Use of DNA polymorphism detected by M13 phage DNA in population studies]

Hypervariable "minisatellite" regions detected in human genome by wild-type phage M13 DNA were found to have high polymorphism and somatic stability. Analysis of individual specific patterns of hybridization of 44 human DNAs from the Kirov province is presented. Molecular weight of fragments varied from 2 to 6 kb. Mean frequency of a fragment in the population under study is p = 0.294 +/- 0.158. The mean number of fragments per individual is 11.6 +/- 1.8. Comparison between the Kirov population and that of Krasnodar studied earlier was carried out. The mean genetic distance between Kirov and Krasnodar populations calculated according to Nei is 0.2082. The possibility of using in population-genetic studies of hypervariable DNA markers having fingerprint type of hybridization is discussed.     

Detection of anti-Leptospira antibodies in sera of patients in the latex agglutination test

The results of the preliminary evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed diagnostic test based on the determination of genus-specific antibodies to leptospires in the latex agglutination test, are presented. This test makes it possible to detect anti-Leptospira antibodies of any serogroup. The advantages of the developed test have been determined.     

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.     

Application of neutral-alkaline oectate lyases to cotton fabric boil off

Commercial and pilot pectate lyase preparations (EC 4.2.2.2) have been compared. They differ in their effect on pectins with different esterification degrees (ED). The activity of the pilot preparation with respect to a substrate with ED = 70% is tenfold lower than with respect to unesterified polygalacturonic acid. For commercial preparations, this activity ratio ranged within 1.5–2. At equal pectate lyase activities, the commercial preparations better remove pectin from crude cotton fabric during its boil off. The laboratory preparation is more efficient for improving the capillarity (wettability) of the fabric owing to the cooperative effect of the pectate lyase, cellulase, and hemicellulase present in the preparation.     

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.     

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.     

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.      

The use of DNA from phage M13 for the analysis of interindividual polymorphism of human DNA as demonstrated by a population study in Krasnodar city

Hypervariable "minisatellite" regions detected in human genome by wild-type M13 DNA were found to have high polymorphism and somatic stability. Analysis of individual specific patterns of 34 human DNAs from Krasnodar population is presented. The observed length of fragments ranged from 2 to 6 kb. The mean frequency of a fragment in the population under study is p = 0.247 +/- 0.171, the mean number of fragments per individual being x = 9.35 +/- 1.95. The mean probability of individual identification is calculated to be 1-2.10(-6) = 0.999998.     

Changing extracellular matrix of cells during development of suspension culture of Triticum timopheevii Zhuk

A study was made of the contents of the main polysaccharide fractions in the cell wall, and extracellular polysaccharides, and of the activity of cell wall enzymes during cultivation of suspension culture of cells of the winter wheat Triticum timopheevii Zhuk. It was shown that within 3 days of cultivation (a phase enriched in dividing cells), on the background of increased callose contents in plant cells, amounts of pectins and hemicelluloses extracted by 4N alkali decreased. The content of polysaccharides reached its initial level by the end of culturing. A parallel analysis of glycosidase activity in cell walls has shown their considerable activation at the stage enriched by dividing cells, which decreased at a transition of culture into the stationary level. The increased activity of hydrolyzing enzymes was combined with an increased efflux of extracellular polysaccharides into culture medium. The detected changes in polysaccharide composition of the cell wall at the first phase indicate its qualitative changes during cell wall reconstruction at the beginning of cytokines, whereas extensive expansion of cell wall was seen on the phase of elongation.