Current State of the Development of Next-Generation Vaccines against Ebola Virus Disease

Representative of Ebolavirus gender, Filoviridae family, Ebola virus is an etiological agent of particularly dangerous viral fever, the lethality of which comes up to 88 %. According to the leading specialists and experts in the sphere, vaccination is the most effective and cost-efficient method for the protection from epidemic spread. Objective of the review is to analyze current state of the development of next generation vaccines against Ebola fever. It is established that focus areas of the activities are the construction of vaccines on the basis of alpha-virus replicons, virus-like particles, and the development of DNA-vaccines and vector recombinant vaccines. The paper discusses the most significant achievements in the sphere of obtainment of potent therapies for prophylaxis as regards Ebola fever. To date manufactured, using various approaches, have been the next-generation vaccine preparations, for a number of which high protective capacity is demonstrated in the course of experiments on the nonhuman primates. The most advanced and prospective prototype is the vector recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine

Finite size and intrinsic field effect on the polar-active properties of the ferroelectric-semiconductor heterostructures

Using Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire approach we calculated the equilibrium distributions of electric field, polarization and space charge in the ferroelectric-semiconductor heterostructures containing proper or incipient ferroelectric thin films. The role of the polarization gradient and intrinsic surface energy, interface dipoles and free charges on polarization dynamics are specifically explored. The intrinsic field effects, which originated at the ferroelectric-semiconductor interface, lead to the surface band bending and result into the formation of depletion space-charge layer near the semiconductor surface. During the local polarization reversal (caused by the inhomogeneous electric field induced by the nanosized tip of the Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) probe) the thickness and charge of the interface layer drastically changes, it particular the sign of the screening carriers is determined by the polarization direction. Obtained analytical solutions could be extended to analyze polarization-mediated electronic transport.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, 2 appendices, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.

Suppression of Octahedral Tilts and Associated Changes of Electronic Properties at Epitaxial Oxide Heterostructure Interfaces

Epitaxial oxide interfaces with broken translational symmetry have emerged as a central paradigm behind the novel behaviors of oxide superlattices. Here, we use scanning transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate a direct, quantitative unit-cell-by-unit-cell mapping of lattice parameters and oxygen octahedral rotations across the BiFeO3-La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 interface to elucidate how the change of crystal symmetry is accommodated. Combined with low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy imaging, we demonstrate a mesoscopic antiferrodistortive phase transition and elucidate associated changes in electronic properties in a thin layer directly adjacent to the interface

Structural “δ doping” to control local magnetization in isovalent oxide heterostructures

Modulation and δ -doping strategies, in which atomically thin layers of charged dopants are precisely deposited within a heterostructure, have played enabling roles in the discovery of new physical behavior in electronic materials. Here, we demonstrate a purely structural “ δ -doping” strategy in complex oxide heterostructures, in which atomically thin manganite layers are inserted into an isovalent manganite host, thereby modifying the local rotations of corner-connected MnO 6 octahedra. Combining scanning transmission electron microscopy, polarized neutron reflectometry, and density functional theory, we reveal how local magnetic exchange interactions are enhanced within the spatially confined regions of suppressed octahedral rotations. The combined experimental and theoretical results illustrate the potential to utilize noncharge-based approaches to “doping” in order to enhance or suppress functional properties within spatially confined regions of oxide heterostructures

Morbidity Rates of Q Fever in the Russian Federation and European Countries: Realities and Problems

Q fever poses a problem, both in the Russian Federation and abroad. Thereat, a new base normative document, sanitary-epidemiological regulations on coxiellosis prevention, has been developed and approved in the Russian Federation. For the first time ever in the world history, a regulated surveillance of community-acquired pneumonias, which will help to improve diagnostics of this pathology, has been introduced in our country. Quality of Q fever control directly depends on the laboratory facilities, qualification of the personnel, and coordination of interagency cooperation. All these factors provide for the prompt assessment of the situation, in-time anti-epidemic measures, and forecasting of the events, which ensures the biological security of Russian Federation

Nodular Dermatitis: Emergence of Novel Poxviral Infection in Russia

Nodular dermatitis, (dermatitis nodularis), is an exotic for the Russian Federation poxviral disease. Some epizootical characteristics of it, problems of laboratory diagnostics, and possible reasons of extension of agent spread areal are discussed in this review. Phylogenetic analysis of P32 gene nucleotide sequences of dermatitis nodularis virus has also been conducted. It is noted that taking into account the economic loss caused by the disease and possibility of its import into non-enzootic regions, it is necessary to use existing effective means of specific prophylacsis extensively. The swift outspread of the disease in the Russian Federation should be considered as the risk factor for biological safety of our country

Forecasting of the Socio-Economic Damage Resulting from Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases, by the Example of Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever

Objective of the study was to develop a method of assessment and forecasting of socio-economic damage inflicted by the outbreaks of infectious diseases using DALY index by the example of Crimean hemorrhagic fever. WHO expert-designed DALY index was adapted for use in the territory of the Russian Federation with due account of GDP values and age distribution among the population. Put forward was a scheme for prognostication of a possible social damage caused by infectious disease outbreak, expressed in the aggregate number of wasted years of productive life and economic loss resulted from GDP decrement. The method developed can be used for forecasting of socio-economic damage inflicted by the outbreaks of infectious diseases and evaluation of effectiveness as regards anti-epidemic and therapeutic interventions. Carried out has been assessment of economic and social losses which resulted from outbreaks of Crimean hemorrhagic fever in the Southern Federal District of Russia inclusive of the data on morbidity rates over the period of 1999-2010. Major economic damage is factored by the labor forces loss consequent to fatal cases of infection. Such a method of prognostication based on DALY index has been implemented in the territory of the Russian Federation for the first time ever

MOLECULAR-BIOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF ARENAVIRUS REPRODUCTION IN SENSITIVE CELLS

The Arenaviridae family consists of a large group of single strand ambisense RNA viruses that are separated phylogenetically, serologically and geographically into Old World and New World viruses. Recent studies indicate that cellular entry of arenaviruses requires a series of cellular protein interaction and molecular mechanisms. The arenaviruses entry into cells is initiated by the interaction of viral glycoprotein with one or more receptors on the surface of host cells. The main host cell factors that are involved in filovirus entry are attachment factors (α-dystroglycan for Old World and human transferrin receptor 1 for New World viruses), endolisosomal host cell factors (cathepsins B and L and Niemann-Pick C1 protein). The review presents the modern knowledge about the role of structural proteins of arenaviruses and some cell factors in pathogenesis of the diseases, caused by arenaviruses