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The paper presents the results of a study of the structure and mechanical properties of high-strength austenitic dispersionally hardened Mn–Ni–V–C steel with a yield strength of at least 700 MPa. Its composition and the hardening method were selected so that the steel meets the requirements for high strength and nonmagnetic properties. It is shown that the introduction of 1–2% Cu into Mn–Ni–V–C steel expands the region of existence of the γ-phase in the Fe–Ni–Mn phase diagram, narrows the two-phase γ+α-region and shifts it towards lower Mn contents, increasing stability of austenite to martensitic transformation during cold deformation. A numerical assessment of the influence of alloying austenite-forming elements Ni, Mn, Cu on the critical degree of cold plastic deformation, leading to the formation of deformation martensite in steel, is proposed. The temperature range of the reverse transformation of this martensite into austenite during annealing is established, depending on the nickel content in the steel. For precipitation hardened steel with a composition of 10%Mn; 10%Ni; 2%Cu; 0.3–0.4%C; ~1.4%V the regularities of dissolution upon heating for quenching and precipitation during aging of particles of the strengthening carbide phase VC were studied. It has been shown that the maximum strength is achieved after quenching from 1150°C and aging at 650°C for 15 hours. Taking into account the studies carried out on the stability of austenite, static and cyclic strength and durability, the optimal alloying range of steel with nickel, manganese and copper was substantiated, and the optimal mode of heat treatment was revealed, which provides a combination of high strength with good ductility and toughness of steel.

Russian Abstract: В настоящем препринте представлен ретроспективный анализ практики внедрения института прикладного бакалавриата в России и за рубежом. Прикладной бакалавриат представляет собой одной из возможных направлений развития среднего профессионального образования и высшего образования, совмещая с одной стороны практическую ориентированность первого и академизм второго. Результаты эксперимента по внедрению прикладного бакалавриата в отечественной практике представлены в настоящей работе, описаны основные сложности и трудности. English Abstract: This preprint presents a retrospective analysis of the implementation practice of the Institute of Applied Bachelor's Degree in Russia and abroad. Applied bachelor's degree is one of the possible directions for the development of secondary vocational education and higher education, combining, on the one hand, the practical orientation of the former and the academicism of the latter. The results of the experiment on the implementation of applied bachelor's degree in domestic practice are presented in this work, the main difficulties and difficulties are described.

Aim. The development of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 1 full-size ORF3 recombinant polypeptide. Materials and methods. Escherichia coli strains, plasmid vectors, serological and clinical samples, ELISA reagent kits, molecular biological, bioinformatic, biotechnological, biochemical and serological methods. Results. HEV genotype 1 RNA had been isolated from clinical samples collected in Kyrgyzstan. DNA copy of subgenomic virus RNA had been cloned and used for further development of E.coli strains producing full-size recombinant protein ORF3 fused to E.coli beta-galactosidase. Codons optimization method was used in aim to increase expression level of recombinant protein. Recombinant protein ORF3 had been isolated from the inclusion bodies of the E.coli biomass and purified by size exclusion chromatography. Antigenic specificity of recombinant polypeptide had been confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting with the specific sera. Conclusion. HEVgenotype 1 ORF3 recombinant antigen had been designed, and it’s applicability in diagnostic tests had been experimentally confirmed.

Relationships between viruses and their human host are traditionally described from the point of view taking into consideration hosts as victims of viral aggression, which results in infectious diseases. However, these relations are in fact two-sided and involve modifications of both the virus and host genomes. Mutations that accumulate in the populations of viruses and hosts may provide them advantages such as the ability to overcome defense barriers of host cells or to create more efficient barriers to deal with the attack of the viral agent. One of the most common ways of reinforcing anti-viral barriers is the horizontal transfer of viral genes into the host genome. Within the host genome, these genes may be modified and extensively expressed to compete with viral copies and inhibit the synthesis of their products or modulate their functions in other ways. This review summarizes the available data on the horizontal gene transfer between viral and human genomes and discusses related problems.

