Ionic species in a negative corona in humid air

A mass spectrometric study of a neg. corona in air showed that the most important ions that reach the anode are O3-, CO3-, and NO3-. Also, very strong clustering was obsd. wit

Hotspots dagvlinder biodiversiteit

Voor een betrouwbare en verifieerbare voorspelling van de verandering van de natuurwaarde voor flora en fauna zijn ruimtelijk gedetailleerde gegevens en rekenmodellen nodig. In deze studie van Vlinderstichting en WOT Natuur & Milieu wordt een modelopzet gemaakt voor kaarten met de hotspots voor dagvlinder diversiteit op een schaalniveau van 250bij 250 mete

Changes in nectar supply: A possible cause of widespread butterfly decline

Recent studies have documented declining trends of various groups of flower-visiting insects, even common butterfly species. Causes of these declines are still unclear but the loss of habitat quality across the wider countryside is thought to be a major factor. Nectar supply constitutes one of the main resources determining habitat quality. Yet, data on changes in nectar abundance are lacking. In this study, we provide the first analysis of changes in floral nectar abundance on a national scale and link these data to trends in butterfly species richness and abundance. We used transect data from the Dutch Butterfly Monitoring Scheme to compare two time periods: 1994-1995 and 2007-2008. The results show that butterfly decline can indeed be linked to a substantial decline in overall flower abundance and specific nectar plants, such as thistles. The decline is as severe in reported flower generalists as in flower specialists. We suggest that eutrophication is a main cause of the decline of nectar sources [Current Zoology 58 (3): 384-391, 2012]

Правовий режим як критерій поділу права на галузі

Стаття присвячена проблемам поділу системи права на приватне та публічне. У статті аналізуються наявні наукові теорії розподілу права з використанням різних критеріїв, серед яких автор виокремлює правовий режим, як основа утворення галузей вітчизняного законодавства. Ключові слова: приватне право, публічне право, режим, правовий режим.Статья посвящена проблемам разделения системы права на частное и публичное. В статье анализируются имеющиеся научные теории распределения права с использованием разных критериев, среди которых автор выделяет правовой режим, как основа образования отраслей отечественного законодательства. Ключевые слова: частное право, публичное право, режим, правовой режим.The article is sacred to the problems of division of the system of right on private and public. In the article the present scientific theories of distribution are analysed rights with the use of different criteria, among which an author distinguishes the legal mode, as basis of formation of industries of domestic legislation. Key words: private right, public law, mode, legal mode

Neuraminidase-dependent entry of influenza A virus is determined by hemagglutinin receptor-binding specificity

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) contain sialoglycan-binding hemagglutinin (HA) and sialoglycan-cleaving neuraminidase (NA) proteins, the concerted action of which is needed for escape from decoy receptors and for virion motility ultimately resulting in infection of epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. The importance of NA in egress of newly assembled virions has been well established, whereas its role in entry has yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we systematically analyzed the role of NA in viral entry in relation to HA receptor-binding preference, the receptor repertoire displayed on cells and the presence of mucus decoy receptors. Utilizing recombinant viruses that differ only in their HA-NA composition, it was observed that the dependence on NA activity for IAV entry largely depends on HA and not NA, with entry of α2–6 sialoglycan-binding viruses being inhibited more by NA inhibitor (oseltamivir carboxylate; OsC) than α2–3 sialoglycan-preferring viruses. In agreement with this, inhibition of virus entry by OsC could be modified by altering the sialoglycan receptor repertoire of cells. Entry inhibition by OsC correlated with the ability of mucus to inhibit infection, with the combination of the two having the largest effect. Our results indicate that the dependency of IAV on NA activity and, thus, virion motility for entry are determined by the receptor-binding properties of HA in combination with the receptor repertoire present on cells. This dependency is larger when fewer preferred receptors are displayed, which coincides with increased inhibition by mucus decoy receptors

Трансформація ідеї державного суверенітету в системі міжнародних відносин XV – XVII ст.

