment of wild and tissue cultured regenerants of a threatened orchid, Cymbidium aloifolium using molecular markers

Molecular markers play an effective role in estimating the genetic similarity, variation, diversity, and population structure of different plants. Various factors associated with in vitro culture conditions may cause genetic variation in tissue cultured regenerants. The main goal of the present study was to determine the genetic uniformity of plantlets regenerated through in vitro culture of protocorms, shoot tips, and sodium alginate coated artificial seeds of Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw. and its non-tissue cultured source mother plant using molecular markers such as Random Amplified Polymorphic Deoxyribonucleic acid (RAPD) and Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR). Ten RAPD and five ISSR primers were used to amplify the genomic DNA isolated from the in vivo plant and randomly selected micropropagated plants. Nine out of ten RAPD primers amplified a total of 256 loci while five ISSR primers amplified a total of 99 loci. The combined data of RAPD and ISSR markers showed low polymorphism. Among the tested plants, dendrograms constructed through UPGMA analysis of RAPD and ISSR markers revealed high genetic similarity between the mother plant and in vitro cultured regenerants. Among the different in vitro regenerants, protocorm-derived plants showed 91% genetic homogeneity to that of the mother plant. Thus, both molecular markers proved to be equally efficient for genetic fidelity studies in C. aloifolium. Hence, this research successfully assessed the genetic fidelity of in vitro cultured plants which could be useful in reintroducing true-to-type plants through plant tissue culture techniques.

Cessation of chronic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol use partially reverses impacts on male fertility and the sperm epigenome in rhesus macaques

To determine whether discontinuation of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use mitigates THC-associated changes in male reproductive health using a rhesus macaque model of daily THC edible consumption. Research animal study. Research institute environment. Adult male rhesus macaques (age, 8-10 years; n = 6). Chronic daily THC edible administration at medically and recreationally relevant contemporary doses followed by cessation of THC use. Testicular volume, serum male hormones, semen parameters, sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation, seminal fluid proteomics, and whole genome bisulfite sequencing of sperm DNA. Chronic THC use resulted in significant testicular atrophy, increased gonadotropin levels, decreased serum sex steroid levels, changes in seminal fluid proteome, and increased DNA fragmentation with partial recovery after discontinuation of THC use. For every increase of 1 mg/7 kg/day in THC dosing, there was a significant decrease in the total testicular volume bilaterally by 12.6 cm3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.6-14.5), resulting in a 59% decrease in volume. With THC abstinence, the total testicular volume increased to 73% of its original volume. Similarly, with THC exposure, there were significant decreases in the mean total testosterone and estradiol levels and a significant increase in the follicle-stimulating hormone level. With increasing THC dose, there was a significant decrease in the liquid semen ejaculate volume and weight of coagulum; however, no other significant changes in the other semen parameters were noted. After discontinuing THC use, there was a significant increase in the total serum testosterone level by 1.3 ng/mL (95% CI, 0.1-2.4) and estradiol level by 2.9 pg/mL (95% CI, 0.4-5.4), and the follicle-stimulating hormone level significantly decreased by 0.06 ng/mL (95% CI, 0.01-0.11). Seminal fluid proteome analysis revealed differential expression of proteins enriched for processes related to cellular secretion, immune response, and fibrinolysis. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing identified 23,558 CpGs differentially methylated in heavy-THC vs. pre-THC sperm, with partial restoration of methylation after discontinuation of THC use. Genes associated with altered differentially methylated regions were enriched for those involved in the development and function of the nervous system. This is the first study demonstrating that discontinuation of chronic THC use in rhesus macaques partially restores adverse impacts to male reproductive health, THC-associated sperm differentially methylated regions in genes important for development, and expression of proteins important for male fertility.

Polymeric DNA Hydrogels and Their Applications in Drug Delivery for Cancer Therapy.

