ANTIBODIES DIRECTED TO INDIVIDUAL HISTONES IN JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS. ASSOCIATION WITH UVEITIS

The trials for identification of the specific target antigen for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) revealed that a significant number of patients produce antibodies directed to individual histories and histone peptides. Fifty JCA patients, 58 healthy children and 58 children with autoimmune and rheumatologic disorders were studied for a presence of IgG- and IgM-antibodies against histone 1, histone 2 and histone 3 measured by ELISA. The levels of IgGand IgM-antibodies directed to histone 1, 2 and 3 were elevated in JCA as compared to the healthy controls. IgG-antibodies to histone 2 and IgM-antibodies to histone 3 also were elevated in comparison with the disease controls. IgG- and IgM-antibodies against histone 1 were found to be positive in 30 % and 26 % of JCA patients, respectively, in significant association with ANA (p = 0,038 and p = 0,03, respectively) and uveitis (p = 0,02 and p = 0,016, respectively). The same prevalence of IgG- and IgM-antibodies to histone 2 was established but only the IgG-isotype showed significant association with uveitis (p = 0,018). Anti-histone 3 IgG- and IgM-antibodies were found in 34 % and 27 % of JCA patients, respectively. IgM-antibodies to histone 3 were proved to be significantly associated with uveitis (p - 0,009). It was concluded that antibodies to histone 1, histone 2, and histone 3 represented a common serological feature of JCA. Their presence was related to the manifestation of chronic anterior uveitis, associated with JCA

Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Heavy Metal (Cd & Hg) Uptake of Pinto Peanut (Arachis pintoi)

The pollution of the ecosystem by heavy metals is a real threat to the environment because metals cannot be naturally degraded like organic pollutants and persist in the ecosystem having accumulated in different parts of the food chain. Due to the acute toxicity of heavy metal contaminants, an urgent need to develop low-cost, effective, and sustainable methods to remove or detoxify them from the environment. A study to investigate the growth and heavy metal (Cd and Hg) absorption capacity of Arachis pintoi associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was conducted. The heavy metal (Cadmium and Mercury) uptake of A. pintoi inoculated with arbuscular mycorrizal fungi was also determined and compared by quantifying the heavy metal absorbed by the plants through Atomic Spectrophotometry. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used as the experimental design with four treatments replicated three times each for Cadmium and mercury were made. The analysis of variance suggests a highly significant difference in the main effect of treatments, the main effect in weeks and their interaction in cadmium and mercury set-up. The results have found out that Treatment 3 (Heavy metal without AMF) in heavy metal cadmium and mercury has the highest heavy metal uptake. The study further recommend that A. pintoi, a widely available and abundant plant species with mycorrhyzal fungi interaction will be a beneficial procedure in reducing heavy metal pollution in soil

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN DARK TRIAD TRAITS AND MATERIALISTIC VALUE ORIENTATION

The study examines the intensity and relationship of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy with orientations toward material values as indicators of success, happiness, and a focus on material well-being in groups with various combinations of Dark Triad traits and a general orientation towards materialism. The relevant indicators were measured in a sample of 442 participants, and groups differed in the intensity of the studied traits and values. As a result, distinctions were established that emphasise the specificity of the link between the Dark Triad’s traits and the orientation toward materialism, as well as their interrelationships. It is conceivable to think that narcissism and psychopathy are the primary characteristics that distinguish the attitude toward material values and reflect various economic tactics.Анализируются различия в выраженности и взаимосвязи макиавеллизма, нарциссизма, психопатии с ориентациями на обладание материальными ценностями как показателями успеха, счастья и центрированность на материальном благополучии в группах с различным сочетанием черт «Темной триады» и общей ориентацией на материализм. На выборке в 442 человека были диагностированы соответствующе показатели и выделены группы, отличающиеся выраженностью исследуемых черт и ценностей. В результате были установлены различия, подчеркивающие специфику соотношения черт «Темной триады» и ориентации на материализм, а также их взаимосвязи. Возможно, что нарциссизм и психопатия являются основными чертами, дифференцирующими отношение к материальным ценностям и представляющие различные стратегии экономического поведения

A Moonlighting Human Protein Is Involved in Mitochondrial Import of tRNA

In yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ~3% of the lysine transfer RNA acceptor 1 (tRK1) pool is imported into mitochondria while the second isoacceptor, tRK2, fully remains in the cytosol. The mitochondrial function of tRK1 is suggested to boost mitochondrial translation under stress conditions. Strikingly, yeast tRK1 can also be imported into human mitochondria in vivo, and can thus be potentially used as a vector to address RNAs with therapeutic anti-replicative capacity into mitochondria of sick cells. Better understanding of the targeting mechanism in yeast and human is thus critical. Mitochondrial import of tRK1 in yeast proceeds first through a drastic conformational rearrangement of tRK1 induced by enolase 2, which carries this freight to the mitochondrial pre-lysyl-tRNA synthetase (preMSK). The latter may cross the mitochondrial membranes to reach the matrix where imported tRK1 could be used by the mitochondrial translation apparatus. This work focuses on the characterization of the complex that tRK1 forms with human enolases and their role on the interaction between tRK1 and human pre-lysyl-tRNA synthetase (preKARS2)

