Sissevaade eestlaste ravimtaimede tundmise mitmekesisusse

The article probes the knowledge of Estonians in terms of medicinal plants, proceeding from the origin of the relevant knowledge. We have differentiated local and global knowledge. The concept of locality is closely related to indigenous plants and the knowledge thereof within the community. It is intrinsic of the local knowledge to combine tworeciprocal criteria: first, the plant name is characteristic of a particular region (village, former parish, etc.), or, if there is no plant name, there is a recognisable description of the plant; secondly, unique and characteristic use of plants in a particular region. Global herbal folklore is associated with non-native and cultivated species, and can be recognised from among the relevant data according to the specific naming and intrinsic use of non-native plants, or by transferring the name and use of the alien plant to thelocal species, etc.In most cases, the introduced species do not have a folkloric name and are known only by way of the naming given by botanists. Pharmacies and chemist’s are the first major and recognisable institutions affecting herbal folklore, as the names of the solddrugs coincided with the names of species. The more thorough analysis focuses on how widespread in oral tradition is the name of the drug made of the roots of the wild rose. Likewise, diverse herbal knowledge has also been influenced by popular science booksin Estonian, published for nearly 340 years, and is currently affected by the media and the relevant influential figures presented therein. A number of species, which used to be common, have become rare during recent decades and a similar tendency can also benoted in herbal folklore

Lake Peipsi 2022 (Phytoplankton samples)

Method: Phytoplankton samples were preserved in Lugol’s (acidified iodine) solution and counted under an inverted microscope (Utermöhl, 1958). 3-10 ml of preserved sample was settled overnight and counted in random fields or transects. Biovolumes of algal cells, colonies and/or filaments were calculated using assigned geometric shapes dimensions, and converted to biomass assuming the specific density of 1 g cm-3 in accordance with Edler (1979). Approved by CEN on 14 July 2006 “Water quality - Guidance standard on the enumeration of phytoplankton using inverted microscopy (Utermöhl technique)” (CEN 15204, 2006) European Standard EN 15204:2006 Utermöhl, H., 1958. Zur Vervollkommnung der quantitativen Phytoplankton-Methodik. Mitteilungen der Internationale Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie 9, 1- 38. Edler, L. (ed.), 1979. Recommendations on methods for marine biological studies in the Baltic Sea. Phytoplankton and chlorophyll. Baltic Marine Biologists WG 9. Leg: K. Blank, K. Palmik-Das, L. Tuvikene, A. Tuvikene; det: K. Maileht

Lake Peipsi 2021 (Phytoplankton samples)

Method: Phytoplankton samples were preserved in Lugol’s (acidified iodine) solution and counted under an inverted microscope (Utermöhl, 1958). 3-10 ml of preserved sample was settled overnight and counted in random fields or transects. Biovolumes of algal cells, colonies and/or filaments were calculated using assigned geometric shapes dimensions, and converted to biomass assuming the specific density of 1 g cm-3 in accordance with Edler (1979). Approved by CEN on 14 July 2006 “Water quality - Guidance standard on the enumeration of phytoplankton using inverted microscopy (Utermöhl technique)” (CEN 15204, 2006) European Standard EN 15204:2006 Utermöhl, H., 1958. Zur Vervollkommnung der quantitativen Phytoplankton-Methodik. Mitteilungen der Internationale Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie 9, 1- 38. Edler, L. (ed.), 1979. Recommendations on methods for marine biological studies in the Baltic Sea. Phytoplankton and chlorophyll. Baltic Marine Biologists WG 9. Leg: K. Blank, K. Palmik-Das, L. Tuvikene, A. Tuvikene; det: K. Maileht

The fidelity of HPV16 E1/E2-mediated DNA replication

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are causative agents in a variety of human diseases; for example over 99% of cervical carcinomas contain HPV DNA sequences. Often in cervical carcinoma the HPV genome is integrated into the host genome resulting in unregulated expression of the viral transforming proteins E6 and E7. Therefore viral integration is a step towards HPV induced carcinogenesis. Integration of the HPV genome could occur following double-strand DNA breaks that could arise during viral DNA replication. We investigated the fidelity of HPV 16 E1 and E2 mediated DNA replication of non-damaged and UVC damaged templates in a variety of cell lines with different genetic backgrounds; C33a (derived from an HPV negative cervical carcinoma), XP30RO (deficient in the by-pass polymerase h), XP30h (expressing a restored wild type polh), XP12RO (nucleotide excision repair defective) and MRC5 (derived from a 14 week old human foetus). The results demonstrate that the fidelity of E1 and E2 mediated DNA replication is reflective of the genetic background in which the assays are carried out. For example, restoring polh to the XP30 cell line results in a three-fold drop in the number of mutants obtained following replication of a UVC damaged template. A relatively high percentage of the mutant replicated molecules arise as a result of genetic rearrangement. This is the first time such studies have been carried out with an HPV replication system and the results are discussed in the context of the HPV life cycle and what is known about HPV genomes in human cancers

ABCE1 suppresses RNAi of <i>GFP</i> in <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i>.

