Effect of brain and thymus cationic proteins on membrane permeability]

Cationic proteins of brain lysosomes (LCP), myelin (MCP) and nuclear histone fractions from calf thymus (T) and rat brain (B) are shown to increase at different degree the permeability of brain lysosomes and neutrophiles for acid RNAase, acid phosphatase, catepsin D and beta-galactosidase. According to the effectivity, basic proteins can be listed in the following order: for lysosomes-f2aT, F3B, f3T greater than total histones B, f2bT greater than f2B greater than LCP, MCP greater than flT, flB; for neutriphiles-f3T larger than or equal to total histones B larger than or equal to f3b MCP larger than or equal to f2aT, f2bT greater than f2B greater than LCP greater than flB greater than flT. Fractions f2a and f3 considerably increased the release of acid RNAase from lysosomes in very low concentrations beginning from 0,2 mug/ml, while the release of catepsine and acid phosphatase took place beginning from 5-10 mug/ml. The effect of lysosome and myelin cationic proteins on the release of hydrolases occurred at concentrations ten to hundred times higher.     

Use of actinomycin D for the specific quenching of fluorescence of deoxyribonucleic acid in cells stained with acridine aminoderivatives.

Actinomycin D specifically quenches the fluorescence of acridine orange and quinacrine bound to deoxyribonucleic acid in cytologic preparations, but does not change the fluorescence of these fluorochromes bound to RNA. The following fluorescence-cytochemical applications of techniques based on these findings can be suggested: (a) distinction between deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid; (b) detection of double-stranded virus ribonucleic acid; (c) approximate estimation of the lengths of A-T sequences in deoxyribonucleic acid molecules.     

Lysine overproduction mutations in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its transfection into industrial Yeast strains ]

Yeast mutants resistant to a toxic lysine analog, thialysine were obtained by a method described in the literature. A strain excreting the maximum amount of lysine (0.45 g/l) was selected from these mutants. The intracellular content of lysine was also increased by 30%. The genetic nature of lysine overproduction was studied in this strain. An increase in the amount of excreted lysine was shown to be determined by at least two genes, one of which carries a mutation of thialysine resistance manifesting the pleiotropic effect of lysine overproduction (Th1R) and the other is involved in the regulation of lysine production (PRL). Linkage groups of these genes were determined: the first gene was mapped to the IV chromosome and the second, to the XV chromosome. Both genetic characters were introduced into industrial baker's yeast strains via a series of backcrosses. The stabilization of the genome in the newly derived strains was confirmed by electrokaryotyping.     

Effects of the 520-day isolation on the functional state of the cardiovascular system

The purpose of the study was to estimate the cardiovascular effects of simulated factors in a 520-day crewed mission to Mars, and to validate the diagnostic value of the ultrasonic investigation of microcirculation and endothelium-dependent dilation of the right brachial artery in six male volunteers at the age of 28 to 39 years. It appears that a 520-day isolation affected intracardiac hemodynamics and endothelium function more dramatically compared with a 105-day isolation, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis. These findings add insight into the “cost of human adaptation” to very long isolation.     

