Description of Zoonotic Pseudocowpoxvirus Infection of Cattle in Russia.

Parapoxviruses are worldwide epitheliotropic viruses that affect ruminants. Viruses of this genus have a narrow host range; however, the pseudocowpox virus (PCPV) also infects humans. Unfortunately, these cases are not well documented, and the epidemiology and the properties of the causative agents are not properly described. Here, we report the first case of PCPV in northern Russia (the Irkutsk region). The infection occurred in non-immune herds where no new arrivals of animals had been reported. Moreover, clinical signs of infection (skin lesions) were observed in humans. Based on the nucleotide identity and phylogenetic analysis of the partial-length B2L gene, the Irkutsk 2019 isolate was classified as PCPV. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the B2L gene fragment of PCPV revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between the Irkutsk 2019 isolate and the PCPV strains isolated in Europe and the USA. The high degree of conservatism of the B2L gene does not allow for finding a correlation between their geographical origin and the results of phylogenetic analysis.

A highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4 detected in Samara Oblast, Russian Federation.

Avian influenza (AI) is a global problem impacting birds and mammals, causing economic losses in commercial poultry farms and backyard settings. In 2022, over 8,500 AI cases were reported worldwide, with the H5 subtype being responsible for many outbreaks in wild and domestic birds. In the territory of the Russian Federation, outbreaks of AI have been massively reported since 2020, both among domestic bird species and wild bird species. Wild migratory birds often serve as natural reservoirs for AI viruses, and interactions between bird species can lead to the emergence of new, highly pathogenic variants through genetic recombination between strains. In order to combat the widespread outbreaks of the disease and potential risks of further spread in 2021, monitoring studies were conducted in the Samara Oblast, the southeastern region of European Russian Federation. These studies aimed to diagnose and characterize circulating AI virus variants among wild migratory birds during waterfowl hunting in areas of mass nesting. Among the 98 shot birds, a highly pathogenic A/H5N1 AI virus was detected in a Eurasian Teal from the Bolshechernigovsky district. It was classified into clade 2.3.4.4 based on the cleavage site structure of HA. Phylogenetic analysis showed a high relatedness of the identified strain in the Samara Oblast with field isolates from Russia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Benin. The article emphasizes the importance of monitoring AI virus spread in both wild and poultry, highlighting the need for timely information exchange to assess risks. Further comprehensive studies are necessary to understand virus dissemination pathways.

Spatiotemporal Patterns of African Swine Fever in Wild Boar in the Russian Federation (2007-2022): Using Clustering Tools for Revealing High-Risk Areas.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease that affects both domestic pigs (DPs) and wild boar (WB). The WB population plays an important role in the spread of ASF as the WB acts as a natural reservoir of the virus and transmits it to other susceptible wild and domestic pigs. Our study was aimed at revealing the areas with a high concentration of the WB population, and their potential relationships with the grouping of ASF cases in WB during the course of the ASF spread in the Russian Federation (2007-2022). We collected the annual data on WB numbers by municipalities within the regions of the most intensive ASF spread. We then conducted spatiotemporal analysis to identify clustering areas of ASF cases and compare them with the territories with a high density of WB population. We found that some of the territories with elevated ASF incidence in WB demonstrated spatial and temporal coincidence with the areas with a high WB population density. We also visualized the zones ("emerging hot spots") with a statistically significant rise in the WB population density in recent years, which may be treated as areas of paramount importance for the application of surveillance measures and WB population control.

Characterization and comparative analysis of the Escherichia marmotae M-12 isolate from bank vole (Myodes glareolus).

The Escherichia marmotae is a bacterium of the Enterobacterales order, which was first isolated from the Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana). Recently E. marmotae has been shown to cause severe infections in humans. Wild animals were suggested to be a natural reservoir of this bacterium. The present study describes the first case of E. marmotae isolation from an apparently healthy wild bank vole (Myodes glareolus). Phenotype, as well as genotype-based techniques, were applied to characterize E. marmotae M-12 isolate. E. marmotae M-12 had the capsule-positive phenotype, high adhesion to human erythrocytes and HEp-2 cells as well as a low invasion into HEp-2 cells. E. marmotae M-12 was avirulent in mice. The phylogenomic analyses of E. marmotae showed dispersed phylogenetic structure among isolates of different origins. Virulome analysis of M-12 isolate revealed the presence of the following factors: siderophores, heme uptake systems, capsule synthesis, curli and type I fimbriae, flagella proteins, OmpA porin, etc. Comparative virulome analysis among available E. marmotae genomes revealed the presence of capsule K1 genes mostly in pathogenic isolates and OmpA porin presence among all strains. We assume that the K1 capsule and OmpA porin play a key role in the virulence of E. marmotae. Pathogenesis of the latter might be similar to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli.

