The kinetics of 90Sr: genotypic determining

The genotypic component of the variability (intrafamily correlation) of body mass, mass of thigh-bones and concentration of 90Sr in bone tissue were evaluated in the progeny of the laboratory mice of CBA line which were in the conditions of normal or slow development of skeleton since their birthday and which got a single injection of 90Sr in the late ontogenesis. The evaluation was made with the control of the effects of sex and age membership of animals and also taking into account the conditions of their development. Significant intrafamily correlation of the concentration of 90Sr was revealed. It can be compared with the morphological signs, which are the evidence of existence of genotypic determinacy of the kinetics of 90Sr.     

137Cs and 90Sr distribution peculiarities in soil and accumulation by pine tree wood and bark depending on edaphotops

The range of researches was made on 137Cs and 90Sr distribution regularities in pine tree plantations depending on different edaphic conditions. It is shown that total radionuclide amount in the forest litter depends on its thickness and is thought to be 10 to 70% for 137Cs and 20 to 60% for 90Sr. When soil fertility come increases from trophotop "A" to "C", 137Cs and 90Sr transfer factors for wood reduce. Soil humidity increase for each grade of trophic net results in increase of 137Cs transfer factors to wood and decrease for 90Sr. Total activity of 37Cs and 90Sr in pine wood plantation depends on plantation productivity and radionuclide transfer factors depending on different plantation conditions. In the most prevailing edaphotops pine wood accumulates 1-3% of 137Cs and 6-11% of 90Sr from total activity of radionuclides in biogeocenosis.     

Effect of cryosubstance Chagi on deposition or isolation of 90Sr and on the effect of prolonged external exposure to gamma-radiation

Positive effect on localisation and bringing out of 90Sr from organism were gained in the series of experiments on the rats Wistar after using per orum alcohol extract, water suspension and water extract of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga). Everyday per orum infusion of Inonotus water extract into the BALB-line mice under conditions of a prolonged (during two months) external total gamma-irradiation with power dose 0.025 sGr/min has a positive effect on increase an average life duration, are slow down the development of leycopenia, hold lipid peroxide oxidation in the blood and in critic tissues and the R-proteins in blood serum on the level, close to the intact control; appearance, activity and behaviour of the animals were the same.     

Individual behavior depending on reinforcement prediction errors and environmental uncertainty

Different types of individual behavior are described in terms of under- or overestimation of reinforcement characteristics by the brain under conditions of uncertainty of reinforcement presentation. The following important biological characteristics of a subject are discussed, such as anxiety, fear, neuroticism, impulsiveness, self-control and psychoticism that determine the main individual-typological features in human and animals. Some modern biological theories of "individuality" and recent animal studies of neuronal activity of the frontal cortex and striatum depending on validity and delay of reinforcement are analyzed.     

Individual variation in the structure of the infratemporal fossa and its contents]

The subarcuate fossa was studied in 150 turtles. The enclosed muscles, fasciae and cellular tissue spaces, vessels and nerves -- in 145 heads of corpses of adult humans by the methods of dissecting, making Pirogov's sections and histotopograms. Extreme forms in the structure of the subarcuate fossa were revealed as well as interrelations between the structure of the fossa and enclosed anatomical formations.     

Intrapopulation variability of some meadow plant species with respect to their ability to accumulate 90Sr

Field and laboratory studies of different plant species revealed the presence of intraspecific polymorphism in respect of the ability to accumulate 90Sr. The populations consisted of the plants effectively and ineffectively accumulating 90Sr; the former were capable of two to thirty-seven times higher accumulation than the latter. The proportion of the plants with high accumulating ability can reach 10%. Judging by the high values of the coefficients of correlation between the laboratory and field data, the results of the 90Sr content analysis different plant species were highly concordant. Accumulation of 90Sr by plants is in direct relation to its content in soil, but within the limits of the same contamination density, and is controlled by the plant genotype.     

Life cycle strategies and genotypic variability in populations of aphids

Populations of the rose aphid (Macrosiphum rosae) from various latitudes show differences in their life cycles. In warm climates they are exclusively parthenogenetic, whereas in cold climates sexual reproduction allows the aphid to overwinter in the egg stage. In temperate zones both holocyclic and anholocyclic clones occur within the same population. It is assumed that the reproductive mode has consequences for the genotypic structure of the populations. Continuous parthenogenesis results in low genogypic variability caused by selection and/or random genetic drift. The greater genotypic variability of holocyclic populations is due to recombination during the sexual phase. This yiew is supported by the study of populations which revealed high genotypic variability and homogeneity between populations in areas with harsh winters (e.g. Norway). In temperate countries (e.g. England) the genotypic variability was lower but the uniformity between populations still high, and in warm climates (e.g. the Canary Isles) the variability was lowest and heterogeneity between populations largest.     

Analysis of the genotypic variation in radiocaesium uptake from soil

Young spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., cv. Subito) and wheat (Triticum aestivum, cv. Tonic) plants were hydroponically grown in eight different nutrient solutions containing ¹³⁷Cs. Ca, Mg, K and NH₄ concentrations were varied whilst anion concentrations were equal in all solutions. The large differences in potassium content between spinach and wheat were not reflected in similar differences in ¹³⁷Cs content at any nutritive treatment.Both crops were also grown in a potted podzolic soil contaminated with radiocaesium. This experiment was conducted in a phytotron at two climatic conditions (summer and winter) which differed in day length and light intensity. Wheat plants had higher ¹³⁷Cs levels than spinach at both conditions. The ¹³⁷Cs levels furthermore decreased during development. The ¹³⁷Cs plant/soil solution concentration ratio was lower at the summer than at the winter conditions.     

