Study of plasma confinement in the L-2M stellarator during the formation of an edge transport barrier

A plasma confinement mode characterized by the formation of an edge transport barrier (ETB) was discovered in the L-2M stellarator after boronization of the vacuum vessel wall. The transition into this mode is accompanied by a jump in the electron temperature by 100–200 eV at the plasma edge and a sharp increase in the gradient of the electron temperature T _e in this region. The threshold power for the transition into the ETB confinement mode with an increased electron temperature gradient is P _thr ^?Te = (60 ± 15)n _e [10¹⁹ m^?3] kW. The formation of the ETB manifests itself also in a substantial change in the electron density profile. A density peak with a steep gradient at the outer side forms at the plasma edge. The threshold power for the transition into the ETB confinement mode corresponding to a substantial increase in the plasma density gradient near r = a is P _thr ^?Te = (67 ± 9)n _e [10¹⁹ m^?3] kW, which agrees to within experimental error with the threshold power for the transition into the ETB confinement mode determined from the sharp increase in the gradient of the electron temperature T _e . The value of P _thr for the L-2M stellarator agrees to within 25% with that obtained from the tokamak scaling. In the ETB confinement mode, the plasma energy W and the energy confinement time τ _E determined from diamagnetic measurements increase by 20–30% as compared to those obtained from the stellarator scaling for the confinement mode without an ETB. When the heating power increases by a factor of 2–3 above the threshold value, the effects related to improved energy confinement disappear.     

Volatile metabolic profiles of cell suspension cultures of Lavandula vera,Nicotiana tabacum and Helianthus annuus,cultivated under different regimes

Cell suspension cultures of Lavandula vera (Lamiaceae), Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae), and Helianthus annuus (Asteraceae) were cultivated in three different ways: in shake flasks both as free suspensions and in two‐phase systems (in the presence of Amberlite XAD‐4 resin as a second phase), as well as in 3‐L stirred tank reactor, and their volatile metabolic profiles were studied using GC‐MS. A number of compounds, some of them having allelochemical and biological activities, were identified in all the three cell suspension cultures under study. Also the presence of some compounds, unusual for the intact plants, was observed. It was found that the cultivation mode strongly influences the production and the transport (secretion into the culture medium) of the low‐molecular‐mass volatile metabolites. Principal component analyses of 12 common hydrocarbons showed discrimination between the different cultivation modes (shake flasks and two‐phase systems cultivation) by first principal component (PC1) and second principal component (PC2).     

Inheritance of some quantitative morphological characters in reciprocal hybrids of starred sturgeon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser stellatus</Emphasis>and beluga <Emphasis Type="Italic">A. huso</Emphasis> (Acipenseridae)

Some quantitative characters of three-summer old reciprocal hybrids of beluga Acipenser huso and starred sturgeon A. stellatus,as well as of juveniles of their parental species, are comparatively analyzed. The found maternal and paternal effects in manifestation of some characteristics in hybrids are considered in connection with elucidation of inheritance type of morphological characters in acipenserids. The paternal effect observed by some characters in hybrids beluga × starred sturgeon is explained by prevalence of dominant alleles in the genome of starred sturgeon in comparison with beluga. The maternal effect is elucidated by a few characteristics related to parameters of the head, first of all to the volume of the brain region of skull. Evidently, in this case, the matrocliny depends on the fact that information on the number of segments of embryo and their position is determined by the maternal organism during oogenesis.     

The lipid status of young of the year mykiss <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parasalmo mykiss</Emphasis> and coho salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus kisutch</Emphasis>

The young of the year mykiss Parasalmo mykiss and coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch which perform downstream migration and which stay in the coastal zone during the period of primary dispersion represent different phenotypic groups. They differ in weight, length, and lipid status. Such differentiation is a factor controlling the formation of intrapopulation diversity and of the life strategy of fish. It may determine the timing of smoltification in the future and, further on, of the return for spawning. There were found some analogies and differences in characteristics of lipid metabolism in the investigated species. The content of total lipids decreases by autumn in underyearlings of both species. Furthermore, changes in the content of particular lipid fractions are multidirectional and various scaled, seemingly being related to physiological preparation for the wintering.     

