Rib Cage Deformities Alter Respiratory Muscle Action and Chest Wall Function in Patients with Severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an inherited connective tissue disorder characterized by bone fragility, multiple fractures and significant chest wall deformities. Cardiopulmonary insufficiency is the leading cause of death in these patients.Seven patients with severe OI type III, 15 with moderate OI type IV and 26 healthy subjects were studied. In addition to standard spirometry, rib cage geometry, breathing pattern and regional chest wall volume changes at rest in seated and supine position were assessed by opto-electronic plethysmography to investigate if structural modifications of the rib cage in OI have consequences on ventilatory pattern. One-way or two-way analysis of variance was performed to compare the results between the three groups and the two postures. compared to predicted values, on condition that updated reference equations are considered. In both positions, ventilation was lower in OI patients than control because of lower tidal volume (p<0.01). In contrast to OI type IV patients, whose chest wall geometry and function was normal, OI type III patients were characterized by reduced (p<0.01) angle at the sternum (pectus carinatum), paradoxical inspiratory inward motion of the pulmonary rib cage, significant thoraco-abdominal asynchronies and rib cage distortions in supine position (p<0.001).In conclusion, the restrictive respiratory pattern of Osteogenesis Imperfecta is closely related to the severity of the disease and to the sternal deformities. Pectus carinatum characterizes OI type III patients and alters respiratory muscles coordination, leading to chest wall and rib cage distortions and an inefficient ventilator pattern. OI type IV is characterized by lower alterations in the respiratory function. These findings suggest that functional assessment and treatment of OI should be differentiated in these two forms of the disease

Placement and orientation of individual DNA shapes on lithographically patterned surfaces

Artificial DNA nanostructures show promise for the organization of functional materials to create nanoelectronic or nano-optical devices. DNA origami, in which a long single strand of DNA is folded into a shape using shorter 'staple strands', can display 6-nm-resolution patterns of binding sites, in principle allowing complex arrangements of carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires, or quantum dots. However, DNA origami are synthesized in solution and uncontrolled deposition results in random arrangements; this makes it difficult to measure the properties of attached nanodevices or to integrate them with conventionally fabricated microcircuitry. Here we describe the use of electron-beam lithography and dry oxidative etching to create DNA origami-shaped binding sites on technologically useful materials, such as SiO_2 and diamond-like carbon. In buffer with ~ 100 mM MgCl_2, DNA origami bind with high selectivity and good orientation: 70–95% of sites have individual origami aligned with an angular dispersion (±1 s.d.) as low as ±10° (on diamond-like carbon) or ±20° (on SiO_2)

New member of the V1V2-directed CAP256-VRC26 lineage that shows increased breadth and exceptional potency.

CAPRISA, 2016.Abstract available in pdf

Mimicry of an HIV broadly neutralizing antibody epitope with a synthetic glycopeptide.

CAPRISA, 2017.Abstract available in pdf

Structural Repertoire of HIV-1-Neutralizing Antibodies Targeting the CD4 Supersite in 14 Donors

The site on the HIV-1 gp120 glycoprotein that binds the CD4 receptor is recognized by broadly reactive antibodies, several of which neutralize over 90% of HIV-1 strains. To understand how antibodies achieve such neutralization, we isolated CD4-binding-site (CD4bs) antibodies and analyzed 16 co-crystal structures –8 determined here– of CD4bs antibodies from 14 donors. The 16 antibodies segregated by recognition mode and developmental ontogeny into two types: CDR H3-dominated and VH-gene-restricted. Both could achieve greater than 80% neutralization breadth, and both could develop in the same donor. Although paratope chemistries differed, all 16 gp120-CD4bs antibody complexes showed geometric similarity, with antibody-neutralization breadth correlating with antibody-angle of approach relative to the most effective antibody of each type. The repertoire for effective recognition of the CD4 supersite thus comprises antibodies with distinct paratopes arrayed about two optimal geometric orientations, one achieved by CDR H3 ontogenies and the other achieved by VH-gene-restricted ontogenies

Developmental pathway for potent V1V2-directed HIV-neutralizing antibodies.

CAPRISA, 2014.Antibodies capable of neutralizing HIV-1 often target variable regions 1 and 2 (V1V2) of the HIV-1 envelope, but the mechanism of their elicitation has been unclear. Here we define the developmental pathway by which such antibodies are generated and acquire the requisite molecular characteristics for neutralization. Twelve somatically related neutralizing antibodies (CAP256-VRC26.01-12) were isolated from donor CAP256 (from the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)); each antibody contained the protruding tyrosine-sulphated, anionic antigen-binding loop (complementarity-determining region (CDR) H3) characteristic of this category of antibodies. Their unmutated ancestor emerged between weeks 30-38 post-infection with a 35-residue CDR H3, and neutralized the virus that superinfected this individual 15 weeks after initial infection. Improved neutralization breadth and potency occurred by week 59 with modest affinity maturation, and was preceded by extensive diversification of the virus population. HIV-1 V1V2-directed neutralizing antibodies can thus develop relatively rapidly through initial selection of B cells with a long CDR H3, and limited subsequent somatic hypermutation. These data provide important insights relevant to HIV-1 vaccine development

