Evaluation of the effect of plant growth retardants on vegetative growth, yield components, seed quality and crop maturity of kabuli chickpea

Non-Peer Reviewe

Major and trace element geochemistry of El Chichón volcano-hydrothermal system (Chiapas, México) in 2006-2007: implications for future geochemical monitoring

Isotopic, major and trace element composition studies for the crater lake, the Soap Pool and thermal springs at El Chichón volcano in November 2006-October 2007 confirm the complex relationship between annual rainfall distribution and crater lake volume and chemistry. In 2001, 2004 and 2007 high volume high-Cl lake may be related to reactivation of high discharge (>10 kg/s) saline near-neutral water from the Soap Pool boiling springs into the lake, a few months (~January) after the end of the rainy season (June-October). The peak lake volume occurred in March 2007 (~6 x 105 m3). Agua Tibia 2 thermal springs discharge near the foot of the SW dome but their chemistry suggests a lower temperature regime, an enhanced water-rock interaction and basement contribution (evaporites and carbonates), anhydrite leaching from the 1982 pyroclastic deposits, rather than dome activity. New suggestions of crater lake seepage are evidenced by the Agua Caliente thermal springs. Existing models on the “crater lake-Soap Pool spring” and the deep hydrothermal system are discussed. Chemical changes in the deep geothermal aquifer feeding the thermal springs may predict dome rise. Future volcanic surveillance should focus on spring chemistry variations, as well as crater lake monitoring

Major and trace element geochemistry of El Chichón volcano-hydrothermal system (Chiapas, Mexico) in 2006-2007: implications for future geochemical monitoring

We report a detailed study of isotopic, major and trace element composition in the crater lake, Soap Pool and thermal springs at El Chichón volcano for the period November 2006-October 2007. After two decades of studying the crater lake, it is possible to confirm the complex relationship between the annual rainfall distribution and the crater lake volume and chemistry: during three years (2001, 2004 and 2007) a large volume high-Cl lake can be related to the reactivation of high discharge (>10 kg/s) of saline near-neutral water from the Soap Pool boiling springs towards the lake, only a few months (~January) after the end of the rainy season (June-October). The highest lake volume ever observed occurred in March 2007 (~6x105 m3). Despite the fact that the Agua Tibia 2 thermal springs discharge at the foot of the SW dome, their chemistry indicates a lower temperature regime, an enhanced water-rock interaction and basement contribution (evaporites and carbonates), and anhydrite leaching from the 1982 pyroclastic deposits, rather than dome activity. New suggestions on crater lake seepage are evidenced by the Agua Caliente thermal springs. Existing models on the “crater lake-Soap Pool spring” and the deep hydrothermal system are justified and detailed. We believe that chemical changes in the deep geothermal aquifer feeding the thermal springs will anticipate dome rise. Future volcanic surveillance should focus on the changes in spring chemistry, besides crater lake monitoring

Measuring Binding of Protein to Gel-Bound Ligands Using Magnetic Levitation

This paper describes the use of magnetic levitation (MagLev) to measure the association of proteins and ligands. The method starts with diamagnetic gel beads that are functionalized covalently with small molecules (putative ligands). Binding of protein to the ligands within the bead causes a change in the density of the bead. When these beads are suspended in a paramagnetic aqueous buffer and placed between the poles of two NbFeB magnets with like poles facing, the changes in the density of the bead on binding of protein result in changes in the levitation height of the bead that can be used to quantify the amount of protein bound. This paper uses a reaction–diffusion model to examine the physical principles that determine the values of rate and equilibrium constants measured by this system, using the well-defined model system of carbonic anhydrase and aryl sulfonamides. By tuning the experimental protocol, the method is capable of quantifying either the concentration of protein in a solution, or the binding affinities of a protein to several resin-bound small molecules simultaneously. Since this method requires no electricity and only a single piece of inexpensive equipment, it may find use in situations where portability and low cost are important, such as in bioanalysis in resource-limited settings, point-of-care diagnosis, veterinary medicine, and plant pathology. It still has several practical disadvantages. Most notably, the method requires relatively long assay times and cannot be applied to large proteins (>70 kDa), including antibodies. The design and synthesis of beads with improved characteristics (e.g., larger pore size) has the potential to resolve these problems.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Оцінка ефективності застосування плазмаферезу в комплексній терапії гострого некротичного панкреатиту

Мета. Вивчити вплив плазмаферезу (ПФ) на лабораторні показники інтоксикації та запального процесу у пацієнтів з гострим некротичним панкреатитом (ГНП). Матеріали і методи. До дослідження залучено 73 пацієнти з ГНП. Контрольну групу склали 27 пацієнтів, які отримували інтенсивну медикаментозну терапію. До основної групи включили 46 пацієнтів, яким стандартну інтенсивну терапію доповнили ПФ. Крім рутинних, вивчали показники інтоксикації та маркери запалення. Результати. У пацієнтів основної групи показники інтоксикації та запалення вже після першого сеансу ПФ були достовірно нижчими за аналогічні показники у пацієнтів контрольної групи. Щодо частини пацієнтів, у яких зазначені показники наближалися до аналогічних показників у здорових людей, було прийнято рішення обмежитися лише одним сеансом ПФ. Решті пацієнтів провели два, а окремим - навіть три сеанси ПФ. Після повторних сеансів ПФ показники інтоксикації та запалення у пацієнтів основної групи достовірно відрізнялися не лише від аналогічних показників у пацієнтів контрольної групи, а й від показників у пацієнтів, яким було проведено лише один сеанс екстракорпоральної детоксикації. Висновки. ПФ зменшує клінічні прояви панкреатиту, а також знижує лабораторні показники інтоксикації та запального процесу

