Decline of Eulia ministrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in polluted habitats is not accompanied by phenotypic stress responses

Environmental pollution is currently identified as one of the major drivers of rapid decline of insect populations, and this finding has revitalized interest in insect responses to pollution. We tested the hypothesis that the pollution-induced decline of insect populations can be predicted from phenotypic stress responses expressed as morphological differences between populations inhabiting polluted and unpolluted sites. We explored populations of the brassy tortrix Eulia ministrana in subarctic forests along an environmental disturbance gradient created by long-lasting severe impacts of aerial emissions of the copper–nickel smelter in Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia. We used pheromone traps to measure the population densities of this leafrolling moth and to collect specimens for assessment of three morphological stress indices: size, forewing melanization, and fluctuating asymmetry in wing venation. Wing length of E. ministrana increased by 10%, and neither forewing melanization nor fluctuating asymmetry changed from the unpolluted forest to the heavily polluted industrial barren. However, the population density of E. ministrana decreased 5 to 10 fold in the same pollution gradient. Thus, none of the studied potential morphological stress indicators signaled vulnerability of E. ministrana to environmental pollution and/or to pollution-induced environmental disturbance. We conclude that insect populations can decline without any visible signs of stress. The use of morphological proxies of insect fitness to predict the consequences of human impact on insect populations is therefore risky until causal relationships between these proxies and insect abundance are deciphered.     

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.

     

Thermal stability of water polyhedra with square faces

The remarkable properties of pristine B₃O₃ nanosheet as a nanocarrier for adsorption and desorption of TEPA anticancer drug for designing potential drug delivery platform were investigated using periodic DFT calculations. We studied the adsorption energy of all stable complexes formed between the drug molecule and B₃O₃ in gas and aqueous phases along with electronic structure analysis of complexes. Different adsorption configurations were studied for drug/B₃O₃ complexes, including the interaction of the C atom of the triangular ring, O atom in the TEPA drug with the B atom in B₃O₃, and indirect drug interaction the middle of the R1 ring cavity of the B₃O₃ nanosheet. The take-up of TEPA prompts a substantial change of 68.13% in the band gap (E_g) of the B₃O₃ nanosheet in the most stable complex. The present study results affirmed the application of B₃O₃ nanosheet as a potential vehicle for TEPA drugs in the treatment of cancerous tissues.

     

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.     

Effects of 3′-C-Methylation on the Hydrolytic Stability and Hydroxyl pK a Values of Dinucleoside 2′,5′- and 3′,5′-Monophosphates

Abstract

The first-order rate constants for hydrolysis of 3′-C-methyluridylyl(2′,5′)- and -(3′,5′)adenosine and the corresponding native dinucleoside monophosphates (2′,5′- and 3′,5′-UpA) have been determined as a function of hydroxide-ion concentration (0.025 - 7 M) at 25°C. In addition to the effects on the hydrolytic stability of the compounds, the effects of the 3′-C-methyl substitution on the kinetically determined pK _a values for the sugar hydroxyls of the undine moiety are discussed.     

Synthesis of O-β-D-Ribofuranosyl-(1″-2′)-adenosine-5″-O-phosphate

Abstract

The first synthesis of O-β-D-ribofuranosyl-(1″-2′)-adenosine-5″-O-phosphate starting from protected 2′-O-β-D-ribofuranosyladenosine has been performed.     

Ribosylation of Pyrimidine 2′-Deoxynucleosides

Abstract

The previously developed method for the preparation of 2′-O-D-ribofuranosyl-nucleosides is extended to ribosylation of 2′-deoxynucleosides. The scope and limitations of this reaction are discussed.