Genotypic Variants of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Viruses Isolated from Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in Ukraine during the 2015/16 Influenza Season.

Human type A influenza viruses A(H1N1)pdm09 have caused seasonal epidemics of influenza since the 2009-2010 pandemic. A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses had a leading role in the severe epidemic season of 2015/16 in the Northern Hemisphere and caused a high incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in Ukraine. Serious complications of influenza-associated severe ARI (SARI) were observed in the very young and individuals at increased risk, and 391 fatal cases occurred in the 2015/16 epidemic season.

Antigenic Site Variation in the Hemagglutinin of Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Viruses between 2009-2017 in Ukraine.

The hemagglutinin (HA) is a major influenza virus antigen, which, once recognized by antibodies and substitutions in HA genes, helps virus in escaping the human immune response. It is therefore critical to perform genetic and phylogenetic analysis of HA in circulating influenza viruses. We performed phylogenetic and genetic analysis of isolates from Ukraine, the vaccine strain and reference strains were used to phylogenetically identify trends in mutation locations and substitutions.

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles increase immunogenicity of the influenza vaccine.

We have demonstrated the influence of cerium dioxide nanoparticles on the immunogenicity of the influenza vaccine on an example of liquid split inactivated Vaxigrip vaccine. Antibody titers were analyzed using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. Seroprotection, seroconversion, the geometric mean titers (GMTs) and the factor increase (FI) in the GMTs were calculated.

Ion-exchange properties of hypercrosslinked polystyrene impregnated with methyl orange.

A novel bipolar stationary phase (HCPS-MO) was prepared by impregnation of hypercrosslinked polystyrene (HCPS) with methyl orange (MO; 4-dimethylamino-4'-sulfoazobenzene) and its ion-exchange properties were studied. Simultaneous separation of cations and anions on HCPS-MO is possible, although it behaves preferentially as a cation-exchanger. Unusual selectivity of HCPS-MO for alkali and alkaline-earth metal cations: Na+ < Li+ approximately = K+ < Rb+ < NH4+ < Cs+ and Mg2+ < Sr2+ < Ca2+ < Ba2+ was observed.

[Low-temperature fixation of electron microscopy specimens].

An attempt was made to estimate the quality of cryofixation by thermogram method--time relationship of object temperature during freezing and heating of the specimen while preparing it for the electron microscopic studies. The experiments carried out showed the necessity of estimating cryofixation quality to rule out artefacts appearing due to solvent crystallization.

[Comparative study of biopolymer--water systems by raster and transmission electron microscopic technics].

Comparative studies of some biological subjects with different water content (yeast cells, swollen starch grains, gels and gelatin and casein solutions) were conducted in scanning and transmitting electron electron microscope. The objects were prepared by cryogenic methods: freezing--drying; freezing--fracture, freezing--etching. It has been shown that when interpreting the micrographs of scanning microscopy for the systems biopolymer--water it is useful to apply the results of transmitting microscopy by using different procedures of preparation both with dehydration and without dehydration of the object.

[Mutagenic activity of luminal and pyrazidol].

The mutagenic activity of two psychotropic preparations luminal and pyrazidol was studied. It was shown that luminal is capable of indicing chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells of mice as well as dominant lethal mutations in postmeiotic stages of spermiogenesis. This allows one to consider it as genetically dangerous.