Changes in the bearing capacity of frozen soils under various scenarios of warming in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) by 2050 are considered. Deformations and destruction of ...buildings and engineering structures in the Russian Arctic will be gradually developed. Taking into account the climatic scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5), one-third of the AZRF territory will experience a decrease in the bearing capacity by more than 15% by the middle of the century. The Arctic coast of the European North of Russia and the Yamal and the Gyda Peninsulas are in the danger zone.
The aim of the study is to synthesize a recombinant protein in
Escherichia coli
cells that carries the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of Spike protein of SARS CoV-2, with antiviral activity comparable ...to the activity of RBD obtained in a eukaryotic cells (eRBD). 6His-RBD
short
(24.4 kDa) and 6His-RBD
long
(33.7 kDa) proteins were expressed in
Escherichia coli
strain BL21 (DE3). Chromatographic purification of the proteins was carried out on WorkBeads 40 Ni-NTA and WorkBeads 40S sorbents followed by multistage refolding. Enzyme immunoassay was performed using GamP2C5 and GamXRH19 humanized single-domain monoclonal antibodies specific for SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein RBD. Antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus was studied using Vero E6 cells. 6His-RBD
short
recombinant protein was synthesized in
Escherichia coli
cells, including the Spike protein RBM (receptor-binding motif) of SARS-CoV-2 virus (330–527 а.а.). Two-stage chromatographic purification of 6His-RBD
short
recombinant protein was performed, followed by refolding. Enzyme immunoassay demonstrated effective interaction of 6His-RBD
short
recombinant protein with virus neutralizing antibodies, comparable to eRBD. The study of antiviral activity showed inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 virus reproduction after treatment of Vero E6 cells with 6His-RBD
short
(45.1%) and eRBD (42.8%) proteins. The 6His-RBD
long
recombinant protein obtained in the same work, which included a longer fragment of RBD, did not interact with virus neutralizing antibodies and did not inhibit the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. After conducting additional studies, the developed 6His-RBD
short
recombinant protein can be considered a promising drug for therapeutic use as an ACE2 receptor blocker.
A
bstract
The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a proposed future high-luminosity linear electron-positron collider operating at three energy stages, with nominal centre-of-mass energies
s
= 380 GeV, ...1
.
5 TeV, and 3 TeV. Its aim is to explore the energy frontier, providing sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) and precision measurements of Standard Model processes with an emphasis on Higgs boson and top-quark physics. The opportunities for top-quark physics at CLIC are discussed in this paper. The initial stage of operation focuses on top-quark pair production measurements, as well as the search for rare flavour-changing neutral current (FCNC) top-quark decays. It also includes a top-quark pair production threshold scan around 350 GeV which provides a precise measurement of the top-quark mass in a well-defined theoretical framework. At the higher-energy stages, studies are made of top-quark pairs produced in association with other particles. A study of t
̄
tH production including the extraction of the top Yukawa coupling is presented as well as a study of vector boson fusion (VBF) production, which gives direct access to high-energy electroweak interactions. Operation above 1 TeV leads to more highly collimated jet environments where dedicated methods are used to analyse the jet constituents. These techniques enable studies of the top-quark pair production, and hence the sensitivity to BSM physics, to be extended to higher energies. This paper also includes phenomenological interpretations that may be performed using the results from the extensive top-quark physics programme at CLIC.
The spread of COVID-19 continues, expressed by periodic wave-like increases in morbidity and mortality. The reason for the periodic increases in morbidity is the emergence and spread of novel genetic ...variants of SARS-CoV-2. A decrease in the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been reported, especially against Omicron subvariants. There have been reports of a decrease in the efficacy of specific antiviral drugs as a result of mutations in the genes of non-structural proteins. This indicates the urgent need for practical healthcare to constantly monitor pathogen variability and its effect on the efficacy of preventive and therapeutic drugs. As part of this study, we report the results of the continuous monitoring of COVID-19 in Moscow using genetic and virological methods. As a result of this monitoring, we determined the dominant genetic variants and identified the variants that are most widespread, not only in Moscow, but also in other countries. A collection of viruses from more than 500 SARS-CoV-2 isolates has been obtained and characterized. The genetic lines XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.9.3, XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, XBB.2.4, BQ.1.1.45, CH.1.1, and CL.1, representing the greatest concern, were identified among the dominant variants. We studied the in vitro efficacy of mAbs Tixagevimab + Cilgavimab (Evusheld), Sotrovimab, Regdanvimab, Casirivimab + Imdevimab (Ronapreve), and Bebtelovimab, as well as the specific antiviral drugs Remdesivir, Molnupiravir, and Nirmatrelvir, against these genetic lines. At the current stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of mAbs developed against early SARS-CoV-2 variants has little prospect. Specific antiviral drugs retain their activity, but further monitoring is needed to assess the risk of their efficacy being reduced and adjust recommendations for their use.
