Climatic Factors Influencing the Anthrax Outbreak of 2016 in Siberia,Russia

In 2016, an outbreak of anthrax killing thousands of reindeer and affecting dozens of humans occurred on the Yamal peninsula, Northwest Siberia, after 70 years of epidemiological situation without outbreaks. The trigger of the outbreak has been ascribed to the activation of spores due to permafrost thaw that was accelerated during the summer heat wave. The focus of our study is on the dynamics of local environmental factors in connection with the observed anthrax revival. We show that permafrost was thawing rapidly for already 6 years before the outbreak. During 2011–2016, relatively warm years were followed by cold years with a thick snow cover, preventing freezing of the soil. Furthermore, the spread of anthrax was likely intensified by an extremely dry summer of 2016. Concurrent with the long-term decreasing trend in the regional annual precipitation, the rainfall in July 2016 was less than 10% of its 30-year mean value. We conclude that epidemiological situation of anthrax in the previously contaminated Arctic regions requires monitoring of climatic factors such as warming and precipitation extremes.

     

The Content of Vitamin C in the Grape Grown under the Conditions of Southwestern Siberia

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The grape is a highly valuable food stuff owing to the presence of a number of biologically active substances, and vitamins occupy a special place among...     

Disease modifying treatment of spinal cord injury with directly reprogrammed neural precursor cells in non-human primates

BACKGROUNDThe development of regenerative therapy for human spinal cord injury (SCI) is dramatically restricted by two main challenges: the need for a safe source of functionally active and reproducible neural stem cells and the need of adequate animal models for preclinical testing. Direct reprogramming of somatic cells into neuronal and glial precursors might be a promising solution to the first challenge. The use of non-human primates for preclinical studies exploring new treatment paradigms in SCI results in data with more translational relevance to human SCI.AIMTo investigate the safety and efficacy of intraspinal transplantation of directly reprogrammed neural precursor cells (drNPCs).METHODSSeven non-human primates with verified complete thoracic SCI were divided into two groups: drNPC group (n = 4) was subjected to intraspinal transplantation of 5 million drNPCs rostral and caudal to the lesion site 2 wk post injury, and lesion control (n = 3) was injected identically with the equivalent volume of vehicle.RESULTSFollow-up for 12 wk revealed that animals in the drNPC group demonstrated a significant recovery of the paralyzed hindlimb as well as recovery of somatosensory evoked potential and motor evoked potential of injured pathways. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging data confirmed the intraspinal transplantation of drNPCs did not adversely affect the morphology of the central nervous system or cerebrospinal fluid circulation. Subsequent immunohistochemical analysis showed that drNPCs maintained SOX2 expression characteristic of multipotency in the transplanted spinal cord for at least 12 wk, migrating to areas of axon growth cones.CONCLUSIONOur data demonstrated that drNPC transplantation was safe and contributed to improvement of spinal cord function after acute SCI, based on neurological status assessment and neurophysiological recovery within 12 wk after transplantation. The functional improvement described was not associated with neuronal differentiation of the allogeneic drNPCs. Instead, directed drNPCs migration to the areas of active growth cone formation may provide exosome and paracrine trophic support, thereby further supporting the regeneration processes.     

Results of testing the comparatory method: The curvature of the shell valve frontal section is inappropriate as a systematic character for the freshwater pearl mussel of the genus Margaritifera

This paper continues a discussion on the number of pearl mussel species of the genus Margaritifera in northern Europe. A biometric study of 1711 pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera shells from 15 rivers in Russia and Latvia (basins of the White and Baltic seas) has been conducted. All the examined samples fall into two groups: the northern group (with the shells more flattened on average, f. margaritifera) and the southern one (with more convex shells, f. elongata); the boundary between these groups is at 63° N. Analysis of intrapopulation variation has shown that the samples contain individuals that correspond to f. margaritifera, f. elongata, and f. borealis. However, any hiatus between these forms is absent in all the samples, and individuals belonging to two intermediate forms are rather frequent. The hypothesis on the species specificity of the shell valve frontal section has not been confirmed based on examination of large shell samples. The pearl mussels inhabiting rivers of Northern Europe belong to a single species, M. margaritifera.     