<p><b>(A)</b> Schematic representation of the <i>in vivo</i> RNAi inhibition assay—the transgenes expressed and the GFP status are indicated. (<b>B)</b> Representative photomicrographs of the posterior part of animals expressing the NLS::GFP reporter in body wall muscles, treated with <i>GFP</i>-specific RNAi for 24 h at 20°C; control RNAi—empty vector. (<b>C)</b> Representative photomicrographs of the posterior part of animals expressing <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i> ERI-1 and the NLS::GFP reporter in body wall muscles, treated with <i>GFP</i>-specific RNAi for 24 h at 20°C; ERI-1(+)—animals carrying the <i>myo-3</i>::<i>eri-1</i> transgene; ERI-1(-)—animals not carrying the <i>myo-3</i>::<i>eri-1</i> transgene. (<b>D)</b> Representative photomicrographs of the posterior part of animals expressing ABCE1 and the NLS::GFP reporter in body wall muscles, treated with <i>GFP</i>-specific RNAi for 24 h at 20°C. ABCE1(+)—animals carrying the <i>myo-3</i>::<i>ABCE1</i> transgene; ABCE1(-)—animals not carrying the <i>myo-3</i>::<i>ABCE1</i> transgene. (<b>E)</b> Relative GFP fluorescence intensity of the NLS::GFP reporter in worms expressing ERI-1 and ABCE1 and treated with <i>GFP</i>-specific RNAi for 24 h at 20°C. The ratio of the GFP signal intensity in worms expressing ERI-1 or ABCE1 and the NLS::GFP reporter compared to reporter alone is presented. Results from a representative experiment are shown (n > 100). Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval for the mean. Asterisks denote a statistically significant increase of the GFP signal intensity in worms expressing ERI-1 or ABCE1 and the NLS::GFP reporter as compared to the reporter alone (p < 0.0001 by two-tailed Student’s <i>t</i>-test), showing that ERI-1 and ABCE1 are able to suppress <i>GFP</i> RNAi.</p

A Diagnostic Algorithm for Mitochondrial Disorders in Estonian Children

Item does not contain fulltextMitochondrial disorders are a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting energy production of the body. Different consensus diagnostic criteria for mitochondrial disorders in childhood are available - Wolfson, Nijmegen and modified Walker criteria. Due to the extreme complexity of mitochondrial disorders in children, we decided to develop a diagnostic algorithm, applicable in clinical practice in Estonia, in order to identify patients with mitochondrial disorders among pediatric neonatology and neurology patients. Additionally, it was aimed to evaluate the live-birth prevalence of mitochondrial disorders in childhood. During the study period (2003-2009), a total of 22 children were referred to a muscle biopsy in suspicion of mitochondrial disorder based on the preliminary biochemical, metabolic and instrumental investigations. Enzymatic and/or molecular analysis confirmed mitochondrial disease in 5 of them - an SCO2 gene (synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase, subunit 2) defect, 2 cases of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency and 2 cases of combined complex I and IV deficiency. The live-birth prevalence for mitochondrial defects observed in our cohort was 1/20,764 live births. Our epidemiological data correlate well with previously published epidemiology data on mitochondrial diseases in childhood from Sweden and Australia, but are lower than in Finland

ABCE1 suppresses RNAi mediated silencing of <i>ULK3</i> in HEK293 cells.

<p>FLAG-tagged ULK3 was expressed in HEK293 cells in combination with empty vectors pcDNA3.1 and pSUPER or with siRNA(ULK3) or scrambled siRNA(X) and plasmids encoding either ABCE1 or P19 proteins. Cells were analyzed 30 h post-transfection. <b>(A)</b> FLAG-tagged ULK3 and actin (loading control) were detected by western blotting. The blot shown is representative for three independent experiments. ABCE1 and P19 were able to increase ULK3 expression levels in silenced cells. ABCE1 and P19 did not have any significant effect on ULK3 expression level in siRNA(X) transfected (non-silenced) cells. Molecular masses (in kDa) are shown on the right. <b>(B)</b> Quantification of relative ULK3 expression levels derived from three independent experiments. ULK3 expression levels were normalized to actin expression levels. The means relative to the levels of non-silenced ULK3 (cells transfected with empty vectors) are shown. Error bars indicate standard deviations. ABCE1 and P19 rescued ULK3 expression level significantly (*p = 0.0835, **p = 0.0461).</p