The first detection of two Aeromonas strains in mice of the genus Apodemus.

Aeromonas spp. are gram-negative facultatively anaerobic bacilli recovered mainly from aquatic environments. Aeromonas spp. were reported to be associated with infections primarily in aquatic and to a lesser extent in terrestrial animals as well as in humans. Up-to-date little is known about aeromonads associated with wild animals, especially with rodents. This study reported the first isolation and characterization of two Aeromonas spp. from internal organs of apparently healthy wild rodents Apodemus uralensis and Apodemus flavicollis captured in the wild environment in the European part of Russia. Isolates were identified as A. hydrophila M-30 and A. encheleia M-2 using the multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) approach. The isolation of the A. encheleia from rodents is the first described case. Both strains demonstrated beta-hemolytic activity towards human erythrocytes. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that both Aeromonas strains were resistant and intermediate to carbapenems and piperacillin-tazobactam, which was caused by the expression of the genus-specific CphA carbapenemases. A. hydrophila M-30 also demonstrated trimethoprim resistant phenotype. This is usually caused by the carriage of the dfrA or dfrB genes in aeromonads which are frequently associated with integron class I. The latter however was absent in both isolates. Our results expand our understanding of possible aeromonad reservoirs and demonstrate the likelihood of the formation of natural foci of Aeromonas infection and a new link in the chain of the spread of antimicrobial resistance as well.

African Swine Fever in the Russian Far East (2019-2020): Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Implications for Wild Ungulates.

African swine fever (ASF) is an emerging viral contagious disease affecting domestic pigs (DP) and wild boar (WB). ASF causes significant economic damage to the pig industry worldwide due to nearly 100% mortality and the absence of medical treatments. Since 2019, an intensive spread of ASF has been observed in the Russian Far East region. This spread raises concerns for epidemiologists and ecologists given the potential threat to the WB population, which is an essential member of the region's wild ungulates and provides a notable share of food resources for predatory species. This study aims to determine the genotype of ASF virus circulating in the region, reveal the spatio-temporal patterns of the ASF outbreaks' emergence, and assess the potential reduction of the regional fauna because of expected depopulation of WB. The first historical case of ASF in the study region was caused by an African swine fever virus (ASFV) isolated from DPs and belonging to Genotype 2, CVR1; IGR-2 (TRS +). Sequencing results showed no significant differences among ASFV strains currently circulating in the Russian Federation, Europe, and China. The spatiotemporal analysis with the space-time permutations model demonstrated the presence of six statistically significant clusters of ASF outbreaks with three clusters in DPs and one cluster in WBs. DP outbreaks prevail in the north-west regions of the study area, while northern regions demonstrate a mixture of DP and WB outbreaks. Colocation analysis did not reveal a statistically significant pattern of grouping of one category of outbreaks around the others. The possible damage to the region's fauna was assessed by modeling the total body mass of wild ungulates before and after the wild boars' depopulation, considering a threshold density of WB population of 0.025 head/km2, according to the currently in force National Plan on the ASF Eradication in Russia. The results suggest the total mass of ungulates of the entire study region will likely decrease by 8.4% (95% CI: 4.1-13.0%), while it may decrease by 33.6% (19.3-46.1%) in the Primorsky Krai, thereby posing an undeniable threat to the predatory species of the region.

Environmental Risk of Leptospirosis in Animals: The Case of The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic natural focal disease caused by the pathogenic bacteria Leptospira. Its spread is related to certain ecological factors. The aim of the current research was to assess potential exposure to the infection as a function of environmental determinants in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation. We applied environmental niche modeling using leptospirosis cases in livestock and wild animals in 1995-2019 with regard to a set of landscape, climatic, and socioeconomic variables, both for the current climate and for the projected climate for 2041-2060. The MaxEnt model performed well (AUC = 0.930), with the mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean diurnal range, land cover type, and altitude being the most contributing variables. Consequent zoning based on the proportion of high-risk cells within each administrative unit suggested that five out of the 36 districts of the Republic are at high risk in the current climate conditions, with three more districts expected to demonstrate a high risk by 2060. This study presents the first-ever attempt at leptospirosis ecological modeling in Russia. Its results correspond well to the findings of other authors and underline the importance of considering ecological factors when conducting a leptospirosis risk assessment.

Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Cattle in the Irkutsk Region.

