Disease relevance of USSR

• Rimantadine inhibits reproduction of influenza virus A/USSR/77 [1].
• Pollen of the white birch (Betula verrucosa) is one of the main causes of Type I allergic reactions (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, allergic bronchial asthma) in Middle and Northern Europe, North America and the USSR [2].
• We have analyzed sequence changes in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of influenza B viruses (and have determined four hemagglutinin sequences, of B/Bonn/43, B/USSR/100/83, B/Victoria/3/85, and B/Memphis/6/86) in relation to antigenic properties and compared these with similar analyses of variation in influenza A antigens [3].
• The use of low-dose oral methotrexate (MTX) for persistent polyarthritis has been shown to be effective by the USA/USSR collaborative study group [4].
• Only five single-base differences were found within the sequences of the A/FW/1/50 and A/USSR/90/77 NS genes, thus confirming earlier data suggesting that the 1977 H1N1 viruses are closely related to virus strains that were circulating around 1950 [5].

High impact information on USSR

• Particularly high prevalences of multidrug resistance were found in the former Soviet Union, Asia, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina [6].
• Forty-five university students with proved influenza A/USSR/77 H1N1 infection were randomly treated with either amantadine hydrochloride (14 students), rimantadine hydrochloride (19 students), or placebo (12 students) [7].
• These included A/WSN/33, A/PR/8/34, A/FW/5/50, A/USSR/90/77, A/RI/5+/57, A/Victoria/3/75, and A/Swine /1977/31; however, NS1 from cells infected with B/Lee/40 virus was not precipitated [8].
• Ethmozin, a phenothiazine derivative, is an antiarrhythmic drug synthesized in the USSR [9].
• He started his scientific career in the USSR, but due to 20th century social and political upheavals, ended it in South Africa. This article will shed light on the life of Boris Balinsky, a scientist and writer and will explore the origins of his book [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of USSR

• In the present paper a reassortant virus, R2, having the HA gene of A/Duck/Ukraine/1/63 (H3N8) virus and the other genes of A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1) virus, as well as its non-aggregating passage variants and both parent viruses, have been studied in order to reveal the presence of unremoved sialic acid residues in the virions [11].
• Most bacterial cells (Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter) obtained from the soil at the Khaidarkan mercury and antimony mine (Kirghiz USSR) contain R plasmids with mercury (HgCl2) resistance determinants [12].
• The Russian-VX (R-VX) is the principle V-type nerve agent in the chemical warfare (CW) arsenal of the Former Soviet Union. We here report the enzymatic hydrolysis of the P-S bond of Russian-VX by organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) from Pseudomonas diminuta [13].
• The efficacies of 200 mg of daily doses of amantadine and of rimantadine for prevention of infection and illness due to influenza A/USSR/77 (H1N1) virus were compared in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study on a college campus [14].
• Influenza virus A/USSR/053/74/H3N2 was subjected to the effect of some physico-chemical factors: freezing-thawing, ultrasounds, long-term storage at 4 degrees C, hydrogen ions, formaldehyde [15].

Biological context of USSR

• To determine the influence of dental amalgams on the mercury body burden of humans, we have given volunteers, with and without amalgams in their mouth, the sodium salt of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid (DMPS), a chelating agent safely used in the Soviet Union and West Germany for a number of years [16].
• The complete nucleotide sequences of the NS genes from three human influenza viruses, A/FM/1/47 (H1N1), A/FW/1/50 (H1N1), and A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1), were determined [5].
• Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), restriction fragment length polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction-amplified genes (RFLP-PCR), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to identify 25 isolates of spotted fever group rickettsia collected in the former USSR [17].
• There are few data on drug resistance-associated mutations in the former Soviet Union since, studies have usually been focused on the env or gag genes for subtype information [18].

Anatomical context of USSR

• The clones were generated by limiting dilution of peripheral blood lymphocytes after two in vitro stimulations with autologous influenza A/USSR virus-infected cells and were grown in T cell growth factor [19].
• The glycoproteins HA and NA, of the strain A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1), were purified electrophoretically and were tested in vitro using the adherent peritoneal macrophages of C3H/HeN mice elicited with thioglycolate [20].
• This paper reports results from the study of mortality from malignancies of the hematopoietic and lymphatic system among personnel of the first nuclear reactor and processing plant in the USSR [21].

Associations of USSR with chemical compounds

• A 12-month double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of D-penicillamine and hydroxychloroquine was conducted in 162 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in the United States and in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [22].
• Glycosylated tryptic peptides of the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza A/USSR/90/77(H1N1) virus were separated by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration [23].
• The combination of rimantadine and ribavirin resulted in an enhanced antiviral effect (a decrease in virus titer of > 1.0 log10 plaque-forming unit per ml at 24 h relative to the maximal effect of a single drug) against A/USSR/90/77/H1N1, A/Texas/1/77/H3N2, A/New Jersey/76/HSW1N1, and A/PR/834/H0N1 viruses [24].
• Seven well volunteers and three patients with a naturally occurring influenza A/USSR/77 (H1N1)-like infection were given amantadine by small-particle aerosol with a Collison generator modified for this purpose [25].
• The maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of chloroprene was set at 2 mg/m3 in the USSR in the 1940's. The existing MPC is 4 mg/m3 [26].

Gene context of USSR

• We examined both clinically and by determining HLA-A, -B, -C and -DR antigens 50 patients thought to have seronegative erosive polyarticular rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Finland and the USSR [27].
• These segment pairs represent basic elements of the regulatory peptide primary structure pattern, which was found recently [Dokl. Akad. Nauk USSR 289 (1986) 721-724; Int. J. Peptide Prot. Res. 38 (1991) 505-510] [28].
• Interestingly, we also found TNFR activity on the surface of cells infected with VV Lister, USSR and Evans [29].
• We have tested for expression of soluble binding activity for human TNF in cultures infected with 18 orthopoxviruses and have found that TNFRs are mostly absent but are produced by VV strains Lister, USSR and Evans, by the CPV elephantpox and by camelpox virus [29].
• Transferrin (TF) subtypes were studied in 7 different populations from the Soviet Union (Buryats, Russians, Koreans, Kirghizes and Pamirians) and in 3 different populations from Mongolia [30].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of USSR

• A genetic sequence analysis revealed that among the eight segments (genes) the PB1, HA, and NA genes were almost identical with allelic genes of the USSR/77 strain, and the PB2, PA, NP, M, and NS genes were almost identical with those of the A/PR/8/34 strain [31].
• The following results were obtained in an experimental study in the dogs in general pentobarbital anaesthesia: Lidocaine type antiarrhythmics (lidocaine, Xylocaine ASTRA, Ethmozin USSR) administered shortly before artery ligation have a pro-fibrillation effect [32].
• Along with the samples produced, several commercial activated carbons (namely RB-1, F 100, CA (adsorbent from military gas masks), BAY (product of the USSR)) were tested to compare adsorption properties in the adsorption of phenols, xylidines, amines, methylene blue and molasses [33].
• Acute and convalescent sera from HFRS patients in Korea and the Asian USSR showed no or only very weak reactivity in the Puumala virus IgG and IgM ELISA [34].

References