Аналізується система міжнародних відносин XV–XVII ст., а також процес формування національних держав. Охарактеризовано принципи державного суверенітету і його законодавче закріплення у Вестфальському мирному договорі 1648 року. Шляхом зіставлення виділяються особливості та головні ознаки Вестфальської моделі державного суверенітету.The article analyzes the system of international relations XV–XVII and also process of forming of the national states. Principles of state sovereignty are characterized and him legislative fixing in Vestfallen of peace treaty in 1648. By comparison features and main signs of Vestfallen model of state sovereignty are selected

Теплофизические модели слоисто-неоднородных горных массивов

Стисло розглянуто математичні моделі процесів переносу тепла в шаруватонеоднорідних гірничих масивах. Запропоновано загальний метод моделювання теплопереносу в шаруватих системах різної геометрії. Знайдено рівняння «склеювання», за допомогою якого розглянуто асимптотичні випадки.Mathematical models of heat transfer in layered inhomogeneous rock media are summarized. A general method of modeling the heat transfer in layered systems of a different geometry is proposed. A “matching” equation for different asymptotic cases has been found

Glycan-dependent immunogenicity of recombinant soluble trimeric hemagglutinin

Recombinant soluble trimeric influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin (sHA3) has proven an effective vaccine antigen against IAV. Here, we investigate to what extent the glycosylation status of the sHA3 glycoprotein affects its immunogenicity. Different glycosylation forms of subtype H5 trimeric HA protein (sH53) were produced by expression in insect cells and different mammalian cells in the absence and presence of inhibitors of N-glycan-modifying enzymes or by enzymatic removal of the oligosaccharides. The following sH53 preparations were evaluated: (i) HA proteins carrying complex glycans produced in HEK293T cells; (ii) HA proteins carrying Man9GlcNAc2 moieties, expressed in HEK293T cells treated with kifunensine; (iii) HA proteins containing Man5GlcNAc2 moieties derived from HEK293S GnTI(-) cells; (iv) insect cell-produced HA proteins carrying paucimannosidic N-glycans; and (v) HEK293S GnTI(-) cell-produced HA proteins treated with endoglycosidase H, thus carrying side chains composed of only a single N-acetylglucosamine each. The different HA glycosylation states were confirmed by comparative electrophoretic analysis and by mass spectrometric analysis of released glycans. The immunogenicity of the HA preparations was studied in chickens and mice. The results demonstrate that HA proteins carrying terminal mannose moieties induce significantly lower hemagglutination inhibition antibody titers than HA proteins carrying complex glycans or single N-acetylglucosamine side chains. However, the glycosylation state of the HA proteins did not affect the breadth of the antibody response as measured by an HA1 antigen microarray. We conclude that the glycosylation state of recombinant antigens is a factor of significant importance when developing glycoprotein-based vaccines, such as recombinant HA proteins

Protective Efficacy of Newcastle Disease Virus Expressing Soluble Trimeric Hemagglutinin against Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Influenza in Chickens and Mice

Background: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) causes a highly contagious often fatal disease in poultry, resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry. HPAIV H5N1 also poses a major public health threat as it can be transmitted directly from infected poultry to humans. One effective way to combat avian influenza with pandemic potential is through the vaccination of poultry. Several live vaccines based on attenuated Newcastle disease virus (NDV) that express influenza hemagglutinin (HA) have been developed to protect chickens or mammalian species against HPAIV. However, the zoonotic potential of NDV raises safety concerns regarding the use of live NDV recombinants, as the incorporation of a heterologous attachment protein may result in the generation of NDV with altered tropism and/or pathogenicity. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the present study we generated recombinant NDVs expressing either full length, membrane-anchored HA of the H5 subtype (NDV-H5) or a soluble trimeric form thereof (NDV-sH5 3). A single intramuscular immunization with NDV-sH5 3 or NDV-H5 fully protected chickens against disease after a lethal challenge with H5N1 and reduced levels of virus shedding in tracheal and cloacal swabs. NDV-sH5 3 was less protective than NDV-H5 (50% vs 80% protection) when administered via the respiratory tract. The NDV-sH5 3 was ineffective in mice, regardless of whether administered oculonasally or intramuscularly. In this species, NDV-H5 induced protective immunity against HPAIV H5N1, but only after oculonasal administration, despite the poor H5-specific serum antibody response it elicited. Conclusions/Significance: Although NDV expressing membrane anchored H5 in general provided better protection than its counterpart expressing soluble H5, chickens could be fully protected against a lethal challenge with H5N1 by using the latter NDV vector. This study thus provides proof of concept for the use of recombinant vector vaccines expressing a soluble form of a heterologous viral membrane protein. Such vectors may be advantageous as they preclude the incorporation of heterologous membrane proteins into the viral vector particles