Academic Leadership in the Time of COVID-19-Experiences and Perspectives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a sharp reminder that large scale, unpredictable events always bring about profound changes with significant consequences on many levels. In light of lockdown measures taken in many countries across the world to control the spread of the virus, academics were "forced" to adapt and move to online settings all teaching, mentoring, research, and support activities. Academic leaders in higher education had to make decisions and to act quickly how were they to manage large educational communities, addressing students', teachers', and staff's needs, as well as society's needs.

C-terminal processing of yeast Spt7 occurs in the absence of functional SAGA complex.

Background: Spt7 is an integral component of the multi-subunit SAGA complex that is required for the expression of approximately 10% of yeast genes. Two forms of Spt7 have been identified, the second of which is truncated at its C-terminus and found in the SAGA-like (SLIK) complex.

Results: We have found that C-terminal processing of Spt7 to its SLIK form (Spt7SLIK) and to a distinct third form (Spt7Form3) occurs in the absence of the SAGA complex components Gcn5, Spt8, Ada1 and Spt20, the latter two of which are required for the integrity of the complex.

Structure/function analysis of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase domain of yeast tra1.

Tra1 is an essential component of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SAGA and NuA4 complexes. Using targeted mutagenesis, we identified residues within its C-terminal phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) domain that are required for function. The phenotypes of tra1-P3408A, S3463A, and SRR3413-3415AAA included temperature sensitivity and reduced growth in media containing 6% ethanol or calcofluor white or depleted of phosphate.

The role of histone ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation in gene expression as determined by the analysis of an HTB1(K123R) Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae histone H2B is ubiquitylated at lysine 123 in a process requiring the E2-ubiquitin conjugase, Rad6. We have analyzed gene expression in a strain containing a variant of histone H2B with lysine 123 converted to arginine to address the mechanisms by which ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation of histone H2B affect gene expression. The SAGA complex component, Ubp8, is one of two proteases that remove the ubiquitin moiety at lysine 123.

RNA isolation from yeast using silica matrices.

RNA isolation from yeast is complicated by the need to initially break the cell wall. While this can be accomplished by glass bead disruption or enzyme treatment, these approaches result in DNA contamination and/or the need for incubation periods. We have developed a protocol for the isolation of RNA samples from yeast that minimizes degradation by RNases and incorporates two purification steps: acid phenol extraction and binding to a silica matrix.

Detection of human papillomavirus gene sequences in cell lines derived from laryngeal tumors.

The role of Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) in laryngeal carcinomas has been studied with conflicting results. To evaluate the etiologic relationship between HPV infection and epithelial malignancy of the larynx we studied five laryngeal carcinoma cell lines obtained from patients undergoing surgery for laryngeal tumors. The paraffin embedded biopsy samples of the original tumor and different passages of the new established cell lines were investigated by PCR with consensus primers specific for HPV DNA.

Observations regarding the neurocytokaryological study of the experimental infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in the white mouse.

Mice distributed in groups were inoculated with the herpes virus simplex type 1 and type 2 strains in various dilutions (10(-1)-10(-7)), which had been maintained on primary human embryo cell cultures. The animals were killed and homogenates were prepared of their brains, which were used for testing the infective titre in vivo and for the isolation of nuclei, by means of the Hymer-Kuff technique. For the cytokaryological examinations, smears were prepared from the homogenate, which were stained by May-Grünwald-Giemsa and Mann methods.

Assessment trials of the therapeutic efficacy of the drug "Zovirax" in some recurrent ocular and genital herpetic infections.

In this work are reported the results of the researches performed by the authors more than a decade ago, aimed at assessing the clinical benefit of the introduction of the drug "Zovirax" in the treatment of recurrent herpetic infections with genital or ocular location. The results of the treatment carried out on a restricted group of patients were positive both in cases of genital herpes and of herpetic keratitis. The clinical benefit consisted in the reduction of the mean duration of the disease, in the shortening of the period of the infective virus elimination from the lesion, as well as in the decrease of the intensity and duration of the clinical symptomatology as a whole.

Phagocytic function of monocytes in children with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

We investigated the phagocytic function of monocytes in 7- to 10-year-old children horizontally infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in comparison to that in healthy sex- and age-matched controls. CR3-mediated phagocytosis was increased in patients with HIV-associated pulmonary tuberculosis, independently of CD4 counts and p24 antigenemia.

Spectral and biological characteristics of some Acyclovir salts.

In the present work there are described some spectral characteristics in the ultraviolet and infrared region under various environment conditions for a series of synthetic analogues of deoxyguanosine, substances possessing antiviral properties. The study is performed on the Acyclovir compounds and on its Na, K and Li salts, synthetized in Romania, in comparison with the similar product Zovirax, of the "Wellcome" firm (England), used in the clinical practice for several years. The results show a very marked resemblance of the spectral behavior for all these products, a conclusion confirmed by the similar biological effects in the herpetic infection.

Testing of the in vivo therapeutic efficacy on the cutaneous herpes simplex infections of the autochthonous product 5% Acyclovir ointment.

