Structural Basis for Evasion of New SARS-CoV-2 Variants from the Potent Virus-Neutralizing Nanobody Targeting the S-Protein Receptor-Binding Domain.

COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths and many times more infections worldwide, emphasizing the unpreparedness of the global health system in the face of new infections and the key role for vaccines and therapeutics, including virus-neutralizing antibodies, in prevention and containment of the disease. Continuous evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been causing its new variants to evade the action of the immune system, which highlighted the importance of detailed knowledge of the epitopes of already selected potent virus-neutralizing antibodies. A single-chain antibody ("nanobody") targeting the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), clone P2C5, had exhibited robust virus-neutralizing activity against all SARS-CoV-2 variants and, being a major component of the anti-COVID-19 formulation "GamCoviMab", had successfully passed Phase I of clinical trials.

Polymorphism of angiogenesis regulation factor genes (VEGF/VEGFR), and extracellular matrix remodeling genes (MMP/TIMP), and the levels of their products in extracellular tissues of patients with primary and secondary lymphedema.

Cells of various organs and systems perform their functions and intercellular interactions not in an inert environment, but in the microenvironment of tissue fluids. Violations of the normal drainage of tissue fluids accompany lymphedema. An important mechanism of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis regulation in tissue fluids is the production and reception of vascular endothelial growth factors in combination with the regulation of matrix metalloproteinases.

Polymorphism of Transforming Growth Factor TGFB and Its Receptors TGFBRI, TGFBRII, TGFBRIIII Genes in Western Siberia Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Polymorphism of genes of transforming growth factor TGFB and its receptors (TGFBRI, TGFBRII, and TGFBRIIII) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma was analyzed. The frequency of the TGFBRII CC genotype in patients is increased relative to the control group (OR=6.10, p=0.

rAAV expressing recombinant antibody for emergency prevention and long-term prophylaxis of COVID-19.

Introduction: Numerous agents for prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2-induced diseases are currently registered for the clinical use. Formation of the immunity happens within several weeks following vaccine administration which is their key disadvantage. In contrast, drugs based on monoclonal antibodies, enable rapid passive immunization and therefore can be used for emergency pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19.

Development of a Platform for Producing Recombinant Protein Components of Epitope Vaccines for the Prevention of COVID-19.

A new platform for creating anti-coronavirus epitope vaccines has been developed. Two loop-like epitopes with lengths of 22 and 42 amino acid residues were selected from the receptor-binding motif of the Spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that participate in a large number of protein-protein interactions in the complexes with ACE2 and neutralizing antibodies. Two types of hybrid proteins, including one of the two selected epitopes, were constructed.

Exceptional Concentrations of Gold Nanoparticles in 1,7 Ga Fluid Inclusions From the Kola Superdeep Borehole, Northwest Russia.

In the drill core of the Kola super-deep borehole (SG-3, 12,262 m depth) gold-bearing rocks of Archaean age have been located at depths of 9,500 to 11,000 m. In veins, between 9,052 and 10,744 m, within this gold zone, quartz contains fluid inclusions with gold nanoparticles. There are 4 types of fluid inclusions (1) gas inclusions of dense CO, (2) liquid-vapor two-phase aqueous inclusions, (3) three-phase inclusions with NaCl daughter crystals, and (4) CO-aqueous inclusions.

gene polymorphisms: association with age-related macular degeneration in Russian population.

Aim: To study polymorphisms in promotor regions of (rs1800630), (rs1800629), and (rs361525) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and associations of complex genotypes with AMD.

Methods: One hundred and two patients (82 women, 20 men; mean age 64.2±1.

[Association of Serum Levels and Gene Polymorphism of Vascular Endothelium Growth Factor With Ischemic Heart Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Patients].

Aim: to study serum levels of vascular endothelium growth factor family peptides (VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D) and functional gene polymorphisms of VEGFA gene (rs699947 and rs3025039) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) depending on the presence of ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Materials And Methods: The study involved 196 Caucasian patients with T2D (age 43-70 years, 76 with IHD). The concentrations of VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D in blood serum were determined by Multiplex assay.

[Association of Some Homozygous Genotypes of Genes Regulating Inflammation, Destruction and Angiogenesis With Laboratory Markers of Atherosclerosis Course in Men With Stable Effort Angina].

Great number of factors stimulating or inhibiting production of proteins in inflammatory process influence serum levels of markers of inflammation. A number of homozygous genotypes of inflammation, destruction, and angiogenesis genes have been found to be associated with basic clinical-laboratory indices of inflammation and atherosclerotic process. The revealed genetic markers can be used as complimentary markers of prognosis of the disease course.

[Pinealon and Cortexin influence on behavior and neurochemical processes in 18-month aged rats within hypoxia and hypothermia].

The research of Cortexin and Pinealon within two models of stress, acute hypobaric hypoxia and mild hypothermia, within 18-month aged rats has been held. The peculiarities of peptide preparations' influence on behavior and neurochemical indeces have been identified. Cortexin shows a more pronounced effect on free radical processes and caspase 3 activity in brain than Pinealon.

[Matrix metalloproteinase 2, 3, and 9 gene polymorphisms in women with rheumatoid arthritis].

Aim: To study the promoter regions of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2, MMP3, and MMP9 genes to assess their associations with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and with the types of its clinical course in women.

Subjects And Methods: 162 female patients with RA and 329 women without this condition were examined. Polymorphisms in the gene promoter region for MMP2 (-1306 С→Т), MMP3 (-1171 5A→6А), and MMP9 (-1562 С→Т) were studied.

