The electrophysiological properties of the structural polypeptides of the foot-and-mouth-disease virus]

The methodological approaches of isolation of preparations of FMDV structural polypeptides to analyse them by the electrophoresis and electro-focussing methods are presented. The value of isoelectric points of protein coat of FMDV structural polypeptides and corresponding them values of electric potential are determined. The similarity and differences of FMDV serotypes, characterized by the value of relative surface, falling on separate polypeptides, are determined for the virion structure on the basis of superposition principle. FMDV has been shown to possess the summarized negative charge of different values. The charge depends on the virus type and it is a determining condition for viruses resistance in environment. A graphical model of FMDV is suggested on the basis of systemic approach and it reflects the dipole character of electric charge distribution in virion structure and agrees with the virus model, built on the basis of icosahedron symmetry.     

Clinical data analysis of telmisartan for hypertension management in Indian population

It is of interest to evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, clinical effectiveness, and safety of telmisartan as a monotherapy or as part of combination therapy in Indian adults (>18 years old) with hypertension. All patients were receiving telmisartan as monotherapy, or as a combination therapy for hypertension management. Demographics, risk factors, existing comorbidity, and ongoing medical therapies were retrieved from the patients’ medical records. A total of 8607 patients with hypertension (median age, 51.0 years) were part of the study. The gender distribution suggested, 5534(64.3%) patients were male, and 3073 (35.7%) were female patients. The excess salt intake (39.0%) was the most common risk factor according to the results. The analysis revealed telmisartan dual therapy (57.9%) as the most prescribed therapy, followed by monotherapy (32.5%), and triple therapy (9.6%). Further, telmisartan 40mg (21.3%) and telmisartan 40mg plus amlodipine 5mg (17.6%) were the most commonly prescribed therapies. The data suggested that only 17.2% of patients required dose titration. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (mmHg) were significantly decreased with monotherapy (mean change: 19.8 [15.1] mmHg and 8.8[8.2] mmHg), dual therapy (mean change: 23.7 [16.6] mmHg and 10.3[8.5] mmHg), and triple therapy (mean change: 28.6 [19.0] mmHg and 12.1[10.8] mmHg) after the treatment (P<0.001). A total of 98.4% of the patients were compliant, and 97.6% achieved the target blood pressure goal with telmisartan-based therapy. There were 157 adverse events reported altogether. The Physicians'' global evaluation of efficacy and tolerability showed the majority of the patients receiving telmisartan-based therapy on a good to excellent scale. Telmisartan used as a monotherapeutic agent or as a part of combination therapy was successful and effective in reducing blood pressure and achieving the blood pressure target. Irrespective of the patient’s age, duration, and stages of hypertension, the study resulted in a good to excellent scale in efficacy and tolerability in the Indian patients having hypertension.     

Statistical Parameters Reflecting Morphogenetic Capacity of Soft Spring Wheat Calluses

Callus cultures of soft spring wheat were subcultured without separation into explants to follow the line one excised embryo–one callus. This approach revealed the following statistical correlations. Within every cultivar of Triticum aestivum L. and within a row of cultivars arranged in ascending order according to the frequency of embryogenic callus formation, positive correlations (at P = 95) were found between the proliferative activity of callus cells and the frequency of embryogenic callus formation. A reliable intraspecies correlation (significant at P = 95) between multiple regenerations of plants from calluses and the tillering trait (bushiness) of donor plants was also found. We assessed the importance of various statistical parameters of callus cultures for preliminary estimation of morphogenesis efficiency at early stages of culturing. Frequencies of callusogenesis and the growth curves for randomly selected calluses turned out to be noninformative characteristics, unless the morphogenetic activity of calluses was taken into account. The following statistical parameters were found to correlate with the morphogenetic capacity of wheat calluses: gradually increasing coefficients of variation in fresh weight of primary calluses, a larger callus size, and higher fresh weight gain in potentially morphogenetic calluses.     

