Frequency of non-disjunction and loss of sex chromosomes in oogenesis in the Drosophila melanogaster mutant I(1) ts 403 with a defect in the heat-shock protein system in anoxia and at high temperature]

A unique property of Drosophila melanogaster l(1)ts403 strain with the defect in heat shock protein system (HSP) is high frequency of losses and non-disjunction of sex chromosomes induced by heat shock (HS) (37 degrees C, 1 h). This effect was shown in only 6-14-th stages of oocytes. Anoxia was not effective in induction of these mutations. Successive action of anoxia and HS decreased loss frequency and non-disjunction in comparison with the only action of HS. These findings agree with the data in literature indicating that HSP synthesis was increased in the l(1)ts403 mutant when first anoxia and then HS were administered, in contrast to the action of HS only. The role of HSP in the recovery of HS-induced disruptions (chromosomal proteins and meiotic division apparatus) which can lead to chromosome non-disjunction and losses is discussed.     

The effect of He-Ne laser radiation on myocardium mechanical activity in rats

In isolated papillary muscles, a 5-minute irradiation with the He-Ne-laser Shuttle-1 enhances the maximal strength of isometric contraction and acceleration of relaxation. In physiological mode of mechanical loads, the irradiation with the laser red light enhances the myocardium contractability at all final systolic lengths with simultaneous enhancement of the isometric relaxation velocity at great systolic lengths and a deceleration of the relaxation at lesser lengths. Under the He-Ne-laser effect, restoration of rhythm-inotropic relationships occurred in the myocardium.     

An unusual presentation of a malignant jejunal tumor and a different management strategy

BACKGROUND: Malignant small bowel tumors are very rare and leiomyosarcoma accounts for less than 15% of the cases. Management of these tumors is challenging in view of nonspecific symptoms, unusual presentation and high incidence of metastasis. In this case report, an unusual presentation of jejunal sarcoma and management of liver metastasis with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is discussed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old male presented with anemia and features of small bowel obstruction. Operative findings revealed a mass lesion in jejunum with intussusception of proximal loop. Resection of bowel mass was performed. Histopathological findings were suggestive of leiomyosarcoma. After 3-years of follow-up, the patient developed recurrence in infracolic omentum and a liver metastasis. The omental mass was resected and liver lesion was managed with radiofrequency ablation. CONCLUSION: Jejunal leiomyosarcoma is a rare variety of malignant small bowel tumor and a clinical presentation with intussusception is unusual. We suggest that an aggressive management approach using a combination of surgery and a newer technique like RFA can be attempted in patients with limited metastatic spread to liver to prolong the long-term survival in a subset of patients.     

Species loss of stoneflies (Plecoptera) in the Czech Republic during the 20th century

1. Rapid expansion and intensification of anthropogenic activities in the 20th century has caused profound changes in freshwater assemblages. Unfortunately, knowledge of the extent and causes of species loss (SL) is limited due to the lack of reliable historical data. An unusual data set allows us to compare changes in the most sensitive of aquatic insect orders, the Plecoptera, at some 170 locations in the Czech Republic between two time periods, 1955–1960 and 2006–2010. Historical data (1890–1911) on assemblages of six lowland rivers allow us to infer even earlier changes. 2. Regional stonefly diversity decreased in the first half of the 20th century. Streams at lower altitudes lost a substantial number of species, which were never recovered. In the second half of the century, large‐scale anthropogenic pressure caused SL in all habitats, leading to a dissimilarity of contemporary and previous assemblages. The greatest changes were found at sites affected by organic pollution and a mixture of organic pollution and channelisation or impoundment. Colonisation of new habitats was observed in only three of the 80 species evaluated. 3. Species of moderate habitat specialisation and tolerance to organic pollution were most likely to be lost. Those with narrow specialisations in protected habitats were present in both historical and contemporary collections. 4. Contemporary assemblages are the consequence of more than a 100 years of anthropogenic impacts. In particular, streams at lower altitude and draining intensively exploited landscapes host a mere fragment of the original species complement. Most stonefly species are less frequently present than before, although their assemblages remain almost intact in near‐natural mountain streams. Our analyses demonstrate dramatic restriction of species ranges and, in some cases, apparent changes in altitudinal preference throughout the area.     

Structure and properties of carrageenan-like polysaccharide from the red alga Tichocarpus crinitus (Gmel.) Rupr. (Rhodophyta, Tichocarpaceae)

Sulfated polysaccharides occurring in the red algae Tichocarpus crinitus cell wall were fractionated and purified. NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy analyses revealed that the non-gelling fraction contained a sulfated galactans having a new carrageenan-like structure. It is built with alternatively linked 1,3-linked β-D-galactopyranosyl-2,4-disulphates and 1,4-linked 3,6-anhydro-α-D-galactopyranosyl residues. Minor amounts of its biosynthetic precursor were detected in a water-extracted specimen. Brief analysis of rheological and biological properties of the non-gelling fraction was carried out. The carrageenan-like polysaccharide from T. crinitus displayed the properties of “random coil” polymer at high temperature, and possesses high anticoagulant activity at low concentration.     

