Complexes of Zinc With Picolinic and Aspartic Acids Inactivate Free Varicella-Zoster Virions

Zn(II) picolinate and aspartate, Zn(pic)2 and Zn(asp)2, have been shown to inhibit key steps of the replication of HSV-1. In the present study we describe the effect of Zn(pic)2 and Zn(asp)2 on the replication of VZV and on the infectivity of free virions. The experiments are done using BHK-21 cells, a clinical isolate of VZV and Zn-complexes in concentration of 10 μM. When Zn-complexes are present during the whole period of infection, the yield of infectious virus progeny decreases up to 98%. The infectivity of VZV is completely restored after the removal of zinc. The virucidal effect is manifested at the 2nd h of contact, when 90% of the virions are inactivated. The results show that both Zn(pic)2 and Zn(asp)2 specifically inactivate free VZV virions with no effect on viral replication

The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt

Owing to a long history of anthropogenic pressures, freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Mitigation measures, including wastewater treatment and hydromorphological restoration, have aimed to improve environmental quality and foster the recovery of freshwater biodiversity. Here, using 1,816 time series of freshwater invertebrate communities collected across 22 European countries between 1968 and 2020, we quantified temporal trends in taxonomic and functional diversity and their responses to environmental pressures and gradients. We observed overall increases in taxon richness (0.73% per year), functional richness (2.4% per year) and abundance (1.17% per year). However, these increases primarily occurred before the 2010s, and have since plateaued. Freshwater communities downstream of dams, urban areas and cropland were less likely to experience recovery. Communities at sites with faster rates of warming had fewer gains in taxon richness, functional richness and abundance. Although biodiversity gains in the 1990s and 2000s probably reflect the effectiveness of water-quality improvements and restoration projects, the decelerating trajectory in the 2010s suggests that the current measures offer diminishing returns. Given new and persistent pressures on freshwater ecosystems, including emerging pollutants, climate change and the spread of invasive species, we call for additional mitigation to revive the recovery of freshwater biodiversity

The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt

Owing to a long history of anthropogenic pressures, freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss1. Mitigation measures, including wastewater treatment and hydromorphological restoration, have aimed to improve environmental quality and foster the recovery of freshwater biodiversity2. Here, using 1,816 time series of freshwater invertebrate communities collected across 22 European countries between 1968 and 2020, we quantified temporal trends in taxonomic and functional diversity and their responses to environmental pressures and gradients. We observed overall increases in taxon richness (0.73% per year), functional richness (2.4% per year) and abundance (1.17% per year). However, these increases primarily occurred before the 2010s, and have since plateaued. Freshwater communities downstream of dams, urban areas and cropland were less likely to experience recovery. Communities at sites with faster rates of warming had fewer gains in taxon richness, functional richness and abundance. Although biodiversity gains in the 1990s and 2000s probably reflect the effectiveness of water-quality improvements and restoration projects, the decelerating trajectory in the 2010s suggests that the current measures offer diminishing returns. Given new and persistent pressures on freshwater ecosystems, including emerging pollutants, climate change and the spread of invasive species, we call for additional mitigation to revive the recovery of freshwater biodiversity.N. Kaffenberger helped with initial data compilation. Funding for authors and data collection and processing was provided by the EU Horizon 2020 project eLTER PLUS (grant agreement no. 871128); the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; 033W034A); the German Research Foundation (DFG FZT 118, 202548816); Czech Republic project no. P505-20-17305S; the Leibniz Competition (J45/2018, P74/2018); the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad—Agencia Estatal de Investigación and the European Regional Development Fund (MECODISPER project CTM 2017-89295-P); Ramón y Cajal contracts and the project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC2019-027446-I, RYC2020-029829-I, PID2020-115830GB-100); the Danish Environment Agency; the Norwegian Environment Agency; SOMINCOR—Lundin mining & FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal; the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant PP00P3_179089); the EU LIFE programme (DIVAQUA project, LIFE18 NAT/ES/000121); the UK Natural Environment Research Council (GLiTRS project NE/V006886/1 and NE/R016429/1 as part of the UK-SCAPE programme); the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (Italy); and the Estonian Research Council (grant no. PRG1266), Estonian National Program ‘Humanitarian and natural science collections’. The Environment Agency of England, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Natural Resources Wales provided publicly available data. We acknowledge the members of the Flanders Environment Agency for providing data. This article is a contribution of the Alliance for Freshwater Life (www.allianceforfreshwaterlife.org).Peer reviewe

