The International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) of UNEP

Until recently there has been no international register or international network linking national registers for the exchange of information on, and for, chemical hazard assessment and control. The International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1976 and is now in full operation. The objectives assigned to the Register concern the establishment of a global network of contributing partners through which it can develop its data-bank containing relevant information for an assessment of environmental hazards caused by chemicals, and disseminate this information to decision-making bodies, national authorities, international organizations and other institutions, and to the scientific community that is concerned with the evaluation and control of chemicals in the environment. The IRPTC operations involve preparation of data profiles for chemicals, the development of a computerized data storage and retrieval system, a query-response service, and the publication of a 4-monthly Register Index, a periodical Bulletin, and other documents. These contain information on chemicals, international and national activities related to issues of chemical safety, and also legislative and regulatory measures for protection of the health of humans and of the environment from the noxious effects of chemical

Potential and challenges of e-voting in the European Union

European Union Democracy Observatory (EUDO)This study was commissioned and supervised by the European Parliament’s Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the AFCO Committee. It addresses the potentials and challenges of the implementation of Internet voting in European Parliament elections. It considers the social, political, legal, and technological implications of its introduction as an alternative to on-paper ballot and builds on the recent experience of previous trials and successful e-enabled elections to issue technical recommendations regarding Internet voting in the European Union

Functional nitric oxide conjugate systems state/restored heart thiols of rats in modeling isadrine-pituitrin’s myocardial infarction using metabolite-tropic cardioprotector “Angiolin”

Background: According to modern researches, endothelial dysfunction (ED) is one of the primary pathogenetic elements of cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction [MI], ischemic heart diseases, cerebral ischemic stroke, atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and dilated cardiomyopathy) as well as obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and hyperhomocysteinemia. The aim of this work was to study the influence of potential metabolitotropic cardioprotector “Angiolin” on the parameters of conjugate systems nitric oxide (NO)/restored thiols in heart under isadrine-pituitrin MI.Methods: This study was performed on Wistar white rats weighing 190-210 g. Biochemical, immune-enzyme analysis and histoimmunechemical study were performed.Results: In histological sections of hearts of the rats receiving Angiolin in parenteral dosing 50 mg/kg 30 mins before each pituitrin injection the density of endothelial NO-synthase (NOS)-positive cells increased by 29% and the density of inducible NOS-positive cells decreased by 23.3%. In cytosolic fraction of myocardium homogenate NOS activity increased by 27%, the concentration of NO stable metabolites increased by 70% and the content of nitrosative stress marker nitrotyrosine decreased by 42% when compared with control group. At the same time in similar samples of heart homogenate the increase of restored thiol groups’ level by 53.3%, methionine - by 35.1%, cysteine - by 170% and activity of glutathione reductase - by 186% was noted. The administration of reference drug mildronate to the animals with MI in dose 100 mg/kg did not result in significant changes of the studied parameters of thiol-disulfide system and NO system of the heart when compared with control group.Conclusions: Angiolin does not influence directly on NOS in MI, but at the same time protects NO from nitrosative stress increasing restored equivalents of thiol-disulfide system

Silencing of Aphid Genes by dsRNA Feeding from Plants

RNA interference (RNAi) is a valuable reverse genetics tool to study gene function in various organisms, including hemipteran insects such as aphids. Previous work has shown that RNAi-mediated knockdown of pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) genes can be achieved through direct injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or small-interfering RNAs (siRNA) into the pea aphid hemolymph or by feeding these insects on artificial diets containing the small RNAs.In this study, we have developed the plant-mediated RNAi technology for aphids to allow for gene silencing in the aphid natural environment and minimize handling of these insects during experiments. The green peach aphid M. persicae was selected because it has a broad plant host range that includes the model plants Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana for which transgenic materials can relatively quickly be generated. We targeted M. persicae Rack1, which is predominantly expressed in the gut, and M. persicae C002 (MpC002), which is predominantly expressed in the salivary glands. The aphids were fed on N. benthamiana leaf disks transiently producing dsRNA corresponding to these genes and on A. thaliana plants stably producing the dsRNAs. MpC002 and Rack-1 expression were knocked down by up to 60% on transgenic N. benthamiana and A. thaliana. Moreover, silenced M. persicae produced less progeny consistent with these genes having essential functions.Similar levels of gene silencing were achieved in our plant-mediated RNAi approach and published silencing methods for aphids. Furthermore, the N. benthamiana leaf disk assay can be developed into a screen to assess which genes are essential for aphid survival on plants. Our results also demonstrate the feasibility of the plant-mediated RNAi approach for aphid control

