Chemical analysis of bioactive substances in seven siberian Saussurea species

Main groups of biologically active substances of seven siberian Saussurea species (S. controversa DC., S. latifolia Ledeb., S. parviflora (Poir.) DC., S. frolowii Ledeb, S. amara (L.) DC., S. salicifolia (L.) DC. and S. daurica Adams) have been studied using paper, thin-layer, performance liquid chromatography, IR spectroscopy, spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. Siberian Saussurea species have a rich elemental composition and contain a variety of phenolic compounds, amino acids, polysaccharides. The majority of polysaccharides are accumulated by S. controversa, S. salicifolia and S. frolowii. These plants contain a significant amount of calcium that may be a species characteristic. All plants contain quercetin and its glycosides, in some species luteolin, kaempferol, glycosides of apigenin and myricetin were revealed. Phenolic acids with predominant content of caffeic, chlorogenic and cinnamic acids were found in all the species. The maximum amount of phenolic acids and flavonoids was determined in the grass of S. latifolia, S. controversa and S. daurica. Characteristic absorption bands of lactone carbonyl of sesquiterpenoids in IR spectrum found in S. latifolia, S. controversa, S. daurica, S. amara and S. salicifolia. HPLC / UV analysis showed that peaks with absorption maxima of 242-246 nm due to the presence of α,β-unsaturated ketone group in the structure of ecdysteroids were found in S. salicifolia, S. controversa, S. daurica and S. latifolia

Novel Lyssaviruses Isolated from Bats in Russia

Two new rabies-related viruses were discovered in Russia during 2002. Viruses were isolated from bats in Eastern Siberia near Baikal Lake and in the western Caucasus Mountains. After preliminary antigenic and genetic characterization, we found that both viruses should be considered as new putative lyssavirus genotypes

Correlation of Structure, Function and Protein Dynamics in GH7 Cellobiohydrolases from \u3cem\u3eTrichoderma atroviride\u3c/em\u3e, \u3cem\u3eT. reesei\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eT. harzianum\u3c/em\u3e

Background: The ascomycete fungus Trichoderma reesei is the predominant source of enzymes for industrial conversion of lignocellulose. Its glycoside hydrolase family 7 cellobiohydrolase (GH7 CBH) TreCel7A constitutes nearly half of the enzyme cocktail by weight and is the major workhorse in the cellulose hydrolysis process. The orthologs from Trichoderma atroviride (TatCel7A) and Trichoderma harzianum (ThaCel7A) show high sequence identity with TreCel7A, ~ 80%, and represent naturally evolved combinations of cellulose-binding tunnel-enclosing loop motifs, which have been suggested to influence intrinsic cellobiohydrolase properties, such as endo-initiation, processivity, and off-rate. Results: The TatCel7A, ThaCel7A, and TreCel7A enzymes were characterized for comparison of function. The catalytic domain of TatCel7A was crystallized, and two structures were determined: without ligand and with thio-cellotriose in the active site. Initial hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose was faster with TatCel7A than either ThaCel7A or TreCel7A. In synergistic saccharification of pretreated corn stover, both TatCel7A and ThaCel7A were more efficient than TreCel7A, although TatCel7A was more sensitive to thermal inactivation. Structural analyses and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to elucidate important structure/function correlations. Moreover, reverse conservation analysis (RCA) of sequence diversity revealed divergent regions of interest located outside the cellulose-binding tunnel of Trichoderma spp. GH7 CBHs. Conclusions: We hypothesize that the combination of loop motifs is the main determinant for the observed differences in Cel7A activity on cellulosic substrates. Fine-tuning of the loop flexibility appears to be an important evolutionary target in Trichoderma spp., a conclusion supported by the RCA data. Our results indicate that, for industrial use, it would be beneficial to combine loop motifs from TatCel7A with the thermostability features of TreCel7A. Furthermore, one region implicated in thermal unfolding is suggested as a primary target for protein engineering

Plant Growth Promoting Activity and Metal Tolerance of Bacteria Isolated from Rhizosphere of the Orchid Epipactis atrorubens Growing on Serpentine Substrates of the Middle Urals

