Genetic structure of an isolated group of the indigenous population of northern Siberia--Nganasans (Tavgiitsi) of Taymyr. I. History, erythrocyte and serum blood systems, isoenzymes]

Nganasans is a small samodyen-speaking ethnic group originated from several clans of reindeer hunters. Pedigree studies revealed no consanguineous matings of uncle-niece, aunt-nephew, first cousins type among 120 families studied. Rather rarely mating between second cousins could be observed. The reviewed traditional kindship system based on bilateral exogamy is an explanation. Data on 12 blood systems and 6 red cell enzymes distribution in two main localities almost totally studied have been presented. No A2, r, K, MS alleles were observed. Hgh frequencies of Ns, R2, Fya, Jka, Gm1 have been found. Diegoa was seen in only one family. Polymorphism on PGM1, 6-PGD, AK and AP, monomorphism on LDH and MDH has been observed.     

The environmental fate and behaviour of antifouling paint booster biocides: A review

Antifouling paint booster biocides are a group of organic compounds added to antifouling paints to improve their efficacy. They have become prevalent since the requirement for alternative antifouling paints formulations for small boats (< 25 m). This need followed a ban on the use of triorganotin biocides in antifouling paints for small boats, in the late 1980's. Worldwide, around eighteen compounds are currently used as antifouling biocides, viz. benzmethylamide, chlorothalonil, copper pyrithione, dichlofluanid, diuron, fluorofolpet, Irgarol 1051, Sea‐Nine 211, Mancozeb, Polyphase, pyridine‐triphenyl‐borane, TCMS (2,3,5,6‐tetrachloro‐4‐methylsulfonyl) pyridine, TCMTB [2‐(thiocyanomethylthio)benzothia‐zole], Thiram, tolyfluanid, zinc pyrithione (ZPT), ziram and Zineb. Any booster biocide released into the environment is subjected to a complex set of processes. These processes include transport mechanisms, transformation, degradation, cross media partitioning, and bioaccumulation. This paper reviews the fate and behaviour data currently available in the public domain concerning antifouling paint booster biocides.     

Functional evolution of two subtly different (similar) folds

Background

The function of proteins is a direct consequence of their three-dimensional structure. The structural classification of proteins describes the ways of folding patterns all proteins could adopt. Although, the protein folds were described in many ways the functional properties of individual folds were not studied.

Results

We have analyzed two β-barrel folds generally adopted by small proteins to be looking similar but have different topology. On the basis of the topology they could be divided into two different folds named SH3-fold and OB-fold. There was no sequence homology between any of the proteins considered. The sequence diversity and loop variability was found to be important for various binding functions.

Conclusions

The function of Oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding (OB) fold proteins was restricted to either DNA/RNA binding or sugar binding whereas the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain like proteins bind to a variety of ligands through loop modulations. A question was raised whether the evolution of these two folds was through DNA shuffling.     

Virus isolation and molecular epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) from an outbreak in free-ranging wild birds,India 2016

We report the molecular epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus involved in an outbreak causing death in free-ranging wild birds at Mysore, Karnataka state of India. The virus was typed as HPAI A(H5N8) by conventional and TaqMan probe based real-time PCR assays. Six isolates of HPAI virus were recovered in 9-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. Haemagglutinin gene-based phylogeny of virus isolates showed >?99.9% nucleotide sequence identity with HPAI A(H5N8) isolates from migratory birds and domestic poultry from China and Korea indicating either these wild birds have routed their migration through Korea and/or eastern China or these dead birds must have directly or indirectly contacted with wild birds migrating from Eastern China and/or Korean regions. The study emphasises the role of migratory wild birds in spread of HPAI across the globe.     