The fundamental mission of the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) is the research of human proteome diversity, including rare variants. Liver tissues, HepG2 cells, and plasma were selected as one of the major objects for C-HPP studies. The proteogenomic approach, a recently introduced technique, is a powerful method for predicting and validating proteoforms coming from alternative splicing, mutations, and transcript editing. We developed PPLine, a Python-based proteogenomic pipeline providing automated single-amino-acid polymorphism (SAP), indel, and alternative-spliced-variants discovery based on raw transcriptome and exome sequence data, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) annotation and filtration, and the prediction of proteotypic peptides (available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/ppline). In this work, we performed deep transcriptome sequencing of HepG2 cells and liver tissues using two platforms: Illumina HiSeq and Applied Biosystems SOLiD. Using PPLine, we revealed 7756 SAP and indels for HepG2 cells and liver (including 659 variants nonannotated in dbSNP). We found 17 indels in transcripts associated with the translation of alternate reading frames (ARF) longer than 300 bp. The ARF products of two genes, SLMO1 and TMEM8A, demonstrate signatures of caspase-binding domain and Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase. Alternative splicing analysis predicted novel proteoforms encoded by 203 (liver) and 475 (HepG2) genes according to both Illumina and SOLiD data. The results of the present work represent a basis for subsequent proteomic studies by the C-HPP consortium.

Immunosuppressive domains (ISDs) of viral envelope glycoproteins provide highly pathogenic phenotypes to various retroviruses. The ISD interaction with immune cells leads to an inhibition of the response. As was shown in the 1980s, a 17-amino acid residue of ISD fragment (known as CKS-17) is responsible for this immune modulation. However, the underlying mechanisms were unknown. Thorough research identified activation of signal transduction via the Ras-Raf-MEK-MAPK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR cell pathways as a result of the ISD interaction with immune cells. The result is the decrease in the secretion of stimulatory cytokines (e.g., IL-12) and increase of inhibitory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-10). One of the receptor tyrosine kinases that triggers signal transduction in these pathways acts as a primary ISD target, while other key regulators, cAMP and diacylglycerol (DAG), act as secondary messengers. Immunosuppressive-like domains are not restricted to retroviruses; an ISD present in Ebola virus envelope glycoproteins determines an extremely severe clinical course of virus-induced hemorrhagic fever. A number of retrovirus-originating ISD-coding regions are found in the human genome. The regions are expressed as parts of the syncytin genes in the placenta, helping to render the mother’s immune system tolerant of the placenta and embryo. The review considers the molecular aspects of the retroviral ISD-induced modulation of the host immune system.

In the second half of 2005, a large-scale outbreak of influenza in poultry and wild birds was caused by a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus in Russia. The level of pathogenicity is a polygenic trait, and most individual genes contribute to the influenza A virus pathogenicity in birds, animals, and humans. The full-length nucleotide sequences were determined for H5N1 strains isolated in the Kurgan region (Western Siberia). The structure of viral proteins was analyzed using the deduced amino acid sequences. The receptor-binding site of hemagglutinin (HA) in strains A/chicken/Kurgan/05/2005 and A/duck/Kurgan/08/2005 was typical for avian influenza viruses and contained Glu and Gly at positions 226 and 228, respectively. The structure of the basic amino acid cluster located within the HA cleavage site was identical in all isolates: QGERRRKKR. According to the neuraminidase structure, all H5N1 isolates from the Kurgan region were assigned to the Z genotype. Amino acid residues typical for the avian influenza virus were revealed in 30 out of 32 positions of M1, M2, NP, PA, and PB2, determining the host range specificity. One of the strains contained Lys at position 627 of PB2. Isolates from the Kurgan region were shown to have a remantadine-sensitive genotype. Both strains contained Glu at position 92 of NS1, indicating that the virus is interferon-resistant. Phylogenetic analysis related the Kurgan isolates to subclade 2 of clade 2 of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses.

An austenitic-martensitic nitrogen steel 0Kh16N4AB has been studied under load using high-resolution neutron diffraction analysis on an FSD neutron diffractometer at an IBR-2 reactor (Dubna) and on a diffractometer with a focusing monochromator on a reactor of the Nuclear Physics Institute (Czech Republic). Young’s moduli calculated from different reflections of the martensite and austenite phases have been obtained. It has been found that the yield strength σ0.2 corresponding to the slip plane (111) of the austenite phase is anomalously low and that with increasing degree of uniaxial tension the width of lines (111)γ strongly grows. In the steel under consideration the plane (111) of the austenite phase appears to be an easy-slip plane that ensures the enhanced properties of the steel, i.e., the combination of a high ultimate strength (1600 MPa) with a high plasticity (δ = 16%).

The effect of the forging reduction ratio and radial-shear rolling on the structure and mechanical properties of 160Kh12MF, R9M4K8, and R6M5 ledeburitic steels has been studied. It is shown that carbide particles become significantly finer during radial-shear rolling. Spherical carbides are uniformly distributed in the structure of hot-rolled billets after this treatment.

