AFLP-analysis of genetic diversity in soybean [Glycine max (l.) Merr.] cultivars Russian and foreign selection

ArticleGenetic diversity of 11 cultivars of soybean (Glycine max) from a VIR (N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources) collection was analyzed by the AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique. From 18 tested primer combinations, both of them were selected for further analysis. From these two primer combinations (E32/M60 and E32/M59), 90 DNA fragments were obtained, 39 (43%) of them were polymorphic. Unique DNA fragments were found in accessions SibNIISHoz 6, Soer-4, Determinant. The Jaccard's similarity indices varied from 0.79 (between Sonata and Ugra) to 0.94 (between Ugra and Garmoniya) with an average of 0.775. Cluster analysis placed the cultivars into the several groups but separation in groups was not related to their origin or biological characteristics, even though cultivars Nordik and Soer-4 (cultivars recommended for Central Black Earth region of Russia) clustered together on the dendrogram. The obtained high values of Jaccard genetic similarity index and low level of polymorphism and differentiation illustrated a relatively low genetic diversity in our studied cultivars, which correlated with different other studies on soybean genetic diversity with AFLP-analysis

A new strategic framework to structure Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA)

Funding Information: This work was supported by Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC EP/S000747/1) and the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy's (BEIS) offshore energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Programme. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference. All rights reserved.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A new strategic framework to structure cumulative impact assessment (CIA)

Funding Information: This work was supported by Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC EP/S000747/1) and the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) offshore energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Programme.Peer reviewedPostprin

Assessment of Factors Affecting Food Exports of Russian Regions

The development of food export and transformation of its structure with a predominance of deep processed products is a priority goal of the Russian agri-food sector. In this regard, it is necessary to find ways to restructure food production for ensuring the country’s food security and increasing its export potential. The study aims to identify key factors affecting agricultural exports, as well as to substantiate the role of state support in creating a regional strategy for the development of industries processing agricultural raw materials. To this end, statistical research methods were applied, in particular, a multiple regression model was constructed to assess the influence of the selected factors on Russian food export considering its regional diversity. The factors affecting exports can be divided into market (food industry output, population income, agricultural output, food imports, budget expenditures) and state ones (direct budgetary transfers to agricultural producers and subsidies to regions). The research concluded that direct state support to agricultural producers has the biggest impact on food exports. The study justified the need to restructure the system of state support to improve production efficiency and competitiveness of products and proposed a set of potentially effective tools for achieving this goal. The methodological approach and research findings can be used to establish a strategy for the development of the food and processing industry of the domestic agri-food sector at the federal and regional levels. At the same time, it is required to further study methodological aspects of the distribution of state support to the food industry across Russian regions, as well as to define criteria and principles of its intersectoral and interregional division.Развитие экспорта продовольствия и трансформация его пропорций с преобладанием в структуре продукции глубокой промышленной переработки являются приоритетным направлением стратегического развития агропродовольственного комплекса страны. В связи с этим особую актуальность представляет поиск путей структурной перестройки производства пищевой продукции, обеспечивающего как продовольственную безопасность страны, так и увеличение ее экспортного потенциала. В рамках настоящего исследования планируется выявить наиболее значимые факторы, влияющие на объемы агроэкспорта, а также обосновать роль государственной поддержки в процессе формирования региональной стратегии развития отраслей переработки сельхозсырья. Практическая часть работы основана на использовании статистических методов исследования, в частности, построена модель множественной регрессии, позволившая оценить степень влияния выделенных факторов на российский экспорт продовольствия с учетом его регионального разнообразия. Предложено деление факторов, влияющих на экспорт, на так называемые рыночные (объем производства в пищевой промышленности, уровень доходов населения, объем производства в сельском хозяйстве, импорт продовольствия, расходы бюджета) и государственные (прямые перечисления средств из бюджета сельхозпроизводителям и дотации регионам). Результаты исследования позволили сделать вывод, что максимальное влияние на экспорт продовольствия оказывает прямая государственная поддержка сельхозпроизводителей. Обоснована необходимость реструктуризации системы государственной поддержки товаропроизводителей, которую следует ориентировать на повышение показателей эффективности производства и конкурентоспособности продукции, при этом предложен набор потенциально эффективных инструментов достижения поставленной цели. Методический подход, а также непосредственные результаты исследования предлагается использовать при разработке стратегии развития пищевой и перерабатывающей отрасли отечественного АПК на федеральном и региональном уровнях. При этом требуется дальнейшая проработка методологических аспектов распределения госпомощи пищевой промышленности между регионами РФ, в частности, уточнение критериев, а также принципов ее межотраслевого и межрегионального деления