Integrating HIV services and other health services: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundIntegration of HIV services with other health services has been proposed as an important strategy to boost the sustainability of the global HIV response. We conducted a systematic and comprehensive synthesis of the existing scientific evidence on the impact of service integration on the HIV care cascade, health outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.Methods and findingsWe reviewed the global quantitative empirical evidence on integration published between 1 January 2010 and 10 September 2021. We included experimental and observational studies that featured both an integration intervention and a comparator in our review. Of the 7,118 unique peer-reviewed English-language studies that our search algorithm identified, 114 met all of our selection criteria for data extraction. Most of the studies (90) were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in East Africa (55) and Southern Africa (24). The most common forms of integration were (i) HIV testing and counselling added to non-HIV services and (ii) non-HIV services added to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The most commonly integrated non-HIV services were maternal and child healthcare, tuberculosis testing and treatment, primary healthcare, family planning, and sexual and reproductive health services. Values for HIV care cascade outcomes tended to be better in integrated services: uptake of HIV testing and counselling (pooled risk ratio [RR] across 37 studies: 1.67 [95% CI 1.41–1.99], p < 0.001), ART initiation coverage (pooled RR across 19 studies: 1.42 [95% CI 1.16–1.75], p = 0.002), time until ART initiation (pooled RR across 5 studies: 0.45 [95% CI 0.20–1.00], p = 0.050), retention in HIV care (pooled RR across 19 studies: 1.68 [95% CI 1.05–2.69], p = 0.031), and viral suppression (pooled RR across 9 studies: 1.19 [95% CI 1.03–1.37], p = 0.025). Also, treatment success for non-HIV-related diseases and conditions and the uptake of non-HIV services were commonly higher in integrated services. We did not find any significant differences for the following outcomes in our meta-analyses: HIV testing yield, ART adherence, HIV-free survival among infants, and HIV and non-HIV mortality. We could not conduct meta-analyses for several outcomes (HIV infections averted, costs, and cost-effectiveness), because our systematic review did not identify sufficient poolable studies. Study limitations included possible publication bias of studies with significant or favourable findings and comparatively weak evidence from some world regions and on integration of services for key populations in the HIV response.ConclusionsIntegration of HIV services and other health services tends to improve health and health systems outcomes. Despite some scientific limitations, the global evidence shows that service integration can be a valuable strategy to boost the sustainability of the HIV response and contribute to the goal of ‘ending AIDS by 2030’, while simultaneously supporting progress towards universal health coverage.

Caroline Bulstra and co-workers assess evidence on the benefits of service integration in the HIV care cascade.     

Effect of Coriolus hirsutus laccase on atrazine adsorption and desorption by different types of soil

Study of adsorption-desorption behavior of herbicide atrazine in soils of different geographical zones in the presence of Coriolus hirsutus laccase was performed. Laccase was shown to significantly increase adsorption coefficient and to facilitate irreversible adsorption of atrazine to soil. Supposably, laccase catalyzes oxidative binding of atrazine to soil.     

Isolation, Purification, and Properties of Malate Dehydrogenase from Sulfur Bacterium Beggiatoa leptomitiformis

Malate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.1.1.37) from the bacterium Beggiatoa leptomitiformis was isolated and purified 123-fold using a five-step purification procedure including the enzyme extraction, ammonium sulfate protein fractionation, gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, and gel chromatography. The enzyme was homogenous according to the electrophoresis data; its activity was 20.43 U/mg protein. This malate dehydrogenase is a homotetramer (Mr = 172 kDa). The catalytic and thermodynamic properties, as well as the analysis of the published data suggest that the tetrameric structure of the enzyme allows it to participate in constructive metabolism supplying the cell with organic acids as a source of carbon.     

Cowpea mosaic virus chimeric particles bearing the ectodomain of matrix protein 2 (M2E) of the influenza a virus: Production and characterization

The epitope presentation system for the ectodomain of the M2 protein (M2e) of the influenza A virus was constructed on the basis of the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) for expression in the plant Vigna unguiculata. CPMV is widely used as a vector to produce immunogenic chimeric virus particles (CVPs) bearing epitopes of various infectious human and animal pathogens. To produce chimeric CPMV particles in plants, two binary vectors were constructed to bear a modified gene coding for the CPMV S-coat protein with insertions of M2e epitopes of human influenza and bird influenza viruses. Antigenic and immunogenic properties of CVPs were investigated in mice immunization experiments. CVPs were shown to induce anti-M2e IgG production and to partly protect mice against a challenge with low doses of the influenza virus. However, low infectivity and immunogenicity of chimeric CPMV particles indicate that the plant virus-based systems for M2e epitope presentation requires further optimization in order to use plants as a possible source of flu vaccines.