Analysis of rock mass and anchor support elements deformations during the long-term maintenance of mine workings

The results of instrumental and visual assessment of near-rock massif and anchor support elements state in the conditions of long-term maintenance of mine workings has been presented. Particular attention is paid to underground mines in a flooded state. The result of various profiles fixing bolts strength tests of in the roof and sides of the workings has been presented. It has been established that the probability distribution of the anchoring bolts force in the holes in roof of the workings obeys the normal distribution tendency. The result of a radar survey of roof rocks using the Georadar OKO-2 has been analyzed. It was revealed that the height of the stratification of rocks in the mine workings roof varies from 0.2 m to 2.25 m, a comparison is made with the theoretical height of the collapse arch. The propensity of the near rock massif to water saturation has been estimated, the height of the water saturation of the roof rocks has been established. It has been established that the height of moisture depends on the arch of rock stability formed during the survey period. It has been found that water saturation of the rocks leads to a decrease in the specific cohesion of the resin capsules bonding composition with the walls of the hole by 55-67% in roof and by 72% in walls of mine workings

Role of the international criminal court in protecting human rights and international security

The International Criminal Court was created at the end of the last century as the first permanent international body, which carry out international prosecution. The authors of the publication examine the history of creation and the legal status of the International Criminal Court. The work highlights the activities of the International Criminal Court at the present stage, evaluates its role in the international criminal justice system. © 2019, Rossiiskaya Akademiya Nauk, Institut Istorii (Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of General Hist. All rights reserved

Chiral Bis(8-Quinolyl)Ethane-Derived Diimine: Structure Elucidation and Catalytic Performance in Asymmetric Synthesis of (<i>S</i>)-Warfarin

C2-symmetric diimine generated in situ from (R,R)-HPEN and 8-formylquinoline was readily transformed to novel chiral diimine pre-III bearing 1(S),2(S)-bis(quinolin-8-yl) ethane and salicylic aldehyde fragments via stereoselective diaza-Cope rearrangement. The structure and absolute configuration of the product was established by the X-ray diffraction study of the corresponding Rh(III) complex. In the presence of pre-III, practically important enantioselective reactions of 4-hydroxycoumarin with α,β-enones afforded anticoagulant (S)-warfarin and its derivatives in aqueous THF in high yield (88–92%) with enantioselectivity 85–93% ee

(1,2-Diaminoethane-1,2-diyl)bis(<i>N</i>‑methylpyridinium) Salts as a Prospective Platform for Designing Recyclable Prolinamide-Based Organocatalysts

A new efficient and highly recyclable organocatalyst has been developed for asymmetric cross-aldol reactions under neat conditions in ketone–ketone, ketone–aldehyde, and aldehyde–aldehyde systems. The catalyst features two prolinamide fragments and a <i>C</i>₂-symmetrical (1,2-diaminoethane-1,2-diyl)­bis­(<i>N</i>-methylpyridinium) group. The catalyst retained high activity and excellent stereoselection over the operating period of more than 830 h (25 cycles). An ab initio theoretical investigation explained the absolute configuration of the products and different stereoinduction levels for designed diastereomeric organocatalysts

Tertiary Amine-Derived Ionic Liquid-Supported Squaramide as a Recyclable Organocatalyst for Noncovalent “On Water” Catalysis

Chiral tertiary amine-derived ionic liquid-supported squaramide was synthesized from available precursors and applied as an efficient organocatalyst for asymmetric Michael additions of β-dicarbonyl compounds to α-nitroolefins in the presence of water. Corresponding Michael adducts were generated under proposed conditions in nearly quantitative yield with high enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). Useful precursors to pharmaceutically important chiral β-amino acids and anticonvulsant Pregabalin were conveniently prepared using the developed “on water” protocol. The catalyst is readily recoverable and reusable over 30 times without a significant decrease of catalytic reaction activity and selectivity