Inhibitory domain-specific antibodies to cytochrome P-450scc

AbstractHighly specific antibodies to cytochrome P-450scc and its F1 and F2 fragments, representing N- and C-terminal sequences of the hemeprotein respectively, were raised in rabbits. These antibodies were found to be inhibitory (up to 50–90%) for the cholesterol transformation into pregnenolone in the reconstituted system, indicating the involvement of both F1 and F2 domains formed by the respective fragments in monooxygenase catalysis. Cytochrome P-450scc in mitoplasts is not accessible for trypsin as revealed by immunological techniques. However, the treatment of submitochondrial particles with trypsin results in two main fragments identified by immunoblotting in the presence of the monospecific antibodies as F1 and F2 fragments. This indicates that the trypsin sensitive 250–257 region in cytochrome P-450scc molecule connecting both domains is exposed to the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane

Health risk modifiers of exposure to persistent pollutants among indigenous peoples of Chukotka

publishedVersio

Fluid regime of formation of the Loipishnyun low-sulfide PGE deposit, Monchetundra basic massif (Kola Peninsula, Russia)

The distribution features of the volatile components (H2O, H2, CO2, CO, H2S, SO2, CH4 and N2) was investigated by method of pyrolytic gas chromatography in the ore-free and ore-bearing rocks of the low-sulfide PGE deposit Loipishnyun of the basal structural type, which localized within Monchetundra mafic massif of the Kola region. It was established that PGE ore, compared with the ore-free rocks are higher overall fluid-saturated, higher contents of H2O and especially H2S and SO2. In the ore-free rocks, in contrast to the mineralized one, was revealed higher concentrations of CO, H2 and N2. H2S and SO2 play the main role to the process of the platinum-metal ore formation. The contribution of these components at the initial stage of the platinum-metal ore genesis is equivalent, as evidenced by the close values of positive correlations of these volatile compounds with platinum group metals and ore elements. With further decrease of temperature in the process of the ore genesis are dominate by the hydrogen sulfide, which has a high positive correlation mainly with copper and platinum group metals. The obtained results suggest that the process of the platinum-metal ore genesis proceeded in a wide temperature range from 1050 to 450°C. It began in late-magmatic, postcumulus stage (1050-850°C) under variable redox conditions and continued with the gradual reduction of the temperature to 450°C in conditions decreasing sulfur fugasity

In-hospital outcomes of ST elevation myocardial infarction in post-COVID-19 patients

Aim. To study clinical and anamnestic data, as well as inhospital outcomes in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with prior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with previously uninfected STEMI patients.Material and methods. This prospective study included 181 patients treated for STEMI. The patients were divided into 2 groups, depending on the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer as follows: the main group included 62 seropositive patients, while the control group — 119 seronegative patients without prior COVID-19. Anamnesis, clinical and paraclinical examination, including electrocardiography, echocardiography, coronary angiography, were performed. Mortality and incidence of STEMI complications at the hospital stage were analyzed.Results. The mean age of the patients was 62,6±12,3 years. The vast majority were men (69,1% (n=125)). The median time from the onset of COVID-19 manifestations to STEMI was 60,00 [45,00; 83,00] days. According to, the patients of both groups were comparable the severity of circulatory failure (p>0,05). Coronary angiography found that in patients of the main group, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) score of 0-1 in the infarct-related artery was recorded much less frequently (62,9% (n=39) vs, 77,3% (n=92), p=0,0397). Patients of the main group demonstrated a lower concentration of leukocytes (9,30*109/l [7,80; 11,40] vs 10,70*109/l [8,40; 14,00], p=0,0065), higher levels of C-reactive protein (21,5 mg/L [9,1; 55,8] vs 10,2 mg/L [5,1; 20,5], p=0,0002) and troponin I (9,6 ng/mL [2,2; 26,0] vs 7,6 ng/mL [2,2; 11,5], p=0,0486). Lethal outcome was recorded in 6,5% (n=4) of cases in the main group and 8,4% (n=10) in the control group (p=0,6409). Both groups were comparable in terms of the incidence of complications (recurrent myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, complete atrioventricular block, stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding) during hospitalization (p>0,05).Conclusion. Patients with STEMI after COVID-19, despite a more burdened history and higher levels of C-reactive protein and troponin I, compared with STEMI patients without COVID-19, did not differ significantly in clinical status, morbidity, and inhospital mortality