Individual variation behind the evolution of cooperation

Life on Earth has two remarkable properties. The first is variation: even apart from the vast number of extant species, there are considerable differences between individuals within a single species. The second property is cooperation. It is surprising that until recently the interactions between these two properties have rarely been addressed from an evolutionary point of view. Here, I concentrate on how inter-individual differences influence the evolution of cooperation. First, I deal with cases where individuality is maintained by random processes like mutation or phenotypic noise. Second, I examine when differences in state cause differences in behaviour. Finally, I investigate the effects of individual role specialization. Variation can be important in several ways. Increased random variation can change the expectation about cooperativeness of future partners, altering behaviour in a current relationship. Differences in state may serve as a book-keeping mechanism that is necessary for the evolution of reciprocity. If the cost of cooperation can depend on state then strategic regulation of state makes it possible to coerce partners to cooperate. If conditions force individuals to specialize, cooperation becomes more valuable. My review of theoretical models suggests that variation plays an important role in the evolution of cooperation.     

Incidence of the development of 90Sr-induced osteosarcomas depending on the age of the animals]

In experiments with albino male rats, a study was made of the influence of age on the incidence of osteosarcomas induced by 90Sr. It was shown that the incidence of tumors decreases exponentially with age.     

The genotypic variation of the antioxidant potential of different tomato varieties

There is increasing interest in the ability of diets rich in polyphenols to modulate age-related diseases and promote healthy ageing. We have conducted a pilot experiment with eight tomato varieties to correlate the total antioxidant capacity of the tomato variants with the specific constituent flavonoids present. A strong correlation was observed with the flavonol rhamnoglucoside rutin but not with other flavonoids, such as naringenin chalcone, or hydroxycinnamates, such as chlorogenic, which are also present in the tomato. To test the rigor of this correlation a second study was undertaken with a further 37 tomato varieties selected for low, medium and high rutin levels. We show that the flavonol rutin contributes to the greatest extent to the antioxidant capacity of tomatoes and suggest that this flavonoid may be a useful target for up-regulation in tomatoes in order to improve their antioxidant status.     

Individual variability in the peripheral and core interthreshold zones

The purpose of the study was to investigate the degree of subject variability in the peripheral and core temperature thresholds of the onset of shivering and sweating. Nine healthy young male subjects participated in three trials. In the first two trials, wearing only shorts, they were exposed to air temperatures of 5 degrees C and 40 degrees C until the onset of shivering and sweating, respectively. In the second experiment, subjects wore a water perfused suit that was perfused with 25 degrees C water at a rate of 600 cc/min. They exercised on an ergometer at 50% of their maximum work rate for 10-15 min. At the onset of sweating, the exercise was terminated, and they remained seated until the onset of shivering, as reflected in oxygen uptake. In the first two trials, rectal temperature (Tre) was stable, despite displacements in skin temperature (Tsk), whereas in the third trial, Tsk (measured at four sites) was almost constant (30-32 degrees C), and the thermoregulatory responses were initiated due to changes in Tre alone. The results of the first two trials established the peripheral interthreshold zone, whereas the results of the third trial established the core interthreshold zone. The results demonstrated individual variability in the peripheral and core interthreshold zones, a proportional correlation between both zones (r=0.87), and a relatively higher contribution of adiposity in both zones as compared with those of other non-thermal factors such as height, weight, body surface area, surface area-to mass ratio, and the maximum work load.     

Comparison of genotypic and phenotypic techniques for assessing the variability of the fungus Epicoccum nigrum

AIMS: The diversity within a collection of worldwide isolates of Epicoccum nigrum has been studied using several phenotypic approaches. In addition, the abilities of phenotypic and genotypic techniques for the differentiation of a set of isolates are compared. METHODS AND RESULTS: The methodology used include the study of isozymes (acetyl esterase and alkaline phosphatase), HPLC profile of metabolites and antibiotic activities against a panel of bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi, and cytotoxicity against three mammalian cell lines. Two procedures for assessing the relationships within a collection of isolates, using a combination of the techniques, were evaluated, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each method. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that each individual technique allows differentiation of the isolates studied to some degree and that the information provided by each technique could be considered as complementary. Genotypic techniques were more powerful than the phenotypic ones to discriminate among the strains. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This work evaluates the predictive value of several phenotypic techniques on a collection of fungal isolates, and compares the results obtained with genotypic techniques performed on the same strains.     

Integral evaluation of phenotypic and genotypic variability of morphologic and psychophysiologic human traits

The paper demonstrates the expedience of the developed populational-genetic approach to studying the genetic bases of a complex of quantitative characters pertaining to different levels of human organization: anthropometry, neurodynamics and psychodynamics. The studies were carried out in eight human populations of different degree of isolation and ethnical background. It is shown that correlation phenotypic variability is higher for these characters, as compared to genotypic variability, the number of general genes responsible for this variability being decreased, respectively.