PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF THE NEW ANTIVIRAL SUBSTANCE

Objective: To develop a set of quality control procedures for the promising antiviral pharmaceutical substance L-histidyl-1-adamantylethylamine dihydrochloride monohydrate, a derivative of rimantadine. Methods: Substances and solvents: synthesized in laboratory L-histidyl-1-adamantylethylamine dihydrochloride monohydrate (H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O), rimantadine hydrochloride (Rim•HCl), 99%, ethanol 96%, N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) anhydrous, 99.8% and n-hexane anhydrous, 95%, deionized high-resistance water (18.2 MΩ•cm at 25 °C, Milli-Q system), silver nitrate. Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy–Cary 630 Fourier Transform IR Spectrometer, elemental analysis–elemental composition analyzer CHNS-O EuroEA3000, ultraviolet (UV) spectrometry–Cary-60 spectrophotometer, polarimetry–POL-1/2 polarimeter with an external Peltier module, granulometric analysis by optical microscopy (Altami BIO 2 microscope) and low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS)–Master Sizer 3600, measurement of potential for hydrogen–potentiometer PB-11, Spirotox method–the study of temperature dependences of Spirostomum ambiguum lifetime to characterize the biological activity of the studied compounds. Results: The substance H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O is an amorphous yellowish powder, slightly soluble in water, soluble in ethanol, freely soluble in N, N-dimethylformamide, and practically insoluble in n-hexane. A study of the elemental composition has confirmed the authenticity of H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O. Comparison of the spectral characteristics of H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O and Rim•HCl by IR spectroscopy and UV spectrometry confirmed the authenticity of the substance. The racemic form of the substance Rim•HCl with an insignificant amount of impurity of the levorotatory enantiomer was proved polarimetrically: α =-0.0126±0.0003 (1% aqueous solution, 20±0.5 °С). The specific optical rotation of 1% aqueous solution H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O . In 1% ethanol solution -10.32±0.12. Using the method of laser light diffraction for a substance H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O, the dimensional spectra «fraction of particles, %-d, μm» were characterized, the maximum of which in hexane is in the region of 40–50 μm. Arrhenius’s kinetics on the Spirotox model established statistically significant differences in ligand-receptor interactions, which are characterized by values of observed apparent activation energy °bsEa, kJ/mol: 132.36±1.55 for H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O and 176.15±0.48 for Rim•HCl. Conclusion: The developed set of methods for assessment of physical and chemical properties and biological activity of a new antiviral substance H-His-Rim•2HCl•H2O is the basis for establish of regulatory documentation

THE EFFECT OF AIR TEMPERATURE AND DURATION OF SOLAR ILLUMINATION ON ANTHOCYANIN ACCUMULATION IN CHERRY PLUM FRUITS WITH VARIOUS MATURATION PERIODS

The article presents the data of a long-term research on the effect of air temperature and sunshine duration on the increase in anthocyanin content in the fruits of cherry plum varieties with different maturation periods and on their coloration degree. It is shown that the duration of sunshine is inversely associated with anthocyanin accumulation, which indicates the possibility of biosynthesis of these pigments under reduced illumination. Correlations between the accumulation of anthocyanins and daytime, night, and total air temperatures were absent

ДОПОЛНЕНИЕ К ФЛОРЕ АЛТАЙСКОГО КРАЯ

В статье приведены сведения о флористических находках в равнинной части Алтайского края (на Кулундинской равнине и Приобском плато). Впервые указаны для Алтайского края два вида – Tanacetum achilleifolium (Bieb.) Sch. Bip. и Dasystephana cruciata (L.) Zuev. Для 14 редких видов приведены новые сведения о распространении на территории края

Information and communication technologies in extracurricular work with schollchildren with intellectual disabilities

В статье представлен опыт интеграции современных информационно-коммуникационных технологий в систему специального образования младших школьников с интеллектуальными нарушениями.The article presents the experience of integrating modern information and communication technologies into the system of special education for children with intellectual disabilities. The empirical study is devoted to the analysis of the effectiveness of application of ICT in extracurricular work with junior schoolchildren with intellectual disabilities, the assessment of the positive impact on the development of cognitive interest and the learning motivation for the formation of primary basic skills to use computers

Organic matter dynamics along a salinity gradient in Siberian steppe soils

Salt-affected soils will become more frequent in the next decades as arid and semiarid ecosystems are predicted to expand as a result of climate change. Nevertheless, little is known about organic matter (OM) dynamics in these soils, though OM is crucial for soil fertility and represents an important carbon sink. We aimed at investigating OM dynamics along a salinity and sodicity gradient in the soils of the southwestern Siberian Kulunda steppe (Kastanozem, non-sodic Solonchak, Sodic Solonchak) by assessing the organic carbon (OC) stocks, the quantity and quality of particulate and mineral-associated OM in terms of non-cellulosic neutral sugar contents and carbon isotopes (δ13C, 14C activity), and the microbial community composition based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) patterns. Aboveground biomass was measured as a proxy for plant growth and soil OC inputs. Our hypotheses were that (i) soil OC stocks decrease along the salinity gradient, (ii) the proportion and stability of particulate OM is larger in salt-affected Solonchaks compared to non-salt-affected Kastanozems, (iii) sodicity reduces the proportion and stability of mineral-associated OM, and (iv) the fungi : bacteria ratio is negatively correlated with salinity. Against our first hypothesis, OC stocks increased along the salinity gradient with the most pronounced differences between topsoils. In contrast to our second hypothesis, the proportion of particulate OM was unaffected by salinity, thereby accounting for only  <  10 % in all three soil types, while mineral-associated OM contributed  >  90 %. Isotopic data (δ13C, 14C activity) and neutral sugars in the OM fractions indicated a comparable degree of OM transformation along the salinity gradient and that particulate OM was not more persistent under saline conditions. Our third hypothesis was also rejected, as Sodic Solonchaks contained more than twice as much mineral-bound OC than the Kastanozems, which we ascribe to the flocculation of OM and mineral components under higher ionic strength conditions. Contrary to the fourth hypothesis, the fungi : bacteria ratio in the topsoils remained fairly constant along the salinity gradient. A possible explanation for why our hypotheses were not affirmed is that soil moisture covaried with salinity along the transect, i.e., the Solonchaks were generally wetter than the Kastanozems. This might cause comparable water stress conditions for plants and microorganisms, either due to a low osmotic or a low matric potential and resulting in (i) similar plant growth and hence soil OC inputs along the transect, (ii) a comparable persistence of particulate OM, and (iii) unaffected fungi : bacteria ratios. We conclude that salt-affected soils contribute significantly to the OC storage in the semiarid soils of the Kulunda steppe, while most of the OC is associated with minerals and is therefore effectively sequestered in the long term

Dependence of Biocatalysis on D/H Ratio: Possible Fundamental Differences for High-Level Biological Taxons

The kinetics of biological reactions depends on the deuterium/protium (D/H) ratio in water. In this work, we describe the kinetic model of biocatalytic reactions in living organisms depending on the D/H ratio. We show that a change in the lifetime or other characteristics of the vital activity of some organisms in response to a decrease or increase in the content of deuterium in the environment can be a sign of a difference in taxons. For animals—this is a curve with saturation according to the Gauss’s principle, for plants—it is the Poisson dependence, for bacteria a weakly saturated curve with a slight reaction to the deuterium/protium ratio toward increasing deuterium. The biological activity of the aquatic environment with reduced, elevated, and natural concentrations of deuterium is considered. The results of the study are presented in different vital indicators of some taxons: the bacteria kingdom—the colony forming units (CFU) index (Escherichia coli); animals—the activation energy of the death of ciliates (Spirostomum ambiguum), embryogenesis of fish (Brachydanio rerio); plants—germination and accumulation of trace elements Callisia fragrans L., sprouting of gametophores and peptidomics of moss Physcomitrella patens. It was found that many organisms change their metabolism and activity, responding to both high and low concentrations of deuterium in water. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

The DNA of Bacteria of the World Ocean and the Earth in Cosmic Dust at the International Space Station

Cosmic dust samples from the surface of the illuminator of the International Space Station (ISS) were collected by a crew member during his spacewalk. The sampler with tampon in a vacuum container was delivered to the Earth. Washouts from the tampon’s material and the tampon itself were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by the method of nested PCR with primers specific to DNA of the genus Mycobacteria, DNA of the strains of capsular bacteria Bacillus, and DNA encoding 16S ribosomal RNA. The results of amplification followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria and the extreme bacterium of the genus Delftia in the samples of cosmic dust. It was shown that the DNA sequence of one of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria was genetically similar to that previously observed in superficial micro layer at the Barents and Kara seas’ coastal zones. The presence of the wild land and marine bacteria DNA on the ISS suggests their possible transfer from the stratosphere into the ionosphere with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit. Alternatively, the wild land and marine bacteria as well as the ISS bacteria may all have an ultimate space origin

Intranasal Ion-Triggered In Situ Delivery System of Virus-like Particles: Development Using the Quality by Design Approach

The rapid growth in the prevalence of infectious diseases requires timely action from drug developers. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the unpreparedness of the population for such emergencies. The introduction of modern methods of Design of Experiments (DoE) is required to accelerate the process of drug development and bring a drug to market. The main objective of this study was to develop an ion-triggered in situ system for intranasal delivery of VLP using a Quality by Design approach. Based on a literature review and initial studies, the key QTPP, CQA, CPP, and CMA were identified to develop a novel delivery system for virus-like particles. As a result of the studies on the quality attributes of the developed delivery system, an ion-triggered in situ gel meeting all the specified parameters was obtained using the Quality by Design method

Hypophosphatemic osteomalacia induced by FGF23-secreting tumor of the left femur

Tumor-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia is a rare disease and its diagnosis presents certain difficulties. This is primarily due to small tumor size and to the absence of local clinical symptoms. Adult-onset newly diagnosed hypophosphatemia concurrent with hyperphosphaturia is a sign of tumor-induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. The paper describes a female patient with fibroblast growth factor 23-secreting tumor of the upper third of the femur. After tumor removal, pharmacological treatment involves prescribing calcium supplements and active vitamin D metabolite until normal bone mineral density is restored