SIRT1 Allele Frequencies in Depressed Patients of European Descent in Russia

Depressive disorder (DD) is a widespread mental disorder. Although DD is to some extent inherited, the genes contributing to the risk of this disorder and its genetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. A recent large-scale genome-wide association Chinese study revealed a strong association between the SIRT1 gene variants and DD. The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of heterozygote carriers and search for rare SNP variants of the SIRT1 gene in a cohort of DD patients as compared with a cohort of randomly selected members of the Russian population. The complete coding sequences of the SIRT1 gene from 1024 DNA samples from the general Russian population and from 244 samples from patients with DD were analyzed using targeted sequencing. Four new genetic variants of the SIRT1 were discovered. While no significant differences in the allele frequencies were found between the DD patients and the general population, differences between the frequencies of homozygote carriers of specific alleles and occurrences of heterozygous were found to be significant for rs2236318 (P < 0.0001), and putatively, rs7896005 (P < 0.05), and rs36107781 (P < 0.05). The study found for the first time that two new SNPs (i.e., 10:69665829 and 10:69665971) along with recently reported ones (rs773025707 and rs34701705), are putatively associated with DD. The revealed DD-associated SIRT1 SNPs might confer susceptibility to this disorder in Russian population of European descent

The Polarised Valence Quark Distribution from semi-inclusive DIS

The semi-inclusive difference asymmetry A^{h^{+}-h^{-}} for hadrons of opposite charge has been measured by the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The data were collected in the years 2002-2004 using a 160 GeV polarised muon beam scattered off a large polarised ^6LiD target and cover the range 0.006 < x < 0.7 and 1 < Q^2 < 100 (GeV/c)^2. In leading order QCD (LO) the asymmetry A_d^{h^{+}-h^{-}} measures the valence quark polarisation and provides an evaluation of the first moment of Delta u_v + Delta d_v which is found to be equal to 0.40 +- 0.07 (stat.) +- 0.05 (syst.) over the measured range of x at Q^2 = 10 (GeV/c)^2. When combined with the first moment of g_1^d previously measured on the same data, this result favours a non-symmetric polarisation of light quarks Delta u-bar = - Delta d-bar at a confidence level of two standard deviations, in contrast to the often assumed symmetric scenario Delta u-bar = Delta d-bar = Delta s-bar = Delta s.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, COMPASS, revised: details added, author list update

Značajke metaboličkih poremećaja u kokoši nesilica infestiranih crvenom grinjom Dermanyssus gallinae

Dermanyssosis is a common ectoparasitic disease of birds. Some characteristics of metabolic disorders were identified in Hy-Line laying hens with such a disease. The disease caused by Dermanyssus gallinae, a poultry red mite, was detected during a complex parasitological survey in one of two industrial poultry buildings inspected. A high degree of mite infestation was found in the poultry building where the hens of the experimental group were kept. This condition was considered to be a stress factor for the hens, i.e. as a disturbance of their comfortable living conditions. The D. gallinae parasite infestation caused a decrease in erythrocytes and leukocytes, and in hemoglobin concentration in the laying hens. Changes in the content of some stress-associated hormones were analyzed, and they showed an increase in cortisol levels and a decrease in triiodothyronine. Multiple metabolic rate disorders in the organism of the infested hens were revealed. In dermanyssosis stimulation of gluconeogenesis occurred and an increase in the proportion of oxygen-free glycolysis in the hens. These changes were obviously due to the molecular effects of the increase in stress. The hens from the experimental group were found to have high concentrations of lipid peroxidation products as compared to the control. Increased lipid peroxidation was found, together with a decrease in the total antioxidant defense of the experimental laying hens’ organisms. The research results add to our understanding of how a high degree of infestation of a poultry building by D. gallinae impacts the organism of Hy-Line hens.Crvena grinja Dermanyssus gallinae (D. gallinae), poznata još kao tekut, česti je vanjski parazit ptica. U Hy-Line kokoši nesilica infestiranih s navedenim grinjom istražene su neke značajke metaboličkih poremećaja. Infestacija je otkrivena za vrijeme inspekcije dva industrijska objekta za peradarsku proizvodnju. Sveobuhvatnom parazitološkom obradom utvrđen je visok stupanj infestacije grinjama u jednom od dva objekta, u kojemu su držane kokoši iz pokusne skupine. Stanje je uzrokovalo narušavanje povoljnih uvjeta za uzgoj što je rezultiralo stresom za kokoši. Došlo je do smanjenje broja eritrocita i leukocita te koncentracije hemoglobina. Analizirane su promjene hormona povezanih sa stresom, koje su pokazale porast razine kortizola i smanjenje razine trijodtironina. U infestiranih kokoši nesilica otkriveni su višestruki metabolički poremećaji. Uočena je stimulacija glukoneogeneze i porast udjela glikolize bez prisutnosti kisika, a te su promjene očito uzrokovane molekularnim učincima porasta stresa. Kokoši iz pokusne skupine imale su veću koncentraciju produkata lipidne peroksidacije u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Porast lipidne peroksidacije uočen je s istodobnim smanjenjem ukupne antioksidacijske obrane organizma. Rezultati istraživanja pružaju bolje razumijevanje učinaka koji visok stupanj infestacije peradarskih objekata ektoparazitom D. gallinae ima na organizam Hy-Line kokoši nesilica

Light Emitting Devices Based on Quantum Well-Dots

We review epitaxial formation, basic properties, and device applications of a novel type of nanostructures of mixed (0D/2D) dimensionality that we refer to as quantum well-dots (QWDs). QWDs are formed by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxial deposition of 4&ndash;16 monolayers of InxGa1&minus;xAs of moderate indium composition (0.3 &lt; x &lt; 0.5) on GaAs substrates and represent dense arrays of carrier localizing indium-rich regions inside In-depleted residual quantum wells. QWDs are intermediate in properties between 2D quantum wells and 0D quantum dots and show some advantages of both of those. In particular, they offer high optical gain/absorption coefficients as well as reduced carrier diffusion in the plane of the active region. Edge-emitting QWD lasers demonstrate low internal loss of 0.7 cm&minus;1 and high internal quantum efficiency of 87%. as well as a reasonably high level of continuous wave (CW) power at room temperature. Due to the high optical gain and suppressed non-radiative recombination at processed sidewalls, QWDs are especially advantageous for microlasers. Thirty-one &mu;m in diameter microdisk lasers show a high record for this type of devices output power of 18 mW. The CW lasing is observed up to 110 &deg;C. A maximum 3-dB modulation bandwidth of 6.7 GHz is measured in the 23 &mu;m in diameter microdisks operating uncooled without a heatsink. The open eye diagram is observed up to 12.5 Gbit/s, and error-free 10 Gbit/s data transmission at 30 &deg;C without using an external optical amplifier, and temperature stabilization is demonstrated

Quantum dot lasers and relevant nanoheterostructures

Spectral and power characteristics of QD stripe lasers operating in two-state lasing regime have been studied in a wide range of operation conditions. It was demonstrated that neither self-heating nor increase of the homogeneous broadening are responsible for quenching of the ground-state lasing beyond the two-state lasing threshold. It was found that difference in electron and hole capture rates strongly affects light-current curve. Modulation p-type doping is shown to enhance the peak power of GS lasing transition. Microring and microdisk structures (D = 4-9 mu m) comprising 1.3 mu m InAs/InGaAs quantum dots have been fabricated and studied by mu-PL and NSOM. Ground-state lasing was achieved well above root temperature (up to 380 K). Effect of inner diameter on threshold characteristics was evaluated

The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types, because functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate