A correlation between BCL-2 modifying factor,p53 and livin gene expressions in cancer colon patients

Accumulating evidence has revealed that livin gene and BCL-2 modifying factor (BMF) gene are closely associated with the initiation and progression of colon carcinoma by activating or suppressing multiple malignant processes. Those genes that can detect colon - cancer are a promising approach for cancer screening and diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate correlation between livin, BMF and p53 genes expression in colon cancer tissues of patients included in the study, and their relationship with clinicopathological features and survival outcome in those patients. In this study, 50 pathologically diagnosed early cancer colon patients included and their tissue biopsy with 50 matched adjacent normal tissue, and 50 adenoma tissue specimens were analyzed for livin gene and BMF gene expressions using real time PCR. The relationship of those genes expressions with clinicopathological features, tumor markers, Time to Progression and overall survival for those patients were correlated in cancer colon group. In this study, there was a significant a reciprocal relationship between over expression of livin gene and down regulation of BMF and p53 genes in colon cancer cells. Livin mRNA was significantly higher, while BMF and p53 mRNA were significantly lower in colorectal cancer tissue compared to benign and normal colon tissue specimens (P < 0.001), however, this finding was absent between colon adenomas and normal mucosa. There was a significant association between up regulation of livin and down regulation of BMF and p53 expressions with more aggressive tumor (advanced TNM stage), rapid progression with metastasis and decreased overall survival in cancer colon patients, hence these genes can serve as significant prognostic markers of poor outcome in colon cancer patients. This work highlights the role of livin, BMF and p53 genes in colorectal tumorigenesis and the applicability of using those genes as a diagnostic and prognostic markers in patients with colon carcinoma and as a good target for cancer colon treatment in the future.     

Biocides formulation of essential oils having antimicrobial activity

Essential oils of fennel, peppermint, caraway, eucalyptus, geranium and lemon were tested for their antimicrobial activities against some plant pathogenic micro-organisms (Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternate, Penicilium italicum Penicilium digitatum and Botyritus cinerea). Essential oils of fennel, peppermint, caraway were selected as an active ingredient for the formulation of biocides due to their efficiency in controlling the tested micro-organisms. Successful emulsifiable concentrates (biocides) were prepared from these oils using different emulsifiers (Emulgator B.L.M. Tween20 and Tween80) and different fixed oils (sesame, olive, cotton and soybean oils). Physico-chemical properties of the formulated biocide (spontaneous emulsification, emulsion stability test, cold stability and heat stability tests as well as viscosity, surface tension and pH) were measured. The prepared biocides were ready to be tested for application in a future work as a safe pesticide against different pathogens.     

Metagenomic insights into strategies of carbon conservation and unusual sulfur biogeochemistry in a hypersaline Antarctic lake

Organic Lake is a shallow, marine-derived hypersaline lake in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica that has the highest reported concentration of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in a natural body of water. To determine the composition and functional potential of the microbial community and learn about the unusual sulfur chemistry in Organic Lake, shotgun metagenomics was performed on size-fractionated samples collected along a depth profile. Eucaryal phytoflagellates were the main photosynthetic organisms. Bacteria were dominated by the globally distributed heterotrophic taxa Marinobacter, Roseovarius and Psychroflexus. The dominance of heterotrophic degradation, coupled with low fixation potential, indicates possible net carbon loss. However, abundant marker genes for aerobic anoxygenic phototrophy, sulfur oxidation, rhodopsins and CO oxidation were also linked to the dominant heterotrophic bacteria, and indicate the use of photo- and lithoheterotrophy as mechanisms for conserving organic carbon. Similarly, a high genetic potential for the recycling of nitrogen compounds likely functions to retain fixed nitrogen in the lake. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) lyase genes were abundant, indicating that DMSP is a significant carbon and energy source. Unlike marine environments, DMSP demethylases were less abundant, indicating that DMSP cleavage is the likely source of high DMS concentration. DMSP cleavage, carbon mixotrophy (photoheterotrophy and lithoheterotrophy) and nitrogen remineralization by dominant Organic Lake bacteria are potentially important adaptations to nutrient constraints. In particular, carbon mixotrophy relieves the extent of carbon oxidation for energy production, allowing more carbon to be used for biosynthetic processes. The study sheds light on how the microbial community has adapted to this unique Antarctic lake environment.     