Analysis of the spectra of mutational damage of the 21-hydroxylase gene in patients with adreno-genital syndrome

The spectrum of mutations in the steroid 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21B) and the frequency of 11 mutations among 66 patients with different forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) were analyzed by means of PCR amplification. Each of the CAH forms was characterized by specific spectrum of diagnostically important mutations. The salt-losing (SL) form of the disease was most frequently associated with gene deletion (39%) and the 668-13C-G mutation in the second intron (23.5%), whereas the majority of simple virilizing (SV) CAH cases were associated with the 1172N mutation in exon 4 (22%), gene deletion (16.5%), and the 668-13C-G mutation (16.5%). Mutations in the steroid 21-hydroxylase gene were detected in 70% of the chromosomes from the patients with the SL and SV forms of CAH, and only in 1.3% of the chromosomes from the patients with the nonclassic (NC) form. A total of 78 mutant chromosomes from the NC CAH patients were examined, and only one case of a gene deletion in the heterozygous state was revealed. In the individuals examined, the V281L and P30L mutations described in the NC CAH patients from other populations were not detected. This result can be explained either by the fact that NC CAH cases in Russia are associated with other major mutations, or by difficult clinical diagnosis questionable CAH cases.     

Preparation of antibodies to roridin A and their applications

Polyclonal rabbit antibodies against a conjugate synthesized through condensing BSA and disubstituted roridin A hemisuccinate allowed roridin A to be determined in solutions at a sensitivity of 0.2 ng/ml. The cross-reactivity of structural analogues--roridin A, verrucarin, and verrucarol--amounted to 100, 2.5, and 0.03%, respectively. The data showed that these antibodies determine roridin A in an indirect heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay in cereal straw samples at a sensitivity of 20 micrograms/kg.     

Comparative characteristics of immunoreagents based on aflatoxin B1 hemiacetals and sterigmatocystine

Aflatoxin B1 and sterigmatocystine hemiacetal derivatives were synthesized, and their conjugation to albumins and gelatin and also spectral and immunochemthe specificity and analytical properties of the antibodies produced by immunization with conjugated antigens. The possible mechanism of hemiacetal interaction with proteins is discussed. Based on immune reagents to sterigmatocystine hemiacetal, a test system was developed for determination of sterigmatocystine at the sensitivity of 0.1 ng/ml.     

Very stable high molecular mass multiprotein complex with DNase and amylase activities in human milk

For breastfed infants, human milk is more than a source of nutrients; it furnishes a wide array of proteins, peptides, antibodies, and other components promoting neonatal growth and protecting infants from viral and bacterial infection. It has been proposed that most biological processes are performed by protein complexes. Therefore, identification and characterization of human milk components including protein complexes is important for understanding the function of milk. Using gel filtration, we have purified a stable high molecular mass (~1000 kDa) multiprotein complex (SPC) from 15 preparations of human milk. Light scattering and gel filtration showed that the SPC was stable in the presence of high concentrations of NaCl and MgCl₂ but dissociated efficiently under the conditions that destroy immunocomplexes (2 M MgCl₂, 0.5 M NaCl, and 10 mM DTT). Such a stable complex is unlikely to be a casual associate of different proteins. The relative content of the individual SPCs varied from 6% to 25% of the total milk protein. According to electrophoretic and mass spectrometry analysis, all 15 SPCs contained lactoferrin (LF) and α‐lactalbumin as major proteins, whereas human milk albumin and β‐casein were present in moderate or minor amounts; a different content of IgGs and sIgAs was observed. All SPCs efficiently hydrolyzed Plasmid supercoiled DNA and maltoheptaose. Some freshly prepared SPC preparations contained not only intact LF but also small amounts of its fragments, which appeared in all SPCs during their prolonged storage; the fragments, similar to intact LF, possessed DNase and amylase activities. LF is found in human epithelial secretions, barrier body fluids, and in the secondary granules of leukocytes. LF is a protein of the acute phase response and nonspecific defense against different types of microbial and viral infections. Therefore, LF complexes with other proteins may be important for its functions not only in human milk. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trail system in red wood ants (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Formica rufa</Emphasis> Group) under recreation press

The influence of recreation press on the forager trail system in red wood ants was examined. The model settlement of these ants was situated in green moss-pine forest, comprising areas with a different degree of the recreation press. In 2007, trail systems of 36 anthills were mapped (a total of 136 trails). In 2009, two nests from each group at each digression stage were selected as model objects. These nests possessed close to average values of the cupola diameter (d) and the number of trophic trails (n _c ). In these 6 model nests, trail systems (a total of 33 trails) were re-mapped and the strength of columns was estimated. It had been found that the recreation press decreases the population number in families of red wood ants. Trophic trails become shorter, their structure is simplified, and the number of trees with aphid colonies decreases. When the size of the family decreases owing to irregular decrease in the population number of separate columns, columns possessing non-ramified (less “efficient”) trails disappear first. Weakening of the family decreases the mobility of the trail network; trees with aphid colonies become more important.