Cortical slow negative potentials during eye fixation and preparing of visually triggered saccades in a man

In 10 right-handed healthy subjects EEGs preceding saccades with mean latent periods were selectively averaged. Two standard schemes of visual stimulation were used: with immediate presentation of a peripheral target stimuli after the central fixation stimulus (a single step paradigm) and with the interval between the stimuli in 200 ms (GAP paradigm). Two waves of slow premotor negativity (early PMN1 and late PMN2) that appeared 930 +/- 79 and 609 +/- 82 ms, respectively, prior to a saccade onset were observed. The PMN2 was followed by the negative potentials N-3, N-2, and N-1 (saccadic initiation potential). It was found that in GAP stimulation condition the PMN1 was less pronounces and N-1 was increased as compared to the single step. These findings suggest that disengage of attention from the central point during the GAP period clears the saccadic system for decision making and initiation of a saccade. Under such conditions, the expectation of a visual target does not require a high level of nonspecific activation and motor attention.     

Abnormal condensation of meiotic chromosomes caused by the mei8 mutation in rye Secale cereale L

Inheritance of two spontaneous meiosis-specific mutations with similar cytologic phenotype was studied. Both mutations were independently obtained from two rye populations (Vyatka variety and weedy rye). Both mutations are recessive, allelic, and monogenically inherited; the corresponding gene is designated mei8. The mutant alleles of the gene cause abnormal meiotic chromosome structure expressed as irregular compaction along the chromosome length, chromatin stickiness at all stages of meiosis, and chromosome fragmentation in anaphase I.     

The hybridization of tetraploid wheat with the octoploid wheat-wild rye amphiploid Elytricum fertile and the chromosome behavior in meiotic MI

The hybridization and chromosome behaviour regularities at meiotic MI of reciprocal F1 hybrids of tetraploid wheats T. durum and T. turgidum with 56-chromosome incomplete wheat-Elymus amphiploid (IWEA) Elytricum fertile, were investigated. Variation of main indices of the hybridization has been revealed to be determined by variance of such factors as cross direction, genotype peculiarities of wheat strains and their interaction. Elymus sibiricus genome, contained in IWEA karyotype, carries several genes, that can suppress wheat diploidization system. Reduction of homologous chromosome synapsis is not determined by these genes, but is connected with influence of other Elymus sibiricus chromosome factors.     

Paradoxical vagal effects on the cardiac rhythm in cats

In anaesthetised cats, an increase in the vagal burst rate resulted in a paradoxical decrease of vagal bradycardia. This seems to be due to a shift of the vagal stimulus position towards early phase of cardiac cycle. The mechanism of this paradoxical effect depends on the magnitude of vagal chronotropic effect upon the time of vagal stimulus delivery within cardiac cycle.     

Detection of carotenoids in the vitreous body of the human eye during prenatal development

Carotenoids were found for the first time in the vitreous body of human eye during the fetal period from week 15 until week 28. Their maximum content was timed to week 16-22. No carotenoids were found the vitreous body of 31-week fetuses, as well as adult humans, which corresponds to the published data. It was shown using HPLC that chromatographic characteristics of these carotenoids correspond to those of lutein and zeaxanthin, characteristic pigments of the retinal yellow macula.     

The synthesis and antiviral activity of glycyrrhizic acid conjugates with alpha-D-glucosamine and some glycosylamines

Glycyrrhizic acid and its 30-methyl ester were conjugated with 2-amino-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranose, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl amine, 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-apha-L-arabinopyranosyl amine, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl amine, and beta-D-galactopyranosyl amine using N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and its mixtures with N-hydroxybenzotriazole. Structures of the conjugates were confirmed by IR, UV, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The glycoconjugate with the residues of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl amine in the carbohydrate part of its molecule exhibited antiviral activity (ID50 4 microg/ml) toward the herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) in the VERO cell culture. Two compounds demonstrated anti-HIV-1 activity (50-70% inhibition of p24) in a culture of MT-4 cells at concentrations of 0.5-20 microg/ml. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2004, vol. 30, no. 3; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Participation of the cava vein blood flow in forming the total venous return under influence of different modality stimuli on the circulation system

Participation of the anterior and posterior veins cava in forming the total venous return under pressor and depressor effects, stimulation of depressing foci of the medulla's ventral part, enhancement of pulmonary ventilation, hypoxia, hypothermia, administration of acetylcholine, histamine, corinfar, was shown to depend on the blood flow shift direction in each of the veins cava, dynamics of shifts' development in time, and intensity of the stimulus. In systemic responses, the blood flow shifts in the vena cava anterior much contribute to the total venous return at the maximum of the systemic arterial pressure rise (r = 0.87) whereas contribution of the vena cava posterior is the greatest during a later occurring increase in the venous return (r = 0.84). Along with increase in the stimulus intensity the vena cava anterior's part in forming the venous return becomes more limited whereas that of the vena cava posterior is enhanced.     

Novel reference gene RPN1 for normalization of quantitative data in lung and kidney cancer

Quantitative methods of gene expression analysis in tumors require accurate data normalization, which allows comparison of different mRNA/cDNA samples with unknown concentration. For this purpose reference genes with stable expression level (such as GAPDH, ACTB, HPRT1, TBP) are used. The choice of appropriate reference genes is still actual because well-known reference genes are not suitable for certain cancer types frequently and their unreasonable use without additional tests lead to wrong conclusions. We have developed the bioinformatic approach and selected a new potential reference gene RPN1 for lung and kidney tumors. This gene is located at the long arm of chromosome 3. Our method includes mining of the dbEST and Oncomine databases and functional analysis of genes. The RPN1 was selected from 1500 candidate housekeeping genes. Using comparative genomic hybridization with NotI-microarrays we found no methylation, deletions and/or amplifications at the RPN1-containing locus in 56 non-small cell lung and 42 clear cell renal cancer samples. Using RT-qPCR we showed low variability of RPN1 mRNA level comparable to those of reference genes GAPDH and GUSB in lung and kidney cancer. The mRNA levels of two target genes coding hyalouronidases--HYAL1 and HYAL2--were estimated and normalized relative to pair RPN1--GAPDH genes for lung cancer and RPN1--GUSB for kidney cancer. These combinations were shown to be optimal for obtaining accurate and reproducible data. All obtained results allow us to suggest RPN1 as novel reference gene for quantitative data normalization in gene expression studies for lung and kidney cancers.     

In vivo efficacy of Ingavirin against pandemic A (H1N1/09)v influenza virus

Ingavirin was shown to be efficient in inhibition of the pandemic influenza virus strains A/California/04/2009 (H1N1)v, A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)v, A/Moscow/225/2009 (H1N1)v and A/Moscow/226/2009 (H1N1)v. as well as the influenza virus strain A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) in the lungs of the infected mice. After oral administration of Ingavirin the titers of the influenza virus strains in the lung homogenates lowered.