Molecular mechanisms of autism as a form of synaptic dysfunction

Autism spectrum disorders are a separate group of defects with a very high genetic component. Genetic screening has identified hundreds of mutations and other genetic variations associated with autism, and bioinformatic analysis of signaling pathways and gene networks has led to understanding that many of these mutational changes are involved in the functioning of synapses. A synapse is a site of electrochemical communication between neurons and an essential subunit for learning and memory. Interneuronal communicative relationships are plastic. The most prominent forms of synaptic plasticity are accompanied by changes in protein biosynthesis, both in neuron body and in dendrites. Protein biosynthesis or translation is a carefully regulated process, with a central role played by mTOR (mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin). Normally mTOR-regulated translation is slightly inhibited, and in most cases mutational damage to at least one of the links of the mTOR signaling pathway, increases translation and leads to impaired synaptic plasticity and behavior. Deregulation of the local translation in dendrites is connected with the following monogenic autism spectrum disorders: neurofibromatosis type 1, Noonan syndrome, Costello syndrome, Cowden syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, fragile X chromosome, syndrome, and Rett syndrome. The review considers the most important mutations leading to monogenic autism, as well as the possibility of a mechanism-based treatment of certain disorders of the autism spectrum

West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease: The first confirmed case in Bulgaria

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Synthesis of a Sterically Encumbered Pincer Au(III)−OH Complex

We report the synthesis and crystallographic characterization of a novel Au(III)−OH complex featuring a N^N^N-pincer ligand. Reactivity studies towards oxygen atom transfer (OAT), a type of reactivity previously reported for a Au(III)−OH complex, indicate that this complex provides both a sterically encumbered Au atom and a sterically poorly accessible OH group leading to no reactivity with a series of phosphines. The steric encumbrance sets this example apart from the known examples of Au(III)−OH (pincer) complexes, which commonly feature planar ligands that provide little control over steric accessibility of the Au and O atoms in these complexes. Implications for the mechanism of OAT from Au−OH complexes are briefly discussed

