Annama H chondrite-Mineralogy, physical properties, cosmic ray exposure, and parent body history

The fall of the Annama meteorite occurred early morning (local time) on April 19, 2014 on the Kola Peninsula (Russia). Based on mineralogy and physical properties, Annama is a typical H chondrite. It has a high Ar-Ar age of 4.4 Ga. Its cosmic ray exposure history is atypical as it is not part of the large group of H chondrites with a prominent 7-8 Ma peak in the exposure age histograms. Instead, its exposure age is within uncertainty of a smaller peak at 30 +/- 4 Ma. The results from short-lived radionuclides are compatible with an atmospheric pre-entry radius of 30-40 cm. However, based on noble gas and cosmogenic radionuclide data, Annama must have been part of a larger body (radius >65 cm) for a large part of its cosmic ray exposure history. The Be-10 concentration indicates a recent (3-5 Ma) breakup which may be responsible for the Annama parent body size reduction to 30-35 cm pre-entry radius.Peer reviewe

Study of Bursa L6 ordinary chondrite by X-ray diffraction, magnetization measurements, and Mossbauer spectroscopy

Petrova, Evgeniya V/0000-0002-1464-2229; Unsalan, Ozan/0000-0001-5736-7530WOS:000608868800001We report the results of the complex study of the bulk interior of Bursa L6 ordinary chondrite using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization measurements, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The main and minor iron-bearing phases and their chemical compositions were determined by these techniques. The detected iron-bearing phases in the bulk interior of Bursa L6 are the following: olivine; orthopyroxene; Ca-rich clinopyroxene; troilite; chromite; hercynite; ilmenite; the alpha(2)-Fe(Ni, Co), alpha-Fe(Ni, Co), and gamma-Fe(Ni, Co) phases; and ferrihydrite resulting from meteorite terrestrial weathering. Using the EMPA, the values of fayalite and ferrosilite were obtained as similar to 25.2% and similar to 21.4%, respectively. The unit cell parameters for silicate crystals were determined from XRD, then the Fe2+ and Mg2+ occupations of the M1 and M2 sites in these crystals were estimated. Further calculations of the ratios of the Fe2+ occupancies in the M1 and M2 sites in olivine and orthopyroxene based on XRD and Mossbauer spectroscopy appeared to be in a good agreement. The temperatures of equilibrium cation distributions for olivine and orthopyroxene obtained from these techniques are consistent: 623 K (XRD) and 625 K (Mossbauer spectroscopy) for olivine and 1138 K (XRD) and 1122 K (Mossbauer spectroscopy) for orthopyroxene.Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation [FEUZ-2020-0060, AAAA-A18-118053090045-8, AAAA-A19-119071090011-6]; Act 211 of the Government of the Russian Federation [02.A03.21.0006]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [MFAG/113F035]; Ege University Scientific Research Projects Coordination UnitEge University [17-FEN-050]; Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities [783-3/2018/FEKUTSRAT]The authors are grateful to G.A. Yakovlev (Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation) for the help with scanning electron microscopy. This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, project No FEUZ-2020-0060 and by Act 211 of the Government of the Russian Federation, contract No 02.A03.21.0006. O.U. was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), project No MFAG/113F035 and by the Ege University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit, project No 17-FEN-050. D.A.Z. and A.A.M. were supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, projects No AAAA-A18-118053090045-8 (D.A.Z.) and No AAAA-A19-119071090011-6 (D.A.Z. and A.A.M.). on behalf of two of us (~ A.Sz. and Z.D.), this work was completed in the ELTE Excellence Programme (783-3/2018/FEKUTSRAT) supported by the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities. This work was carried out within the Agreement of Cooperation between the Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg) and the E_otv_os Lor~and University (Budapest)

Comparative Analysis of the Functional Properties of Films Based on Carrageenans, Chitosan, and Their Polyelectrolyte Complexes

The influence of the structural features of carrageenan on the functional properties of the films was studied. The carrageenans and chitosan films, as well as three-layer films containing a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) of the two, were prepared. The X-ray diffractograms of carrageenan films reflected its amorphous structure, whereas chitosan and three-layer films were characterized by strong reflection in the regions of 20° and 15° angles, respectively. The SEM of the cross-sectional morphology showed dense packing of the chitosan film, as well as the layer-by-layer structure of different densities for the PEC. Among the tested samples, κ/β-carrageenan and chitosan films showed the highest tensile strength and maximum elongation. Films containing the drug substance echinochrome were obtained. Mucoadhesive properties were assessed as the ability of the films to swell on the mucous tissue and their erosion after contact with the mucosa. All studied films exhibited mucoadhesive properties. All studied films exhibited mucoadhesive properties which depended on the carrageenans structure. Multilayer films are stronger than single-layer carrageenan films due to PEC formation. The resulting puncture strength of the obtained films was comparable to that of commercial samples described in the literature

The Study of the Association of Polymorphisms in <i>LSP1</i>, <i>GPNMB</i>, <i>PDPN</i>, <i>TAGLN</i>, <i>TSPO</i>, and <i>TUBB6</i> Genes with the Risk and Outcome of Ischemic Stroke in the Russian Population