The biomolecule deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which acts as the carrier of genetic information, is also regarded as a block copolymer for the construction of biomaterials. DNA hydrogels, composed of three-dimensional networks of DNA chains, have received considerable attention as a promising biomaterial due to their good biocompatibility and biodegradability. DNA hydrogels with specific functions can be prepared via assembly of various functional sequences containing DNA modules. In recent years, DNA hydrogels have been widely used for drug delivery, particularly in cancer therapy. Benefiting from the sequence programmability and molecular recognition ability of DNA molecules, DNA hydrogels prepared using functional DNA modules can achieve efficient loading of anti-cancer drugs and integration of specific DNA sequences with cancer therapeutic effects, thus achieving targeted drug delivery and controlled drug release, which are conducive to cancer therapy. In this review, we summarized the assembly strategies for the preparation of DNA hydrogels on the basis of branched DNA modules, hybrid chain reaction (HCR)-synthesized DNA networks and rolling circle amplification (RCA)-produced DNA chains, respectively. The application of DNA hydrogels as drug delivery carriers in cancer therapy has been discussed. Finally, the future development directions of DNA hydrogels in cancer therapy are prospected.

Biodiversity of Tricholoma matsutake (syn. T. nauseosum) and its related species based on repetitive DNA and genomics

Tricholoma matsutake and its related species are ectomycorrhizal Agaricomycetes that produce prized mushrooms collectively called “ matsutake”. These mushrooms are mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. In this review, we describe both the pioneering work and recent advances in our understanding of the distribution and evolution of matsutake, with a special focus on genomic studies. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence analyses revealed that Tricholoma caligatum was the earliest species within this group, followed by Tricholoma fulvocastaneum, the cluster with Tricholoma ilkkae, Tricholoma dulciolens, and Tricholoma bakamatsutake, and finally the cluster with Tricholoma murrillianum, Tricholoma mesoamericanum, Tricholoma anatolicum, and Tricholoma matsutake. Although analyses based on mobile DNAs and whole-genome sequences revealed a similar clustering pattern, there are distinct differences in the distribution of mobile DNAs and genomic structure of Tricholoma bakamatsutake and Tricholoma matsutake. Furthermore, repetitive DNA can be used as markers to distinguish among strains and populations of Tricholoma matsutake from different geographical regions, including identifying dispersals of basidiospores. “Telomere-to-telomere genome sequencing” analyses unearthed that both Tricholoma matsutake and Tricholoma bakamatsutake underwent explosive multiplications of retrotransposons within their genomes but with different mobile DNA elements expanded between them. Contrastingly, the structure of the mating loci between Tricholoma matsutake and Tricholoma bakamatsutake is highly conserved.

Targeting Different Types of Cancer: Molecular Factors and Therapeutic Applications of Phyto Compounds

Cancer is still the second most common cause of death because of genetic mutations in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequences. The standard target-directed strategy, which is one of the biggest hurdles in anti-cancer research is dealing with the significance of target function in healthy cells. Cancer cells also suffer from a variety of mutations, alterations in gene duplication, and chromosomal abnormalities, all of which have an immediate impact on the effectiveness of anticancer medications at various developmental stages. Cancer medicine development is challenging due to a combination of these characteristics, which also contribute to lower clinical licensure success rates than in other therapeutic categories. The pathophysiology and molecular characteristics of prevalent cancer types are the main topics of the current review. The search for herbal-based alternatives that lessen resistance brought on by cancer therapy and exert chemo-protective properties is motivated by the fact that the currently available chemotherapeutic medications, also known as combination chemotherapy, are linked to a number of negative effects. This review revised the list of important substances that may improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment in order to offer fresh perspectives

Germline mutations in patients with oral mucosal leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective observational study

