The correlation between intracellular level of nitric oxide and frequency of gene somatic mutations after low dose radiation exposure

The purpose of this work was the study of possible relationship between intracellular NO level and somatic mutagenesis after irradiation with low doses. The level of NO in peripheral blood lymphocytes and frequency of the TCR-mutant cells were assessed by flow cytometry in 64 workers of atomic industry with mean dose (+/- SE) 114.9 +/- 10.8 MSV, accumulated within 21.4 +/- 1.1 years, and 66 age- matched control donors. The mean frequency of the TCR-mutant cells in this groups was (6.1 +/- 1.0) x 10(-4) and (4.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) respectively (p = 0.06). 14% of workers of atomic industry had the TCR-mutant cell frequencies exceeding the 95% confidence interval in control donors. It was found the positive correlation between the intracellular NO level and the TCR-mutant frequency (R = 0.36, p < 0.01). The mean level of NO in individuals with the elevated TCR-mutant frequency was significantly higher than in others: 1619 +/- 57 vs 1340 +/- 40 relative units (p = 0.01). The results suggest that nitric oxide may come into elevating frequency of the mutant cells in some proportion of individuals exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation not excepting formation of genome instability.     

A highly branched storage polyglucan in the thermoacidophilic red microalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Galdieria maxima</Emphasis> cells

The thermoacidophilic red alga Galdieria maxima is capable of heterotrophic growth. The content of carbohydrates in G. maxima grown heterotrophically increases by a factor of 4, reaching as much as 60% of cell dry weight. The increase in the level of carbohydrates in cells is due to accumulation of a storage α-glycan. According to a specific cleavage to glucose catalyzed by amyloglucosidase and the high positive specific optical rotation characteristic of polyglucans, this polysaccharide can be classified as a floridean starch. The data of ¹H NMR spectroscopy and the results of methylation showed that the average length of the unbranched regions of the polysaccharide molecule is six to seven glucose residues. The degree of branching of the starch molecule of G. maxima is greater than that of storage polysaccharides of other red algae, glycogens of yeast, and phytoglycogens of cyanobacteria.     

Enzyme-linked lectinosorbent assay of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis>

In this study, we developed a microplate sandwich analysis of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial pathogens based on the interaction of their cell wall carbohydrates with natural receptors called lectins. An immobilized lectin-cell-biotinylated lectin complex was formed in this assay. Here, we studied the binding specificity of several plant lectins to E. coli and S. aureus cells, and pairs characterized by high-affinity interactions were selected for the assay. Wheat germ agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin were used to develop enzyme-linked lectinosorbent assays for E. coli and S. aureus cells with the detection limits of 4 × 10⁶ and 5 × 10⁵ cells/mL, respectively. Comparison of the enzyme-linked immonosorbent assay and the enzyme-linked lectinosorbent assay demonstrated no significant differences in detection limit values for E. coli. Due to the accessibility and universality of lectin reagents, the proposed approach is a promising tool for the control of a wide range of bacterial pathogens.     

Shell microstructure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Discinisca suborbicularis</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Brachiopoda,Lingulata) from the Upper Jurassic of Western Siberia

A new species of the phosphatic brachiopod Discinisca suborbicularis (family Discinidae) from the Upper Jurassic of Western Siberia (latitudinal Priob’e) is established. The shell microstructure under protegulum and brephic shell and the microstructure of adult shell (that corresponds to three developmental stages) are described in detail. The shell microstructure of new species considerably differs from Paleozoic discinids and is similar to Recent discinids. D. suborbicularis differs from recent discinids in the presence of protegulum and thicker organophosphatic primary layer.     

Role of hormones in regulating sodium transporters in the kidney: Modulation of phosphorylation,traffic, and expression

The review focuses on the key sodium transporters involved in maintaining water–salt balance in the kidney. The topography of sodium transporters is discussed. Specifics of the hormone-dependent regulation, including phosphorylation, traffic, and expression, are considered for particular transporters. Special attention is paid to direct intracellular regulators of the transporter function. The role that dopamine plays as a natriuretic factor in modulating the function of various transporters is described.     

Implosion dynamics of condensed Z-pinch at the Angara-5-1 facility

The implosion dynamics of a condensed Z-pinch at load currents of up to 3.5 MA and a current rise time of 100 ns was studied experimentally at the Angara-5-1 facility. To increase the energy density, 1- to 3-mm-diameter cylinders made of a deuterated polyethylene?agar-agar mixture or microporous deuterated polyethylene with a mass density of 0.03–0.5 g/cm³ were installed in the central region of the loads. The plasma spatiotemporal characteristics were studied using the diagnostic complex of the Angara-5-1 facility, including electron-optical streak and frame imaging, time-integrated X-ray imaging, soft X-ray (SXR) measurements, and vacuum UV spectroscopy. Most information on the plasma dynamics was obtained using a ten-frame X-ray camera (Е > 100 eV) with an exposure of 4 ns. SXR pulses were recorded using photoemissive vacuum X-ray detectors. The energy characteristics of neutron emission were measured using the time-offlight method with the help of scintillation detectors arranged along and across the pinch axis. The neutron yield was measured by activation detectors. The experimental results indicate that the plasma dynamics depends weakly on the load density. As a rule, two stages of plasma implosion were observed. The formation of hot plasma spots in the initial stage of plasma expansion from the pinch axis was accompanied by short pulses of SXR and neutron emission. The neutron yield reached (0.4–3) × 10¹⁰ neutrons/shot and was almost independent of the load density due to specific features of Z-pinch dynamics.     

A continued role for signaling functions in the early evolution of feathers

Persons and Currie (2015) argued against either flight, thermoregulation, or signaling as a functional benefit driving the earliest evolution of feathers; rather, they favored simple feathers having an initial tactile sensory function, which changed to a thermoregulatory function as density increased. Here, we explore the relative merits of early simple feathers that may have originated as tactile sensors progressing instead toward a signaling, rather than (or in addition to) a thermoregulatory function. We suggest that signaling could act in concert with a sensory function more naturally than could thermoregulation. As such, the dismissal of a possible signaling function and the presumption that an initial sensory function led directly to a thermoregulatory function (implicit in the title “bristles before down”) are premature.