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The paper discusses the research and methodological aspects of introducing the new term "catafluvial deposits" into genetic classification of Quaternary deposits. For this purpose, fieldwork was carried out aimed at studying terrace complexes within the Yaloman-Katun zone of Gorny Altai, which has recently become a unique natural laboratory for investigating hypothetical glacial superfloods. Based on original materials and data from other areas with similar geological and physico-geographical conditions, it is concluded that the introduction of a separate genetic type "catafluvial" is currently premature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What role do credit supply shocks (CSS) play in macroeconomic dynamics in emerging economies? We exploit Russia's setting, including the 2014 Western sanctions, and show that a negative CSS normalized to 0.5 p.p. increase in the lending rate leads to a decrease of 2 p.p. in the output growth rate, 1.5 p.p. in the consumption growth rate and 5 p.p. in the investment growth rate within a quarter. The heterogeneity of the household and firm responses to CSS is driven by debt‐to‐income and leverage ratios, with indebted poorer households and larger firms being more sensitive to fluctuations in credit conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caliciviruses have positive-sense RNA genomes, typically with short 5′-untranslated regions (5′UTRs) that precede the long open reading frame 1 (ORF1). Exceptionally, some avian caliciviruses have long 5′UTRs containing a picornavirus-like internal ribosomal entry site (IRES), which was likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Here, we identified numerous additional avian calicivirus genomes with IRESs, predominantly type 2, and determined that many of these genomes contain a ~200–300 codon-long ORF (designated ORF1*) that overlaps the 5′-terminal region of ORF1. The activity of representative type 2 IRESs from grey teal calicivirus (GTCV) and Caliciviridae sp. isolate yc-13 (RaCV1) was confirmed by in vitro translation. Toeprinting showed that in cell-free extracts and in vitro reconstituted reactions, ribosomal initiation complexes assembled on the ORF1* initiation codon and at one or two AUG codons in ORF1 at the 3′-border and/or downstream of the IRES. Initiation at all three sites required eIF4A and eIF4G, which bound to a conserved region of the IRES; initiation on the ORF1* and principal ORF1 initiation codons involved eIF1/eIF1A-dependent scanning from the IRES's 3′-border. Initiation on these IRESs was enhanced by the IRES trans-acting factors (ITAFs) Ebp1/ITAF45, which bound to the apical subdomain Id of the IRES, and PTB (GTCV) or PCBP2 (RaCV1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of ecofriendly electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries is one of the actual tasks of modern electrochemistry. In particular, to this purpose, the highly concentrated ternary aqueous systems based on lithium acetate (LiOAc) have been actively investigated. Here, the diffusion coefficients of 7Li+ and 133Cs+ cations, OAc– anion, as well as water (1H), in ternary aqueous solutions of cesium and lithium acetates in a range of temperature (– 15 ÷ 35 °C) have been measured using the PFG NMR method. A direct attempt to interpret the obtained dependences within the framework of the Stokes–Einstein model led to the fact that the calculated hydrodynamic radius of the Cs+ cation turned out to be noticeably smaller than its crystallographic one. An approach to describing the high rate of diffusion of cesium cations is proposed, based on taking into account the local viscosity near cations of both types. The use of the approach allowed us to calculate more correctly the hydrodynamic radii of cations, while remaining within the framework of the Stokes–Einstein model. As a result, it has been possible to describe the features of translational motion of components in a complex system that is interesting for electrochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New protocols have been developed of biological tissue volumes with shock-wave bursts using trajectories uniformly filled with discrete foci within a given volume. Each focus was sonicated with a millisecond-long pulse, which immediately generated a single thermal lesion. In developing the most advantageous irradiation protocols, the effect of the source peak power at a constant time-averaged value, the distance between single foci, and geometry of the outer contour of the trajectory on the shape, volume, and thermal ablation rate was analyzed. It is shown that for an arbitrary geometry of the outer contour of a single-layer trajectory, the most advantageous is the saturation mode of the shock front amplitude at the array focus using a trajectory with a spatial step 1.5 times greater than the transverse size of the single lesion. To obtain thermal ablation volumes on the order of cubic centimeters, protocols have been suggested with layer-by-layer irradiation of tissue, which make it possible to accelerate the thermal ablation process by 2.5 times compared to protocols used in clinical practice. The advantage of the proposed protocols that use the shock-wave exposure is the ability to generate localized and predictable thermal lesion without using MRI temperature monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal effect of a model oxo-transfer reaction with the participation of a tungsten-containing synthetic analog of the enzyme active site, [WO2(mnt)2]2− (mnt = maleonitriledithiolate), has been determined for the first time. The value of the thermal effect indicates that the driving force of the oxo-transfer is the enthalpy factor. To determine the thermal effect of oxo-transfer, the dissolution enthalpies of the reaction participants in acetonitrile were determined: Δ H