Genomic analysis of filoviruses associated with four viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012.

In 2012, an unprecedented number of four distinct, partially overlapping filovirus-associated viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks were detected in equatorial Africa. Analysis of complete virus genome sequences confirmed the reemergence of Sudan virus and Marburg virus in Uganda, and the first emergence of Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Catalytic reduction of NO with decomposed methanol on alumina-supported Mn-Ce catalysts.

A series of manganese-ceria supported on alumina catalysts with various Mn/Ce ratios are investigated in both methanol decomposition to CO and hydrogen and SCR of NO(x) with CO. The study is aimed at the potential application of both reactions in integrated devices, where NO(x) is reduced with the products of the decomposed methanol. The samples are characterized by nitrogen physisorption, XRD, TEM, XPS, UV-Vis, and TPR. It was established that manganese-ceria supported on alumina catalysts are perspective in both methanol decomposition and NO reduction at temperatures above 723 K, which are typical for exhausted gases from the vehicles and some stationary stations. The best catalytic activity and selectivity to the desired products under these conditions was found for the samples with Mn/Mn+Ce ratio of 0.5 and 0.7. This superior catalytic performance is related to the formation of mixed valence Mn(3+)/Ce(4+) and Mn(4+)/Ce(3+) active sites.

Influence of Ce addition on the catalytic behavior of alumina-supported Cu-Co catalysts in NO reduction with CO.

The effect of Ce addition to alumina-supported copper, cobalt, and copper-cobalt oxides with low loadings on the catalysts efficiency in NO reduction with CO was studied. The attention was focused on varying the impregnation procedure in the ternary-supported catalysts in order to determine the best catalyst as well as the reasons for the enhanced catalytic activity. Ternary Co-Cu-Ce and binary Co-Ce, Cu-Ce, and Cu-Co-supported alumina were prepared and characterized by ICP, XRD, TEM, adsorption studies, XPS, H(2)-TPR, and catalytic investigations. The high activity of the ternary and the binary catalysts was determined by the favorable influence of the added cerium on the dispersion of the copper and cobalt active phases. The presence of ceria contributes to the formation of appropriate active phases, resulting in catalytic sites on the surface of the samples that promote the reduction of NO with CO.

Novel application of depleted fullerene soot (DFS) as support of catalysts for low-temperature reduction of NO with CO.

Depleted fullerene soot (DFS) with fullerene residue content of about 2.2-3.2% are investigated in order to elucidate the possibility for their use as support of catalysts in low-temperature reduction of NO with CO. Bimetalic copper-cobalt and copper-manganese oxides supported on DFS are prepared. All samples are characterized by chemical analysis, XRD, SEM, IR spectroscopy, XPS, nitrogen adsorption measurements. The two DFS supported bimetallic catalysts manifest a high activity towards the reduction of NO with CO at temperatures below 150 degrees C, the CuCo/DFS being the more active one. The peculiarity of the support DFS predetermines the porous texture of the catalysts. The occurrence of a specific metal-support interaction favors the formation of the mixed oxide spinels CuCo2O4 and Cu1.5 Mn1.5 O4 that are responsible for the enhanced activity.

Copper oxide supported on carbon modified alumina as catalyst for reduction of NO with CO.

Carbon-modified alumina-supported copper oxide catalysts have been investigated. The samples have been prepared by modified incipient techniques. The gamma-Al(2)O(3)-supported carbon phase permits sufficient modification of the chemical nature of the support surface in the region of low carbon contents without changing the specific surface area and the mesoporous character of the samples as compared to those of initial gamma-Al(2)O(3). In addition, the surface oxygen groups of the carbon phase, similar to the hydroxyl groups of the alumina surface, affect the formation and type of copper oxide phase. It has been established that the catalysts investigated have high activity in the reduction of NO with CO, the highest activity belonging to the Cu17AC/AL catalyst, which contains the largest amount of carbon. This sample is also active with respect to the direct decomposition of NO.

[Study of the effect of antiviral drugs on the reproduction of the respiratory syncytial virus by enzyme immunoassay]. / Ispol'zovanie immunofermentnogo analiza dlia izucheniia deistviia protivovirusnykh preparatov na reproduktsiiu respiratorno-sintsitial'nogo virusa.

A test system based on EIA was developed for evaluating the efficiency of drugs active towards the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in cell culture. Virasole and its structural analog ribamedii active towards RSV infection and arbidol whose activity in RSV infection is unknown were tested. Like virasole and ribamedil, arbidol inhibited the expression of RSV antigens, the inhibitory effect increasing with the drug concentration and decreased with increase of the multiplicity of virus infection. MIC50 for arbidol, virasole, and ribamedil were 10, 5, and 6 micrograms/ml, respectively. These data prompt clinical trials of arbidol in RSV infection.