Studies of the structure and properties of high-nitrogen corrosion-resistant aging nonmagnetic vanadium steels have been analyzed. The hardening of these steels by fine vanadium nitride and carbonitride particles is considered. The mechanisms of the discontinuous decomposition of austenite supersaturated by nitrogen upon heat treatment are described. Methods for the removal of the negative effect of the discontinuous decomposition on the mechanical properties of high-nitrogen steels have been found. Steels with an overequilibrium nitrogen content are shown to exhibit superplasticity. The dependences of the microstructure and properties of high-nitrogen vanadium austenitic steels on their alloying and the conditions of thermal and thermoplastic treatments are considered.

An elastic springback and stress relaxation in stable and metastable sheet steels of three structural classes subjected to monotonic and alternating loading under various conditions have been experimentally studied. The dependences of the mechanical behavior of a material and the distribution of residual stresses and their relaxation after deformation on the strength, the possibilities of a phase transformation under a load, and changes in the crystallographic texture and the sequence (chronology) of alternating loading have been obtained.

The effect of quenching and tempering on the capacity of steels based on chromium-carbon, chromium-nitrogen, and carbon-manganese austenite for strain-induced martensitic transformation, hardening, and wear resistance in the process of abrasive wear is studied. The steels contain 1–1.2% C or N and 18% Cr or Mn. The wear resistance of the studied steels having a structure of metastable austenite is compared to that of steel 110G13.

Direct and reverse elastic aftereffects in corrosion-resistant nitrogen-bearing steel Kh21G10N7MBF (0.5% N) are considered depending on the preliminary heat treatment (quenching + deformation + aging) and on the temperature and time conditions of the occurrence of the direct and reverse elastic aftereffects.

The effect of the degree of reduction in cold rolling and subsequent heat holds on the development of microplastic strain in the bending of ribbon specimens fabricated from corrosion-resistant austenitic high-nitrogen steel Kh21G10N7MBF is studied.

A comparative study of the structure and properties of corrosion-resistant nitrogen-bearing martensitic steel 08Kh14AN4MDB produced by methods of high-gradient directional crystallization (HGDC) and traditional crystallization is performed. The method of HGDC ensures considerable disintegration of the structural components of the steel and lowers the dendritic segregation of the alloying elements. The metal with such structure possesses enhanced strength and ductility.

Corrosion properties of high-chromium-nitrogen steels with different structures determined by the heat treatment processes are investigated. It is shown that the ferritic structure provided by hardening from 1200°C and tempering at 700°C is preferable for steels bearing 21 – 24% Cr and over 1% N.

A comparative study of the hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding site (RBS) of a number of H13 influenza viruses isolated from Laridae family of birds (gulls) and other influenza viruses obtained from the Anatidae family (ducks) was conducted. The affinity of all viruses to alpha N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac alpha), 3'sialyllactose (3'SL), and sialylglycopolymers bearing 3'-sialyl(N-acetyllactosamine) (3'SLN-PAA), [Neu5Ac alpha(2-3)Gal beta(1-4)][-Fuc alpha(1-3)]GlcNAc beta (SLe(x)-PAA), and [Neu5Ac alpha(2-3)Gal beta(1-3)][-Fuc alpha(1-4)]GlcNAc beta (SLe(a)-PAA), was determined. The last three polymer glycoconjugates were synthesized for determining the contribution of carbohydrate chains after the galactose link to the binding with the receptor. The difference in affinity between 3'SL and Neu5Ac alpha in all studied H13 viruses is small, which indicates a less significant role of the galactose moiety in the binding to the receptor. The results of virus binding with polymer sialylglycoconjugates indicates that the method of linking, the third monosaccharide moiety, and the presence of an extra fucose substitute in this moiety may influence the binding considerably. For viruses isolated from ducks, the suitable polymer is SLe(a)-PAA (i.e., a 1-3 linkage between galactose and glucosamine is optimal). This finding is in accord with the data that H13 viruses isolated from the gulls differ based on their ability to interact with polymer sialylglycoconjugates. The affinity to all three polymers is uniform, and the presence of GlcNAc-linked fucose does not prevent the binding. A comparative analysis of six sequenced HA H13 viruses and other subtype viruses showed presence of substantial differences in the composition of amino acids of this region in H13 viruses.

