Long Term Immune Response Produced by the SputnikV Vaccine

SputnikV is a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology. The vaccine has been shown to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses, yet the mechanisms remain largely unknown. Forty SputnikV vaccinated individuals were included in this study which aimed to demonstrate the location of immunogenic domains of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein using an overlapping peptide library. Additionally, cytokines in the serum of vaccinated and convalescent COVID-19 patients were analyzed. We have found antibodies from both vaccinated and convalescent sera bind to immunogenic regions located in multiple domains of SARS-CoV-2 S protein, including Receptor Binding Domain (RBD), N-terminal Domain (NTD), Fusion Protein (FP) and Heptad Repeats (HRs). Interestingly, many peptides were recognized by immunized and convalescent serum antibodies and correspond to conserved regions in circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2. This breadth of reactivity was still evident 90 days after the first dose of the vaccine, showing that the vaccine has induced a prolonged response. As evidenced by the activation of T cells, cellular immunity strongly suggests the high potency of the SputnikV vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection.     

The In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Eremothecium oil and Its Components—Aromatic and Acyclic Monoterpene Alcohols

The microscopic fungi Eremothecium ashbyi and E. gossypii are known for their ability to synthetize essential oil, which has a composition similar to that of rose oil. The development of Eremothecium oil technology enables the production of rose-scented products, which are demanded by pharmaceutical, food, and perfumery industries. This study focuses on assessing the in vitro cytotoxicity of Eremothecium oil, in comparison with that of rose oil, using a combination of methods and two cell types (3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line and bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs)). The Eremothecium oil samples possessed cytotoxic effects that varied among strains and batches. The revealed cytotoxicity level may be used to tailor the qualitative and quantitative composition of Eremothecium oil to achieve a particular quality in its end products. These results require further analysis using other cell types and assays based on measuring other cell functions.     

Transportverhalten kurzkettiger Alkylphenole (SCAP) im Grundwasser und in der Umwelt

The use of SCAPs – short-chained alkyl phenols – as industrial fingerprints and as process- and transport-indicators in groundwater is based on their environmental behaviour. The chemical and physical properties have to be different enough between each compound in order to observe fractionation during transport. Water solubility is high for phenols and decreases with the amount of alkylation. The partitioning coefficients logK_OW and logK_OW for phenols are very small and increase with growing degrees of alkylation. This leads to fractionation of the compounds within the aquifer, which was demonstrated in a field study. In spite of limited literature data on toxicity and degradability for some SCAP compounds, natural attenuation is still a possible remediation technique. Overall, the environmental behaviour of SCAPs indicates that they are mobile in aquifers. This creates opportunities for new applications such as their use as process- and transport-indicators in the assessment of contaminated sites.     

Influence of reactivity of the colloidal silica on the properties of conjugate phases

The properties of hydrosols (brand Ludox) are studied by dynamic light scattering (photon correlation spectroscopy, PCS) and colorimetric analysis (formation of a colored β-silicomolybdate complex, KMK). Experimental sol samples for silicate modulus M = 50.0 and М = 3.0 M (M = [SiO₂]/[Me₂O], mol/mol) are obtained by introducing an alkali metal hydroxide (Me). According to the PCS data, the hydrodynamic radius of the sol particles (\({C_{Si{O_2}}}\)= 41.0 g/L) is r = 8.0 nm and increases with the dilution of the sol. These particles’ radii r _∞ (at \({C_{Si{O_2}}}\) → 0) for the initial sol are r _∞ = 13.8 nm and r _∞ = 16.8 nm in sols with alkali metal hydroxides (M = 50). The conjugated phase properties (silica particles and aqueous solution) were considered in the light of polycondensation and depolymerization kinetic reactions involving reactive silicate anions (HO)₃SiO^– and Si(OH)₄) on the surface of the particles and in the composition of soluble fractions. The result is the formation of surface layers of a gel-like structure. With the introduction of alkali metal hydroxides, the initial dissolution rate increases in the range from LiOH to KOH. The existence of peaks in the kinetic dependences of the active silica fractions in highly alkaline environments (M = 50 and M = 3.0) characterizes the secondary polycondensation of silicic acid in the aqueous phase, resulting in the formation of the oligo- and polymeric molecules of a linear structure.     

Investigation of heat transfer of free convection in bounded volume with heating from above

The convection coefficient is found against the Rayleigh number in a bounded volume with heating from above.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 705–708, October, 1977.