Investigation of the angular distribution and energy spectrum of fast ions produced during irradiation of targets by short laser pulses in the SOKOL-P facility

Results are presented from experimental investigations of the angular distributions and energy spectra of fast ions produced in deuterium polyethylene targets under irradiation by picosecond laser pulses with intensities of up to 2 × 10¹⁸ W/cm² in the SOKOL-P facility. The parameters of ion fluxes were measured by time-of-flight spectrometers based on semiconductor detectors.     

The effect of Mycoplasma arthritidis superantigen on immunogenesis in transplacental infection

The immune responsiveness of the progeny of BALB/c mice, responsive to M. arthritidis superantigen (MAS), and C57BL/6 mice, nonresponsive to MAS, infected with M. arthritidis during the second half of pregnancy was studied. The investigation revealed that in responsive animals the proliferative response of spleen cells to MAS was suppressed with the level of response to concanavalin A remaining unchanged. The spleen cells of the test mice reacted to syngenic intact cells as to xenogenic ones and suppressed reaction to MAS and the production of interleukin 1 in the culture of spleen cells taken from the intact syngenic animals. The data obtained in this study suggest that after the infection of pregnant BALB/c mice with M. arthritidis immune tolerance to MAS developed in their progeny, which was accompanied by the induction of suppressor cells inhibiting the production of interleukin 1.     

New species of myxosporidians (Myxosporea: Cnidosporidia) from the oilfishes (Comephorus spp.) of Baĭkal lake

Two new species of Myxosporidia, Henneguya bayerii sp. n. and Myxobolus korjakovii sp. n. from the kidney of the Comephorus baicalensis (Pallas, 1776) and C. dybowskii Korotneff, 1905 from the Baikal lake are described.     

Specific alleles of bitter receptor genes influence human sensitivity to the bitterness of aloin and saccharin

Variation in human taste is a well-known phenomenon. However, little is known about the molecular basis for it. Bitter taste in humans is believed to be mediated by a family of 25 G protein-coupled receptors (hT2Rs, or TAS2Rs). Despite recent progress in the functional expression of hT2Rs in vitro, up until now, hT2R38, a receptor for phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), was the only gene directly linked to variations in human bitter taste. Here we report that polymorphism in two hT2R genes results in different receptor activities and different taste sensitivities to three bitter molecules. The hT2R43 gene allele, which encodes a protein with tryptophan in position 35, makes people very sensitive to the bitterness of the natural plant compounds aloin and aristolochic acid. People who do not possess this allele do not taste these compounds at low concentrations. The same hT2R43 gene allele makes people more sensitive to the bitterness of an artificial sweetener, saccharin. In addition, a closely related gene's (hT2R44's) allele also makes people more sensitive to the bitterness of saccharin. We also demonstrated that some people do not possess certain hT2R genes, contributing to taste variation between individuals. Our findings thus reveal new examples of variations in human taste and provide a molecular basis for them.     

Localization of human brain areas activated for chaotic and ordered pattern perception

The aim of our work was to localize cortical areas involved in the processing of incomplete figures using functional MRI (fMRI) for 8 healthy volunteers (18-30 year old) with the did of anatomical and fMRI fast imaging technique: echo planar imaging (EPI), whole brain scan (36 slices) matrix 64 x 64, 3.7 second. We used 1.5 T MR-scanner and BOLD-method (Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent), based on distinctions of magnetic properties of hemoglobin. Fast imaging technique on modern MR-scanners with > or = 1.5 T provides precise statistical maps of oxygenation increase with high spatial resolution. For test stimuli we used matrix of Gabor grating. We used two types of 10 x 10 matrices with chaotic and ordered orientation of Gabor gratings. The size, brightness and contrast of the stimuli were identical. The chaotic and ordered patterns activated different brain areas. We establish that ordered patterns activated only primary visual cortex - V1 and V2, (BA17-18), wheareas chaotic patterns activated in addition primary visual cortex, the V3,V4,V5 (BA19) of the occipital cortex and the area 7 of parietal area (BA7) classification. Decision making for that task is localized in prefrontal and frontal cortex, including (BA 6, 9, 10).     

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.     

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.     

Comparative Characterization of Methods for Removal of Cu(II) from the Active Sites of Fungal Laccases

Copper-containing sites of laccases isolated from the Basidiomycetes Coriolus hirsutus and Coriolus zonatus were characterized by optical methods and EPR spectroscopy. Methods for preparation of fungal laccase derivatives free from type 2 copper ions were compared. The data of EPR spectroscopy and spectrophotometric titration of copper sites showed that only a modified method based on the use of bathocuproine as a chelator for type 2 copper yielded laccase derivatives completely free from type 2 copper. The original enzymes can be reconstituted from the derivatives by dialysis under anaerobic conditions, resulting in complete recovery of native conformation of the protein molecule and the structure of the copper-containing site.