Special features of structure formation and mechanical properties of low-alloy martensitic steels with superequilibrium content of nitrogen and low content of carbon are considered. Experimental data on the effect of the temperature of heating for hardening and tempering on the structure, strength, and ductility of these steels are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of the introduction of nitrogen into low-alloy martensitic steels instead of carbon are discussed. It is shown that steel 10Kh3A combines high strength with high ductility. This steel is considered as a material for heavily loaded parts and nonwelded structures instead of high-strength steels alloyed with Ni, Mo, V and other expensive and scarce elements.

The structure, strength, and ductility of alloys of the Fe – Cr – N system bearing from 15 to 24% chromium and from 0.4 to 1.3% nitrogen are studied after rolling at 20, 450, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, and 1200°C. It is shown that the highest hardening due to cold plastic deformation is provided in alloys with metastable γ-solid solution that undergoes transformation into strain martensite ( γ → α′). In hot plastic deformation the alloys are hardened due to the formation of a fragmented structure. The data of electron microscopic studies are used to determine the role of the phase composition in the hardening of the alloys.

Immunosuppressive domains (ISD) of viral envelope glycoproteins provide highly pathogenic phenotypes of various retroviruses. ISD interaction with immune cells leads to an inhibition of a response. In the 1980s it was shown that the fragment of ISD comprising of 17 amino acids (named CKS-17) is carrying out such immune modulation. However the underlying mechanisms were not known. The years of thorough research allowed to identify the regulation of Ras-Raf-MEK-MAPK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR cellular pathways as a result of ISD interaction with immune cells. By the way, this leads to decrease of secretion of stimulatory cytokines (e.g., IL-12) and increase of inhibitory, anti-inflammatory ones (e.g., IL-10). One of the receptor tyrosine kinases inducing signal in these pathways acts as the primary target of ISD while other key regulators--cAMP and diacylglycerol (DAG), act as secondary messengers of signal transduction. Immunosuppressive-like domains can be found not only in retroviruses; the presence of ISD within Ebola viral envelope glycoproteins caused extremely hard clinical course of virus-induced hemorrhagic fever. A number of retroviral-origin fragments encoding ISD can be found in the human genome. These regions are expressed in the placenta within genes of syncytins providing a tolerance of mother's immune system to an embryo. The present review is devoted to molecular aspects of retroviral ISD-induced modulation of host immune system.

Horizontal transfer of genes between viruses and their hosts played an important role in the evolution of various eukaryotes including contemporary mammals as well as the pathogens themselves. Elements of viruses of various types can be found in the genome of animals. Endogenous retroviral elements composing up to 8% of human genome length not only determine its high flexibility and rapid adaptation potential. Many of virus genes such as Fv1, Lv1, Lv2 being analogues of capsid and other proteins determine effective suppression of viral replication after cell penetration by the causative agent. Introduction of these elements into genome of a wide variety of animals from fish to primates could have taken place against the background of global natural cataclysms of viral origin. Integration of retrovirus genes coding surface glycoproteins with immunosuppressing domains into genetic apparatus of animals served as an impetus to the development of viviparity and spread ofplacental mammals. Their cell analogs syncytins perform a dual function: take direct part in the formation of syncytiotrophoblast layer of placenta and ensure tolerance of immune system of mother to embryo. The acquisition of cell genes by viruses also played an important role in their evolution: various interleukins and other modulators of immune response introduced into viral genome from cell genetic apparatus became one of the most important factors of pathogenicity of a wide variety of causative agents including poxviruses, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and many others. Evolutionary pathways of the virus and host are thus inseparable from each other, and character of one of these directions is largely dictated by the vector of another.

1. We established the dependences of the phase composition of high-chromium (18% Cr) steels on the content of nitrogen. As the nitrogen content increases from 0.4 to 1.2% the proportion of untransformed austenite increases and that of martensite decreases respectively. This changes the structural class of the steels from martensitic (at 0.4% N) to austenitic (at 1.2%). 2. In heating of a quenched steel with 18% Cr and 0.4–1.2% N we determined two temperature ranges of structural transformations that correspond to the segregation of chromium nitrides from the initial martensite (A s−A f) and from austenite (B s−B f). 3. With the growth in the chromium concentration from 15 to 24% at 1–1.3% N quenching yields a stable austenite structure preserved even after tempering at 700°C. After heating the quenched steel to a temperature corresponding to the pointB f, the segregation of nitrides from the austenite causes the formation of martensite upon cooling and hence the growth in hardness. 4. Tempering of steels with an initial structure of martensite or austenite + martensite is accompanied with growth in the hardness due to dispersion hardening of martensite. The hardening is maximum (650–690HV) at a tempering temperature of 500–600°C. The highest level of hardening (649HV) has been observed in steel Kh18A4 quenched from 1200°C and tempered at 600°C.