В статье представлены данные, полученные при изучении бактерий, выделенных из ризосферы орхидеи Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser. Проведен сравнительный анализ некоторых морфологических, физиологических и биохимических характеристик ризобактерий растений, произрастающих в двух биотопах на серпентинитовых породах: в естественном лесном фитоценозе (фоновый участок) и на отвале после добычи асбеста (Свердловская область, Средний Урал). Оценка ростстимулирующей (PGP) активности выделенных штаммов не показала достоверных различий между исследованными участками по способности ризобактерий к синтезу индолил‑3-уксусной кислоты (ИУК) и солюбилизации фосфатов. Однако доля изолятов, способных к азотфиксации, была выше в ризосфере E. atrorubens, произрастающего на отвале, по сравнению с фоновым местообитанием. Устойчивость изолятов к тяжелым металлам оценивали по максимальной концентрации металла (400, 600 и 1000 мг/л соответственно для Ni, Cu и Zn), при которой отмечался рост бактерий. Показано, что ризобактерии с отвала оказались более устойчивыми к повышенным концентрациям металлов по сравнению с естественным лесным фитоценозом. На основе молекулярно-генетического анализа изолятов с наиболее выраженной PGP‑активностью (ИУК >1,0 мг/л; PO4 3- >50,0 мг/л) обнаружено сходство между изученными местообитаниями по родовой принадлежности ризобактерий E. atrorubens: выделенные штаммы принадлежали преимущественно к родам Buttiauxella и Pseudomonas. В модельных экспериментах протестирована ростстимулирующая способность четырех отобранных штаммов на семенах циннии. Инокуляция семян Pseudomonas sp. и Buttiauxella sp. не оказывала значимого влияния на их всхожесть, однако Buttiauxella sp. способствовала увеличению длины проростков в сравнении с контролем (в среднем на 25 %). Сделано предположение, что отобранные изоляты ризобактерий E. atrorubens, благодаря их ростстимулирующей активности и металлоустойчивости, могут способствовать натурализации орхидеи на техногенно нарушенной территорииThe article presents data obtained in the study of bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of the orchid Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser. Analysis was carried out to compare some morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of plant rhizobacteria growing on serpentine rocks in two biotopes: in the natural forest community (control habitat) and on the asbestos mine dump (the Sverdlovsk region, Middle Urals). An assessment of the plant growth promoting (PGP) activity of the isolated strains did not show significant differences in the ability of rhizobacteria to synthesize indol‑3-acetic acid (IAA) and solubilize phosphates between the study sites. However, the proportion of isolates capable of nitrogen fixation was higher in the rhizosphere of E. atrorubens growing on the dump compared to the control habitat. The tolerance of isolates to heavy metals was assessed by the maximum metal concentration (400, 600, and 1000 mg/L, respectively, for Ni, Cu, and Zn) at which bacterial growth was observed. Rhizobacteria from the dump were found to be more resistant to elevated concentrations of metals compared to their counterparts from the natural forest community. The molecular genetic analysis of isolates with the highest PGP‑activity (IAA >1.0 mg/L; PO4 3- >50.0 mg/L) revealed that most of the E. atrorubens rhizobacteria in both habitats belonged to the genera Buttiauxella and Pseudomonas. In model experiments, the PGP ability of four selected strains was tested on zinnia seeds. Seed inoculation with Pseudomonas sp. and Buttiauxella sp. did not have any significant effect on their germination; however, Buttiauxella sp. contributed to the increase in the length of seedlings compared with the control (by 25 %, on average). It has been suggested that the selected isolates of E. atrorubens rhizobacteria, due to their growth promoting activity and metal tolerance, can facilitate naturalization of the orchid in an industrially disturbed are

At the intersection of globalization and "civilizational originality' : cultural production in Putin's Russia

This special issue originates from a transnational collaboration of scholars in philology, comparative literature, social theory, sociology, anthropology, ethnography, and media studies. The collection strives to advance a research agenda built on the nexus of three intellectual and academic domains: post-Soviet Russian cultural studies', the research paradigm put forward by Cultural Studies, as well as empirical methods developed in sociology. The collection illustrates the importance of expanding the experience of Cultural Studies beyond its established spheres of national investigation, while it also speaks to the necessity to re-evaluate the hegemony of the English-language academic and cultural production on the global scale. The collection offers insights into the gamut of cultural practices and institutional environments in which Russian cultural production happens today. It shows how cultural industries and institutions in Russia are integrated into the global marketplace and transnational communities, while they also draw on and contribute to local lives and experiences by trying to create an autonomous space for symbolic production at personal and collective levels. Through diverse topics, the issue sheds light on the agency, i.e. practitioners and participants, creators and consumers, of Russian cultural production and the neoliberal practices implemented on creative work and cultural administration in Russia today. The Introduction outlines the development of academic studies on Russian cultural practices since 1991; describes main political developments shaping the cultural field in Putin's Russia; and, finally, identifies the Cultural Studies debates the editors of the collection find most productive for investigations of Russia, i.e. the instrumentalization of culture and culture as resource. Relocated in an analysis of a post-socialist society, these conceptualisations seem increasingly problematic in a situation where local and federal policies governing cultural and creative work focus simultaneously on marketization and on nationalism as the main tools of legitimizing the federal government.Peer reviewe

Fatty Acid Content and Composition of Fly Larvae Lucilia sericata (Family Calliphoridae) Grown on Diets with Different Content of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Amino Acid Composition of this Species

