Study of the Ion Composition of the Diffuse Vacuum Arc on a Hot Cathode by the Time-of-Flight Method

Plasma Physics Reports - The study of a diffuse vacuum arc (DVA) is of interest in connection with the developing methods of plasma processing of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF). This type of...     

Distribution of Sprattus sprattus phalericus (Risso, 1827) and zooplankton near the Black Sea redoxcline

Understanding what environmental drivers influence marine predator–prey relationships can be key to managing and protecting ecosystems, especially in the face of future climate change risks. This is especially important in environments such as the Black Sea, where strong biogeochemical gradients can drive marine habitat partitioning and ecological interactions. We used underwater video recordings in the north-eastern Black Sea in November 2013 to observe the distribution and behaviour of the Black Sea sprat (Sprattus sprattus phalericus, Risso 1827) and its zooplankton prey. Video recordings have shown that the Black Sea sprat S. sprattus phalericus tolerates severely hypoxic waters near the redoxcline. The school was distributed in the 33–96 m layer [oxygen concentration (O₂) 277–84 μmol L⁻¹]. Some individuals were observed to leave the school and descended 20 m deeper for foraging on copepods in the 119–123 m layer (O₂ 12–10 μmol L⁻¹). Zooplankton appeared concentrated on the upper boundary of the suboxic zone (O₂ < 10 μmol L⁻¹). No zooplankton were observed below O₂ 6–7 μmol L⁻¹ (128 m). Understanding the ability of this species to tolerate low oxygen waters is crucial to predicting future responses to natural and anthropogenic changes in hypoxia.     

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.

     

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.     

Use of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum for elimination of Staphylococcus aureus from the nasal cavity in volunteers exposed to abnormal microclimate and altered gaseous environment

Effectiveness of saline suspension of Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum containing spray was assessed in a 30-days chamber experiment modeling the effects of hyperthermia and polluted air on humans. Spray was targeted at eliminating Staphylococcus aureus from the nasal cavity of human subjects. Three of four volunteers became S. aureus carriers in the course of the experiment, and one was a chronic carrier of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Spray application eradicated S. aureus in three subjects and reduced its presence in the MRSA carrier. Results of the study suggest that C. pseudodiphtheriticum can be used for control of S. aureus in the nasal environment. However, further investigations are required.     

Intraspecies structure of beaked redfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastes mentella</Emphasis> of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans

On the basis of the results of complex interdisciplinary investigations of the population composition and structure of the beaked redfish Sebastes mentella of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, its three populations are discerned relatively isolated from each other by the system of permanent marine currents—North Atlantic, Flemish-Cape, and Norway-Barents Sea. The population structure of the species in the southern part of its area corresponds to the model of a local stock. Interaction of the North Atlantic and the Norway-Barents Sea populations well correspond to the model of fluctuating stocks. Redfish aggregations in different biotopes (mesobenthal and mesopelagial) are intrapopulational epigenetic groups. In the period of warm and anomalously warm years, a part of mature specimens from the pelagial of the North Irminger Sea make an irreversible migration to the southern part of the Norwegian Sea and form there mixed aggregations of fish from the North Atlantic and Norway-Barents Sea populations. With consideration of the effect of climatic–oceanological processes, a principally new scheme is elaborated describing the process of seasonal migrations of redfish in the mesobenthal and mesopelagial. The previous views on direction of return migrations of redfish of the Norway-Barents Sea population are reconsidered. Juveniles from the western part of the Barents Sea and Spitsbergen not only supplement the demersal aggregations but also migrate to the pelagial of the Norwegian Sea.     

Electric Field and Poloidal Rotation in the Turbulent Edge Plasma of the T-10 Tokamak

Plasma Physics Reports - The dynamics of turbulent edge plasma in the T-10 tokamak is simulated numerically by solving reduced nonlinear MHD equations of Braginskii’s two-fluid hydrodynamics....     

Clinical Effects of Cesium Intake

The knowledge about cesium metabolism and toxicity is sparse. Oral intake of cesium chloride has been widely promoted on the basis of the hypothesis referred to as “high pH cancer therapy”, a complimentary alternative medicine method for cancer treatment. However, no properly confirmed tumor regression was reported so far in all probability because of neither theoretical nor experimental grounds for this proposal. The aim of the present review was to resume and discuss the material currently available on cesium salts and their applications in medicine. The presence of cesium in the cell does not guarantee high pH of its content, and there is no clinical evidence to support the claims that cancer cells are vulnerable to cesium. Cesium is relatively safe; signs of its mild toxicity are gastrointestinal distress, hypotension, syncope, numbness, or tingling of the lips. Nevertheless, total cesium intakes of 6 g/day have been found to produce severe hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, prolonged QTc interval, episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, with or without torsade de pointes, and even acute heart arrest. However, full information on its acute and chronic toxicity is not sufficiently known. Health care providers should be aware of the cardiac complications, as a result of careless cesium usage as alternative medicine.     

Zinc and Copper Concentrations in Human Preterm Milk

Zinc and copper are important trace elements in the nutrition of preterm infants. This study determined and compared the concentrations of zinc and copper in preterm milk of mothers receiving and not receiving zinc supplementation diets. The effects of maternal supplementation on the blood levels and anthropometric parameters were evaluated. Thirty-eight mothers and their preterm infants were enrolled in the study. Eighteen mothers were given a daily supplementation of 50 mg zinc, whereas the other 20 were not. Zinc and copper levels in milk were determined at 15-day intervals, as were blood zinc levels along with anthropometric parameters. Zinc and copper contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. No significant differences were found between groups either for zinc values in maternal milk and infant blood or for anthropometric measurements. A pronounced decrease in copper levels was observed in mothers receiving supplemental zinc. Zinc supplementation given to mothers who were breastfeeding preterm infants had no significant effect on zinc secretion in milk.