Kleinräumige Verbreitungsmuster der Böden im Übergangsbereich von aridem zu humidem Klima in der Westmongolei

Die Richtung der Stoffverlagerung in Böden und folglich die Pedogenese unterscheiden sich zwischen ariden und humiden Klimabedingungen. Die hier vorgestellte Arbeit fokussiert auf einen klimatischen Übergangsbereich. Sie zielt auf die Prüfung der Hypothese, dass in einem solchen Bereich die räumliche Variabilität des Geländeklimas besonders unmittelbar zu kleinräumigen Bodenmustern führt. Im Mongolischen Altai wurde daher das kleinräumige Verbreitungsmuster der Böden zwischen den trockeneren Beckenlagen und den humideren Gebirgsstöcken analysiert. Die Böden in diesem Gebiet sind meist in äolischen Deckschichten entwickelt, deren Sedimentation im Spätglazial einsetzte. Stellenweise lassen sich jungholozäne Paläoböden nachweisen, die von 30-40 cm mächtigen äolischen Sedimenten überlagert werden. Anhand von geochemischen Indizes und Bodenkennwerten können unterschiedliche Sedimente und Bodenprozesse differenziert werden, die sich aufgrund des Bodenfeuchteregimes ergeben. Insbesondere das Elementverhältnis (Ca, Mg, K, Na)/Al wird als Indikator für Silikatverwitterung und Auswaschung der dabei freigesetzten mobilen Erdalkali- und Alkalimetallkationen verwendet. Zusätzlich werden Rb/Sr- und im ariden Raum auch Mg/Ca-Quotienten hinzugezogen. Anhand des Korngrößenspektrums lassen sich Sedimentquellen unterscheiden. Auf den Fußflächen sind in homogenen fein- bis mittelsandigen Sedimenten weitgehend entkalkte Pheozeme entwickelt. Mit der deszendenten Sickerwasserbewegung werden mobile Elemente aus dem Oberboden bis in eine Tiefe von 40 cm verlagert, wo sie angereichert werden. Dadurch weist der Oberboden geringere (Ca, Mg, K, Na)/Al-Verhältnisse und aufgrund der stärkeren Ca-Mobilität größere Mg/Ca-Verhältnisse auf. Die Böden in Toteislöchern in pleistozänem Moränenmaterial sind demgegenüber feuchter. Dort dominieren Cambisole und Paläoböden in lehmigen Sedimenten

Estradiol and tamoxifen regulate NRF-1 and mitochondrial function in mouse mammary gland and uterus

Nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) stimulates the transcription of nuclear-encoded genes that regulate mitochondrial (mt) genome transcription and biogenesis. We reported that estradiol (E2) and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) stimulate NRF-1 transcription in an estrogen receptor ? (ER?)- and ER?-dependent manner in human breast cancer cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether E2 and 4-OHT increase NRF-1 in vivo. Here, we report that E2 and 4-OHT increase NRF-1 expression in mammary gland (MG) and uterus of ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice in a time-dependent manner. E2 increased NRF-1 protein in the uterus and MG; however, in MG, 4-OHT increased Nrf1 mRNA but not protein. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed increased in vivorecruitment of ER? to the Nrf1 promoter and intron 3 in MG and uterus 6 h after E2 and 4-OHT treatment, commensurate with increased NRF-1 expression. E2- and 4-OHT-induced increases in NRF-1 and its target genes Tfam, Tfb1m, and Tfb2m were coordinated in MG but not in uterus due to uterine-selective inhibition of the expression of the NRF-1 coactivators Ppargc1a and Ppargc1b by E2 and 4-OHT. E2 transiently increased NRF-1 and PGC-1? nuclear staining while reducing PGC-1? in uterus. E2, not 4-OHT, activates mt biogenesis in MG and uterus in a time-dependent manner. E2 increased mt outer membrane Tomm40 protein levels in MG and uterus whereas 4-OHT increased Tomm40 only in uterus. These data support the hypothesis of tissue-selective regulation of NRF-1 and its downstream targets by E2 and 4-OHT in vivo

The development of post-processing algorithm for the ultrasonic evaluation by the application of automated robotic testing systems

The implementation of automated testing systems based on six degrees of freedom (DOF) robotic manipulators is the actual trend in ultrasonic testing equipment development. Such systems are able to provide a fast ultrasonic evaluation with the respect of the surface of the testing object. In this work, the post-processing algorithm based on Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) is suggested. Such algorithm allows presenting the results in the form of high-resolution imagery of the internal structure of testing objects. The suggested algorithm is applicable in the case of the utilization of automated testing systems based on six DOF robotic manipulators and takes into account all the features conditioned by such equipment application. Performance of the suggested algorithm was tested experimentally

Comparison of the visually evoked response in drug-free chronic schizophrenic patients and normal controls