Spontaneous Electrical Activity and Spikes in the Tail of Marine Cercariae.

Spontaneous electrical activity is recorded in two species of marine cercariae, Cryptocotyle lingua and Himasthla elongata, with different types of swimming-by glass microelectrode recordings. Slow local field potentials (sLFPs) of low amplitude and fast high amplitude action potentials (APs) are found. The shape of the sLFPs is different in the species and correlates with the type of swimming.

The neuro-muscular system in cercaria with different patterns of locomotion.

The neuro-muscular system (NMS) of cercariae with different swimming patterns was studied with immunocytochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Specimens of the continuously swimming Cercaria parvicaudata, Maritrema subdolum and Himasthla elongata were compared with specimens of the intermittently swimming Cryptocotyle lingua and the attached Podocotyle atomon. The patterns of F-actin in the musculature, 5-HT immunoreactive (-IR), FMRFamide-IR neuronal elements, α-tubulin-IR elements in the nervous and sensory systems and DAPI-stained nuclei were investigated.

Giant momentary readout produced by switching electric fields during two-wave mixing in sillenites.

We show theoretically and experimentally that switching an applied square-wave field produces strong and short pulses of the outgoing signal during two-wave mixing in sillenite crystals. These pulses originate from the strong effect of the field on the optical eigenmodes and can be used in new optical schemes based on time-separated recording and readout processes.

Fast photorefractive response in B(12)SiO(20) in the near infrared.

The polarization self-modulation effect was applied for effective measurement of the characteristic response time of nominally pure Bi(12)SiO(20) (BSO) at wavelengths of 810 and 980 nm. Owing to oxygen deficiency in the crystal lattice, the BSO crystals showed unusual photorefractive sensitivity and remarkable operation speed in the near-infrared spectral region. A response time of 130 ms was measured at 810 nm, and a response time of 540 ms was measured at 980 nm, with incident intensities of 110 and 200mW/cm(2), respectively.

Fast adaptive interferometer with a photorefractive GaP crystal.

The performance of an adaptive interferometer based on mixing of light waves with different polarization states in a photorefractive GaP crystal at lambda=0.633mum is described. Both high sensitivity and fast response time are achieved with a low-power He-Ne laser.

Polymorphism of Immune Response Genes as a Factor for Predisposition to Development of Diseases.

The association of particular allelic variants of genes coding proteins, such as transporter associated with processing (TAP) and heat shock protein (HSP), involved in endocellular processing of endogenous antigens, with synovium pathology accompanied with urogenital infection was observed. The particular alleles of TAP1 and TAP2 genes appeared to be the factor of predisposition or resistance for Chlamidia trachomatis but not for Mycoplasma hominis. At the same time, the relative risk for C.

Theory of photorefractive vectorial wave coupling in cubic crystals.

We present an analytical theory of vectorial wave coupling in photorefractive cubic crystals which are, in general, optically active. The theory is based on the systematic use of the spatial symmetry properties and the apparatus of the Pauli operators to deal with two-dimensional vectors and matrices. It allows one to give a unified description of a wide spectrum of photorefractive phenomena, including the efficiency and polarization properties of Bragg diffraction, polarization two-beam coupling enhanced by ac fields, the influence of the photoelastic effect, etc.

[The effect of water temperature and salinity on the longevity of cercaria of marine littoral trematodes Podocotyle atomon (Opecoelidae) and Renicola thaidus (renicolidae)]].

The influence of temperature and salinity on the survival of free-living cercariae of the marine trematodes Podocotyle atomon and Renicola thaidus has been examined. It was found out, that the survival of free-living cercariae depend upon the temperature and salinity of the water.

Photorefractive light scattering families in (111)-cut Bi12TiO20 crystals with an external electric ac field.

We investigate here both theoretically and experimentally light-induced scattering in (111)-cut Bi12TiO20 crystals with an external ac field. Our simple analytic solution, which is nearly as precise as the numeric one, allows us to recognize the following otherwise hidden general features. Without the elasto-optic contribution, the scattering patterns are identical for the same value of xi=zeta(0)+(2/3)straight phi(p), where straight phi(p) is the initial polarization angle and zeta(0) is the angle of the external field.

[The attitude of health personnel and population toward the economic reform in public health system. (The results of a survey in Chelyabinsk)].

Sociologic survey of the knowledge of the population and medical workers about the new economical relations in public health system, including medical insurance, showed that both the population and medics understand the necessity of public health reformation, introduction of new economic relations, and medical insurance. The major part of the population is ready to pay for medical service, but cannot afford it.

Holographic recording of complex images by double phase conjugation in Bi(12)TiO(20) fiberlike crystal.

Volume holographic recording of complex images with a double phase-conjugation mirror in a fiberlike Bi(12)TiO(20) single crystal, mutually pumped by two separate He-Ne lasers, is experimentally demonstrated. Complex images can be stored and reconstructed by use of even a partial input image. The advantages of the small-cross-section, light-confining photorefractive sample in comparison with bulk crystal are a wider spatial bandwidth of recorded images and the possibility of recording holograms by application of smaller ac voltages.

Two-wave mixing in photorefractive Bi(12)SiO(20) fibers.

We present what is to our knowledge the first experimental observation of the energy-exchange effect between two coherent beams in Bi(12)SiO(20) single-crystal optical fiber grown by the laser-heated pedestal growth technique.