RESEARCH OF THE STATE OF WOODY AND BRUSHWOOD PLANTS UNDER ANTHROPOGENIC STRESS CONDITIONS

Objective. The study of anthropogenic impact on environmental components, primarily on woody and shrub plants, which are the main medium-forming element in natural and artificial ecosystems, is relevant. The subject of this study was the ecological and biological state of plants under conditions of technogenic stress. Materials and methods. The article presents the results of a study of the life state of woody plants. For this, test plots were laid on the territory of sanitary protection zones of industrial enterprises and in the plantings of main plantings. The quantitative content of tannins and polyphenol oxidase in plant leaves during the active growing season was determined by spectrophotometry and titrimetric analysis. Results. Vitality decreases in the following order: Betula pendula Roth.> Sorbus aucuparia L.> Rosa majalis Herrn.> Acer negundo L.> Tilia cordata Mill. In plantations of technogenic territories, an increase in damage to the leaf blade is noted, a greater number of dry branches appear in the crown of a tree, compared to the control zone. Thus, in the study area, the lowest life state scores were recorded in Tilia cordata Mill., And the highest vital state scores were recorded in silver birch. In mountain ash, wild rose and American maple, the vital state is average. The increase in the activity of polyphenol oxidase was observed in plantations of technogenic territories, which is a consequence of intensive anthropogenic load on woody plants. Increased activity of polyphenol oxidase helps to decrease the content of tannins in plant leaves. Betula pendula Roth. Sorbus aucuparia L. in the SPZ of industrial enterprises in July, the accumulation of tannins is more intense than in the control plantations. Conclusion. Betula pendula Roth., Sorbus aucuparia L. in the SPZ of industrial enterprises in July, the accumulation of tannins is more intense than in the control plantations. Spectrophotometric determination of activity helps to understand the reasons why the content of tannins increases or decreases. This fact indicates the participation of tannins in the complex of adaptive reactions of plants, which are associated with protection from aerogenic pollutants. As a result of the study, the most resistant to anthropogenic stress plant species were identified: silver birch, cinnamon rose, and rowan tree

Genes related to emphysema are enriched for ubiquitination pathways

BACKGROUND: Increased small airway resistance and decreased lung elasticity contribute to the airflow limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The lesion that corresponds to loss of lung elasticity is emphysema; the small airway obstruction is due to inflammatory narrowing and obliteration. Despite their convergence in altered physiology, different mechanisms contribute to these processes. The relationships between gene expression and these specific phenotypes may be more revealing than comparison with lung function. METHODS: We measured the ratio of alveolar surface area to lung volume (SA/V) in lung tissue from 43 smokers. Two samples from 21 subjects, in which SA/V differed by >49 cm(2)/mL were profiled to select genes whose expression correlated with SA/V. Significant genes were tested for replication in the 22 remaining subjects. RESULTS: The level of expression of 181 transcripts was related to SA/V ( p < 0.05). When these genes were tested in the 22 remaining subjects as a replication, thirty of the 181 genes remained significantly associated with SA/V (P < 0.05) and the direction of association was the same in 164/181. Pathway and network analysis revealed enrichment of genes involved in protein ubiquitination, and western blotting showed altered expression of genes involved in protein ubiquitination in obstructed individuals. CONCLUSION: This study implicates modified protein ubiquitination and degradation as a potentially important pathway in the pathogenesis of emphysema. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2466-14-187) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Variability of Hydroacoustic Noise Probability Density Function at the Output of Automatic Gain Control System

This research presents results of the estimation of temporal variability of the hydroacoustic noise probability density function (PDF) in shallow waters within the frequency band of 0.03–3.3 kHz; the studies were conducted near the Primorsky Aquarium on Russky Island, Vladivostok, Russia. Signals were received via unidirectional hydrophone and automatic gain control of the received signals. The hydrophone was attached to a drifting buoy via an elastic suspension; the received signals were transmitted by cable to a boat drifting with the buoy. The results of the comparison of the sea noise probability density function (PDF) estimates at the output of a system with automatic gain control (AGC) with similar results for a white Gaussian noise in the same frequency band are described

Underwater Noises of Open-Circuit Scuba Diver

The features of respiratory noises and noises of fins for open-circuit scuba divers, indicating a multipole character of noises emission, are specified in cameral conditions. It demonstrates a possibility to detect low-frequency components of noises of fins with pressure gradient sensor in near field. A possibility of estimating the respiratory rate of an open-circuit scuba diver is demonstrated at distances up to 100 m in real sea. It gives an opportunity of estimating the bearing (time delay in a pair of hydrophones) for the open-circuit scuba diver by respiratory noises at distances up to 150 m in real sea. Thus, low-frequency underwater noises of open-circuit scuba divers may be successfully applied to monitor the safety of diving and to prevent waterside intrusion by trespassers

Investigation of electromagnetic fields in the arctic zone with uneven ice cover

Numerical investigation of electromagnetic waves propagating near an ice cover with hummocks of different height has been carried out. Half-wave vibrators, melted into ice at the depth of about 20 sm, were used as an antenna. Transmitted signal frequencies were from 10 to 30 MHz. A mathematical model for amplitude spatial distribution of electromagnetic wave source, placed inside an ice cover with hummocks, was developed. The results of numerical study show that, when antenna is inside hummocks, the signal is amplified. Experimental investigations show good agreement with the theoretical model

Polyphenolic Compounds from Lespedeza Bicolor Root Bark Inhibit Progression of Human Prostate Cancer Cells via Induction of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest

From a root bark of Lespedeza bicolor Turch we isolated two new (7 and 8) and six previously known compounds (1&ndash;6) belonging to the group of prenylated polyphenols. Their structures were elucidated using mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopy. These natural compounds selectively inhibited human drug-resistant prostate cancer in vitro. Prenylated pterocarpans 1&ndash;3 prevented the cell cycle progression of human cancer cells in S-phase. This was accompanied by a reduced expression of mRNA corresponding to several human cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). In contrast, compounds 4&ndash;8 induced a G1-phase cell cycle arrest without any pronounced effect on CDKs mRNA expression. Interestingly, a non-substituted hydroxy group at C-8 of ring D of the pterocarpan skeleton of compounds 1&ndash;3 seems to be important for the CDKs inhibitory activity