Planning Sustainability in Higher Education: Three Case Studies

Sustainable development is a key principle of national and international policies, which has been strongly promoted by the European Union since 2015. Communication, education, the awareness of the importance of accelerating the transition from a linear economy to a circular one and of raising environmental awareness play a key role in the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). To achieve the goals on a large scale, it is necessary to start from a local scale. In this sense, universities must experiment best practices and make them available to the society. In the last years, many universities have adopted environmental sustainability plans in order to implement green policies and develop a roadmap towards the achievement of the SDGs, while sharing best practices with university communities and society. This paper presents the case of two Italian universities and a Russian one. Specifically, the paper presents the contents of the current environmental sustainability plans of the Italian universities, discussing the reasons for the choice of the environmental sustainability goals and the expected results following the implementation of the related actions. A comparison between the approaches adopted in the sustainability plans of the two Italian universities will be presented in details. In addition, the paper analyses the potential implementation of a sustainability plan in the Russian university. The paper will discuss also potential criticalities in the achievement of the goals. © 2021 WITPress. All rights reserved.This research was supported by Act 211 Government of the Russian Federation, contract № 02.A03.21.0006

Potential health impacts of heavy metals on HIV-infected population in USA.

Noninfectious comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases have become increasingly prevalent and occur earlier in life in persons with HIV infection. Despite the emerging body of literature linking environmental exposures to chronic disease outcomes in the general population, the impacts of environmental exposures have received little attention in HIV-infected population. The aim of this study is to investigate whether individuals living with HIV have elevated prevalence of heavy metals compared to non-HIV infected individuals in United States. We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2010 to compare exposures to heavy metals including cadmium, lead, and total mercury in HIV infected and non-HIV infected subjects. In this cross-sectional study, we found that HIV-infected individuals had higher concentrations of all heavy metals than the non-HIV infected group. In a multivariate linear regression model, HIV status was significantly associated with increased blood cadmium (p=0.03) after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, poverty income ratio, and smoking. However, HIV status was not statistically associated with lead or mercury levels after adjusting for the same covariates. Our findings suggest that HIV-infected patients might be significantly more exposed to cadmium compared to non-HIV infected individuals which could contribute to higher prevalence of chronic diseases among HIV-infected subjects. Further research is warranted to identify sources of exposure and to understand more about specific health outcomes

Effect of boron doping in the microwave surface resistance of neutron irradiated melt-textured Y_1.6Ba_2.3Cu_3.3O_7-x samples

We report on the microwave surface resistance of melt-textured Y_1.6Ba_2.3Cu_3.3O_7-x samples, doped with different amount of B_2O_3 and, subsequently, irradiated by thermal neutrons at the fluence of 1.476 \times 10^17 cm^-2. The microwave surface resistance has been measured as a function of temperature and DC magnetic field. The experimental results are quantitatively discussed in the framework of the Coffey and Clem theory, properly adapted to take into account the d-wave nature of cuprate superconductors. By fitting the experimental data at zero DC field, we have highlighted the effects of the induced defects in the general properties of the samples, including the intergranular region. The analysis of the results obtained at high DC fields allowed us to investigate the fluxon dynamics and deduce the depinning frequency; in particular, we have shown that the addition of B_2O_3 up to 0.1 wt% increases the effectiveness of the defects to hinder the fluxon motion induced by the microwave current.Comment: 9 pages, 8 embedded figures, accepted for publication in Physica