sol 0 PPh 3 = 24.9 ± 0.8 kJ mol−1, Δ H sol 0 OPPh 3 = 18.9 ± 0.6 kJ mol−1, and Δ H sol 0 ([Bu4N]2[WO2(mnt)2]) = (70.8 ± 1.9) kJ mol−1. In this study, the thermal effect of the transfer process of an oxygen atom from the tungsten complex [WO2(mnt)2]2− to the PPh3 substrate was determined at different ratios of reagents: ΔrH0 = (− 109 ± 4) kJ mol−1. The catalytic cycle of PPh3 oxidation with oxygen in the presence of [WO2(mnt)2]2− in acetonitrile solution was described calorimetrically. The absence of the reduced form of tungsten in the solution after the oxo-transfer reaction was shown spectroscopically, which confirms the role of the tungsten complex in the PPh3 oxidation as the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a pilot study demonstrating the feasibility of non-invasive non-thermal disintegration of human mucinous carcinoma of the breast ex vivo using sequences of high-intensity focused ultrasound pulses in boiling histotripsy regimen. The target volume was sonicated by focusing ultrasound pulses (n=20) of 1.5 MHz frequency, 10-msec duration and 1-sec pulse repetition period, 517 W acoustic power within the pulse, and 103 MPa shock front amplitude at the focus into each node of a volumetric grid 4×4×1 mm. Sonication was visualized and controlled using B-mode ultrasound imaging, total time of the treatment was 21 min. Histological hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining revealed the absence of tumor elements in the treated region confirming destruction of cancer cells and their nuclei after boiling histotripsy procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe a numerical experiment performed to compare rates of thermal ablation and shapes of bulk lesions of biological tissue treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound in modes of periodic pulses of shockwaves. Three different sequences of irradiating discrete foci arranged in a uniform grid within the target area are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires are a significant problem in Irkutsk Oblast. They are caused by climate change, thunderstorms, and human factors. In this study, we use the Random Forest machine learning method to map the wildfire susceptibility of Irkutsk Oblast based on data from remote sensing, meteorology, government forestry authorities, and emergency situations. The main contributions of the paper are the following: an improved domain model that describes information about weather conditions, vegetation type, and infrastructure of the region in the context of the possible risk of wildfires; a database of wildfires in Irkutsk Oblast from 2017 to 2020; the results of an analysis of factors that cause wildfires and risk assessment based on Random Forest in the form of fire hazard mapping. In this paper, we collected and visualized data on wildfires and factors influencing their occurrence: meteorological, topographic, characteristics of vegetation, and human activity (social factors). Data sets describing two classes, "fire" and "no fire", were generated. We introduced a classification according to which the probability of a wildfire in each specific cell of the territory can be determined and a wildfire risk map built. The use of the Random Forest method allowed us to achieve the following risk assessment accuracy indicators: accuracy—0.89, F1-score—0.88, and AUC—0.96. The comparison of the results with earlier ones obtained using case-based reasoning revealed that the application of the case-based approach can be considered the initial stage for deeper investigations with the use of Random Forest for more accurate forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the methodology for creating a geographic information system of transport infrastructure objects - from obtaining initial data to storing the data itself. The article defines the classification of objects in the transportation system, the procedure for collecting and processing initial data, as well as the sequence of data processing for transmission to the GIS environment. A study was conducted on the dependence of response time on the current number of elements in a database table with indexed and un-indexed data. Until about the 1000th element, it was determined that the sampling rate is higher by "direct search", but after that, a smooth linear growth begins to a sharp peak and a nonlinear increase in search time. Thus, the support of database management system functions for working with spatial data is important for its functioning in the context of geometric data aggregation tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural monoterpenes and their derivatives are widely considered the effective ingredients for the design and production of novel biologically active compounds. In this study, by using the molecular docking technique, we examined the effects of two series of "sulfide-sulfoxide-sulfone" thioterpenoids containing different (e.g., bornane and pinane) monoterpene skeletons on the platelet's aggregation. Our data revealed that all the synthesized compounds exhibit inhibitory activities on platelet aggregation. For example, compound 1 effectively inhibited platelet activation and demonstrated direct binding with CD61 integrin, a well-known platelet GPIIb-IIIa receptor on platelets. We further examined the antiaggregant activity of the most active compound, 1, in vivo and compared its activity with that of acetylsalicylic acid and an oral GPIIb-IIIa blocker, orbofiban. We found that compound 1 demonstrates antiaggregant activity in rats when administered per os and its activity was comparable with that of acetylsalicylic acid and orbofiban. Moreover, similarly, tirofiban, a well-known GPIIb-IIIa blocker, compound 1, effectively decreased the expression of P-selectin to the values similar to those of the intact platelets. Collectively, here, we show, for the first time, the potent