Electric explosion of fine tungsten wires in vacuum

A study is made of the breakdown of a fine wire during its electric explosion in vacuum. The problem of how the wire diameter, the rate of energy deposition in the wire, and the insulation of the electrode surface near the electrode-wire contact influence the wire explosion and the accompanying breakdown is investigated experimentally. The wire explosion was performed at a positive polarity of the high-voltage electrode. A current density growth rate of 6×10¹¹–5×10¹⁶ A/(s cm²) is achieved. It is shown that the breakdown along a wire is similar in many respects to the gas breakdown. The insulation of the wire surface makes it possible to avoid breakdown and to increase the deposited energy to values sufficient for the wire sublimation.     

Electrical activity of mauthner neurons of goldfish Fries <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

We studied the electrophysiological characteristics of Mauthner neurons (MN) in in vitro preparations of the medulla fragments of goldfish fries. The characteristics of extracellularly recorded responses of MN were found to be close to those usually recorded in vivo. It was demonstrated that in vitro intracellular microelectrode recording of MN activity in goldfish fries is, in principle, possible. The main experimental approaches for successful intracellular recording from such objects have been developed, and the possible artifacts met in the course of the experiments, as well as the parameters of stimulation, have been identified.Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 288–296, July–August, 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

The expression of plasmalemma transcobalamin-II receptors on human blood lymphocytes stimulated by mitogens]

The influence of mitogens on the expression of surface membrane TC-II receptors of human blood lymphocytes and internalization of (TS-II+57Co-CNCbl) complex into cytoplasm were investigated. Mature lymphocytes have a very small number of surface receptors to plasma TC-II but their expression is increased significantly by PHA or Con-A stimulation. CBl transport to cytoplasma is activated in definite sequence by two different mechanisms. Stimulated cells take free CBl without participation of TC-II in early hours of mitogen action (12-42 hrs) before maximal 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. On day 3 of cultivation, specific mechanism of CBl transport triggers and the number of lymphoblast receptors is increased manifold. Radioactive CBl enters cytoplasma due to interaction of TC-II-CN [57Co] CBl of the medium with surface membrane receptor of the cells. Thus, the definition of TC-II receptors as an important functional parameter may serve a marker of proliferating cells.     

Active transport of cobalamins in leukemic cells of L-1210 mice

The Tc-II receptors of cell surface membrane and the cobalamins entering into the L-1210 mouse leukemia cells were investigated. We used the blood serum Tc-II saturated with 57CoCNCbl for radioactivity determination separately in solubilized receptors and inside of the cells. The data on ligand regulation of the leukemic cell membrane receptors number were received. The internalization of radioactive complex of Tc-II and cobalamin was revealed during intensive 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA of the cultivated cells.     

Study of the current-sheath formation during the implosion of multishell gas puffs

Results are presented from experimental studies of the dynamics of large-diameter multishell gas puffs imploded by microsecond megampere current pulses. The experiments were conducted on the GIT-12 generator in the regime of microsecond implosion (t _imp = 1.1–1.2 μs, I ₀ = 3.4–3.7 MA). The influence of the load configuration on the dynamics of current losses and gas-puff radiative characteristics was studied. The correlation between the radial compression ratio (the ratio between the initial and final Z-pinch radii) and the magnitude of the current flowing at the plasma periphery was investigated. The experiments show that, in a multishell gas puff, large-scale instabilities insignificantly affect the gas-puff implosion even over microsecond time intervals and that a compact dense pinch with a relatively high average electron temperature (400–600 eV) forms at the Z-pinch axis. The diameter of the plasma column radiating in the K-shell lines of neon is about 3–4 mm, the K-shell radiation yield being 5–11 kJ/cm. In the final stage of implosion, only a small portion of the current flows through the high-temperature central region of the pinch plasma, whereas the major part of the generator current flows through the residual peripheral plasma.