Ethnographic Note on Nation: Narratives and Symbols of the Early Post-socialist Nationalism in Lithuania

In the late 1980s and early 1990s Lithuania experienced the nationalist upheaval, which epitomized in the break up from the Soviet Union in 1990. Narratives and symbols were constitutive of the nationalist movement. “Nation” — the master symbol of that time — was reproduced in relation to the symbols of “the West,” and “the East,” as well as through the different values implied in “the West” and “the East” symbolism. Nationalist narratives reconstructed history and memory, reevaluated the present of the “reborn” nation, and drew the paths for the transition. Symbols and narratives were significant in mobilizing popular opinion, creating models for identity and action, and expressing moral and legitimate stances. They were a primary mechanism by which ideologies and cultural stances were shaped and maintained during the nationalist upheaval. In early 1990s the “nation” was redefined in the context of the Western tradition which was essential in communicating with the European countries and distancing from the former Soviet Union.     

Time Course of Physiological and Psychological Responses in Humans during a 20-Day Severe-Cold–Acclimation Programme

The time course of physiological and psychological markers during cold acclimation (CA) was explored. The experiment included 17 controlled (i.e., until the rectal temperature reached 35.5°C or 170 min had elapsed; for the CA-17 session, the subjects (n = 14) were immersed in water for the same amount of time as that used in the CA-1 session) head-out water immersions at a temperature of 14°C over 20 days. The data obtained in this study suggest that the subjects exhibited a thermoregulatory shift from peripheral-to-central to solely central input thermoregulation, as well as from shivering to non-shivering thermogenesis throughout the CA. In the first six CA sessions, a hypothermic type of acclimation was found; further CA (CA-7 to CA-16) led to a transitional shift to a hypothermic–insulative type of acclimation. Interestingly, when the subjects were immersed in water for the same time as that used in the CA-1 session (CA-17), the CA led to a hypothermic type of acclimation. The presence of a metabolic type of thermogenesis was evident only under thermoneutral conditions. Cold-water immersion decreased the concentration of cold-stress markers, reduced the activity of the innate immune system, suppressed specific immunity to a lesser degree and yielded less discomfort and cold sensation. We found a negative correlation between body mass index and Δ metabolic heat production before and after CA.     

Heart rate variability after radiofrequency ablation of epicardial ganglionated plexuses on the ovine left atrium

Background

Ganglionated plexuses (GP) are terminal parts of cardiac autonomous nervous system (ANS). Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) possibly affects GP. Changes in heart rate variability (HRV) after RFA can reflect ANS modulation.

Methods

Epicardial RFA of GP on the left atrium (LA) was performed under the general anesthesia in 15 mature Romanov sheep. HRV was used to assess the alterations in autonomic regulation of the heart. A 24???hour ECG monitoring was performed before the ablation, 2 days after it and at each of the 12 following months. Ablation sites were evaluated histologically.

Results

There was an instant change in HRV parameters after the ablation. A standard deviation of all intervals between normal QRS (SDNN), a square root of the mean of the squared differences between successive normal QRS intervals (RMSSD) along with HRV triangular index (TI), low frequency (LF) power and high frequency (HF) power decreased, while LF/HF ratio increased. Both the SDNN, LF power and the HF power changes persisted throughout the 12???month follow???up. Significant decrease in RMSSD persisted only for 3 months, HRV TI for 6 months and increase in LF/HF ratio for 7 months of the follow???up. Afterwards these three parameters were not different from the preprocedural values.

Conclusions

Epicardial RFA of GP’s on the ovine left atrium has lasting effect on the main HRV parameters (SDNN, HF power and LF power). The normalization of RMSSD, HRV TI and LF/HF suggests that HRV after epicardial RFA of GPs on the left atrium might restore over time.

     

Dental incremental lines in some small species of the European vespertilionid bats

The dentine and cementum of the mammals exhibit incremental lines (IL) that may be seen as dark and light rings in properly prepared sections of teeth. Counting of IL provides a potential method to evaluate the absolute age of many wild species. The aim of the present study was to evaluate IL in small bat species and to test whether the number of IL is associated with the absolute age of bat when its minimal age was known based on ringing data. Teeth of 26 specimens of the following species were examined:Myotis daubentonii (n = 12),Barbastella barbastellus (n = 4),M. brandtii (n = 2),M. nattereri (n = 2),Pipistrellus nathusii (n = 2),Plecotus auritus (n = 2),M. dasycneme (n = 1),Vespertilio murinus (n = 1). Transverse morphological sections of canines, incisors and postcanine teeth were analysed by a light microscopy. In 4 cases, the minimal age of animals examined in this study was known. The IL were revealed in the dentine of 14 bats examined. The cementum of all animals was devoid of IL. The mean distance between the first and second juxtaposed IL ofM. daubentonii was 3.2 ± 0.2 mm, but it was significantly fewer among the subsequent adjacent lines. Due to a thinness of the IL, an accurate counting was considerably difficult in the canines containing more than 10 IL, as well as in the incisors and postcanine teeth with more than 3-6 IL. The IL of roots showed the most contrast, but they were almost obscured from view at the cingulum and crown. In bats of known-age, the numbers of IL were significantly lower than minimal age of those animals examined, and IL were either revealed only in certain teeth or absent entirely in all teeth. The present findings suggest that the number of the IL varies in different teeth and is strongly dependent on section level. Consequently, age determination in small bats using dental IL is doubtful and requires a reevaluation.     