antiaggregant activity of compound 1 both in vitro and in vivo due to its ability to bind with the GPIIb-IIIa receptor on platelets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability constants of triply charged lanthanide ion complexes with citric acid of 1 : 2 stoichiometry were measured by potentiometric titration in a wide pH range, and the relationship between the constants and the lanthanide type was analyzed. A mathematical model for the equilibrium in studied solutions was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion coefficients of ions and water have been measured in two- and three-component concentrated ("water-in-salt") aqueous solutions of KOAc and LiOAc, which were proposed as new electrolytes for water-based Li-ion batteries. It was demonstrated that the diffusion coefficient for acetate anion is greater than for lithium cation one in the KOAc-containing solutions and the difference grows under increasing concentration of potassium acetate. Water diffusion is also faster comparing with lithium cation and acetate anion in all solutions studied. Temperature dependences of spin–lattice relaxation rates (1/T1) of 1H, 7Li, and 39K nuclei have been measured for both ions and water. The dependences do not reach their maxima for most samples, and only for acetate anion in sample IV (31.9 mol KOAc–8.0 mol LiOAc–H2O) it turned out to be possible the reliable calculation of the rotational correlation time τc. Comparison of the translational (via D) and rotational (via τc) mobility of the acetate anion near the eutectic point showed that the Stokes–Einstein relation is valid for this solution only in a small high-temperature part of the studied range, but not for the lower temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the efficiency of the process of building knowledge bases of intelligent decision support systems continues to be an urgent scientific and technical task. The paper describes the application of an original approach that uses the principles of model-driven development and transformations to create prototypes of knowledge bases of a case-based type. The approach provides the transformation of specialized decision tables and conceptual models in order to obtain a base of cases of parametric form. A description of its main stages and an example of application in prototyping the knowledge base of the forest fire forecasting service are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of numerical simulation of an experiment on irradiating ex vivo bovine liver sample by the therapeutic array of the MR-HIFU clinical system (Sonalleve V1 3.0T, Profound Medical Corp., Canada). Continuous quasi-linear and pulsed shock-wave exposures with the same time-averaged power are compared. Volumetric thermal lesions were generated by moving the focus of the array in its focal plane along discrete trajectories consisting of two or four concentric circles with a maximum radius of 4 mm. The effect of using the criteria for controlling the thermal dose during treatment and ending the sonication on the shape, volume, and exposure time of generating thermal lesion were analyzed. The acoustic field in tissue was calculated using the Westervelt equation; the temperature field was simulated with the inhomogeneous heat conduction equation; and the lesion boundary was determined according to the thermal dose threshold. In the quasi-linear mode corresponding to the clinical one, thermal diffusion leads to elongation of the lesion by a factor of 2–3 along the beam axis compared to the transverse dimension of the trajectory. The use of pulsed shock-wave exposures with switching off the inner circles of the trajectory as they reach the threshold value of the thermal dose makes it possible to significantly suppress the thermal diffusion effects in the axial direction of the beam and obtain localized thermal lesion of a given shape with a thermal ablation rate comparable to the clinical case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depressed river mussel Pseudanodonta complanata (Rossmässler, 1835) is an endangered freshwater bivalve with sparse distribution across Europe. Despite its high conservation priority, available data on the current population genetics and biogeography of P. complanata are very limited. In this paper, we studied the genetic diversity and differentiation of P. complanata based on newly sequenced COI and ND1 gene fragments, and on available sequences from the NCBI GenBank. We discovered a localized and highly divergent lineage in the Don River basin and a widespread but low diversified lineage distributed from the Volga River basin to the Oise River in France. A star-like haplotype network, results of mismatch analysis, and significant negative values of neutrality tests reveal that the pan-European lineage went through a bottleneck event. The discovery of the separate lineage in the Don River basin is and additional evidence of the existence of Pleistocene glacial refugia in the south of the Russian Plain. Moreover, this finding confirms the significance of the Azov Sea drainage as a freshwater biodiversity hotspot of great conservation importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the body of research on extensive reading and briefly explains main benefits, such as learners' overall language development, automated lower-level skills of word recognition and parsing processes, increased vocabulary knowledge without direct vocabulary instruction, improved writing skills, increased motivation for learning languages, and confidence in reading. Using extensive reading persistently in reading courses creates few demands and challenges for the teacher and doesn't involve time-consuming lesson preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We synthesized the novel compound ethyl 12-sulfamoyl-abieta-8,11,13-trien-18-oate in good yield from ethyl 