Human α-fetoprotein as a Zn2+-binding protein. Tight cation binding is not accompanied by global changes in protein structure and stability

AbstractThe binding of zinc to human α-fetoprotein (AFP) isolated from human umbilical cord serum was studied by fluorimetric Zn2+-titration. We found that the total number of strong binding sites for zinc on this protein was 5: AFP has one very strong (dissociation constant, Kd<10−8 M) and at least four lower affinity zinc binding sites (Kd<10−5 M). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed that aspartate and histidine residues could be involved in the strong coordination of zinc. Intriguingly, binding of zinc to the protein does not induce structural changes that can be detected by circular dichroism, FTIR, intrinsic fluorescence or (1,1′)-bi-(4-anilino)naphthalene-5,5′-disulfonic acid (bis-ANS) binding. Finally, scanning microcalorimetry measurements showed that stability of the protein is also unaffected by zinc binding in spite of the strength of the coordination. Such strong interactions without major structural consequences are highly unusual, and AFP may therefore be the first characterized representative of a new class of ligand-binding proteins

Methodology of Strategic Planning For the Development of Educational Ecosystems

The growing economic, social and digital inequality in the world, turbulence of economic and social processes lead to disorientation of educational organizations in development priorities. There are threats of stagnation and lag in the development of educational organizations, ineffective use of resources. The active development of ideas for sustainable development and the digital transformation of socio-economic relations induce educational organizations to revise long-term development programs. The study is aimed at solving the urgent problem of uncertainty in the strategic planning of the development of educational organizations in the context of digital transformation, socio-economic instability, challenges of the 21st century and new requirements for a specialist. The analysis of the studies showed that the professional community is actively discussing educational ecosystems of different types, based on the relationship between the participants and digital educational technologies. The methodology of strategic planning for the development of educational ecosystems presented in the work is considered as a complex of scientific methods: system analysis, classification, personality-oriented and ecosystem approaches. In the context of the concept of continuous, sustainable development, the educational ecosystem should be considered as a complex self-organizing, self-regulating and self-developing community — a group of people united by common interests, using common resources and a system of connections for learning and development. Using the example of the RANEPA North-West Institute of Management, it is shown that the use of the ecosystem approach for strategic development planning allows you to get the most complete and holistic view of the educational organization, its environment and role in the development of society. The methodology of strategic planning for the development of educational ecosystems allows: to create better models for the development than the generally accepted models of managing the educational process; develop an “ecosystem” strategy for the development of an educational organization; avoid costs and waste of resources in the context of digital transformation and dynamic changes in social relations

Maintenance of Russian secondary school students' health (organizational and administrative aspect)

The relevance of the investigated problem is caused by the need to ensure the quality of educational institutions activities aimed at students' health maintenance through the creation of conditions for the organization and management of the activity. The purpose of the article is to develop organizational and pedagogical conditions of maintenance management process, to preserve students' health. Leading methodological approach to the study of this problem is systematic approach that allows considering educational organizations activities aimed at health maintenance as a certain system, to identify a specific set of its constituent elements and show their relationship. The article presents a structural-functional model of health service and according to management principles 1) covers the main areas of activity (labor division principle); 2) identifies the basis of their structural units (structuring principle); 3) the functions of health service activity as a whole, its subsidiaries and certain performers (functional operations accounting principle); 4) provides integrative management performance criteria for health service activities. The information contained in the article may be useful to teachers in terms of the organization of activity on health maintenance in educational institutions by changing organizational and management component of this activity. © 2018 Authors

Psychological-pedagogical factors of zdorovesberezheniya in students

In this article the psycho-pedagogical components use different models of health formative activities, and also discusses some ways of formation of the valuable relationship of individuals to their health as a necessary condition of his physical, mental and social well-beingВ данной статье говорится о психолого-педагогических составляющих использования различных моделей здоровьеформирующей деятельности, а также рассматриваются некоторые способы формирования ценностного отношения индивидов к своему здоровью как к необходимому условию его физического, психического и социального благополучи

Multifactorial Management the Development of Universities Innovative Educational Ecosystems

The article discusses the problem of multifactorial management the development of universities innovative educational ecosystems as a complex, multi-level educational community of participants acting within the  framework of existing institutional norms and, at the same time, implementing development projects aimed at  creating new social institutions. The methodology for managing the development of innovative educational ecosystems means a system of management principles, concepts, approaches and methods of managing an organization and personnel used in the processes of social self-organization and self-development of both the educational ecosystem as a whole and its individual participant. For a specific educational ecosystem, the set of methodological tools can be different, as well as their application at different organizational levels by different participants in the educational ecosystem. The methodology for managing the development of an innovative educational ecosystem makes it possible to determine the optimal set of processes for creating innovation-oriented methods of creating scientific and educational products or performing services within the  framework of development projects characterized by the rapid development of prototypes within the  framework of outsourcing and venture capital financing, trial marketing, compensation of costs for creation based on long-term "bonus", independence and autonomy of development teams. The success the development of the innovative educational ecosystem is determined by a number of factors: the sufficiency of  funding and regulatory support; synchronized goal-setting in the primary and subsequent phases of development management; consolidation of efforts of business structures, government and universities; elimination of formal and informal institutional barriers; creation of favorable conditions and mechanisms for  investing in the development of university innovative educational ecosystems; stimulating business structures in terms of using the scientific, educational and social potential of universities; state patronage in terms of the commercialization of innovations; integration of training with research, innovation and organizational activities  at the personal level; promotion of innovations within the educational ecosystem and beyond. The success thedevelopment of innovative educational ecosystems will be determined not by single decisions from the federal level or individual private initiatives of universities, teachers and students, but by ensuring all factors of the development of educational ecosystems in their systemic unity