The effect of humic substances on test-objects

The complex study of a number of humic substances was conducted with help of bioassay methods using invertebrates (Daphnia, paramecium, earthworms), terrestrial (wheat seeds) and aquatic plants (elodea, duckweed) and algae (Scenedesmus quadricauda). The ranges of concentrations of humates that have a negative and a stimulating effect on biological objects were identified. The efficiency of biological testing methods to evaluate the effect of humic substances on biological objects is shown

Quality of colonoscopy in an emerging country: A prospective, multicentre study in Russia

Background: The quality of colonoscopy has been related to a higher risk of interval cancer, and this issue has been addressed extensively in developed countries. The aim of our study was to explore the main quality indicators of colonoscopy in a large emerging country. Methods: Consecutive patients referred for colonoscopy in 14 centres were prospectively included between July and October 2014. Before colonoscopy, several clinical and demographic variables were collected. Main quality indicators (i.e. caecal intubation rate, (advanced) adenoma detection rate, rate of adequate cleansing and sedation) were collected. Data were analysed at per patient and per centre level (only for those with at least 100 cases). Factors associated with caecal intubation rate and adenoma detection rate were explored at multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 8829 (males: 35%; mean age: 57 + 14 years) patients were included, with 11 centres enrolling at least 100 patients. Screening (including non-alarm symptoms) accounted for 59% (5188/8829) of the indications. Sedation and split preparation were used in 26% (2294/8829) and 25% (2187/8829) of the patients. Caecal intubation was achieved in 7616 patients (86%), and it was ≥85% in 8/11 (73%) centres. Adenoma detection rate was 18% (1550/8829), and it was higher than 20% in five (45%) centres, whilst it was lower than 10% in four (33%) centres. At multivariate analysis, age (OR: 1.020, 95% CI: 1.015–1.024), male sex (OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.3), alarm symptoms (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.7–2), split preparation (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2–1.6), caecal intubation rate (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3–1.9) and withdrawal time measurement (OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.6–2.1) were predictors of a higher adenoma detection rate, while adequate preparation (OR: 3.4: 95% CI: 2.9–3.9) and sedation (OR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1–1.6) were the strongest predictors of caecal intubation rate. Conclusions: According to our study, there is a substantial intercentre variability in the main quality indicators. Overall, the caecal intubation rate appears to be acceptable in most centres, whilst the overall level of adenoma detection appears low, with less than half of the centres being higher than 20%. Educational and quality assurance programs, including higher rates of sedation and split regimen of preparation, may be necessary to increase the key quality indicators

Peculiarities of Immunological Structure Formation in Plague Carriers of the Central-Caucasian High-Mountain Natural Plague Focus

Objective of the study is to analyze immunological structure of the mountain souslik, habitant in various zones of natural focality in the Central-Caucasian natural plague focus.Materials and methods. The data on serological investigations conducted on the mountain souslik, within the periods of 1974–1988 and 2001–2004 have been obtained from FGHI “Kabardino-Balkaria Plague Control Station” of the Rospotrebnadzor. Applying passive hemagglutination test and indirect hemagglutination test, with the help of Excel Microsoft Office 2010, evaluated have been 63147 blood survey results.Conclusions. It is established that the highest ratio of the souslik with low antibody titer in blood, which characterizes initial contact with plague infection, is observed at the peak of epizootic activity. In the mountain steppe of the eastern focal part, the apex coincides with June, in the western part, as well as in the Alpine and Subalpine zones of the eastern one – with August. Animals with high antibody titers, i.e. secondarily infected, emerge in vast numbers at the peak of mountain souslik lethality. In the mountain steppe this period falls upon June, i.e. simultaneously with the peak of epizootic activity. In the western part lethality apex is also observed in June, but maximum epizootic activity takes place in August. In Alpine and Subalpine zones of the eastern focal part, peaks of epizootic activity and lethality among the souslik populations concur and fall upon August. Isolation of plague microbe cultures alongside with positive serological tests is reasonably more often observed in the mountain steppe of the river Baksan, than in other areas of natural focality

Flux-splitting schemes for parabolic problems

To solve numerically boundary value problems for parabolic equations with mixed derivatives, the construction of difference schemes with prescribed quality faces essential difficulties. In parabolic problems, some possibilities are associated with the transition to a new formulation of the problem, where the fluxes (derivatives with respect to a spatial direction) are treated as unknown quantities. In this case, the original problem is rewritten in the form of a boundary value problem for the system of equations in the fluxes. This work deals with studying schemes with weights for parabolic equations written in the flux coordinates. Unconditionally stable flux locally one-dimensional schemes of the first and second order of approximation in time are constructed for parabolic equations without mixed derivatives. A peculiarity of the system of equations written in flux variables for equations with mixed derivatives is that there do exist coupled terms with time derivatives