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- Science into life: the "glow" of the Volga and cancer-fighting vaccines against COVID-19
Science into life: the "glow" of the Volga and cancer-fighting vaccines against COVID-19
Russian scientists have studied how water from the Volga River changes its optical properties depending on the content of organic molecules. Data on the glow of Europe's largest river will be used in a satellite monitoring system for the reservoir. American researchers have found that cancer patients who received an injection of the mRNA vaccine against coronavirus infection live significantly longer than unvaccinated patients. The effect is explained by the general strengthening of immunity after vaccination. Developers from the USA have introduced a new drug for resistant hypertension. Clinical studies have shown that 40% of participants achieved normal blood pressure and had no side effects. These and other discoveries can be found in the weekly Izvestia column.
Scientists have developed "floating" houses for the northern regions
Architectural scientists from the P. Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, together with specialists from the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (MGSU), have developed experimental prefabricated modular residential complexes designed for the conditions of the Far North.
The proposed Arctic homes project combines sustainability, energy efficiency and ease of transportation. According to experts, the development can be the key to comfortable and safe living in one of the harshest regions of the world.
— To avoid contact with permafrost and its thawing, the building must be "floating". For these purposes, it is suspended on special supports. They are connected to each other in the form of a triangle, which gives stability to the structure. The modules themselves have rounded corners to reduce wind load. Their compact shape, close to a cube or cylinder, minimizes the area of the exterior walls, which reduces heat losses," Sergei Ogorodnikov, a graduate student at the Department of Architecture, Restoration and Design at the RUDN University Academy of Engineering, told Izvestia.
The dimensions of the modules are standardized for the dimensions of 20- and 40-foot cargo containers. This makes it easier to transport them by any means of transport, he added. The components of the future houses are selected in such a way that the assembly of the structure can be carried out by a team of 2-4 people without the use of heavy machinery. If necessary, temporary buildings can be quickly folded for transportation or safe storage. The project provides color accents and lighting that will help combat possible depression during the polar night. The roof and walls of the houses are designed to install solar panels.
Korean perch threatens shrimps and mutton in the Black Sea
Specialists from the Sevastopol Institute of Biology of the South Seas named after A.O. Kovalevsky of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted a study of the population of Korean, or dark, perch off the Crimean coast. Previously, this species, which lives in the Pacific Ocean, was not found either in the Black Sea or in the neighboring Mediterranean Sea. However, having first entered the coastal waters of Western Crimea, most likely due to human activity, it began to actively reproduce and increasingly become the prey of fishermen along the coast. An article with the results of the work was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
The data collected by scientists show that in new conditions, the perch develops even faster than in its natural Pacific range. This gives him a great chance to eventually become a mass inhabitant of the Black Sea waters. But this can also pose a threat to both those local species that the perch feeds on, for example, for shrimp and mutton, and for those local predators, including scorpions and dark humpback, which consume similar food items.
— At an early age, the Korean perch feeds on shrimps, sometimes crabs, and then gradually switches to fish. He becomes an active and voracious predator. Like any invasive species, perch will somehow affect a new ecosystem for itself. For example, it can compete with the indigenous inhabitants for a food supply. In general, the prospects for the settlement and growth of the Korean perch population in the Black Sea can be considered favorable, which can cause significant changes in coastal ecosystems," said Igor Tamoikin, a junior researcher at the Department of Ichthyology at FITZ INBYUM.
For the first time, Korean perch was discovered in the Black Sea in 2013 in the Balaklava area.
Data on the "glow" of the Volga River will help create a satellite ecomonitoring system.
Russian scientists have studied the optical properties of water in the Volga River depending on the content of various organic molecules in it. The results of the study will be used as reference values for a satellite monitoring system for one of Russia's largest rivers, which will analyze light radiation in various ranges. In total, the optical properties of the Volga waters were analyzed over 1,500 km of its course — from Gorky to Volgograd reservoir.
A total of 227 samples were taken, in which the authors investigated fluorescence, the ability of organic molecules to glow under the influence of light. The data obtained was studied using modern mathematical algorithms and four groups of organic substances were isolated in river water.
— For the first time, we conducted a systematic study of the optical properties of the surface waters of the longest river in Europe, the Volga. Using the Albatross software package developed in our laboratory, we were able to reliably identify four groups of organic substances found along the entire length of the river and study their spatial variability. In addition, we are developing a portable fluorescent sensor, the parameters of which are optimized for recording groups of organic substances identified in this work," said Timur Labu, Associate Professor of the Department of Laser Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
The research results will be used for the accurate interpretation of satellite images, which will be used to monitor the state of the water in real time.
COVID-19 vaccines prolong the lives of cancer patients
An analysis of medical records conducted by American scientists has shown that people undergoing treatment for some deadly cancers lived longer if they were given the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. Subsequent experiments on mice confirmed that the drug activates the body's immune system. And her response increases the effectiveness of therapy against tumors.
— The mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 acts as a siren and activates the immune system throughout the body, including inside the tumor, where the destruction of malignant cells is programmed. We were amazed by the results obtained in our patients," said Adam Grippin, a radiologist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
The results of the scientists' work indicate additional, hidden capabilities of mRNA vaccines. Experts wondered if the immune defense activated by injections could be strong enough to affect cancer. They found confirmation of this hypothesis in mice, which prompted them to test whether this effect would extend to humans.
The researchers analyzed the medical records of more than 1,000 people with lung cancer and melanoma. They found that in people with one type of lung cancer, administration of the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 was associated with an almost twofold increase in life expectancy, from 21 to 37 months. Unvaccinated people with metastatic melanoma lived an average of 27 months. At the same time, many patients who received the vaccine continued to successfully fight the disease by the time data collection was completed, so scientists could not calculate their average life expectancy for comparison.
New drug reduces blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension
The results of a large clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that the new drug bakdrostat can reduce blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension who are not helped by classical medications. Its active ingredient belongs to a new class of medicines — aldosterone synthase inhibitors. They block the action of one of the body's enzymes, which causes a therapeutic effect.
— Existing medications for blood pressure, such as spironolactone, can cause side effects such as breast tenderness and decreased sexual function in men, as well as menstrual irregularities in women. Bakdrostat helps to avoid these problems, while effectively reducing blood pressure," said John Flack, a specialist at Southern Illinois University in Springfield.
40% of patients taking the drug had healthy systolic blood pressure below 130 mmHg. This effect was observed in both men and women of different ages, as well as in patients taking two or more pressure medications.
As expected, the study participants showed a slight increase in potassium levels, but to a much lesser extent than when taking other medications. At the same time, the effect of the drug on the kidneys was insignificant due to the fact that it can reduce harmful hyperfiltration, an effect when the organ is overloaded, purifying more blood than normal.
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