12-sulfo-abieta-8,11,13-trien-18-oate via a two-step protocol. The product was comprehensively characterized by one- and two-dimensional NMR methods, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antifungal medicines currently used clinically become less efficient regarding microscopic fungi due to new infectious agents emerging among fungi and a wide range of pathogenic factors in micromycetes. In developing new antifungal medicines, a comprehensive approach is needed that would consider the adaptive properties of fungi. This paper aims to study the antifungal activity of the synthesized compounds on yeast and mycelial fungi. In our study, we assessed the changes in the pathogenic factors of fungi, such as germination and hypha-forming intensity and sporulation, while cultivating them as affected by the compounds under study. This manuscript describes the antifungal activity of the bornane series thioterpenoids. Compound 8 demonstrated a strong antimycotic activity on all fungi species, including Candida albicans (laboratory and clinical stains), Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium solani (MIC 12, 24, 94, and 94 μg/ml, respectively). A. niger sporulation index analysis demonstrated the highest spore production rate at day 6 of culturing in non-treated samples (control) and in those treated with compounds 3, 6, and 7, whereas the highest sporulation of A. niger cultured in the presence of compound 8 was substantially delayed and observed on day 10 of culturing. The lowest level of fungi reproduction was observed over the entire period of experiments for the cultures treated with terbinafine or compound 8. In addition, compound 8, fluconazole, and terbinafine had an inhibitory effect on the germination tubes of C. albicans at a concentration of ½ MIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of 12-(chlorosulfonyl)dehydroabietic acid ethyl ester with methyl esters of amino acids (glycine, methionine, leucine, glutamic acid, tyrosine, proline, and histidine) afforded previously unknown sulfonamides which were selectively converted to amino acid hydrazides without involving the ethyl ester moiety of dehydroabietic acid. In the reaction with glutamic acid dimethyl ester, the corresponding dihydrazide was obtained. 12-(Chlorosulfonyl)dehydroabietic acid ethyl ester reacted with cystine dimethyl ester to give bis-sulfonamide as the only product, while the same reaction carried out in acetone-containing medium was accompanied by cleavage of the cystine S–S bond with the formation of acetone dithioacetal. Treatment of the bis-sulfonamide and thioketal with chlorine dioxide selectively produced the same chlorosulfonyl derivative as a result of oxidation of the disulfide or thioketal moiety [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural monoterpenes and their derivatives are widely considered as effective ingredients for the design and production of new biologically active compounds with high antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-protozoa properties. In this study, we synthesized two series of thiotherpenoids "sulfide-sulfoxide-sulfone", with different bicyclic monoterpene skeleton (bornane and pinane) structures. The effect of the obtained compounds on platelet aggregation was investigated by using the molecular docking technique. The obtained data revealed that all the synthesized compounds may act as potential inhibitors of platelet aggregation. Moreover, the studied sulfides have shown high antioxidant activity as revealed by lipid peroxidation (LPO) process inhibition in a non-cellular substrate containing animal lipids. The sulfides were able to inhibit erythrocyte oxidative hemolysis, to reduce the accumulation of secondary LPO products in cells and to prevent the oxidation of native oxyhemoglobin. Additionally, the corresponding sulfones and sulfoxides exhibited insignificant antioxidant activity. However, the sulfides were found to exhibit significant antiaggregant and anticoagulant effects. These findings suggest as well that the sulfides could serve as a leader compound for future research and possible practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fire is one of the serious threats to the population and infrastructure of Irkutsk Oblast because its territory is heavily forested. This paper discusses the main stages of solving the problem of forecasting the risk of forest fires via a case-based approach, including data preprocessing, formation of a case model, and creation of a prototype of a case-based expert system. The main contributions of the paper are the following: a case model that provides a compact representation of information about weather conditions, vegetation type, and infrastructure of the region in relation to the possible risk of a wildfire; a case-base containing information about wildfires in Irkutsk Oblast for the period from 2017 to 2020; and a methodology for creating prototypes of case bases providing the transformation of decision tables of a special type. The approbation of the approach was carried out for separate forest districts, namely Bodaibinsk and Kazachinsk-Lena. The accuracy score was used for the evaluation of the results of forecasting the risk of wildfires. The average score value reached 0.51. The evaluation results revealed that application of the case-based approach can be considered as the initial stage for deeper investigations with the use of different methods (data mining, neural networks) for more accurate forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus mRNA contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that mediates end‐independent translation initiation, requiring a subset of eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs). Biochemical studies revealed that direct binding of the IRES to the 40S ribosomal subunit places the initiation codon into the P site, where it base pairs with