The role of nitrogen as an alloying element that stabilizes austenite in steels and makes it possible to replace nickel, manganese, and other austenization promoters without deterioration of mechanical and special properties of the metal is considered. Put into practice this could reduce the volume of mining of the mentioned elements. Methods for introducing nitrogen into iron alloys are described. The mechanical properties of nitrogen-bearing steels are considered. It is shown that such steels with a structure of nitrogen martensite possess a specific strength under static and cyclic loads no worse than the strength of light structural alloys and have better fracture toughness and technological properties than the latter. The replacement of light alloys by such steels should reduce the consumption of energy in the production.

The effect of anomalous structural constituents in ShKh15 steel on its technological ductility during cold deformation has been studied. Additional high tempering of hot-rolled billets subjected to spheroidizing annealing is shown to remove retained lamellar pearlite and needle carbides, increasing the technological ductility of this ball-bearing steel.

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) is aimed to identify the variety of protein products and transcripts of the number of chromosomes. The Russian part of C-HPP is devoted to the study of the human chromosome 18. Using widely accepted Tophat and SpliceGrapher, a tool for accurate splice sites and alternative mRNA isoforms prediction, we performed the extensive mining of the splice variants of chromosome 18 transcripts and encoded protein products in liver, brain, lung, kidney, blood, testis, derma, and skeletal muscles. About 6.1 billion of the reads represented by 450 billion of the bases have been analyzed. The relative frequencies of splice events as well as gene expression profiles in normal tissues are evaluated. Using ExPASy PROSITE, the novel features and possible functional sites of previously unknown splice variants were highlighted. A set of unique proteotypic peptides enabling the identification of novel alternative protein species using mass-spectrometry is constructed. The revealed data will be integrated into the gene-centric knowledgebase of the Russian part of C-HPP available at http://kb18.ru and http://www.splicing.zz.mu/.

Coconut foliar decay virus (CFDV) contains the single-stranded circular DNA molecules of 1291 nucleotides which were found to replicate autonomously in the cells of the diseased palms. The special features of the CFDV DNA sequence, including putative secondary structure and the distribution of the inverted repeat motifs, are investigated with computer-assisted prediction methods. It is evident that the structural principle of the branched series of long and short double helixes interspersed by short non-helical regions is existed for CFDV virion DNA. The total degree of base pairing is near 62%. We have also predicted the presence of several sequence elements formed by inverted repeat motifs which are potentially capable of binding the eukaryotic transcriptional regulatory factors.

Experiments with the HIV-1 infected MT-4 cells evidence that coupling of lipophilic and alkylating groups to the antisense oligonucleotides improve their anti-HIV efficiency.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen that persists in macrophages of the human host. An approach to improving the treatment of tuberculosis is target delivery of antibiotics to macrophages using ligands to macrophage receptors. The antituberculous activity of the conjugate of the antituberculous antibiotic moxifloxacin with carboxymethylglucan was studied in vitro using the J774 macrophage cell line and peritoneal macrophages. The antituberculous activity of the conjugate was higher than of the free moxifloxacin. The target antibiotic delivery to macrophage cells in tuberculosis infection was shown perspective.

When a “superequilibrium” amount of nitrogen (0.9–1.3%) is introduced into corrosion-resistant low-carbon steel with about 18% chromium, the structure of the steel becomes completely austenitic after cooling to room temperature without alloying with austenite-forming elements (Ni, Mn, Cu, Co). The structural transformations in cooling and heating such alloys, and hence their properties, can be controlled by changing the nitrogen content.

The primary and secondary structures of the pp65 phosphoprotein of human cytomegalovirus coded by the UL83 gene were studied by the methods of computer-aided analysis. An immunodominant protein fragment with 3 antigenic determinant was detected. The UL83 fragment coding the selected region was amplified and cloned in bacterial expressing vector. The recombinant protein was obtained and purified. On the basis of ELISA findings it was acknowledged as possible to use the pp65 recombinant protein jointly with pp150 and p52 in the diagnosis of antibodies specific to human cytomegalovirus.