Thirteen cooperative male drug-free chronic schizophrenic patients, and 11 mentally normal male controls were studied. The VER was recorded from scalp leads O1, O2, Oz, C3 and C4 to combined ear reference (A1---A2). The stimulus was an unpatterned flash of single intensity. Compared to normal controls, there were no consistent differences in wave peak latencies or amplitudes for chronic schizophrenics in any brain area tested. When the chronic schizophrenic patients were separated on the basis of high and low tryptophan uptake, using the Frohman-Gottlieb criteria, the high uptake group exhibited normal VERs while in the occipital regions the low tryptophan uptake group exhibited prolonged latencies and an increased amplitude for wave V when compared to normals. From BPRS scores the high tryptophan subgroup indicated a greater degree of psychopathology than the low tryptophan subgroup. The results obtained do not support an indole hallucinogen hypothesis for process schizophrenia.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/23636/1/0000600.pd

Технология сухого производства фосфоритовой муки

Описана технологія виробництва сухого фосфоритового борошна, яка включає просівання, дрібне дроблення, термічну сушіння, кульове подрібнення в замкнутому циклі з контрольним сепарацією, пневмотранспорт фосфоритового борошна в силосу. Продуктив-ність технологічної лінії – 150 тис. т у рік. Крупность помолу становить 70% кл. 0,16 мм при вологості 1%.Описана технология сухого производства фосфоритовой муки, которая включает грохочение, мелкое дробление, термическую сушку, шаровое измельчение в замкнутом цикле с контрольным грохочением, пневмотранспорт фосфоритовой муки в силоса. Производительность технологической линии – 150 тыс. т в год. Крупность помола составляет 70% кл. 0,16 мм при влажности 1%

3D architecture of DNA Pol α reveals the functional core of multi-subunit replicative polymerases

Eukaryotic DNA replication requires the coordinated activity of the multi-subunit DNA polymerases: Pol α, Pol δ and Pol ɛ. The conserved catalytic and regulatory B subunits associate in a constitutive heterodimer that represents the functional core of all three replicative polymerases. Here, we combine X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy (EM) to describe subunit interaction and 3D architecture of heterodimeric yeast Pol α. The crystal structure of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the catalytic subunit bound to the B subunit illustrates a conserved mechanism of accessory factor recruitment by replicative polymerases. The EM reconstructions of Pol α reveal a bilobal shape with separate catalytic and regulatory modules. Docking of the B–CTD complex in the EM reconstruction shows that the B subunit is tethered to the polymerase domain through a structured but flexible linker. Our combined findings provide a structural template for the common functional architecture of the three major replicative DNA polymerases

Real-time investigation of dynamic protein crystallization in living cells

X-ray crystallography requires sufficiently large crystals to obtain structural insights at atomic resolution, routinely obtained in vitro by time-consuming screening. Recently, successful data collection was reported from protein microcrystals grown within living cells using highly brilliant free-electron laser and third-generation synchrotron radiation. Here, we analyzed in vivo crystal growth of firefly luciferase and Green Fluorescent Protein-tagged reovirus μNS by live-cell imaging, showing that dimensions of living cells did not limit crystal size. The crystallization process is highly dynamic and occurs in different cellular compartments. In vivo protein crystallization offers exciting new possibilities for proteins that do not form crystals in vitroL.R., M.K., D.R., and C.B. thank the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) for funding (Grant Nos. 01KX0806 and 01KX0807). L.R., M.D., and C.B. acknowledge support from the BMBF in the context of the Röntgen-Angström-Cluster (Grant No. 05K12GU3). J.M.-C. and A.B.-N. acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, Grant No. BFU2013-43513-R). I.V.M., R.D., and L.R. are grateful for support from the DFG Cluster of Excellence “Inflammation at Interfaces” (EXC 306)S

Mutation update and genotype-phenotype correlations of novel and previously described mutations in TPM2 and TPM3 causing congenital myopathies

Mutations affecting skeletal muscle isoforms of the tropomyosin genes may cause nemaline myopathy, cap myopathy, core-rod myopathy, congenital fiber-type disproportion, distal arthrogryposes, and Escobar syndrome. We correlate the clinical picture of these diseases with novel (19) and previously reported (31) mutations of the TPM2 and TPM3 genes. Included are altogether 93 families: 53 with TPM2 mutations and 40 with TPM3 mutations. Thirty distinct pathogenic variants of TPM2 and 20 of TPM3 have been published or listed in the Leiden Open Variant Database (http://www.dmd.nl/). Most are heterozygous changes associated with autosomal-dominant disease. Patients with TPM2 mutations tended to present with milder symptoms than those with TPM3 mutations, DA being present only in the TPM2 group. Previous studies have shown that five of the mutations in TPM2 and one in TPM3 cause increased Ca2+ sensitivity resulting in a hypercontractile molecular phenotype. Patients with hypercontractile phenotype more often had contractures of the limb joints (18/19) and jaw (6/19) than those with nonhypercontractile ones (2/22 and 1/22), whereas patients with the non-hypercontractile molecular phenotype more often (19/22) had axial contractures than the hypercontractile group (7/19). Our in silico predictions show that most mutations affect tropomyosin–actin association or tropomyosin head-to-tail binding