Butterflies (Lepidoptera,Diurna) in boreal forests of southeastern Russia: 1. Light coniferous forests

Species groups formed in light coniferous forests prevailing in southeastern Russia are considered using the example of butterflies. Problems concerning the formation of species composition and its originality in some insects groups are discussed. A classification analysis of species checklists for twelve local faunas of Transbaikalia and the southern Far East of Russia is performed. It is shown that the faunas of areas occupied by light coniferous forests have a common background.     

Surface Erosion of Metals under the Effect of Plasma Flows Typical of Transient Processes in Tokamaks

Plasma Physics Reports - It is shown theoretically that under the effect of plasma flows typical of transient processes in tokamaks not only can Kelvin–Helmholtz instability develop and waves...     

Role of microbiological surveillance in the choice of antibacterial therapy for intestinal Klebsiella infection in infants

Data on the frequency of intestinal infections caused by Klebsiella spp. in infants at the age of 1 month to 1 year and antibiotic resistance of K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca isolates from newborns and infants aged 1 month to 1 year are presented. The frequency of the Klebsiella isolates from the newborns and infants at the age of 1 month to 1 year with acute intestinal infections amounted to 17.7 +/- 1.4 and 42.5 +/- 1.4 per cent, respectively. The majority of the clinical strains had a multiple resistance to 7-9 drugs. The overwhelming majority of the strains were sensitive to gentamicin, monomycin, kanamycin, neomycin and polymyxin B.     

Immunomodulating mechanism of the antitumor effect of asterin

It was shown that asterin therapy performed on a model of spontaneous metastasis markedly changed the content of the thymus serum factor in mice and normalized its level. The inducing mechanism of the drug's antitumor action was realized both at the stage of the metastatic postinvasion phase and during its terminal period which was probably due to an increase in the influence of the thymus on the immune system and evident from an increase in the therapeutic action of the drug.     

Recrystallization and modification of the stainless-steel surface relief under photonic heat load in powerful plasma discharges

Targets made of ITER-grade 316L(N)-IG stainless steel and Russian-grade 12Cr18Ni10Ti stainless steel with a close composition were exposed at the QSPA-T plasma gun to plasma photonic radiation pulses simulating conditions of disruption mitigation in ITER. After a large number of pulses, modification of the stainless-steel surface was observed, such as the formation of a wavy structure, irregular roughness, and cracks on the target surface. X-ray and optic microscopic analyses of targets revealed changes in the orientation and dimensions of crystallites (grains) over a depth of up to 20 μm for 316L(N)-IG stainless steel after 200 pulses and up to 40 μm for 12Cr18Ni10Ti stainless steel after 50 pulses, which is significantly larger than the depth of the layer melted in one pulse (～10 μm). In a series of 200 tests of ITER-grade 316L(N)-IG ITER stainless steel, a linear increase in the height of irregularity (roughness) with increasing number of pulses at a rate of up to ～1 μm per pulse was observed. No alteration in the chemical composition of the stainless-steel surface in the series of tests was revealed. A model is developed that describes the formation of wavy irregularities on the melted metal surface with allowance for the nonlinear stage of instability of the melted layer with a vapor/plasma flow above it. A decisive factor in this case is the viscous flow of the melted metal from the troughs to tops of the wavy structure. The model predicts saturation of the growth of the wavy structure when its amplitude becomes comparable with its wavelength. Approaches to describing the observed stochastic relief and roughness of the stainless-steel surface formed in the series of tests are considered. The recurrence of the melting-solidification process in which mechanisms of the hill growth compete with the spreading of the material from the hills can result in the formation of a stochastic relief.     

Severe Painful Vaso-Occlusive Crises and Mortality in a Contemporary Adult Sickle Cell Anemia Cohort Study

Background

Frequent painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) were associated with mortality in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) over twenty years ago. Modern therapies for sickle cell anemia (SCA) like hydroxyurea are believed to have improved overall patient survival. The current study sought to determine the relevance of the association between more frequent VOCs and death and its relative impact upon overall mortality compared to other known risk factors in a contemporary adult SCA cohort.

Methods

Two hundred sixty four SCA adults were assigned into two groups based on patient reported outcomes for emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations for painful VOC treatment during the 12 months prior to evaluation.

Results

Higher baseline hematocrit (p = 0.0008), ferritin (p = 0.005), and HDL cholesterol (p = 0.01) were independently associated with 1 or more painful VOCs requiring an ED visit or hospitalization for acute pain. During a median follow-up of 5 years, mortality was higher in the ED visit/hospitalization group (relative risk [RR] 2.68, 95% CI 1.1-6.5, p = 0.03). Higher tricuspid regurgitatant jet velocity (TRV) (RR 2.41, 95% CI 1.5-3.9, p < 0.0001), elevated ferritin (RR 4.00, 95% CI 1.8-9.0, p = 0.001) and lower glomerular filtration rate (RR=2.73, 95% CI 1.6-4.6, p < 0.0001) were also independent risk factors for mortality.

Conclusions

Severe painful VOCs remain a marker for SCA disease severity and premature mortality in a modern cohort along with other known risk factors for death including high TRV, high ferritin and lower renal function. The number of patient reported pain crises requiring healthcare utilization is an easily obtained outcome that could help to identify high risk patients for disease modifying therapies.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00011648 http://clinicaltrials.gov/     

Molecular phylogeny of pectinase genes <Emphasis Type="Italic">PGU</Emphasis> in the yeast genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces</Emphasis>

Using yeast genome databases and literature data, phylogenetic analysis of pectinase PGU genes from 112 Saccharomyces strains assigned to the biological species S. arboricola, S. bayanus (var. uvarum), S. cariocanus, S. cerevisiae, S. kudriavzevii, S. mikatae, S. paradoxus, and the hybrid taxon S. pastorianus (syn. S. carlsbergensis) was carried out. A superfamily of divergent PGU genes was found. Natural interspecies transfer of the PGU gene both from S. cerevisiae to S. bayanus and from S. paradoxus to S. cerevisiae may, however, occur. Within the Saccharomyces species, identity of the PGU nucleotide sequences was 98.8–100% for S. cerevisiae, 86.1–95.7% for S. bayanus (var. uvarum), 94–98.3% for S. kudriavzevii, and 96.8–100% for S. paradoxus/S. cariocanus. For the first time, a family of polymeric PGU1b, PGU2b, PGU3b and PGU4b genes is documented for the yeast S. bayanus var. uvarum, a variety important for winemaking.     

Immobilization of champagne yeasts by inclusion into cryogels of polyvinyl alcohol for preventing cell escape from carrier matrix

Wine champagnizing, a process involving the use of champagne yeasts immobilized by inclusion into cryogels of polyvinyl alcohol, has been studied. Treatment of yeast cells with the autoregulatory factor d1 was proposed as a means of preventing the cell escape from the carrier matrix. Such a treatment inhibited growth and proliferation processes in yeasts cells, without affecting the activity of fermentation; the resulting champagne had the same organoleptic and chemical characteristics as its counterparts obtained using traditional techniques.     

Physiological and biochemical characteristics of immobilized champagne yeasts and their participation in sparkling processes

Methods for immobilizing champagne yeasts, physiological and biochemical characteristics of the immobilized cells, and problems of their utilization in the production of quality champagne wines are reviewed. Studies aimed at the development of efficient biocatalysts for champaignizing wines using bottle fermentation (method champenoise) and tank processing (bulk, or Charmat process), based on the use of immobilized yeast cells, are described. Data on the industrial use of such biocatalysts in countries manufacturing champagne wines are presented. Problems and prospects of further research in this field are discussed.