ABSTRACT The aim of this work is the expression of the PreS2-S region of surface antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in yeast Pichia pastoris. A cDNA fragment encoding the Pres2-S protein of HBV was cloned to yeast transfer vectors. Based on cloned new plasmids pPIC3.5-PreS2-S (8707 bp) and pPIC9-PreS2-S (8980 bp) the recombinant strains of P. pastoris producing the PreS2-S region of surface antigen of HBV were obtained. The PAGE electrophoresis and immunoblotting of obtained recombinant PreS2-S protein confirm the molecular weight (34 kDa) and high specificity to the HBV antibodies.

RESUMEN El objetivo de este trabajo es la expresión de la región PreS2-S del antígeno de superficie del virus de la hepatitis B en la levadura Pichia pastoris. Se clonó un fragmento de ADNc que codifica la proteína PreS2-S del VHB en vectores de transferencia de levadura. A partir de los nuevos plásmidos clonados pPIC3.5-PreS2-S (8707 pb) y pPIC9-PreS2-S (8980 pb) se obtuvieron las cepas recombinantes de P. pastoris productoras de la región PreS2-S del antígeno de superficie del VHB. La electroforesis PAGE y la inmunotransferencia de la proteína PreS2-S recombinante obtenida confirman el peso molecular (34 kDa) y la alta especificidad a los anticuerpos contra el VHB.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine development is proceeding at an unprecedented pace. Once COVID-19 vaccines become widely available, it will be necessary to maximize public vaccine acceptance and coverage. Objective: This research aimed to analyze the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Russia. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Russian adults from September 26th to November 9th, 2020. Predictors of the intent to take up COVID-19 vaccination were explored using logistic regression. Results: Out of 876 participants, 365 (41.7%) would be willing to receive the vaccine if it became available. Acceptance increased for a vaccine with verified safety and effectiveness (63.2%). Intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was relatively higher among males (aOR=2.37, 95% CI 1.41-4.00), people with lower monthly income (aOR=2.94, 95%CI 1.32-6.57), and with positive trust in the healthcare system (aOR=2.73, 95% CI 1.76-4.24). The Russian people were more likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccine if they believed that the vaccine reduces the risk of virus infection (aOR=8.80, 95%CI 5.21-14.87) or relieves the complications of the disease (aOR=10.46, 95%CI 6.09-17.96). Other barriers such as being unconcerned about side-effects (aOR=1.65, 95%CI 1.03-2.65) and the effectiveness and safety of the vaccination (aOR=2.55, 95%CI 1.60-4.08), also affected acceptance. Conclusions: The study showed the usefulness of the health belief model constructs in understanding the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rate in the Russian population. This rate was influenced by sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, and health beliefs. These findings might help guide future efforts for policymakers and stakeholders to improve vaccination rates by enhancing trust in the healthcare system.

Resumo O Brasil é um dos grandes produtores e exportadores mundiais no setor de rochas ornamentais. Em contrapartida, a produção e o beneficiamento de rochas ornamentais resultam em grande volume de material não aproveitado em forma de lama, geralmente descartados de maneira inadequada em lagoas de decantação ou aterros. Diversas pesquisas têm sido realizadas objetivando o reaproveitamento deste material em matrizes cimentícias. No campo da reologia, ainda são incipientes estudos nacionais que utilizem os parâmetros reológicos obtidos experimentalmente para determinar o comportamento de matrizes cimentícias a base de cimento Portland. Contudo, o objetivo desse trabalho é caracterizar reologicamente o comportamento de pastas cimentícias com e sem adição de resíduo do beneficiamento de rochas ornamentais (RBRO) em sua condição natural. Foram fabricadas pastas cimentícias com três relações a/c (0,45; 0,55; 0,65) e quatro teores de adição do resíduo (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%) e submetidas ao ensaio de fluxo. Em testes para caracterização do resíduo, o RBRO se apresentou como um material de finura e massa específica próximas do cimento, possuindo baixa atividade reativa, indicando que o resíduo pode ser utilizado como adição mineral inerte na matriz cimentícia. Já em ensaios de caracterização reológica das pastas estudadas, observou-se nos ensaios de fluxo que as amostras se comportaram como um fluido não newtoniano, pseudoplástico e tixotrópico.

Abstract Brazil is one of the world's largest producers and exporters in the field of ornamental stones. On the other hand, the production and processing of ornamental stones result in a large volume of unused material in the form of sludge, usually discarded inappropriately in sedimentation ponds or landfills. Several researches have been carried out aiming the reuse of this material in cementitious matrixes. In the field of rheology, there are still incipient national studies that use the rheological parameters obtained experimentally to determine the behavior of cement matrix based on Portland cement. Thus, the objective of this work is to characterize rheologically the behavior of cementitious pastes with and without addition of ornamental rock processing residue (RBRO) in its natural condition. Cement pastes were prepared with three a/c ratios (0.45, 0.55, 0.65) and four residue addition contents (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%) and submitted to the flow test. In tests for characterization of the residue, the RBRO presented as a material of specific fineness and mass near the cement, having low reactive activity, indicating that the residue can be used as an inert mineral addition in the cementitious matrix. In the rheological characterization tests of the pulps studied, it was observed in the flow tests that the samples behaved as a non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic and thixotropic fluid.

A modified three-phase composite model yielding reliable effective characteristics of composite structures has been proposed. In particular, the problem of effective heat transfer coefficient of the composite structure with periodically located inclusions of circular cross-sections located on a square net is solved. Advantages of the proposed model in comparison to the classical three-phase model are illustrated and discussed.

In mammals, hexokinase (HK) is strategically located at the outer membrane of mitochondria bound to the porin protein. The mitochondrial HK is a crucial modulator of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species generation. In plants, these properties related to HK are unknown. In order to better understand the physiological role of non-cytosolic hexokinase (NC-HK) in plants, we developed a purification strategy here described. Crude extract of 400 g of maize roots (230 mg protein) contained a specific activity of 0.042 µmol G6P min-1 mg PTN-1. After solubilization with detergent two fractions were obtained by DEAE column chromatography, NC-HK 1 (specific activity = 3.6 µmol G6P min-1 mg PTN-1 and protein recovered = 0.7 mg) and NC-HK 2. A major purification (yield = 500-fold) was obtained after passage of NC-HK 1 through the hydrophobic phenyl-Sepharose column. The total amount of protein and activity recovered were 0.04 and 18%, respectively. The NC-HK 1 binds to the hydrophobic phenyl-Sepharose matrix, as observed for rat brain HK. Mild chymotrypsin digestion did not affect adsorption of NC-HK 1 to the hydrophobic column as it does for rat HK I. In contrast to mammal mitochondrial HK, glucose-6-phosphate, clotrimazole or thiopental did not dissociate NC-HK from maize (Zea mays) or rice (Oryza sativa) mitochondrial membranes. These data show that the interaction between maize or rice NC-HK to mitochondria differs from that reported in mammals, where the mitochondrial enzyme can be displaced by modulators or pharmacological agents known to interfere with the enzyme binding properties with the mitochondrial porin protein.