Genetic structure of an isolated group of the indigenous population of northern Siberia, the Nganasans (Tavginians) of Ta?mir

Demographic data of genetic interest were studied in presently living population in comparison with preseding generations of Nganasans. Decrease of sex ratio in the whole population has been revealed along with the reduction of reproductive and, possibly, effective size. The number and variance of livebirths per female were 7.29 and 9.86 respectively. Crow' index of the opportunity for selection (I) and its components (Im and If) were estimated. I was found to be 1.17, whereas Im and If--1.56 and 0.18 respectively. Linear pattern of settling in the past as well as the type of migration between adjoining subpopulations depended on culture and economy of arctic reindeer hunters as well as landscape character.     

Associations of Forest Type,Parasitism and Body Condition of Two European Passerines,Fringilla coelebs and Sylvia atricapilla

Human-induced forest modification can alter parasite-host interactions and might change the persistence of host populations. We captured individuals of two widespread European passerines (Fringilla coelebs and Sylvia atricapilla) in southwestern Germany to disentangle the associations of forest types and parasitism by haemosporidian parasites on the body condition of birds. We compared parasite prevalence and parasite intensity, fluctuating asymmetries, leukocyte numbers, and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L-ratio) among individuals from beech, mixed-deciduous and spruce forest stands. Based on the biology of bird species, we expected to find fewer infected individuals in beech or mixed-deciduous than in spruce forest stands. We found the highest parasite prevalence and intensity in beech forests for F. coelebs. Although, we found the highest prevalence in spruce forests for S. atricapilla, the highest intensity was detected in beech forests, partially supporting our hypothesis. Other body condition or health status metrics, such as the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L-ratio), revealed only slight differences between bird populations inhabiting the three different forest types, with the highest values in spruce for F. coelebs and in mixed-deciduous forests for S. atricapilla. A comparison of parasitized versus non-parasitized individuals suggests that parasite infection increased the immune response of a bird, which was detectable as high H/L-ratio. Higher infections with blood parasites for S. atricapilla in spruce forest indicate that this forest type might be a less suitable habitat than beech and mixed-deciduous forests, whereas beech forests seem to be a suboptimal habitat regarding parasitism for F. coelebs.     

Stochastic analysis of the GAL genetic switch in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Modeling and experiments reveal hierarchy in glucose repression

Background

Most mathematical models of biochemical pathways consider either signalling events that take place within a single cell in isolation, or an 'average' cell which is considered to be representative of a cell population. Likewise, experimental measurements are often averaged over populations consisting of hundreds of thousands of cells. This approach ignores the fact that even within a genetically-homogeneous population, local conditions may influence cell signalling and result in phenotypic heterogeneity. We have developed a multi-scale computational model that accounts for emergent heterogeneity arising from the influences of intercellular signalling on individual cells within a population. Our approach was to develop an ODE model of juxtacrine EGFR-ligand activation of the MAPK intracellular pathway and to couple this to an agent-based representation of individual cells in an expanding epithelial cell culture population. This multi-scale, multi-paradigm approach has enabled us to simulate Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) activation in a population of cells and to examine the consequences of interpretation at a single cell or population-based level using virtual assays.

Results

A model consisting of a single pair of interacting agents predicted very different Erk activation (phosphorylation) profiles, depending on the formation rate and stability of intercellular contacts, with the slow formation of stable contacts resulting in low but sustained activation of Erk, and transient contacts resulting in a transient Erk signal. Extension of this model to a population consisting of hundreds to thousands of interacting virtual cells revealed that the activated Erk profile measured across the entire cell population was very different and may appear to contradict individual cell findings, reflecting heterogeneity in population density across the culture. This prediction was supported by immunolabelling of an epithelial cell population grown in vitro, which confirmed heterogeneity of Erk activation.

Conclusion

These results illustrate that mean experimental data obtained from analysing entire cell populations is an oversimplification, and should not be extrapolated to deduce the signal:response paradigm of individual cells. This multi-scale, multi-paradigm approach to biological simulation provides an important conceptual tool in addressing how information may be integrated over multiple scales to predict the behaviour of a biological system.     