Morbidity and mortality in the antiphospholipid syndrome during a 10-year period: a multicentre prospective study of 1000 patients

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of the main causes of morbi-mortality in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) during a 10-year-follow-up period and to compare the frequency of early manifestations with those that appeared later. METHODS: In 1999, we started an observational study of 1000 APS patients from 13 European countries. All had medical histories documented when entered into the study and were followed prospectively during the ensuing 10 years. RESULTS: 53.1% of the patients had primary APS, 36.2% had APS associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and 10.7% APS associated with other diseases. Thrombotic events appeared in 166 (16.6%) patients during the first 5-year period and in 115 (14.4%) during the second 5-year period. The most common events were strokes, transient ischaemic attacks, deep vein thromboses and pulmonary embolism. 127 (15.5%) women became pregnant (188 pregnancies) and 72.9% of pregnancies succeeded in having one or more live births. The most common obstetric complication was early pregnancy loss (16.5% of the pregnancies). Intrauterine growth restriction (26.3% of the total live births) and prematurity (48.2%) were the most frequent fetal morbidities. 93 (9.3%) patients died and the most frequent causes of death were severe thrombosis (36.5%) and infections (26.9%). Nine (0.9%) cases of catastrophic APS occurred and 5 (55.6%) of them died. The survival probability at 10 years was 90.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with APS still develop significant morbidity and mortality despite current treatment. It is imperative to increase the efforts in determining optimal prognostic markers and therapeutic measures to prevent these complications

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ACAD. R. POPIVANOV FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION IN BIOLOGY IN BULGARIA

ABSTRAC

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЕ ВКЛАДЫ ИНТРАЭТНИЧЕСКИХ ПЕРЕМЕННЫХ В ОЦЕНКУ СТЕРЕОТИПНЫХ ОБРАЗОВ ИММИГРАНТОВ В РОССИЮ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ЖИТЕЛЕЙ УРАЛА) RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF INTRAETHNIC VARIABLES IN VALUATION OF STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES OF IMMIGRANTS IN RUSSIA (BASED ON URAL REGION

Настоящая статья посвящена сравнительной оценке вклада интраэтнических компонентов межэтни-ческих установок в отношение к представителям этнических аутгрупп, а именно -иммигрантам в Россию. Выборку исследования составили 159 студентов гуманитарных специальностей пермских вузов (87 русских, 76 коми-пермяков). Методы: «Вопросник этнической идентичности», «Пермский вопросник этнического Я», «Предпочитаемый тип культуры» Дж. Тауссенда -Л.Г. Почебут, «Вопросник этнической аффилиации». В качестве субъектов, носителей интраэтнических компонентов межэтнических установок рассматриваются представители коренного населения Урала -русские и коми-пермяки. В качестве объектов межэтнического восприятия выступают представители славянской и азиатской этнических групп -украинец и узбек, пред-ставленные через образы этнических стереотипов иммигрантов в Россию. Показано, что этноаффилиатив-ные мотивы, позитивная этническая идентичность, а также низкий уровень этнонигилизма и этноэгоизма вносят существенный вклад в формирование позитивного отношения к стереотипному образу иммигранта. Ключевые слова: интраэтнические свойства, этническое самосознание, этническая идентичность, этноаффилиативные мотивы, иммигранты RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF INTRAETHNIC VARIABLES IN VALUATION OF STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES OF IMMIGRANTS IN RUSSIA (BASED ON URAL REGION SAMPLES) Baleva M.V. Perm State Academy of Art and Culture, Perm, e-mail: [email protected] Ethnic attitudes depends on intra-ethnic and extra-ethnics variables. The main idea of this article is to evaluate the comparative contribution of intraethnic components of attitude to ethnic out-groups perseption. The intraethnic componterts of attitudes are: cognitive, emotional and behavioral elements of ethnic self-consciousness. Immigrants in Russia considered as ethnic out-group. The sample consists of 159 students (87 russian and 78 komi-permyak ethniс group). Methods: Etnic-identity questionnaire, Ethnic-self questionnaire, Type of culture inventory and Ethniс affi liation questionnaire. Participants evaluated stereotyped images of Slavic and Asian immigrants (Ukrainian and Uzbek). Analysis: multiply regression (forward stepwise) was the main statistical procedure. Results: positive relation to stereotypical image of immigrant is under the infl uence of ethnic affi liation motives, positive ethniс identity and low ethnic-selfi shness and ethnic-rejection