Polynomial algebra reveals diverging roles of the unfolded protein response in endothelial cells during ischemia–reperfusion injury

The unfolded protein response (UPR) – the endoplasmic reticulum stress response – is found in various pathologies including ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). However, its role during IRI is still unclear. Here, by combining two different bioinformatical methods – a method based on ordinary differential equations (Time Series Network Inference) and an algebraic method (probabilistic polynomial dynamical systems) – we identified the IRE1α–XBP1 and the ATF6 pathways as the main UPR effectors involved in cell’s adaptation to IRI. We validated these findings experimentally by assessing the impact of their knock-out and knock-down on cell survival during IRI.     

Suppression of the neoclassical tearing modes in tokamaks under anomalous transverse transport conditions when the magnetic well effect predominates over the bootstrap drive

A study is made of the suppression of neoclassical tearing modes in tokamaks under anomalous transverse transport conditions when the magnetic well effect predominates over the bootstrap drive. It is stressed that the corresponding effect, which is called the compound suppression effect, depends strongly on the profiles of the electron and ion temperature perturbations. Account is taken of the fact that the temperature profile can be established as a result of the competition between anomalous transverse heat transport, on the one hand, and longitudinal collisional heat transport, longitudinal heat convection, longitudinal inertial transport, and transport due to the rotation of magnetic islands, on the other hand. The role of geodesic effects is discussed. The cases of competition just mentioned are described by the model sets of reduced transport equations, which are called, respectively, collisional, convective, inertial, and rotational plasmophysical models. The magnetic well is calculated with allowance for geodesic effects. It is shown that, for strong anomalous heat transport conditions, the contribution of the magnetic well to the generalized Rutherford equation for the island width W is independent of W not only in the collisional model (which has been investigated earlier) but also in the convective and inertial models and depends very weakly (logarithmically) on W in the rotational model. It is this weak dependence that gives rise to the compound effect, which is the subject of the present study. A criterion for the stabilization of neoclassical tearing modes by the compound effect at an arbitrary level of the transverse heat transport by electrons and ions is derived and is analyzed for two cases: when the electron heat transport and ion heat transport are both strong, and when the electron heat transport is strong and the ion heat transport is weak.     

Identification and mapping of polymorphic RAPD markers of pea (Pisum sativum L.) genome

Various pea cultivars, lines, and mutants were studied by the RAPD method. Polymorphic fragments characteristic of certain pea genotypes and which can be used for identifying genotypes were detected. Inheritance of some polymorphic RAPD fragments was studied. Mendelian inheritance of these fragments was shown. By analyzing the data obtained in studies of RAPD polymorphism, genetic distances between different pea cultivars, lines, and mutants were calculated and a genealogic dendogram showing a varying extent of differences between RAPD patterns was constructed. Ten new RAPD markers linked to various pea genes were detected. Genetic distances between RAPD markers and genes to which they are linked were calculated, and the respective disposition of RAPD markers on chromosomes was established.     

Structural studies of the neural-cell-adhesion molecule by X-ray and neutron reflectivity

The structures of adhesion proteins play an important role in the formation of intercellular junctions and the control of intermembrane spacing. This paper describes the combination of neutron and X-ray specular reflectivity measurements to investigate the structure of the ectodomain of the neural-cell-adhesion molecule (NCAM). The measurements with unmodified NCAM suggest the presence of a bend in the extracellular region. Measurements with the polysialic-acid-modified form of NCAM reveal that, at physiological ionic strength, the carbohydrate chains extend beyond the range of the unmodified protein. The excluded volume of the polymer is also ionic-strength-dependent, as expected for a polyelectrolyte. The structural characteristics obtained from these independent analyses of X-ray and neutron reflectivity data agree with each other, with prior reflectivity studies, and with molecular dimensions obtained from direct-force measurements. These results provide structural insights into the configuration of the NCAM ectodomain and the regulation of NCAM adhesion by post-translational modification.     

Effect of electromagnetic fields of UHF range on dopamine-dependent behavior of rabbits

SHF radiation of low intensity does not influence on a stereotyped behaviour of rabbits induced by a dopamine receptor stimulator, apomorphine. However, 10% of animals exhibited a marked decrease in the test-response after SHF-irradiation (16 Hz) which was perhaps associated with the increased individual sensitivity of some animals to SHF-radiation.