Kinematic characteristics of a sprinting technique and morphofunctional structures of its providing

Druz V. A., Iermakov S. S., Pugach Ya. I., Shesterova L. Ye., Zukow W., Cieślicka M. Kinematic characteristics of a sprinting technique and morphofunctional structures of its providing. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2016;6(11):271-280. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.166766 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/3998       The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. Part B item 755 (23.12.2015). 755 Journal of Education, Health and Sport eISSN 2391-8306 7 © The Author (s) 2016; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 01.11.2016. Revised 12.11.2016. Accepted: 15.11.2016.       KINEMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A SPRINTING TECHNIQUE AND MORPHOFUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES OF ITS PROVIDING   Druz V. A.1, Iermakov S. S.2, Pugach Ya. I.1, Shesterova L. Ye.1, Zukow W.2, Cieślicka M.2   1Kharkov State Academy of Physical Culture 2Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz     Abstract Introduction The overall performance of a coach and the efficiency of performances of sportsmen are defined completely by the depth of understanding of regularities which are the cornerstone of the mechanisms, which provide the performance of competitive exercises. The most comprehensive investigations of these questions in track and field athletics are devoted to studying of sprint that significantly promoted the improvement of the process of a coach (Yefremenko, 2013 -2015; Shesterova, Yanhao, 2014-2016). However, the uniform generalization in the received scientific results isn't reached. It considerably reduces the overall performance of a coach. The optimization of the training process and the efficiency of performance of a sportsman are defined by the depth of knowledge of the interdependent relations of kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the performed physical actions and their connections with the morphofunctional educations, which provide their implementation. At the same time the final result depends on the motive endowments of a sportsman, the level of preparedness and the current functional state. The purpose of the research. To present the uniform system of the interdependent relations of the biomechanical and physiological regularities which provide the fastest movement of the general center of body weight GCBW of a sportsman when passing by him the established distance of run and to establish the structure of creation of an optimum algorithm of the training process taking into account individual physical development of a sportsman on the basis of provisions of the theory of training. The achievement of the purpose defined the need of the solution of the following tasks: 1. To carry out the analysis of literature and to systematize scientific achievements on the considered problem. 2. To select the fundamental laws of mechanics which define kinematic and dynamic characteristics of movement of biokinematic links and center of mass (GCBW). On the basis of what to establish the coherence of movement of GCBW with a speed of movement of biokinematic links. 3. To define the communication between intensity of the performed work and the duration of its preservations depending on the level of preparedness of the the corresponding morphofunctional mechanisms which provide its performance. 4. To develop the method of creation of an optimum algorithm of ensuring physical preparedness of a sportsman taking into account his specific features of physical development and physical state. Material and methods Analytic survey of scientific data on the questions of the research of sprint and mechanics of movement of a body in supported and unsupported phases of its movement; construction of semantic sign spaces with the uniform measure entered into them that allows to compare the share importance of parameters of various dimension at their contribution to the achievement of the final result; mathematical modeling of interaction of functional systems in dynamics; methods of analogy and similarity of manifestation of the principles of the interacting systems in preservation of their equilibrium state. Results The analytical expressions which describe a trajectory of movement of GCBW of a body and CBW of two biokinematic link pendulums are established on the basis of laws of mechanics. Circles of cycloid, parabola, helicoid concern to them. It allowed, using the method of mathematical modeling, to establish the specific features of the performance of walking and run inherent in a concrete somatotype. A type of a constitution is defined at which it is possible to develop the run speed when the phase of a support can become less than phase of a flight, that provides extremely possible speed of movement of GCBW of a sportsman on the basis of the results of the researches of videograms of run of the ex-world record-holder in run on 100 m Asafa Powell, the works of Mil Koch, Kadzh Tomazin, Stephanie Letzelter, Akira Ito, Masaki Ishivaka, etc., and also the executed model constructions. Conclusion The modern requirements of the development of sport define conditions of the organization of the training process in which it is necessary to provide the systematic control and the analysis of dynamics of the passing changes in biomechanics of the mastered movements, physiological processes of the training and competitive loads providing performance, psychological preparedness of the sportsman for extreme and special conditions. The implementation of such control demands the corresponding preparation of the coach's structure and necessary technical providing. The existence of modern control methods of the dynamics of the development of exhaustion in change of movements of biokinematic links of a body allow to carry out in real time on video filming this task. However, the coach can't provide the performance of all these functions at full satisfaction of these conditions. The trained professional has to be appropriately in ensuring the training process, and the training in the contents has to consist of not only the direct physical activities, but also the subsequent analysis of the video record of the actions and computer processing of their performance. The solution of these tasks assumes opening of the new specialization in specialized educational institutions, which provides the scientific and technical maintenance of the educational-training process and competitive performances. It is natural that the solution of this task has to be carried out step by step, but now there are all bases to start the beginning of its realization.     Key words: kinematic characteristic, sprinting technique, morphofunctional structures