First-principles Landau-like potential for BiFeO3_3 and related materials

In this work we introduce the simplest, lowest-order Landau-like potential for BiFeO$_3$ and La-doped BiFeO$_3$ as an expansion around the paraelectric cubic phase in powers of polarization, FeO$_6$ octahedral rotations and strains. We present an analytical approach for computing the model parameters from density functional theory. We illustrate our approach by computing the potentials for BiFeO$_3$ and La$_{0.25}$Bi$_{0.75}$FeO$_3$ and show that, overall, we are able to capture the first-principles results accurately. The computed models allow us to identify and explain the main interactions controlling the relative stability of the competing low-energy phases of these compounds.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Instituto político del Estado en el contexto del análisis histórico y tipológico

The article is devoted to problems of structuring state created history taking into account a variety of social, political, forms, various speeds of political genesis. Problems of allocation of development stages of the political organizations (statehood) taking into account uncertainty of the general units of the analysis, terms, and concepts of rather various paradigms of structuring and periodization of history are considered. It is shown that the decisive force causing the transformation of all other public sectors is growth, distribution, and deduction of a dominant position of the most effective in the conditions of this period of a political regime.El artículo está dedicado a los problemas de estructuración de la historia creada por el estado teniendo en cuenta una variedad de formas sociales, políticas, diversas velocidades de génesis política. Se consideran los problemas de asignación de etapas de desarrollo de las organizaciones políticas (estatismo) teniendo en cuenta la incertidumbre de las unidades generales del análisis, los términos y los conceptos de varios paradigmas de estructuración y periodización de la historia. Se muestra que la fuerza decisiva que causa la transformación de todos los demás sectores públicos es el crecimiento, la distribución y la deducción de una posición dominante de los más efectivos en las condiciones de este período de un régimen político

Detection rates and high concentration of herpesvirus (Orthoherpesviridae) DNA in autopsy materials from patients with COVID-19 fatal outcome

Introduction. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes immune disorders that create conditions for the reactivation of human herpesviruses (HHVs). However, the estimates of the HHVs effect on the course and outcome of COVID-19 are ambiguous. Аim – to study the possible relationship between the HHV reactivation and the adverse outcome of COVID-19. Materials and methods. Postmortem samples from the brain, liver, spleen, lymph nodes and lungs were obtained from 59 patients treated at the Moscow Infectious Diseases Hospital No.1 in 2021–2023. The group 1 comprised 39 patients with fatal COVID-19; group 2 (comparison group) included 20 patients not infected with SARS-CoV-2 who died from various somatic diseases. HHV DNA and SARS-CoV-2 RNA were determined by PCR. Results. HHV DNA was found in autopsy samples from all patients. In group 1, EBV was most often detected in lymph nodes (94%), HHV-6 in liver (68%), CMV in lymph nodes (18%), HSV in brain (16%), VZV in lung and spleen (3% each). The detection rates of HHVs in both groups was similar. Important differences were found in viral load. In patients with COVID-19, the number of samples containing more than 1,000 copies of HHV DNA per 100,000 cells was 52.4%, in the comparison group – 16.6% (p 0.002). An association has been established between the reactivation of HSV and HHV-6 and the severity of lung damage. Reactivation of EBV correlated with increased levels of liver enzymes. Conclusion. Reactivation of HHVs in patients with fatal COVID-19 was associated with severe lung and liver damages, which indicates a link between HHV reactivation and COVID-19 deaths

Instituto político del Estado en el contexto del análisis histórico y tipológico

The article is devoted to problems of structuring state created history taking into account a variety of social, political, forms, various speeds of political genesis. Problems of allocation of development stages of the political organizations (statehood) taking into account uncertainty of the general units of the analysis, terms, and concepts of rather various paradigms of structuring and periodization of history are considered. It is shown that the decisive force causing the transformation of all other public sectors is growth, distribution, and deduction of a dominant position of the most effective in the conditions of this period of a political regime.El artículo está dedicado a los problemas de estructuración de la historia creada por el estado teniendo en cuenta una variedad de formas sociales, políticas, diversas velocidades de génesis política. Se consideran los problemas de asignación de etapas de desarrollo de las organizaciones políticas (estatismo) teniendo en cuenta la incertidumbre de las unidades generales del análisis, los términos y los conceptos de varios paradigmas de estructuración y periodización de la historia. Se muestra que la fuerza decisiva que causa la transformación de todos los demás sectores públicos es el crecimiento, la distribución y la deducción de una posición dominante de los más efectivos en las condiciones de este período de un régimen político

Political Institute of the State in the Context of the Historical and Typological Analysis

The article is devoted to problems of structuring state created history taking into account a variety of social, political, forms, various speeds of political genesis. Problems of allocation of development stages of the political organizations (statehood) taking into account uncertainty of the general units of the analysis, terms, and concepts of rather various paradigms of structuring and periodization of history are considered. It is shown that the decisive force causing the transformation of all other public sectors is growth, distribution, and deduction of a dominant position of the most effective in the conditions of this period of a political regime