Interactive effects of elevated temperature and CO2 levels on metabolism and oxidative stress in two common marine bivalves (Crassostrea virginica and Mercenaria mercenaria)

Marine bivalves such as the hard shell clams Mercenaria mercenaria and eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica are affected by multiple stressors, including fluctuations in temperature and CO₂ levels in estuaries, and these stresses are expected to be exacerbated by ongoing global climate change. Hypercapnia (elevated CO₂ levels) and temperature stress can affect survival, growth and development of marine bivalves, but the cellular mechanisms of these effects are not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated whether oxidative stress is implicated in cellular responses to elevated temperature and CO₂ levels in marine bivalves. We measured the whole-organism standard metabolic rate (SMR), total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in the muscle tissues of clams and oysters exposed to different temperatures (22 and 27 °C) and CO₂ levels (the present day conditions of ~ 400 ppm CO₂ and 800 ppm CO₂ predicted by a consensus business-as-usual IPCC emission scenario for the year 2100). SMR was significantly higher and the antioxidant capacity was lower in oysters than in clams. Aerobic metabolism was largely temperature-independent in these two species in the studied temperature range (22–27 °C). However, the combined exposure to elevated temperature and hypercapnia led to elevated SMR in clams indicating elevated costs of basal maintenance. No persistent oxidative stress signal (measured by the levels of protein carbonyls, and protein conjugates with malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal) was observed during the long-term exposure to moderate warming (+ 5 °C) and hypercapnia (~ 800 ppm CO₂). This indicates that long-term exposure to moderately elevated CO₂ and temperature minimally affects the cellular redox status in these bivalve species and that the earlier observed negative physiological effects of elevated CO₂ and temperature must be explained by other cellular mechanisms.     

Aging aggravates ischemic stroke‐induced brain damage in mice with chronic peripheral infection

Ischemic stroke is confounded by conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and infection, all of which alter peripheral inflammatory processes with concomitant impact on stroke outcome. The majority of the stroke patients are elderly, but the impact of interactions between aging and inflammation on stroke remains unknown. We thus investigated the influence of age on the outcome of stroke in animals predisposed to systemic chronic infection. Th1‐polarized chronic systemic infection was induced in 18–22 month and 4‐month‐old C57BL/6j mice by administration of Trichuris muris (gut parasite). One month after infection, mice underwent permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion and infarct size, brain gliosis, and brain and plasma cytokine profiles were analyzed. Chronic infection increased the infarct size in aged but not in young mice at 24 h. Aged, ischemic mice showed altered plasma and brain cytokine responses, while the lesion size correlated with plasma prestroke levels of RANTES. Moreover, the old, infected mice exhibited significantly increased neutrophil recruitment and upregulation of both plasma interleukin‐17α and tumor necrosis factor‐α levels. Neither age nor infection status alone or in combination altered the ischemia‐induced brain microgliosis. Our results show that chronic peripheral infection in aged animals renders the brain more vulnerable to ischemic insults, possibly by increasing the invasion of neutrophils and altering the inflammation status in the blood and brain. Understanding the interactions between age and infections is crucial for developing a better therapeutic regimen for ischemic stroke and when modeling it as a disease of the elderly.     

Effects of 3′-C-Methylation on the Hydrolytic Stability and Hydroxyl pK a Values of Dinucleoside 2′,5′- and 3′,5′-Monophosphates

Abstract

The first-order rate constants for hydrolysis of 3′-C-methyluridylyl(2′,5′)- and -(3′,5′)adenosine and the corresponding native dinucleoside monophosphates (2′,5′- and 3′,5′-UpA) have been determined as a function of hydroxide-ion concentration (0.025 - 7 M) at 25°C. In addition to the effects on the hydrolytic stability of the compounds, the effects of the 3′-C-methyl substitution on the kinetically determined pK _a values for the sugar hydroxyls of the undine moiety are discussed.     

Disaccharide Nucleosides And Their Enzymatic And Chemical Incorporation Into Oligonucleotides

Abstract

A high yield synthesis of different O-ribofuranosylnucleosides has been achieved. Kinetics of the acid-catalysed hydrolysis of disaccharide nucleosides has been studied. Chemical and enzymatic incorporation of 2′-O-ribofuranosyl-nucleoside residue into oligonucleotides was investigated.     

Synthesis of O-β-D-Ribofuranosyl-(1″-2′)-adenosine-5″-O-phosphate

Abstract

The first synthesis of O-β-D-ribofuranosyl-(1″-2′)-adenosine-5″-O-phosphate starting from protected 2′-O-β-D-ribofuranosyladenosine has been performed.     

Three new species of the genus Probles F?rster (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae, Tersilochinae) from?South Korea

Three closely related species of the genus Probles Förster, P. fulgida sp. n., P. korusa sp. n. and P. rukora sp. n., belong to the subgenus Euporizon Horstmann and differ from other Palearctic species of the genus by a combination of long and apically weakly sinuate ovipositor and short temple. These three species are assigned to a newly designated fulgida species-group, and a portion of the key for identification of this species-group is provided. Based on the shape of the ovipositor apex, the fulgida species-group resemble members of the subgenus Microdiaparsis Horstmann but are distinct in having a much shorter temple.