Study on Active Carbon-Supported Two-Component Catalysts for NO Conversion.

The impregnation of active carbon with two-component aqueous solutions of Cu and Co nitrates has been investigated and different deposition degrees of copper and cobalt ions have been established. Adsorption analysis has shown modification of the active carbon texture after impregnation with solutions whose concentration of Cu and Co ions exceeds 3%. A catalyst with a high activity in the reduction of NO with CO at 100 degrees C has been obtained. All samples are found to catalyze the complete reduction of NO to N2. A correlation between the catalytic activity and the Cu:Co ratio in the supported phase has been established. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Study of Ni-Impregnated Active Carbon

The reduction of NO with CO on Ni-impregnated active carbon catalysts (AC/Ni) has been investigated. High activity toward NO reduction can be achieved on an AC/Ni catalyst obtained by thermal decomposition of the precursor nitrate at 200°C. The role of active carbon in the catalytic reduction of NO with CO at different temperatures has been discussed. At low temperatures (below 200°C), when there is no substantial gasification of the carbon, dissociative adsorption of NO along with N2 evolution and oxygen accumulation on the carbon surface has been observed. The active sites occupied by the oxygen evolved during the NO decomposition are regenerated by the CO reducing agent. At high temperatures the C-O complexes evolved from the carbon surface participate in NO reduction as a second reducing agent. The effect of the oxygen-containing functional groups and the available nitrate groups on catalyst activity has been discussed. Copyright 1997Academic Press

[The action of lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin and lactoglobulin on Shigella sonnei in an in-vivo experiment]. / Deistvie laktoperoksidazy, laktoferrina i laktoglobulina na Shigella sonnei v éksperimente in vivo.

The synergism of the protective action of lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin and lactoglobulin obtained from cow milk, as well as lactoferrin obtained from human milk, was shown in experiments on white mice, infected intranasally with S. sonnei and used as an experimental model. The combined administration of these preparations in doses, each one having no protective action, contributed to the elimination of the bacteria from the lungs and prevented the death of the animals. This phenomenon was found to be nonspecific and suitable for use in the development of preparations for passive immunization against a wide spectrum of microorganisms.

Alteration in the antigenic structure of M1 protein of influenza A virus mutant resistant to a new antiviral compound mopyridone.

Using 14 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) in solid-phase ELISA it was found that influenza virus A/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2) mutants resistant to the antiviral compound mopyridone as compared to the mopyridone-sensitive mutant manifested significant changes in the antigenic structure (sites 1A, 2 and 3) of M1 protein. No differences in M1 were found between rimantadine-resistant and rimantadine-sensitive mutants of influenza virus A(H3N2).

Analysis of internal proteins of influenza A (H2N2) viruses isolated from birds in East Germany in 1983.

Proteins and RNAs of influenza A (H2N2) viruses isolated from birds in 1983 in East Germany were compared antigenically with those of H2N2 human strains. The electrophoretic mobility of the viral proteins and of the S1-treated double-stranded RNAs from two human and six avian strains, as well as the results of EIA-tests using monoclonal antibodies to their matrix protein and nucleoproteins indicate an antigenic relationship between the avian isolates and human strains of H2N2 subtype. One of the avian strains had a reduced amount of matrix protein.

[The detection of antibodies to HIV protein p24 in human blood sera by the method of lanthanide immunofluorescent analysis]. / Vyiavlenie antitel k belku p24 VICh v syvorotkakh krovi cheloveka metodom lantanidnogo immunofliuorestsentnogo analiza.

A competitive time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) system for the detection of antibodies to protein p24 of HIV was developed on the basis of monoclonal antibodies. The advantages of this test system over analogous enzyme immunoassay system and commercial test system "Antigen" (USSR) were demonstrated. The newly developed test system of TR-FIA was used for examination of sera from HIV-infected persons.

[The strain-specific diagnosis of influenza by using lanthanide immunofluorescence analysis based on monoclonal antibodies to the hemagglutinin of the influenza A virus]. / Shtammospetsificheskaia diagnostika grippa s ispol'zovaniem lantanidnogo immunofliuorestsentnogo analiza na osnove monoklonal'nykh antitel k gemaggliutininu virusa grippa A.