Study of axodendritic synapses of the hippocampal CA3 field in experimental uremia and administration of exogenous parathyroid hormone]

The effect of parathyroid hormone intraperitoneal injection at different stages of experimental uremia induced by subtotal nephrectomy on ultrastructural morphofunctional characteristics of hippocampus Ca3 field axospinal synapses was studied. A conclusion is made that the decrease of synaptic activity in the hippocampus field due to redistribution of calcium ions between spine cytoplasm and spine apparatus may take place after PTH injection and during uremia development.     

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with better endothelial function: a cross sectional study

Background

Natural heterologous valved conduits with a diameter greater than 22 mm that can be used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in adults are not commercially available. The purpose of this study was to measure by ultrasonography the maximum diameter of the distended jugular veins of horses and cattle, respectively, to identify a population of animals that would be suitable for post-mortem collection of jugular veins at sizes greater than 22 mm.

Methods

The study population included 60 Warmblood horses, 25 Freiberger horses, 20 Brown Swiss cows, and 20 Holstein cows (including 10 Holstein and 10 Red Holstein). The maximum cross-sectional diameter of the distended jugular veins was measured at a location half-way between the mandibular angle and the thoracic inlet. The thoracic circumference (heart girth length) was used as a surrogate of body size. The jugular vein diameters of the different populations were compared by analysis of variance and the association between heart girth length and jugular vein diameter was determined in each of the four study populations by linear regression analysis.

Results

There was considerable individual variation of jugular vein diameters within each of the four study populations. There was no statistically significant relationship between thoracic circumference and jugular vein diameter in any of the populations. The jugular vein diameters of Brown Swiss cows were significantly larger than those of any of the other populations. Warmblood horses had significantly larger jugular vein diameters compared to Freiberger horses.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that the production of bovine or equine xenografts with diameters of greater than 22 mm would be feasible. Differences between species and breeds need to be considered. However, prediction of the jugular vein diameter based on breed and heart girth length in an individual animal is inaccurate.     

Inhibitory effect of κ/β-carrageenan from red alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tichocarpus crinitus</Emphasis> on the development of a potato virus X infection in leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Datura stramonium</Emphasis> L.

The effect of κ/β-carrageenan from red alda Tichocarpus crinitus on the development of a potato virus X (PVX) infection in the leaves of Datura stramonium L. has been studied. The treatment of leaves with carrageenan stimulates a protein synthesis in the cells, causing an increase in the size of nucleoli and in the number of mitochondria and membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. At the same time, such treatment slightly stimulates lytic processes, causing an increase in the number of smooth endoplasmic reticulum cisternae, dictyosomes, and cytoplasmic vacuoles and the formation of cytoplasmic electron-transparent zones. The carrageenan-induced stimulation of lytic processes results in the destruction of viral particles and can be considered as one of the defense mechanisms, preventing the intracellular accumulation of virus. The carrageenan-stimulated formation of PVX-specific laminar structures, able to bind viral particles and, therefore, prevent their intracellular translocation and reproduction, represents another carrageenan-induced mechanism of the antiviral defense in plant cells.     

Intragenic duplication and divergence in the spectrin superfamily of proteins

Many structural, signaling, and adhesion molecules contain tandemly repeated amino acid motifs. The alpha-actinin/spectrin/dystrophin superfamily of F-actin-crosslinking proteins contains an array of triple alpha-helical motifs (spectrin repeats). We present here the complete sequence of the novel beta-spectrin isoform beta(Heavy)- spectrin (beta H). The sequence of beta H supports the origin of alpha- and beta-spectrins from a common ancestor, and we present a novel model for the origin of the spectrins from a homodimeric actin-crosslinking precursor. The pattern of similarity between the spectrin repeat units indicates that they have evolved by a series of nested, nonuniform duplications. Furthermore, the spectrins and dystrophins clearly have common ancestry, yet the repeat unit is of a different length in each family. Together, these observations suggest a dynamic period of increase in repeat number accompanied by homogenization within each array by concerted evolution. However, today, there is greater similarity of homologous repeats between species than there is across repeats within species, suggesting that concerted evolution ceased some time before the arthropod/vertebrate split. We propose a two-phase model for the evolution of the spectrin repeat arrays in which an initial phase of concerted evolution is subsequently retarded as each new protein becomes constrained to a specific length and the repeats diverge at the DNA level. This evolutionary model has general applicability to the origins of the many other proteins that have tandemly repeated motifs.      

Comparisons of the molecular evolutionary process at rbcL and ndhF in the grass family (Poaceae)

We examine rate heterogeneity among evolutionary lineages of the grass family at two plasmid loci, ndhF and rbcL, and we introduce a method to determine whether patterns of rate heterogeneity are correlated between loci. We show both that rates of synonymous evolution are heterogeneous among grass lineages and that are heterogeneity is correlated between loci at synonymous sites. At nonsynonymous sites, the pattern of rate heterogeneity is not correlated between loci, primarily due to an aberrant pattern of rate heterogeneity at nonsynonymous sites of rbcL. We compare patterns of synonymous rate heterogeneity to predictors based on the generation time effect and the speciation rate hypotheses. Although there is some evidence for generation time effects, neither generation time effects nor speciation rates appear to be sufficient to explain patterns of rate heterogeneity in the grass plastid sequences.