The nucleotide sequences were determined for a phosphoprotein gene fragment of canine distemper virus (CDV) by using the RT-PCR method with the subsequent sequencing of amplicons from total RNA isolated from 2 samples of Caspian seals, 15 samples of Baikal seals and from samples of dog's and sea-lion's brains. The above materials were phylogenetically analyzed. The heterogeneity of the virus circulating in the Baikal-seal population was demonstrated. Morbillivirus, that caused epizooty in Caspian seals, was shown to be a CDV variant, whose phosphoprotein gene structure was not different, within the analyzed stretch, from the corresponding gene of the most widespread variant of the Baikal seal virus. The data obtained suggest that morbillivirus could be transmitted by birds during their seasonal migrations.

Analysis of DNA sequences of the human chromosomes 21 and 22 performed using a specially designed MegaGene software allowed us to obtain the following results. Purine and pyrimidine nucleotide residues are unevenly distributed along both chromosomes, displaying maxima and minima (Y waves phi) with a period of about 3 Mbp. Distribution of G + C along both chromosomes has no distinct maxima and minima, however, chromosome 21 contains considerably less G + C than chromosome 22. Both exons and Alu repeats are unevenly distributed along chromosome 21: they are scarce in its left part and abundant in the right part, while MIR elements are quite monotonously spread along this chromosome. The Alu repeats show a wave-like distribution pattern similar for both repeat orientations. The number of the Alu repeats of opposite orientations was equal for both studied chromosomes, and this may be considered a new property of the human genome. The positive correlation between the exon and Alu distribution patterns along the chromosome, the concurrent distribution of Alu repeats in both orientations along the chromosome, and the equal copy numbers for Alu in direct and inverted orientations within an individual chromosome point to their important role in the human genome, and do not fit the notion that Alu repeats belong to parasitic (junk) DNA.

The experiment demonstrated the podibility of obtaining stable suspensions of B. subtilis, a microorganism used as an experimental model, in an electromagnetic apparatus with a bilateral inductor. The optimum conditions of obtaining such suspensions were chosen, these conditions excluding the inactivation of the bacteria used as a model in the course of the process. Suspensions containing 75% of culture fluid were shown to have the highest stability during prolonged storage. Suspensions on the basis of the crystal-forming bacteria B. thuringiensis sp. kurstaki, strain Z-52, used in the production of entomopathogenic preparations and characterized by high stability and good viability in the process of storage were prepared under the selected conditions. The apparatus used in these experiments was recommended for use in the technology of the production of biopreparations of the basis of the above-mentioned bacteria.

Analysis of published reports helped us single out the most potent antigens among HCMV proteins: phosphoproteins pp150(UL32) and p52(UL44). Theoretical computer analysis of p52 epitopes showed the main antigenic determinants not cross-reacting with antigens of other viruses. Virus-containing (strain AD169) material was obtained and genome DNA was isolated. Amplification of a site of gene UL44 coding for unique determinants detected a PCR fragment of required electrophoretic mobility. The fragment was cloned in vector pLBE. The specificity of cloning was confirmed by restriction analysis of theoretical sites. Nucleotide sequence of cloned fragment of UL44 gene was studied by Maxam-Gilbert's method. Cloning in expressing bacterial vectors helped obtain HCMV recombinant protein p52 in the pure form and fused with beta-galactosidase. Enzyme immunoassay with HCMV-positive and negative donor sera and ABBOTT HCMV sera showed that recombinant p52 increased the sensitivity and specificity of a previously obtained recombinant pp150 as an antigen to HCMV-IgG and HCMV-IgM. The sensitivity and specificity is 100% with 98-99% reliability.

1. It is established that the level of carbide and nitride phase dissolution in chromium-manganese steels of type Kh16G18 with a varible ratio of carbon and nitrogen in them reaches a maximum at 1150°C. With an almost identical lattice spacing the degree of its distortion in steel with nitrogen is greater and therefore the specific electrical resistivity of the steel is higher. 2. The degree of strain hardening for austenitic steel type Kh16G18 containing carbon and nitrogen depends on the relationship between these elements, and as a rule it is greater, the higher the nitrogen content, which is connected with the higher structural defect density and formation of e-martensite in steel with nitrogen. 3. In chromium-manganese steel type Kh16G18 with the maximum nitrogen content (0.45%) after cold plastic deformation with etru = 1.2 a higher level of strengthening was achieved with retention of its nonmagnetic nature than for steel with 0.45% C.

Receptor CD4, expressed on the surface of immunocompetent cells, plays the key role in the pathogenesis of HIV infection, facilitating the penetration of the virus into the susceptible tissues of the host body. In this work the nucleotide sequence of the site on the gene of receptor CD4, responsible for the regulation of its transcription, has been determined.