Nine monoclonal antibodies (MCA) to hemagglutinin of influenza A/Taiwan/1/86 (H1N1) virus and 5 MCA to influenza A/Mississippi/1/85 (H3N2) virus were generated and characterized. The MCA were used for the development of diagnostic test systems on the basis of time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. The same MCA were used as primary and detecting antibodies in the test system specific for HA of the H1 serosubtype, whereas in the test system specific for influenza A serosubtype H3 virus MCA of different epitope appurtenance were used as primary and secondary antibodies. The sensitivity of the test system for HA of serosubtype H1 was found to be 10 ng/ml and that for serosubtype H3 5 nh/ml. The developed test systems were tried on the clinical material collected during the epidemic periods of 1983-1989.

[The use of sectional polystyrene plates in the set-up of lanthanide immunofluorescence analysis]. / Ispol'zovanie razbornykh polistirolovykh planshetov pri postanovke lantanidnogo immunofliuorstsentnogo analiza.

The authors have examined the possibility of using sectional polystyrene plates, made in this country, in time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (tr-FIA) with Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis and tick-borne encephalitis arboviruses, and with influenza A virus. The plates presensitized with specific antibodies were found fit for the detection of the antigens of the above viruses. These plates are not recommended for the detection of influenza A virus-specific proteins adsorbed directly onto the microplate surface.

[Standardization of conditions for detecting the internal proteins of the influenza virus in studying their antigenic properties in solid-phase immunoenzyme analysis]. / Standartizatsiia uslovii vyiavleniia vnutrennikh belkov virusa grippa pri issledovanii ikh antigennykh svoistv v tverdofaznom immunofermentnom analize.

The influence of the conditions of adsorption and virion destruction by freezing-thawing and detergents on the detection of M1 and NP proteins of different influenza virus strains by solid-phase enzyme immunoassay with direct virion adsorption on polystyrene was studied. It was found that for the detection of M1 protein the optimal conditions included virion disruption with detergent and adsorption to polystyrene at 4 degrees C, and for NP protein disruption by freezing-thawing at adsorption to polystyrene at 37 degrees C. In the study of the antigenic properties of protein M1 of different influenza virus strains using monoclonal antibodies it was shown to be necessary, first, to achieve maximum detection of proteins and, second, to standardize the amount of the adsorbed antigen with polyclonal antibodies.

[Enzyme histochemical changes in the myocytes of the vascular wall under the influence of sex hormones]. / Enzimokhistokhimichni izmeneniia v miotsitite na sudovata stena pod vliianie na polovi khormoni.

Estradiol, progesterone and testosterone were administered three times in the female rats of Wistar strain. Myocytes were studied in the wall of the portal vena, posterior vena cava and aorta. The used histochemical methods showed distribution of dehydrogenases, which was characteristic of predominating anaerobic oxidation in cells. They increased their activity after animals were treated with testosterone and they reduced it after treatment with progesterone. Adenosin-3-phosphatase activity was increased after administration of estradiol and was reduced after treatment with progesterone. Better manifested activity of some enzymes in the longitudinal muscular layer of the portal vena in comparison with circular layer was connected with greater functional loading of this layer. It was found to a great extent similarity in dynamics of enzyme histochemical changes in arterial and venous myocytes.

[Stat-diagnosis of influenza using lanthanide immunofluorescence analysis]. / Ekspress-diagnostika grippa s pomoshch'iu lantanidnogo immunofliuorestsentnogo analiza.

A test system for influenza diagnosis has been developed on the basis of monoclonal antibodies to influenza A and B virus proteins using the principles of lanthanide immunofluorescence analysis. The diagnostic test system was shown to be highly specific in detecting influenza A and B virions in model systems. For the one-step variant of a double sandwich used in the study, the total time of diagnostic experiment using clinical materials was shown to be reduced to 15-20 min.

[Indication of the influenza virus in clinical samples using immunoenzyme and lanthanide immunofluorescence analyses]. / Indikatsiia virusa grippa v klinicheskikh obraztsakh s pomoshch'iu immunofermentnogo i lantanidnogo immunofliurestsentnogo analizov.

A comparative study of the potentials of enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) and lanthanide immunofluorescent assay (LIFA) for influenza virus detection in nasopharyngeal aspirates and nasopharyngeal washings was carried out. Monospecific and polyclonal antisera to hemagglutinin polyclonal antisera to matrix protein as well as polyclonal and monoclonal antisera to nucleoprotein were used. The nasopharyngeal aspirates were shown to contain virus-specific antigens in the amounts sufficient for influenza virus detection with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. There was a good correlation between chromophore results by EIA and fluorescence level in LIFA. The sensitivity of the test systems used (EIA and LIFA) was shown to be insufficient for the detection of virus-specific material in the nasopharyngeal washings. Besides, there was no correlation between the results obtained by different test systems. It was concluded that nasopharyngeal aspirates should be collected for rapid influenza diagnosis by EIA and LIFA.