To date, there has been great progress in understanding the genetic basis of ischemic stroke (IS); however, several aspects of the condition remain underexplored, including the influence of genetic factors on post-stroke outcomes and the identification of causative loci. We proposed that an analysis of the results obtained from animal models of brain ischemia could be helpful. To this end, we developed a bioinformatic approach for exploring single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human orthologs of rat genes expressed differentially after induced brain ischemia. Using this approach, we identified and analyzed 11 SNPs from 6 genes in 553 Russian individuals (331 patients with IS and 222 controls). We assessed the association of SNPs with the risk of IS and IS outcomes. We found that the SNPs rs858239 (GPNMB), rs907611 (LSP1), and rs494356 (TAGLN) were associated with different parameters of IS functional outcomes. In addition, the SNP rs1261025 (PDPN) was associated significantly with IS itself (p = 0.0188, recessive model). All these associations were demonstrated for the first time. Analysis of the literature suggests that they should be characterized as being inflammation related. This supports the pivotal role of inflammation in both the incidence of stroke and post-stroke outcomes. We believe the findings reported here will help with stroke prognosis in the future

Epitope-Specific Response of Human Milk Immunoglobulins in COVID-19 Recovered Women

The breastfeeding of infants by mothers who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 has become a dramatic healthcare problem. The WHO recommends that infected women should not abandon breastfeeding; however, there is still the risk of contact transmission. Convalescent donor milk may provide a defense against the aforementioned issue and can eliminate the consequences of artificial feeding. Therefore, it is vital to characterize the epitope-specific immunological landscape of human milk from women who recovered from COVID-19. We carried out a comprehensive ELISA-based analysis of blood serum and human milk from maternity patients who had recovered from COVID-19 at different trimesters of pregnancy. It was found that patients predominantly contained SARS-CoV-2 N-protein-specific immunoglobulins and had manifested the antibodies for all the antigens tested in a protein-specific and time-dependent manner. Women who recovered from COVID-19 at trimester I–II showed a noticeable decrease in the number of milk samples with sIgA specific to the N-protein, linear NTD, and RBD-SD1 epitopes, and showed an increase in samples with RBD conformation-dependent sIgA. S-antigens were found to solely induce a sIgA1 response, whereas N-protein sIgA1 and sIgA2 subclasses were involved in 100% and 33% of cases. Overall, the antibody immunological landscape of convalescent donor milk suggests that it may be a potential defense agent against COVID-19 for infants, conferring them with a passive immunity

Identification of the xenograft and its ascendant sphere-forming cell line as belonging to EBV-induced lymphoma, and characterization of the status of sphere-forming cells

Abstract Background We have characterized the human cell line arised from the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) positive multiple myeloma aspirate subjected to the long-term cultivation. This cell line has acquired the ability to form free-floating spheres and to produce a xenograft upon transplantation into NOD/SCID mice. Methods Cells from both in vitro culture and developed xenografts were investigated with a number of analytical approaches, including pathomorphological analysis, FISH analysis, and analysis of the surface antigens and of the VDJ locus rearrangement. Results The obtained results, as well as the confirmed presence of EBV, testify that both biological systems are derived from B-cells, which, in turn, is a progeny of the EBV-transformed B-cellular clone that supplanted the primordial multiple myeloma cells. Next we assessed whether cells that (i) were constantly present in vitro in the investigated cell line, (ii) were among the sphere-forming cells, and (iii) were capable of internalizing a fluorescent TAMRA-labeled DNA probe (TAMRA+ cells) belonged to one of the three types of undifferentiated bone marrow cells of a multiple myeloma patient: CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, CD90+ mesenchymal stem cells, and clonotypic multiple myeloma cell. Conclusion TAMRA+ cells were shown to constitute the fourth independent subpopulation of undifferentiated bone marrow cells of the multiple myeloma patient. We have demonstrated the formation of ectopic contacts between TAMRA+ cells and cells of other types in culture, in particular with CD90+ mesenchymal stem cells, followed by the transfer of some TAMRA+ cell material into the contacted cell

The New General Biological Property of Stem-like Tumor Cells (Part II: Surface Molecules, Which Belongs to Distinctive Groups with Particular Functions, Form a Unique Pattern Characteristic of a Certain Type of Tumor Stem-like Cells)

An ability of poorly differentiated cells of different genesis, including tumor stem-like cells (TSCs), to internalize extracellular double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fragments was revealed in our studies. Using the models of Krebs-2 murine ascites carcinoma and EBV-induced human B-cell lymphoma culture, we demonstrated that dsDNA internalization into the cell consists of several mechanistically distinct phases. The primary contact with cell membrane factors is determined by electrostatic interactions. Firm contacts with cell envelope proteins are then formed, followed by internalization into the cell of the complex formed between the factor and the dsDNA probe bound to it. The key binding sites were found to be the heparin-binding domains, which are constituents of various cell surface proteins of TSCs—either the C1q domain, the collagen-binding domain, or domains of positively charged amino acids. These results imply that the interaction between extracellular dsDNA fragments and the cell, as well as their internalization, took place with the involvement of glycocalyx components (proteoglycans/glycoproteins (PGs/GPs) and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs)) and the system of scavenger receptors (SRs), which are characteristic of TSCs and form functional clusters of cell surface proteins in TSCs. The key provisions of the concept characterizing the principle of organization of the “group-specific” cell surface factors of TSCs of various geneses were formulated. These factors belong to three protein clusters: GPs/PGs, GIP-APs, and SRs. For TSCs of different tumors, these clusters were found to be represented by different members with homotypic functions corresponding to the general function of the cluster to which they belong