<Emphasis Type="Italic">mab-31</Emphasis> and the TGF-β pathway act in the ray lineage to pattern <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. elegans</Emphasis>male sensory rays

Background  

C. elegans TGF-β-like Sma/Mab signaling pathway regulates both body size and sensory ray patterning. Most of the components in this pathway were initially identified by genetic screens based on the small body phenotype, and many of these mutants display sensory ray patterning defect. At the cellular level, little is known about how and where these components work although ray structural cell has been implicated as one of the targets. Based on the specific ray patterning abnormality, we aim to identify by RNAi approach additional components that function specifically in the ray lineage to elucidate the regulatory role of TGF-β signaling in ray differentiation.     

State and tendencies in development of floras of man-transformed ecosystems

Basing on published data, authors estimate the current state and tendencies in the development of man-transformed floras. Special attention is given to the flora of cities and such man-transformed habitats, as open-cast mines, dumps, hydrotechnical constructions and railway embankments. Floras of man-made forests and plant communities of cultivated lands were also analyzed. Structure of urbanized landscapes are considered as the aggregates of man-transformed landscapes with fragments of natural vegetation. Floras of urbanized areas are characterized by high species diversity, inconsistency of species composition and diminishing influence of natural vegetation characteristic for particulate zone. Species variety and structure of floras of man-transformed habitats depend on specificity of substrate, geographical latitude, neighboring natural communities and intensity of technical plants exploitation. In the floras of railway embankments species of 10 main families are more abundant then those in natural ecosystems of the same latitude. Floras of man-made forests are characterized by very high species diversity, this type of habitats plays the main compensating role. Analysis of segetal floras reveals the replacement of oligotrophic weeds by eutrophic ones and the increase in diversity of Poaceae species.     

Estimation of possible use of interferon inductors for prevention of postvaccional reactions to TEOVac in animal models

The experiments on guinea pigs showed that arbidol administered orally in a single dose 24 hours prior vaccination with TEOVAC and ridostin administered in a single dose intranasally on the 4th day after the vaccination lowered the vaccine virus accumulation in the animal organs and tissue without any effect on the vaccine immunogeneity. The results are someway indicative of the possible use of the interferon inductors for prevention of postvaccinal reactions to TEOVAC.     

High throughput screening to investigate the interaction of stem cells with their extracellular microenvironment

Stem cells in vivo are housed within a functional microenvironment termed the “stem cell niche.” As the niche components can modulate stem cell behaviors like proliferation, migration and differentiation, evaluating these components would be important to determine the most optimal platform for their maintenance or differentiation. In this review, we have discussed methods and technologies that have aided in the development of high throughput screening assays for stem cell research, including enabling technologies such as the well-established multiwell/microwell plates and robotic spotting, and emerging technologies like microfluidics, micro-contact printing and lithography. We also discuss the studies that utilized high throughput screening platform to investigate stem cell response to extracellular matrix, topography, biomaterials and stiffness gradients in the stem cell niche. The combination of the aforementioned techniques could lay the foundation for new perspectives in further development of high throughput technology and stem cell research.     

Kuznetsk chernozem: Anthropospheric importance and threat of elimination

Based on generalization of the available results of the investigation into the traits and properties of chernozem in the Kuznetsk depression (Kuznetsk chernozem), we concluded that these soils are the “gold fund” of croplands of the Kuznetsk Basin. These soils have served as an irreplaceable basis for grain crop production in this most highly developed industrial region of West Siberia. However, in spite of the high anthropospheric significance, they are subject to increasing erosion-deflationary destruction, since even the simplest soil-protecting measures are not implemented when using these soils as croplands. In addition, they are uncontrollably assigned for open (quarrying) coal production, whose major coal resources are localized within the Kuznetsk depression, where chernozem, arable soil of the best quality, is the soil prevailing in soil cover. Compulsory tight control over the reasonability of its assignment for the coal-producing industry is needed to conserve Kuznetsk chernozem.