eIF2‐bound Met‐tRNAiMet forming a 48S initiation complex. Subsequently, eIF5 and eIF5B mediate subunit joining, yielding an elongation‐competent 80S ribosome. Initiation can also proceed without eIF2, in which case Met‐tRNAiMet is recruited directly by eIF5B. However, the structures of initiation complexes assembled on the HCV IRES, the transitions between different states, and the accompanying conformational changes have remained unknown. To fill these gaps, we now obtained cryo‐EM structures of IRES initiation complexes, at resolutions up to 3.5 Å, that cover all major stages from the initial ribosomal association, through eIF2‐containing 48S initiation complexes, to eIF5B‐containing complexes immediately prior to subunit joining. These structures provide insights into the dynamic network of 40S/IRES contacts, highlight the role of IRES domain II, and reveal conformational changes that occur during the transition from eIF2‐ to eIF5B‐containing 48S complexes and prepare them for subunit joining. Synopsis: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that hijacks the cellular translation initiation machinery to produce viral proteins. Cryo‐EM studies now reveal the molecular role of specific HCV IRES domains in loading viral mRNA and how canonical initiation factors support this initiation process. Cryo‐EM allowed for the first time the visualization of HCV IRES initiation complexes from the binary complex to the eIF2‐containing and eIF5B‐contianing 48S initiation complexes.These structural studies reveal the role of IRES domain II in loading mRNA into the mRNA channel and the basis for the enhancement of this step by eIF1A.These structures revealed the dynamic nature of the contacts between the IRES and the 40S ribosomal subunit during translation initiation.tRNA is repositioned by eIF5B in preparation for joining of the large subunit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, dehydroabietane-derived alcohols containing an OH group at the C-7 position were used to produce thioacetates by direct ZnCl2-catalyzed substitution of the hydroxyl group. Thioacetates obtained were found to give the corresponding disulfides when treated with MeONa in the presence of atmospheric oxygen with no observation of any thiol formation. In addition, the ability of diol with two hydroxyl groups at C-7 and C-18 to be converted to a cyclic dimer was detected. Dehydroabietane derivatives with a sulfur atom at the C-7 position (thiol, disulfides), which are promising for the production of biologically active substances, were first obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mono- and bis-sulfonamide derivatives of l-lysine were obtained for the first time by the reaction of methyl lysinate with ethyl 12-sulfodehydroabietate. Sulfonamides containing an additional sulfonamide or amide group in the α-position of lysine were synthesized by involving camphor-10-sulfonyl chloride, as well as isonicotinoyl, benzoyl, and α-naphthoyl chlorides in the reaction. The corresponding hydrazide and acid were also prepared by the modification of the ester group of N-dehydroabietane-derived methyl lysinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin Co films have been deposited on inclined Si (001) substrates by electron beam evaporation. It is shown that the structure of the films strongly depends on the angle of inclination of the substrate to the direction of motion of the deposited particles. It was found that at angles of incidence of the evaporated material of more than 80 degrees (grazing deposition), arrays of free-standing Co nanocolumns with a cross section of 25 nm and an aspect ratio (length/transverse size) of at least 15 are formed on the substrate surface. In this case, the magnetic easy axis of the film is oriented along the axis of the nanocolumns, which leads to the appearance of a normal component of the magnetization vector to the film surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and a comparative analysis of the structural and solvation factors on the spectral and biological properties of the BODIPY biomarker with a thioterpene fragment. Covalent binding of the thioterpene moiety to the butanoic acid residue of meso-substituted BODIPY was carried out to find out the membranotropic effect of conjugate to erythrocytes, and to assess the possibilities of its practical application in bioimaging. The molecular structure of the conjugate was confirmed via X-ray, UV/vis-, NMR-, and MS-spectra. It was found that dye demonstrates high photostability and high fluorescence quantum yield (to ~100%) at 514–519 nm. In addition, the marker was shown to effectively penetrate the erythrocytes membrane in the absence of erythrotoxicity. The conjugation of BODIPY with thioterpenoid is an excellent way to increase affinity dyes to biostructures, including blood components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of live homologous vaccines to protect against lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) infection requires the use of molecular tools to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). In this study, the commercial real‐time PCR assays; ID Gene™ LSD DIVA Triplex kit and Bio‐T kit® LSD – DIVA, as well as published assays targeting the GPCR gene (Journal of Virological Methods, 249, 48–57) and ORF008 and ORF126 (Sel'skokhozyaistvennaya Biologiya, 54, 347–358) were evaluated. These assays correctly identified classical field isolates (European lineage) and vaccine (Neethling vaccine). In contrast, when tested using vaccine‐like recombinant viruses, the commercial and published assays were not able to correctly identify recombinant isolates. At the same time, the recombinant viruses were detected as either field and/or vaccine, or not detected at all depending on the assay. The different gene sequences present in recombinant viruses cause these DIVA assays to incorrectly