Yeast Secretes High Amounts of Human Calreticulin without Cellular Stress

The ER chaperone calreticulin (CALR) also has extracellular functions and can exit the mammalian cell in response to various factors, although the mechanism by which this takes place is unknown. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae efficiently secretes human CALR, and the analysis of this process in yeast could help to clarify how it gets out of eukaryotic cells. We have achieved a secretion titer of about 140 mg/L CALR in our S. cerevisiae system. Here, we present a comparative quantitative whole proteome study in CALR-secreting yeast using non-equilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis (NEPHGE)-based two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) as well as liquid chromatography mass spectrometry in data-independent analysis mode (LC-MS^E). A reconstructed carrier ampholyte (CA) composition of NEPHGE-based first-dimension separation for 2DE could be used instead of formerly commercially available gels. Using LC-MS^E, we identified 1574 proteins, 20 of which exhibited differential expression. The largest group of differentially expressed proteins were structural ribosomal proteins involved in translation. Interestingly, we did not find any signs of cellular stress which is usually observed in recombinant protein-producing yeast, and we did not identify any secretory pathway proteins that exhibited changes in expression. Taken together, high-level secretion of human recombinant CALR protein in S. cerevisiae does not induce cellular stress and does not burden the cellular secretory machinery. There are only small changes in the cellular proteome of yeast secreting CALR at a high level.     

Sex-specific reliability and multidimensional stability of responses to tests assessing neuromuscular function

The objective of this study was to estimate sex-specific effects in the test–retest cross-reliability of peripheral and central changes in nonlinear and linear measures of a surface electromyography signal during a brief (5 second) and sustained (2 minute) isometric maximal voluntary contraction, combined with superimposed electrical stimulation involving the ankle plantar flexors over five identical trials. In this study, we repeated the testing protocol used in our previous study of 10 women (age 20.9, SD = 0.3 years) (Bernecke et al., 2015) in a group of 10 men (age 21.2, SD = 0.4 years). Despite the central (sex effect; p < 0.05, η_p² > 0.71, SP > 70%) and peripheral fatigability (sex effect; p < 0.01, η_p² > 0.8, SP > 90%) during sustained isometric maximal voluntary contraction, and lower reliability for central activation ratio during brief (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.95 for men and ICC = 0.82 for women) and sustained maximal voluntary contraction (ICC > 0.82 for men and ICC > 0.66 for women) over ankle plantar flexors expressed in women more than in men, all the ICCs of all indices measured by tests assessing neuromuscular function across the five identical test–retest trials were found as meaningful (correlation significance of p < 0.05 was reached) and no significant differences were found between trials for any of the measured variables. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated greater central and peripheral fatigue for female participants following sustained (2 minute) isometric maximal voluntary contraction of the plantar flexor muscles for all repeated trials and indicated an acceptable agreement between measurements of the characteristic variables made using the three different devices (dynamometry, electrical stimulation, and surface electromyography) over time for both sexes.     

Apoptosis, autophagy and cell cycle arrest following photodamage to mitochondrial interior

Cell death induced by oxidative insult targeted to mitochondrial interior of A431 cells was investigated. For stimulated production of ROS in the inner space of mitochondria, safranin-mediated photodynamic treatment (PDT) was employed. Another photosensitizer, mTHPC, which diffusely localizes to cellular membranes, was used for comparison. Cell response to the oxidative insult in mitochondrial interior was different from the response to the photodamage produced in cellular membranes. Autophagy and apoptotic features of cell death in response to mTHPC-PDT was observed in a wide range of PDT doses. Cell response to the oxidative stress in mitochondrial interior was dose-dependent. Damage up to CD50 did not reveal hallmarks of dead cells. At intermediate damage (CD50), cells manifested enhanced autophagy and reduced population of S-phase, but not apoptosis. Severe damage (beyond CD70) induced apoptosis following release of cytochrome c and caspase activation, in addition to autophagy and cell cycle arrest.     

Benzimidazo[1,2-c][1,2,3]thiadiazole-7-sulfonamides as inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase

A series of benzimidazo[1,2-c][1,2,3]thiadiazole-7-sulfonamides were synthesized and their binding to two carbonic anhydrase isozymes measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Human carbonic anhydrase I (hCAI) and bovine carbonic anhydrase II (bCAII) bound the inhibitors with observed association constants in the range from 1.1 x 10(6) to 2.6 x 10(7) M(-1).     

Herbicide oryzalin inhibits human carbonic anhydrases in vitro

Herbicides of the dinitroaniline chemical class, widely used oryzalin and trifluralin, and also nitralin were tested as inhibitors of recombinant human carbonic anhydrases (CAs). Oryzalin bound and inhibited 11 out of 12 catalytically active CA isoforms present in the human body with the affinities in the same range as clinically used CA drugs, while no effect was detected for the other two compounds. Binding of all three herbicides was examined by fluorescence‐based thermal shift assay, isothermal titration calorimetry, and the inhibition of carbon dioxide hydratase activity. During the last decade, dinitroaniline compound‐based therapies against protozoan diseases are being developed. Therefore, it is important to investigate their potential off‐target effects, including human CAs.