Аквакультура – быстроразвивающаяся отрасль сельского хозяйства, однако сейчас она столкнулась с недостатком кормов, основу которых составляют уловы дикой рыбы, и, как следствие, повышением их стоимости. Для дальнейшего устойчивого развития аквакультуры необходимо разработать альтернативные корма, производимые не из дикой рыбы. Насекомые рассматриваются как подходящий источник кормового белка для рыб, однако их жирнокислотный (ЖК) состав часто не соответствует требованиям аквакультуры. В рыбьем жире среди ПНЖК доминируют кислоты семейства омега‑3, а в наземных насекомых – семейства омега‑6. Исследование возможности модификации ЖК состава личинок насекомых для увеличения содержания омега‑3 ПНЖК является актуальной задачей. Целью данной работы было изучить состав и содержание жирных кислот в личинках мухи Lucilia sericata, выращенных на стандартном корме и корме с добавлением рыжикового масла, богатом альфа-линоленовой кислотой (АЛК, 18:3n‑3), и проанализировать аминокислотный состав (АК) личинок данного вида мух. ЖК анализ проводили на газовом хроматографе с масс-спектрометрическим детектором. АК анализ выполняли на жидкостном хроматографе. АК состав исследованных личинок мух, как и других насекомых отряда Diptera, был близок к АК составу рыбной муки. Состав и содержание жирных кислот личинок мухи на стандартном корме характеризовались низким соотношением омега‑3 / омега‑6 ПНЖК и доминированием 18:1n‑9 и 18:2n‑6 – жирных кислот, которые суммарно составляли от 40 % до 60 % от суммы ЖК. Добавление рыжикового масла изменило соотношение омега‑3 / омега‑6 ПНЖК с 0,11 до 0,46, главным образом за счёт увеличения содержания АЛК. Таким образом, ЖК состав личинок L. sericata может быть существенно модифицирован пищейAquaculture is a fast-growing branch of agriculture, but it faces fish feed shortages due to a decrease in wild fish catches. As a result, the price of feed increases. For further development it requires alternative feed sources. Insects are considered a suitable protein source for fish, but their fatty acid (FA) composition often does not meet the requirements of aquaculture. In fish oil, PUFAs are dominated by the omega‑3 family, and in terrestrial insects, by the omega‑6 family. A question arises whether insect larvae lipid composition can be modified to increase the content of omega‑3 PUFAs. For this purpose, Lucilia sericata larvae were grown on standard feed and feed with addition of camelina oil rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n‑3), and their FA content and composition were compared. To evaluate the quality of these larvae protein, their amino acid (AA) composition was determined. The FA analysis was performed on a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass-spectrometer detector. The AA analysis was performed on a liquid chromatograph. The AA composition of the examined fly larvae, similarly to other insects (Diptera), was close to the AA composition of fish meal. Fatty acid composition and content of fly larvae grown on standard food was characterized by a low ratio of omega‑3/omega‑6 PUFAs and by the dominance of 18:1n‑9 and 18:2n‑6 fatty acids, which together comprised 40–60 % of the total of FAs. The addition of camelina oil changed the ratio of omega‑3/ omega‑6 PUFAs from 0.11 to 0.46, mainly due to the increase in ALA content. Thus, FA content and composition of L. sericata larvae can be significantly modified by a die

The Eurasian Modern Pollen Database (EMPD), version 2

The Eurasian (née European) Modern Pollen Database (EMPD) was established in 2013 to provide a public database of high-quality modern pollen surface samples to help support studies of past climate, land cover, and land use using fossil pollen. The EMPD is part of, and complementary to, the European Pollen Database (EPD) which contains data on fossil pollen found in Late Quaternary sedimentary archives throughout the Eurasian region. The EPD is in turn part of the rapidly growing Neotoma database, which is now the primary home for global palaeoecological data. This paper describes version 2 of the EMPD in which the number of samples held in the database has been increased by 60 % from 4826 to 8134. Much of the improvement in data coverage has come from northern Asia, and the database has consequently been renamed the Eurasian Modern Pollen Database to reflect this geographical enlargement. The EMPD can be viewed online using a dedicated map-based viewer at https://empd2.github.io and downloaded in a variety of file formats at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.909130 (Chevalier et al., 2019)Swiss National Science Foundation | Ref. 200021_16959

The Eurasian Modern Pollen Database (EMPD), version 2

The Eurasian (nee European) Modern Pollen Database (EMPD) was established in 2013 to provide a public database of high-quality modern pollen surface samples to help support studies of past climate, land cover, and land use using fossil pollen. The EMPD is part of, and complementary to, the European Pollen Database (EPD) which contains data on fossil pollen found in Late Quaternary sedimentary archives throughout the Eurasian region. The EPD is in turn part of the rapidly growing Neotoma database, which is now the primary home for global palaeoecological data. This paper describes version 2 of the EMPD in which the number of samples held in the database has been increased by 60% from 4826 to 8134. Much of the improvement in data coverage has come from northern Asia, and the database has consequently been renamed the Eurasian Modern Pollen Database to reflect this geographical enlargement. The EMPD can be viewed online using a dedicated map-based viewer at https://empd2.github.io and downloaded in a variety of file formats at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.909130 (Chevalier et al., 2019).Peer reviewe

INFORMATION PEDAGOGIC ENVIRONMENT OF ‘COSSACK’ EDUCATION AS UPBRINGING RESOURCE FOR RUSSIAN YOUTH

The Cossack revival processes in Russia are analyzed. The functional purpose of the regional Cossack component is examined. The character education peculiarities on the ground of the Cossack culture are presented. The model of the All-Russian Cossack portal implemented as the social networking service is offered