assign recombinant viruses as either a field or vaccine virus. This observation has implications for using these assays and for identification of LSDV vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the authors present an overview of the historical line of development of the human resource management (HRM) system in the Republic of Kazakhstan, define the conceptual framework of modern sustainable development of HR management in tourism, and form focus area in its development. In the course of the research, a survey has been conducted among the entities of the tourism industry of Kazakhstan, which was attended by representatives of the business environment of the near and far abroad countries. The results of the survey among specialists in the tourism industr y have formed the basis of large-scale research. The strengths and weaknesses of HRM in tourism of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been identified; the analysis of modern trends in HRM of the country reflected in regulatory and legislative documents, state demands, the business and social environment have been carried out. The authors propose a three-stage model of mastering the HR competencies in the tourism education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatments typically involve the ablation of tissue volumes comprising multiple focal sites. One aspect of treatment planning involves the definition of a sequence of ultrasound pulses and corresponding focal sites as the sonication trajectory. Here, numerical simulations of the thermal effects of different trajectories are performed for HIFU exposures delivered to an ex vivo bovine liver sample by a clinical array (Sonalleve V2 3.0T system, Profound Medical Corp., Canada). Simulations consider boiling histotripsy regime with millisecond-long pulses that include shocks. Focusing of the ultrasound beam in tissue was modeled by the Westervelt equation, and the temperature field was modeled by the bioheat equation. To explore different treatment strategies, trajectories were considered with discrete foci located along two or four concentric circles with radii from 2 to 8 mm. Two approaches for traversing these focal sites were compared: In the first approach each discrete focus was sonicated by a sequence of 15 pulses before moving to the next site in the trajectory. In the second approach, each focus was sonicated once before moving to the next site, with sonications over the whole trajectory repeated 15 times. The influence of the trajectory's size and the pulsing strategy on the temperature field was analyzed. It is shown that the structure of the temperature field is more uniform with a longer time interval between repeated irradiation of each focus, and the optimal time interval ranges from three to six pulse repetition periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article was aimed to develop a technology for the production of paste from poultry meat enriched with lithium. As a result of the experiment, the optimal mode for cutting minced meat for paste was determined, which provides high organoleptic, physicochemical characteristics and low microbial contamination of the product. Fortification of food raw materials (poultry meat) with an important essential element (lithium) has a greater effect at the stage of raising birds, adding it to their diet. In preclinical studies, the safety of the use of poultry paste enriched with lithium has been proven. The resulting recipe for the production of paste from poultry meat enriched with lithium can be recommended for use in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of asymmetric disulfides was obtained in yields of 38–50% by the co-oxidation of a mixture of diterpene abietane-derived thiols and thiols synthesized from protected monosaccharides with galacto-, fructo-, and glucopyranose and ribofuranose fragments. After removal of the acetyl protection in the disulfide containing 1,2,3,4-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranose and dehydroabietane moieties, a disulfide with free glucose hydroxyl groups was obtained in a yield of 94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the resurgence of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Kurgan Oblast, Russia, in 2018. The majority of the outbreaks were silent with no mortality and congregated within an area with a radius of about 30 km located 1–50 km away from the national border with Kazakhstan. Following primary molecular diagnosis, LSD virus (LSDV) isolates were analyzed using a panel of PCR assays targeting different genetic loci, namely, LSD008 (vaccine), LSDV126 (field), and GPCR (vaccine and field), for differentiation and genotype assignment. All isolates were positive for the vaccine genotype of GPCR and negative for the other field targets tested. A PCR assay with melt curve analysis utilizing LSD008, developed in this work, indicated that the strains melted with a profile similar to those of field strains. Surprisingly, sequence analysis of the RPO30 and GPCR genes aligned the Kurgan/2018 isolate with KSGP O-240 at the GPCR locus, but with Saratov/2017 at the RPO30 locus. The latter cluster forms an association with a sub-cluster of the field strains comprising the South African KSGP O-240 strain and NI-2490 strain. Due to these incongruent phylogenetic patterns, the sequences of three additional loci ORF19 (Kelch-like protein), ORF52 (putative transcriptional elongation factor), and ORF87 (mutT motif protein) were investigated. Phylogenetic analysis of these additional loci placed the strain Kurgan/2018 in either vaccine or field groups, strongly suggesting a novel recombinant profile. This is another piece of evidence exposing the potential for recombination in capripoxviruses and the ignored danger of using live homologous vaccines against LSD. The necessity to revise the PCR-based strategy differentiating infected