2–3 nm Gd
2
O
3
nanoparticles deposited on carbon nanoflakes were prepared. These are new contrast agents for photon-counting computed tomography based on detectors allowing counting of separate ...photons. Contrast agents of the Gd
2
O
3
@C core–shell structure were prepared by graphitization of the surface of these particles. The Gd
2
O
3
and Gd
2
O
3
@C nanoparticles obtained, aqueous solution of Gd(NO
3
)
3
·6H
2
O, and a dispersion of 300–500 nm Gd
2
O
3
particles in gelatin were studied by photon-counting computed tomography. At equal gadolinium concentrations, the highest X-ray absorption was noted for Gd(NO
3
)
3
·6H
2
O and Gd
2
O
3
, which is associated with higher density of these samples. Carbon in the contrast agents does not affect the absorption. An algorithm was developed for semiquantitative determination of gadolinium by photon-counting computed tomography.
WHO has declared the outbreak of monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern. In less than three months, monkeypox was detected in more than 30 000 people and spread to more than ...80 countries around the world. It is believed that the immunity formed to smallpox vaccine can protect from monkeypox infection with high efficiency. The widespread use of Vaccinia virus has not been carried out since the 1980s, which raises the question of the level of residual immunity among the population and the identification of groups requiring priority vaccination. We conducted a cross-sectional serological study of remaining immunity among Moscow residents. To do this, a collection of blood serum samples of age group over 30 years old was formed, an
ELISA test system was developed, and a virus neutralization protocol was set up. Serum samples were examined for the presence of IgG antibodies against Vaccinia virus (
=2908), as well as for the ability to neutralize plaque formation with a Vaccinia virus MNIIVP-10 strain (
=299). The results indicate the presence of neutralizing antibody titer of 1/20 or more in 33.3 to 53.2% of people older than 45 years. Among people 30-45 years old who probably have not been vaccinated, the proportion with virus neutralizing antibodies ranged from 3.2 to 6.7%. Despite the higher level of antibodies in age group older than 66 years, the proportion of positive samples in this group was slightly lower than in people aged 46-65 years. The results indicate the priority of vaccination in groups younger than 45, and possibly older than 66 years to ensure the protection of the population in case of spread of monkeypox among Moscow residents. The herd immunity level needed to stop the circulation of the virus should be at least 50.25 - 65.28%.
Although unprecedented efforts aiming to stop the COVID-19 pandemic have been made over the past two years, SARSCoV-2 virus still continues to cause intolerable health and economical losses. Vaccines ...are considered the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases, which has been reaffirmed for COVID-19. However, in the context of the continuing virus spread because of insufficient vaccination coverage and emergence of new variants of concern, there is a high demand for vaccination strategy amendment. The ability to elicit protective immunity at the entry gates of infection provided by mucosal vaccination is key to block virus infection and transmission. Therefore, these mucosal vaccines are believed to be a "silver bullet" that could bring the pandemic to an end. Here, we demonstrate that the intranasally delivered Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) vaccine induced a robust (no less than 180 days) systemic and local immune response in mice. High immunogenic properties of the vaccine were verified in non-human primates (common marmosets) by marked IgG and neutralizing antibody (NtAb) production in blood serum, antigen-specific Tcell proliferation and cytokine release of peripheral blood mononuclear cells accompanied by formation of IgA antibodies in the nasal mucosa. We also demonstrate that Sputnik V vaccine can provide sterilizing immunity in K18-hACE2 transgenic mice exposed to experimental lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection protecting them against severe lung immunopathology and mortality. We believe that intranasal Sputnik V vaccine is a promising novel needle-free mucosal vaccine candidate for primary immunization as well as for revaccination and is worth further clinical investigation.
A technology and a facility for cost-effective fabrication of glass-kremnezit based on modular production methods have been developed. A mathematical model is proposed for calculating heat transfer. ...This model makes it possible to determine the required thicknesses of the thermal insulation for the covered heater and the shapes for which the heat losses into the surrounding atmosphere during continual operation of the heater are reduced to a minimum.
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