Innovative directions of agricultural development aimed at ensuring food security in Russia

The article emphasizes that for the innovative development of the Russian agricultural industry and ensuring the national food security, it is necessary to create a research and development sector in the field of food production; reform the education system for the innovative development of the agricultural industry; re-equip the agricultural industry; build a system of agricultural advisory support for producers; create an intellectual property protection system; improve legal standards for regulating innovation, research and development; pay attention to the needs of agriculture and agro-business, etc

Polyanionic Carboxyethyl Peptide Nucleic Acids (ce-PNAs): Synthesis and DNA Binding.

New polyanionic modifications of polyamide nucleic acid mimics were obtained. Thymine decamers were synthesized from respective chiral α- and γ-monomers, and their enantiomeric purity was assessed. Here, we present the decamer synthesis, purification and characterization by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and an investigation of the hybridization properties of the decamers. We show that the modified γ-S-carboxyethyl-T10 PNA forms a stable triplex with polyadenine DNA

The Association of PLAUR Genotype and Soluble suPAR Serum Level with COVID-19-Related Lung Damage Severity

Uncovering the risk factors for acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) severity may help to provide a valuable tool for early patient stratification and proper treatment implementation, improving the patient outcome and lowering the burden on the healthcare system. Here we report the results of a single-center retrospective cohort study on 151 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected symptomatic hospitalized adult patients. We assessed the association of several blood test measurements, soluble urokinase receptor (uPAR) serum level and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms of ACE (I/D), NOS3 (rs2070744, rs1799983), SERPINE1 (rs1799768), PLAU (rs2227564) and PLAUR (rs344781, rs2302524) genes, with the disease severity classified by the percentage of lung involvement on computerized tomography scans. Our findings reveal that the T/C genotype of PLAUR rs2302524 was independently associated with a less severe lung damage (odds ratio 0.258 [0.071–0.811]). Along with high C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and soluble uPAR serum levels turned out to be independently associated with more severe lung damage in COVID-19 patients. The identified factors may be further employed as predictors of a possibly severe COVID-19 clinical course

Chromatographic profiles of the PNA monomer derivatives (diastereomers).

<p>(A) Mixture of diastereomers <b>7a</b> and <b>7b</b>; (B) Diastereomer <b>7a</b> (Conditions: Luna column, 5 μm, CN 100A, elution system: heptane/isopropanol (88/12), flow rate: 1 mL/min); (C) Mixture of diastereomers <b>8a</b> and <b>8b</b>; (D) Diastereomer <b>8a</b> (Conditions: Separon SGX RP-S C18 column, 5 μm, 4x150 mm, elution system: acetonitrile/water (1/1), flow rate: 1 mL/min); R = -CH₂CH₂COOBn.</p

Schematic representation of PNA and DNA fragments.

<p>(A) DNA fragment; (B) <i>aeg</i>-, γ- and α-<i>ce</i>-PNAs; (C) Starting thymine monomers <b>4</b> and <b>5</b> and their conformers, which coexist in solution due to the reduced rotation along the N^<b>tert</b>-C(O)-bond.</p

UV-melting and CD spectra of PNA/DNA and DNA/DNA complexes.

<p>(A) Thermal difference spectra of the complexes; (B) Thermal denaturation profiles of the complexes; (C) CD spectra of the single-stranded oligonucleotides and PNAs. The molar ellipticity was calculated per 1 nucleotide. (D) CD spectra of the complexes. Conditions: 10 mM Na₂HPO₄ (pH 7.4), 140 mM KCl, 5 mM MgCl₂. The concentration of each PNA or oligonucleotide was 2.5 μM. The CD spectra were measured at 15°C.</p

J-Plots and CD spectra of γ-<i>ce</i>-H-(T₁₀)-Gly-NH₂ (2)/dA₁₀.

<p>(A) Absorbance of the γ-<i>ce</i>-H-(T₁₀)-Gly-OH (<b>2</b>)/dA₁₀ mixtures with various PNA/DNA ratios at 260 nm; (B) Absorbance of the mixtures at 275 nm; (C) Molar ellipticity at 263 nm. Conditions: 10 mM Na₂HPO₄ (pH 7.4), 140 mM KCl, 5 mM MgCl₂. The summed PNA and DNA concentration was 7 μM at each ratio; (D) CD spectra of the triplex. The molar ellipticity is given per 1 nucleotide in a strand. Conditions: 10 mM Na₂HPO₄ (pH 5 or 7.4), 140 mM KCl, 5 mM MgCl₂. The triplex concentration was 1.8 μM.</p