Population of murine rhabdomyosarcoma MKh-53 clones under different proliferation conditions studied by flow cytometry

Clones of rhabdomyosarcoma cells were obtained due to implantation of the tumor cells in the eye anterior chamber, in subcutaneous connective tissue and in lungs of mice. The DNA contents in the clone cells were measured using flow cytometry. Diploid indices of clones were calculated from the ratio of the modal content of DNA in G1-cells to the DNA content in lymphocytes contaminating these clones. The diploid indices of various clones varied from 1.4 to 2.3. The mean diploid index calculated for clones that grew under given conditions of proliferation varied within 1.85-1.88. Only one of the 66 clones examined displayed a two-peak distribution of cell according to their DNA content in phase G1, which may suggest a karyotypic instability of the progeny of the tumor clonogenic cell. No correlation was revealed between the diploid indices of clones and the following parameters, such as: the portion of tumor cells being at different phases of cell cycle; the number of normal (stromal) cells contaminating the clones, coefficients of variation of DNA contents in tumor cell clones. A positive correlation was observed between the coefficients of variation of DNA contents in the normal (stromal) cells contaminating the clones and those of tumor clone cells being in phase G1. It is concluded that the variability of results of the flow cytometric measurement of DNA in G1-cells may reflect the variability of cells in respect not only to their DNA contents but also to their capacity of dye sorbtion.     

Effect of the medicinal leech salivary gland secretion on the state of rat subcutaneous mast cells

It is firstly showed that the medicinal leech salivary gland secretion (SGS) as a polycomponent system of proteins and low-molecular weight substances, activates rat subcutaneous mast cells in vitro prompting a decrease in the heparin saturation index and increasing some characteristic mast cells morphometric parameters. The same mast cell changes were detected by analysis of some specimens of subcutaneous cellular tissue in the point of skin injured by the leech bite. It is shown that these changes are saved during 3 days. The mechanical injury of rat skin does not effect the mast cells activation. Activation of mast cells by SGS is extended to the distant subcutaneous mast cells. It is expressed in sharp decreasing of heparin saturation index although not statistically positive. The secondary leeching on these distant points provokes reduction of mast cells activation and some decrease of post-leeching blood heparin content: 0.154 +/- 0.03 units/ml (n = 10) as compared with post-leeching blood heparin contents analysed from the wound after the primary leeching (0.160 +/- 0.03 units/ml, n = 10). Proceeding from these findings, participation of heparin secreted from activated mast cells in the support of post-leeching bleeding is suggested, the phenomenon which provides unloading of capillary pool by application of medicinal leeches for treatment many diseases.     

Outcome of Tuberculosis Treatment in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Treated in the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme in Malappuram District,Kerala, India

Settings

Kerala State, India has reported the greatest dual burden of Tuberculosis (TB) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Malappuram district in Kerala has monitored and recorded DM status and its control from 2010 under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).

Objectives

To assess, under programme conditions, comprehensiveness of recording DM status among TB cases and the TB treatment outcomes among DM patients (disaggregated by glycemic control) and compare with-non DM patients.

Design

This retrospective record review included 3,116TB patients from April 2010 to September 2011.DM was defined as per international guidelines and TB treatment outcomes were categorized as favourable(cured and treatment completed) and unfavourable(death, default, failure and transfer out). Relative Risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals(CI) were calculated to assess the risk of unfavourable outcomes.

Results

DM status was recorded in 90% of TB cases and 667 (24%) had DM. 17% of DM patients and 23% of patients with unknown DM status had unfavourable outcomes but this difference was not statistically significant. Unadjusted RR for poor glycemic control or unknown control status for unfavourable outcome were (2.00; 95% CI 0.97–4.13) and (2.14; 95% CI 1.11–4.13).

Conclusion

This study could not confirm an adverse association between DM or its control during treatment and the course of response to TB treatment.DM screening in TB cases and recording of DM care needs to be improved to enable more conclusive evidence.