Аналіз дорожньо-транспортних пригод в республіці Болгарія і заходи щодо зниження їх числа

Purpose.The aim of the report is on base of an analysis of the road accidents occurred in different sections for 2014 in the Republic of Bulgaria, to propose measures to reduce their number. Methodology. It is collected and processed data from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the National Statistical Institute (NSI) as it is made an analysis of emerging traffic accidents in Bulgaria by districts for 2014. Results. Despite the measures taken, the number of deaths and injuries in road accidents in Bulgaria continues to be worrisome. For the period 2010-2014, it is indicated а decrease in the number of serious injuries in road accidents in the country, but there is an increase in the total number of road accidents that have occurred. It is increased also the number of lightly wounded for 2014 compared to 2010. Scientific novelty and practical significance. It is made an analysis of the emerging road accidents with killed and injured by the type of the accidents, by days of the week and times of the day, by month and areas, by the root cause of accident, by the type of the road outside of the settlements, by traffic accidents due to flaws of the road and by traffic accidents due to the place of occurrence for 2014 in Bulgaria. Data from the analysis is summarized and there are proposed measures to limit the number of road accidents and to reduce the number of deaths and injuries in road accidents.Цель. На основе анализа дорожно-транспортных происшествий произошедших в республике Болгария за 2014 год по различным показателям предложены меры по снижению их числа. Методика. Собраны и обработаны данные из Министерства внутренних дел (МВД) и Национального статистического института (НСИ), после чего сделан анализ воз-никших дорожно-транспортных происшествий в республике Болгария в целом и по областям, за 2014 год. Результаты. Вопреки принятым мерам число погибших и пострадавших в дорожно-транспортных происшествиях (ДТП) в Болгарии остается высоким. За период 2010-2014 г. наблюдается уменьшение числа тяжелораненых людей в ДТП по стране, но существует увеличение общего числа возникших ДТП. Увеличено и число легкораненых за 2014 г. по сравнению с 2010 г. Научная новизна и практическая значимость. Произведен анализ возникших ДТП с погибшими и ранеными по виду происшествий, по дням недели и часам суток, по месяцам и областям, по основной причине возникновения, по виду дороги вне населенных мест, возникших ДТП из-за недостатков дороги и ДТП по месту возникновения за 2014 г. Данные из анализа систематизированы и предложены меры по ограничению числа ДТП и уменьшению числа погибших и раненых в ДТП.Мета. На основі аналізу дорожньо-транспортних пригод сталися в республіці Болгарія за 2014 рік за різними показниками запропоновані заходи щодо зниження їх числа. Методика. Зібрано та опрацьовано дані з Міністерства внутрішніх справ (МВС) і Національного статистичного інституту (НДІ), після чого зроблений аналіз вознікшего дорожньо-транспортних пригод в республіці Болгарія в цілому і по областям, за 2014 рік. Результати. Всупереч прийнятим заходам число загиблих і постраждалих в дорожньо-транспортних пригодах (ДТП) в Болгарії залишається високим. За період 2010-2014 р спостерігається зменшення числа тяжкопоранених людей в ДТП по країні, але суще-ствует збільшення загального числа виникли ДТП. Збільшено і число легкопоранених за 2014 р порівняно з 2010 р Наук-ва новизна і практична значущість. Зроблено аналіз виниклих ДТП із загиблими і пораненими з вигляду проісше-наслідком, по днях тижня і годинами доби, по місяцях і областям, з основної причини виникнення, з вигляду дороги поза населеними місць, що виникли ДТП через недоліки дороги і ДТП за місцем виникнення за 2014 р Дані з аналізу систематизовані і запропоновані заходи щодо обмеження числа ДТП і зменшення числа загиблих і поранених в ДТП