Special traits of tissue lipids of whitefish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coregonus lavaretus</Emphasis> living in water bodies with different anthropogenous load

The impact of water pollution on the content of lipid components of the liver and eggs of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus is investigated. The content of triacylglycerols (TAG), sphingomyelin (SPM), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylserine (PS) is higher in the liver of whitefish from polluted waters being a part of adaptogenous reactions (modification of permeability of biomembranes, of activity of membrane enzymes, etc.) providing a possibility of the survival of fish under unfavorable ecological factors. The lipid spectra of whitefish gonads are more stable in comparison with the liver. This may be related to protection of the reproductive system from external influences.     

Oxidative processes at initial stages of interaction of nodule bacteria (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizobium leguminosarum</Emphasis>) and pea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum sativum</Emphasis> L.): A review

A possible physiological mechanism of legume-Rhizobium symbiosis, consisting in regulation of the intensity of oxidative processes by the macrosymbiont in response to infection with Rhizobium, was analyzed using our own and published data. The results used in the analysis included data on the content of reactive oxygen species (O ₂ ^·? and H₂O₂), activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase), and intensity of lipid peroxidation proceeding with the involvement of lipophilic phenolic compounds of the microsymbiont.     

Differences in binding behavior of (−)‐epigallocatechin gallate to β‐lactoglobulin heterodimers (AB) compared to homodimers (A) and (B)

The lipocalin β‐lactoglobulin (β‐LG) exists in different natural genetic variants—of which β‐LG A and B are predominant in bovine milk. At physiological conditions the protein dimerizes—building homodimers of β‐LG A and β‐LG B and heterodimers of β‐LG AB. Although β‐LG is one of the most intensely characterized lipocalins, the interaction behavior of ligands with hetero‐ and homodimers of β‐LG is largely unknown. The present findings revealed significant differences for hetero‐ and homodimers regarding ligand binding capacity as tested with a model ligand (i.e. surface binding (?)‐epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)). These findings were confirmed using FT‐IR, where the addition of EGCG influenced the β‐sheet backbone of homodimer A and B with significantly higher intensity compared to heterodimer AB. Further, shape analysis by SAXS revealed oligomerization of both types of dimers upon addition of EGCG; however, homodimer A and B produced significantly larger aggregates compared to the heterodimer AB. In summary, the present study revealed that EGCG showed significantly different interaction reactivity (binding sites, aggregation size and conformational changes) to the hetero and homodimers of β‐LG in the order β‐LG A > B > AB. The results suggest that conformational differences between homodimers and heterodimers strongly influence the EGCG binding ability. This may also occur with other polyphenols and ligands of β‐LG and gives not only important information for β‐LG binding studies, but may also apply for polymorphisms of other self‐aggregating lipocalins. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cells of mouse submandibular salivary gland in culture in vitro

A cell culture that preserves its phenotype up to the 20th passage was obtained from mouse submandibular salivary glands. An analysis of the heterogeneous culture indicates the existence of several morphological types of cells, including small, densely packed cells of cuboidal or polygonal shapes and large, rounded cells. Epithelial cells of the submandibular gland cultured for several weeks were able to form tubular structures. Our studied cell culture of glandulocytes (cells of glandular epithelium) was represented by K19- and NGF-positive cells. It is important to note that, using both immunocytochemical staining and PCR, the expression of genes that encode the proinsulin and insulin proteins is revealed in the studied cell population.     

Evaluation of the biological activity of birch buds and leaves in model investigations

Lead and cadmium migration was studied in the system: biologically active plant raw material-extract. Antioxidant activity and detoxication ability of the extracts of birch buds and leaves was studied in pattern experiments with rats.