INTRODUCTION: Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a rare, under-explored lethal viral infection of cattle with gammaherpesvirus aetiological agents. Most often, the disease occurs on farms where cattle and sheep are kept together. However, other trigger mechanisms and environmental factors contribute. This study investigates the causation of MCF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An outbreak of MCF occurred in June - August 2017 in Kharchev village in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. In this paper, we provide epidemiological (sanitary status of pastures, watering places, and premises) and weather data during the outbreak, and descriptions of the clinical signs and post-mortem changes in cattle. The virus was detected and isolated from pathological material samples and identified by molecular methods. RESULTS: Extreme weather conditions, mixed-herd cattle and sheep farming, and unsatisfactory feed quality contributed to the outbreak. A virus related to herpesvirus OvHV2 was isolated and typed (MCF/Irkutsk/2017). Phylogenetic analysis showed its close genetic relationship to isolates from cattle and sheep in Germany, USA, and the Netherlands. CONCLUSION: Sporadic outbreaks of MCF caused by biotic and abiotic factors together are typical for the Russian Federation, and the Irkutsk outbreak epitomised this. Temperature anomalies caused pasture depletion, resulting in feed and water deficiency for grazing animals and dehydration and acidosis. Heat stress in animals ultimately led to the occurrence of MCF in the herd.

Heat capacity and decomposition of rimantadine hydrochloride.

Heat capacities of the antiviral drug rimantadine hydrochloride in the crystalline state were measured by adiabatic calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range from (7 to 453) K. A broad low-enthalpy solid-state phase anomaly was detected between (170 and 250) K. Thermodynamic functions for crystalline rimantadine hydrochloride were derived. Decomposition of the studied compound was probed by the Knudsen effusion method and thermogravimetry with the support of quantum chemical calculations. The enthalpy of decomposition of rimantadine hydrochloride into the corresponding amine and hydrogen chloride was estimated from those data. The thermodynamic functions of the corresponding amine in the ideal gaseous state, including enthalpy of formation, were obtained using statistical thermodynamics with the necessary molecular parameters computed using quantum chemical methods. The enthalpy of formation of crystalline rimantadine hydrochloride was estimated.

Thermodynamic behavior and polymorphism of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate composites with multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

Based on room-temperature densities measured in this research for ionic nanofluids (INFs) with four ionic liquids (ILs), we conclude that evacuation is a necessary step to maximize the IL penetration into multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). An improved procedure for reproducible preparation of INFs is proposed. Thermal behavior of five (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate + MWCNT) samples was studied by adiabatic calorimetry over the temperature range (78 to 370) K. The samples contained from 0.11 to 0.92 mass fraction of the nanophase. Their appearance changed from the fluid to the powder with increasing the MWCNT content. For the fluid samples, the specific heat capacity was found be an additive quantity of the specific heat capacities of the components for the crystal and liquid phases, and the temperatures of phase transitions did not change relative to the bulk values. For the powder-like sample with the highest IL content, a sigmoidal heat capacity curve was observed. Thus, the internal diameter of the studied MWCNT was small enough to switch from the isothermal melting process to the gradual transition from the crystal-like structures to the liquid-like ones.

Polymorphism and thermophysical properties of L- and DL-menthol.

The thermodynamic properties, phase behavior, and kinetics of polymorphic transformations of racemic (DL-) and enantiopure (L-) menthol were studied using a combination of advanced experimental techniques, including static vapor pressure measurements, adiabatic calorimetry, Tian-Calvet calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction. Several concomitant polymorphs (α, ß, γ, and δ forms) were observed and studied. A continuous transformation to the stable α form was detected by DSC and monitored in detail using X-ray powder diffraction. A long-term coexistence of the stable crystalline form with the liquid phase was observed. The vapor pressure measurements of both compounds were performed using two static apparatus over a temperature range from 274 K to 363 K. Condensed-phase heat capacities were measured by adiabatic and Tian-Calvet calorimetry in the wide temperature interval from 5 K to 368 K. Experimental data of L- and DL-menthol are compared mutually as well as with available literature results. The thermodynamic functions of crystalline and liquid L-menthol between 0 K and 370 K were calculated from the calorimetric results. The thermodynamic properties in the ideal-gas state were obtained by combining statistical thermodynamics and quantum chemical calculations based on a thorough conformational analysis. Calculated ideal-gas heat capacities and experimental data on vapor pressure and condensed-phase heat capacity were treated simultaneously to obtain a consistent thermodynamic description. Based on the obtained results, the phase diagrams of L-menthol and DL-menthol were suggested.

Thermodynamic Properties of Organic Substances: Experiment, Modeling, and Technological Applications.