Problems of Effective Application of Health-Saving Technologies in Education and Ways to Solve Them

В статье рассматривается применение здоровьесберегающих технологий в образовательных организациях. Выявлены основные проблемы эффективности реализации данных технологий, а также представлены способы их решения.The article discusses the use of health-saving technologies in educational organizations. The main problems of the effectiveness of the implementation of these technologies are indicated, as well as ways to solve them are presented

Expression, purification and initial characterization of human serum albumin domain I and its cysteine 34

Human serum albumin presents in its primary structure only one free cysteine (Cys34) which constitutes the most abundant thiol of plasma. An antioxidant role can be attributed to this thiol, which is located in domain I of the protein. Herein we expressed domain I as a secretion protein using the yeast Pichia pastoris. In the initial step of ammonium sulfate precipitation, a brown pigment co-precipitated with domain I. Three chromatographic methods were evaluated, aiming to purify domain I from the pigment and other contaminants. Purification was achieved by cation exchange chromatography. The protein behaved as a noncovalent dimer. The primary sequence of domain I and the possibility of reducing Cys34 to the thiol state while avoiding the reduction of internal disulfides were confirmed by mass spectrometry. The reactivity of the thiol towards the disulfide 5,5´-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) was studied and compared to that of full-length albumin. A ~24-fold increase in the rate constant was observed for domain I with respect to the entire protein. These results open the door to further characterization of the Cys34 thiol and its oxidized derivatives

Neutron-3H and Proton-3He Zero Energy Scattering

The Kohn variational principle and the (correlated) Hyperspherical Harmonics technique are applied to study the n-3H and p-3He scattering at zero energy. Predictions for the singlet and triplet scattering lengths are obtained for non-relativistic nuclear Hamiltonians including two- and three-body potentials. The calculated n-3H total cross section agrees well with the measured value, while some small discrepancy is found for the coherent scattering length. For the p-3He channel, the calculated scattering lengths are in reasonable agreement with the values extrapolated from the measurements made above 1 MeV.Comment: 13 pages, REVTEX, 1 figur

Effects of limited introgressions from Triticum timopheevii Tausch. into the genome of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on physiological and biochemical traits under normal watering and drought

Alien hybridization in cereals is used for comparative investigations of genome structure and evolution as well as for extracting useful genes from the wild gene pool. The tetraploid species Triticum timopheevii has long been used as a source of genes for resistance to fungal diseases. Line 821 was developed on the genetic background of cultivar Saratovskaya 29 (S29), which is drought-resistant but is very susceptible to diseases and carries big introgressions in 2A and 2B chromosomes and a small introgression in the subtelomeric region of 5A chromosome. The two genotypes were compared for the parameters associated with direct and indirect reaction of the photosynthetic apparatus to water stress. In flag leaves of 821 line, an increased transpiration rate and stomatal conductance (1.6 times the value in optimal watering and 1.2 times the value under water deficit) and, correspondingly, reduced water use efficiency were found compared to the initial cultivar. Additionally, the actual effectiveness and electron transport rate of photosystem II and chlorophyll and carotenoid content were reduced as well as the total antioxidant capacity (approximately three-fold) under water stress. Under the same conditions, lipoxygenase activity was increased two-fold. On the whole, water deficit tolerance was decreased in the line in comparison with the parental cultivar and was accompanied by leaf senescence. Thus, it may be supposed that 2A, 2B and 5A chromosomes of the drought-tolerant cultivar S29 carry important genetic factors responsible for reaction to water stress in wheat plants

Physiological responses to water deficiency in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines with genetically different leaf pubescence

Studying the relationship between leaf pubescence and drought resistance is important for assessing Triticum aestivum L. genetic resources. The aim of the work was to assess resistance of common wheat genotypes with different composition and allelic state of genes that determine the leaf pubescence phenotype. We compared the drought resistance wheat variety Saratovskaya 29 (S29) with densely pubescent leaves, carrying the dominant alleles of the Hl1 and Hl3 genes, and two near isogenic lines, i: S29 hl1, hl3 and i: S29 Hl2aesp, with the introgression of the additional pubescence gene from diploid species Aegilops speltoides. Under controlled conditions of the climatic chamber, the photosynthetic pigments content, the activity of ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes and also the parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence used to assess the physiological state of the plants photosynthetic apparatus were studied in the leaves of S29 and the lines. Tolerance was evaluated using the comprehensive index D, calculated on the basis of the studied physiological characteristics. The recessive state of pubescence genes, as well as the introduction of the additional Hl2aesp gene, led to a 6-fold decrease in D. Under the water deficit influence, the fluorescence parameters profile changed in the lines, and the viability index decreased compared with S29. Under drought, the activity of ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and dehydroascorbate reductase in the line i: S29 hl1, hl3 decreased 1.9, 3.3 and 2.3 times, in the line i: S29 Hl2aesp it decreased 1.8, 3.6 and 1.8 times respectively, compared with S29. In a hydroponic greenhouse, line productivity was studied. Compared with S29, the thousand grains mass in the line i: S29 hl1, hl3 under water deficit was reduced. The productivity of the line i: S29 Hl2aesp was significantly reduced regardless of water supply conditions in comparison with S29. Presumably, the revealed effects are associated with violations of cross-regulatory interactions between the proteins of the trichome formation network and transcription factors that regulate plant growth and stress response