from vaccinated animals is discussed. The potential scenarios of incursion and the contribution of the KSGP/NI-2490-like strain to the emergence of the recently identified vaccine-like recombinant are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccination against lumpy skin disease (LSD) is crucial for maintaining the health of animals and the economic sustainability of farming. Either homologous vaccines consisting of live attenuated LSD virus (LSDV) or heterologous vaccines consisting of live attenuated sheeppox or goatpox virus (SPPV/GPPV) can be used for control of LSDV. Although SPPV/GTPV-based vaccines exhibit slightly lower efficacy than live attenuated LSDV vaccines, they do not cause vaccine-induced viremia, fever, and clinical symptoms of the disease following vaccination, caused by the replication capacity of live attenuated LSDVs. Recombination of capripoxviruses in the field was a long-standing hypothesis until a naturally occurring recombinant LSDV vaccine isolate was detected in Russia, where the sheeppox vaccine alone is used. This occurred after the initiation of vaccination campaigns using LSDV vaccines in the neighboring countries in 2017, when the first cases of presumed vaccine-like isolate circulation were documented with concurrent detection of a recombinant vaccine isolate in the field. The follow-up findings presented herein show that during the period from 2015 to 2018, the molecular epidemiology of LSDV in Russia split into two independent waves. The 2015–2016 epidemic was attributable to the field isolate. Whereas the 2017 epidemic and, in particular, the 2018 epidemic represented novel disease importations that were not genetically linked to the 2015–2016 field-type incursions. This demonstrated a new emergence rather than the continuation of the field-type epidemic. Since recombinant vaccine-like LSDV isolates appear to have entrenched across the country's border, the policy of using certain live vaccines requires revision in the context of the biosafety threat it presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission of "lumpy skin disease virus" (LSDV) has prompted intensive research efforts due to the rapid spread and high impact of the disease in recent years, especially in Eastern Europe and Balkan countries. In this study, we experimentally evaluate the vaccine-derived virulent recombinant LSDV strain (Saratov/2017) and provide solid evidence on the capacity of the virus for transmission in a vector-proof environment. In the 60-day long experiment, we used inoculated bulls (IN group) and two groups of in-contact animals (C1 and C2), with the former (C1) being in contact with the inoculated animals at the onset of the trial and the latter (C2) being introduced at day 33 of the experiment. The infection in both groups of contact animals was confirmed clinically, serologically and virologically, and viremia was demonstrated in blood, nasal and ocular excretions, using molecular tools. Further studies into LSDV biology are a priority to gain insights into whether the hypothesized indirect contact mode evidenced in this study is a de novo-created feature, absent from both parental stains of the novel (recombinant) LSDV isolate used, or whether it was dormant, but then unlocked by the process of genetic recombination. Author summary: In global terms, LSD has been termed a "neglected disease" due to its historic natural occurrence of being restricted to Africa and, occasionally, Israel. However, after its slow spread throughout the Middle East, the disease is now experiencing a resurgence of research interest following a recent and rapid spread into more northern latitudes. Given the dearth of solid findings on potential transmission mechanisms, no efficient or reliable control program currently exists, which does not involve the use of live attenuated vaccines or stamping out policies – both of which are controversial for implementation in non-endemic regions or countries. The vector-borne mode is the only working concept currently available, but with scarce evidence to support the aggressive spread northwards – except for human-assisted spread, including legal or illegal animal transportation. The emergence of outbreaks is not consistently linked to weather conditions, with the potential for new outbreaks to occur and spread rapidly. Here, for the first time, we provide evidence for indirect contact-mode transmission for a naturally-occurring recombinant LSDV isolated from the field. In an insect-proof facility, we obtained solid evidence that the novel LSDV strain can pass to in-contact animals. Given the recombinant nature of the virus utilised, its genetic background relating to the observed transmission pattern within the study needs to be delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation of regular arrays of nanorods with high aspect ratio (length to transverse size) has been found in the process of Al thin film growth at oblique angle deposition on silicon substrate by the method of electron beam evaporation. It was found that the optimal conditions for nanostructuring are realized at the inclination angle larger than 80 degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the local structure and dynamics in 'water-in-salt' solutions, namely the ternary concentrated LiCl–CsCl–D2O electrolytes. Water based electrolyte solutions are components of natural waters, they are very widespread and possess many practical abilities. NMR was applied as the main technique to study the local structure of the solutions as well as ion and solvent dynamics. The characteristic reorientation times (τc) were calculated from spin–lattice relaxation times for 2H, 7Li, and 133Cs nuclei. The diffusion coefficients (D) for 1H, 7Li, and 133Cs nuclei were also obtained. We have confirmed that most of the molecules and ions are combined into dynamic clusters, 'cybotactic groups', with