Microbial Enrichment of a Novel Growing Substrate and its Effect on Plant Growth

The quality of torrefied grass fibers (TGF) as a new potting soil ingredient was tested in a greenhouse experiment. TGF was colonized with previously selected microorganisms. Four colonization treatments were compared: (1) no inoculants, (2) the fungus Coniochaeta ligniaria F/TGF15 alone, (3) the fungus followed by inoculation with two selected bacteria, and (4) the fungus with seven selected bacteria. Cultivation-based and DNA-based methods, i.e., PCR-DGGE and BOX-PCR, were applied to assess the bacterial and fungal communities established in the TGF. Although colonization was not performed under sterile conditions, all inoculated strains were recovered from TGF up to 26 days incubation. Stable fungal and bacterial populations of 108 and 109 CFU/g TGF, respectively, were reached. As a side effect of the torrefaction process that aimed at the chemical stabilization of grass fibers, potentially phytotoxic compounds were generated. These phytotoxic compounds were cold-extracted from the fibers and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Four of 15 target compounds that had previously been found in the extract of TGF were encountered, namely phenol, 2-methoxyphenol, benzopyran-2-one, and tetrahydro-5,6,7,7a-benzofuranone. The concentration of these compounds decreased significantly during incubation. The colonized TGF was mixed with peat (P) in a range of 100%:0%, 50%:50%, 20%:80%, and 0%:100% TGF/P (w/w), respectively, to assess suitability for plant growth. Germination of tomato seeds was assessed three times, i.e., with inoculated TGF that had been incubated for 12, 21, and 26 days. In these tests, 90–100% of the seeds germinated in 50%:50% and 20%:80% TGF/P, whereas on average only 50% of the seeds germinated in pure TGF. Germination was not improved by the microbial inoculants. However, plant fresh weight as well as leaf area of 28-day-old tomato plants were significantly increased in all treatments where C. ligniaria F/TGF15 was inoculated compared to the control treatment without microbial inoculants. Colonization with C. ligniaria also protected the substrate from uncontrolled colonization by other fungi. The excellent colonization of TGF by the selected plant-health promoting bacteria in combination with the fungus C. ligniaria offers the possibility to create disease suppressive substrate, meanwhile replacing 20% to 50% of peat in potting soil by TGF

Cellular internalisation, bioimaging and dark and photodynamic cytotoxicity of silica nanoparticles doped by {Mo₆I₈}⁴⁺ metal clusters

Silica nanoparticles (SNPs) doped by hexanuclear molybdenum cluster complexes [{Mo₆X₈}L₆]n (X = Cl, Br, or I; L = various inorganic or organic ligands) have been recently suggested as materials with a high potential for biomedical applications due to both the outstanding photoluminescent properties and the ability to efficiently generate singlet oxygen upon photoirradiation. However, no studies were undertaken so far to prove this concept. Therefore, here we examined the potential of photoluminescent SNPs doped by {Mo₆I₈}⁴⁺ for such applications as bioimaging and photodynamic therapy using human epidermoid larynx carcinoma (Hep-2) cell line as a model. Our results demonstrated both: (i) significant luminescence from cells with internalised molybdenum cluster doped SNPs combined with the low cytotoxicity of particles in the darkness and (ii) significant cytotoxicity of the particles upon photoirradiation. Thus, this research provides strong experimental evidence for high potential of molybdenum cluster doped materials in such biomedical applications as optical bioimaging, biolabeling and photodynamic therapy

Analysis of the placental tissue transcriptome of normal and preeclampsia complicated pregnancies

Preeclampsia is one of the most severe gestational complications which is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. A growth in the incidence of severe and combined forms of the pathology has been observed in recent years. According to modern concepts, inadequate cytotrophoblast invasion into the spiral arteries of the uterus and development of the ischemia-reperfusion syndrome in the placental tissue play the leading role in the development of preeclampsia, which is characterized by multipleorgan failure. In this regard, our work was aimed at studying the patterns of placental tissue transcriptome that are specific to females with PE and with physiological pregnancy, as well as identifying the potential promising biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of this pathology. We have identified 63 genes whose expression proved to differ significantly in the placental tissue of females with PE and with physiological pregnancy. A cluster of differentially expressed genes (DEG) whose expression level is increased in patients with preeclampsia includes not only the known candidate genes that have been identified in many other genome-wide studies (e.g., LEP, BHLHB2, SIGLEC6, RDH13, BCL6), but also new genes (ANKRD37, SYDE1, CYBA, ITGB2, etc.), which can be considered as new biological markers of preeclampsia and are of further interest. The results of a functional annotation of DEG show that the development of preeclampsia may be related to a stress response, immune processes, the regulation of cell-cell interactions, intracellular signaling cascades, etc. In addition, the features of the differential gene expression depending on preeclampsia severity were revealed. We have found evidence of the important role of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the failure of immunological tolerance and initiation of the pro-inflammatory cascade in the development of severe preeclampsia. The results obtained elaborate the concept of the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and contain the information necessary to work out measures for targeted therapy of this disease.