Background. The number of studies devoted to the molecular genetics of oral mucosal leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma is small, while the obtained results are usually preliminary in nature. We can assume the existence of region-specific pathogenic genetic variants involved in the development of oral mucosal leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma. With the knowledge of such variants, it would become possible to develop PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and NGS (next-generation sequencing) test systems for the detection of clinically significant germline mutations.Objectives — to identify pathogenic germline genetic variants in patients with oral mucosal leukoplakia accompanied by grade 1 epithelial dysplasia, as well as oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma, using new-generation sequencing.Methods. Study design: prospective, observational, cross-sectional, without a control group. The sample included patients (48 persons) of either sex (18 years of age or older) with the following proven and morphologically confirmed diagnoses: oral mucosal leukoplakia accompanied by grade 1 squamous intraepithelial neoplasia of epithelium (24 people) and oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma (24 people), who sought medical care at the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Dental Center and Vitebsk Regional Clinical Oncological Center in 2019–2020. The identified pathogenic and presumably pathogenic genetic variants involved in the development of these diseases were quantitatively assessed. The study was conducted at the Shareable Core Facilities GENOME of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. In order to isolate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from blood samples, a QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Germany) was used. The preparation of DNA libraries and sequencing were carried out by means of an Illumina NextSeq 550 sequencing system (Illumina, Inc., USA) using an Illumina Nextera DNA Exome kit (USA). Bioinformatic analysis was conducted using Illumina BaseSpace specialized software (USA) and Galaxy Project (Galaxy Community, an international non-profit project) in accordance with current guidelines. The obtained data were statistically processed employing specialized software packages Statistica 12 (StatSoft, Inc., USA) and MedCalc 18.9.1 (MedCalc Software, Ltd, Belgium).Results. Next-generation whole-exome sequencing of deoxyribonucleic acid samples isolated from the blood of patients with oral mucosal leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma has been conducted in the Republic of Belarus for the first time. The total number of unique germline genetic variants in the exome of both groups of patients was shown to be very high, yet most of them were not pathogenic. In the examined patients, the majority of germline mutations were found to be localized only in 19 exome genes: MAP2K3, DNAH5, HSPG2, OBSCN, SYNE1, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, HLA-A, HLA-B, PKD1L2, TTN, AHNAK2, PDE4DIP, MUC3A, MUC4, MUC12, MUC16, and MUC17. In both clinical groups, the greatest number of genetic variants (> 40% of the total number) was detected in MUC3A, MUC4, MUC12, and MUC16, responsible for the synthesis of the glycoprotein mucin family.Conclusion. Oral mucosal leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma can arise from the pathogenic variants of MUC3A, MUC4, MUC12, and MUC16.

Review on DNA Cryptography

Cryptography is the science that secures data and communication over the network by applying mathematics and logic to design strong encryption methods. In the modern era of e-business and e-commerce the protection of confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA triad) of stored information as well as of transmitted data is very crucial. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a genetic molecule consisting of two linked strands that wind around each other to form a double helical structure. The backbone of each strand is made of alternating deoxyribose sugar and phosphate groups. To each sugar one of four bases are attached i.e., adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). DNA molecules, having the capacity to store, process and transmit information, inspires the idea of DNA cryptography. It is the rapid emerging unconventional techniques which combines the chemical characteristics of biological DNA sequences with classical cryptography to ensure non-vulnerable transmission of data. This innovative method is based on the notion of DNA computing. The methodologies of DNA cryptography are not coded mathematically; thus, it could be too secure to be cracked easily.

Moisture and fungal degradation in fibrous plaster

Fibrous plaster degradation has been a key concern over recent years, with ceiling failures occurring suddenly in historic buildings, including the Apollo theatre in 2013. This rigorous investigation explores fibrous plaster degradation through subjecting 290 specimens to a range of moisture and fungal-related treatment conditions over periods of up to two years and analysis using mechanical flexural tests, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequencing. Using FTIR peak ratios from spectra of hessian fibres and mechanical tests in conjunction, an original methodology for identifying mechanisms and severity of fibrous plaster degradation through moisture and fungal exposure was developed. Results showed defined clusters for differing moisture and fungal treatments when two peak ratios are plotted together and compared with mechanical data. Fungal exposure over two years, water submersion and wetting and drying were particularly detrimental conditions for fibrous plaster. Fungal exposure resulted in degradation of cellulose bonds in hessian fibres, with defined clusters on the extreme left of peak ratio plots correlating with a pronounced reduction in fibrous plaster mean flexural strength of 51%. Fungal species Penicillium and Chaetomium were identified on test samples. Moisture affected plaster matrices significantly with wetting/drying and water submersion treatments resulting in a 71% reduction in mean flexural strength for unreinforced plaster, reducing to 26% with hessian-reinforced fibrous plaster. Many buildings containing fibrous plaster are listed and removal of material is often minimised - the high impact of this research stems from the ability to rapidly assess the mechanical integrity of a very small quantity of harvested historic hessian fibres using FTIR. Identifying the location of weakened fibres in a ceiling is highly important for effective restoration and conservation.