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modified with the NS5A Gene of Hepatitis C Virus Induce a Cellular Immune Response Exceeding the Response to DNA Immunization with This Gene

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the basic culprits behind chronic liver disease, which may result in cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. In spite of the extensive research conducted, a vaccine against HCV has not been yet created. We have obtained human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and used them for expressing the HCV NS5A protein as a model vaccination platform. Sixteen hMSC lines of a different origin were transfected with the pcNS5A-GFP plasmid to obtain genetically modified MSCs (mMSCs). The highest efficiency was obtained by the transfection of dental pulp MSCs. C57BL/6 mice were immunized intravenously with mMSCs, and the immune response was compared with the response to the pcNS5A-GFP plasmid, which was injected intramuscularly. It was shown that the antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation and the number of IFN-γ-synthesizing cells were two to three times higher after the mMSC immunization compared to the DNA immunization. In addition, mMSCs induced more CD4+ memory T cells and an increase in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio. The results suggest that the immunostimulatory effect of mMSCs is associated with the switch of MSCs to the pro-inflammatory phenotype and a decrease in the proportion of myeloid derived suppressor cells. Thus, the possibility of using human mMSCs for the creation of a vaccine against HCV has been shown for the first time

New Application of the Commercially Available Dye Celestine Blue B as a Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent “Turn-On” Probe for Endogenous Detection of HOCl and Reactive Halogenated Species

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) derived from hydrogen peroxide and chloride anion by myeloperoxidase (MPO) plays a significant role in physiological and pathological processes. Herein we report a phenoxazine-based fluorescent probe Celestine Blue B (CB) that is applicable for HOCl detection in living cells and for assaying the chlorinating activity of MPO. A remarkable selectivity and sensitivity (limit of detection is 32 nM), along with a rapid “turn-on” response of CB to HOCl was demonstrated. Furthermore, the probe was able to detect endogenous HOCl and reactive halogenated species by fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry techniques. Hence, CB is a promising tool for investigating the role of HOCl in health and disease and for screening the drugs capable of regulating MPO activity

Spectrum and Frequency of the GJB2 Gene Pathogenic Variants in a Large Cohort of Patients with Hearing Impairment Living in a Subarctic Region of Russia (the Sakha Republic).

Pathogenic variants in the GJB2 gene, encoding connexin 26, are known to be a major cause of hearing impairment (HI). More than 300 allelic variants have been identified in the GJB2 gene. Spectrum and allelic frequencies of the GJB2 gene vary significantly among different ethnic groups worldwide. Until now, the spectrum and frequency of the pathogenic variants in exon 1, exon 2 and the flanking intronic regions of the GJB2 gene have not been described thoroughly in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), which is located in a subarctic region in Russia. The complete sequencing of the non-coding and coding regions of the GJB2 gene was performed in 393 patients with HI (Yakuts-296, Russians-51, mixed and other ethnicities-46) and in 187 normal hearing individuals of Yakut (n = 107) and Russian (n = 80) populations. In the total sample (n = 580), we revealed 12 allelic variants of the GJB2 gene, 8 of which were recessive pathogenic variants. Ten genotypes with biallelic recessive pathogenic variants in the GJB2 gene (in a homozygous or a compound heterozygous state) were found in 192 out of 393 patients (48.85%). We found that the most frequent GJB2 pathogenic variant in the Yakut patients was c.-23+1G>A (51.82%) and that the second most frequent was c.109G>A (2.37%), followed by c.35delG (1.64%). Pathogenic variants с.35delG (22.34%), c.-23+1G>A (5.31%), and c.313_326del14 (2.12%) were found to be the most frequent among the Russian patients. The carrier frequencies of the c.-23+1G>A and с.109G>A pathogenic variants in the Yakut control group were 10.20% and 2.80%, respectively. The carrier frequencies of с.35delG and c.101T>C were identical (2.5%) in the Russian control group. We found that the contribution of the GJB2 gene pathogenic variants in HI in the population of the Sakha Republic (48.85%) was the highest among all of the previously studied regions of Asia. We suggest that extensive accumulation of the c.-23+1G>A pathogenic variant in the indigenous Yakut population (92.20% of all mutant chromosomes in patients) and an extremely high (10.20%) carrier frequency in the control group may indicate a possible selective advantage for the c.-23+1G>A carriers living in subarctic climate

Design of Cx26-H and Cx26-Wt groups.

<p>Note: Cx26-Wt (IVS1+1G>A non-carriers) is shown in blue, Cx26-H (IVS1+1G>A carriers) is shown in red; bilateral arrows show the compared subgroups; ♀ – female, ♂ – male.</p