In this review, results of the studies of thermodynamic properties of organic substances conducted at the Chemistry Department of the Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus) over a period of more than 50 years are summarized. Emphasis is made on precise measurements (both calorimetry and equilibria) and prediction methods, including group-contribution, quantum chemical, and statistical mechanical, for a broad range of thermodynamic properties of various classes of chemical substances. The principal purposes of these studies were to establish relationships between thermodynamic properties of organic substances and their molecular structure, develop methods of extrapolation and prediction of the properties of substances lacking experimental data, and provide thermodynamic background for innovative energy- and resource-saving technologies.

Thermodynamic properties of adamantane revisited.

The heat capacity and parameters of the solid-to-solid phase transition of adamantane were measured in the temperature range from 80 to 370 K by use of adiabatic calorimetry. The thermodynamic functions for the compound in the crystalline and liquid states were calculated. The standard molar enthalpy of formation in the crystalline state for adamantane was obtained from combustion calorimetry by use of two different calorimeters. Available data on the enthalpy of combustion, saturated vapor pressure, and enthalpy of sublimation of adamantane were collected, analyzed, and selected. On the basis of spectroscopic data and results of quantum-chemical calculations, the ideal-gas properties for adamantane were calculated by a statistical thermodynamics method.

Thermodynamics of ionic liquids precursors: 1-methylimidazole.

The standard molar enthalpy of formation in the liquid state for 1-methylimidazole (MeIm) was obtained from combustion calorimetry. The enthalpy of vaporization of the compound was derived from the temperature dependence of the vapor pressure measured by the transpiration method. Additionally, the enthalpy of vaporization for MeIm was measured directly using Calvet-type calorimetry. In order to verify the experimental data, first-principles calculations of MeIm were performed. The enthalpy of formation evaluated at the G3MP2 level of theory is in excellent agreement with the experimental value. The heat capacity and parameters of fusion of MeIm were measured in the temperature range (5 to 370) K using adiabatic calorimetry. The thermodynamic functions for the compound in the crystal and liquid states were calculated from these data. Based on the experimental spectroscopic data and the results of quantum-chemical calculations, the ideal-gas properties for MeIm were calculated by methods of statistical thermodynamics.

Calorimetric determination of the enthalpy of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide synthesis: a key quantity in thermodynamics of ionic liquids.

The enthalpy of the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [C(4)mim]Br ionic liquid synthesis reaction 1-methylimidazole (liq) + 1-bromobutane (liq) --> [C(4)mim]Br (liq) was determined in a homemade small-volume isoperibol calorimeter to be Delta(r)H degrees (298) = -87.7 +/- 1.6 kJ x mol(-1). The activation energy for this reaction in a homogeneous system E(A) = 73 +/- 4 kJ x mol(-1) was found from the results of calorimetric measurements. The formation enthalpies for the crystalline and liquid [C(4)mim]Br were determined from the calorimetric data: Delta(f)H degrees (298)(cr) = -178 +/- 5 kJ x mol(-1) and Delta(f)H degrees (298)(liq) = -158 +/- 5 kJ x mol(-1). The ideal-gas formation enthalpy of this compound Delta(f)H degrees (298)(g) = 16 +/- 7 kJ x mol(-1) was calculated using the methods of quantum chemistry and statistical thermodynamics. The vaporization enthalpy of [C(4)mim]Br, Delta(vap)H degrees (298) = 174 +/- 9 kJ x mol(-1), was estimated from the experimental and calculated formation enthalpies. It was demonstrated that vapor pressure of this ionic liquid cannot be experimentally determined.

Physicochemical properties, structure, and conformations of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [C4mim]NTf2 ionic liquid.

Thermodynamic properties of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C4mim]NTf2) ionic liquid have been studied by adiabatic calorimetry in the temperature range of 5 to 370 K. This compound has been found to form crystal, liquid, and glass. The temperature and enthalpy of fusion for [C(4)mim]NTf(2) have been determined to be T(fus) = 270.22 +/- 0.02 K and Delta(fus)H = 23.78 +/- 0.04 kJ.mol(-1), respectively. The heat capacity of crystalline [C(4)mim]NTf(2) in the T range of 205 to 255 K may vary by a few percent, subject to the procedure of the crystal preparation. The glass transition temperature for [C(4)mim]NTf(2) has been found to be T(g) = 181.5 +/- 0.1 K. On the basis of the results of DFT quantum chemical calculations, the experimental vibrational spectra, and the available literature data, thermodynamic properties of [C(4)mim]NTf(2) in the ideal-gas state have been calculated by the statistical thermodynamic methods. The entropy values for the gaseous compound obtained from the experimental data and the calculations are in satisfactory agreement.