lifetimes long enough for them to diffuse as a whole unit. Thus, the results provide direct experimental confirmation of the existence of 'cybotactic groups' predicted earlier for concentrated electrolyte solutions. The precise self-diffusion coefficients show the state of ions in the system and can be used as a reference for modelling of such systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, dehydroabietic acid ethyl ester was used as initial material to produce the corresponding at the C‐18 position thioacetate, thiol, disulfide, sulfonic acid and sulfonyl chloride which open up prospects for the synthesis of other polyfunctional compounds combining a biologically active dehydroabietane fragment with various pharmacophore groups. The optimal conditions were found to directly oxidize dehydroabietanthiol to sulfochloride using chlorine dioxide as an oxidant in the presence of vanadyl acetylacetonate as a catalyst. This sulfochloride synthesized was proposed to use for obtaining a series of sulfonamides with alkyl, aryl, hetaryl and monosaccharide fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ a Bayesian VAR model to estimate the economic effects on the Russian economy from Western financial sanctions imposed in 2014. Sanctions caused a decrease in the amount of outstanding Russian corporate external debt, but it occurred during an episode of falling oil prices. We disentangle the effects of sanctions and oil prices by computing out-of-sample projections of key Russian macroeconomic variables conditioned solely on the oil price drop and on both the oil price drop and external debt deleveraging. Declining oil prices alone do not explain the depth of economic crisis in Russia, but we get rather accurate conditional forecasts when the actual path of external debt deleveraging is added. We treat the difference between these two projections as the effect of sanctions against Russia. The effect is modest, yet significant, for most of the variables discussed. While our estimate of the impact of sanctions on GDP growth has large uncertainty, over two-thirds of the density lies in the negative area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of ionic interactions in ternary aqueous and aqueous-organic solutions of metal halides on the structure of the solid phases in equilibrium with the solutions is analyzed. An original classification of double and complex salts, reflecting the peculiarities of their structure, is given. The conditions for the formation of various types of these compounds are determined. The factors that determine the preservation of the metal ion surrounding during the solution-solid phase transition are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lumpy skin disease (LSD) has recently expanded its range northwards to include the Balkans, Turkey and Russia. Because there was no solid evidence conclusively verifying the transmission mechanism in the field and LSDV viraemic animals with overt and asymptomatic presentation of disease and their products may represent a risk as an indirect transmission pathway. In this work, we used PCR positivity and infectivity in clinical and subclinical infection to evaluate the safety of meat and offal products from cows infected with the virulent LSDV strain Russia/Dagestan/2015. At day 21 post infection, seven of the 12 animals developed the generalized disease, and four animals became subclinically infected without apparent clinical signs. Upon examination and necropsy, the animals with the generalized disease had skin lesions; noticeably enlarged lymph nodes; and lesions in the lungs, trachea and testicles; whereas subclinically ill animals exhibited only enlarged lymph nodes and fever. For both disease presentations, testing of skeletal meat by PCR and virus isolation showed that the skeletal meat did not contain live virus or viral genome, whereas in cattle with generalized disease, meat with gross pathology physically connected under the site of a skin lesion was positive for the live virus. In subclinical infection, only enlarged lymph nodes carried the infectious virus, while the other internal organs tested in both types of disease manifestation were negative except for the testicles. Overall, our findings demonstrate that clinically and subclinically infected animals are reservoirs of live LSDV in lymph nodes and testicles, whereas deep skeletal meat in both types of infection do not carry live virus and the risk of transmission through this product seems very low. The detection of LSDV in testicular tissues in subclinically ill animals is concerning because of the potential to spread infection through contaminated semen. This aspect requires reconsideration of surveillance programmes to identify these Trojan horses of LSDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the present time, gene technologies play a key part in the development of new approaches to the diagnostics and therapy of diseases. Russian scientists have already successfully introduced efficient preparations based on multiclonal antibodies into practice and have advanced developments in the fields of CAR-T therapy and gene-therapy preparations on the basis of recombinant adenoassociated viruses. Some gene diagnostic tools, which essentially improve the efficiency of medical care due to the personalized approach to the therapy of diseases, are also put into practice. The successful introduction of innovative technologies and contemporary methods of diagnostics and therapy is impossible without cooperation between academic science and business. The companies providing the conditions for cooperation with academic science and engagement of specialists of different profiles have hastened the mass introduction of gene technologies and, therefore, the defeat over many earlier incurable socially significant diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]