The experimental results of the in vivo testing of an autochthonous pharmaceutical Acyclovir form prepared for the topical treatment of herpetic infections with a mucocutaneous location are shown in this paper. This testing on laboratory animals continues the in vivo performed investigations regarding the antiviral activity of this compound, which have proved that the efficacy of the inhibitory action exerted by the product on the Herpes simplex virus multiplication is comparable with the characteristics of the standard substance (Acyclovir-Zovirax Wellcome). By testing the therapeutic efficacy of the autochthonous Acyclovir preparation on an experimental model of cutaneous herpes infection in the newborn rat, it is demonstrated in a statistically significant manner that the product exerts a strong inhibitory action on the virus multiplication at the level of epidermis (proved by the lowering of virus production in the cutaneous tissue); the result is a drastic reduction of local herpes vesicles and of virus propagation in the neuraxis attended by the appearance of herpes meningo-encephalitis with a lethal course.

Natural propolis extract NIVCRISOL in the treatment of acute and chronic rhinopharyngitis in children.

In the work there are shown the results of a "case control" study carried out in a children collectivity (preschool children and school-children), regarding the action of an aqueous propolis extract, NIVCRISOL, in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper airways. The preparation, which had a rich content of flavonoids, was administered to a group of preschool children and school-children treated during the whole cold season 1994-1995. The monitoring of the subgroups investigated was performed by clinical observation of the health state and recording of the incidence of symptoms characteristic to acute or chronic rhinopharyngeal diseases, as well as by a periodical laboratory examination for the detection and characterization of viral, microbial and fungal germs carriage.

Testing of some pharmacological characteristics of the autochthonous product Acyclovir.

In the present work, the preliminary results of a study regarding the pharmacokinetic properties of the autochthonous synthetic drug Acyclovir are shown. The in vitro and in vivo toxicologic test demonstrates a low toxicity of this product, the drug being well tolerated both by the laboratory animal and by the fibroblasts of the human embryo. The specific antiviral action of the product on the multiplication in vitro of the Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, appreciated by the lowering capacity of the infection titre and by the determination of the inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50), is significant and comparable with previous results obtained by the authors by testing the drug Zovirax of the Welcome firm.

[Cell transformation induced by the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)].

Studies were conducted on the capacity of some human herpes viruses (HSV, HCMV) to induce cell transformation. The results revealed the peculiarities of the transformation process, characteristic of every virus--cell system.

[The results of research conducted at the Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology on the herpes simplex virus].

The report is a review of the research and results of the "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology scientists in the field of herpes viruses, as they were materialized in the great number of published or communicated scientific papers these last ten years.

[Adaptation of the avidin-biotin system for identifying and quantifying Sendai virus antigens].

The avidin-biotin system was adapted in view of the identification and dosage of the Sendai parainfluenza virus and of its antigens, using the method of double antibodies (biotinylated and nonbiotinylated) in ELISA type tests.

Investigation of the effect of cellular and viral nucleic acids on certain virus infections. Note 2. Effect of nucleic acids on virus multiplication in cell cultures.

Treatment of cell cultures with different natural nucleic acids prior to inoculation of herpes simplex virus type 1 led in certain cases to an obvious reduction in infectant titer. The reduction was maximum at a dose of 50 micrograms nucleic acid/culture tube and it was not dependent on the nature of the nucleic acid preparation. The antiviral effect of nucleic acids was enhanced by complexation with intercalation agents such as ethidium bromide or violamycin BI.

Effect of interferon on virus-transformed and tumor cell lines.

The cell growth inhibitory action of rat interferon (IFN) was investigated in two systems: a cell line obtained by transformation of rat embryo fibroblasts under the action of a ts mutant of herpes simplex virus and a tumor cell line derived from tumors induced in rats by transformed cells. The growth inhibitory effect of IFN, evaluated by cell counting and colony formation in soft agar medium, was dependent on the exponential cell growth rate and on the concentration of IFN in the medium. Long-time subcultivation of the two cell lines in the presence of IFN did not result in the selection of a cell population resistant to the growth inhibitory effect of IFN, but led to a decrease in the oncogenic potency of the tumor cell line.

Investigations in the transforming activity of temperature-sensitive mutants of herpes simplex virus.

Transformation of rat embryo fibroblast was induced by a temperature-sensitive mutant of herpes simplex virus type 2. Transformation was scored using the morphological criterion of focus formation and the cell changes that lead to the final focus are described. Virus genome persistence in the transformed cell line was demonstrated by the presence of virus-specific membrane antigens and by the specificity of antibodies elicited in rabbits by inoculation of transformed cells.

The effect of violamycin BI on different biological systems. Note I. The action of violamycin BI on cell cultures infected or not with herpes simplex virus type 1.

The effect of violamycin BI (VBI) was investigated in different cell substrates, infected or not with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), strains VR3 and Rapp-1. The cytotoxic dose of VBI was established in calf kidney and human embryo cell cultures. Low drug concentrations induced moderate cytotoxic changes, allowing the study of the cells for 4-6 days.