Experience in Utilization of Phylogenetic Analysis for Epidemiological Investigation of HIV Infection Case

Objective of the study was to investigate a criminal case of infection with HIV, applying molecular-genetic analysis of blood plasma samples from an estimated source of an infection and the recipient for evaluation of probability of epidemiological connection between them. Materials and methods. The study involved genotyping and phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of HIV-1 variants, isolated from patients in the investigated group and the control one (19 nucleotide sequences of the HIV-1 from the patients living in the Saratov region, and 15 nucleotide sequences from GenBank). Genotyping was performed using the commercial ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System. The sub-typing of HIV-1 strains was carried out on-line, through the COMET HIV-1/2 and HCV and REGA HIV-1 Sybtyping Tool programs. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences was carried out by Mega software, version 5.2. Phylogenetic trees were constructed; nucleotide distances were calculated by Kimura method (bootstrap level 1000). Results and conclusions. Virus variants, isolated from the studied samples, were defined as HIV-1 A subtype. Performed phylogenetic analysis showed that nucleotide sequences of the studied samples authentically grouped on the phylogenetic tree, forming a common cluster, which mismatched that of control group. Calculation of the genetic distance testifies that the genetic relation between the samples within the investigated group is higher, than between the same samples and those of the control group. Thus, by means of phylogenetic analysis it is shown that the strains received from an estimated source of infection and the recipient are genetically closer to each other, than to the strains from the group of comparison. In this regard, it is possible to claim with a big share of confidence that probability of epidemiological connection between them exists

Directed motion of domain walls in biaxial ferromagnets under the influence of periodic external magnetic fields

Directed motion of domain walls (DWs) in a classical biaxial ferromagnet placed under the influence of periodic unbiased external magnetic fields is investigated. Using the symmetry approach developed in this article the necessary conditions for the directed DW motion are found. This motion turns out to be possible if the magnetic field is applied along the most easy axis. The symmetry approach prohibits the directed DW motion if the magnetic field is applied along any of the hard axes. With the help of the soliton perturbation theory and numerical simulations, the average DW velocity as a function of different system parameters such as damping constant, amplitude, and frequency of the external field, is computed.Comment: Added references, corrected typos, extended introductio

Detection of Specific Antibodies to Arboviruses in Blood Sera of People Living in the Territory of the Saratov Region

This work continues serological surveys previously carried out in the territory of the Saratov Region in order to detect specific antibodies to arboviruses. Presented are the results of analysis of blood sera of humans and agricultural animals collected in different climatic zones of the Saratov Region. Sera were examined for the presence of IgG immunoglobulins specific to the viruses Tahyna, Batai, Sindbis, tick-born encephalitis, CCHV, and West Nile fever